UD | Chapter 8 – Chen Wenqian’s Breakdown

At a luxury apartment in Zhongshan Residence, Mother Chen carried a tray of food into a bedroom, only to emerge moments later.

Hearing the movement, Father Chen looked up from the sofa where he sat smoking. His face was filled with worry.

“Qianqian still refuses to eat?”

Mother Chen shook her head helplessly. She returned the bowl to the kitchen before sitting beside her husband.

A family photo rested on the coffee table in front of them.

In the picture, the elderly couple sat in front. Father Chen held a cute little boy on his lap, while a handsome young couple stood behind them.

Mother Chen picked up the photo and gently stroked the little boy’s face with her wrinkled fingers.

“Hanghang…”

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.

“Keep your voice down.”

Father Chen lowered his voice in warning.

“If the child hears you, she’ll only feel worse.”

Ever since their grandson’s accidental death, their daughter, Chen Wenqian, had locked herself in her room.

She barely ate.

She barely spoke.

Losing their grandson had devastated them as well.

But at a time like this, they had to suppress their own grief.

Otherwise, their daughter would only suffer more.

The dead were gone.

The living still had to carry on.

Their daughter was still young.

She still had a future ahead of her.

Mother Chen nodded through her tears, struggling to hold back her sobs.

The apartment had excellent soundproofing.

Lying alone in her room, Chen Wenqian couldn’t hear what was happening outside.

The room was silent.

So silent that she almost believed everything was just a nightmare.

A nightmare she would wake up from.

And when she did, her son would be there waiting for her.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

“Mommy, I’m home! Please open the door for your precious Hanghang!”

In the stillness, a cheerful child’s voice accompanied the familiar doorbell ringtone.

Almost instinctively, Chen Wenqian leapt out of bed.

“Hanghang’s back… my Hanghang is back…”

At the same time, Mother Chen rushed toward the front door.

“I told you to change that doorbell already! Why haven’t you changed it yet?”

The ringtone had been specially recorded by the child.

Every time it played, their daughter suffered another emotional breakdown.

“I don’t know how to change it! I already called someone to replace it!”

Father Chen hurried toward the entrance as well, keeping one eye on his daughter’s room.

At the same time, he silently cursed whoever was outside.

Hadn’t he already told everyone?

If they came to visit, they should knock.

Not ring the bell.

These people, honestly…

Before the doorbell could ring a second time, Father Chen yanked open the front door.

“Who is it?! Why are you ringing the bell?!”

The moment he finished speaking, Chen Wenqian rushed out of her room.

Her gaunt body was hidden beneath oversized clothing.

Her pale, exhausted face was filled with desperate hope.

“Hanghang… my Hanghang is back…”

But the instant she saw who was standing outside, the tiny spark in her eyes vanished.

It was replaced by overwhelming hatred.

“You murderer!”

“Give me back my son!”

“Qianqian!”

Mother Chen hurriedly embraced her daughter.

“Qianqian, calm down!”

“Give me my son back!”

“I want my Hanghang!”

“Aaaah!”

Mother Chen burst into tears.

“Qianqian…”

Father Chen looked at Xu Yunfei’s haggard appearance and sighed.

“Why are you here?”

Seeing his ex-wife in this state broke Xu Yunfei’s heart.

He quickly explained,

“Dad, Mom, Qianqian—I brought Hanghang home!”

“Mommy! I’m home!”

Xu Zihang ran to Chen Wenqian and hugged her leg while crying.

“Mommy!”

“I missed you!”

But Chen Wenqian couldn’t see him.

She only glared viciously at Xu Yunfei.

“Where is my Hanghang?!”

“Give him back to me!”

Xu Yunfei pointed in front of her.

“Hanghang is right there.”

Chen Wenqian looked down.

She saw nothing.

Father Chen and Mother Chen exchanged a helpless, sorrowful glance.

Their former son-in-law had gone crazy too.

“You’re lying!”

“You’re lying to me!”

Chen Wenqian struggled violently, trying to hit Xu Yunfei.

“Old man! Help me!”

Mother Chen was losing control of her daughter.

Father Chen hurried over to help restrain her.

“You’ll be able to see him if you hold this!”

Xu Yunfei quickly stuffed the talisman into Chen Wenqian’s hand.

In the process, her fingernails raked across his face, leaving a deep scratch.

“I don’t want your stupid—”

“Mommy…”

Chen Wenqian froze.

Like someone had pressed the pause button.

Slowly, she lowered her head.

“Mommy…”

“Waaah…”

“Don’t be like this…”

“I’m scared…”

Xu Zihang clung to her while crying.

“Hanghang?!”

Chen Wenqian frantically pushed aside her messy hair and crouched down.

She forced a smile onto her trembling face.

“Hanghang, don’t be afraid.”

“Mommy’s here.”

“Mommy’s right here.”

As she spoke, she reached out to hug him.

Her arms passed through empty air.

She froze.

Staring at the child only inches away, tears exploded from her eyes.

Her heart shattered.

“Hanghang…”

“Why can’t Mommy hold you?”

“Because I’m dead, Mommy.”

“I’m a ghost now.”

“You can’t touch me.”

“Qianqian, who are you talking to?”

“Don’t scare your mother and me!”

Watching their daughter converse with empty space made Father Chen and Mother Chen’s scalps go numb.

Had the loss of her child finally driven her insane?

Xu Yunfei closed the door and hurriedly explained.

“Qianqian is talking to Hanghang.”

“She’s holding a talisman.”

“It lets her see him.”

Inside, he regretted something deeply.

He should have bought more talismans from the Master.

Now that the talisman’s effect on him had ended, he couldn’t see his son anymore.

Father Chen and Mother Chen stared blankly.

“…?”

A talisman that lets people see deceased loved ones?

Xu Yunfei briefly explained everything that had happened at the hospital.

After hearing the story, the elderly couple’s first reaction was immediate.

“Then why didn’t you buy more talismans?!”

At least they could have seen their grandson too!

Xu Yunfei looked embarrassed.

“I was too excited after seeing Hanghang…”

“It completely slipped my mind.”

Father Chen & Mother Chen: “…”

They suddenly wanted to hit him.

After leaving the Rong family villa, Rong Leying found an inexpensive hotel near the hospital.

She quickly showered, changed into clean clothes, then bought two boxed meals from a nearby restaurant before returning to the hospital.

Grandpa Rong had been moved into a double room.

The patient in the neighboring bed was a woman in her fifties named Auntie Wu.

She had been admitted while Rong Leying was away and was also recovering from injuries caused by an accident.

Watching Rong Leying run around taking care of her grandfather all day, Auntie Wu sighed with envy.

“Old sir, your granddaughter is so filial.”

Grandpa Rong immediately puffed up with pride.

“Of course!”

“My granddaughter is the best!”

Hearing her grandfather praise her made Rong Leying smile happily.

“Your granddaughter is wonderful.”

Auntie Wu sighed again.

“I don’t even know when I’ll get grandchildren.”

“My two sons refuse to get married. It’s driving me crazy.”

Grandpa Rong chuckled.

“Young people nowadays marry later. Don’t worry too much.”

“I know, but I still want to hold a grandchild sooner rather than later…”

Just like that, Auntie Wu launched into a lengthy complaint about her two unmarried sons.

Grandpa Rong loved chatting with people.

The two elderly patients quickly hit it off and chatted nonstop.

Meanwhile, Rong Leying sat beside the bed.

One eye monitored the IV drip.

The other focused on her phone.

School wouldn’t start until September.

It was only early August.

She needed to find an affordable short-term rental to get through the rest of the month.

So she quietly browsed rental apps while listening to the two elders gossip away.