CH 49

The atmosphere in the hospital room became tense. Everyone looked at Grandma Su lying on the bed, and for a moment, no one spoke.

The air was suffocatingly quiet. Little did everyone know that Su Mingxi's assertiveness came from Grandma Su.

Su Mingxi glanced at Zheng Baozhu, hesitated for a moment, and then went to persuade her mother, "Mom, don't get angry. It's not worth it to get upset. Besides, Yao Yao is here; don't scare the child."

Concerned about the child, Grandma Su suppressed her anger and spoke to Zheng Baozhu in a more gentle tone, "Baobao, since you have already acted in the film, we won't pursue it any further. But you cannot act in any more films in the future."

Su Mingxi added, "I told her the same thing, but she still needs time to accept it. Give her some more time..."

"I truly can't accept it," Zheng Baozhu clenched her hands by her side and looked at Grandma Su lying on the hospital bed, "Grandma, I know you have always cared for me. When I got into trouble as a child, even when my mom wanted to scold me, you always protected me. But I can't understand why you're so hung up on Aunt's matter. When she passed away, you were all deeply grieving, and that's understandable. But it's been almost twenty years since then! Twenty years, and your time seems to have stopped on the day Aunt left. You could never move on. Is that normal?! You have hidden away everything related to her, you forbid anyone in the family to talk about celebrities, and you won't allow me to be a celebrity. You've erased all traces of her from our lives. Do you think you can be at ease like this?"

"Baobao, do you even know what you're saying?" Su Mingxi interrupted sharply.

Zheng Baozhu turned to her mother, "Mom, did you have pimples when you were young? If the pimples got infected, you had to get the pus out for it to heal. You all understand this principle, but none of you are willing to do it. I don't think the problem is with me; the problem lies with all of you!"

"That's enough!" This time, it was Zheng Baozhu's uncle who spoke up to stop her, "Baobao, you're going too far! I think your mom spoils you too much!"

Zheng Baozhu looked at him, her heart pounding, but she didn't back down, "Uncle, you're the eldest son in the family. I know that in the past, Grandpa and Grandma were busy with work, and my mom and Aunt were mostly taken care of by you. As a child, I always thought my uncle was amazing, like a superhero who was fearless of any difficulties. I wanted to grow up quickly, thinking that when I became an adult, I could be like my uncle, and no difficulty could deter me. But as I grew older, I realized that adults are not brave at all. They can also be afraid and escape, just like children can be cowardly."

As Zheng Baozhu spoke, tears unconsciously streamed down her cheeks, and even her uncle, a man, had reddened eyes. He kept his lips tightly sealed, his thoughts in turmoil, but unable to say a word.

Grandma Su, lying on the hospital bed, wiped her eyes and looked back at Zheng Baozhu, "Baobao, do you think we stopped you from acting because we were afraid of recalling Mingmei? It's true that her loss will always be a pain in our hearts, but what we are more concerned about is that you might become like Mingmei, immersed in the world of acting and unable to distinguish reality from fiction."

"Grandma, my choices are different from Aunt's, and her decisions don't represent mine," Zheng Baozhu wiped away the tears on her face and looked at Grandma, "I'm scared of dying. There are so many good things in this world that I can't bear to leave behind."

"Do you think Mingmei was willing to leave?" Grandma Su's emotions finally overwhelmed her, and she spoke with some agitation, "Mingmei used to be a vibrant and lively person! No one expected her to do such a thing before the accident..."

As Grandma Su spoke, her voice choked, and she couldn't continue. Su Mingxi rushed forward and gently patted her mother's back, helping her to breathe, "Mom, don't get too upset. Be mindful."

Su Mingxi's eyes were also tinged with red, and she glanced at Zheng Baozhu with some reproach, "Baobao, let's drop the topic for today. Do you want to see your grandma get seriously ill before you're happy?"

Zheng Baozhu stood there without saying another word. If her grandma was already this upset, she didn't want to cause any further accidents.

From the nearby table, Qu Zhi picked up a few tissues, hesitated as he looked at Zheng Baozhu, and finally quietly handed them to her. Zheng Baozhu took them, wiping away the tears on her face. Little Yao Yao looked up and suddenly burst into tears with a loud cry.

The people in the room were startled, and they all turned to look. Children's emotions are always more sensitive, and Su Mingxi was worried that the argument had frightened Yao Yao. She comforted her softly, "What's wrong, Yao Yao? Stop crying; we'll go home right away, okay?"

"No, it's not okay," sobbed Yao Yao as she ran to Zheng Baozhu and hugged her, "Why are you all bullying Aunt? So many of you bullying one person, Aunt is so pitiful, wu-waaaah—"

Yao Yao's crying was ear-piercing, and Zheng Baozhu quickly wiped her tears, bending down to lift her up, "Yao Yao, don't cry; Aunt is fine."

"But Aunt's eyes are all red from crying," cried Yao Yao, tears streaming down her cheeks. Zheng Baozhu's aunt hurriedly comforted, "Yao Yao, come to Grandma. We're not bullying Aunt; we're doing this for her own good."

Yao Yao looked at her own grandma, still clinging to Zheng Baozhu's neck and not letting go, accusing them tearfully, "Mom told me that you don't like Aunt to act, saying that you would be sad if she acts, but if she doesn't act, Aunt will be sad. You are clearly doing this to avoid getting hurt yourselves, yet you claim it's for Aunt's good!"

Her teary voice lacked any intimidating power, but after she finished speaking, the hospital room fell into a new silence. Finally, her uncle looked at Yao Yao's mother beside her and spoke first, "Su Jiaying, is this how you and your husband usually teach Yao Yao?"

Suddenly being brought to attention, Su Jiaying's shoulder trembled slightly, she looked at her dad and finally stood beside Zheng Baozhu, "Dad, I think Baobao is right. Back then, when Grandma pretended to be sick to deceive Baobao and make her give up the arts entrance exam, I actually didn't approve in my heart, but I didn't dare to say anything. All these years, I've felt guilty towards Baobao. I understand that you have your concerns, but just like what Baobao said, it's been twenty years since Aunt Mingmie's incident, and it's time for you to move on."

Uncle Su straightened up a bit, but his wife tried to mediate on the side, "Jiaying, you know this matter is complicated..."

"This matter is actually not complicated at all." Su Jiaying didn't wait for her mother to finish and turned her gaze to the hospital bed, "You are so unwilling to let Baobao act because of two reasons. First, you don't want to see Aunt Mingmei's shadow in her. Sometimes I also feel that Baobao resembles Aunt Mingmei. But this is a difficulty we should overcome. Instead, we are transferring the burden onto Baobao. It's been so long; we should let go of Aunt Mingmei's matter. If she were alive, she wouldn't want to see us like this all the time. Second, as you said, you're afraid Baobao will walk the same path as Aunt Mingmei. If acting truly traps her, blurring the line between reality and fiction, then it falls under the category of mental illness, which can be resolved through self-adjustment or seeking help from a psychologist. Coincidentally, Xiao Zhou happens to be a psychologist."

"Xiao Zhou" referred to Su Jiaying's husband. After Su Jiaying finished her lengthy explanation, everyone's attention turned to Xiao Zhou.

Xiao Zhou felt the pressure was immense.

Uncle Su looked at him and asked, "Xiao Zhou, what do you think?"

"..."

On one side was his father-in-law; on the other side was his wife -- he doesn't want to offend either of them. But he had to make a choice, "Dad, Jiaying is right. This indeed falls under the category of mental illness. Many actors have experienced this situation, and if it's not severe, self-adjustment can resolve it. If it's more serious, seeking help from a psychologist is an option. It's not incurable; it can be treated."

After he finished speaking, Grandma Su on the hospital bed suddenly snorted and laughed, "Well, I see it now. The young people in our family are all quite something. You all have received higher education, you speak big words. Did we spend money and effort to raise you just so you could come here today and educate us?"

None of the younger generation spoke up. Grandma Su's gaze fell on Qu Zhi, and she asked, "Qu Zhi, you have the highest education among them. Tell me, are they right or not?"

Qu Zhi was about to speak, but Su Mingxi had already interrupted, "Mom, you don't need to ask him. He already did a morning's worth of ideological work for me at home."

If it weren't for Grandma Su suddenly having an accident, she might have been talked into accepting this fact.

"..." All the words Qu Zhi wanted to say were held back.

The patient from the neighboring bed returned after a walk, and upon entering the ward, they were stunned by the atmosphere. Hesitating, they stood at the door and looked around with an awkward smile, "Um... are you all having a family meeting? Should I go out for another walk?"

"..." Supported by Su Mingxi on the side, Grandma Su got up from the hospital bed, "Let's go back first. If there's anything, we'll continue the discussion at home."

Since Grandma Su had her foot in a cast, they had specially rented a wheelchair from the hospital to push her out. Today, everyone came in their own cars. After some discussion, Zheng Baozhu's uncle, aunt, and grandparents were in one car, while Yao Yao's family was supposed to be in another car. However, Yao Yao kept hugging Zheng Baozhu's neck and wouldn't let go, so Su Jiaying and Xiao Zhou decided to let her go in Zheng Baozhu's car. They took Su Mingxi back to their own car to avoid further conflict with Zheng Baozhu.

With the vehicles assigned, Zheng Baozhu held Yao Yao in her arms, and together with Qu Zhi, they walked out of the hospital. Su Jiaying and Xiao Zhou walked behind them, watching the three of them. Su Jiaying couldn't help but comment, "Don't you think they look like a family of three?"

Xiao Zhou looked at their backs and replied, "But isn't this Mr. Qu the one you mentioned before? Weren't you saying that he and Baozhu had a terrible relationship, like water and fire?"

"Yes!" Su Jiaying couldn't make sense of it herself, "Their relationship was really bad when they were kids. If it wasn't for the fact that murder is illegal, they probably wouldn't have been able to grow up together!"

"..."

Xiao Zhou fell silent for a moment, "So, what's going on between them now?"

Su Jiaying sighed, "I suspect one of them, or both of them, got swapped."

"...Oh, that's possible."

Walking in front, Zheng Baozhu was holding the tissues Qu Zhi handed her and wiped away the mucus from Yao Yao's face, "Yao Yao, thank you for speaking up for your aunt. What do you want to eat? I will buy it for you."

Yao Yao had stopped crying by now and looked at Zheng Baozhu cheerfully, "Yao Yao doesn't want to eat!"

"Oh, then what does Yao Yao want?"

Yao Yao blinked playfully, "Aunt, can you help me get a signed photo of Lin Ziqin?"

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Yao Yao did it all for the handsome guy. :)

"Oh, is it because of Lin Ziqin's autograph that Yao Yao helped me?" Zheng Baozhu pretended to be sad.

Yao Yao quickly said, "No! Yao Yao knows it was because I posted the pictures in the group chat that everyone scolded Aunt. Yao Yao really wants to help Aunt!"

"Oh, okay then. Since you sincerely want to help me, I'll try to get you signed photos of Lin Ziqin."

"Thank you, Aunt!" Yao Yao happily kissed Zheng Baozhu on the face, "I want ten of them!"

"...Little one, aren't you being a bit greedy?"

"Also Zhou Ting, Huang Weiwei, Feng Yuanyuan, Xie You..." Yao Yao began listing the names of other classmates who also wanted Lin Ziqin's photos, counting on her fingers.

Zheng Baozhu interrupted with a black line on her forehead, "Alright, I got it. I'll try to get you ten photos."

"Thank you, Aunt!" After saying that, Yao Yao noticed Qu Zhi walking beside them and extended both her hands in his direction, "Big brother, Aunt is tired of carrying Yao Yao, can you carry Yao Yao now?"

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Wait, when did I say I was tired? Although carrying a child can be tiring, what's a little weight for someone who carried Lin Ziqin on set all morning!

Qu Zhi naturally took Yao Yao into his arms. Yao Yao hugged his neck with both hands, looking at him with a silly smile, "Big brother, you're so handsome. Are you Aunt's boyfriend?"

Zheng Baozhu coughed on the side, "Yao Yao, don't say that."

"But Aunt had never brought any other big brother home," After saying that, Yao Yao continued to stare at Qu Zhi's face, "Big brother, your eyelashes are so long, and your eyes and nose are so good-looking."

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Yao Yao's flattering skills are still as impressive as they were when she was little.

Zheng Baozhu, hearing the praise for Qu Zhi, deliberately teased, "So, Yao Yao, who do you think is more handsome; this big brother or Lin Ziqin?"

"Well..." Yao Yao wrinkled her small eyebrows in difficulty, "Then I'll choose Lin Ziqin. After all, this big brother belongs to Aunt, while Lin Ziqin belongs to all of us."

"..."

As expected, when Yao Yao bravely defended her, she should have realized she's no ordinary primary school student."

Qu Zhi was responsible for driving to Grandma Su's house, while Zheng Baozhu and Yao Yao sat in the back seat. Almost everyone arrived at the same time. Grandma Su was carried out of the car by Uncle Su and placed in a chair.

Because Grandma Su's foot was injured, making it difficult for her to move, everyone began discussing taking turns to take care of her, but Grandma Su didn't agree.

"Don't bother so much. I know you all have your own families and are busy. With your dad taking care of me, that's enough," even though Grandpa Su was always carefree, he played an important role in this moment, "His care is sufficient, and besides, I'm not that frail. I'll do what I can on my own."

Still, everyone was a bit worried. Uncle Su suggested hiring a caregiver, but Grandma Su refused. Unable to change her mind, they compromised and decided to visit her every two or three days.

"Oh, we also need to buy a good wheelchair for Mom," Su Mingxi brought this up. Zheng Baozhu said, "I know a friend who deals in medical equipment. I'll ask for help in purchasing it."

Su Jiaying agreed, "Sure, let Baozhu handle it, but let's split the cost. Good wheelchairs aren't cheap."

"It's fine. You two spend more time taking care of Grandma, so I'll cover the cost. No need to be concerned about it."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Su chuckled, "You're admitting you don't visit me often enough? Are you afraid I'll find out about your acting endeavors?"

"..." Indeed.

"Alright, Mom, let's discuss these matters later. I'll help you rest now, the doctor said you need some peace and quiet," Su Mingxi guided Grandma Su into the house. Zheng Baozhu's aunt thought since everyone was here today, they should have a family dinner together and celebrate the New Year.

Uncle Su had been taking care of his siblings since he was young, and at that time, conditions were relatively difficult. In order to coax his two sisters to eat well, he did a lot of research on how to make the most delicious dishes with the simplest ingredients. Zheng Baozhu was influenced by him, which eventually led her to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

Today, Grandma Su couldn't cook, so Zheng Baozhu's aunt dragged her uncle to the kitchen and let him be in charge of preparing meals for the younger generation. The kitchen wasn't very spacious, and the young people decided not to crowd in, so they sat in the living room and chatted.

Zheng Baozhu was playing games with Yao Yao when she suddenly received a message from Tan Yao. This person had been quiet for a while, and Zheng Baozhu thought he finally stopped bothering her, but today he thought of messaging her again.

Zheng Baozhu opened the message and saw that Tan Yao had seen the drama's first-look photo and ran over in shock to ask her about it.

Zheng Baozhu: Yes, it's me. 

Tan Yao: !! So, the sideline job you mentioned before is acting?

This was completely unexpected!

Tan Yao: Are you planning to develop in the entertainment industry in the future?

Zheng Baozhu: Let's see.

Tan Yao furrowed his brows. What does "let's see" mean? With her background and resources, it would be effortless for her to develop in the industry. For example, just this makeup photo alone, despite being a minor supporting role, was enough to draw the attention of netizens among a group of lesser-known actresses.

"So, Brother Tan, did you confirm now?" Tan Yao's friend leaned on the table, holding a pool cue, looking at him, "I told you there's no fate between you and Miss Baozhu. You should give up."

"I think so too," Another friend pocketed a ball, straightened up with the pool cue, and said, "Uncle Tan always disliked the entertainment industry. It's impossible for him to let you date a celebrity."

Tan Yao furrowed his brows, unsure how things turned out this way. His dad indeed strongly opposed the entertainment industry. The Tan family business covered many areas, but they never got involved with anything related to the entertainment industry.

On Zheng Baozhu's end, after sending the message, she put her phone aside. Yao Yao looked at her and asked in a low voice, "Aunt, are you secretly messaging other guys behind Brother Qu Zhi's back?"

"...What on earth are you thinking in that little brain of yours all day?"

"Hehe."

Yao Yao chuckled twice when the door was knocked. Zheng Baozhu put down the game controller and stood up, saying, "It should be my dad. I'll go open the door."

Her dad had gone out early this morning, saying that he needed to take care of something personally. Originally, he planned to return in the evening, but after learning about Grandma Su's injury at noon, he adjusted his schedule and rushed over in the afternoon.

Zheng Baozhu walked up and opened the door, and indeed, her dad was standing outside. As soon as she called him "Dad", another person walked out from behind her dad.

Zheng Baozhu looked at the person and was somewhat incredulous as she asked, "Teacher Ge? Why are you here?"