Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Chapter 551 The person is missing

Gu Juncheng was right about one thing: Zhiyuan had to go to school, and visiting hours were during school hours, so he couldn't come to see Lin Qingping.

Zhiyuan is not as close to him as he was when they were children, and he no longer asks him for anything. He just goes to school every day with a sigh.

Gu Juncheng couldn't bear to see him like this, so he told him during dinner that night, "Read it."

Zhiyuan was taking a small pair of special meat scissors and carefully cutting the meat off a chicken leg for Zhangzhu, cutting it into small pieces. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment.

"I read everything you wrote to your mother!" Gu Juncheng wondered why this child couldn't understand what he was saying.

Upon hearing this, Zhangzhu panicked and pointed to herself, "Zhuzhu writes!"

Gu Juncheng patted her head. "It was written by Zhangzhu, so of course it was read. Mom was very happy to hear it. Mom said she misses Zhangzhu."

"Zhuzhu misses her mother!" Zhangzhu said quickly upon hearing this.

“Yes, Mom knows,” Gu Juncheng said.

Zhiyuan glanced at him.

Zhiyuan knew all too well that while his mother was happy to hear Zhangzhu write "I miss Mom," it was impossible for her to ask his father to tell her that he also "missed Zhangzhu." His father was definitely lying, and his mother didn't want to pay any attention to him!

Zhiyuan couldn't help but let out a soft "humph".

"What humph?" Gu Juncheng immediately sensed it.

Zhiyuan placed the cut chicken leg in front of Zhangzhu. "Zhangzhu, lying isn't good for a child, you know?"

Zhangzhu nodded vigorously, "I know! Zhuzhu wants a chicken leg, and I'll eat my fill!"

As she spoke, Zhangzhu held up her little finger, implying that she was full after eating one chicken leg and wouldn't lie to ask for a second one.

Zhiyuan immediately praised her.

Just as Zhangzhu was feeling smug, Gu Juncheng's expression changed. Zhiyuan, that clever fellow, was teasing him!

"Zhiyuan." Gu Juncheng spoke to Zhiyuan in front of Zhangzhu, mainly because he felt that Zhangzhu still couldn't understand anything.

Zhiyuan paused slightly but did not speak.

“Zhiyuan, I know you’re blaming me right now,” Gu Juncheng said. “I understand what you’re thinking. Your mother has been with me for a long time and hasn’t enjoyed any happiness. We’ve been apart for long periods of time, and the responsibility of this family has all been shouldered by your mother. She has to earn money to support you, to give you a better life, and even make plans for your future. She also has to take care of your basic needs. I know how hard it is for her, and you know it even better.”

These words struck a chord with Zhiyuan.

Although Lin Qingping was always smiling and seemed to have inexhaustible energy, no one is made of iron, so how could she not get tired?

"She also protected and arranged everything very well for everyone." Zhiyuan's nose tingled as he finished speaking to his father.

So many people have started new lives thanks to her efforts, and most of them are related to her father, Gu! If it weren't for him, why would she have to shoulder such a heavy responsibility?

“Yes…” Gu Juncheng said in a low voice, “Your mother has sacrificed too much for me, for you, and for this family. So, I have no objection to your resentment towards me. It is because I have not done well enough that she has suffered so much. However, I still want to fight for a chance to start over.”

Zhiyuan didn't express his opinion, but he thought to himself: What's the point of telling me? I'll listen to my mom anyway.

At such a young age, Zhangzhu seemed to understand but not quite the conversation between her father and brother. It sounded as if her father had made a mistake.

Now, little Zhangzhu has started to feed herself, and her hands are all greasy from eating. She puts her greasy little hands on the back of her father's hand and says, "Daddy, admit your mistake and correct it, good girl!"

Gu Juncheng picked up a small towel to wipe her hands and said softly, "Okay, Dad will change."

Although Lanxiang's matter was a misunderstanding, Lin Qingping's sadness and grievances had already been caused, and it was ultimately because he hadn't done enough.

Lin Qingping stayed in the hospital for more than ten days.

For the past ten days or so, her daily life has been basically the same, with the only differences being the visiting hours and the different people who come to see her.

In order not to disturb the patient's rest, the people who come to see Lin Qingping are basically rotated. Second Sister, Mei Li, Wu Tianjiao, Gu Youlian, as well as the group from the cake factory and Sister Zhao, come in turn. Only Gu Juncheng comes every day without fail, while Zhiyuan can only go to see her on weekends.

Lin Qingping's condition improved day by day. At first, she could only respond to everyone with facial expressions and a low voice. Gradually, her energy improved, and she was able to talk to her relatives and friends for a while.

Only when listening to Gu Juncheng speak did her eyes become vacant.

He was not discouraged. He believed that life was long, and the best thing would be for her to recover.

A little over ten days later, Lin Qingping was to be discharged from the hospital.

On the day of discharge, early in the morning, Gu Juncheng brought Zhangzhu along, and even Zhiyuan asked for leave from school. There were also relatives and friends, a large group of people, who went to the hospital to pick her up.

"This time, will you be able to pick up Mom and take her home?" Zhangzhu had been disappointed once and was no longer sure, so she repeatedly asked Gu Juncheng.

Gu Juncheng confidently promised, "Yes! We definitely can!"

The ward was small, so in order not to disturb other patients, relatives and friends waited outside. Gu Youlian went to handle the checkout procedures, while Gu Juncheng took the two children and his second sister to the ward to pick up Lin Qingping.

I thought it would be a joyful reunion, but to my surprise, the hospital bed was empty.

"She went to wash her face, and she was gone for quite a while," her fellow patients in the ward told them.

"I'll go take a look." Gu Juncheng handed the pearl to his second sister and went to the washroom at the end of the corridor.

There are caregivers in the ward. With their help, Lin Qingping has been able to slowly get out of bed these past few days. She cherishes this ability to move around and is therefore very willing to do things on her own.

Gu Juncheng went to the washroom but did not find Lin Qingping or the caregiver.

He guessed it might be in the toilet.

However, he couldn't go into the women's restroom, so he had to ask the family members of the waiting female patients to help him go in and check.

As a result, those inside were complaining, "Why has it taken so long to get out of this room! So many people are waiting, can't we hurry up?"

Some people tried to push the wooden doors of the toilet stalls, but they couldn't budge them; they were locked from the inside.

Gu Juncheng's heart skipped a beat for no reason.

The door won't budge, so why aren't the people inside making a sound?

"Could someone inside have fallen ill?" Gu Juncheng asked anxiously. "Try pushing it hard!"

"If you can't push it open, why don't you, a man, try?" The other family members were also anxious. They couldn't bear to see a patient collapse inside.

Gu Juncheng hesitated for a moment, but the family members and patients all said it was okay, and that the patients in the other cubicles should not come out for the time being. What time is it, why bother with such things!

Gu Juncheng was also anxious. After hearing everyone's words, he rushed in and shouted, "Lin Qingping? Lin Qingping? Are you in there? Is anyone in there?"

Still no one responded.

There's something very wrong if no one answers when you're shouting so loudly.

Gu Juncheng kicked open the cubicle door. The door bounced off something and closed again, but the bolt fell off. With a gentle push, the door opened, and someone collapsed inside.

She was a caregiver in Lin Qingping's hospital room...

Lin Qingping has disappeared...