Chapter 1, Where Are You

The figure of myself and my father before me gradually becomes blurred

"Mom." Nuan Nuan placed the phone to her ear and pressed the confirm button.

Are you coming to your mother's place?" He Ping suddenly asked on the other end of the phone

In her dream, she saw herself as an eight-year-old girl, walking hand in hand with her father in a park filled with peach blossoms and green willows. In the blink of an eye, her father disappeared. She waved her small hand and shouted "Father" loudly. She passed through many places, climbed over many hills, scraped her skin, and even bled, yet she still could not find her father

Matters concerning parents are sometimes difficult for us, as their descendants, to articulate clearly

The sorrow came crashing down like a tidal wave, and she covered her mouth, but the tears that flowed without warning dripped onto the photograph. She collapsed onto the cabinet, gradually emitting the uncontrollable syllables of her sobs

The next day, when Nuan Nuan woke up from her nap, she noticed an extra blanket on the bedding, feeling a bit warm.

It was Fang Zhu who answered the phone, and then she hurried over to shake Nuan Nuan awake, her breath unsteady.

Nuan Nuan fixed her gaze on Nurse Jiang, took a moment to steady her breath, and then inhaled deeply before asking: "Where is my father?"

Yihan's hands wrapped tightly around her hair and shoulders, embracing her closely

"The blanket was not brought by me," said Yang Guang, "It was probably sent to you by Nurse Jiang! I just arrived not long ago"

Hu Zhiyong furrowed his brows, walked up to Nuan Nuan, his expression calm yet heavy

Uncle Lin has had an accident

Hmm! Nuan Nuan nodded randomly, a few strands of her messy long hair drifting onto her forehead, her gaze still fixed on her father's face

Suddenly, the phone in Nuan Nuan's possession vibrated. Clumsily, she fumbled in her pants pocket, unable to grasp it.

Nuan Nuan walked up to her father, looking down at him. Lin Mufeng remained in a deep coma, his face still looking as pale and grim as ever

Nuan Nuan quietly said to herself, "I haven't seen my dad for a long time, just look at how thin he has become."

Nuan Nuan nodded gently and softly uttered an "oh," leaning her body steadily against the back of the chair

Nurse Jiang, feeling helpless, borrowed bedding and a pillow from the hospital dormitory and brought them to Nuan Nuan. As the weather gradually entered late autumn, the temperature became unstable, and she was worried that Nuan Nuan might catch a cold

When Fang Zhu hurried to the hospital with a baguette, yogurt, and warm toiletries, Warm's father, Professor Lin Mufeng, the deputy director of the surgical department, had already been transferred to the intensive care unit

A warm feeling tightened in the heart, suspended in mid-air, restless and unable to settle.

After settling down, Lin Nuan Nuan insisted on sharing the rent and daily expenses such as water, electricity, and gas with Fang Zhu. Their relationship remained as harmonious as it had been during their school days; however, it was not without conflicts. For instance, she loved to stay up late while Fang Zhu preferred to go to bed early, so Fang Zhu had to sleep on the upper bunk to avoid the radiation from the desk lamp and computer screen. She slept on the lower bunk, making it convenient to collapse into bed in a daze at the stroke of midnight.

She gazed at the bright red light above the emergency room door, which remained illuminated, its glaring brightness making her feel dizzy and disoriented

Wang Yihan has returned, and this time he came back so quickly without any hesitation, yet he did not call her

Daughter, why do you always refuse to listen to your mother's words

Nurse Jiang hesitated slightly and said, "Your mother didn't mention when she would be back"

"Aren't you going to say a few more words to your mother?" Fang Zhu sighed

Yes, I am currently at the hospital

Warmly stunned

Warmth in her body stiffened for a moment, and she immediately asked: "How could my father be like this?"

Nuan Nuan stepped forward and picked up the one at the front.

As dawn broke with a faint light, a gentle morning breeze began to stir. Nuan Nuan felt an unusual chill and hailed a taxi, gripping her wallet and phone tightly, biting her lower lip. The driver, noticing Nuan Nuan's pale complexion in the rearview mirror, cautiously asked, "Miss, are you alright"

Nuan Nuan, your father has not yet emerged from the critical phase and remains in a deep coma. During this time, anything is possible.

This pavilion is located within the Shikumen architectural complex in the city center. It is quite old, yet the government has invested significant effort and substantial funds into its restoration, maintaining a brand-new appearance. The archway sign at the entrance of the alley is magnificently engraved with the year of its foundation.

Glancing at my father on the sickbed, his expression filled with worry, clearly reluctant to leave even for a moment.

Director Hu had previously informed your mother about Yihan, and Yihan is expected to return in the next couple of days

Yi Han has returned, Wang Yi Han has returned

Dr. Hu came by in the morning and said that uncle's condition is currently stable

The driver said: "We have arrived"

Jingjing pondered the dream she had just now, the woman whose figure was the only thing visible, so much like Yu Jieru, her stepmother, and Yihan's mother, who had passed away due to illness thirteen years ago. As she thought about it, her heart became entangled again, blurring her vision, and she wearily closed her eyes.

Fang Zhu gently walked in and placed the food on the bedside table next to the hospital bed

She opened the door and changed into slippers at the shoe cabinet by the door. At a glance, Nuan Nuan spotted her father Lin Mufeng's room across from the door; the brown door was tightly shut. Nuan Nuan took a deep breath, lacking the courage to rush in. She looked around the empty living room; the sofa, coffee table, and dining table were still the same. On the TV cabinet directly opposite the living room, besides the television, there were numerous photo frames, all filled with family pictures.

Mother, complaining now is of no use

For a long time, Nuan Nuan has been learning this kind of smile from her father, and then on many occasions, she smiles at others in the same way

Nuan Nuan took the bread, chewed it mechanically, and wearily said: "You should hurry to work, or you will be late!"

If only I had been by your side earlier The sunlight gently brushed aside the warm strands of hair on her forehead She appeared exceptionally fragile yet remarkably resolute her defenses as solid as ever

Nuan Nuan took out her key pouch to open the door. There were quite a few keys, including the key to the pavilion room she shared with Fang Zhu. Several keys clashed against each other, creating a jingling sound.

"Nuan Nuan, I heard that your father had a sudden heart attack?" The voice was somewhat puzzled and concerned

Nuan Nuan shook her head and suddenly stared blankly, tears streaming down her face

Last night, I only performed a small emergency appendectomy during my shift. After that, it was time to get off work. Later, the duty nurse went to Dr. Lin's office and found him—he had collapsed on the floor. Head Nurse Jiang's voice trembled again as she paused for a moment, holding onto Nuan Nuan's tightly clenched fist, gently smoothing out her fingers that were tightly balled up. Their hands intertwined as she held Nuan Nuan's palm, "The hospital has urgently notified Director Hu to come over; he is an authority in cardiology. You must have confidence." After a brief pause, she held Nuan Nuan's tightly clenched fist, gently smoothing out her fingers that were tightly balled up. Their hands intertwined as she held Nuan Nuan's palm, "The hospital has urgently notified Director Hu to come over; he is an authority in cardiology. You must have confidence."

He placed his hand on Nuan Nuan's shoulder and said, "You need to be a little stronger!"

Lin Mufeng lay motionless on the hospital bed, his eyes tightly shut, hair disheveled, cheeks sunken, complexion ashen, and showing signs of aging. He wore an oxygen mask on his face, with an IV drip hanging beside him, while the nearby heart monitor emitted a rhythmic beeping sound.

Fang Zhu seemed to recall something, as she neatly organized the warm washing and grooming supplies, placing them one by one on the bedside table.

She followed the little boy for a long distance, and from afar, she saw her father's silhouette and that of a woman gradually moving away. She pulled the little boy and ran frantically, yet she still watched helplessly as her father's figure with the woman slowly disappeared.

Nuan Nuan wiped away the remaining tears with a tissue: "I have never been able to understand why she would give up a man like Dad"

I need to go home first to help my father get some clean clothes and a few other things. Nuan Nuan recalled this and, while folding the blankets and quilts on the sofa, said, "When did you arrive? You covered me with a blanket again, it's so hot"

Nurse Jiang and Hu Zhiyong visited the ward multiple times, stating that there would be doctors and nurses on duty at night to take good care of Lin Mufeng, and they advised Nuan Nuan to go home and rest. Nuan Nuan was unwilling to leave, and the two had no choice but to bring her lunch and dinner. Nuan Nuan did not eat much, always ready to actively assist the nurses in administering medication to Lin Mufeng, which included a large amount of sedatives and analgesics.

"Nuan Nuan—" On the other end of the phone, He Ping sighed, reluctantly giving up her original intention, "Uncle Li asked me to send his regards to you"

Dr. Lin Mufeng's home is located in a small high-rise apartment complex built in the 1990s in the western district—back then, it was a rare type of apartment with one elevator serving four households, inhabited by a group of neighbors who never interacted with one another

That day, Fang Zhu had already fallen asleep on the upper bunk, emitting faint and peaceful breaths. Fang Zhu was her deskmate from middle school and a fellow alumnus from high school, with over ten years of friendship. After graduating from university, Fang Zhu rented this one-room pavilion apartment by herself, eager to be close to the company.

Nuan Nuan hurriedly bid farewell to her kind mother-in-law and quickly walked in to press the elevator button

Nuan Nuan curled up on the sofa in the ward, gradually feeling drowsy, occasionally dozing off, extremely unstable

Upon waking up to catch up with that boy, I touched my face and found my hands were wet with tears

For most of the time thereafter, she stared blankly at Lin Mufeng.

Nuan Nuan has fully woken up, immediately jumped out of bed, freshened up, and prepared to go out. Fang Zhu hurriedly rummaged through her wallet and phone, handed them to Nuan Nuan, and reminded her: "If anything happens, be sure to contact me in a timely manner"

Yihan returned yesterday and brought a lot of American chocolates for my grandson

Nuan Nuan sat up with a start, staring blankly at Fang Zhu: "What did you say?"

"You may go, I will take a rest today and keep an eye on things here for you." Sunshine smiled warmly at Nuan Nuan, the golden-rimmed glasses reflecting the specks of sunlight outside the window, creating a very warm atmosphere

A few months ago, she hurriedly sought refuge with her, transitioning from an old deskmate to a roommate

No need, the hospital has visiting hours. Who knows when you, a workaholic, will finish work? Don't bother with this. Nuan Nuan waved her hand and forced a farewell smile.

Director Hu? Nurse Jiang gently called out, her expression indicating that she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Fang Zhu gently patted Nuan Nuan's shoulder and said, "I have helped you request three days of personal leave from work. Yang Guang will be back tomorrow, and you must take good care of yourself." As she spoke, she broke off a piece of bread and stuffed it into Nuan Nuan's mouth, "You haven't eaten breakfast, you'll get hungry. How will you take care of your father?"

Fang Zhu Ben wanted to say something else, but the phone in his bag rang. He could only wave his hand at Nuan Nuan and hurriedly walked out of the ward to answer the call

She saw that the number displayed on the screen was from abroad

The bedside table has bread and milk, while the sunlight is behind her as she sits in the chair in front of the hospital bed, reading the newspaper, waiting for her to get up.

Warmly, she supports the elevator door with one hand and takes a deep breath

The elevator goes directly to the sixteenth floor, which is actually the thirteenth floor, because the developer of this building is a Hong Kong real estate company that was one of the first to enter Shanghai. They are superstitious and avoid the numbers "four," "thirteen," and "fourteen," so they simply skip to sixteen. However, when counting the floors, it is still considered the thirteenth. Sometimes people enjoy deceiving themselves, just to feel a little better psychologically

Nuan Nuan sat in the chair by the hospital bed, staring blankly at her father's face

The environment is solemn

Three hours later, the red light above the emergency room went out

Before long, the car turned into that familiar small road, where a long row of white buildings stood ahead, clearly dazzling.

Your father is a workaholic and never takes good care of himself

That day, she appeared disheveled, dragging a simple piece of luggage, and once again walked under this archway sign, letting out a deep, profound sigh, wondering why Wang Yihan always managed to hit the nail on the head a thousand and one times.

You two siblings are truly successful! The sister has a good job, and the brother is studying abroad. Dr. Lin is indeed fortunate

What should I do? I don't know either. I was raised by my father, but he has turned out this way

Nuan Nuan walked straight into the building

I have requested another four days of leave for you, in addition to the three days previously requested by Fang Zhu on your behalf. Your small boss said he would help you calculate your annual leave and advised you to take good care of yourself

The elderly woman sitting on a small stool in the sun at the entrance of the building raised her head to look at her and said indistinctly: "Nuan Nuan, you are back! I haven't seen you for a long time. Have you been on a business trip?"

A surge of anger welled up in my heart: "My home is here, I will not leave Shanghai, nor will I leave my father!"

The same age as my grandfather. When Lin Nuan Nuan first looked at this archway, she said to Wang Yi Han: "If I become wealthy, I will buy a Shikumen-style villa to support my father in his old age"

I thought you must accompany me tonight, so I brought everything. Look at the table, there is an interview that I can't be late for, I have to go, I will come back to see you after work

Well, you can still joke around, I assure Uncle Lin.

A little boy suddenly appeared, grabbed her small hand, and said: "I will take you to find Daddy"

When Nuan Nuan turned off the computer, it was nearly 1:30 AM. She tiptoed to the shared bathroom to wash her face. In the mirror, she saw her pale cheeks and a large expanse of glaring white tiles behind her, which looked cold and eerie, startling her for no reason. Feeling somewhat uneasy, she splashed her face with cold water, her cheeks shrinking as she could not withstand the chill

You also know that our entertainment industry operates in three shifts

When Director Hu Zhiyong of the Cardiology Department walked out of the emergency room, he saw Lin Nuan Nuan sitting despondently in a chair. She immediately stood up in confusion, her lips trembling slightly, opening her mouth to speak but unable to produce any sound.

Lin Nuan Nuan is accustomed to staying up late, and every night she would dawdle in front of the computer until her eyes are filled with stars before realizing it is time to wash her face and go to bed

"Who?" Nuan Nuan turned over, clearly not fully awake.

In the photo, she is only three or four years old, sitting proudly on her father's shoulders, grinning widely with her teeth showing, her small hands tightly clutching her father's cheeks. The father, whose handsome face is partially obscured by her warm little paws, holds her two delicate white legs, facing the camera, with the corners of his mouth turned up, lips pressed together, smiling

Head Nurse Jiang's voice trembled slightly: "Acute myocardial infarction, Director Hu is still in the emergency room performing resuscitation"

Nuan Nuan stopped, smiled gently, and politely greeted: "Hello, good lady!"

The only busybody in this building is this elderly lady, whose white hair shines exceptionally golden and healthy under the bright sun

"Old Lin would hope that I speak honestly about his adopted daughter," Hu Zhiyong said to Nurse Jiang.

Head Nurse Jiang Caiwen and a group of doctors and nurses stood outside a certain emergency operating room. Upon seeing her rush over, Head Nurse Jiang stepped forward: "Nuan Nuan, this is an emergency situation..."

Say hello to him for me, Mom, take good care of yourself! Long-distance calls are very expensive, I will hang up now

Nuan Nuan turned off her phone

Nuan Nuan felt a wave of dizziness, her body sank, and she almost fell to the ground, but was firmly supported by Nurse Jiang, who helped her to sit down in the waiting area by the corridor

Mom, please come back and see Dad!" Nuan Nuan said with some anticipation

Turning my head, I saw tears welling in Nurse Jiang's eyes. In a moment of gently fluttering her eyelashes, she discreetly wiped her hand across her face.

Nuan Nuan sat on the ground, feeling dirty and exhausted all over, with tears and mucus streaming down her face.

"I want to see Dad." Nuan Nuan looked at Hu Zhiyong with a somewhat pitiful and pleading expression

Fang Zhu grasped Nuan Nuan's shoulders: "The hospital leadership called, saying Uncle Lin has suffered a sudden myocardial infarction..."

Oh. Nuan Nuan furrowed her brows, looking lost and forlorn, "I need to go quickly and come back soon, Dad can't be left alone here"

Fang Zhu searched under the bedside table, took out a disposable paper cup, filled it halfway with water from a bottle, walked over to Nuan Nuan, and fed her to drink

Your father is Lin Mufeng

Indeed, they have been divorced for so many years, and I have long since become accustomed to it; yet sometimes I still feel a sense of melancholy. Nuan Nuan took a moment to calm her thoughts

It is Wang Yihan, her brother, her stepmother's son, her childhood companion, her ... . ... The person she most wants to see from yesterday until now.

A few months ago, Lin Nuan Nuan ran away from home, and few neighbors were aware of it. Now, with Lin Mu Feng suddenly hospitalized, no one would know either

Where is my mother

Nuan Nuan nodded and hurried out the door

Nuan Nuan turned around, embracing Wang Yihan's waist tightly, letting her tears flow freely onto his clothing.

The sunlight turned back to see warm, rosy cheeks, and eyes swollen like walnuts

Wang Yihan has tried to strike her a thousand and one times: "I fear that Dad will have to wait until the flowers wither!"

On the other end of the phone, there was a moment of hesitation, "Nuan Nuan, Mom misses you very much."

Someone suddenly grasped her shoulders tightly from behind

Nuan Nuan couldn't help but let out a "huh" of laughter: "Alright, great reporter, don't speak as if you're a jester from the streets."

The unease in her heart was expanding, and she did not know what was about to happen, feeling anxious, with a headache that was about to burst.

She hurriedly looked at Lin Mufeng on the hospital bed, who still had his brows furrowed and eyes closed. The electrocardiogram monitor was beating normally, and she slowly let out a sigh of relief

Nuan Nuan paid for the car and hurriedly made her way to the emergency room, familiar with the route

Fang Zhu took out her phone from the pocket of her jacket on the other side and handed it to her

Nuan Nuan nodded, feeling at ease

The little boy said, "You are truly useless." He shook off his hand and ran away.

Then lie down on the bed, close your eyes, fall asleep, and sink into a deep slumber

In a daze, it seems as if a familiar hand has gently brushed against my cheek, softly, with tender affection, a warm breath caressing my nostrils, and a moist warmth imprinting on my forehead

Warm tears welled up in her eyes as she turned back

The phone call came at five o'clock in the morning, sharply cutting through the tranquility of the dawn

Uncle Hu said that Dad might just fall asleep like this, or he might wake up a few days later. The warm voice was hoarse and frightening