The Heiress's Game

Lu Xiao parked the car in the parking space in front of the sanatorium, turned off the engine, and glanced at Gu Yunjin in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Today she wore a moon-white cheongsam with silver-gray trim, her hair was loosely tied back, her makeup was lighter than usual, her eyebrows were drawn thin and curved, and her lipstick was a cool-toned mauve.

He sat there like a photograph cut out of a movie magazine from thirty years ago.

"Miss Gu, we've arrived."

Gu Yunjin hummed in agreement, picked up a paper bag from the passenger seat, inside which was a box of bird's nest and a bunch of carnations wrapped in kraft paper.

Two nurses were standing at the front desk of the sanatorium, one of them was young.

One was entering information into the computer, while another woman in her fifties, with her hair tied up under her nurse's cap, was organizing visitor registration forms on the table.

When Gu Yunjin walked in, the older nurse looked up first and gave her a professional smile:

"Hello, who are you visiting?"

Then her smile froze, her finger stopped on the registration form, and her eyes stared straight at Gu Yunjin's face.

"You—" The older nurse blinked, her tone carrying a hint of uncertain surprise.

"You look like a big star from thirty years ago, named Su Wanning. Do you know Su Wanning?"

Gu Yunjin tilted her head slightly and gave a shy smile.

Her smile held just the right amount of shyness and embarrassment, and her voice was softer than usual: "Many people say that. Su Wanning is my mother."

The old nurse's eyes lit up immediately, and the surprise on her face turned into a warm feeling of gratitude:

"No wonder, no wonder. You look just like your mother, you're practically identical."

I've seen all the movies your mother acted in before, it's a pity she retired from the industry—”

"Yes," Gu Yunjin lowered her eyelashes, her voice softening.

"She left us early."

The old nurse opened her mouth, then quickly changed the subject, her tone becoming exceptionally gentle:

"You've come to see Madam Bei, haven't you? She's in 309. I'll take you there."

However, you should be prepared that the old lady's condition is currently fluctuating; she is rarely lucid.

"I see."

Gu Yunjin said, "I've been busy ever since I came back, and I only just managed to find time to visit my grandmother now."

Is her attending physician here? I'd like to get some information about the situation first.

The elderly nurse nodded repeatedly and led her to the doctor's office.

The attending physician, surnamed Zhou, was in his early forties. His white coat revealed the collar of a striped shirt. After Gu Yunjin introduced herself, he immediately stood up, his attitude polite and cautious.

He opened the medical record and, in that doctor's characteristic tone that struck a balance between professionalism and tact, described Mrs. Bei's condition—

"The condition is relatively stable, but cognitive function continues to decline, hallucinations persist, and the patient may not recognize people during an attack."

Occasionally exhibiting aggressive behavior, but most of the time in a state between lucidity and confusion.

"How will she react when she sees a stranger?" Gu Yunjin asked.

Dr. Zhou hesitated for a moment: "It's not fixed. Sometimes he's quiet, sometimes he's agitated."

However, she has a rather peculiar symptom—whenever she sees a woman, whether she knows her or not, she calls her "Su Wanning".

Our nurses have been called Su Wanning by her for over ten years, and we're used to it.

After saying that, he paused for a moment, looked up at Gu Yunjin, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

"Excuse me, Miss Gu, I'm not that—"

"It's alright," Gu Yunjin said calmly.

Dr. Zhou coughed and quickly shifted the topic to medication regimens and daily care.

After leaving the doctor's office, Gu Yunjin walked along the corridor towards room 309.

The elderly nurse led the way, chattering on about the old lady's daily life as they walked, while Gu Yunjin listened quietly from behind, occasionally humming in agreement.

She walked lightly in her high heels, and the carnation in her hand had a warm color under the light, complementing her moon-white cheongsam.

This made her look gentle and harmless, like a well-mannered rich young lady who made time to visit her sick grandmother.

The elderly nurse pushed open the door to room 309 and said inside, "Madam, your family has come to see you."

Gu Yunjin entered the room.

A thin old woman sat in a wheelchair by the window. Her hair was completely white, neatly combed but not flat, with a few stray strands sticking out by her ears.

She was wearing the sanatorium's uniform light blue hospital gown, with a camel-colored blanket covering her knees, her hands resting on the blanket, her fingers slightly curled.

The sunlight shone on her, and she remained motionless, like a wax figure placed in front of a window.

Then she slowly turned her head.

When Gu Yunjin saw that face, she gently put down the carnation in her hand.

Mrs. Beckham has aged considerably.

The woman in her memory, wearing a Chanel suit and looking down at people from the top of the stairs, has now shrunk into a small ball, with prominent cheekbones, sunken eyes, and drooping lines at the corners of her mouth, like a paper doll crumpled by time.

Looking at her, Gu Yunjin felt a surge of exhilaration that almost overflowed from his chest.

It took her more than ten years to get to this door, while the person inside no longer had the strength to even stand up.

Unfortunately, the sanatorium does not allow taking photos or videos.

The thought flashed through Gu Yunjin's mind—if she could take a picture of it and bring it to her mother's grave, so her mother could see what this woman looked like.

Gu Yunjin walked towards Madam Bei with light steps, her expression already prepared.

—Her eyes were slightly red, her lips were gently pursed, and her voice trailed off with a sob:

"Grandma—it's me, Yun Jin. I've come to see you."

Mrs. Belle's pupils suddenly contracted.

She shrank back, her back hitting the back of the wheelchair, her fingers gripping the blanket on her knees tightly.

His lips began to tremble, and a muffled sound, like a whimper or a scream, came from his throat, as if something was blocking it.

"Don't come any closer—don't come any closer—" Her voice was hoarse and distorted, each word seeming to be torn from her throat.

"Su Wanning—I knew it was you—I knew you'd come back sooner or later—"

Gu Yunjin's tears came without warning.

Large tears rolled down her cheeks and chin; her lips trembled, and her hands trembled as well.

She reached out and took a step toward Mrs. Bei, her voice broken and incoherent:

"Grandma—what's wrong? It's me, Yun Jin—don't you remember me—please don't do this—"

Mrs. Bei slid off her wheelchair.

She practically scrambled to the corner, curled her knees to her chest, and held her head in her hands, trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind.

Her voice had completely changed, becoming shrill and broken, laced with sobs and gasps, each word squeezed out from between her fingers:

"I'm sorry—I know I was wrong—I didn't mean to—I didn't want to kill you—it wasn't me—it wasn't me who killed you—"

"Su Wanning—please let me go—please let me go—"

Gu Yunjin stood there, tears still streaming down her face, her expression a perfect blend of shock and heartache—the utter bewilderment a granddaughter should feel when witnessing her grandmother's madness. She acted it flawlessly.

But she was at peace inside, so peaceful that she could hear every beat of her own heart.

More than ten years have passed.

She knew the truth more than ten years ago.

Looking at Mrs. Bei huddled in the corner, trembling, she felt no pity, no compassion, only pleasure.

—You finally said it yourself, even though I already knew.

"Grandma—" She took a step forward, her voice still broken and choked with sobs.

"Please don't do this—I won't come any closer—I'll leave right now—"

The elderly nurse and Dr. Zhou rushed in.

The two men helped Mrs. Bei up from the ground, one on each side. Mrs. Bei was still trembling, repeatedly muttering "Don't come any closer," "I know I was wrong," and "It wasn't on purpose," her voice growing softer and softer until it became a meaningless murmur.

Dr. Zhou pressed down on Mrs. Bei's shoulder while turning to look at Gu Yunjin, his eyes filled with apology and embarrassment:

"Miss Gu, your old ailment has flared up again. How about you go home for the day?"

Gu Yunjin stood in the center of the ward, her tears still wet, her expression a perfectly measured sadness.

She nodded gently, bent down and placed the carnations she had brought on the low cabinet by the door, her movements light and slow, as if she were handling a fragile item.

Then she turned and walked out, but when she reached the door, she looked back one last time, her eyes still red.

The elderly nurse followed her out, whispering all the way, "The old lady wasn't like this before," "Maybe she's not familiar with him," and "Don't be too sad," her tone full of comfort.

Gu Yunjin whispered "thank you" and raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye.

As she stepped out of the sanatorium, sunlight shone on her wet eyelashes, reflecting a small patch of dappled light.

Lu Xiao had already opened the car door, his gaze sweeping over her face without asking anything.

Gu Yunjin got into the car and rolled down the window a crack, letting in the breeze that carried the scent of camphor tree leaves.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then took out her phone, opened the calendar, and paused for a few seconds on the page for next Wednesday.

Next Wednesday, she plans to visit her mother's grave and describe to her every scene she saw that day.

"Let's go back to Suiyuan," she said.

Lu Xiao started the car.