Chapter 17 - heart-stirring

When we arrived at the hospital, we asked a nurse and found out the ward where Zhang Qian's mother was staying. The ward had four beds. In the innermost one lay an elderly woman with a kind face, resting on her side. Two police officers were beside her, asking questions softly. When they saw us approaching, one of them said, "You must be Zhuang Huilan's family members, right?" Zhang Qian hurried forward. "Zhuang Huilan is my mother. Is she okay?" **"She should be fine, nothing serious."** The officer then turned to Lu Liang, naturally assuming he was her husband. **"Sir, could you come outside with us for a moment?"** Zhang Qian was about to explain, but Lu Liang patted the back of her hand and smiled. **"I'll go find out what's going on."** Grandma Zhuang looked at Zhang Qian in confusion, then at Lu Liang. Zhang Yun knelt beside the bed, holding her grandmother's hand, and tears streamed down her face. **"Grandma, are you alright?"** Grandma Zhuang gazed at her with full affection. **"Don't cry, sweetie. Grandma's fine. Tell me, were you a good girl at school today?"** Zhang Qian glanced at Lu Liang, who was talking to the police outside the ward, then bit her lip and said, **"His name is Lu Liang. He's my boyfriend."** **"Qianqian, you've finally come around! It's high time you found yourself a boyfriend."** Grandma Zhuang looked surprised at first, then broke into a big smile. She was so overjoyed that she accidentally pulled her wound, making her gasp in pain. **"Mom, take it easy! What did the doctor say just now?"** Zhang Qian forced a smile, eager to change the subject. Outside, Lu Liang finished talking to the police and returned to the ward to relay what he'd learned. It was a hit-and-run case with no leads—even though there was surveillance footage, the crowd had been too dense to identify who had knocked her over. **"As long as Mom's okay, that's all that matters."** Zhang Qian still felt shaken and had no energy to pursue the matter further. She was about to thank Lu Liang, then find a chance to explain to her mother that they were just friends. But before she could speak, Lu Liang knelt down beside the bed and said gently, **"Hello, Auntie. My name is Lu Liang."** Grandma Zhuang nodded, took Lu Liang's hand, and spoke with great emotion and sincerity. **"Xiao Lu, Qianqian has had a hard life these past years. From now on, I'm entrusting her to you."** For so many years, her daughter had refused to look for another boyfriend. She'd even said she only wanted to raise their child and didn't need a man in her life. Now that she'd finally brought a boyfriend home, Grandma Zhuang didn't ask for much—she just wanted someone who would treat her daughter and granddaughter well. **"Mom, what are you saying? Yunyun's still right here!"** Zhang Qian panicked, well aware of the true nature of her relationship with Lu Liang. Lu Liang was slightly taken aback, then smiled. **"Don't worry, Auntie. I'll take good care of Qianqian from now on."** He ruffled the little girl's hair beside him. **"And of course, I'll take good care of you too, sweetie."** Zhang Qian froze for a moment. She knew Lu Liang was just playing along, yet for some reason, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in her heart—*if only this were real*. Just then, a nurse came in and said they needed a family member to discuss the treatment plan with the doctor and pay the deposit. **"Qianqian, go talk to the doctor. I'll go downstairs to pay the deposit. Yunyun, stay here with Grandma."** Lu Liang made the arrangements, then took the paperwork and followed the nurse to the payment counter on the first floor. On the nurse's recommendation, he paid a 50,000-yuan deposit and requested a private ward. After finishing all the formalities, Lu Liang went outside the hospital to buy some dinner before heading back to the ward. Zhang Qian was waiting for him at the door. Lu Liang gestured for her to eat first and said they could talk later—even if she wasn't hungry, the little girl must be starving. **"McDonald's! Thank you, Uncle! Mommy never lets me eat this before!"** The little girl's mood had brightened up like the summer weather. Now that she knew her grandma was okay, she'd bounced back to her usual cheerful self. **"It's not like I'm starving you! Kids shouldn't eat too much fried food, but it's okay once in a while."** Zhang Qian opened the food packaging, her eyes softening with tenderness. Lu Liang had been thoughtful—he'd not only bought a kids' meal but also a bowl of plain porridge, knowing the elderly woman was recovering from an injury. **"Sweetie, look what Uncle Lu got you! Ta-da!"** Lu Liang pulled a fancy little box out of his pocket like a magician—it was a new children's smartwatch recently launched by BBK. **"Thank you, Uncle!"** The little girl's face lit up with excitement. She held the watch tightly, clearly having seen it before at school. **"Ask Mommy to get you a supplementary SIM card tomorrow, but you have to promise Uncle you won't play with it during class, okay?"** **"Mmm!"** The little girl peeked at her mother, then nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. **"Let's pinky swear on it!"** Lu Liang, showing his playful side, hooked his pinky with the little girl's, and they both chanted in unison, **"Pinky swear, cross my heart, never break it, never part! If I break it, I'm a puppy!"** Zhang Qian sighed. It wasn't that she couldn't afford the watch—she just didn't want her child to be exposed to electronic devices too early. Grandma Zhuang watched them with a warm, loving smile on her face. **"Xiao Lu gets along so well with Yunyun. You can finally rest easy now, can't you?"** Zhang Qian forced a smile but didn't explain. As night fell, both Zhang Yun and Grandma Zhuang had fallen asleep, and the hired hospital caregiver had arrived. Zhang Qian and Lu Liang stepped outside the ward. **"Brother Liang, thank you so much. How much did you spend? I'll transfer the money to you right away."** **"Is it such a disgrace to be your boyfriend?"** **"That's not what I meant!"** **"Think of it as a gift for the elder. Besides, I really like that little girl."** Lu Liang glanced at the sleeping child by the bed, a hint of tenderness flickering in his eyes. If his life had gone according to plan, he would have had a child around her age by now. He added, **"You should really consider changing jobs. As Yunyun grows older, she'll eventually start asking questions. She actually asked me quietly earlier what her mommy does for a living."** Zhang Qian's eyes widened, and she pressed further. **"What did you tell her?"** Even though she owned an apartment in Shanghai, Zhang Qian had been living in the company dormitory—all to hide her actual job from her daughter. **"I told her I'm a big boss, and her mommy works for me."** Lu Liang chuckled at the memory. **"She even asked me to give you more days off so you can spend more time with her."** Zhang Qian fell silent. After a long while, she said bitterly, **"But what else can I do?"** **"Don't sell yourself short. You're articulate and have great people skills—I think opening a beauty salon would be perfect for you."** **"But I know nothing about the beauty industry!"** **"You can learn. Besides, it doesn't have to be a beauty salon. You can take your time to figure out what you like."** Lu Liang gently brushed her earlobe with his fingers, a light, teasing touch—he'd quickly learned which parts of her were the most sensitive during their time together. Zhang Qian's body trembled slightly. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she whispered sharply, **"Let go! We're in a hospital, for heaven's sake!"** Lu Liang laughed. **"Sorry, force of habit."** **"Mommy, when are we going home?"** The little girl had just woken up. She rubbed her eyes and walked over to them, then looked up at Zhang Qian and asked, **"Mommy, why is your face so red? Do you have a cold?"** **"You go to the parking lot with Uncle Lu first. Mommy needs to talk to Grandma and the caregiver for a minute."** Zhang Qian quickly turned her head away and shot Lu Liang a fierce glare. **"Sweetie, grab your schoolbag. Let's go."** Lu Liang grinned and took the little girl's hand, leading her out of the hospital. As they passed the pediatric clinic, the little girl stole a glance at the other children—each one being carried on their father's back. A look of envy flashed across her face. Lu Liang noticed. He knelt down and said softly, **"Come on, sweetie. Uncle will carry you on his back."** The little girl's face lit up with delight. She scrambled onto Lu Liang's back and murmured, **"It's so broad… nothing like Mommy or Grandma's."** **"Hold on tight! Here we go!"** Lu Liang smiled and quickened his pace, making the little girl feel like she was riding a roller coaster. In the dim, quiet underground parking lot, the sound of the little girl's bell-like laughter echoed around them. Zhang Qian, who had just caught up, froze when she saw the scene. She watched them silently for a long time, her eyes gradually welling up with tears. She whispered softly, more to herself than anyone else, **"You scoundrel…"** *Why do you always have to **tug at my heartstrings** like this… when we both know it can never be real?*