If You Could Hear My Heart - Chapter 472
Chapter 472: Chapter 472: Mr. Shen Invites You to Come Over
She quickly opened it, probably due to nervousness, as her hand was still trembling.
The message only had a few words: I am outside the Shen Family villa.
Xu Chaomu suddenly sat up, threw off the covers, and looked from the balcony toward the villa’s main gate.
Her room had a view of the villa’s entrance, though anything further would be too obscure to see clearly.
Gazing toward the gate, she indeed spotted a black SUV parked not far from the villa.
Xu Chaomu quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs.
Who was this person? A man or a woman? Did they hold a grudge against her?
She had barely reached the bottom of the stairs when Butler Ling saw her.
“Butler, is there someone outside looking for me?”
“Yes, they said they came to take you to a gathering, but seeing you were asleep, I advised them not to disturb you. Did they call you anyway?”
“Yes, it’s nothing, I’ll be right back.”
“Chaomu, you should stay at home and rest; it’s not necessary to attend a class reunion, especially in this sultry weather…”
“It’s alright.”
Xu Chaomu had too much on her mind to chat with Butler Ling, as she was intent on going outside to investigate.
This was still the Splendid World villa complex; she wasn’t worried about the person daring to cause trouble.
She walked towards the exterior of the villa, even forgetting to take a sun umbrella.
Just stepping outside, she saw the man in the car. He wore sunglasses, and she did not recognize him.
As soon as she appeared, the man got out of the car.
“Who are you?” Xu Chaomu asked, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.
She stopped in her tracks, not daring to go any further.
If it were the past, she would have been brave, but now, she was constantly reminded that there was a baby in her belly.
“I’m just a driver,” the man said indifferently.
“Did you send me those messages?”
“Yes.”
“What do you want?” Xu Chaomu demanded.
Her heart pounded wildly, filled with unease.
“Mr. Shen requests your presence,” the man said without any expression or fluctuation in his tone.
“Mr. Shen? Which Mr. Shen?” Xu Chaomu hesitated.
Her bright eyes stared at him, squinting slightly because of the glaring sunlight.
The thought of several men with the surname Shen crossed her mind—Shen Chi? Shen Shihan? Or perhaps… Shen Cexian?
“Come with me.” The man turned and headed straight for the car after speaking.
He showed no emotion on his face as he opened the door and sat in the driver’s seat.
He believed that Xu Chaomu would follow.
Xu Chaomu hesitated for a moment, but it was only a moment before she opened the passenger door.
The possibility of this “Mr. Shen” being Shen Chi was almost nonexistent, so whether it was Shen Shihan or Shen Cexian, she had nothing to fear.
What she feared was that this man might be lying.
As soon as Xu Chaomu sat in the car, the man turned the vehicle around and drove out of the Shen Family villa.
“Tell me, which Mr. Shen is it?” Xu Chaomu pressed.
“You’ll know when you get there,” the man said curtly.
Xu Chaomu sat nervously in the passenger seat, realizing that the man was unwilling to talk.
Her hands fidgeted as she watched the car slowly exit Splendid World.
Following a road outside the villa complex, sunlight shone on Xu Chaomu’s face, causing her to squint.
The car was silent; no sound could be heard.
The trees along the road blurred in retreat as the man drove swiftly.
There were few people and vehicles near the villa complex, but as they left the area, more cars started to appear.
Seeing the crowds and traffic flow, Xu Chaomu felt a bit more at ease; it wasn’t some desolate wilderness.
Xu Chaomu ventured to ask the man, “Where are we going?”
“The hospital.”
Although surprised by the answer, Xu Chaomu’s heart settled.
There would be many people at the hospital; she needn’t worry.
But… if they were going to a hospital, could it be Shen Cexian?
Five years after her return, when she asked Shen Chi, he said his father was in poor health, sometimes convalescing at a summer villa, sometimes in a hospital.
His condition fluctuated, at times severe enough to cause vomiting of blood.
Liu Rumei had already moved to the summer villa to take care of him.
However, Shen Chi mentioned that what Liu Rumei was likely waiting for was this very day. Should his father pass away, Liu Rumei was sure to receive a large portion of the inheritance.
Xu Chaomu had also asked Shen Chi, what about your mother?
Shen Chi had simply said, “When my mother divorced, she left without taking anything, and if something really happened to my father, she would want nothing as well.”
Xu Chaomu knew Zhou Ran was a very stubborn woman with a tenacious personality. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have divorced so decisively back then.
Moreover, after the divorce, she resolutely never returned to the Shen household.
Xu Chaomu wanted to harbor resentment towards Zhou Ran, yet she couldn’t bring herself to hate her…
Every time she thought of her, bitterness welled up in Xu Chaomu’s heart. That bitterness spread like spring grass, extending bit by bit until it became so bitter it numbed her…
On the cruise ship, when Bai Man told her that her mother, Xu Mengxi, had been harmed by Zhou Ran, she was nearly distraught.
Later, during a long period abroad, she often dreamed of Zhou Ran tampering with her home’s gas tank.
She would dream of the great fire, of the house and trees all being burnt to ash…
During the eight years with the Shen family, she rarely had nightmares, but after that incident, her nightmares began again, one after another.
Only after going to university and gradually blending into the crowd, as well as seeing a psychologist, did her heart begin to find peace…
The car continued towards its destination, and Xu Chaomu stopped dwelling on these thoughts.
“Which hospital?” Xu Chaomu asked the man.
The man remained silent, just focusing on the road ahead.
Xu Chaomu knew she was asking in vain and decided to refrain from questioning further.
Each time they stopped at a red light, the atmosphere in the car grew particularly awkward.
The man never turned to look at Xu Chaomu, his eyes fixed on the road, deeply concentrated.
After driving for roughly forty minutes, from one district to another, the car finally slowed down.
Xu Chaomu remembered there was a private hospital in this area.
She grew more certain that the man she was to meet was Shen Cexian.
This private hospital had excellent greenery, including a large lawn at its center.
Before Xu Chaomu had arrived, Shen Cexian was being wheeled by medical staff from the lawn towards the upper floors.
Shen Cexian was dressed in blue and white hospital clothes, with a pale complexion and no hint of color.
As the medical personnel were pushing him into the hospital, Zhou Ran approached from the side.
“I’ll take over,” Zhou Ran said, taking the wheelchair from the staff’s hands.
“Alright.”
Zhou Ran’s face was expressionless. She wore a deep blue cheongsam, elegant and dignified, appearing very youthful.
On the contrary, Shen Cexian had aged considerably. His gaze lingered on Zhou Ran as he saw her.
Zhou Ran had applied light makeup, her expression well concealed.
