WBSGVS Chapter 143 V1

A suffocating heaviness settled in Yang Qing’s chest as she woke up from yet another nightmare, her entire body feeling uncomfortable.

This sensation had plagued her ever since she was rushed to the emergency room the last time she fell ill. Apart from that, whenever summer came and the air conditioning was on, she would feel unbearably thirsty.

But today, the discomfort was especially overwhelming—even reaching for a glass of water felt like an impossible task.

She took a moment to compose herself before dialing her daughter’s number.

Most of the time, their calls never connected. In fact, they had been blocked more often than not. Only when her daughter was in a good mood would she allow them through.

This time, she assumed it would be the same.

Yet, to her surprise, the call went through!

Yang Qing was overjoyed and whispered, “Ali, it’s me!”

“I know, Mom. What is it?” The woman’s voice on the other end was distant yet polite, as if she were speaking to a client.

Yang Qing spoke softly, “I miss you, Ali. Can you come visit me?”

“But I don’t have the time,” Qing Li replied with a light chuckle. “Unlike others, I wasn’t blessed with loving parents. I have to support my household on my own—I simply don’t have time to visit.”

“Ali…” Yang Qing was at a loss for words. Her throat felt as though it was stuffed with cotton, and even the slightest effort to speak made it ache. Her voice turned hoarse. “Mom was wrong… I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. This was your choice.” Qing Li’s tone remained calm and indifferent, without a hint of resentment. “You raised me until I was twenty, and even kept me for two more years. That’s already generous.”

Yang Qing’s face burned with shame. Her lips trembled, but she dared not say another word.

Unlike her husband, Yang Yong—who was always heartless and oblivious, she had spent more time with their daughter. Once, Qing Li had been so close to her. Now, she was nothing but distant. The coldness cut deep.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” Qing Li’s voice carried no emotion.

Yang Qing blinked rapidly and pleaded, “Wait, it’s the weekend. Is Lele with you? Let me hear her voice, just for a moment, please?”

“I’ll ask.”

On the other end, Qing Li’s voice could be heard asking, “Lele, Grandma wants to talk to you. Do you want to say something?”

“No!”

The voice of a bright, intelligent four-year-old rang out firmly.

Qing Li never hid the truth from her daughter—Lele knew exactly how her maternal grandparents had treated her mother. Aside from their very first meeting, Lele had refused to see them ever again.

“Sorry, Lele doesn’t want to talk to you.” Qing Li’s response was simple.

Yang Qing’s heart ached even more.

She had heard everything but had no face left to argue. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to hang up.

Unfortunately, Qing Li had no interest in reminiscing. She promptly ended the call.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The disconnected tone echoed in the room.

Yang Qing stared at her phone for a long time before finally setting it down.

By now, she had calmed down somewhat, but the thirst remained. She strained to stretch her arm toward her water cup, and after much effort, managed to grab it.

Just as she was about to move it—

Clang!

The cup slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor.

Her heart clenched instantly, a sharp pain spreading through her chest.

Sure enough, from the other side of the bed, Xia Yong growled in irritation, “What the hell is wrong with you now? I just fell asleep, and you’re making a racket! Can’t you go one damn night without causing trouble?”

Yang Qing bit her lip, swallowing her grievances, not daring to speak.

But Xia Yong, with nowhere else to vent his frustrations, seized the opportunity to start his endless complaints.

“What can you even do right? Couldn’t raise a daughter properly, lost our son—if we never had that damn kid, none of this would’ve happened! Now we’re living worse than corpses.”

Most of the time, Yang Qing didn’t dare to argue.

But at the mention of that, she could no longer hold back. Gritting her teeth, she snapped, “How is that my fault?! Your parents were the ones who insisted on having a son! I only did what you all told me to do! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself! What, did you think we had an imperial throne to pass down?”

Xia Yong’s eyes widened in fury. “I was just thinking about our future! So that we’d have someone to rely on in old age! I spent my whole life working outside for our son, while you got to stay home and enjoy life, raising the kids! And now look what happened—you ruined him! Who’s to blame?!”

“And don’t try to tell me otherwise. I remember when he was little—he was smart! But the longer you raised him, the stupider he got!”

Yang Qing’s anger flared even hotter. “Oh? If you hadn’t been absent all the time, would it have turned out like this?! I think he got dumb because of all the times you took him out, let him hit his head, and let him freeze when he was a baby!”

The two of them bickered back and forth, but neither moved.

After all, ever since they both suffered strokes, their bodies had weakened significantly—neither of them had the strength to fight.

At that moment, the caregiver entered, carrying their meal. “Dinner’s ready.”

The couple fell silent.

Upon seeing the meal—plain cabbage, steamed buns, and a pitiful portion of pickled vegetables—they couldn’t help but grumble.

“Why is it this again?”

“Your daughter only sends so much living expenses each month. Be grateful you have food at all,” the caregiver replied, her tone equally unkind after enduring their constant complaints.

“At least give us more pickles?” Xia Yong muttered.

“Patients shouldn’t eat too much of that.”

The caregiver scoffed, “If you don’t want to eat, I can take it away.”

“No, no! I’ll eat!” Yang Qing immediately backed down. Smiling flatteringly, she added, “Can you pour me another cup of water? I dropped mine…”

The caregiver frowned but nodded.

After forcing down the bland meal, the couple took turns struggling to get to the bathroom.

By the time everything was settled, Yang Qing lay back, staring at the ceiling, the tasteless food still lingering in her mouth. Life felt unbearably dull.

Watching the caregiver clean up, she hesitated before asking softly, “Can you take me outside for a walk…?”

“Me too! I want to go too!” Xia Yong immediately chimed in.

The caregiver glanced at her phone before flatly rejecting them. “My break is coming up, and I have to cook dinner afterward. No time.”

Xia Yong fumed but had no choice but to sit there, ranting, cursing, and blaming the heavens. He even brought up the son they hadn’t seen in years, just to have someone to vent about.

Yang Qing’s smile faded.

As soon as the caregiver closed the door, the pain in her chest flared again.

The cramped, stuffy room reeked of an unpleasant odor.

No one cared about her.

No one except for the man she despised.

Unlike Xia Yong—who was ignorant and foolish, whose suffering was shallow because he had never invested much to begin with, Yang Qing felt everything more acutely.

Tears welled in her eyes.

She bit down hard on her lip, refusing to let out a sound, yet the tears flowed endlessly.

She had whispered the words I regret it countless times.

But it was useless.

At times, she wondered—if she hadn’t listened to them at fifty, if she hadn’t birthed a second child, if she had simply supported her daughter instead…

Would things have turned out differently?

Would she not have ended up like this?