President Shen, who had been angered into coughing up blood, spent only ten minutes at home signing the document before being sent back to the hospital.
This time, she was still personally escorted by Yu Sheng.
Along the way, Yu Sheng was astonished by Shen Yunmian's overreaction, and at the same time scoffed at her excessive sensitivity. Was it really necessary? She had only thrown away a ring. Shen Yunmian had done far worse things to her, yet she hadn't been angered to the point of coughing up blood.
At this moment, Shen Yunmian in the back had almost completely lost consciousness.
Because the situation was so serious, the hospital didn't dare take it lightly and immediately organized a specialist consultation.
As Shen Yunmian's legal spouse, Yu Sheng had no choice but to participate in the entire communication process with the doctors and sign the necessary documents. For the first time in all these years of marriage, Yu Sheng felt the destructive weight of it—at that moment, it was as if Shen Yunmian's life was held in her hands.
Of course, she neither could nor had any opportunity to tamper with anything.
The moment Shen Yunmian was sent to the hospital, the old madam arrived with people in tow. At that time, Shen Yunmian was still in the examination room, while Yu Sheng and the old madam stood facing each other, the deep affection they once shared now replaced by cold distance.
In the corridor outside the examination room, the air felt so heavy it could almost be wrung out.
"Sheng Sheng," the old madam spoke first, relying on her seniority, her voice stern. "No matter how wrong Yunmian was, you shouldn't have angered her to the point of coughing up blood! When did you become so unreasonable?"
Yu Sheng lifted her eyes, the corner of her lips curving slightly, though the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"So in your view, not wanting to keep suffering losses means being unreasonable?" She paused, meeting the old madam's angry gaze. "Then I'd rather stay unreasonable."
The old madam choked on those words, her expression darkening. But there was no benefit in completely falling out with Yu Sheng now, so she suppressed her anger and softened her tone. "Sheng Sheng, I know losing the child hurt you deeply, and the Shen family hasn't forgotten that. But what's done is done—people have to move forward. You can't keep using this to torment Yunmian and this family endlessly! No matter how deep the feelings are, they can't withstand this kind of erosion!"
Yu Sheng listened quietly, sneering inwardly.
They had no idea that what she lost wasn't just a child, but also her faith in the marriage and in Shen Yunmian. But she didn't bother to explain. She simply lowered her eyes, hiding the mockery within, and said nothing more. Angering this shrewd old woman wouldn't benefit her plans right now.
Just then, the door to the examination room opened, and the attending physician walked out.
The old madam immediately stood up to greet him. "Doctor, how is my granddaughter?"
The doctor removed his mask, his tone professional. "President Shen's condition is due to acute emotional distress, compounded by significant recent emotional fluctuations and internal stagnation, leading to liver qi imbalance and damage to the stomach lining, which caused the vomiting of blood. There's no structural illness, but she needs to rest and recuperate, and must avoid further strong emotional stimulation. Keeping her emotions stable is crucial."
Standing to the side, Yu Sheng found the diagnosis absurd.
Emotional fluctuations? Internal stagnation? Avoid stimulation? Every word sounded like an accusation that she was the culprit who had driven Shen Yunmian to this state.
Sure enough, after hearing the doctor, the old madam shot Yu Sheng a meaningful glance. "You heard the doctor. Yunmian's body can't take any more strain right now. No matter how big your conflicts are, wait until she recovers before dealing with them. After all, you're family—you should show more understanding."
Yu Sheng couldn't have asked for more. "Don't worry. I'll try my best not to appear in front of her, so I won't stimulate her."
After speaking, she didn't look at the old madam's instantly darkened face again. She gave the doctor a slight nod. "Thank you for your hard work. If there's nothing I need to sign, I'll take my leave."
After receiving the doctor's confirmation, Yu Sheng turned and left decisively, without sparing the old madam another glance.
Watching her leave without hesitation, the old madam's chest rose and fell sharply. For the first time, she felt complete loss of control and a chill toward this granddaughter-in-law she had once been quite satisfied with. When had this girl become so impervious, so cold-hearted?
A sense of foreboding gripped her.
After a moment's hesitation, she dialed a discreet number and quietly instructed, "Find two reliable people. Keep a close eye on Yu Sheng. I want to know who she meets and what she does every day."
Inside the ward.
When Shen Yunmian woke again, the city lights were already glowing outside the window.
The effects of the anesthesia had worn off, but her chest still ached dully.
She opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling, her entire being steeped in lifeless exhaustion.
"Yunmian, you're awake?" The old madam sat by the bed, her expression a mix of concern and dissatisfaction. "Look at you, the dignified president of the Shen Corporation—how did something so small lead to this…"
"Grandma." Shen Yunmian interrupted hoarsely, her voice tired. "Let me be alone for a while."
The old madam had never seen her granddaughter so dispirited. All the lectures she had prepared stuck in her throat, and in the end, she could only sigh heavily and leave the room, both disappointed and helpless.
The door closed softly, and silence returned.
Shen Yunmian slowly raised the hand that wasn't hooked to the IV and covered her eyes, trying to block out the light—and the rising warmth beneath.
In the darkness, Yu Sheng's resolute, almost satisfied expression was vivid. The cold arc of the ring as it flew through the air, the final flash of light before it fell into the swirling toilet, the deafening sound of the flush…
Scene after scene replayed, torturing her mind.
The pain in her heart made it impossible to breathe, like countless needles stabbing her at once.
As her emotions spiraled out of control, a metallic taste surged up her throat again. She turned her head sharply, grabbed a tissue from the bedside, and coughed violently into it.
When she opened it, the glaring red made her pupils shrink.
Yet she only stared at it indifferently, then crumpled the blood-stained tissue and tossed it into the trash beside the bed.
Lying back down, she stared blankly at the white ceiling. Overwhelming despair surged in from all directions like an icy tide, completely drowning her.
After a long internal struggle, Shen Yunmian used trembling fingers to dial Qiao Wei's number.
The call was quickly answered, a bright voice coming through. "Yunmian? Calling at this hour—what's wrong?"
Shen Yunmian opened her mouth, her throat dry and tight. Countless words were stuck in her chest, but in the end, she could only manage a hoarse whisper: "Qiao Wei… I'm at the hospital."
"The hospital?" Qiao Wei's voice rose sharply. "What happened? Why are you in the hospital?"
"Can you… come keep me company for a bit?"
Shen Yunmian's voice carried an unprecedented desolation, startling Qiao Wei.
Having grown up together for years, Qiao Wei knew Shen Yunmian's stubborn nature too well. If she hadn't been pushed to the brink, there was no way she would say something like this.
So Qiao Wei didn't ask further. She hung up and rushed to the hospital.
Half an hour later, the ward door was pushed open.
Qiao Wei strode in quickly. The moment she saw Shen Yunmian lying on the bed—face pale as paper, eyes unfocused, as if all her vitality had been drained overnight—shock filled her face.
"My god!" Qiao Wei rushed to the bedside, concern overflowing. "What happened to you? Weren't you fine a couple of days ago? How did you end up like this?"
Shen Yunmian lay there quietly, barely reacting to Qiao Wei's barrage of questions.
Seeing her like this, Qiao Wei immediately understood and said irritably, "Damn! Don't scare me—what the hell happened? Tell me. Is it because of your wife?"
At the mention of Yu Sheng, Shen Yunmian's face turned even paler, her chest heaving violently. She suddenly turned her head, covering her mouth as she coughed harshly, her shoulders trembling.
Qiao Wei was startled by her reaction and quickly moved to support her, her voice full of worry and regret. "Hey, hey, don't rush! Calm down first!"
After finally catching her breath, Shen Yunmian leaned weakly against the headboard, eyes closed, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Lowering her voice, Qiao Wei asked carefully, "What exactly happened? How did it come to this? What did Yu Sheng… do to you?" She simply couldn't imagine how someone as gentle and quiet as Yu Sheng could drive Shen Yunmian to this point.
Shen Yunmian's long lashes trembled violently. After a long while, she finally forced out a few words through clenched teeth: "She… threw the ring… into the toilet… and flushed it away."
"What?!"
The impact of that revelation was overwhelming.
For Yu Sheng to do that—it was like completely severing all ties, leaving no room for sentiment. A storm surged in Qiao Wei's heart as she realized more clearly than ever how determined Yu Sheng was to divorce.
Looking at her friend's ashen face, she knew that bringing up divorce now would only make things worse.
Trying to ease the tension, Qiao Wei asked as gently as she could, "How… did things end up like this? I remember not long ago when the three of us had dinner together, your relationship seemed to be improving. How did it go downhill so fast?"
Shen Yunmian seemed to think of something, her body stiffening, an unnatural expression flashing across her face.
She pressed her pale lips together and turned her face away, avoiding Qiao Wei's probing gaze.
That night—Yu Sheng's drunken, retaliatory indulgence… the chill of her fingers tracing over her skin… that near-humiliating sense of control… and at the final moment, when she couldn't bear the passivity any longer, she had pushed her away—
Yu Sheng's cold, mocking gaze resurfaced in her mind.
Could it be that because of that rejection, Yu Sheng had become even more furious, leading her to act so decisively?
Seeing her silent, Qiao Wei couldn't help pressing further. "Say something. Did something else happen between you two afterward? Some misunderstanding? Or something else entirely?"
Shen Yunmian grew increasingly agitated under the questioning, her expression tightening with discomfort.
It took a long time before Shen Yunmian finally spoke, so long that Qiao Wei thought she wouldn't answer at all. When she did, her voice was heavy, almost self-destructive: "Maybe… it's because I rejected her."
"What?" Qiao Wei was completely confused.
Shen Yunmian closed her eyes, as if it took all her strength to force out the humiliating words through clenched teeth: "…She wanted… me to be on the bottom. I… didn't agree."
"…."
The hospital room fell into a brief silence.
Qiao Wei froze for a second, then looked both exasperated and amused. "Seriously? What am I supposed to say to you? At a time like this, you're still hung up on that? Can you put your stubborn pride aside for once? Is this really the time to be arguing about that?"
Shen Yunmian frowned, embarrassment flashing across her face at being exposed, and muttered in a low voice, "That's not the only reason. Yu Sheng isn't like that. She wouldn't do something this extreme just because of that…" She wanted to say Yu Sheng wouldn't become so heartless over something like this, but when the words reached her lips, even she wasn't entirely convinced.
"Forget it, forget it!" Qiao Wei said helplessly, seeing how stubborn she was. "Stop thinking about all that for now. The most important thing is to recover. Look at how weak you are—you're going to collapse if you keep this up."
Shen Yunmian rarely showed weakness as she murmured, "Qiao Wei… I really… don't know what to do anymore."
Qiao Wei could only comfort her vaguely, "Alright, just focus on resting. I… I'll find a chance to talk to Yu Sheng and see what she's really thinking. There must be some misunderstanding between you two. Once you talk it out, it'll be fine. Don't overthink it."
Shen Yunmian's lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only closed her eyes in exhaustion. Her stomach began to ache faintly again, and that metallic taste rose in her throat once more. She bit her lower lip hard, forcing the surge of blood back down.
Qiao Wei sat beside her, looking at Shen Yunmian's tense profile, her emotions tangled.
She knew her friend's pride and stubbornness—being pushed to this point meant she truly had no other choice. But she also understood Yu Sheng. She seemed gentle and quiet, but she had her own firm principles. If she had truly decided on divorce, no one would be able to change her mind.
Sigh… having these two as friends was really exhausting.
—
T/N: If you're enjoying this translation, feel free to check out my Patreon. If you're unable to support financially, you can still subscribe for free and receive chapters two hours earlier, along with updates and announcements. Paid tiers offer early access and daily chapters.
Thank you so much for reading!
patreon.com/Baenz