She stepped forward.
“Granny Li.”
“Oh, it’s Xiao Jiu! When did you get back?”
Granny Li stopped watering the flowers and smiled kindly at Yun Mojiu.
“Last night.”
“No wonder! I was wondering why I didn’t see you yesterday. Have you had breakfast yet? If not, why not join me?”
Granny Li was very hospitable.
Yun Mojiu politely declined, “No need, Granny Li. I’ve already eaten.”
“Is that so? Well, next time, you must try the dumplings I make myself.”
“Of course.”
Yun Mojiu nodded, then looked at Granny Li, her expression turning serious.
“Granny Li, have you been feeling unwell lately?”
To be honest, asking such a question first thing in the morning was rather abrupt.
But Granny Li didn’t mind. She smiled warmly.
“I do feel sleepier than before, and sometimes I get a bit dizzy.”
“Granny Li, I think you should go to the hospital for a check-up. I noticed dark circles under your eyes, a dull complexion, and a bluish tint on the bridge of your nose extending to the tip, these could be signs of cancer. Also, your breathing seems weak…”
“Xiao Jiu! How could you come first thing in the morning and curse my mother like this? Is this any way to talk?”
Before Yun Mojiu could finish, a middle-aged woman in her forties emerged from the house.
The woman looked displeased, clearly unhappy with Yun Mojiu’s words.
She was about to say more, but Granny Li quickly stopped her.
“I really haven’t been feeling well lately. It wouldn’t hurt to get checked at the hospital.”
“But she shouldn’t just say you have cancer! She’s not a doctor, what does she know? Besides, you look perfectly healthy, eating and everything just like usual. How could you suddenly have cancer? Isn’t she just spouting nonsense and cursing people?”
Zhou Yingqin, Granny Li’s daughter-in-law, scowled.
“Alright, alright. Xiao Jiu is just concerned about me. Whether I’m sick or not, a hospital visit will clear it up. If there’s nothing wrong, great. If there is… well, early treatment is best.”
Granny Li tugged at Zhou Yingqin’s sleeve, giving her a meaningful look.
Zhou Yingqin reluctantly huffed.
“Fine, I’ll take you to the hospital right now. But I still don’t believe there’s anything seriously wrong with you!”
The last remark was clearly directed at Yun Mojiu.
Yun Mojiu simply smiled, unbothered.
Granny Li had always been kind. Back when her parents were away at work and only she and her younger sister were home, Granny Li had often looked after them.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Granny Li unknowingly falling ill and letting it worsen to an irreversible stage.
As for Zhou Yingqin’s attitude, she paid it no mind.
The truth would speak for itself, no amount of explanation now would make a difference.
Three hours later.
Zhou Yingqin stared at the medical report, her eyes widening in shock at the words “early-stage brain tumor.”
Yun Mojiu had actually been right!
Her mother-in-law really did have cancer!
The doctor said they were lucky to have caught it early while it was still treatable. Any later, and even a miracle wouldn’t have saved her.
Remembering her earlier words, Zhou Yingqin wanted to slap herself.
Xiao Jiu had told the truth and helped them, yet she hadn’t trusted her and had even spoken so harshly. She truly regretted it.
She began planning how to properly apologize when they returned.
Shen Fan, too, was thinking the same thing.
The car accident yesterday evening was extremely severe.
The out-of-control truck not only crashed into them but also collided with three other cars in succession.
It’s said that the front of one car was completely crushed, and the owner of that vehicle and his wife died on the spot.
In addition, three others were seriously injured, and one sustained minor injuries.
Ironically, they were the luckiest among all the vehicles involved.
Aside from the passenger side being smashed and Jiang Qianqian suffering some injuries, both he and Shen Yuting were unharmed.
Logically, since they were at the front when the truck came barreling toward them at high speed, they should have been the most severely impacted, with the worst casualties.
Yet, miraculously, they narrowly escaped disaster.
This couldn’t just be sheer luck.
The only explanation was that the talisman, which had turned to ashes, had saved them at the critical moment!
Shen Fan sat on a bench in the hospital garden, clutching a slip of paper with a phone number written on it, his head slightly lowered, his emotions unsettled for a long time.
Just then, a small glowing ball rolled to his feet.
He bent down to pick it up, and when he looked up, he saw a doll-like little girl standing in front of him, smiling sweetly.
“Thank you, big brother!”
Qin Yiyi took the ball from his hand, her voice soft and sweet.
Staring at the little girl whose features bore a striking resemblance to his elder brother, Shen Fan froze momentarily.
Could this… be his brother’s long-lost daughter?!
“Yiyi!”
Qin Meng hurried over, pulling the little girl close, her voice full of concern.
“You’re not fully recovered yet, don’t run so fast.”
“Mhm, I know, Mommy.”
Qin Yiyi nodded obediently.
“Alright, let’s go back to the ward now.” Qin Meng held her daughter’s hand and smiled gently.
Qin Yiyi nodded again. “Okay.”
Watching the mother and daughter walk away, Shen Fan slowly withdrew his gaze.
He shook his head with a wry smile.
His brother had never been close to any woman other than Jiang Qianqian, dedicating himself entirely to work, where would a daughter come from?
He was overthinking it.
Taking a deep breath, he stood up, picked up the things he had just bought, and headed toward the inpatient ward.
“Wuwuwu… Yuting, will my foot never heal? And my face… will there be scars? You can’t abandon me, okay? If you leave me, I won’t be able to go on living…”
As soon as he reached the door of the ward, he heard Jiang Qianqian’s tearful complaints.
On the hospital bed, Jiang Qianqian was sobbing uncontrollably, clutching Shen Yuting’s hand, her grief palpable.
Shen Yuting frowned. He actually hated being touched.
He was forcing himself not to pull his hand away from Jiang Qianqian’s grasp.
Ever since the accident, Jiang Qianqian’s emotions had been volatile.
The doctors said her right foot had suffered severe crushing, resulting in a comminuted fracture, and the nerves in her leg were damaged. Treatment would be complicated, and there was a chance she might never walk again.
On top of that, her face had been cut by shattered glass, leaving several scars, which only made her emotions even more unstable.
After finally falling asleep post-surgery last night, she had woken up this morning and immediately started making a scene again.
“Yuting, you’ll marry me, right?” Jiang Qianqian asked tearfully.
Shen Yuting didn’t answer right away.
If this had been before yesterday, out of guilt for taking Jiang Qianqian’s virginity and the fact that she had been injured in their car, he might have agreed to marry her—even if he didn’t love her.
But… the words that girl said yesterday made him hesitate.
What if… they had mistaken the person back then…
“We’ll talk about this later. The most important thing now is for you to focus on recovering.”
Hearing Shen Yuting’s indirect refusal, Jiang Qianqian’s eyes instantly dimmed, and her hands clenched tightly beneath the covers.
Five years!
A whole five years!
Even after all this, he still refused to marry her!
Then… don’t blame her for what comes next!