The second male lead has appeared!
So much detail.
Jiang Quqi felt a strange sense of foreboding, but she hesitated for a moment and answered the call. A strange male voice came through, “Hello, good day. Is this Ms. Jiang speaking?”
“It’s me. What is it regarding?”
“We have some good news for you. A new medication has been developed abroad that can greatly alleviate your grandmother’s suffering, and its efficacy is slightly better than current medicines. However…”
Every time she heard that kind of “however”, Jiang Quqi felt a sharp pain in her wallet. She knew that what came next was the part that really mattered. “However?”
Dr. Wang sighed and said, “However, it is very expensive. Several times more expensive than the current medication.”
Jiang Quqi took a deep breath. “Just tell me how much.”
“Three million per month.”
Oh, three million.
Thirty million would only last ten months, and she didn’t even have thirty million right now.
Jiang Quqi brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and frowned deeply. “Can this medicine cure Grandma’s illness?”
Dr. Wang sounded slightly awkward. “There is currently no definitive cure for your grandmother’s condition. It can only slow down the progression.”
*Ding dong—*
“Quiet! I’m busy worrying here.”
The System paused for a second, then said timidly, There’s something I need to tell you.
“What?”
*Long-term Mission: Do everything possible to treat Grandma Jiang Yan.*
*Reward: None.*
*Punishment: Erasure.*
Jiang Quqi looked at the mission panel that popped up. “I thought you only cared about saving the villain and ignored everything else?”
*Out of humanitarianism.*
“I don’t believe a word of that.”
The System went silent.
Jiang Quqi said nothing either.
Grandma Jiang Yan’s illness wasn’t something that would go away in a few days, and three million was no small sum, even for her current self.
Bearing the weight of someone else’s life was incredibly difficult, and there was no knowing when it would end.
Jiang Quqi lowered her eyes and stared at the business card she had dropped. After watching it for a long time, she bent down, picked it up, and put it in her pocket.
“System, how much money do I have left?”
*23,506,932.14.*
“I only have twenty-three million left?!”
The System laughed awkwardly and stammered, Forgot to tell you, dear… upgrading also costs… money.
“You—!!”
*Please watch your language, dear.*
“You used my money to upgrade a bunch of useless functions! I’m gonna strangle you!”
“Get out of my head! I promise I won’t snap your data cables!”
“Dammit! I’m so mad!!”
The money spent was gone forever. And just now, she had learned another unpleasant truth—the System automatically deducted money from the host whenever the upgrade conditions were met. As for what those conditions were, the System refused to say a single word.
Jiang Quqi was furious, but arguing with the System wouldn’t bring the money back.
Not long ago, she was living the life of a rich woman. But in just about a month, she was now reduced to worrying about finances.
She didn’t give Dr. Wang an immediate answer regarding the new medicine, just said she needed to think about it first.
The System’s mission required her to do everything possible to treat Grandma Jiang Yan, which implicitly meant that if the day came when Grandma herself gave up, or when she truly couldn’t afford the medical bills anymore, she could choose to stop treatment.
Jiang Quqi suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She wasn’t sure if it was the original owner’s emotions affecting her. Her gaze drifted through the gaps in the camphor tree leaves and landed on a fruit shop.
She should go visit Grandma Jiang Yan. If nothing else… for the sake of the original owner.
Hospitals have a unique smell. Every time Jiang Quqi came here, she couldn’t help but frown.
She disliked the smell, the sterile layout, and most of all, the helplessness and suffering that filled the air.
In this white world, she had said goodbye to her father, whose face she could barely remember now, her grandmother who doted on her, and the neighbor uncle who was like a teacher and friend to her.
Every time she stepped into this place, even her breathing felt heavy with sorrow.
She stood outside the ward door for a long time until she calmed down, then knocked gently and pushed the door open.
The hospitals in novels seemed exactly the same as in reality—white walls, white bedding.
Thanks to Jiang Huairui’s connections, Grandma Jiang Yan had a private room. As soon as she heard footsteps, Grandma quickly looked up. Her lips moved slightly, as if about to say “Yan”, but then swallowed the word back down.
She looked at Jiang Quqi with cloudy eyes.
Those eyes… they seemed to see through every disguise.
Impossible.
Jiang Quqi reassured herself as she walked over. She put down the fruit, pulled a chair over to sit down, and called softly, “Grandma.”
Grandma’s gaze remained fixed on her. After what felt like an eternity, or perhaps only a moment, she reached out. Her rough, calloused hand gently touched Jiang Quqi’s cheek. Tears welled up in her eyes as she called out, “Yan Bao’er, my Yan Bao’er.”
An inexplicable force tugged at her heartstrings, hitting her with a heavy weight. Part of her wanted to run away, but reason kept her rooted to the chair.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the hem of her shirt.
“It’s me, Grandma.”
“Yes, yes, it’s my Yan Bao’er, my good girl.”
Grandma didn’t say much, and Jiang Quqi didn’t know what to say either. She simply asked if she wanted an apple. Upon receiving a nod, she silently peeled one. After finishing, she didn’t know what else to do, so she said she needed to go talk to the doctor and left after a few minutes.
Grandma seemed not to notice her unease, just smiling and telling her to walk carefully and not run.
Once outside the ward, Jiang Quqi let out a breath she was holding. The System, feeling restless, commented snidely, Tsk tsk tsk, that was so fake.
Being in the hospital had put her in a terrible mood, and she had no energy to bicker. She walked straight towards the doctor’s office.
The System, sensing it had overstepped, quietly went offline.
Pushing open a door, she almost bumped straight into a doctor. Both of them panicked and apologized profusely, going back and forth as if competing to say the last “sorry”.
“What are you two doing?” Another doctor walked over holding a medical record, looking at them amusedly.
Jiang Quqi and the other person turned their heads in unison. They glanced innocently at the newcomer, then looked at each other awkwardly and took a step back to separate.
Jiang Quqi looked at the man’s ID badge and said, “Dr. Wang, I’m here to discuss my grandmother’s condition.”
The young man she had almost bumped into called out, “Teacher.”
Teacher?
Jiang Quqi turned to look at him carefully.
He had fair skin and a tall, straight posture. The white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses gave him an air of elegant restraint.
The corners of his lips were always slightly upturned, and when those beautiful, expressive eyes looked at someone, it made you feel as if you were truly cherished.
Jiang Quqi blinked.
If she wasn’t mistaken, this was the gentle second male lead from the book, Xiao Yu.
High IQ, high looks, high education. Gentle and understanding. Seemingly perfect in every way, he was hopelessly in love with the female lead.
Ah! Wait a minute—she *was* the female lead now!
Why did she feel both flustered and excited at the same time?
Much of the gloom brought on by the hospital instantly lifted.
She couldn’t be blamed for being excited. If she hadn’t seen him, she probably would have forgotten there was even a character in this book who loved the heroine deeply and was genuinely kind and upright.
In the novel, the second male lead only appeared in the very early parts and then vanished. Jiang Quqi reasonably suspected that the author had simply forgotten about him, too busy writing the epic love-hate story between the main couple.
Dr. Wang said, “Ms. Jiang, please wait a moment.” Then he turned with a stern face. “Where is your ID badge?”
Xiao Yu replied, “I accidentally lost it.”
Dr. Wang frowned. “Remember to apply for a replacement.”
Xiao Yu nodded. After a few more words, Dr. Wang dismissed him.
Jiang Quqi watched this second male lead leave and sighed inwardly—truly one of the few good people in this book.
At least he didn’t break the law every day or walk on the edge of it, unlike certain protagonists and villains who treated the law as if it didn’t exist.
Suddenly, Jiang Quqi thought for two seconds and looked up at the ceiling.
Maybe she should give Qin Jiao some basic legal education?