Mei Ran slowly lowered her gaze, calmly evading that almost gouging stare. Her voice was as faint as the water on the table that had gone cold before she could take a sip. "Miss, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Wu Yuwan emitted a soft "hmph" from her nose and sneered, "Won't look me in the eye, feeling guilty?"
She gently brushed her hair behind her ear, her nails painted a bright red that starkly contrasted with the thick layer of powder-white at her temples.
"Ranran, now that you've become the young miss of the Mei family, you won't even acknowledge your own birth mother? You can't be so ungrateful. Don't forget, I gave you your life, you carry half my blood..."
Hearing this, Mei Ran's eyes suddenly turned icy. "Are you sure you know who I am?"
"You're a piece of flesh that fell from my body. I'd recognize you even if you turned to ashes," Wu Yuwan curled her lips mockingly. "You're the one who seems uncertain, not only changing your surname but also your name. Didn't your grandfather love calling you Ranran the most? Is this how... you honor his memory in the afterlife?"
"Do you know that there is another daughter in the Mei family..."
"Of course! That one is the real Mei family young miss. Her father is Mei Hongyuan, the richest man in S City, owner of the entire conglomerate. Her mother is a famous classical musician..." Wu Yuwan couldn't quite recall the name.
Mei Ran finished calmly, "Mu Rong."
"She's a genuine wealthy heiress, born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I heard she's already followed in her mother's footsteps into the music world and has become hugely popular lately... Wait, what did you say?"
Mei Ran said, "Mu Rong is my mother."
Wu Yuwan looked as if she'd heard the world's funniest joke, her mocking grin almost reaching her temples. "Ranran, are you crazy? I am your mother!"
Yet, upon taking a closer look at the person standing quietly before her—the serene elegance, the composed aura—Wu Yuwan began to doubt herself. Her smile froze, and her gaze fell back onto the delicate, graceful hands opposite her.
She suddenly widened her eyes. That's wrong. Ranran did rough work since childhood, her knuckles were large, and she remembered her daughter having a bigger bone structure.
To be fair, when Wu Yuwan had first seen Mei Ran's photo in the hospital's public display, she'd also had a sliver of doubt. But nowadays, young girls like dressing up; becoming more beautiful was normal. Yet meeting her in person made Wu Yuwan restless again. This whole aura... it couldn't be faked!
When she stepped out the doors of the Traditional Chinese Medicine department, Wu Yuwan still felt dizzy. Had she really mistaken the person? Was that sweet-faced, currently popular female singer actually her daughter?
Mei Ran poured some hot water into her cup, took a few sips while holding it, and seemed to remember something. She took out her phone and sent a message.
"Senior Brother Zhou, I'd like to ask, which stage of HIV infection involves night sweats and skin rashes?"
The reply came quickly.
Zhou Yimiao: HIV infection is divided into the acute phase, the asymptomatic phase, and the AIDS phase. Based on clinical experience, the symptoms you mentioned likely occur in the first phase. Symptoms in this phase are mild clinically; a blood test is needed to see if HIV-RNA and p24 antigen are detected.
Zhou Yimiao: Why the sudden question?
Mei Ran: I just met a patient with similar symptoms, but I'm not sure if it's that.
Zhou Yimiao: Be very careful and prioritize safety!
Mei Ran put down her phone. Fragmented images flashed in her mind: a green long skirt, withered tree bark-like skin beneath layers of thick powder, and... the small pustules glimpsed below the low neckline.
Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, hidden within each other.
This time, Mei Mengran might have landed herself in a heap of trouble.
This woman named Wu Yuwan—her biological mother—had high cheekbones and a narrow forehead, a face molded entirely in the mold of pettiness and harshness. She looked utterly formidable.
Within a few days, Mei Mengran's fan count had surged by over ten million. Besides a massive increase in fame, endorsement deals and interviews poured in incessantly. Her agent was swamped accepting contracts.
Amidst the heightened attention, her loss in the previous program segment was also dug up again. However, with the boost from the title 'Goddess MR,' negative comments were scarce, almost nonexistent. Some unreasonable fans even went to the official Weibo of "The Good Chinese Singer" to accuse the show organizers of "having eyes but failing to see" and questioning foul play in the voting process... and so on.
Clearly, the benefits MR brought her were substantial.
In the recording studio, Mei Mengran was busy recording songs for her new album.
"Okay, next is the warm-up part. Let's run through a few scales first."
That laughter reminds me of those flowers of mine
Silently blooming for me in every corner of my life
I once thought I would stay forever by her side
...
Hearing this, Fu Shijin took off his headphones. "She is not MR."
Ye Qihan: "You're sure? I can't hear anything off at all. Should we have her sing MR's song 'You Are the World's Best Encounter' again?"
Fu Shijin's tone was flat. "No need."
"How can you tell?"
"Her voice," Fu Shijin's low voice was clear and distinct. "To be precise, her timbre. A person's voice changes with age, and certain objective factors, like whether speaking face-to-face or through a phone—different transmission media can affect the voice."
Ye Qihan was very curious. "If MR herself appeared right in front of you, could you recognize her voice?"
"Not necessarily."
After all, for someone with MR's innate perception of musical sounds, changing her voice would be too easy.
"What, really?" Ye Qihan couldn't believe it. "Haven't you listened to her song for a full seven years?"
Fu Shijin shot him a cold glance, and the latter quickly covered his face with his hand. "Then how can you be so certain Mei Mengran isn't MR?"
"It's not her."
Though the imitation was very close, there was not a trace of MR's musical essence within, a detail that couldn't escape Fu Shijin's ears.
Speaking of which, he faintly felt another woman's voice sounded more like...
"Since you said objective factors affect it, and we're already here, why not go meet this legendary 'Mei Mengran MR' and figure out the truth."
"This is Mr. Ye, President of Tianxing Entertainment, and that's his friend Mr. Fu. They were just listening to your song in the editing room." Mei Mengran's manager whispered the reminder beside her.
Ansel! Why is he here?
"M-Mr. Fu, hello!" Mei Mengran's voice trembled slightly. Her manager nudged her gently in the small of her back, and she quickly bowed. "President Ye, hello!"
Ye Qihan cast a meaningful glance at his friend. "Ms. Mei, I've long heard of you."
Blushing, Mei Mengran shook his hand. "President Ye flatters me." Her eyes, however, secretly darted towards the other tall, elegant, and upright figure. Unfortunately, his gaze looked cool and clear, facing forward, showing no apparent intention to greet her.
This meeting ended quickly. Mei Mengran's manager secured another opportunity for her to cooperate with the largest domestic entertainment company and smiled so broadly it almost reached the back of her ears. Turning to see Mei Mengran standing dazedly in place, looking lost, she hurriedly asked, "Mengran, what's wrong?"
"Ansel," Mei Mengran bit her lower lip and whispered, "Fu Shijin... He is Ansel!"
"You mean that Mr. Fu just now is Ansel? The mysterious and low-key lyricist and composer, the famous independent musician Ansel?!"
Mei Mengran replied softly, "Yes, that's him."
A deep, calculating glint appeared in her manager's eyes.
***
During the night patrol, a nurse discovered that the elderly patient in bed twelve had stopped breathing, with no vital signs, and could only notify the granddaughter to handle the post-mortem affairs at the hospital.
Early in the morning, the ward erupted in chaos. The girl knelt before the bed, crying her heart out. Anyone witnessing the scene without context might have shed a few sympathetic tears.
But gradually, the content of her wailing seemed off: "Old hag, why did you die so suddenly? I just found your savings book in the mooncake box under the bed last night, and you didn't tell me the password yet..."
"Someone must have killed you!" She pointed viciously at the person standing nearby. "It must have been you!"
The new nursing assistant, startled by this unfounded, severe accusation, hurriedly tried to distance herself. "Girl, you can't just say things like that!"
"This hospital definitely killed my grandma!" The girl roared, her eyes red. "I saw her yesterday, and she was fine. How could she just be gone..."
Hearing this, the nursing assistant who had taken care of the old woman also remembered. "Yes! You did see her yesterday. I heard you asking her for the household savings book. She wouldn't give it to you, so you yelled at her and even cursed her to die..."
The girl gnashed her teeth. "I did no such thing. You're slandering me!"
Upon hearing the tragic news, Mei Ran had rushed over before dawn. A nurse quietly told her, "It's true, we can all testify. When I did my rounds last night, the old lady was fine. She even asked me about you, said she was very grateful to the kind-hearted Dr. Mei..." The nurse choked up a little. "Looking back, it sounds more like her final arrangements."
The commotion quieted for a moment then flared up again. They ended up retrieving the ward's surveillance footage.
The video clearly showed the old woman, around four in the morning, pulling out a bottle of sleeping pills from under her pillow. She poured out a large handful, swallowed them with water, then lay back down calmly. A faint, relieved smile appeared on her aged cheek...
The girl was left speechless. The farce seemed to have reached its end.
"Stupid old woman, even alive you embarrassed and shamed me, made me looked down upon by classmates. Dead, and you still cause me trouble. Tomorrow's my birthday, and now I have to wear black..." Unaware that people still stood outside the ward, her voice grew louder. "Fuck, so unlucky. Couldn't you die at a better time?! Really, I was even thinking of extorting some money from the hospital... Didn't expect..."
The nurse at the doorway couldn't bear to hear more. "The old lady doted on her granddaughter with all her heart in life, and this is what she got in return. She was driven to her death!"
"How old is this girl, and her heart is already so malicious? If it weren't for... I'd really like to slap her hard!"
Mei Ran, who had remained silent, softly stopped her. "Don't act impulsively."
With that, she released the nurse's hand and walked slowly towards the girl.
Then, a clear, sharp "SLAP!" echoed from the ward.
"You hit me!? You dare hit me!? Who are you? What gives you the right to hit me?!"
Mei Ran looked at the girl shrieking hysterically at her, her eyes reflecting a world-shattering coldness, her tone colder still. "Because... you... have... no... conscience."
Outside the door, a crowd had gathered, drawn by the noise. The nurse, yet to recover from the shock, called out blankly as Mei Ran walked out, "Dr. Mei."
Without looking at her, Mei Ran quickly pushed past the crowd, walked to a corner, and two stubborn teardrops finally fell from her eyes.
Why!?
Why did this patient I fought so hard to save have to be desecrated like this by you?
Why did I try so hard, yet still couldn't keep a single person's life!?
While the news of "Doctor Slaps Patient" spread like wildfire through the hospital, the sky also began to rain, like the tears of a mourner, intermittent, continuing until dark.
Driving through the rain and mist, Fu Shijin encountered heavy traffic near the People's Hospital. Casually glancing out the car window, he saw, on the steps in front of a building next to a bus stop, the same Dr. Mei who, just days ago, had repeatedly advised him not to drink excessively, now blatantly swigging from a liquor bottle.