Chapter 1252: Chapter 1252: Let Her Stay With You (Part 1)
Shu Lang seemed to sigh something, but his voice was a bit low, and even on tiptoe, Ruan Jiaojiao didn’t hear it clearly.
At some point, Xiu Xi in the room had come to her side, and Ruan Jiaojiao immediately withdrew her body as she felt a shadow cast in front of her.
Turning her head, Xiu Xi was silently looking at her.
Ruan Jiaojiao immediately flashed an ingratiating smile, while below, Shu Lang and Qin Qiong were still talking, but Ruan Jiaojiao no longer continued to listen.
After returning to her room, Ruan Jiaojiao finished washing up with Xiu Xi and lay on the bed, watching Xiu Xi’s silhouette on the other side through the screen, gradually slipping into a dream.
She slept sweetly, while on the other side, the Yuan Family mansion was brightly lit.
Since the day Shu Jiao left the Yuan Family, it seemed the countdown of the old lady Yuan’s life had begun.
Her life was fading, already in its twilight, yet she refused to close her eyes, staring at the ceiling as if trying to see through the thick walls.
The old woman was gravely ill, and Yuan Hui had long called back the younger generation of the Yuan Family.
Now, it was the second daughter-in-law and the third daughter-in-law attending to her.
The second daughter-in-law had moved out of the Yuan Family mansion long ago. When she still lived in the city years ago, she would occasionally come back to visit, but since moving to Changling, she seldom returned.
In her impression, the old lady Yuan was always vigorous and kind, but seeing her lying on the bed now, she found it somewhat terrifying.
The old lady Yuan had grown much thinner, her cheeks sunken in, but most frightening were her eyes.
Typically, elderly people’s eyes are clouded with a whitish hue, but the old lady Yuan’s eyes were not only deeply embedded but also dark and abyss-like, as if they could pull a person in.
The second daughter-in-law didn’t even dare to meet those eyes.
She lowered her head and said to her sister-in-law beside her, “Third sister-in-law, what do you think is wrong with mom’s eyes? I’ve seen so many patients in the hospital, but never anything like this.”
The third daughter-in-law was lowering her head to cool down the medicine bowl, and hearing this, she looked up at the old woman on the bed. She was about to speak when she heard footsteps approaching from behind.
She caught sight of Liu Ma coming in from the corner of her eye and immediately swallowed back her words.
Liu Ma was the old lady Yuan’s maid who had accompanied her all her life. Perhaps because she lived alone for so long, there was an inexplicable aura about her, and all four of the Yuan Family’s daughters-in-law were quite intimidated by her.
Seeing her come in now, they clamped their mouths shut tighter, not wanting to say anything that might get them caught and subtly reprimanded.
Liu Ma came in carrying a basin, placed it on the table by the old lady Yuan’s bed, rinsed out a towel, and while wiping the old lady Yuan’s hands, said to the two behind her, “Second young mistress and third young mistress, go rest. I’ll look after her from here.”
The second and third daughters-in-law heard this and initially wanted to offer polite rejection, but when they looked up, they were met with Liu Ma’s calm gaze and immediately swallowed whatever they were about to say.
Each muttered a quick thanks to Liu Ma for her hard work and then left the room.
Once outside, they each breathed a heavy sigh of relief; the intense incense burning by the old lady Yuan was unbearable for most.
After the two left, Liu Ma closed the door to the room, checked by the window, and then approached the side of the old lady Yuan.
“Madam, do you need the young lady to come accompany you?”