Ten minutes later, twenty bodyguards in crisp suits stood before Jing Meng. "Miss Jing."
Jing Meng gave Pei Shiyi an unreadable look. "Should I say... as expected of the Pei family?"
"It's just a small matter. Let's go!" Pei Shiyi closed the car door and gave Jing Meng a faint smile.
"Things have already reached this point! Pei Gong, get over here right now. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, don't you dare come complaining to me later!"
The group had just stepped into the stairwell when they heard Bai Xi's frantic, irritable voice.
Pei Gong. Fine. I'll remember this debt! Jing Meng thought.
Seeing that Bai Xi was about to retreat into the apartment, Pei Shiyi immediately ordered his men to intercept her. They moved with lightning speed, suppressing Bai Xi and forcing open the door just before it could be slammed shut.
The situation escalated instantly.
The men in black guarding the landing rushed over, but they were quickly neutralized by Pei Shiyi's bodyguards.
Jing Meng didn't wait. She charged into the room.
Jing Hong was standing in the living room, his eyes fixed on her with wary suspicion. Jing Meng scanned him quickly; aside from being quite thin, he seemed to be in decent spirits.
The thought of adult diapers suddenly flashed through her mind, and a wave of dread washed over her. Ignoring Jing Hong's attempts to block her path, she pushed past him and bolted into the bedroom.
Her mother had always been slender, but now she was nothing more than a bag of bones. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of her chest, Jing Meng would have doubted if her mother was even alive.
"Mom!" Jing Meng's tears burst forth uncontrollably.
Seeing the state of things, Pei Shiyi didn't waste a word. He scooped Mrs. Jing up and rushed downstairs.
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Jing Meng held her mother tightly. The woman's body felt like a bundle of dried, brittle branches sharp against her skin and heartbreaking to touch.
"How much longer until we reach the hospital?" her voice cracked, tears falling without end. She was terrified that the gaunt figure in her arms would vanish in the blink of an eye.
Pei Shiyi looked at the road ahead, feeling a rare sense of powerlessness. "I'm sorry. At least... another half hour."
"Pei Shiyi, I'm begging you, you have to save my mother." No sooner had the words left her lips than a weak voice drifted from her lap, cutting her off.
"Xiao Hong... where's Mengmeng?"
Hearing that name Mengmeng felt like a needle piercing Jing Meng's heart. She tightened her hold and tried to keep her voice as light as possible. "I'm right here, Mom. Are you hurting anywhere?"
Despite her efforts to restrain her emotions, her voice was thick with sobs. Looking into her mother's dull, lifeless eyes, she didn't know how to keep herself from being consumed by fear.
Hearing her daughter's voice, a flicker of satisfaction touched Mrs. Jing's hollowed face. Her withered hand rose slowly, reaching out to touch Jing Meng's tear-stained cheek. But just before she could make contact, her hand fell limp. Her eyes drifted shut, and her shallow breathing ceased entirely.
"Mom?" Jing Meng whispered tentatively, her hand trembling as she stroked her mother's face. There was only silence. The warmth of the body in her arms seemed to be fading away.
Seeing this, Jing Hong turned his face away. The tears he had been fighting back finally breached the dam the moment his mother died, streaming down his face.
"Mom!" Jing Meng cried out, refusing to give up, but no matter how loud she called, she couldn't bring her most beloved relative back.
The car finally reached the hospital, and Pei Shiyi carried Mrs. Jing into the emergency room.
Jing Meng and the others waited anxiously outside while the doctors fought to save her. It felt as though they could feel every second ticking away. Finally, the curtain was pulled back, and the doctor looked at them and shook his head.
"I'm sorry," the doctor announced coldly. "The patient has passed away."
Those words shattered Jing Meng's mental defenses. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed backward, losing all consciousness.
When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself in a room that was both strange and familiar. The sound of someone chopping vegetables drifted in from outside. She got out of bed quietly and walked into the living room, only to see the mother who had been declared dead standing there, watching television while chopping dumpling filling.
"Mom?" Even though she knew this was a dream, she desperately wanted to hear her mother's voice.
Mrs. Jing turned around with a bright smile, set down the knife, and handed over a plate of breakfast she had set aside. "You're awake? I saved some breakfast for you."
The bowl had no warmth. Jing Meng picked up her favorite fried dough stick, and tears began to pour down her face, yet the mother before her remained smiling.
Mrs. Jing's hand reached out to gently wipe away her tears, but she didn't say another word.
Jing Meng tried to grab her mother's hand, but the moment she reached out, the scene began to dissolve. Her mother vanished along with the room.
"Mom, don't go! Mom, don't leave me!" Her hands grasped at nothing but thin air. Jing Meng sat up with a cry, finding herself surrounded by the sterile white of a hospital room. Jing Hong sat beside her, his expression grim and mournful.
As she suspected, it was all just a dream.
Wiping the tears from her face, Jing Meng turned to face Jing Hong. "How did Mother end up like this?"
She didn't want to accept her mother's death, but she eventually had to. However, she had to know exactly what caused this. Otherwise, her heart would never find peace.
Hearing this, Jing Hong snapped his head up. His mournful look was replaced by a savage glare. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "You're asking me? Aren't you the one responsible for this?"
As soon as he finished, a mocking voice drifted in from the doorway. "He's right. Shouldn't you be asking yourself that, my dear sister?"
Bai Xi walked in, swaying her slender waist, her seductive eyes full of scorn.
Accused of a crime she hadn't committed, Jing Meng clenched her fists, her brow furrowed in a tight knot. "What are you doing here? My mother being in that state is all thanks to you. You aren't welcome here. Leave. Now."
Seeing the confrontation, Bai Xi fell back on her best trick. Her dark brows dipped, and she instantly adopted a pitiful, wronged expression. She even managed to squeeze out two fake tears. "I only wanted to see my aunt one last time. Why are you so eager to chase me away, cousin? Are you afraid I'll tell everyone about your scandals? Don't worry, my lips are sealed."
Scandals?
If she weren't currently drowning in the grief of losing her mother, Jing Meng would have ripped Bai Xi's mask right off. "Our family business is none of your concern."
No sooner had she spoken than Jing Hong stood up abruptly, pointing a finger at her in a rage. "What are you still trying to defend yourself for? Mother's death is entirely due to your stubbornness! If it weren't for you, our family would never have fallen into such a pathetic state!"
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