Xiao Yu pressed her ear to the bedroom door. When she heard the silence outside, she finally opened it and stepped out.

"Mom."

Gu Yuwei looked at Xiao Yu and smiled, a smile tinged with relief.

Xiao Yu walked over and saw the money on the floor. She crouched down and picked it all up.

"Mom, is this your money?"

Gu Yuwei nodded.

Xiao Yu handed the money to Gu Yuwei, who glanced at it. It looked to be a few hundred yuan.

Gu Yuwei pulled Xiao Yu into her arms.

"Mom, who was that man just now?"

Gu Yuwei paused for a moment before saying softly, "He was an old friend of Mom’s. But not anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because he owed Mom money and didn’t pay it back. So, I’m not going to be friends with him anymore."

"Oh."

Mrs. He had been home from the hospital for two days. It wasn’t anything major—just a fit of rage that had sent her blood pressure soaring. The doctor had prescribed medication and told her to take it on schedule, warning her that extremely high blood pressure was dangerous and that she needed to avoid becoming too agitated.

Since returning from the hospital, Mrs. He hadn’t been agitated, but she had grown quiet. She looked fine on the surface, but she was likely suffering immensely on the inside. He Lang tried to comfort her, but Mrs. He just shook her head. "I’m fine. Go on and do what you need to do. Don’t worry about me."

Mr. He was also worried, so he stayed home from work to keep an eye on her.

That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Mrs. He suddenly spoke up. "I want to go back home and see our second son."

Mr. He knew his wife all too well. He understood she wouldn’t be able to get over this easily, so he agreed.

"Alright. I’ll have He Lang buy the tickets tomorrow."

Mrs. He waved her hand. "Don’t trouble the boy. We’ll go straight there. We can just wait at the station."

Mr. He nodded. "That works too."

The next morning, when Mr. He told him their plans, He Lang immediately disagreed. "Go back for what? This whole thing is upsetting enough. Going back to stare at a grave will only make her sadder."

Mr. He sighed. "If your mother wants to go back, let her. Otherwise, she’ll never get over it. I’m afraid she’ll fall ill from the grief."

Xue Yue nudged He Lang, who could only nod. "Alright, I’ll go buy your tickets in a little while."

"No need. Your mother said we’ll go straight to the train station, buy tickets, and leave as soon as we can."

He Lang couldn’t change their minds, so he had no choice but to drive them to the station.

At the station, Mrs. He carefully instructed him, "While we’re gone, watch the two children. Don’t let them get lost again. He Lang, you’re not so young anymore, either. Don’t work so hard all the time. Rest when you need to, and treat your wife well."

He Lang nodded. "I know, Mom. You and Dad go have a look, but come back soon. I’ll miss you if you’re gone too long."

Mrs. He actually managed a small smile. "You silly boy. I know."

He Lang watched them board the train.

’The house suddenly felt so empty with three people gone. It was a little hard to get used to.’

Feeling uneasy, He Lang called He Nan, asking him to pick their parents up at the station. He also filled him in on what had happened.

"Mom’s not in a good place. She insisted on going back to see He Ze, and I couldn’t stop her. You should take some time off to go home and keep an eye on her. Don’t let her get too worked up. Her blood pressure is already high as it is."

He Nan replied from the other end of the line, "I know. Don’t worry, I’ll look after them."

「Five days later.」

Who could have imagined that just a short while after He Lang arrived at his office, he would suddenly get a call from He Nan?

"Third Brother, Mom passed away last night."

At first, He Lang didn’t understand. "Where did Mom go?" he asked, confused.

He Nan’s voice was hoarse as he said gravely, "We went to see our second brother yesterday afternoon. Mom wasn’t herself when we got back. She seemed fine before bed last night, but this morning... we couldn’t wake her up."

"Then take her to the hospital!" He Lang yelled.

He Nan paused for a few seconds. "It’s too late."

He Lang froze. The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. He scrambled to pick it up, banging his head on the corner of the desk. A large lump formed instantly, but he didn’t even notice.

He Lang stumbled out of the office. As he passed the supermarket checkout, Little Chen saw that something was wrong with his uncle and called out to him. But He Lang’s mind was ringing, and he couldn’t hear a thing. He just got on his motorcycle and rode off.

The call from He Nan came as a shock to Xue Yue. When he told her that Mrs. He had passed away, she couldn’t process it for a moment. She had to ask again, "Eldest Brother, you’re saying something happened to Mom?"

"Yes," He Nan said from the other end. "You and He Lang need to come back right away. Tell the children, too. I just called him, and he didn’t sound right. You should go home and check on him quickly."

Xue Yue’s heart clenched. She immediately requested time off from work and rushed home.

When she got back, she saw the motorcycle parked by the open main gate. She didn’t see He Lang in the courtyard, so she ran into the house.

He Lang wasn’t in the house, either.

"He Lang! He Lang—"

Xue Yue called out twice, but no one answered. Her eyes suddenly fell on the half-closed door to the shower. As she walked toward it, she could indeed hear the sound of running water from inside.

Xue Yue opened the door and saw He Lang sitting in the corner, one leg drawn up. Water streamed from the showerhead above, beating down on the back of his neck. He didn’t move a muscle.

The sight pained Xue Yue. She walked over and turned off the faucet. The icy water splashed onto her hand, startling her and raising goosebumps on her skin. He Lang was completely soaked, having sat there under the cold spray.

Xue Yue crouched down, took a towel, and began to dry He Lang’s hair without saying a word.

After a long while, Xue Yue had switched to a second dry towel, and He Lang’s hair was mostly dry.

Xue Yue touched He Lang’s icy-cold face. "You should change your clothes, or you’ll get sick."

He Lang stared blankly at Xue Yue, his eyes bloodshot. "My mom’s gone."

Tears stung Xue Yue’s eyes. "I know."

He Lang mumbled, "I don’t have a mom anymore."

Xue Yue said, "You still have us."

He Lang buried his head in Xue Yue’s arms, repeating over and over, "My mom’s gone... I don’t have a mom anymore."

Xue Yue couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She wrapped her arms tightly around He Lang’s head, comforting him, "You still have us. I’ll always be here with you."

He Lang finally broke down, crying in Xue Yue’s embrace. His sobs were choked and full of anguish. Xue Yue had never seen him like this before, and the sound of his pain was heart-wrenching.

At noon, He Lang still looked completely listless. When Xue Yue finished making lunch and came back into the room, she noticed an unnatural flush on his face.

Xue Yue went over and felt his forehead, her brow instantly furrowing.

"You have a fever."

Xue Yue got up, fetched a thermometer, and had He Lang put it under his arm. A few minutes later, she checked it. Thirty-eight degrees. He was definitely running a fever.

"He Lang, let’s go to the hospital. You’re running a fever."

He Lang shook his head.

Fortunately, they had some fever-reducing medicine at home for the children. Xue Yue had him take a pill and made him lie down.

She glanced at the lunch on the table, but she had lost her appetite as well. With a sigh, she carried the dishes back to the kitchen.