Jiang Yu’s heavy doubts and shocked expression left Lin Ting feeling utterly powerless.
She clenched her fingers, her heart aching as she questioned, “Jiang Yu, do you think I could even fake a medical report?”
Her chest tightened painfully.
Unable to hold back, she cried out in anger, “Jiang Yu, use your brain! This report was just printed from the self-service report machine. How could I possibly fake it? And how would I even do it?”
Lin Ting’s words were met with Jiang Yu’s silence.
He didn’t want to accept this reality.
Was this Lin Ting’s retribution?
Lin Ting had done so many things that wronged him and the Lin family.
Heaven had eyes—was this its punishment for Lin Ting?
He hated Lin Ting, that was true.
But he never wished such retribution upon her.
Seeing the lingering doubt in Jiang Yu’s eyes, Lin Ting let out a bitter laugh in her heart.
She snatched the report back.
Jiang Yu, left empty-handed, stood frozen in place.
His breath caught.
A voice exploded in his mind: This can’t be!
But why did his chest feel so suffocating?
Staring at Lin Ting, his brow furrowed tightly.
“Lin Ting, I warned you long ago—what goes around comes around.”
After saying this, his temples tensed.
Even though she had already received her due retribution, he didn’t feel any satisfaction.
On the contrary, his expression grew even darker, and his chest tightened further with each breath.
He looked at Lin Ting: “…Lin Ting, this really is your retribution.”
He didn’t know why his voice sounded so weak.
Such cold, heartless words made Lin Ting tremble both physically and emotionally.
In despair, she clenched the hem of her clothes.
Retribution, then let it be retribution!
Her affairs had nothing to do with Jiang Yu anymore.
She stuffed the report into her bag.
She needed to take the report for her follow-up appointment.
As she turned to leave, Jiang Yu grabbed her slender arm.
“Lin Ting…”
Jiang Yu’s voice sent waves of pain through Lin Ting’s heart.
Her fingers dug into her palms as she asked coldly, “Didn’t you wish for my death? Now that I’m about to die, you should be happy.”
“Lin Ting, was everything you said before true?” Jiang Yu asked.
Was it true that Lin Ting had cancer?
Was it true that Youzi, like him, disliked scallions and cilantro, loved pomelos, was allergic to peanuts, and had an extraordinary talent for painting?
Jiang Yu waited for Lin Ting’s answer.
Lin Ting refused to respond.
“Lin Ting, I didn’t know it would be like this…”
Jiang Yu’s voice trailed off.
Even he couldn’t tell whether it was guilt or sorrow.
Lin Ting shook off Jiang Yu’s hand. “You only believe those few paternity reports. I have nothing more to say.”
The soft, adorable image of Youzi flashed through Jiang Yu’s mind.
From the very first time he accidentally met Youzi, he had liked her so much.
“Lin Ting, you and Youzi…”
“Mr. Jiang, my and Youzi’s affairs have nothing to do with you from now on.”
Youzi’s sweet and adorable nature, her early maturity and understanding, her cautiousness—all of it made Lin Ting ache to her very bones.
Seeing Lin Ting’s pale face and frail body, Jiang Yu’s voice softened considerably:
“I’ll make arrangements for Xiao Youzi.”
He needed to investigate this matter further.
And he would do it personally.
Looking at her frail form, whether it was because she had applied makeup today, masking the signs of her illness, or for some other reason—
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but feel that someone so young shouldn’t be this seriously ill.
But for the sake of the past, he still offered a reminder:
“Lin Ting, if you are truly ill, then treat the illness properly. Don’t waste your thoughts on improper matters anymore.”
Lin Ting didn’t want to explain anything further.
She only cared about one thing. “Mr. Jiang, about what you mentioned regarding Youzi, will you still make arrangements?”
She didn’t know how he would handle it.
What responded to her was Jiang Yu’s silence.
Jiang Yu looked at Lin Ting with a complex expression. After a moment of thought, he said, “I will redo the paternity test for Youzi.”
If Lin Ting wasn’t lying, many previous conclusions would be overturned.
He needed to proceed with caution.
Lin Ting finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Hope flickered once more in her eyes.
But with no resolution yet and Xiao Youzi still unsettled, her heart remained on edge.
…
Around four in the afternoon.
Before going to pick up Xiao Youzi, Lin Ting deliberately touched up her makeup in the electric scooter’s rearview mirror.
She applied a generous amount of blush and reapplied her lipstick.
Only then did she manage to conceal her sickly, weary appearance.
While waiting in line, she stood at the very front, the first to receive Youzi.
Upon seeing her, Youzi rushed over, asking to be held.
Once lifted into her arms, Youzi wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck and immediately asked:
“Mommy, did you go to the hospital today? You can’t let a cold get worse, you know.”
“Of course, how could Mommy not listen to what Youzi says?” Lin Ting kissed Xiao Youzi’s forehead. “Mommy saw the doctor, and the doctor even prescribed some medicine. Mommy will get better soon.”
But she knew this illness would only grow worse.
Eventually spiraling out of control.
In front of Xiao Youzi, she forced a smile. “Did Youzi have a happy day at school today?”
“Happy!” Xiao Youzi added, “Mommy, since you have a cold, you should put me down. Youzi is grown up now, I don’t need to be carried.”
“It’s fine, Mommy wants to hold you a little longer.”
How many more times would she be able to hold Xiao Youzi?
Each time was one less.
A month ago, carrying the over-twenty-pound Xiao Youzi felt effortless to Lin Ting.
She even thought Xiao Youzi was too thin and should be fed a bit more.
Now, holding her felt like a struggle.
After just a few steps, Lin Ting felt her arms and legs growing weak, as if all her strength was draining away.
But she gritted her teeth and carried Xiao Youzi all the way to where the electric scooter was parked.
“Mommy, are you a little tired?”
Seeing her exhaustion, deep concern and worry shone in Xiao Youzi’s long lashes.
Lin Ting shook her head, speaking slowly, “No, it’s just a minor cold. Mommy will recover after taking the medicine.”
Since being diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, she had been lying to Xiao Youzi repeatedly.
Guilt enveloped her like a tide, suffocating her.
…
6:30 PM, Linjiang Pharmaceutical Group, Laboratory.
Jiang Yu, dressed in white work clothes, approached Lin Weiwei.
Lin Weiwei, also trained in medicine and involved in pharmaceutical research, naturally worked at the family enterprise.
In earlier years, Lin Jianguo had placed high hopes on Lin Ting.
Back then, the scandal of Lin Ting’s mother having an affair with her first love, becoming pregnant with Lin Ting, and making Lin Jianguo the unwitting father hadn’t yet come to light.
After Lin Ting’s mother died during childbirth, Lin Jianguo transferred all his love for his late wife onto his beloved daughter, Lin Ting.
He doted on Lin Ting in every possible way.
Everything in the Lin family was meant for Lin Ting.
Lin Weiwei, the illegitimate daughter, had no chance whatsoever. Lin Jianguo was even unwilling to announce her identity or allow her to return to the Lin family.
It was only after it was revealed that Lin Ting was not biologically related that Lin Weiwei finally got an opportunity.
At Lin Jiang Pharmaceutical Group, Lin Weiwei devoted herself wholeheartedly to research and development.
So much so that when Jiang Yu came to pick her up for dinner, she was still busy recording pharmaceutical R&D data, not even glancing at Jiang Yu.
“Forget it, let’s not go out to eat. I’ll just grab a quick meal from the cafeteria later. I still want to work a bit more.”
“You had fast food for lunch. You must have a proper meal for dinner.” Jiang Yu forcibly took the experimental tools from Lin Weiwei’s hands and issued an order.
He looked at Lin Weiwei with a complicated expression, deliberately adding, “I also have something to say to you today.”
Lin Weiwei frowned, “What is it that has to be said today?”
Jiang Yu did not answer.
He was actually very clear that he only felt gratitude toward Lin Weiwei.
As Jiang Shuchen had said, gratitude is not the same as love.
Having personally witnessed Lin Ting’s lung cancer reexamination at the hospital, where the cancer cells had already spread to her stomach and liver, his medical training told him that Lin Ting’s days were numbered. A huge wave of unease surged in his heart.
He said heavily, “Go change your clothes first. We’ll talk later.”
Lin Weiwei smiled and said, “Then wait for me for two minutes. I really need to use the bathroom.”
Jiang Yu chided, “You, once you’re in the lab, you become so pressed for time.”
Lin Weiwei: “I want to achieve results in the research as soon as possible! Knowing that your mentor is in the late stages of lung cancer, I’m also very sad. Jiang Yu, don’t worry too much. Perhaps our specific anti-cancer drug will yield results soon and can help your mentor.”
Lin Weiwei’s words made Jiang Yu’s brow furrow even tighter.
He seemed to carry a heavy burden on his mind.
While waiting for Lin Weiwei to change, Jiang Yu made a phone call to Lin Ting.
Seeing the call, Lin Ting was taken aback.
This was the first time Jiang Yu had actively called her since returning to Pengcheng.
After Jiang Shuchen had given her the number last time, she hadn’t saved Jiang Yu’s contact, but upon seeing this string of digits, she knew it was him.
She felt extremely surprised.
Was Jiang Yu reaching out to her because of Youzi?