"My mother doesn't have a mental illness; she has Alzheimer's. Sometimes she forgets what she just did," Song Jiaping explained. "I don't know how she got out of the nursing home?"
The officer said sternly, "She nearly attacked someone with a knife today. If she doesn't have a mental illness, she'll be criminally detained..."
"She doesn't have a mental illness, but her memory is impaired. That's still a problem with her brain, isn't it? She can't control her actions." Song Jiaping felt the more he explained, the less clear it became.
The officer waved him off. "How about this: don't rush. We'll have a specialist doctor examine her. We'll notify you once we have a conclusion. But until we've clarified the situation, you can't take her."
"But she's ill. I'm afraid she won't take her medicine on time. If she's kept here, she won't be able to cope," Song Jiaping said worriedly.
"Don't worry, we have people here who will monitor her condition at all times and send her to the hospital if anything happens." The officer glanced at him. "You can go back and wait for news, or wait here, it's up to you. Just don't interfere with our work."
After saying this, the officer went off to attend to other matters.
It was then that Meng Yao spoke up. "Auntie might have missed you and came to find you."
Hearing Meng Yao's voice, Song Jiaping felt overwhelmed. He avoided looking at her and said coldly, "When did you follow me?"
When he saw his mother suddenly rush out and try to stab Wu Xiufang with a knife, he was shocked and surprised.
Wasn't his mother at the nursing home?
The staff there wouldn't let his mother leave. Why was she here?
Before he could even call the nursing home to question them, he watched his mother being apprehended and taken away. Wu Xiufang hadn't recognized his mother at all.
Song Jiaping secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that he couldn't just watch his mother be taken away, he quietly left the crowd and followed the bodyguards who were escorting his mother.
"I've seen your mother before. The moment I saw Auntie acting crazed and trying to harm someone, I recognized her," Meng Yao said, looking worried for him. "Is Auntie's condition getting worse? Not only does she not recognize anyone, but she also has violent tendencies?"
Song Jiaping grunted, feeling utterly frustrated.
Meng Yao suggested, "You should really send Auntie to a major hospital for treatment. If it's a matter of money, I can help you..."
"No need," Song Jiaping said coldly. "I'll handle my mother's affairs myself. Don't meddle."
Meng Yao was furious at his words, feeling like a fool for being so concerned and rushing to help him. "Song Jiaping! I was just showing concern for Auntie as a friend. What did I do wrong? If you could handle it properly, Auntie's condition wouldn't be getting worse! Today, she almost hurt my mother. And you're acting like the victim!"
No one could understand the pain in his heart!
Song Jiaping still looked at her coldly. "You don't understand anything! Don't be so presumptuous and say these things. She's my own mother, and I know how to manage her. Please stop watching me!"
Meng Yao suppressed her tears, unable to comprehend what she had done wrong or said wrong since returning to Lancheng.
Why could he be so heartless, leaving no room for reconciliation?
She just wanted an answer. "Why? Why are you treating me like this? What did I do to make you hate me so much? Tell me, I'm begging you to give me a reason!"
Song Jiaping was stunned for a moment. The reason was that he wanted revenge on her parents, but he couldn't tell her.
If they were together, if they loved each other even more than they did now, she would suffer ten thousand times more pain when she learned the truth.
"I just don't have feelings for you anymore. It doesn't require any reason." Song Jiaping said without softening his tone. "Men are all like this. You've just met too few men and understand them too little. To be honest, I have more feelings for your sister than for you right now..."
Meng Yao, unable to bear it any longer, slapped him and turned away, running off in tears.
He touched his cheek, ignoring the stares of those around him, and found a seat in the waiting area.
He had originally planned to comfort Meng Yao as a friend after the funeral, but it seemed they couldn't even be friends anymore.
He lowered his head, wiped away a tear, and took a deep breath. He knew his motives for getting close to Meng Yao were impure from the start. He loved her, but he could only keep hurting her. This pain and helplessness were known only to him.
...
Meng Yao cried her heart out outside. After calming herself down for a long time, she quietly returned home alone.
But as soon as she entered the hall, Meng Qi called out to her.
"Why didn't you come back with us? Where did you go? Do you know how worried we were?"
Meng Yao looked up at Meng Qi. Song Jiaping's words about having feelings for Meng Qi felt like a thorn in her heart.
"I had something urgent to attend to at the station."
Meng Qi didn't believe her. "You took bereavement leave from work, didn't you? They know you've lost a close relative; they wouldn't call you even if there was urgent work."
"I just had some personal matters," Meng Yao said, giving her a cold glance before walking past her and returning to her room.
Meng Qi watched her retreating back, finding her behavior strange.
Meng Yao suddenly felt a hint of hostility in her eldest sister's gaze, which was quite baffling.
But she didn't have the energy to dwell on it. As long as she had returned safely, their parents were also a bit more stable. She wanted to go back and rest, or she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
Meng Yao returned to her room and collapsed onto the bed. She recalled that ever since Meng Qi and Song Jiaping became superiors and subordinates.
At that time, her eldest sister Meng Qi took Song Jiaping everywhere. They even went to hotels, and paparazzi captured photos, causing a scandal.
She hadn't taken it seriously then, thinking it was impossible for her eldest sister and Song Jiaping. But today, Song Jiaping had admitted it himself.
The reason Song Jiaping wouldn't even look at her more than necessary was that he had changed his mind and fallen for someone else.
And that person wasn't anyone else but her married eldest sister. This left her in an unbearable position.
...
Song Jiaping spent a day and a night at the police station before finally being able to bring his mother home.
After the police investigation, it was confirmed that Zhu Qin did suffer from multiple illnesses, and staff from the nursing home confirmed that she was often disoriented.
They shared this information with Huangfu Mengqi. For an elderly woman with multiple illnesses, even if she were arrested and detained, she likely wouldn't be able to endure in prison and would have to be sent to a hospital.
The main point was that Zhu Qin had not caused substantial harm to Wu Xiufang, and the police hoped Huangfu Mengqi would be willing to mediate privately.
Huangfu Mengqi agreed to mediate and would not press charges against Zhu Qin.
Therefore, the police released her and arranged for representatives of both parties to schedule a time for mediation.