Chapter 75: Family Ties and Unexpected Turns

Lin Zheng Ran saw that Mom’s call had been answered, and Han Wenwen noticed it was Auntie’s call too.

Lin Zheng Ran: “Hey, Mom? What’s up?”

Lin Xiao Li sounded rushed, even with a hint of crying in her voice: “Ran Ran, come to the hospital quick. Your dad’s had a little incident. I’ll send you the location.”

“Huh?” Lin Zheng Ran stood up in surprise: “The hospital? Is it serious?!”

Han Wenwen paused, her hands stopping mid-way through wrapping dumplings.

Lin Xiao Li, sniffling through tears, said: “Don’t panic, don’t panic. The doctor says it’s not too bad—just a leg injury from a fall.”

“Then why are you crying so hard?”

“I’m just scared, that’s why. As soon as I heard from the hospital, the tears wouldn’t stop.”

Lin Zheng Ran let out a breath: “Got it. I’m on my way.”

His voice was urgent, so Han Wenwen only caught bits—something about Uncle having an issue.

Her heart skipped a beat: “What happened, Brother Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran washed his hands in the bathroom and grabbed his coat: “Wenwen, I have to head to the hospital. Dad’s hurt. You stay here and finish up the dumplings and veggies.”

“Uncle’s injured?” Han Wenwen headed to the bathroom to wash up and grab her coat: “I’ll come with you to check on him.”

Lin Zheng Ran stopped her: “No need. Just wait here. If it’s nothing major, I’ll be back.”

Seeing he didn’t want her to go, the perceptive Little Fox knew not to push—it would only worry him more. She stood in the doorway: “Be safe on the road.”

“Yeah, I’m off.”

Han Wenwen watched Lin Zheng Ran’s hurried figure disappear, and for a moment, it reminded her of childhood—when her mother left after a call and never returned.

Her mom had taken that urgent call and rushed out, never coming back.

The memory overlapped, making her instinctively reach out and call: “Brother Zheng Ran!”

Lin Zheng Ran heard and turned back, their eyes meeting. He saw her hand hanging in the air and smiled: “It’s okay, I’ll be back soon.” With that, he headed downstairs.

Han Wenwen’s fox-like eyes trembled slightly as she slowly pulled her hand back.

Once downstairs, Lin Zheng Ran hailed a taxi and sped toward the hospital address his mom, Lin Xiao Li, had sent.

In the cab, he didn’t feel too worried, but rushing into the hospital and hearing his mom’s crying hit him hard.

Then he saw his dad lying in bed, munching on an apple with gusto.

Lin Zheng Ran froze, at a loss for words as he looked at them.

In the hospital room, Lin Ying Jun had one foot bandaged, but otherwise seemed fine. His mom was just huddled in his arms, sobbing.

“You scared me to death—I thought I’d never see you again.”

Lin Ying Jun chewed his apple, used to his wife’s nerves, and laughed it off, comforting both her and his son: “It’s all good. Why the tears? Someone sideswiped my car on the icy road, just a minor leg injury. Nothing to fear.”

Lin Zheng Ran listened to his dad’s hearty laugh and his mom’s sobs, finally relaxing completely.

Lin Zheng Ran asked: “Dad, have the test results come back?”

Lin Ying Jun replied: “Should be soon. I’ve already done all the tests.”

Just then, the nurse walked in, and Lin Zheng Ran quickly asked if everything was okay.

The nurse said: “Family of bed three? The results for bed three just came in. Right pinky toe fracture, but nothing else wrong. He’s perfectly healthy otherwise.”

She glanced at the three of them:

“I suggest waiting until this afternoon to discharge. If there are no issues by then, you can handle the paperwork. Rest up at home, come back for check-ups, and it’ll heal fast. And ma’am, why are you crying so much?”

Lin Xiao Li wiped her tear-streaked face: “I was just worried.”

The nurse chuckled: “No need to worry. We checked thoroughly—no internal injuries. Want to see the reports?”

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. The nurse handed over the papers, and a quick look confirmed it was minor.

They’d been lucky, all things considered.

Lin Zheng Ran stepped to the bed: “As long as you’re okay.”

His dad hugged his mom and took another bite of apple: “There, all good now. No need for such dramatics.”

A message popped up on his phone from Han Wenwen: “How’s Uncle?”

Lin Zheng Ran replied: “He’s fine, don’t worry.”

Because of his dad’s injury, Lin Zheng Ran stayed until the afternoon when the doctor cleared him for discharge, then headed home.

He helped his mom prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner.

By the time his mom was cooking, she’d calmed down a lot. His dad hopped into the kitchen on one foot: “Need any help?”

Lin Xiao Li jumped: “Sit down! Go rest on the couch before you scare me again!”

His dad laughed but, with Lin Zheng Ran there, just went to the sofa to watch TV and maybe help with simple tasks like prepping veggies.

Lin Xiao Li asked: “By the way, Ran Ran, are you heading out after New Year’s dinner?”

Lin Zheng Ran helped with the soup: “Yeah, I have plans with classmates.” He glanced out the window at the falling snow: “It’s snowing hard out there.”

Meanwhile, that afternoon, snow blanketed the sky outside. Han Wenwen had already finished wrapping the dumplings alone and was simmering chicken soup.

The mouthwatering chicken that usually got her appetite going now left her uninterested.

She kept glancing out the window.

Staring at the midday message from Lin Zheng Ran on her phone, most people might have relaxed, but

Han Wenwen’s mind wandered back to her childhood.

It was a winter like this when little Han Wenwen sat at a full table, quietly waiting for her mom who left after a call. She waited through the night and into the next morning, but she never returned.

Now, in the rental house, the chicken soup was done, the dishes ready, and the dumplings just waiting to boil. Time had slipped to four or five, with winter evenings darkening early.

Han Wenwen clutched her phone, checking the window for the umpteenth time.

Feeling the window view wasn’t enough, she put on her coat, wrapped her scarf, and went downstairs.

She stepped on the thin layer of snow, gazing at the nearly empty street corner.

Inside nearby homes, families gathered.

The scene mirrored the one from over a decade ago, and Han Wenwen’s tense heart followed her eyes to the distant, dark road.

As a child, she waited until the next day with no result, but now… at the end of the street,

Lin Zheng Ran’s figure slowly appeared, making Han Wenwen’s eyes light up.

Heading home from his family’s place, Lin Zheng Ran spotted Han Wenwen from afar, walking toward him. He asked curiously: “Han Wenwen? What are you doing out here at night?”

The Little Fox quickened her steps, breaking into a run until, in the midst of the snowfall, she threw herself into Lin Zheng Ran’s arms.

She held him tight.