I didn't press further. Everyone has their privacy, secrets buried deep in their hearts. If he doesn't speak, there's a reason for his silence.
The car stopped downstairs, and Wen Siqiang helped me with my things. I took them and asked him to wait downstairs while I went up alone.
Wen Siqiang had wanted to carry them for me, but seeing my insistence on going up by myself, he said nothing more, watching me enter the building before returning to the car.
The items weren't heavy, but with my left arm injured, I had to carry most of them with my right hand.
At the door, I put the bags down and raised my hand to knock.
"Who is it?" came my mother's voice from inside.
"It's me, your son."
"Ah! Huazi's back, Lao Li, Nana, Huazi's back!"
Excited voices came from within, and then I saw my mother's beaming face.
"Mom."
Without bothering to pick up the things at the door, I hugged my mother tightly.
Truthfully, this trip was different from others. For some reason, I felt a pang of fear for my own life.
Fear of not seeing my parents, not seeing Nana, Jing Lei, or Lan Ya. Most of all, fear of not seeing the unborn baby.
Is this the pull of blood?
With descendants, one gains a new responsibility: the responsibility to live, to raise them to adulthood.
My mother, tears welling up, murmured, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back. Come inside quickly."
Just then, I saw Nana walk over, standing behind my mother, looking at me with excitement.
My father stood in his doorway, a fleeting look of approval in his eyes, before turning and retreating back into his room.
I quickly turned and went out to bring in the purchases. Nana ran over to help me carry them. I gave her the lightest pack of cigarettes and gestured for her to take them to my father.
Nana nodded obediently, took the cigarettes, and went to my parents' room.
My mother wanted to prepare a meal, but I said I had just eaten, that I had to go out again soon, and would be back to stay the night.
Nana returned after delivering the cigarettes. I looked at her. She seemed the same, perhaps a little paler than before. By all appearances, she didn't look like a woman in her advanced stage of pregnancy.
I took her hand and we sat on the sofa. I asked her how she'd been feeling lately, if anything was bothering her.
My mother, however, interjected, "Your baby has made Nana suffer terribly. Nana throws up whatever she eats. I wasn't this bad when I was carrying you."
I immediately pulled her into my arms. No wonder she hadn't gained weight but had lost some; the little one was bullying her.
"Don't worry, it's nothing. I can endure it. If I throw up, I'll eat again. As long as it stays in my stomach, some nutrients will remain. It's you, Mom, who's been working so hard, cooking for me so many times a day."
"Don't say that. It's my duty. We are both women, and I understand the hardships of a woman about to become a mother. Just get through this period, and it will pass."
Nana nodded, her hand gripping mine tightly.
My mother noticed Nana's dependence and said, "You've been gone for over ten days. Nana is a good child, she doesn't say much to me, but I know she can't bear to be without you. Take Nana back to your room to talk for a while. I'll go make her some soup. Mom won't disturb you anymore."
With that, my mother went into the kitchen to busy herself. I got up, took Nana's hand, and we returned to the room.
The day I brought Nana home, I left. Nana knew very well how dangerous that trip was. For so many days, she must have been constantly worried about me. Now that I was back, she must have longed to be alone with me.
Closing the door, Nana, without any reservation, wrapped her arms around my neck, tears streaming down her face.
I gently stroked her back, letting her release her emotions onto me.
Nana's life has been difficult. To have a father involved in drug manufacturing and trafficking, her mother unable to return from abroad, and now, despite being pregnant, I couldn't be by her side, and she had to endure constant fear. My heart was filled with guilt; I felt I owed her so much.
After a long while, Nana finally lifted her head, wiping the tears from her face. A smile appeared, and she said to me, "Only when I hold you close do I feel like all of this is real. These past few days, I've been having nightmares every day. I wake up startled in the middle of the night, dreaming that your uncle caught you, tied your hands and feet, and threw you into the river. I screamed and screamed, but you couldn't hear me, and then I'd wake up crying. I didn't dare cry out loud, fearing Mom would hear and worry. I'd only fall back asleep after crying myself out. I know this is bad for the baby, but I can't help thinking about you, can't help worrying about you. When the baby is born, I'll explain to him. Mommy didn't mean to, she just cares about Daddy too much. I'll ask him to forgive Mommy."
"That won't happen. Our baby will be an understanding child. He'll understand you, don't worry."
Nana brightened up and hugged my neck, kissing me.
I carried her to the bed and whispered to her, "You're pregnant, and we can't do anything else. While you're here, sleep in my arms when you're tired. Have something to eat later. I have to go to Lan Ya's tonight to discuss company matters. I'll be home with you whenever I have free time these days."
Nana nodded and lay quietly in my arms, closing her eyes obediently.
As the saying goes, a woman is inherently weak, but becomes strong when she is a mother. Nana is such a gentle and kind girl. Now that she's pregnant, enduring the worry of my unknown fate alone, she acted as if nothing was wrong, staying with her mother and also suffering the discomforts of pregnancy, yet she held on for so many days.
Though this is my home, my parents, to her, they are strangers. If it were me, I probably wouldn't adapt and accept them so quickly. Yet, she interacts with them as if they were her own parents.
This alone moved me deeply.
Nana's breathing gradually evened out. I stayed a while longer, then slowly withdrew my arm, letting her lie comfortably. I covered her with a light blanket and slipped out from beside her.
I gently opened the room door. My father's door was ajar. Seeing him organizing books and newspapers, I didn't disturb him. My mother was busy in the kitchen. I went in, greeted her, told her I'd be back later, and then left the room.
I went downstairs and checked the time. It was six in the afternoon. It was a bit early to go to the Grand World, so I got in the car and told Wen Siqiang to drive to the hospital.
First, I wanted to see Ah Bei.
At the end of the corridor, I saw Qian Fugui, looking anxious, peering through the glass of the intensive care unit.
I walked up to him and patted his shoulder. He turned, saw me, and called out, "Boss."
"How is he?"
"His condition deteriorated just now, and he even stopped breathing for a moment. The doctor came out and asked me to sign, saying they might not be able to save him. You were all absent, and I was so frantic I didn't know what to do. But without my signature, the doctor wouldn't take action, so I had to sign, despite my fear. Fortunately, he's strong-willed and they managed to revive him."
I breathed a sigh of relief, but my heart grew heavy again. In his condition, his condition might fluctuate. If he had an attack in his sleep and the doctors didn't notice, a fatal accident could occur.