Volume One, Chapter 51: The Cause in a Previous Life, the Effect in This Life
Qin Yu narrowed her eyes, absorbing every word spoken by the director.
On the screen, the woman moved her lips slightly, but said nothing. Her clear, bright eyes stared ahead, quietly waiting for an answer.
Soon, Zhao Xiuming and the director finished their conversation, and the woman lifted her gaze. Zhao Xiuming looked defeated, glancing sorrowfully at his phone before finally releasing his grip on the director’s arm. He turned away, refusing to look at the phone.
In no time, the director’s face appeared on the unattended phone screen. He smiled warmly and courteously at the viewers in the livestream. “Hello, friends. I am Xu Bisheng, director of Friendly International Hospital.”
After the brief introduction, he looked at the woman. “I will tell you everything you wish to know.”
The woman did not respond, her inquisitive gaze fixed on Xu Bisheng.
Just then, a sound came from above Qin Yu. She lifted her eyelids in silent inquiry—Is it done?
Mu Ling circled once and landed beside Qin Yu, chest out and head held high, his face practically spelling out the words: Praise me!
Qin Yu moved her lips. Mu Ling understood; she was saying: good boy.
Mu Ling: …
He seriously suspected Xiao Yu was practicing her spoken English.
“Your daughter did not die from an infection. Her death is indirectly related to you.”
Xu Bisheng adjusted his glasses and revealed the death analysis report for Yang Chuyue—
It stated that Yang Chuyue died from an air embolism.
The cause: her mother had hastily increased the infusion rate, and failed to promptly close the infusion regulator, allowing air to enter the body and form an embolism.
“Dr. Zhao never told you the truth, fearing you wouldn’t be able to accept it and might do something drastic.”
Xu Bisheng had opposed Zhao Xiuming’s approach from the start, but unable to sway him, he had turned a blind eye. The city authorities had investigated, and after realizing Zhao Xiuming’s well-intentioned motives, they left politely.
After speaking, Xu Bisheng departed. Before long, Zhao Xiuming appeared on camera again. He moved his lips, wanting to offer comfort but found words powerless in this moment.
He silently left the livestream.
Only Qin Yu and the woman’s faces remained.
The woman wept quietly, bitter tears streaming down her cheeks.
She never expected that she herself had caused her daughter’s death.
She had been overjoyed to learn her daughter’s surgery was successful.
On the first day after surgery, the nurse told her the medication was extensive—antibiotics, anti-infectives, nutritional supplements, and fluids.
The IV drip ran from the time her daughter left surgery until three in the morning, still unfinished.
She was no iron-willed woman; after her daughter’s surgery succeeded, her taut nerves finally relaxed, and exhaustion swept over her in an instant.
She dozed off, and when she awakened, the drip was empty…
She immediately called for the nurse, who scolded her. Just waking, she was irritable and replied defensively.
But her daughter had shown no abnormalities that day, so she assumed everything was fine.
“For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.”
“I often complain about how slow the nurse sets the drip, so I secretly adjust it myself.”
“Warm reminder: Nurses set the drip rate according to the patient’s condition. Please don’t adjust it yourself.”
“Nurse, got it, got it.”
“Even if the family member adjusted the drip, didn’t the nurse do rounds?”
The chat scrolled with debate.
“She had just finished rounds, and I adjusted it right after.”
The woman’s heart ached, but she faced the phone calmly, not hysterical, unnaturally composed.
“…”
“I can only say you were unlucky. I’ve had air infused before and nothing happened.”
“I can only say: condolences.”
“Condolences.”
“Condolences.”
Most viewers pitied the woman for losing her daughter, and the comments were gentle.
She forced a smile, lips trembling. “Thank you.”
With that, she left the livestream.
Now only Qin Yu remained.
“Honey, I feel uneasy. You don’t think Yang’s mother will do anything, do you?”
“What could happen? Look how unshaken she is, as if nothing could move her, even if the sky fell.”
“Today I finally understand what people mean by ‘those to be pitied must have done something to be hated.’”
“Streamer, did you know she was lying from the start?”
“Master, what will happen to her? Will she live on?”
The barrage of questions followed Qin Yu. She tore open a bag of chips, took a bite, and the crisp crunch echoed in the livestream.
“She has a deep vertical furrow between her brows, barely visible at rest but pronounced when she grieves. This is the mark of someone destined to bring misfortune to their child.”
“She once took an important client’s call at work, and in that moment, her daughter fell into the water.”
Qin Yu felt little sympathy for people like this, for those whose fates clash must be paying off debts from a previous life, reaping the consequences in this one.
But in Yang’s mother’s memories, Qin Yu saw nothing but warmth with her daughter.
Yang’s mother was not the irresponsible, heartless parent so often found in such families; nor was Yang Chuyue a rebellious child.
Qin Yu was puzzled—if that was so, was it necessary for past karma to accumulate to this point?
In the end, Qin Yu could only conclude: cause and effect, the natural order.
“So she doomed her own daughter! I shed so many tears for her, but she’s not worthy of sympathy.”
“Poor child, she was so obedient.”
“What now? I feel like I clash with my own son. After watching the stream, I wonder whose fate is stronger—who will bring misfortune to whom first?”
“I feel the same when helping my daughter with homework. I must have owed her in a past life, for her to torment me so.”
“Streamer, how can we tell if we’re destined to bring misfortune to our children?”
“I’d like to know if my rebellious son is destined to bring misfortune to me.”
Qin Yu looked at the camera, her head tilted slightly. “This kind of fate is easy to resolve. If your destinies clash, don’t keep the child by your side. Let grandparents raise them. When conflict arises, choose to step back and let go appropriately.”
“If you’ve tried all this and it still doesn’t work, you can consult someone to calculate your destinies and see if there’s a way to resolve it.”
Children today are exposed to electronics from a young age, subtly influenced before they can tell right from wrong. This is often when conflict with parents arises.
So Qin Yu couldn’t guarantee if it was fate, or just influence. That’s why she offered a comprehensive approach.
Meanwhile—
After ending the livestream, Yang’s mother stood up and drew the curtain across the room’s only window.
It blocked the light so well the room was pitch black.
She seemed used to such darkness. She groped her way to the bed, reaching beneath the pillow.
As her hand emerged, the sound of pills rolling in the bottle echoed through the silent room.
“Baby, you must be bored over there. Don’t be afraid, Mama will join you soon.”
Pop—
The sound of the bottle opening.
“Mama.”
As she poured the pills into her palm, a familiar childish voice came from the corner.
Bang—
The bottle hit the floor, pills scattering everywhere.