"Sister, you truly are a kind-hearted woman," Lin Chuan sighed.

"The deceased are the most important," Tang Yumeng smiled and said, "Besides, I'll settle the matter of you skipping work later."

"Sister, thank you!" Lin Chuan expressed his gratitude.

"Alright, go on with your business," Tang Yumeng smiled.

"Okay, then I'll hang up," Lin Chuan nodded.

"Wait," Tang Yumeng suddenly spoke.

"Sister, do you have any other instructions?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

"Actually..." Tang Yumeng hesitated for a long time on the other end of the phone, before finally saying, "Actually, I kind of miss you."

"I..."

Before Lin Chuan could reply, Tang Yumeng had already shyly hung up the phone. It was the first time she had said such cheesy words, the first time she uttered words so difficult to speak. At least for Tang Yumeng, it was a first in her life.

In Lin Chuan's presence, Tang Yumeng had sacrificed too many firsts. The first passionate kiss, the first deep embrace with a man, the first time saying I like you, the first time saying I miss you...

Actually, all of this was nothing but the mischief of love involved. Without love, who would have such courage; without love, who would dare to speak like this? Especially for a shy girl like Tang Yumeng, it was difficult to articulate. Yet, in the time of blooming love, she found the courage.

Listening to the busy signal on the phone, for some reason, in such a desolate, lonely, and sad moment, a flower of happiness suddenly bloomed within Lin Chuan's heart. Although it seemed out of place, it brought a smile of happiness to Lin Chuan's face.

Perhaps Doctor Liu was right; birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws of life.

Moreover, Nuo Xiaoxi's mother, tortured by illness every day, better dead than alive. Leaving might be a liberation for her. From then on, she would no longer have to endure such painful torment, nor withstand the various hardships of this world.

Some say, from the moment one is born, they are here to suffer. Others say, from the moment one is born, they are here to enjoy.

When Lin Chuan walked into the hospital room, Nuo Xiaoxi's mother unexpectedly opened her eyes.

"Aunty, you're awake?" Lin Chuan looked at her in surprise.

"Mom!" Nuo Xiaoxi was overjoyed.

"Lin Chuan, Xiaoxi, you're both here," she said with a long-lost smile, "Sorry to trouble you again."

"No no, Aunty, as long as you get better, I'm not afraid of any trouble," Lin Chuan quickly shook his head.

"I'm afraid there's no hope for me," Nuo Xiaoxi's mother sighed and said, "Help me sit up."

Lin Chuan and Nuo Xiaoxi quickly helped her sit up, her face rarely flush with a bit of red, and after sitting up, Nuo Xiaoxi's mother said, "I'm a bit hungry, is there anything to eat?"

"Yes, yes," Lin Chuan quickly nodded, saying, "I brought up a bowl of preserved egg and lean pork congee from downstairs, and there are fruits here, you see... what would you like to eat?"

"Some congee," she said.

Nuo Xiaoxi quickly took the congee and fed her mother herself. However, after a couple of bites, she shook her head, "Enough, I don't want to eat anymore."

"Mom, eat a bit more," Nuo Xiaoxi hurriedly said, "That way you can recover faster."

"Silly child," Nuo Xiaoxi's mother shook her head then said, "Mom is going to leave you soon, I really can't bear to."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Nuo Xiaoxi furrowed her brow.

"Lin Chuan, promise me, take good care of Xiaoxi afterward," she looked at Lin Chuan remorsefully and said, "The biggest debt I owe in this life is to my daughter, I haven't given her a single good day, from childhood, I've made her suffer, I don't want my daughter to continue this way."

"Aunty, even if you didn't ask, I will always take good care of Xiaoxi," Lin Chuan quickly nodded, "You get well soon, and after you're discharged, I'll try to get you a new apartment, how does that sound?"

"Thank you," she nodded, then said, "I... I'm afraid..."

Lin Chuan turned and went to Doctor Liu's office to inquire about the situation. Upon hearing it, Doctor Liu's face grew solemn and he said, "Lin Chuan, this is the final flash of lucidity before death, you'd better go see her off on her last journey."

Lin Chuan sprinted to the hospital room.

However, before he could reach the room, heart-wrenching cries of "Mom, mom..." immediately came from the room.

When Lin Chuan arrived, the person was already gone, the life-signs monitor emitting intermittent beeping alarms.

At that moment, Doctor Liu and a group of people rushed into the room and performed the last resuscitation on the patient. Unfortunately, after the efforts, they still couldn't save the patient's life. Doctor Liu said, "The patient shows no signs of life, physiologically she has lost her life."

"Mom..." Nuo Xiaoxi still held her mother, crying.

"Lin Chuan..." Doctor Liu looked at Lin Chuan.

"I understand." Lin Chuan nodded.

"You see, this death certificate... will you sign it?" Doctor Liu asked.

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded, realizing it was unrealistic to have Nuo Xiaoxi sign. At this moment, she was immersed in the most sorrowful moment of her life, having lost her last remaining relative.

After Lin Chuan signed, Doctor Liu said, "A moment of silence for the deceased."

The doctors and nurses all bowed their heads in silence.

After a minute, the nurses forcibly pulled Nuo Xiaoxi away and then covered the stretcher with a white cloth. They pushed it towards the morgue.

"No, don't..." Nuo Xiaoxi cried heartrendingly, wanting to follow, but she was tightly held by Lin Chuan.

"Xiaoxi, don't be too sad," Lin Chuan comforted her from the side.

"Brother Lin, I want my mom," Nuo Xiaoxi cried, her eyes swollen.

"You no longer have your mom, but you still have Brother Lin, don't you?" Lin Chuan held her, kissing her forehead.

Nuo Xiaoxi's emotions gradually stabilized, seemingly accepting the reality of her mother's departure. People die, but the arrangements afterward must still be made.

The subsequent arrangements occurred one after another, with Lin Chuan needing to personally attend to everything. Nuo Xiaoxi was still immersed in grief, so naturally, these matters fell on Lin Chuan's shoulders.

The memorial service was held on the third day.

The funeral home, the memorial service was at Chang'an Hall.

Most attendees at the memorial service were old employees of Changlin Factory, many of whom knew Old Nuo's family personally, so they all came to send the deceased on her last journey. Mrs. Lin had also taken a day off specifically to come to the funeral home. As a family member, Nuo Xiaoxi was dressed in mourning attire. Surprisingly, Lin Chuan was also dressed in mourning attire, which puzzled many.

The memorial service lasted over two hours, and more than a hundred people went to Chang'an Hall to send the deceased on her last journey.

Just as the memorial service was about to end, a familiar figure in a black coat entered.

"Sister, you... why did you come too?" Lin Chuan asked in surprise.

Tang Yumeng did not speak, her face was solemn. She walked to the body, bowed three times, and then, holding Nuo Xiaoxi's hand, she said, "Xiaoxi, don't be sad, if you have any difficulties in the future, just speak up, Lin Chuan and I will help you."

"Thank you, sister," Nuo Xiaoxi nodded.

Tang Yumeng was Lin Chuan's publicly acknowledged girlfriend and the only girlfriend Lin Chuan had brought home. The first time Nuo Xiaoxi saw Tang Yumeng, she felt a deep sense of inferiority.

"It's okay," Tang Yumeng shook her head, casually linking arms with Lin Chuan.

The ceremony continued, and afterwards, the body was wheeled into the crematorium. The last few minutes of her existence in this world, Nuo Xiaoxi cried hysterically, heartbroken. She was nearly collapsing, barely able to stand, with Lin Chuan and Tang Yumeng each supporting one of her arms, fearing she would fall.

The cremation lasted half an hour, and all that came out was a small urn of ashes.

Nuo Xiaoxi's mother was buried on a hillside, her gravestone bearing her kind smile. Nuo Xiaoxi knelt before her mother's grave, deeply kowtowing three times.

After the funeral, Lin Chuan drove Nuo Xiaoxi back to school.

Standing at the entrance of the school, Lin Chuan holding Nuo Xiaoxi's hand, said, "Xiaoxi, always remember, you are not alone, you have Brother Lin, you have Mrs. Lin, right?"

"Yes!" Nuo Xiaoxi cried, moved to tears.

"Silly girl, you've cried enough these last few days," Lin Chuan wiped the tears from Nuo Xiaoxi's face, saying, "I hope after today, you won't cry anymore. You are a strong girl, a girl worthy of respect. Right?"

"Brother Lin..." Nuo Xiaoxi nodded, saying, "I'll listen to you."

"Good girl," Lin Chuan smiled, saying, "Study hard, and do not let your mother's wishes go unfulfilled."

"Yes," Nuo Xiaoxi nodded.

After sending Nuo Xiaoxi back to school, Lin Chuan returned home. It wasn't long before he received a call from Qingzi, asking him to come to Haiqing Pool.

These two months, Haiqing Pool had been operating very normally, with the support of the Northeast Tiger and the Thirteen Grand Protectors. Haiqing Pool operated openly and brightly, flourishing, and due to its revenue sharing and operational system, it attracted a large number of girls to join. Many came from small hair salons, clubs, and even girls from Tsinghua Pool came to make appearances at Haiqing Pool.

At three-thirty in the afternoon, Lin Chuan sat in Qingzi's room. Due to the morning's funeral, his mood remained very heavy, as if a heavy stone weighed on his heart, making it difficult for Lin Chuan to breathe.

"Mr. Lin Chuan, what are you thinking about?" Qingzi asked with a cheerful smile.

"Nothing," Lin Chuan shook his head, forcing a smile on his face.

"Last time you left here on an empty stomach," Qingzi laughed. "This time, I specially bought some very fresh ingredients and made a lot of sushi. I even brewed some sake. This is a specialty from Japan."

Unfortunately, Lin Chuan clearly was not paying attention to Qingzi's words. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Qingzi, why are people so fragile?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.