Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Xuxu pulled Su Yue into a tight embrace. “Yueyue, don’t be like this. Please don’t cry. He said that he didn’t want you to cry.”


  “Third sister-in-law, what’s wrong with him? Where is he now?” Su Yue’s emotions were falling apart.

  She shoved Xuxu away and squatted down. She buried her head with her hands.

  “He went to Country M.” Xuxu covered her mouth and her tears fell down.

  She took out a letter from her bag and passed it with trembling hands to Su Yue.

  There was a kitten on the pink envelope. Su Yue raised her head and blankly stared at it. After some time, she extended her hand towards the letter.

  She opened it and the first thing that caught her eye was Jiao Chen’s neat handwriting.

  There were only two sentences……

  “Third sister-in-law, take care of Xiaojiao for me,” Su Yue said to Xuxu as she rose. She contemplated for a moment before changing her mind. “No, I want to bring Xiaojiao with me. If he sees Xiaojiao, he wouldn’t bear to leave us.”


  She seemed out of sorts, and she staggered as she walked to the door.

  Xuxu caught up with Su Yue and pulled her arm. “Yueyue, please don’t do this.”


  Su Yue turned to Xuxu, and her face was glazed with tears. “Third sister-in-law, Jiaojiao lived with me for the past four years.”


  How could he bid her goodbye with just a letter?

  How could he leave with just two sentences?

  “I know, I understand,” Xuxu said in a constricted voice. “Can’t you just pretend he went to a faraway place?”


  She pulled Su Yue into her arms once more.

  Su Yue broke into loud wails.

  “Why am I so dumb? His health was deteriorating and he kept losing weight. He always looks so sickly, and yet I didn’t realize anything.”


  Xuxu closed her eyes in determination when she heard Su Yue. “I’ll bring you there. I’ll bring you to him so that you can accompany him.”


  She pushed Su Yue away and gripped her shoulders. She said in a choked voice, “But you have to promise me one thing. Be strong.”


  Su Yue bit her lips and nodded furiously.

  She needed to be strong. In that way, Jiaojiao won’t be worried……

  They reached N City in Country M. The hospital seemed extra gloomy because of the rain.

  Su Yue wore a white dress which was Jiao Chen’s favorite. She held Xiaojiao’s hand as they trailed closely behind Xuxu.

  The corridors in the hospital were quiet in the afternoon. But the silence was unsettling.

  “Ah Sheng.”


  They spotted Yan Rusheng outside the elevator. He looked extremely battered and exhausted.

  Su Yue let go of Xiaojiao’s hand the moment she saw Yan Rusheng, and she darted towards him. “Third Brother, where is Jiao Chen?!”


  She raised her head and looked at him intently.

  Fear filled her eyes.

  Yan Rusheng glanced at Su Yue without a word.

  Su Yue grabbed his arm. “Where is Jiaojiao?”


  Yan Rusheng remained mum.

  “Yan Rusheng!” Xuxu yelled.

  Yan Rusheng finally spoke up. “The success rate of the surgery was less than five percent……”


  His voice was hoarse and he sounded tired.

  He paused and added softly, “He had the surgery this morning.”


  “It was successful right?” Su Yue squeezed Yan Rusheng’s arm tightly. She peered at him without even blinking.