Then, the entire scene shattered before her very eyes, and Xin Qing felt herself propelled further and further away from it. She tried to reach out with her hands, but her grasp caught nothing but emptiness.
A loud, heart-wrenching yell sounded: "Ah Cang!" Xin Qing's eyes shot open, and she realized that she was still inside her own room. There she lay, on top of the bed that she and Ying Qingcang had shared, covered in sweat.
The door opened with a bang. Chen Huan rushed in and pulled Xin Qing into a tight hug. "Xin Qing! Xin Qing, calm down, okay? You need to calm down. It was just a dream. You were only dreaming!"
"I saw Ah Cang! I saw Ah Cang!" Xin Qing's arms started to swing wildly in the air. She glanced around and pushed Chen Huan away. "He's waiting for me. I'm going to look for him!"
Holding back her tears, Chen Huan helped Xin Qing put on her shoes. Then, she grabbed a jacket and draped it over Xin Qing's shoulder. "Xin Qing, it's so late right now. Why don't we go look for him tomorrow?" Chen Huan said, not daring to try to stop Xin Qing from doing whatever she wanted. It seemed to her that Xin Qing was getting more and more agitated.
"Ah Cang will get anxious. I have to go to him!" Xin Qing hurried to open the door and saw Boss Wan standing at the door. Chen Huan gave Boss Wan a look, and the two of them helped Xin Qing down the stairs.
In one corner of the room, Ah Sha was hugging Xunxun, her head leaning against his shoulder as she bit her lip and cried.
"Ah Sha..." Xunxun felt his heart shattering into oblivion. Still, he had no idea how to broach the subject to Ah Sha. The young mind of the girl seemed to have sensed that something had happened to her daddy. Her mommy had spent every second of the day crying and ignoring her. Nobody bothered to speak to her too. Xunxun was the only one who had kept her company.
"Ah Sha, don't cry, okay? Ah Sha is the bravest. What did daddy tell you to do when he isn't around? That Ah Sha must protect mommy!" Ah Sha got out a few words through her sobs. "But mommy is ignoring Ah Sha. Mommy doesn't even want to hug Ah Sha anymore."
Xunxun brought his face closer to Ah Sha's tiny face and stroked her back comfortingly. "Ah Sha, mommy is just feeling very sad right now. It's only temporary, so we need to give her some time," Xunxun said. "It's just like what your daddy told you. When he isn't around, Ah Sha has to protect mommy!"
"Brother Xunxun!" Ah Sha's eyes slowly close. "Will you protect mommy together with Ah Sha?"
Xunxun kissed her. "Yes, I will! Now, let's go to sleep..."
Xin Qing was still asleep when Zhang Mi and Young Master Shen arrived the next day. They walked in to find Chen Huan and Boss Wan sitting at the dining table, staring blankly at a pot of congee.
The sight of the two of them looking so unwell made Zhang Mi anxious. "What's wrong?" she asked in a panic.
Boss Wan gave Young Master Shen a look and said, "She had a dream last night and insisted that Ying Qingcang was waiting for her. None of us could stop her, so we went outside and walked around with her until morning. She fell asleep just moments ago."
"Things can't go on like this!" Zhang Mi slumped against the dining table. "Even if she can, the baby won't be able to endure it! Right now, Xin Qing's ignoring Ah Sha entirely. She couldn't see anything other than her pain. She'll fall apart eventually if things go on this way."
For the whole time, Chen Huan had not spoken a single word. She sat there with her head hung low. Boss Wan drew her into his arms and patted her shoulder.
"Look, we need to figure out a way to deal with this mess. We can't let things go on like this," Young Master Shen said just as Zhang Mi's phone rang. She picked up and hummed into the phone twice. After hanging up, Zhang Mi said, "Qianqian will come by later. We should let Qianqian have a go at persuading her!"
Xin Qing did not feel like waking up; she felt she would see Ying Qingcang again as long as she was asleep. Still, she kept hearing someone calling her name beside her ear. Bright lights streaked into her eyes, and Xin Qing saw Shi Qianqian sitting by her bed.
"You're awake?" Shi Qianqian was holding her belly as she stared back at Xin Qing.
Xin Qing still had a vacant look on her face, and Shi Qianqian had no idea what was going on inside Xin Qing's head. Shi Qianqian stood up and handed her a glass of milk. Xin Qing took the glass and gulped down the milk. After that, she continued to stare blankly.
"So you're planning to keep living like this?"
Something flashed inside Xin Qing's eyes. Shi Qianqian took the glass from Xin Qing's hand. "Aren't you the one convinced that Ying Qingcang isn't dead? Okay, so what's going to happen to his children if you're like this every day? What's going to happen to the business empire that he had built?" Shi Qianqian gazed right into Xin Qing's eyes. "What do you have to show for once he returns? And what about Ah Sha? Are you abandoning her?"
Shi Qianqian gave a cold sneer. "You should make it clear now if you no longer plan to keep her. Ask Xunxun to take her away and forget a mother like you."
Xin Qing's eyes slowly refocused. Tears slid along her cheeks and dripped onto the back of her palms.
"Stop lying to yourself," Shi Qianqian said, raising her voice suddenly. "Deep down, you're thinking that Ying Qingcang is already dead, aren't you?"
Xin Qing raised her head suddenly. "Nonsense! He's fine. I saw him. I know he'll return!"
"Then what the heck are you doing now? You want him to return only to find you and your child buried under a gravestone?" Shi Qianqian's voice pierced through Xin Qing's heart like a scalpel.
"You need to think carefully about your actions! The baby in your body, Ah Sha, as well as the entire Xin Enterprises. All of them could very well be in shambles because of your decision." Shi Qianqian stood up and walked towards the door. "The Xin Qing I knew isn't like this at all. The Xin Qing I knew is brave, and strong! She never lost her courage even when she was betrayed by her own father and got traded away as a slave. Right now... I still believe that she won't allow herself to be defeated that easily."
Everyone else was waiting outside the door. When Shi Qianqian stepped out of the room, they helped her to go to the living room to rest.
"Qianqian, I think you were too harsh just now," Zhang Mi said, handing a glass of water to Shi Qianqian. Shi Qianqian took the glass and glanced at her. "Oh yeah? Ever heard of the phrase 'rising like a phoenix from the ashes'?"
Boss Wan nodded in agreement. "We've been too afraid to provoke her before. Still, the root cause of her sadness needs to be addressed directly. Hopefully, she'll be willing to face reality after this."
"That's right. It hurts whenever we peel open a wound. Right now, her wound is filled with pus, and we need to peel it open to remove the pus. Otherwise, the wound will stay there forever and never heal." Shi Qianqian glanced up the stairs. "I believe she'll be able to cheer up finally!"
None of them bothered Xin Qing for the rest of the afternoon. By dinner time, both Chen Huan and Zhang Mi were hesitating over their next move.
"I think we should just bring the food up to her!" Chen Huan said after a long moment of hesitation. Zhang Mi was just about to nod when her eyes suddenly turned to the staircase with her mouth opening. "Xin... Xin Qing!"
Xin Qing was standing at the top of the staircase, staring back at them with a calm expression.
Chen Huan's head turned around as she screamed in delight. "Are you coming down?" she asked.
This was the first time Xin Qing had come downstairs on her own ever since what happened. Just then, both Boss Wan and Young Master Shen ran out from the dining hall. Young Master Shen smiled. "Come on, then! Come have some dinner!"
At the dining table, everyone was shooting furtive glances at Xin Qing. Xin Qing set down her chopsticks. "How am I supposed to eat with all of you staring at me?"
"Ah!" Chen Huan reacted quickly by ladling another bowl of soup for Xin Qing. "Come, come. Have another bowl of soup. It's good for the baby!"
Xin Qing finished the soup and set the bowl down on the table. "Where's Ah Sha, by the way?"
Zhang Mi smiled. "The girl had gone out to eat with Xunxun. Ah Che is with them." Xunxun had been bringing Ah Sha out for meals for the past few days. Xin Qing would just ignore Ah Sha if they stayed home, anyway. Everyone had concerns that a young child might not be able to handle the emotional consequences of being ignored by a parent. After a moment of thought, Xin Qing understood all that. Her gaze swept across everyone in the room, after which she spoke out in a decisive tone:
"I'm so sorry, guys. I've made everyone worried for the past month. But don't you worry, though. I won't go on like this. I will pull myself together and deliver the baby. I'll take good care of Ah Sha and learn how to run the company. I'll keep everything running smoothly until Ah Cang's return. And when he does, I'll show him how great I am!"
Zhang Mi pressed a hand to her lips and nodded relentlessly. Young Master Shen squeezed Zhang Mi's hand and gave Xin Qing a contented look. Only Chen Huan had kept her head low. Xin Qing's gaze lingered on Chen Huan. "Huanhuan," she said, "I'm sorry!"
Chen Huan glanced up at Xin Qing in surprise. Then, Xin Qing walked over and embraced her. "I knew how tough things must have been for you. I know that you've been suffering," Xin Qing said, her words coming out slowly. "And yet I've been selfish, thinking only of myself and my own problems. Please stop blaming yourself, okay? None of this is your fault!"
"Oh, Xin Qing! Xin Qing, I'm so sorry!" Chen Huan sobbed into Xin Qing's chest, unleashing an entire month of pent-up emotions.
Xin Qing patted the other woman's head. "Oh, silly. It's not your fault, okay?"
Boss Wan yanked Chen Huan into his arms. "See? I told you Xin Qing wouldn't blame you. Just let it all out okay? Cry to your heart's content. After that, you must let it go!"
"Oh, yeah! Where's Xiao Rui?" Xin Qing suddenly remembered that Xiao Rui had followed them home as well.
"He's staying at our place at the moment," Zhang Mi answered hurriedly. "He said he was worried that his sudden appearance might scare Ah Sha. That's why he's been staying away."
"Bring him here tomorrow, then!" Xin Qing said guiltily. "Boss Wan, are there still no leads on Xiao Rui's family?"
Just when Boss Wan was about to answer, Chen Huan suddenly pushed her bowl away and let out a dry heave.
"What's the matter?" Startled, Boss Wan jumped to his feet. Chen Huan's body had always been in good condition. She rarely even had colds.
"You guys help her upstairs. I'll call a doctor," Xin Qing said. Then, with a hand on her belly, Xin Qing walked into the living room to make the call.
The doctor left as quickly as he came. Right now, Boss Wan was standing at the head of Chen Huan's bed as if he were about to march into a war. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? Is the blanket too thin? What about the air conditioner? Is the room's temperature too low?"
Meanwhile, the actual patient was leaning against the headboard, looking as if nothing major had happened. "I'm just pregnant," Chen Huan said. "Why are you so anxious?"
Zhang Mi looked at Boss Wan strangely. "You guys already have a son together, right? Why is he so excited like this?"
"Chen Huan never actually told him when she was pregnant with Xunxun. This is the dude's first time experiencing something like this," Young Master Shen answer with a slightly surly tone. He and Zhang Mi had been trying hard for a long time. How come there was still nothing yet!
Chen Huan's pregnancy had triggered something inside Xin Qing, prompting her to pull herself together. Boss Wan decided to bring Chen Huan back to his own place to take care of the baby. Before leaving, Boss Wan told Xin Qing that the likelihood of successfully tracking down Xiao Rui's family was slim, and that she might as well just adopt the kid while he was still young.
Xin Qing thought over Boss Wan's suggestion and decided it was best to take Xiao Rui's opinion into account. Although the kid was only six years old, he was already very mature. Things like this should never be kept from the boy. The next day, Zhang Mi brought Xiao Rui back. Xin Qing was apologizing to Ah Sha when they arrived.
"Baby, I'm so sorry! Mommy hasn't been brave enough before. Will Ah Sha forgive mommy?"
It had been a while since Ah Sha had the chance to be wrapped up in Xin Qing's embrace. Ah Sha hung on tightly to Xin Qing's neck as tears streaked down her whole face.
"Mommy! Don't be afraid, mommy. Brother Xunxun and I will protect you. We'll always protect you! When daddy comes back, Ah Sha will tell him that Ah Sha is the one who has been protecting mommy!" Xin Qing kept holding on to Ah Sha, peppering the child with endless kisses. The pair hugged each other as they cried their hearts out.
When she saw Xiao Rui walking over, Xin Qing dried her tears. Xunxun already had a towel at the ready, which he used to clean up Ah Sha's face.
"Come!" Xin Qing waved at Xiao Rui. "Ah Sha, this is your little brother, Xiao Rui!" Xiao Rui was a year younger than Ah Sha, so it goes without saying that he would be the youngest in the family.
"Xiao Rui, are you willing to be my son?" Xin Qing looked at the six-year-old child. Xiao Rui bit his lip and nodded. "I'll protect you."