Inside the top-floor conference room of Hengyao Group, Jiang Yi was presiding over an important strategic planning meeting. Senior executives sat along both sides of the long table, while the projection screen displayed the market expansion plan for the next quarter.
“The market share in the East China region has already reached 35%, but our competitors have recently launched new products. We need to respond quickly and adjust our strategy.” Jiang Yi’s calm voice carried through the room.
At that moment, a sharp ringtone suddenly cut through the air.
He frowned slightly, about to silence the call, but paused when he saw the caller ID. It was his father. Calls during work hours were rare… unless something serious had happened.
“Sorry, I need to take this.” Jiang Yi gave a brief nod to the executives and stepped out of the conference room without hesitation.
The moment the call connected, his father’s anxious voice came through, “Xiao Yi, your mom suddenly has severe stomach pain. She’s been taken to the First Municipal Hospital. The doctor says it’s acute appendicitis and she needs immediate surgery. They need a family member to sign.”
Jiang Yi’s chest tightened, his heartbeat dropping heavily. “I’m coming right now. What did the doctor say… is it serious?”
“They said it’s already suppurative. If we delay any longer, it might rupture.” His father’s voice trembled with rare panic. “Hurry. I’m here alone, and I’m not at ease.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Jiang Yi hung up and immediately turned back.
“The meeting is suspended. There’s an emergency.” His tone remained steady, yet the urgency in his eyes was impossible to hide. “CEO Qin, please take over the remaining agenda.”
After giving quick instructions, he strode toward the elevator. As the doors closed, the first person who came to his mind was Shu Jin. At a moment like this, he needed her beside him.
The phone rang for a long time before it was finally picked up. The background was noisy, with faint television sounds bleeding through.
“Hello?” Shu Jin’s voice was low, carrying obvious impatience.
“Mom has acute appendicitis and is already in the hospital. She needs surgery immediately. I’m heading there now… you come too. First Municipal Hospital.” Jiang Yi spoke quickly as he reached the parking lot.
There was a brief silence on the other end. Then Shu Jin’s hesitant voice came through, “Right now? I… I can’t really leave.”
Jiang Yi’s hand froze on the car door. A faint chill crept up his spine. “What do you mean?”
“Gu Chen… his startup failed, and he’s in a really bad state.” Her voice grew softer. “He just said life feels meaningless. I’m afraid he might do something reckless, so I have to stay in the hotel room and keep an eye on him.” Get faster updates on novelping.com.
The chill spread instantly, sinking deeper into his bones. Jiang Yi’s voice turned cold, “So you’re staying with him… and leaving my mother alone?”
“How can you say that?” Shu Jin suddenly grew agitated. “This is a life at stake! And your mom has you and Dad there, right? You can just sign the form.”
Jiang Yi gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning pale. He forced each word out, slow and heavy, “Shu Jin, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you coming… or not?”
From the other end came Gu Chen’s faint voice calling her name. Shu Jin hurriedly lowered her voice, “I really can’t leave. Just ask a nurse to sign, or you can sign yourself. That’s it… I’m hanging up.”
The call ended.
The busy tone echoed inside the car, lingering far longer than it should have. Outside the window, sunlight poured down brightly, yet Jiang Yi felt a deep, suffocating cold wrap around him.
Memories surfaced without warning.
Last year, when Shu Jin had been hospitalized with a severe cold, he had set aside all his work and stayed by her side for three full days. Back then, she had held his hand and whispered, “With you here, I’m not afraid of anything.”
Now, his mother was lying in a hospital awaiting surgery… and his wife had chosen to stay in a hotel room with another man.
At the entrance of the operating room in the First Municipal Hospital, Jiang’s father paced anxiously. When he saw Jiang Yi arrive alone, he paused in surprise. “Where’s Xiao Jin?”
“She had something urgent and couldn’t come.” Jiang Yi brushed it off lightly, then turned to the attending doctor. “I’m the patient’s son. I’ll sign.”
The red light above the operating room lit up.
Jiang Yi and his father sat side by side on the corridor bench. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled the air, and occasionally, hurried footsteps of nurses echoed through the hall.
“Before your mom went in, she was still asking why Xiao Jin hadn’t come.” His father sighed softly. “I told her you might both be busy with work and couldn’t reach her.”
Jiang Yi said nothing. He simply stared at the closed door of the operating room. He knew his father was covering for him… but that only made it harder to bear.
Three hours later, the surgery ended.
Jiang’s mother was wheeled out. The anesthesia hadn’t fully worn off, and her eyes opened weakly. When she saw only her husband and son, a faint trace of disappointment flickered across her gaze.
“Mom, how do you feel?” Jiang Yi stepped forward and gently held her hand.
“I’m okay…” her voice was barely above a whisper. “Where’s Xiao Jin?” Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
“Her company had an urgent matter. She went on a business trip.” Jiang Yi lied without a change in expression. “She’ll come see you when she’s back.”
Jiang’s mother nodded faintly and closed her eyes again. But Jiang Yi saw it clearly… a tear slipping from the corner of her eye.
After settling his mother, Jiang Yi walked alone up to the hospital rooftop.
Night had already fallen. The city lights flickered to life one after another, stretching endlessly into the distance. He took out his phone, glanced at the missed calls from Shu Jin on the screen, and silently dismissed the notification.
The night wind was cold.
It swept away the last trace of hesitation lingering in his heart.
He dialed his lawyer’s number. “Lawyer Li, is the divorce agreement ready?”
“It’s already been sent to your email.”
“Good.” Jiang Yi’s voice was calm, almost frighteningly so. “Tomorrow morning at 9:00, I want the signed agreement.”
After hanging up, he stood there for a long time.
In the distance, the neon lights of the hotels shimmered through the night. Somewhere in one of those rooms, Shu Jin was likely still by Gu Chen’s side, staying with the man who claimed he might end his life.
But none of that mattered anymore.
When Jiang Yi returned to the ward, his mother had already fallen asleep. His father sat quietly by the bedside and said in a low voice, “Just now, she was half-conscious and still calling Xiao Jin’s name.”
Jiang Yi gently tucked the blanket around his mother, his voice soft yet resolute, “She won’t anymore.”
From this moment on, the most important people in his life would only be the parents who had given him life and raised him.
As for the woman who chose betrayal at the most critical moment… let her, along with her so-called love, disappear completely from their lives.