Weekend…
An Yin had chosen the right time. Lu Muqian was usually free on weekends, like these past two days when he hadn’t gone anywhere and was just working in his study.
An Yin felt she had to tell Lu Muqian now. Besides, she had things to do afterward—she needed to get her life back on track. She couldn’t keep being idle; she had to return to the work she loved.
“Lu Muqian, I think I’m sick. Do you have time to take me to the hospital for a check-up?”
“Where are you feeling unwell, Yinyin?”
“I just feel strange and uncomfortable. Anyway, it’s been a while since we last had a physical. Can you take me for one, please?”
“I’ll take you right now. Let’s go.”
Lu Muqian didn’t think An Yin was being paranoid; instead, he was very worried about her. On the way, he kept asking how long she had been feeling unwell and why she had let him bully her the other day.
An Yin had expected this reaction from him. If he found out it was cancer, he would probably break down. She had to comfort him in advance. “It’s okay. We’ll know after the check-up.”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here with you!”
At the hospital entrance, Ran Yu had received Lu Muqian’s message about bringing An Yin for a check-up. He had instructed the hospital to make preparations and was waiting at the entrance to greet them.
Ran Yu called out, “Brother Qian.”
“Mm.”
Then he turned to An Yin beside him and introduced himself, “Little Sister-in-law, I’m Ran Yu, a good brother of Qian.”
“Hello, I’m An Yin.”
“I know.”
“Brother Qian, everything is ready. Just follow me with Little Sister-in-law.”
An Yin only said she felt unwell without specifying the details or which part of her body was affected, so Ran Yu arranged a full-body check-up for her.
Lu Muqian accompanied her throughout the entire process. By the time all the tests were done, half the day had passed. The results weren’t ready yet, so Lu Muqian took her to a restaurant for a meal.
Just as they finished eating, Ran Yu called, asking them to return to the hospital. His tone didn’t sound good, and Lu Muqian sensed that An Yin’s test results might not be favorable.
Lu Muqian brought An Yin back to the hospital and went straight to Ran Yu’s office as the director.
“Ran Yu, what exactly is wrong with Yinyin’s test results?”
“Brother Qian, don’t worry. It’s not a big issue—not too serious and not too difficult to handle.”
Ran Yu’s evasive words made Lu Muqian want to strangle him. “Then what is it? Hurry up and tell me!”
Ran Yu glanced at An Yin beside him, hesitating as if unsure whether to let her know.
Even though An Yin already knew the outcome, she pretended to be calm. “It’s fine, just say it. I can handle it.”
“Little Sister-in-law, that’s not what I meant.”
Ran Yu looked at the test report, then at Lu Muqian. “The results show that there is a tumor growing in Little Sister-in-law’s abdominal cavity.”
“Benign.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.
“Mm.”
“When will the surgery be scheduled?”
“As soon as possible, within the next couple of days.”
“Alright, let’s get her admitted now.”
Ran Yu handled the admission procedures. He first took the two to a VIP single room in the hospital for An Yin to settle in, then went to complete the paperwork.
An Yin discussed with Lu Muqian, “Lu Muqian, can we not tell my parents and my brother about this?”
The reason she had asked Lu Muqian to accompany her was precisely to avoid worrying her parents.
“Okay, I won’t mention it. Yinyin, don’t be afraid. I’m here with you.”
“I’m not afraid. Ran Yu already said it’s benign and can be removed with surgery. You shouldn’t worry either.”
“Yinyin…”
“Hmm?”
“It’s my fault for not taking good care of you. Luckily it was discovered early, otherwise… what would we do if it were too late?” Lu Muqian blamed himself. He was always like this, taking responsibility for everything regardless of right or wrong.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. It won’t be too late. I still need to pamper my husband for a lifetime, so there won’t be any accidents.”
“Yinyin, what did you just say?”
“I said I want to pamper my husband. Is there a problem with that?”
This was the first time Lu Muqian heard the term “husband” from An Yin’s mouth. Was she finally acknowledging him? Did this also mean she might have some slight affection for him?
“No problem.”
Ran Yu worked efficiently and arranged An Yin’s surgical procedure for the next day. Lu Muqian, feeling uneasy, requested that Ran Yu perform the surgery himself. Ran Yu understood his concern – even if Lu Muqian hadn’t said anything, he would have taken charge personally.
Ran Yu entered the hospital room. “Little Sister-in-law, let me go over some precautions with you.”
“Okay.”
“Before 8 PM the night before surgery, you can’t eat anymore. Try to empty the food from your abdomen, and don’t drink too much water.”
“Okay, I’ll remember.”
“If you can’t remember, it’s fine. Brother Qian will remember for you.”
“I know, I wasn’t planning to remember anyway,” she laughed. Lu Muqian stood nearby listening, his expression even more serious than An Yin’s – he had definitely memorized everything completely.
Ran Yu unexpectedly got another dose of their affection display and quietly slipped out of the room without saying goodbye.
“Yinyin, are you hungry now? What would you like to eat? Aunt Lan can make anything and bring it over.” It was currently noon, with the whole afternoon until 8 PM – Lu Muqian could still feed An Yin.
“I’m not hungry. Didn’t we just have lunch not long ago?”
“Well, if you get hungry, remember to tell me, okay?”
“Okay!”
Evening…
Ran Yu came to check on An Yin’s condition. Seeing she didn’t seem too worried, he didn’t offer excessive comfort. Of course, this matter wasn’t really his responsibility anyway – that was his Brother Qian’s role.
An Yin couldn’t sleep at all that night. She tossed and turned in bed, counting sheep with her eyes closed but still unable to fall asleep.
“Yinyin, can’t sleep?” Lu Muqian, lying on the nearby sofa, had noticed An Yin’s restlessness for a while.
“Lu Muqian, I can’t sleep. Come over and chat with me.”
Although the hospital bed was a single bed, it was spacious enough for two people. An Yin shifted to the side, making room for Lu Muqian to join her.
The man lay down and pulled her into his arms. “Yinyin, you should sleep. You can’t stay up late.”
Although it wasn’t really considered staying up late at this hour, Ran Yu had said she should try to sleep early, meaning she really should go to bed early.
An Yin changed the subject, trying to start a conversation. “Lu Muqian, do you think the surgery will hurt a lot?”
“Yinyin, don’t be afraid. The doctor will give you anesthesia – you won’t feel any pain at all.”
“The tumor is in my abdomen. Does that mean they need to make an incision? If so, I’ll have an ugly scar on my stomach. Would you mind that?”
It’s hard to avoid leaving scars with incisions, and An Yin cared a lot about her physical appearance.
“Ran Yu said the tumor in your abdomen isn’t very large. They don’t need to make an incision – it’s minimally invasive surgery. So, Baby, don’t worry about it, okay?”
“Also, no matter what you’re like, I won’t ever dislike you.”
Drowsiness washing over her, An Yin gave up, “Alright then!”
“Good girl, sleep now.”
An Yin added one last sentence, “Goodnight!”
“Goodnight, Baby!”