CHAPTER 122: CHAPTER 122 WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR FU BING?

Xiaomei hurriedly got up and left. Han Liying and Su Junling had already entered the yard.

Upon seeing Xiaomei, Su Junling asked, "How is she? Why didn’t she continue to stay in the hospital?"

"My sister couldn’t sleep well in the hospital, so we had no choice but to bring her back home," Xiaomei explained. "We have a professional doctor here, and she’s being well taken care of."

"Can I go see her now?" Su Junling asked.

"My sister is still running a fever; she hasn’t woken up," Xiaomei replied.

"Is the wound infected?" Su Junling asked anxiously.

Xiaomei nodded.

Han Liying spoke, "Can I go in and see Xiaobing? I’m really worried about her."

Looking at the graceful and compassionate Han Liying, Xiaomei nodded.

Although Su Junling also wanted to see Fu Bing, he knew it would be inappropriate for a man like him to enter her room while she wasn’t awake.

Seeing Fu Bing’s sleeping face and her gauze-wrapped wound made Han Liying’s heart ache immensely.

"Is she in pain?" Han Liying asked softly.

"The medicine contains ingredients to relieve pain and aid sleep, so it shouldn’t hurt too much," Xiaomei reassured her.

Han Liying held Fu Bing’s hand. "Child, I’m here now. It’s alright. Just focus on your recovery; I’ll handle the rest."

In the past few days, Han Liying had been openly addressing the scandal involving Fu Bing and Ren Ye. Thanks to the Su Family’s intervention, the gossip had died down, and no one was mentioning it anymore.

Fu Bing was sleeping groggily when a warm voice, like a hand parting a dense fog, reached her, carrying with it a soft breeze.

It allowed her usually clouded mind a moment of rare clarity. She couldn’t stay stuck in the past forever; she had too many things left to do. If she allowed herself to be trapped by weakness, she would end up despising herself.

Fu Bing struggled to open her eyes.

When she clearly saw Han Liying sitting by her bed, she was momentarily stunned.

"Why are you here?" Fu Bing asked, her voice weak.

Surprised yet delighted, Han Liying replied, "I was so worried about you that I came all the way from Jiangcheng."

Han Liying gently wiped the cold sweat from Fu Bing’s forehead with a handkerchief. "Feeling any better?"

"Much better, thank you for coming to see me."

"You saved my life. My visit is hardly enough to warrant your thanks." Han Liying took the water Xiaomei handed over and carefully fed it to Fu Bing, one spoonful at a time.

Fu Bing couldn’t refuse and allowed Han Liying to help her drink.

The water soothed her parched throat.

She said, "There’s not much to deal with on my end for now. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from a muscle and bone injury. I just need to rest quietly for a while, and I should be fine. You don’t have to worry about me."

"How could I not worry?" Han Liying countered. "You were suddenly in a car accident, and immediately after, someone started slinging mud at you and Ren Ye. The timing is suspiciously coincidental."

Fu Bing was a rare actress with immense national popularity, highly appreciated and recognized by industry investors. Her status in the film and television industry was quite unique. Even during her previous setbacks, there had never been such a large-scale smear campaign against her. Yet now, after she had stepped away from the entertainment industry, someone was actively defaming her.

Han Liying sensed a conspiracy at play.

"I’ve offended too many people; it’s hard to pinpoint who it might be right away. Recently, I angered the Bai Family’s daughter, which caused their family significant losses in the pharmaceutical and medical markets. And there were many others before that," Fu Bing admitted frankly.

Han Liying had been candid with her, and Fu Bing reciprocated that honesty.

"Don’t you worry about these matters," Han Liying said gently. "Just focus on getting better. I happen to be free at the moment, so let me handle this."

"You..." Fu Bing began, hesitant.

"Don’t worry. Besides, I’ve grown tired of Jiangcheng and was planning to stay in Jiangnan for a while anyway." Han Liying touched Fu Bing’s forehead. "Your health is more important than anything else."

Fu Bing’s heart trembled. Her mother used to say those very words to her often when she was alive.

Fu Bing said hoarsely, "I’ll take good care of myself. Did you come alone this time, or are you here on vacation with other family members?"

"I came with Junling. He couldn’t sit still as soon as he heard about your accident. I was very worried too, so we came together."

"Is Director Su outside?" Fu Bing asked.

"Yes, he came with me."

"Please apologize to him for me. I’m not in a suitable state to receive visitors right now. Once I’m better, I’ll definitely invite him over."

"Friends don’t need such formalities." Han Liying smiled. "I won’t disturb you any longer. Rest well. I’ll come see you again tomorrow."

"Take care," Fu Bing said.

After Han Liying and Su Junling got into the car, Aunt Ning thoughtfully gave Han Liying some health-boosting medicine pills.

As soon as Su Junling got into the car, he asked, "How is she?"

"She just woke up and is still very weak. I mentioned to her that you were outside," Han Liying replied.

"Why did you even mention me?" Su Junling asked, puzzled.

Han Liying rolled her eyes, abandoning her usual grace. "Son, how on earth have you managed your love life so far? Do girls always have to chase you? You *had* to let Xiaobing know you came to visit, that you cared enough to travel all the way from Jiangcheng just to check on her. Affection is built bit by bit; it doesn’t just happen instantly, you know?"

Su Junling didn’t seem annoyed by his mother’s lecture. He had noticed it himself when directing: he wasn’t as adept at guiding romantic scenes as he was with other types of drama.

Seeing that he was listening, Han Liying continued, "Xiaobing was deeply hurt by her last relationship. She might not be ready to accept you anytime soon, so you need to be mentally prepared."

"Her state these past few days has been off. I suspect it has something to do with Qin Jinhai," Su Junling said, his jaw tight.

That Qin Jinhai was still pestering Fu Bing. His very presence would only continue to drain her.

Su Junling asked, "Is there any way to get Qin Jinhai out of Fu Bing’s heart?"

Han Liying shook her head. "Unless Fu Bing lets go of it herself, Qin Jinhai will always occupy a place in her heart. However, I don’t think his presence in her heart is the real issue. Her relationship with Qin Jinhai is over, and there’s no chance of reconciliation, so that’s not what you should focus on. You need to sort out your own feelings. What kind of life do you want to offer Xiaobing? How do you plan to treat her? The more detailed your plan, the better your chances of success."

"How can you strategize about feelings?" Su Junling disliked his mother’s approach. It made it sound as if Fu Bing were a target to be conquered, not the woman he genuinely admired.

"You’re mistaken. Lasting, stable relationships *do* require planning. People are different. If you were to confess your feelings with nothing but a sincere heart right now, Xiaobing would definitely reject you. The last thing she needs is someone else’s confession. She needs time for self-reflection, to diminish Qin Jinhai’s impact on her, and to rebuild her perspective on love. Only then might she even begin to consider any potential suitors."

Han Liying sighed softly. "I’m a woman; I understand her better than you do. If you weren’t my son, I’d advise you not to pursue her at all right now. What she needs most is peace and stability, things the outside world might not easily grant her. And consider the troubles she’s facing—how much effort and resources are you truly prepared to invest to help her resolve them?"

Su Junling was at a loss for words.

He hadn’t thought that deeply yet. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to invest in Fu Bing; rather, their future felt uncertain, and he lacked a detailed plan. His mother was constantly pushing him to see things from Fu Bing’s perspective. He sensed a looming crisis in all of this.