Blooming Roses

Lin Mengmeng urged Shao Tingyu to go to the cloakroom to change. After a brief wait, Shao Tingyu emerged in a white suit. Shao Tingyu had a perfect body for modeling clothes, but Lin Mengmeng didn’t expect him to look so handsome. It felt like they were back to the moment of their first stunning encounter. She spotted Shao Tingyu in the crowd, like a moon surrounded by stars, impossible to look away from. Lin Mengmeng stared in a daze until Shao Tingyu approached; only then did she look away and sincerely said, “You look really good.” Shao Tingyu leaned down, his hands pressing against the door frame of the cloakroom, his voice restraining some emotion, “Why did you think to give me a suit?” Lin Mengmeng knew she couldn’t deceive Shao Tingyu and honestly confessed, “I just rarely see you in a suit. Besides, you’ll be giving a speech out of town soon; you can try it out.” “Is that all?” Shao Tingyu raised an eyebrow slightly, opened Lin Mengmeng’s phone, and soon a recording from Xie Ruan played. “Mengmeng, suits are meant to be taken off. With your husband’s great physique, don’t you want to see him in uniform?” As the recording ended, Lin Mengmeng’s face turned an unflattering shade of red. She buried her head, almost too embarrassed to face Shao Tingyu. She could only feel Shao Tingyu’s hands on either side of her, his cool lips close to her ear. “Don’t you want to try it?” Lin Mengmeng’s eyelashes fluttered, but before she could speak, Shao Tingyu suddenly lifted her up by the waist. With a whirlwind of motion, she found herself sitting on Shao Tingyu’s lap, her body now under his control. “It would hurt to push you against the wall, so let’s try something different,” Shao Tingyu’s voice was low and husky, almost dripping with desire. Every word felt like an invitation, causing Lin Mengmeng to tremble. She never knew Shao Tingyu could be so adept at this! Before she could say anything, his lips fiercely met hers, his heavy breathing washing over her face, leaving her defenseless. Shao Tingyu dominated her with his kiss, capturing every breath, with both teasing and seduction. After the kiss, Lin Mengmeng leaned against him for a while to recover. Shao Tingyu’s lips then moved to her neck, kissing her lightly like raindrops. This kiss felt like a temptation, and she also clearly felt the heat from Shao Tingyu’s body. Although they had only been apart for three days, it felt like they had been separated for a long time. Neither wanted to leave the other. After their tender moment, Shao Tingyu held Lin Mengmeng in his arms and softly coaxed, “Don’t leave these next few days.” Lin Mengmeng gave a vague response. Over the following days, she did not leave the house because she knew her condition was worsening. A few days ago, she at least had the strength to see Shao Tingyu off at the door. But later, she really lacked the energy and pretended to be lazy in bed, unwilling to see him off. Shao Tingyu, understanding her nature, didn’t notice anything unusual. He sat by the bed, looking at Lin Mengmeng buried in the quilt with a loving gaze, “Really not going to see me off?” Lin Mengmeng cautiously poked her head out, her hand gripping her cup tightening. Recalling the diagnosis from Dr. Chen Zhe a few days ago, she mustered up all her courage just as Shao Tingyu was about to leave, pulling him back. “Actually, there’s something I want to tell you.” Chapter 42: Blooming Roses Lin Mengmeng’s voice was somewhat muffled. Shao Tingyu’s brows furrowed, quickly picking up on her emotions, “What’s wrong?” “Three days ago, I went for a follow-up at the hospital, and Chen Zhe told me my condition has worsened, Tingyu, I don’t want to hide it from you.” After she reported this to Chen Zhe, she was forced to stop her medication, which meant there was no hope left to delay the progression of her disease. Over these three days, she had thought a lot. She was willing to accept her diagnosis of ALS and face it with Shao Tingyu. Now, she didn’t want to keep her illness a secret from Shao Tingyu. “Chen Zhe still hopes I can check into the hospital.” Hearing this, Shao Tingyu’s expression turned somber, yet his voice was gentle, “If you don’t want to be hospitalized, stay at home. I’ll be with you from now on.” Lin Mengmeng was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, “I want to stay at home, Tingyu, this time, I want to face it together with you.” A bitter feeling swept through Shao Tingyu’s heart, his arms around Lin Mengmeng tightened, his eyes hiding an unknown emotion. Even though he had guessed the outcome, when it was about to happen, it always caught him off guard. That day, Shao Tingyu went to work at the hospital as usual, and Lin Mengmeng, like always, was helping the housekeeper with chores. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. “Coming.” She put down the vacuum cleaner to answer the door, but after a few steps, she uncontrollably fell to the ground. This time, Lin Mengmeng lacked the strength to stand up, and there was no cure. An hour later, the piercing sound of an ambulance echoed through the street. Shanghai’s First Affiliated Hospital. Shao Tingyu had just finished surgery when he received a call from the housekeeper. Without even taking off his surgical gown and mask, he rushed to Lin Mengmeng’s room. The door was pushed open with a thud. Seeing Lin Mengmeng in a wheelchair, Shao Tingyu’s breath seemed to stop for a moment. Lin Mengmeng looked at her paralyzed legs and awkwardly said, “Tingyu, did I worry you again?” Shao Tingyu’s breathing grew heavy as he walked towards her, knelt down, and took her hand, “Mengmeng, how are you feeling now?” Lin Mengmeng shook her head, softly consoling, “I’m fine, just that my legs can’t move anymore. I’ll have to rely on you to take care of me.” Her tone was nonchalant as if she wasn’t the one with the illness. In truth, more than the physical pain, she feared Shao Tingyu would stop caring for her. She said she didn’t want to be a burden to Shao Tingyu, but with the onset of ALS, she would soon lose her ability to move. Shao Tingyu felt as if his heart was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe. He could only force a smile, “From now on, I’ll take care of you.” Over the next few days, Shao Tingyu stayed home to look after Lin Mengmeng. As her condition worsened, her mobility decreased, her appetite diminished, and she could only manage to eat a third of a bowl of porridge, her speech also became unclear. She became less communicative, speaking less, and her attitude towards Shao Tingyu was lukewarm.