In a VIP hospital ward.
Old Master Fu, who had been looking perfectly healthy and full of vigor just moments earlier, immediately pulled the quilt up to his chest when he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor.
He lay back, closed his eyes, and pretended to be at death’s door.
Fu Yan pushed open the door and cast a glance at the old man lying in bed.
His complexion was rosy, his breathing was steady, and there wasn’t the slightest sign of illness.
“Can’t you pick a better time to cause trouble? It’s three in the damn morning! You’re wasting medical resources. Aren’t you afraid of retribution? May your son be born without manhood!”
Old Master Fu slowly opened his eyes. Seeing his grandson practically fuming with rage, he gave two deliberate coughs.
“What do I have to fear? Your father had you, didn’t he?”
Fu Yan rolled his eyes.
“Spit it out. What is it this time?”
“Next time you decide to pull something like this, at least look at the time. Would waiting another two hours kill you? You have a son of your own, yet you insist on dragging me into every little thing. Am I the only person in this family you can torment?”
“I really wasn’t feeling well earlier. I only started feeling better after arriving at the hospital,” Old Master Fu explained, leaning against the headboard.
“Fine. Then I’m leaving.”
Fu Yan immediately turned around, eager to return and pick up where he had left off.
“Don’t you dare!”
Fu Yan stopped and looked back.
“What? You want me to stay here and keep you company?”
“If you don’t stay, who will?”
“Call your son! What’s the point of having one if you’re just going to keep him around as decoration?”
Despite his sharp tongue, Fu Yan made no further attempt to leave.
Instead, he walked over to the sofa, stretched out, and closed his eyes to rest.
Old Master Fu watched him for a moment before narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“You brat, where exactly were you tonight?”
Fu Yan didn’t even bother opening his eyes.
His reply was as shameless as it was blunt.
“Thanks to you, I finally lost my innocence.”
“You!”
Old Master Fu immediately clutched his chest and broke into a violent coughing fit.
Fu Yan sprang to his feet and hurried over, rubbing the old man’s back to help him breathe.
Even then, his tone remained impatient.
“I’m the one who lost my innocence, not you. What are you getting so worked up about?”
“I told you to save yourself for my future granddaughter-in-law! You unfilial little bastard!”
Old Master Fu snatched the water cup from the bedside table and raised it threateningly.
He held it aloft for quite some time, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to throw it.
He really was getting old.
Even his heart had softened with age.
If this had happened back when he was young and serving in the army, merely dislocating the brat’s arm would have been considered merciful.
“Don’t push your luck, Old Man,” Fu Yan warned. “I’m telling you now, there’s no way I’m marrying some old-fashioned woman. What am I supposed to do with her once I bring her home? Put her on display?”
“If I wanted something decorative, I’d at least choose a beautiful porcelain vase. Why would I bring home an antique? To add to a collection?”
“She’s only twenty-two! How does that make her old-fashioned? If anyone’s getting old, it’s you! You’re already thirty and still unmarried!”
“And whose fault is that?”
“Because you were waiting for your future wife to grow up!”
“Whatever. I’m not marrying her. Whoever arranged this marriage can go through with it themselves. Why don’t you marry her? You’re both old-fashioned, so you’d make a perfect pair!”
Old Master Fu immediately raised his foot and kicked him hard.
“You insolent bastard! Have you no respect for your elders? I’m your grandfather!”
He glared at Fu Yan, growing increasingly indignant.
“Just look at yourself! That poor young lady is truly getting the short end of the stick. She’s a well-bred daughter of a distinguished family, and I’m asking her to marry a shameless scoundrel like you. What a terrible waste!”
“Hah…”
Fu Yan let out a disdainful snort.
“The Qing Dynasty fell a long time ago. We’re living in the twenty-first century now.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that the marriage agreement was made years ago! A promise is a promise, and it must be honored!”
Old Master Fu straightened his back, refusing to yield.
“Besides, even if we set the marriage agreement aside, your birth dates and the Eight Characters of your destinies are perfectly compatible. She’s the wife Heaven has chosen for you!”
“I don’t care. I’m not marrying her. Whoever made the arrangement can marry her themselves.”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Before Fu Yan could say another word, Old Master Fu suddenly struggled to draw breath.
His brows knitted tightly together as he pressed a large hand against his chest.
His breathing became rapid and strained, almost as though he were suffocating.
Within moments, all color drained from his face.
Fu Yan’s expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he reached over and pressed the emergency call button.
Doctors and nurses rushed into the ward.
The heart monitor beeped urgently as the medical staff surrounded the bed, working frantically to stabilize the old man’s condition.
After a tense round of emergency treatment, Old Master Fu’s breathing finally steadied somewhat.
However, his complexion remained frighteningly pale.
The attending physician removed his mask and turned toward Fu Yan, his expression grave.
“Mr. Fu, please come with me to my office.”
Fu Yan frowned but followed him without protest.
Once inside, the physician placed a medical examination report on the desk and pointed to a crucial finding.
“Old Master Fu is suffering from severe heart failure associated with advanced age. His condition is complicated by myocardial ischemia affecting multiple regions of the heart, along with significant ventricular remodeling. His cardiopulmonary function is already approaching the point of decompensation.”
The physician paused briefly before continuing in an even graver tone.
“Given his age and overall physical condition, he is no longer a suitable candidate for surgery. Stent placement, coronary bypass surgery, and even a heart transplant are no longer viable options. At this stage, all we can do is manage his condition conservatively with medication.”
He looked directly at Fu Yan.
“Any intense emotional fluctuation, whether extreme joy, anger, or anxiety, could trigger acute heart failure or a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.”
“If another episode occurs, the consequences could be extremely serious.”
The physician’s gaze remained solemn.
“To put it simply, his heart can no longer withstand emotional shocks.”
Fu Yan stared at the medical report.
Line after line of cold, clinical terminology filled the pages, each word seeming heavier than the last.
His fingers slowly tightened around the document.
For thirty years, he had lived without fearing Heaven or Earth.
He had never been afraid to confront anyone, no matter how powerful or intimidating they might be.
He spoke his mind freely, argued whenever he pleased, and never hesitated to challenge those who stood in his way.
Yet at that moment, an inexplicable heaviness settled over his chest.
The old man who had always seemed so strong, so stubborn, and so impossible to defeat was suddenly far more fragile than Fu Yan had ever imagined.
For the first time, he found himself unable to summon a single sharp retort.
He remained silent for a long moment.
When he finally spoke, his voice was noticeably lower than before.
The usual arrogance and hostility had faded, replaced by an unfamiliar gravity.
“I understand.”