Chapter 504: 464 Ah Nian, if you do not retreat a single step, then we are the only ones who will retreat (4000 words)_2
"Aunt Xiao has been through a lot," Song Jiayu reasoned. "She must have faced many challenges in her youth and given up many things."
Song Lili escorted Wen Qichen to Wen Liangyu.
Xiao Ziyan stood behind her, furrowing her brows tightly.
"I feel there’s more to your words than meets the eye."
"Aunt Xiao, you heard wrong."
"Mother, go see Qichen," Wen Nian hurriedly interjected.
Xiao Ziyan took another look at Song Lili before joining Wen Liangyu’s side. Her previously worried expression suddenly brightened.
"The little girl is really pretty... Dad, look, didn’t I say she was pretty?"
"Her eyes resemble Xiaonian, and so does her nose. Ha ha!"
"Her mouth too, it’s just like Xiaonian’s when he was little," Xiao Ziyan quickly added.
Song Lili and Wen Nian stood together, finding the situation both amusing and baffling. Song Lili whispered to Wen Nian,
"If this little troublemaker hadn’t actually come from my belly, hearing them talk would make me doubt if she was really mine."
Wen Nian wrapped an arm around her shoulder, gave it a squeeze, and whispered,
"Lili has the capacity of a minister to bear a boat in his belly; she won’t take such things to heart."
"Stop flattering me, I can’t take it," Song Lili said, arms crossed.
Wen Nian merely smiled, watching the few people on the sofa form a happy circle around the child, a rare harmonious scene so surreal that even the usually biased Lili felt like she was dreaming.
Having a child... really is important.
Her gaze grew distant...
In her previous life, she never witnessed such a scene.
If she hadn’t lost the child, would everything that followed have been different...?
Would Wen Nian’s parents and grandparents, even if they disliked her, gradually accept her for the sake of the child...?
Reflecting on this, Lili felt a sense of melancholic loss.
Everyone says there are no "ifs" and no hypotheticals, yet having a second chance at life meant seizing the opportunity to address these regrets.
With this in mind, she felt reassured.
Cherishing everything at the moment was more important than anything else.
The Wen family members didn’t stay too late and soon returned to Wen Mansion.
Around ten o’clock at night, Song Lili received a phone call from her father, informing her that Song Xiangqiao had been moved from the operating room to the ICU.
Being moved to the intensive care unit wasn’t necessarily good news; it indicated that Song Xiangqiao’s life still hung by a thread.
But it wasn’t entirely bad news either. Being moved to the ICU meant she was still alive.
"Dad, you’ve been at the hospital till now; go home and rest."
"The Vice President just left, and now it’s just me at the hospital; I really can’t leave," Song Jiayu explained.
"What about Lerong?" Song Lili was puzzled.
Song Jiayu took a deep breath. "I don’t know, haven’t seen her since the incident."
"And... what about home? Has she gone back? Is Xiao You alone at home?"
"No, she hasn’t come back home. Xiao You came back from school to an empty house. I haven’t told Xiao You about Xiangqiao’s condition yet."
"So Xiao You is now alone at home?" Song Lili paused.
"It’s okay, he’s grown up enough to take care of himself. There are servants at home, and someone is there to cook his dinner," said Song Jiayu, but Song Lili still felt uneasy.
"Dad, let me find a couple of people to take your place so you can rest at home, okay?"
"Lili, don’t worry about Dad. Xiangqiao grew up by my side after all; she has done many things wrong to you, but... she has also received her retribution, hasn’t she?"
"..."
"At such a time, she certainly needs someone by her side. Don’t worry about Dad."
"I’m really afraid you’re exhausting yourself. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll come tomorrow to replace you. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?"
"..."
"Dad?"
No response came from the other end of the phone, and after a moment of hesitation, Song Lili called out again.
After a while, Song Jiayu’s voice came through the phone,
"Okay, my girl."
"..."
Song Jiayu’s voice was slightly choked, and Song Lili heard it clear but said no more, only reiterated a few words of caution before hanging up the phone.
Wen Nian came out after his shower, and Song Lili looked at him,
"Ah Nian, could you arrange for a couple of people to help look after my father at the hospital?"
"Is your dad still at the hospital?" Wen Nian was surprised.
"Song Xiangqiao has been in the operating room for so long, and not a single person from Miao family has visited her at the hospital. The Vice President just left, and now it’s just my father there. Dad said Xiangqiao needs someone, and he can’t leave. In this freezing weather, I’m worried he won’t rest well and might catch a cold."