318— Don't 'Mom' Me!
When he got to her ward, he heard a male voice asking her when she wanted to go and meet someone, and he heard her mention his name.
Taking that as a good sign, he knocked and went in.
Turning her brown eyes on Han Leifeng, Pei Yueran didn't have any hint of amusement or pleasure in her voice. Even her tone was decidedly flat. "You're right Mr Han. I was just telling my husband that I wanted to see you."
She didn't say that to hurt him, but she noticed how he flinched slightly. From the corner of her eyes, she also noticed how Li Chuanmo lit up because of what she said.
When did he become so childish?
Her attention went to Han Leifeng again. Deep down, her heart felt like it was been torn into pieces. A part of her insisted in seeing him in order to prove that it wasn't Han Lei, but just someone that looked like him.
She would rather preserve her memories of him as a loving husband and devoted father, instead of as a callous person that deceived and left them without looking back.
But she wasn't sure she could continue to deceive herself. The man in front of her looked exactly like the man she married. Although years had passed, they didn't leave a mark on his face. He only looked more mature and stable than she remembered, like an older version of Han Yichen.
"Ranran, I can explain."
"Mr Han, please don't call me that. We're not familiar with each other." She said, the coldness of her tone mirroring Li Chuanmo's usual one.
Han Leifeng's face squeezed in pain, "Please Ranran, hear me out."
Li Chuanmo was sorely tempted to shut him up, but Pei Yueran gave him a warning glance and he looked away, fantasizing about asking Charlie to take care of him.
It would be best if he was able to fracture his legs so that he could stay put at some hospital for a while.
Pei Yueran directed her words to Han Leifeng, "If you're willing to talk, then I'm willing to listen. But this is not the place. I should be getting discharged any time from now. So could you wait for me at a nearby cafe? I'll come and meet you."
Qiao Mingran and Zhou Qiaohui came in at that moment, having finished discussing with the doctor. They were accompanied by a nurse.
The nurse took her vital signs, asked her a few questions and said the doctor would come by for one last check before she would be free to leave. Pei Yueran nodded her thanks and the nurse left again.
Once the door to the ward closed, Zhou Qiaohui rounded eyes of disbelief on Han Leifeng. "So it's true."
"Mom, I can explain."
"Don't 'Mom' me!" Zhou Qiaohui shouted hotly, surprising Pei Yueran with her vehemence. But it made sense. She had always liked him, so she must be feeling very hurt as well.
Zhou Qiaohui was still speaking, "If you really considered me your mother, you would not have pierced my daughter's heart like that!"
By now, her voice was shaking, "Because of you, my Ran'er could neither eat nor sleep well. She wallowed in grief for years, Xiao Lei, years! How could you?!"
Qiao Mingran, the only one left in the dark looked from one person to another at first, confused. Who was this man?
Then after listening to Zhou Qiaohui's words, she pieced the story together and her face changed. So this was the man that made her precious Yue'er faint the night before?
She glared at him, already thinking of asking Gao Tinghua about him so that they could deal with him properly.
Zhou Qiaohui was still speaking, "Did you love her at all? Do you even have a heart?! She almost, almost—" She couldn't continue due to the force of her emotions.
Pei Yueran's eyes reddened at her words. Memories that she had buried rose up again but she closed her eyes against the pain. It didn't matter anymore.
"Mom, it's fine. It's all in the past." She said.
Li Chuanmo held Zhou Qiaohui's shoulders in a comforting manner and led her to a chair, "You should sit and calm your emotions, Mother."
From the chair, she said to Han Leifeng, "It's not over yet. But I don't want to see you anywhere near my daughter again. Leave!"
Han Leifeng looked like he had just been sentenced to life in prison.
Pei Yueran said, "Mom, I've already made an appointment with Mr Han here. We need to talk anyway."
Zhou Qiaohui looked at her worriedly, "Will you be okay Baobei?"
Li Chuanmo gave his wife another knowing glance, as if to say, "See? I'm not the only one that thinks that way!"
Pei Yueran: "... "
Qiao Mingran also chimed in, "That's right Yue'er. Is meeting him alone really a good idea?"
Again, she ignored him and focused on pacifying her mothers. "It will be fine. He would not hurt me."
Han Leifeng glanced at her gratefully, while Li Chuanmo scoffed. He would not hurt you? So what do you call what he has done?
"Yue'er, how do you know that for sure? So many years have passed." Qiao Mingran said, eyeing Han Leifeng suspiciously. Then she said, "Wait, Han? The same Han family?"
Han Leifeng who had been bombarded all these while looked down as he nodded.
Qiao Mingran was incensed. To think she wanted her son to marry from that family. She thanked her stars that the marriage fell through.
"I'll pay a visit to your patriarch and ask how his family raised such a good son!"
"Mad—Please don't do anything, we'll handle it." She said to Qiao Mingran, studiously avoiding Li Chuanmo's eyes.
It wasn't like she felt pity for him, but she didn't think they needed to involve other people, especially those that didn't know their story from the beginning. No matter what, he was still her Yichen's biological father.
Qiao Mingran still wanted to say something, but there was a knock on the door.
"Let's talk later," Pei Yueran said before asking the visitor to come in. It was the doctor.
He examined her and then said she has been discharged. The mothers heaved a sigh of relief.
They went out one after the other while Li Chuanmo stayed back to help her change into the clothes Qiao Mingran brought.
******
Little theater:
PYR: Chairman Li, when did you become so childish?
LCM: Ran Honey, I've always been like this.
S_J: (gloating) Even she thinks that you should behave like the chairman that you are.
LCM: I also want to, but my wife always brings out the childishness in me. (gazes lovingly at her.)
S_J: Oh please, spare this author the dog food!