The Early-Deceased Mother of the Male Lead CHAPTER 3
Chapter 3
“Brother Fang, it’s me, Xiao Luo. We found Pengpeng, but he’s not doing well. Please drive to the building; Sister Yufen and I will bring him down…”
A woman’s calm voice came from outside, seemingly unafraid.
Inside the old refrigerator, the girl in the pink floral dress, whose face was full of resentment, now looked confused.
She couldn’t understand.
Why wasn’t the woman outside afraid?
Did she not see her?
But if she didn’t see her, why did she smile?
Or…
Was that smile…a provocation?!
The girl’s eyes changed; resentment filled her black eyes, devoid of whites, like a terrifying abyss. Her appearance changed too.
While her expression was odd, she had previously looked like an ordinary girl. Now, she was swollen, her skin pale and decaying, as if soaked in water for too long.
The pretty pink dress was faded, the flowers smeared into stains.
Drip…drip…drip…
Water constantly dripped from her hair and body; a puddle formed inside the dry refrigerator.
She was angry.
Her pale, swollen face contorted; she clawed at the refrigerator door.
She would drag that meddlesome woman in and drown her!
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Luo Wen Shu was on the phone, her left hand resting on the refrigerator door.
Her action seemed casual, though she barely used any force; her hand lightly rested there.
Subtle vibrations came from beneath her hand—the influence of a supernatural force.
The thing inside was furious, its resentment violently shaking the door, trying to get out.
Its power was incredible; even several strong adults wouldn’t be able to hold the door shut, preventing its escape.
But she was Luo Wen Shu; she only used one hand…or rather, her index finger.
With a light touch, she suppressed the creature’s powerful rage within the refrigerator, preventing any resentment from seeping into the real world.
The girl’s struggle was futile.
The faint sounds from inside the refrigerator were the last vestiges of its dignity as an otherworldly being.
“…Pengpeng, Pengpeng, wake up, wake up and see Mommy…” Li Yufen, focused on her unconscious son, didn’t notice Luo Wen Shu’s subtle actions.
Her voice was choked with tears.
Even without the incident, she probably wouldn’t have noticed Luo Wen Shu’s small movements.
“Pengpeng’s fine, really. Sister Yufen is just worried…” Luo Wen Shu said, quickly drawing a talisman on the refrigerator door.
She needed to get Li Yufen downstairs; she didn’t have time to deal with the creature now.
“…Brother Fang, I’ll hang up. I’m taking Sister Yufen and the child downstairs.” Luo Wen Shu hung up, the talisman complete. She patted Li Yufen’s back. “Sister Yufen, let’s go downstairs; Brother Fang will be here soon.”
“Okay, downstairs!” Li Yufen, finding solace, wiped her tears and hugged her son.
Luo Wen Shu used her phone as a light.
They passed through the door to the other building’s rooftop, then entered their building, where the lighting was normal.
They quickly went downstairs.
On the fifth floor, Luo Wen Shu heard a timid voice from the hallway.
“…Mommy.” It was Luo Xingyu, standing by the wall, worriedly watching her.
Li Yufen continued downstairs.
Luo Wen Shu stopped. “Wait for me at home; I’ll be back soon.”
She gently touched Luo Xingyu’s head. “Be good, don’t worry.”
Luo Xingyu stiffened, looked at Luo Wen Shu, lowered his eyes, nodded obediently, and softly responded, “Okay.”
Luo Wen Shu turned and went downstairs, faster than before, catching up with Li Yufen on the second floor.
When they reached the first floor, Fang Da Hao had parked his car; its bright headlights were brighter than the entrance light.
Luo Wen Shu opened the back door.
Li Yufen got in; seeing Luo Wen Shu didn’t follow, she asked anxiously, “Xiao Luo, aren’t you coming?”
Even if Luo Wen Shu went, she wouldn’t be much help.
But for Li Yufen, Luo Wen Shu had found Fang Peng and comforted her. Li Yufen depended on her.
“I won’t go; Xingxing is waiting for me at home.” Luo Wen Shu shook her head; she understood Li Yufen’s feelings.
The most dangerous part was over; the hospital would handle the rest.
But considering Fang Peng’s frail health, Luo Wen Shu touched his head, transferring some spiritual energy, then closed the car door.
She comforted Li Yufen. “Sister Yufen, trust me, Pengpeng will be fine.”
Then, she looked at Fang Da Hao. “Brother Fang, drive slowly, don’t rush.”
Fang Da Hao was more composed. He nodded. “Okay, I’ll take Pengpeng to the hospital; I’ll contact you if anything happens.”
He wouldn’t forget this kindness.
————————
The black car drove away.
Luo Wen Shu went upstairs, encountering neighbors who had come out to see what happened.
“Xiao Luo, what happened?”
“Did I hear Sister Yufen’s voice?”
“Did you find Pengpeng?”
Luo Wen Shu patiently answered each one.
“Nothing serious.”
“Yes, Sister Yufen.”
“We found him; the child is fine, he was just being mischievous, playing hide-and-seek and falling asleep.”
On the fifth floor, Luo Xingyu stood at the stairwell, having heard the sounds.
“Let’s go home.” Luo Wen Shu took his hand and went inside.
This was something the original owner had done almost daily; it had become a habit. Luo Wen Shu, inheriting her memories, also inherited her habits.
She didn’t mind; it was appropriate.
The original owner’s apartment had a combined living room, kitchen, and dining area, leaving little space for leisure, so they mostly spent time in the bedroom.
Luo Wen Shu went straight to bed, closed her eyes, and rested.
Her soul’s compatibility with this body wasn’t high, and the original owner lacked cultivation; she could use spiritual energy because of her powerful soul.
Even so, it took great effort.
Overusing her abilities had caused side effects; she felt tired and a headache.
This was one reason she hadn’t gone to the hospital.
But she showed no signs of it; no one noticed.
Her face was only slightly pale, which was usual for her.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Wen Shu softly asked.
Her senses were sharp; her consciousness perceived the room.
Luo Xingyu had locked the door and stood by the doorframe, looking at her, seeming hesitant to speak.
Luo Wen Shu asked proactively.
“…Mommy, what happened to Pengpeng?” Luo Xingyu hesitated before asking.
Luo Wen Shu explained in more detail to her son but still not the whole truth.
“He was playing hide-and-seek and fell asleep in an old refrigerator upstairs.”
Luo Xingyu immediately countered, “Pengpeng wouldn’t hide in an old refrigerator!”
Luo Wen Shu opened her eyes. “Why?”
Luo Xingyu replied, “When we played hide-and-seek, Pengpeng never hid in cabinets!”
For children, closets were good hiding spots.
But Fang Peng never hid there, preferring behind doors or curtains, often being found first.
Luo Xingyu once curiously asked him why.
Fang Peng replied, “I’m not well; hiding in a cabinet makes it hard to breathe.”
Luo Xingyu remembered this. Hearing Luo Wen Shu say Pengpeng was in an old refrigerator, he instinctively disagreed. He had seen the refrigerator on the other building’s rooftop and knew it was difficult to enter. Pengpeng wouldn’t hide there!
“Sister Yufen and I found him in the old refrigerator.” Luo Wen Shu said.
Luo Xingyu looked confused.
He sensed something was wrong but didn’t understand.
Luo Wen Shu closed her eyes again.
After a while, Luo Xingyu asked, “Did that girl trick Pengpeng into going there?”
They had played together for over a year without incident; now, Luo Xingyu suspected the strange girl.
Without waiting for Luo Wen Shu’s answer, he affirmed, “It must have been her!”
Luo Wen Shu was surprised.
He was very intelligent, guessing correctly despite not knowing the whole story.
She remembered the fragmented memories after absorbing the original owner’s memories, mentioning that Luo Xingyu was a novel’s protagonist, exceptionally intelligent and talented.
His intelligence was evident; the rest remained to be seen.
“Is Pengpeng okay?” Luo Xingyu, clearly worried, showed obvious concern.
“He’s fine. Your Uncle Fang and Aunt Yufen took him to the hospital; he should be back in a few days.” Luo Wen Shu knew Fang Peng’s condition.
He would return, but he’d need to rest.
————————
At the city hospital, outside the intensive care unit,
Besides Fang Da Hao and Li Yufen, Fang Peng’s grandparents and maternal grandparents were there.
Normally, they shouldn’t have been told, to avoid worry.
But finding the child had already alerted them.
Fang Da Hao sent Pengpeng for emergency treatment and then called the grandparents, only saying he’d found him.
After confirming he was safe, he explained more.
Despite this, they rushed to the hospital.
Fang Da Hao met them at the entrance, explaining softly, “The doctor said Pengpeng’s situation was critical. If we’d been later, he might not have survived…He’s fine now, but his body is weak, so he needs observation to prevent complications…”
They relaxed slightly.
But they were still worried.
The family stood outside the ICU, their anxiety and worry evident.
Li Yufen, her eyes still red, said self-reproachfully, “It’s my fault; I didn’t watch over Pengpeng. Thank goodness he’s okay, otherwise…”
Tears welled up again.
Fang Da Hao hugged her, comforting her softly. “Don’t cry; it’s not your fault. No one could have predicted this. Pengpeng is fine now; don’t blame yourself…”
Li Yufen sobbed, “If only…if Xiao Luo hadn’t insisted on checking…”
She trailed off.
The grandparents didn’t understand.
Fang Da Hao had only explained Pengpeng’s situation briefly.
He patted his wife’s back and explained softly to the grandparents, “We found Pengpeng in an old refrigerator on the rooftop of the building next door. We didn’t expect him to be there. Xiao Luo on the fifth floor mentioned it to Yufen…”
The grandparents looked relieved.
Their near-miss was evident; if Luo Wen Shu hadn’t insisted, the outcome would have been different.
“Xiao Luo saved Pengpeng!”
“I met that girl a few times; she’s a good girl, polite, always smiling, with a soft voice…”
They were talking quietly when a phone rang.
It was for Li Feng; his phone had a loud ringtone.
He answered.
A young man’s voice came through the speakerphone, “Hello, is this Mr. Li Feng?”
Fang Da Hao heard it and asked, “Dad, who is it?”
The old man looked confused, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
Fang Da Hao took the phone and asked, “Hello? What is it?”
The young man apologized, “Sorry for calling so late. I’m asking if you remember someone named Xu Dashan?”
Fang Da Hao didn’t recognize the name. He looked at his father, Li Feng, who shook his head after thinking for a few seconds.
Fang Da Hao said, “Sorry, my father doesn’t remember him.”
The young man seemed unsurprised. “Xu Dashan is my grandfather. About three years ago, Mr. Li visited him for your grandson…My grandfather was a well-known fortune teller, called Mr. Xu…”
He added, “I’m not a scammer; I won’t ask for money!”
This reassured Fang Da Hao, yet something felt familiar.
Before he could figure it out, the grandparents spoke simultaneously.
“It’s Mr. Xu!” said Li Feng.
“The Mr. Xu who helped Pengpeng!” said Wang Mei.
Li Yufen also said, “It’s Mr. Xu!”
Their expressions indicated they remembered.
Only Fang Da Hao was unaware, though he had a vague impression.
He looked at Li Yufen.
She softly explained, “Three years ago, Pengpeng had a serious illness, remember?”
Fang Da Hao remembered; Pengpeng’s condition had been worse than now.
They had taken him to countless doctors, but no one could cure him. They had received several death notices.
Fang Da Hao suddenly remembered.
“…I remember!”
Their family had despaired. Li Feng had heard of a fortune teller in Yuhu City near Chunshan, known for saving people on the brink of death.
In desperation, they had gone to find Mr. Xu.
That night, they returned with an old man who stood outside the ICU, muttering softly, making gestures.
Then Mr. Xu left.
The next day, the doctor told them Pengpeng had improved.
They didn’t believe it.
But his condition improved afterward. They gave Mr. Xu a gift, which he refused, explaining he’d only done a good deed.
Fang Da Hao hadn’t expected a call from Mr. Xu’s grandson.
His tone softened. “What is it, Mr. Xu?”
“Call me Xiao Xu,” the young man said politely. “This might be awkward, but I need to tell you.”
“My grandfather mentioned your son, Fang Peng, in his notes. He said Pengpeng might have an accident this August, so be careful. Otherwise…”
He hesitated.
“My grandfather wrote this seriously, and I decided to call you.”
“Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”
“I’m sorry for disturbing you so late.”
He hung up.
Fang Da Hao looked at his family; their expressions were strange.
After a while, someone spoke.
“It’s probably fake…”
“But Mr. Xu is from the next city. He couldn’t have known about Pengpeng and called tonight…”
“When we gave him the gift, he refused, saying he’d only done a good deed…”
They realized Pengpeng’s accident might not have been an accident.
