Chapter 17: Striking a Chord

Words : 1704 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 17: Striking a ChordUpon arriving at the hospital, Zhang Qian quickly inquired with the nurse and learned which ward her mother, Mrs. Zhuang, was in. The ward had four beds. The one furthest inside held an elderly woman lying on her side with a gentle, kind face. A police officer was speaking quietly with someone nearby and turned as they saw others approaching. “You must be the family of Zhuang Huilan?” the officer asked. Zhang Qian hurriedly responded, “Zhuang Huilan is my mother. Is she alright?” “She should be fine,” the officer replied. The officer then turned to Lu Liang, assuming he was her husband. “Sir, could you step outside with us for a moment?” Zhang Qian was about to speak but Lu Liang gently tapped her hand and smiled, “I’ll go and check the situation.” Mrs. Zhuang looked up in confusion at Zhang Qian and then at Lu Liang. Zhang Yun, holding her grandmother's hand, squatted by the bed, her eyes filled with tears. “Grandma, are you alright?” Mrs. Zhuang smiled warmly. “Little one, don’t cry. Grandma’s fine. Were you a good girl at school today?” Zhang Qian stood by the door, watching Lu Liang speak with the officer, her teeth clenched as she whispered, “His name is Lu Liang, he’s my boyfriend.” “Qianqian, you’ve finally figured things out. It’s time to find a boyfriend,” Mrs. Zhuang exclaimed, her surprise quickly giving way to joy. She was so happy that she accidentally pulled on her injury, wincing with pain. “Mom, be careful. What did the doctor say earlier?” Zhang Qian gave a bitter smile, clearly reluctant to continue the conversation. Outside, Lu Liang finished speaking with the officer and returned to the ward to update Zhang Qian. It seemed like an unsolved mystery. Although there was surveillance footage, it was unclear who had knocked Mrs. Zhuang down, as the footage was too crowded to identify the culprit. “As long as my mom’s alright,” Zhang Qian murmured, still shaken, not in the mood to assign blame. She was about to thank Lu Liang and take the opportunity to explain the situation to her mother—that they were only friends—but to her surprise, Lu Liang crouched down by the bed, speaking softly to Mrs. Zhuang, “Hello, Auntie. My name’s Lu Liang.” Mrs. Zhuang nodded, gripping Lu Liang’s hand with emotion. “Lu, Qianqian’s had it rough for so many years. I’m leaving her in your hands from now on.” Sёarᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Over the years, her daughter hadn’t bothered to find a boyfriend and had even said that she only wanted to raise her child, with no need for a man. Now, finally, her daughter had brought a boyfriend home. Mrs. Zhuang didn’t expect much, as long as he treated them both well. “Mom, why are you saying this? Little Yun is right here,” Zhang Qian said, suddenly anxious. She was well aware of the relationship between her and Lu Liang. Lu Liang was momentarily stunned but smiled and reassured Mrs. Zhuang, “Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll treat Qianqian well from now on.” He then gently patted little Yun’s head, “And I’ll treat Little Yun well too.” Zhang Qian’s heart skipped a beat. Despite knowing that Lu Liang was just putting on an act, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of hope—what if it were real? At that moment, a nurse entered to inform them that the doctor wanted to discuss treatment plans and that the prepayment for the medical fees was due. “Qianqian, go talk to the doctor about your mother’s condition. I’ll go pay the fees. Little Yun, stay here and keep Grandma company,” Lu Liang suggested as he grabbed the necessary paperwork and left with the nurse to the outpatient department. Following the nurse’s advice, Lu Liang prepaid 50,000 yuan for the hospital fees and requested an upgraded, private room. After handling the formalities, he also went out to buy dinner. By the time he returned to the ward, it was already evening. Zhang Qian was waiting at the door. Lu Liang motioned for her to eat first. Even if she wasn’t hungry, the little girl would be. “McDonald’s, thank you, Uncle,” Little Yun exclaimed as she happily took the food. “Mom always says I can’t eat it.” Lu Liang chuckled, “It’s not that I’m mistreating you, but children shouldn’t eat too much fried food. But a little now and then is fine.” Zhang Qian opened the meal packages, a soft tenderness in her gaze. Lu Liang had been thoughtful. Not only did he buy the kids' meals, but he also considered the elderly’s condition and got a bowl of congee for Mrs. Zhuang. ŔＡɴỗ????ЕṦ “Little Yun, look, Uncle Lu bought you a gift!” Lu Liang exclaimed, pulling out a small, delicate box from his pocket. It was a children’s smartwatch from Bubu Gao, a popular brand recently launched. “Thank you, Uncle!” Little Yun said excitedly, unable to put it down. She must have seen the same model at school. “Tomorrow, I’ll ask your mom to get you a second card for it, but you must promise Uncle Lu not to play with it during study time,” Lu Liang added with a teasing grin. Little Yun quickly glanced at her mother before eagerly nodding her head, like a little chick pecking at rice. “We’ll pinky swear,” Lu Liang suggested, and he hooked his pinky finger around hers. Together, they chanted the familiar rhyme: "Pinky swear, we’ll never change, whoever does is a little dog." Zhang Qian sighed. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it, but she didn’t want her child exposed to electronics too early. Mrs. Zhuang smiled warmly, “Little Lu gets along so well with Little Yun. You can rest easy now.” Zhang Qian smiled wryly but didn’t explain further. As night fell, both Zhang Yun and Mrs. Zhuang were asleep. The nurse they had hired was also in the room, attending to Mrs. Zhuang. Zhang Qian and Lu Liang stepped outside the room. “Lu Ge, thank you for everything. How much do I owe you? I’ll transfer it to you,” Zhang Qian said, holding her phone out. “Does this mean I’m being too forward by being your boyfriend?” Lu Liang teased. “I didn’t mean it like that,” Zhang Qian replied, slightly embarrassed. “Just think of it as a gesture for your mother, and I really like Little Yun,” Lu Liang said, his tone warm and sincere as he looked at the little girl sleeping in the bed. “If my life plans hadn’t gone awry, my child would be about this age too,” Lu Liang added quietly, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Zhang Qian didn’t respond immediately, but she understood the emotion behind his words. The conversation shifted. “You really should change your job. The child is getting older, and sooner or later she will find out what you do. She asked me about it just now.” Zhang Qian’s eyes widened. “What did you tell her?” She had purchased a home in Magic City but still lived in a company dormitory, never telling her daughter what her job really was. “I told her that Uncle Lu is a big boss, and your mom helps me with some things,” Lu Liang said with a smile. “She also said, ‘Tell my mom to take more time off so she can spend more time with me.’” Zhang Qian remained silent for a long moment before murmuring bitterly, “What else can I do?” “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re good with words and have high emotional intelligence. I think opening a beauty salon would be a good fit for you,” Lu Liang suggested. “But I know nothing about it,” Zhang Qian protested. “You can learn. Besides, you don’t have to stick to the beauty industry—you can observe first,” Lu Liang urged. Then, with a mischievous smile, he gently caressed her ear, his thumb softly rubbing it. “We could open a shop together. I’ll invest, and you’ll manage.” Zhang Qian shivered slightly. Over the past few days, Lu Liang had picked up on her sensitive spots. Her cheeks flushed, and she instinctively pushed his hand away. “Stop it, we’re in the hospital.” Lu Liang grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m just used to it.” “Mom, when are we going home?” Little Yun, who had just woken up, walked over to them and looked up with concern. “Mom, your face is so red. Are you getting sick?” Zhang Qian quickly turned away, giving Lu Liang a scornful look. “You two go ahead to the parking lot first. I need to talk to Grandma and the nurse.” “Little Yun, take your backpack, and let’s go,” Lu Liang said with a grin, leading the girl to the parking lot. As they passed the pediatric clinic, Little Yun couldn’t help but glance enviously at the other kids, who were being carried by their fathers. Lu Liang noticed and squatted down in front of her, whispering, “Little Yun, hop on, Uncle will carry you.” Little Yun’s face lit up, and she climbed onto his back excitedly, whispering, “This is so wide, different from when Mommy or Grandma carry me.” “Hold on tight, let’s go!” Lu Liang grinned, picking up the pace, giving Little Yun a little thrill as they moved through the dark, quiet parking lot. Her laughter echoed like the sound of a bell. When Zhang Qian arrived at the parking lot and saw this scene, she froze for a moment. She watched silently, her eyes gradually filling with tears. Finally, she murmured softly, “You bad guy.” She knew it was impossible, yet something in her heart still stirred. Why did it always feel like the heartstrings were being played with? BOTI Translator Team loves bringing you great content! Please rate us 5 stars on NovelUpdates if you had fun reading.

Chapter 17: Striking a Chord

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