Xu Lei was kicked into a daze.
The person before him was none other than the second young master of Asia’s top conglomerate, Lu Corporation—Lu Xiyan.
Although this second young master of the Lu family had no interest in the business world and rarely showed his face at the family company, everyone in the business circle knew he was the future family heir designated by Master Lu.
Even if Xu Lei had nine lives, he couldn’t afford to offend the man before him.
Xu Lei had no idea how long Lu Xiyan had been listening or what exactly he had heard.
Flustered, he picked up the glasses that had fallen nearby, his hands trembling as he put them on, not daring to stand up.
“Young Master Lu… I was just being careless with my words. Please don’t take it to heart…”
Lu Xiyan stood tall on the staircase steps, hands in his pockets, looking down condescendingly at the man half-kneeling on the ground. “Secretary Xu, it seems your job leaves you with too much free time.”
His voice was deep, each word echoing clearly in the empty stairwell.
Xu Lei never expected to run into such an important figure in this kind of stairwell. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
“Young Master Lu, I was wrong. I promise I’ll never speak recklessly again. I’ll keep my big mouth shut and focus on working for President Cheng! Young Master Lu, please be magnanimous and spare me this once!”
Lu Xiyan let out a light hum and turned to leave the stairwell.
He had always disliked people gossiping behind others’ backs, but he didn’t want to meddle too much in the Cheng family’s affairs. A warning was enough to remind Xu Lei of his place today.
Seeing that Lu Xiyan said nothing more, Xu Lei quickly wiped away the cold sweat trickling down his face.
……
In the hospital room.
Han Yun, sitting beside the hospital bed, wiped away tears stealthily as she looked at her daughter, who had yet to wake up.
Liang Xu handed her a peeled apple. “Aunt Han, have some fruit.”
Han Yun shook her head, her eyes swollen like walnuts from crying. “I can’t eat anything while Wanwan is still unconscious.”
Liang Xu comforted her, “The doctor said Wanwan’s surgery went very smoothly. Please don’t worry too much.”
Just as they were speaking, the hospital room door was pushed open.
Han Yun glanced at the person entering, then immediately turned her head away, a hint of anger on her face.
Noticing her expression, Liang Xu looked at the newcomer. “Xiyan, where did you go just now?”
“Answering a phone call,” Lu Xiyan replied casually.
Han Yun spoke up, “Liang Xu, please step out for a moment. I have something to say to Xiyan.”
After Liang Xu left, the room fell into a silence that lasted a full two minutes.
Finally, Han Yun broke the silence. “Xiyan, our Wanwan may not have been in the best health since she was little, but she’s well-educated, sensible, and obedient. Having grown up with you since childhood, you could say you’re childhood sweethearts… Tell me, Auntie, what is it about her that you’re dissatisfied with? Why must you reject the marriage proposal with her?”
Lu Xiyan stood at the foot of the bed, glancing at the girl lying there. “Aunt Han, Wanwan is wonderful, but I’ve always seen her as a younger sister.”
On the hospital bed, the girl’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes lightly closed without opening.
“But you know Wanwan has never seen you as a brother.”
Han Yun’s tone grew slightly agitated, her eyes brimming with tears. “She has liked you since she was a child. Do you have any idea how heartbroken she is by your rejection? She almost died… I almost lost my daughter forever…”
At this point, Han Yun broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
It was precisely because Cheng Wanwan had overheard Lu Xiyan refusing to marry her over the phone that she had impulsively slit her wrists in despair. Had they not discovered it in time, she would have completely lost her daughter.
“Aunt Han, I’m truly sorry about what happened to Wanwan, but feelings cannot be forced. I only see Wanwan as a younger sister, nothing more.”
Lu Xiyan’s attitude was sincere, yet his tone was firm and unyielding.
Seeing her daughter suffer such humiliation, Han Yun couldn’t bear it.
She stood up and looked at Lu Xiyan, a faint anger in her eyes. “Xi Yan, what if your Uncle Cheng and I insist that your grandfather arrange this marriage with Wanwan?”
Lu Xiyan smiled faintly, completely unfazed. “Aunt Han, you know how rebellious I am. When I don’t want to do something, I won’t listen to anyone.”
After saying this, he added, “I’ll come see Wanwan after she wakes up,” then strode out of the hospital room.
Han Yun was furious, her eyes red as she looked at the girl on the bed. “Wanwan, you see it too—Lu Xiyan doesn’t have you in his heart. Was it worth it, you foolish child, to do something like this?”
The girl on the bed slowly opened her eyes. Her face was pale, but her gaze was clear.
She pursed her lips and whispered, “Xi Yan-ge thinks I’m not healthy enough, so he doesn’t want to marry me. When I recover, I’ll be able to do anything he wants with him… By then, he’ll surely like me.”
……
Xiyuan Village.
As she rode her electric bike into the alley, the aroma of cooking wafted through the air.
Aunt Chen from the small grocery store at the alley entrance called out to her, “An Ning, your father still hasn’t paid this month’s tab for the liquor. Can you ask him when he plans to settle the bill?”
An Ning looked up and replied softly, “How much does he owe?”
Chen Yumei flipped open her ledger and quickly tapped on the calculator. “One thousand six hundred and eighty in total.”
An Ning gave a quiet “Mm” and rode her electric bike further into the alley.
Chen Yumei watched her retreating figure and muttered discontentedly, “A family of four relying on their daughter’s income alone—if you can’t afford to drink, then don’t!”
By the time she reached home, Li Chunfang had already set the table.
A freshly stir-fried plate of pork liver, still steaming, sat in the center.
Seeing her arrive, Li Chunfang hurried out of the dim, cramped kitchen, wiping her oil-stained hands on her apron, a wide smile spreading across her face.
“An Ning, the card, the card? Let me see it quickly.”
An Ning’s breath hitched, a pang of bitterness tightening in her chest.
Li Chunfang’s smiles were never meant for her.
An Ning took the card from her bag and handed it to Li Chunfang, who beamed with delight, turning it over and over in her hands before tucking it into the innermost pocket of her clothes.
“Let’s eat, call Yucan to the table!”
At the doorway of the dim bedroom, a thin young man sat in a wheelchair. He appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, his gaze fixed intently on An Ning.
When An Ning turned around, she met his eyes.
The young man pressed his lips together, silent.
An Ning stepped forward, crouched before him, and offered a gentle smile. “How are you feeling today? Did you take your medicine properly?”
The young man spoke, his voice low and hoarse from adolescence. “I heard Mom say you went to sell blood?”
An Ning brushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead, her tone tender. “It wasn’t selling blood. I just saved an important person and received a generous reward.”
She tried to phrase it as gently as possible, afraid of burdening the other person.
An Yucan stared at her pale face, his youthful and handsome features unable to conceal his anger.
“I forbid you from doing this again! You have a rare blood type too—if something happens to you, who will save you?”
These words happened to be overheard by Li Chunfang, who was carrying dishes out from the kitchen.
Her expression changed instantly, and she quickly interjected, “Yucan, that’s not right of you to say. Your sister’s health is already strained, and besides, it’s just a blood draw—she’ll recover in a few days. Getting 100,000 yuan for such a small amount of blood—how can you not see this as a tremendous opportunity?”
With red-rimmed eyes, An Yucan shouted at Li Chunfang, “I’d rather die than let my sister earn money like this!”