Volume One, Chapter 80 "Brother Jinmo, could you hold my hand?"

The two got out of the car and headed to the inpatient department of the rehabilitation center.

Xu Zhi felt an odd sensation stirring within her, perhaps because of what Liang Jinmo had just said, or perhaps because of that fleeting smile.

She actually wanted to ask him: if he didn't care, why go through all the trouble of bringing her to Beicheng and arranging for her to stay in the rehabilitation center?

But she didn't voice her question. The air about Liang Jinmo was cold and oppressive, as though he was shrouded in a perpetual, suffocating gloom.

He had every reason to hate. Gao Ying had brought him into a world that never welcomed him, attempting to use him, yet failing to win his heart. When that didn't work, she tried to exchange him for money, leaving him in an awkward position where no one wanted him, and in the end, she could only hope to send him away.

Compared to her own father, who favored sons over daughters, this kind of mother was far more terrifying.

Gao Ying was staying in a private room. Liang Jinmo knocked on the door and brought Xu Zhi in with him.

Inside, there was a nurse who, upon seeing them, explained to Liang Jinmo, "Mr. Liang, your mother caused a disturbance again this morning. We just gave her a little sedative."

Xu Zhi's gaze fell to the bed.

So this was Liang Jinmo's mother. The woman's appearance was now withered, emaciated to the bone, her face deathly pale. Lying on the hospital bed, even her breathing seemed weak and shallow.

Liang Jinmo spoke to the nurse, "Thank you for your trouble."

"It's our duty," the nurse replied, glancing at Gao Ying again. "You should be able to speak to her now. Would you mind coming by the doctor's office later to discuss your mother's follow-up treatment with Dr. Yang?"

Liang Jinmo nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Xu Zhi wasn’t sure what it was like for other people to meet their boyfriend’s mother, but clearly, her experience was unique. She stood by the bed, not daring to speak without invitation.

Liang Jinmo approached the bedside and looked at Gao Ying, whose gaze was vacant.

He called softly, "Mom."

At last, Gao Ying responded, turning her face ever so slightly. When she saw him, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Jinmo, my child, my son..." She reached out, trying to grasp his hand.

But she had no strength; even this movement seemed exhausting.

Liang Jinmo did not move, his eyes lowered as he looked at her. "You'd best cooperate with the treatment. Causing scenes like this does you no good."

"I'm not insane, I don't want to stay here..." Gao Ying grew agitated. "Everyone here is crazy! I want to leave, let me out... Jinmo, are you doing this to get back at me? You hate me... that's why you made me stay in a place like this..."

Liang Jinmo listened quietly, offering no explanation, the chill around him deepening.

Tears slipped from the corners of Gao Ying’s eyes. "It's not my fault. It was Liang Zhenguo... It was him, he ruined me, he ruined you too. You should take revenge on him... Yes, go to the Liang Corporation. It's a huge company—take it from him, make him regret it! And that woman, Fu Wanwen, make them all regret abandoning you. My son, my child..."

Her words were choked with sobs. "You must make them pay... Please let me out, this is no place for people to live, I can't take it anymore..."

Gao Ying continued her monologue, her voice echoing her own misery.

From beginning to end, Liang Jinmo said nothing more after those first words.

Xu Zhi felt a chill run down her spine. The room's floor heating kept the temperature up, but she was cold to the bone. The atmosphere in the ward was like a tomb.

They didn't stay long. Gao Ying repeated herself again and again, and Xu Zhi found it hard to tell if the woman was lucid or not.

Liang Jinmo took her out of the room and went to the doctor's office.

Gao Ying's attending physician explained that she was highly resistant to treatment.

"She flushes her medication down the toilet, pulls out her IV whenever she can," the doctor sighed. "She refuses therapy sessions, insists she's not sick, says her son misunderstands her and wants revenge. She thinks the doctors are trying to harm her, showing signs of paranoia. Last night, she even tried to jump from the ninth floor... If this continues, her condition may worsen further."

Liang Jinmo listened quietly, then asked, "What do you suggest?"

"If she continues treatment here, we'll need to assign extra staff to her, providing twenty-four-hour supervision," the doctor replied. "But if she becomes aggressive, we may have no choice but to restrain her for her own safety and others'."

Liang Jinmo lowered his gaze, lost in thought.

Xu Zhi asked, "Is there any other way?"

"There is, but it's difficult to execute," the doctor explained. "You might consider taking her out, trying to ease her intense suspicion so she can relax a little. That would help her recovery. But as things stand, she'd need round-the-clock care outside too, and it's hard to find suitable caregivers—she's not a typical patient. It's best if a family member watches over her."

Xu Zhi fell silent.

Gao Ying was barely distinguishable from a psychiatric patient now. If something happened while she was out, no one could take responsibility.

Liang Jinmo said, "Then let's continue with your original plan and keep her in treatment."

After speaking with the doctor, he didn't return to see Gao Ying, but took Xu Zhi downstairs directly.

As they left the inpatient building, Xu Zhi couldn't help but glance back at Gao Ying's window.

Of course, there was nothing to see. The nurse had said Gao Ying had already fallen asleep under the influence of the medication.

She followed Liang Jinmo's steps, got into the car, and left that stifling place behind.

The drive back was silent.

When they reached the city center, Liang Jinmo took a work call. It was the weekend, yet he still seemed busy. After hanging up, he asked Xu Zhi, "Shall we eat before heading home?"

Xu Zhi wasn't hungry, but wanting to lighten the mood, she said, "Let's have hotpot. I'm craving it a little."

"You can't eat spicy food."

"It's fine, I'll have the mushroom broth or something like that."

"Alright."

Liang Jinmo searched for the nearest hotpot restaurant on his GPS and drove them there.

After parking, Xu Zhi limped along, watching him walk ahead. Suddenly, she called out, "Jinmo, wait."

He stopped and looked back.

He hadn't realized it himself, but ever since he'd seen Gao Ying, he'd been walking quickly, no longer matching her pace as before.

Her ankle still hurt a bit, and she wanted to ask, Are you feeling upset? When someone is eager to leave all their emotions behind, they always walk fast, as if they could outpace the ghosts that haunt them.

But this was a busy roadside, not a good place to talk. So she swallowed her words and instead asked carefully, "Could you... hold my hand?"

Maybe then he would slow down.

Liang Jinmo was startled. After a moment, he realized what she meant and returned to her side. "Sorry, I forgot about your leg..."

"It's okay," Xu Zhi tried her best to smile.

He reached out his hand. "Let's walk together."

"Mm." She lifted her hand and placed it in his palm, letting him hold it.

Yet this time, the warmth from his hand did not bring her comfort. Instead, there was a lingering, inexplicable unease in her heart, though she couldn't say why.