Chapter 34

Chapter 34: She Is Not an Outsider By the time Yu Jianghai finished speaking, his voice finally began to waver. Father Yu was furious too, and he roared, "Or what?" "How old were you back then? You had nothing, and the family had nothing either!" "Would you really have thrown away your entire life on that island for a woman and an unborn child? Have you forgotten? Zhiqing who married were forever bound to stay on the island—you, and Lin Meiyan too." "If I hadn't made that decision for you, would you have Jianghai Dicai today? Would you have any of this?" Yu Jianghai looked at him, his eyes dark as ink, his voice deathly still, "That was my life." Father Yu's chest heaved violently, "Your life? Your life isn't just yours alone!" "You are the son of the Yu family, the only son of your mother and me, and the hope of the Yu family!!" "Do you think I wanted to be the villain? If I hadn't been the villain, could you have gotten to where you are today?" Yu Jianghai's jaw was clenched so tightly it seemed carved from stone. For a long time, he said nothing. Lin Meiyan wanted to step forward, but the moment she moved, Yu Jianghai raised his hand to stop her—not pushing her away, but signaling her not to come between the conflict between father and son. He shielded Lin Meiyan behind him, and looking at Father Yu, he said word by word, "Father." That single word sent a sudden panic through Father Yu's heart. Yu Jianghai hadn't addressed him that way in a long time. Ever since he returned to Jiangcheng and established Jianghai Dicai, he had mostly called him "Dad." Only on the most solemn, most distant occasions did he say "Father." "You already changed my fate once before," Yu Jianghai said, his voice low. "That time, I didn't know." "So I accepted it." Father Yu's expression shifted, "Jianghai..." He tried to interrupt whatever Yu Jianghai was about to say. But before he could, Yu Jianghai spoke. "But this time, no." "If you still want to make me leave Meiyan." He paused. Light footsteps came from the stairwell—Qiaoqiao had followed them up at some point without anyone noticing. She stood beside Ye Qiuju, her small hands clutching tightly at Ye Qiuju's clothes, her eyes red, staring at them with a frightened face. Yu Jianghai saw her. In that moment, a crack appeared in the ice in his eyes, but it quickly froze over again. "If you still want to make me leave her and her daughter." "Then our father-son relationship ends here." In the past, it had always been Father Yu who said such things. He said them as easily as eating or drinking, because he knew that words spoken could be taken back. But Yu Jianghai was different. Once he said something, it could never be taken back. And it meant their father-son relationship had reached its end. The room fell into a terrifying silence. Father Yu seemed not to have understood. He stared at Yu Jianghai, his face gradually draining of color, "What did you say?" Yu Jianghai did not repeat himself. But not repeating was even more brutal than repeating. The dead silence was the best answer. Father Yu raised his hand, pointing at him, his eyes reddening, his whole body trembling, his voice tinged with hysteria, "Yu Jianghai, you would sever our father-son relationship for her—for a woman?" Yu Jianghai's Adam's apple bobbed. "Father? In your eyes, is Lin Meiyan just an outsider?" "No. Let me tell you—she is my beloved." Father Yu's hand jerked violently. Almost by reflex, he clutched his chest, and his entire body fell straight backward. "Old Yu!" Mother Yu, who had arrived downstairs at some point, screamed at the sight. She had secretly followed in the car. Afraid that her husband and Lin Meiyan would clash again, she had waited outside the whole time, only appearing after her son had come and the argument with her husband had begun. Who would have thought that the moment she reached the stairwell, she would see Father Yu collapse. Yu Jianghai reacted the fastest, and he was also the closest. Almost by reflex, he caught him. Father Yu's entire body went rigid. His lips were turning purple, trembling as if he wanted to speak, but for a long moment, he couldn't produce a single complete syllable. Yu Jianghai looked up at Mother Yu, his voice calm, "Medicine." "Where is the medicine?" Mother Yu's face had gone white. She pointed with trembling hands, "In—in his pocket." At this moment, Mother Yu had lost her composure entirely, relying on Yu Jianghai to hold things together. Yu Jianghai, however, remained composed. He pulled a small medicine bottle from Father Yu's pocket, shook out a pill, and placed it under his tongue, carefully observing Father Yu's expression. Father Yu's face was turning blue, his breathing rapid. He seemed unwilling to let Yu Jianghai touch him, trying to pull away, but the sudden heart attack left him no room to refuse. Of course, Yu Jianghai wouldn't give him room to refuse either. He held Father Yu firmly, watching him keep the pill under his tongue, saying nothing. Lin Meiyan, who stood nearby, hadn't expected things to escalate like this. She slowly rose to her feet, forcing herself to hold on, taking in everyone's reactions before finally uttering one sentence, "Take him to the hospital." Her emotions seemed pressed to the absolute limit. Her pale face held not a trace of color, frail as a tender willow branch, as if she might be blown away by the wind at any moment. Yu Jianghai looked up at her. Across the table, their eyes met. Lin Meiyan's hand still had tea stains on it, with a small patch of reddened skin. Yu Jianghai noticed. He took a tube of burn ointment from the medicine kit and handed it over, then gently applied it to her skin bit by bit. Lin Meiyan hadn't expected that even at a time like this, he would still remember such a small detail. She tried to pull away, but Yu Jianghai caught her hand and carefully spread the burn ointment evenly before speaking unhurriedly, "It takes time for the car to get here." "Besides, my father already has Suxiao Jiuxinwan in his mouth." It was just waiting time anyway—what harm was there in applying burn ointment for her? Meanwhile, Father Yu, lying nearby, saw this scene and was so furious he could barely breathe. Did they think he was dead? Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention. Yu Jianghai called out, "Secretary Shen." Secretary Shen rushed in from outside immediately. He had just parked the car at the entrance and followed his boss inside, only to walk into this situation. He glanced at the unconscious Father Yu and quickly said, "Boss, the car is outside." Yu Jianghai bent down and helped Father Yu up. Mother Yu's expression was complicated because she had witnessed everything Yu Jianghai had done earlier—his own father had a sudden heart attack, and he was still applying burn ointment to Lin Meiyan's hand. In Mother Yu's eyes, her son Yu Jianghai cared far too much about that woman. At that thought, Mother Yu's tears fell again. She cried so hard her hands were trembling, pulling Yu Jianghai's attention back. "Jianghai, your father..." "Let's go to the hospital first." Yu Jianghai's voice was frighteningly calm as he supported Father Yu downstairs. Lin Meiyan hesitated for a moment, then followed. Call it selfishness, call it cold-bloodedness—at the very least, Father Yu couldn't die at Linji. But she had only taken two steps, not yet catching up to Yu Jianghai's pace, when the man turned back to look at her. "You stay." Lin Meiyan's steps halted. She pinched the hem of her clothes and said nothing. Yu Jianghai looked at her, his voice lowering slightly. "I'll take him to the hospital." "Don't come." Lin Meiyan understood what he meant. The Yu family would come to the hospital. If she went, she would only be pointed at and whispered about by even more people. Now that Father Yu had collapsed, all their anger would have somewhere to go. It was best if she didn't go. Lin Meiyan pressed her lips together and said after a long moment, "Okay." "Keep me updated." If— She meant if, this time Father Yu really died, there would be a life between her and Yu Jianghai. And it would be his own father's life. For the first time, Lin Meiyan felt a sense of bewilderment. She stood beneath the blue wainscoting, looking gaunt and fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her over. Yu Jianghai supported Father Yu as they walked out. When they reached the door, he couldn't help but look back, and he saw Lin Meiyan standing beneath the wainscoting—the same way she had looked that year on the island, staring at the sea as if she wanted to jump in. Lost, not knowing the way forward, and helpless. Yu Jianghai's pupils contracted. He softened his voice, carrying a hint of reassurance. "Yanyan, wait for me to come back." Note. It was "wait for me to come back." No matter the outcome, at least for Yu Jianghai, Linji was his home. After he dealt with matters outside, he still had to come home. Lin Meiyan stood at the stairwell, her fingers gripping the wooden railing. She tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Mm." The car drove away quickly. Quite a few people had gathered at the entrance of Linji. The customers who had been eating noodles moments ago also put down their chopsticks, no one daring to speak loudly. Ye Qiuju came downstairs to close the door. "We're not doing business today." Gu Kaihua hadn't returned yet, and only a few regular customers remained in the shop. Uncle Wang heard the commotion and ran over from his newspaper stand. "What's going on?" Ye Qiuju just waved her hand. "Something came up at home. We're closed today." Uncle Wang glanced at her but didn't ask further. He helped carry the outdoor tables inside. Grandma Zhang also came over to move the mung bean soup bucket from the doorway further inside. No one said anything unnecessary. After Uncle Wang finished moving the tables, he flipped over the small wooden sign at the entrance. Grandma Zhang bent down and wiped up the spilled mung bean soup. Lin Meiyan stood at the stairwell the whole time, only sitting down slowly on the steps once the sound of the car had completely faded away. Qiaoqiao walked over. The little girl didn't chatter like she usually did. She just slipped her small hand into Lin Meiyan's. "Mommy." Lin Meiyan looked down at her. Qiaoqiao tilted her face up and asked in a small voice, "Was it wrong of me to call Daddy?" Lin Meiyan's eyes stung with tears. She shook her head. "No." "You did very well." She held Qiaoqiao, resting her chin on the little girl's small shoulder. At this moment, Qiaoqiao had become her only pillar of support. Qiaoqiao murmured, "Is he going to die?" The question was too direct. Ye Qiuju's heart tightened when she heard it. She was about to intervene, but Lin Meiyan just stroked Qiaoqiao's head. "No." Her voice was very soft. "The doctors will save him." "Besides." Her voice was cold and clear, truly hurt to the core. "Even if he dies, it has nothing to do with us." She wasn't the one who asked him to come, and she wasn't the one who wanted to argue with him. Some things, the initiative was simply not in her hands. Every time, she was passively subjected to the raging storms outside. Qiaoqiao let out an "oh" and sat down next to Lin Meiyan. "Mommy, your hands are so cold." Only then did Lin Meiyan realize her hands had been trembling. She tried to pull them back, but Qiaoqiao grabbed hold of them. The little girl's hands were small and warm, and she tried her best to tuck Lin Meiyan's hands into her embrace. "Let me warm them for you, Mommy." But no matter how she tried, she couldn't warm them up, which made Qiaoqiao a little sad. She looked up and whispered, "Mommy, can you please not be sad anymore?" "You still have me." Even though Lin Meiyan hadn't said a word, Qiaoqiao just knew—her mommy was feeling so, so sad right now. Lin Meiyan hadn't expected Qiaoqiao to comfort her like this. She was only four years old. Lin Meiyan pulled Qiaoqiao into her arms and murmured, "Yes, I still have you." "Mommy has always had you." She suddenly thought back to the choice she'd made many years ago—how she'd stubbornly insisted on giving birth to Qiaoqiao all on her own. That was how she'd come to have such a wonderful child. Qiaoqiao giggled. "That's right! And I want to thank Mommy for choosing to have me." If her mommy hadn't insisted on giving birth to her, she might have died long ago. Those words made Lin Meiyan feel dazed. She remembered holding the newborn Qiaoqiao in her arms, sitting alone by the narrow bed after returning to the city. It was raining outside, the room was damp, and even the quilt smelled of mildew. Qiaoqiao had been so small back then—so small she could only cry with her eyes squeezed shut. Lin Meiyan held her child, feeling hollow inside, as if someone had carved out a piece of her heart. She was a first-time mother who knew nothing, and she barely had any milk, so the baby wailed from hunger. Her uncle and aunt had limited wages and three children of their own to feed. Back then, Lin Meiyan truly couldn't take another step forward. At her lowest point, she desperately wanted to contact Yu Jianghai. She wanted to say to him, "Yu Jianghai, I can't hold on anymore." But she didn't. She had agreed to Father Yu's conditions to get her return to the city, and she couldn't go back on her word. But after today's conversation with Father Yu, she realized that all her years of perseverance had been nothing but a joke. What had she been holding on for all these years? Why had she let someone else's words force her into years of hardship? Lin Meiyan looked down at Qiaoqiao, who was still trying her best to warm her hands. She reached out and pulled Qiaoqiao into her arms. "Qiaoqiao." "Hmm?" "Your daddy is going to come back." This was the first time Lin Meiyan had referred to Yu Jianghai as Qiaoqiao's father in front of her. Qiaoqiao blinked, then buried her face in Lin Meiyan's chest and whispered, "Then I'll wait for Daddy to come back." Watching from the side, Ye Qiuju felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. It was at that moment that Gu Kaihua returned. In his left hand he carried two Wuchang fish, in his right a bag of lotus roots, and a bunch of greens hung over his shoulder. When he reached the entrance of Linji, he saw that the door was half-shut and the tables outside had been put away. Gu Kaihua froze on the spot. "Wait, what time is it?" He lifted the fish a little higher and called inside, "Qiuju? Meiyan? Why is the door closed in the middle of the day?" No one answered. Gu Kaihua's heart skipped a beat. He didn't even bother setting down the groceries—he charged straight inside with everything in hand. The moment he walked in, he saw Ye Qiuju wiping the floor, with a few tea stains still left on it. Grandma Zhang was helping move the mung bean soup bucket against the wall, while Uncle Wang was putting the last table against the wall. Lin Meiyan sat at the bottom of the stairs, holding Qiaoqiao in her arms. Mother and daughter—one pale-faced, one red-eyed. Gu Kaihua nearly dropped the fish, his eyes going wide. "What happened here?" "I just went to buy groceries." "I was only gone to buy groceries!" His voice shot up a few notches. "In the time it took me to buy groceries, Linji got trashed?" Ye Qiuju saw him making a racket and shot him a glare. "Keep your voice down." Gu Kaihua couldn't possibly keep it down. He set the fish and lotus roots on the table, not caring that the fish tail was still dripping water, and strode over to Lin Meiyan. "Yanyan, who bullied you?" He said it without waiting for an answer, then his eyes fell on Qiaoqiao. "Qiaoqiao, who bullied your mommy?" Qiaoqiao clung to Lin Meiyan without letting go. She looked up at Gu Kaihua and said in a muffled voice, "A grandpa with the surname Yu." Gu Kaihua's expression changed instantly. "Yu?" Even as slow as he was, he figured it out. "Yu Jianghai?" The words almost tumbled out of his mouth, but he quickly dismissed the idea. "No, Yu Jianghai isn't a grandpa. Is it Yu Jianghai's father?" Qiaoqiao nodded slightly. Gu Kaihua was so furious he paced in circles on the spot. "I knew it! I knew it!" "That old bastard has never been a good egg!" Ye Qiuju tossed the rag into the basin. "Gu Kaihua, if you're going to curse, curse all you want, but don't step on the fish." Gu Kaihua looked down—the fish tail was still flopping by his shoe. He bent over and nudged the fish aside, still muttering curses. "So what if I step on it? Right now I wish I could stomp on him a couple of times!" "Where is he?" "He left." Ye Qiuju sighed. "He had a heart attack. Jiang Hai took him to the hospital." Gu Kaihua's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't scold her, nor could he refrain from scolding her. In the end, all he could do was choke out a dry remark, "He sure knows how to pick a time to fall ill." The words were harsh, but no one in Linji responded. Ye Qiuju glanced at Lin Meiyan. She had heard the commotion upstairs, but through the floorboards, much of the conversation was indistinct. All she had caught was Father Yu mentioning the island, returning to the city, and fire. At this moment, Ye Qiuju's heart was tangled like a ball of thread, in utter chaos. She walked over and crouched down beside Lin Meiyan. "Yanyan." Her voice softened. "What really happened back then?" Gu Kaihua stopped his cursing too. He stood nearby, anger still written across his face, but a hint of panic had crept into his eyes. The Gu family had asked over the years, but Lin Meiyan never wanted to talk about it. They were afraid of reopening her wounds, so they never pressed. All they knew was that when she returned from the island, pregnant and bearing the weight of public scorn, her temperament had grown far more subdued than before. Gu Kaihua had been furious back then, and hateful too—hating the man who had made Lin Meiyan suffer. But later, when he learned that man was Yu Jianghai, and saw how Yu Jianghai had spent years searching for Lin Meiyan, he could no longer muster any reproach or anger. That tangled affair of years past—how could it be explained in just a word or two?! Now, with Father Yu causing this scene, even as slow as Gu Kaihua was, he knew there had to be more to the story. Lin Meiyan's arms tightened around Qiaoqiao. Qiaoqiao felt it. She looked up at Lin Meiyan. "Mom, can I listen?" Lin Meiyan looked down at her. The little girl's eyes held both fear and stubbornness. She was so young, but she seemed to have matured early—those big eyes seemed to know everything. Lin Meiyan suddenly felt that Qiaoqiao deserved to know. She couldn't criticize Father Yu for making decisions on Yu Jianghai's behalf while simultaneously shielding Qiaoqiao from the whole truth. She stroked Qiaoqiao's face and murmured softly, "Yes, you can." Qiaoqiao immediately sat up straighter, perking up her ears. Lin Meiyan looked at the empty front hall downstairs, at the fish and lotus roots still on the table, not yet cleared away. This was Linji—her territory. She no longer had to wander in fear, nor worry about being homeless. At that thought, Lin Meiyan's voice gradually lowered. "Back when I was on the island, I got together with Yu Jianghai." Gu Kaihua wasn't surprised. He muttered, "We'd guessed that much." "Then I had Qiaoqiao." The moment those words fell, the room fell silent. Gu Kaihua felt as if someone had punched him in the chest. Qiaoqiao was stunned too. She blinked, then blinked again. She had actually guessed it before. In her past life, she never knew who her biological father was. In this life, after meeting Yu Jianghai, she had felt a vague sense of strangeness. Why was he so good to her? Why did every look he gave her seem to see someone else through her—and why was there guilt and affection in his eyes? Why would someone with no blood relation look at her with guilt in their eyes? She had guessed countless times, but guessing was one thing—hearing it directly from her mother's mouth was another. Qiaoqiao was momentarily dazed. "So..." Qiaoqiao whispered, "Uncle Yu really is my dad?" Lin Meiyan hummed in affirmation. Qiaoqiao opened her mouth, and after a long pause, she blurted out, "So my dad is a big shot." As if afraid no one understood, she added, "A super rich guy." "Which means, rounding up, I'm rich too." Wait—why had she been working so hard all this time? Her dad was rich! She was a rich second-generation heir! Ye Qiuju's eyes had already reddened, but at those words, she nearly lost her composure. Gu Kaihua was stunned too. He stared at Qiaoqiao. "Child, you're thinking about rich people at a time like this?" Qiaoqiao's little face was serious. "Well, I can't just not think about it." "I used to think I didn't have a dad." "Now I do." "And he's a really rich dad." At that, her little hand instinctively patted her pocket. "No wonder he gave me ten thousand yuan." So it wasn't just an ordinary greeting gift. It was from a father to his daughter. Qiaoqiao's eyes suddenly turned a bit red. She lowered her head and muttered quietly, "Then shouldn't I ask for more?" If Uncle Yu was her real dad, shouldn't she ask him for a hundred thousand? Hehehe, open her mouth wide and scare him to death! Lin Meiyan's heart ached with bittersweet amusement. She couldn't help pinching Qiaoqiao's cheek. "Are you obsessed with money?" Ye Qiuju, meanwhile, pulled Qiaoqiao into her arms and said earnestly, "You're not a family yet, but if anything, he owes you." "It's not that he owes me." Lin Meiyan disagreed with that framing. She said softly, "It's that I never told him." Gu Kaihua's anger flared again at that. "Tell him? How could you tell him?" "His father burned the archives!" "The return-to-city quota was given by his father, the blame was put on you, you had to raise the child alone, and in the end, Yu Jianghai hated you for five years." The more Gu Kaihua spoke, the angrier he got. His bulky frame paced back and forth in the room, looking like he wanted to tear the roof off. "Fine, just fine, a fine Dean Yu of Jiangda." "All that education went straight to the dogs!" Ye Qiuju shot him a glare. "The child is still here." Gu Kaihua slammed the table in anger. "The child ought to know as well." "Remember this for when you grow up—when you meet someone who claims to be acting in your best interest, stay far away!" Qiaoqiao nodded immediately. "I'll stay away." She thought for a moment, then added, "And I'll bring Mom with me when I hide. I'll definitely protect Mom!" Lin Meiyan found her both amusing and heartbreaking. Ye Qiuju sighed. "So when you returned to the city back then, it was Father Yu who arranged your spot?" Lin Meiyan nodded. "He made you leave cleanly, to make Yu Jianghai give up?" Lin Meiyan nodded again. "And the fire?" Lin Meiyan's fingers trembled slightly. "He admitted it just now." "He said that if he hadn't burned those files and records, Yu Jianghai would have found me eventually." Ye Qiuju slammed her palm on the table. No matter how calm she usually was, she couldn't hold back now. "Despicable!" "Isn't that just ruining people's lives?" Gu Kaihua joined in the cursing. "He's exactly that—ruining lives!" "And he calls himself a hospital director. He should go explain himself to the police station!" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "There's no evidence anymore." That fire hadn't just burned the files—it had burned away the evidence too. Gu Kaihua was left speechless, his chest aching with anger. Ye Qiuju, however, was calmer. She looked at Lin Meiyan. "So what do you think now?" Lin Meiyan looked up. "Think about what?" "Father Yu made you leave Jiang Hai." Ye Qiuju asked directly. "Are you still going to leave?" Lin Meiyan fell silent. The moment Qiaoqiao heard this, she grabbed hold of her mother's clothes. She didn't say anything, but her little hand gripped tightly. Lin Meiyan looked down at that small hand. Many years ago, she had held this child in her arms, walking forward step by step. Back then, she thought that since she had taken on the blame, she couldn't turn back. But now, she suddenly felt—why couldn't she turn back? Why should she leave just because Father Yu told her to? Why should her life and Yu Jianghai's be decided by someone else's words? Lin Meiyan slowly raised her head and murmured, "I'm not leaving." Ye Qiuju watched her. Lin Meiyan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a stubborn resolve. "He told me to leave Yu Jianghai, but I refuse to leave." Gu Kaihua slapped his thigh. "That's the spirit!" "Why should he get to decide who comes and goes? Who does he think he is?" Ye Qiuju nodded in agreement. "As long as you've thought it through." Qiaoqiao whispered, "Will Papa not leave either?" Lin Meiyan looked toward the door. The street outside was already empty of cars. She shook her head. "He won't." Yu Jianghai had always stayed frozen in that time long ago—only she had kept moving forward. "If—" Lin Meiyan murmured, "if Yu Jianghai wants to leave, I won't be at a loss either." She looked up at Linji. "I have Linji to support Qiaoqiao, and I can live well on my own." "That's right, that's right. If you have it, it's a bonus; if you don't, you still live fine. That's enough." Gu Kaihua listened nearby, his eyes growing hot. "Alright, alright, what are we waiting for? Let's all eat something first." "No matter how big the problem is, you can't go hungry." After saying this, he looked down at the two fish. They were barely moving now. Gu Kaihua picked them up and muttered curses as he headed toward the kitchen. "Good thing the fish aren't dead yet." "We're not doing business today—we'll eat them ourselves." "I'd like to see if that old man Yu can make me lose my appetite." Ye Qiuju followed him in. "Even if you skip a bowl, you won't starve." Gu Kaihua's voice came from the kitchen. "I'm turning grief into appetite. Once I get nice and fat, I'll sit that rotten old man to death!" Meanwhile, at Jiangcheng People's Hospital. When Father Yu was wheeled into the emergency room, a group of white coats followed him in. As the operating room doors closed, Mother Yu's legs gave out—she nearly collapsed onto the floor. Secretary Shen was quick to catch her arm. "Auntie, please sit down." Mother Yu couldn't sit still. She stood at the emergency room door, her handkerchief twisted into a wrinkled ball in her hands, glancing up every now and then, hoping for a good outcome to come quickly from inside the operating room. Yu Jianghai stood on the other side of the corridor, his shirt sleeves still rolled up, a bit of medicinal powder on the back of his hand. His jaw was tight, his expression cold and stern, staring silently at the operating room doors. Mother Yu looked at him, and tears suddenly fell. "Jiang Hai." Yu Jianghai looked up. Mother Yu's voice trembled, carrying a hint of resentment. "You know your father has a bad heart." "You know he can't handle anger." "Why did you have to talk to him like that?" Secretary Shen stood nearby, his head lowered as far as it would go. He didn't dare listen to this. But he was in the corridor—it wasn't like he could take his ears off. Yu Jianghai didn't answer immediately. He stared at the red light above the emergency room. The red light was on, pressing down on everyone's hearts—not just Mother Yu's, but his too. After a long moment. Yu Jianghai looked up, his pupils dark and cold as ever. "Mom, just because he's sick doesn't mean everything he does is right." Mother Yu was stunned. "What did you say?" She couldn't believe those words came from her son's mouth. Was he even human? Was he even a son? Yu Jianghai turned to look at her, his profile illuminated by the light, flickering on and off—just like the man himself, cold to the extreme. "My life has already been controlled once." "I don't want it controlled a second time." Mother Yu's tears fell even harder. "That's your father." "Even if your father was wrong, you need to know he did it for your own good. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have had to do any of this." At this point, Mother Yu grew more agitated. She walked unsteadily to Yu Jianghai, grabbed his collar, and wept blood-tearing words, "Jianghai, Jianghai, there is no parent in this world who is wrong before their child." "There is no parent in this world who is wrong before their child." Yu Jianghai's face hardened inch by inch. "So, everything he did was right." "Even if it meant destroying my wife, destroying my child, destroying the home that was within my reach?!" Mother Yu couldn't answer that. She trembled. Yu Jianghai looked at her, his voice flat. "Qiaoqiao is my daughter too." Mother Yu seemed to be pierced by those words. Her lips moved, but no words came out. Of course she knew. She ached for that child too. But when a person is frantic, their heart always leans first toward the one lying in the emergency room beside them. "Jianghai, your father was wrong." Mother Yu sobbed. "But he did it for you." "For me, he could destroy Meiyan's life?" Yu Jianghai asked. Mother Yu froze. "For me, he could make my daughter grow up without a father?" Mother Yu's handkerchief fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up, but because her hands were shaking, she tried twice and couldn't get it. Secretary Shen quickly stepped forward, picked up the handkerchief, and handed it to her. Mother Yu took it and sat down on the bench, suddenly seeming years older. "I didn't know." Even the white hairs at her temples seemed to glimmer. She murmured, "I truly didn't know Qiaoqiao was your child." Yu Jianghai lowered his eyes. He believed that. If Mother Yu had known, she wouldn't have been able to hold it in. Mother Yu was not Father Yu. She was soft-hearted—so soft-hearted that when the Yu family had fallen into crisis back then, when she could barely hold herself together, she still took out the last cloth ration tickets the family had to make Yu Qingya a new dress. If she had known Lin Meiyan was carrying his child, she wouldn't have watched her walk away. But knowing or not knowing, it was already too late. Everything was too late. Lin Meiyan had left five years ago, and she had given birth to their daughter alone. He and Lin Meiyan had been torn apart for five years. If not for the accident of Qiaoqiao being abducted, he might have been separated from Lin Meiyan for a lifetime. And all of this was because of his father's controlling nature—wanting to manipulate his marriage to elevate the Yu family to greater heights. At that thought, the last trace of warmth in Yu Jianghai's eyes slowly faded. He stared at the doors of the operating room, his expression neither sorrowful nor joyful. A mother knows her own child—how could she not? When she saw that look on his face, she sighed softly in her heart. She knew that the bond between this father and son had completely shattered. No, perhaps it had shattered even earlier. From the day Father Yu forced Lin Meiyan to leave Yu Jianghai, a crack had already formed between them. And five years later, this was merely the moment that crack finally broke apart completely. Until there was nothing left to break. "How is Dad?" It was Yu Qingya, who had gotten word and rushed frantically to the hospital. It was late August, and Jiangcheng was in the thick of its muggy heat. She ran in covered in sweat, asking around as soon as she arrived. Mother Yu's face was pale, her hair disheveled. In just one morning, she seemed to have aged ten years. "He's—he's still in surgery." She looked up at Yu Qingya, as if seeing her pillar of support. "Your father is still in surgery. We don't know if he'll make it out, Qingya." When she said those last two words, she burst into tears. Yu Qingya felt a knot in her chest. "What exactly happened?" She stole a glance at her eldest brother. To be honest, Yu Qingya was a little afraid of him. How could Mother Yu even explain it? She couldn't. She just kept murmuring, "Sin. It's all sin." If Father Yu hadn't forced Lin Meiyan to leave back then, none of this would have happened. All of it began with Father Yu. Yu Qingya held Mother Yu, comforting her in a low voice, glancing at the emergency room doors from time to time. The doors stayed closed. An hour passed. Two hours passed. Everyone waited anxiously, and the longer it dragged on, the more restless they became. By the time Secretary Shen finished handling the paperwork and bought water back, it was already past three in the afternoon. He handed out the bottles to everyone. Mother Yu waved her hand. She didn't take a single sip—she couldn't swallow it, and she had no mood for it. Yu Jianghai didn't drink either. It wasn't until four-thirty that the emergency room doors finally opened. Dr. Li walked out and said, "The patient has been stabilized for now." Mother Yu shot to her feet. Perhaps she stood up too quickly—a wave of dizziness hit her. Fortunately, Yu Qingya was holding her, keeping her from falling. She asked urgently, "Doctor, how is my husband?" "Acute myocardial infarction. Fortunately, he was brought in in time." Doctor Li glanced at them, his expression grave. "The patient will need to remain hospitalized for observation. He can't be subjected to any more shocks." Mother Yu nodded repeatedly. "Alright, alright, we understand." Yu Jianghai asked, "When will he wake up?" "Depends on the situation," Doctor Li said. "Could be a few hours, could be a day or two." Yu Jianghai gave a soft grunt in acknowledgment. He arranged with the nurses to switch rooms, spending his days at the hospital and his nights handling Jianghai Dicai matters. With Jianghai Dicai flush with money and Father Yu wielding considerable power, they moved directly from the ordinary ward to the VIP ward. Yu Jianghai sat by the bedside in silence, keeping vigil. When Mother Yu could no longer stay awake, she would lean back in her chair and doze off. Every time she woke, she would see Yu Jianghai still sitting in the same spot. His body was there, but his mind seemed to have drifted somewhere else entirely. Seeing her son like this, Mother Yu's heart ached terribly. "Why don't you head back to the other side?" Mother Yu murmured. "Qingya and I can keep watch here." Yu Jianghai shook his head without a word. In truth, they all knew—neither Mother Yu nor Yu Qingya was capable of shouldering this burden. "I've already made arrangements for Linji." Over at Linji, Lin Meiyan kept the doors open as usual. She couldn't very well shut down business just because Father Yu had arrived. She had been tempered by experience over the years—the more trouble she faced, the calmer she became. Perhaps it was the growing number of hardships she'd weathered that had strengthened her resolve. Even her work in the kitchen had become more focused. Linji's business was doing well, with regular customers and new ones who'd found the place through newspaper mentions. Customers came in wave after wave. Lin Meiyan was run off her feet, and Gu Kaihua and Ye Qiuju had no time to talk about anything else either. Qiaoqiao was better behaved than usual too. She no longer kept her eyes fixed on the money box. Instead, every so often, she'd run to the doorway and peer down the street, checking whether any cars were coming. Each time she felt a little disappointed, she'd turn and trot back into the kitchen to watch her mother working diligently. Qiaoqiao mimicked her mother's movements, wiping the small wooden sign for mung bean soup until it was spotless, then retracing the characters with chalk. Five cents a bowl. After finishing, she looked down at her work and, at the very bottom, drew a tiny, tiny circle. Lin Meiyan happened to come out carrying a dish. She noticed and asked, "Qiaoqiao, what's that?" Qiaoqiao thought for a moment. "It's the sun." "Why draw the sun?" Lin Meiyan was puzzled. Qiaoqiao twisted her fingers together and said in a small voice, "So it's brighter—when Daddy comes back, he'll be able to see." Lin Meiyan said nothing. She simply patted Qiaoqiao's head. She glanced out at the street, fell silent for a long moment, then plunged back into her work. A person could be absent, but that was no reason to let it interfere with making money. Around seven that evening, Secretary Shen finally arrived, bringing news. "Youth Lin, Director Yu has been stabilized. He's still unconscious for now." As he spoke, his lips were peeling—clearly he'd gone all day without a drop of water. Lin Meiyan noticed and ladled him a bowl of mung bean soup. Secretary Shen didn't stand on ceremony; he downed three bowls in a row before he felt human again. He let out a satisfied sigh. "My boss hasn't had a single bite or sip since this morning, Youth Lin." At this, Secretary Shen's tone grew more earnest. "I'd appreciate it if you could prepare some food—I'll take it over with me." Lin Meiyan relaxed slightly. Noticing how bedraggled Secretary Shen looked, she asked, "You haven't eaten either, have you?" Secretary Shen was about to say he had, when his stomach let out a loud growl. Lin Meiyan understood. She turned and went into the kitchen. In the summer heat, Linji's bestsellers were cold noodles and cold skin noodles, followed by braised dishes. She made Secretary Shen a plate of cold noodles with shredded chicken and cucumber. Knowing he liked meat, she also sliced half a plate of pig ear to mix in, and was generous with the fried peanuts and sesame oil. When that plate of cucumber chicken cold noodles came out, Secretary Shen instinctively swallowed. He even forgot to say thank you, wolfing it down—finishing the entire plate in under three minutes. He let out a satisfied burp. "That's delicious." No wonder Linji's business was booming. It wasn't without reason. Lin Meiyan had already prepared another portion. "This one's for Yu Jianghai." She knew Yu Jianghai disliked organ meats of any kind, so she'd used only chicken and cucumber as the base, plus some braised beef sliced into strips, topped with sesame seeds and peanuts. On top of that, she packed a bowl of mung bean water and a portion of freshly cut, sandy-textured watermelon. When Secretary Shen saw that meal, he took it and scratched his head awkwardly. "Youth Lin, I might need two more portions." Lin Meiyan paused, lifting her almond-shaped eyes with a hint of understanding. "For Mother Yu and Yu Qingya?" "Yeah." Secretary Shen rubbed his hands together, looking a bit embarrassed. "If it's too much trouble, Youth Lin, I can just go buy from somewhere else." "Not necessary." Lin Meiyan waved her hand, her voice calm. "A guest is a guest. As long as they pay, I'll sell them the food." She reached out directly. "One serving of shredded chicken cold noodles is one yuan and twenty cents, plus five cents for mung bean soup. If you want extra toppings on the noodles, that's an additional charge." Secretary Shen quickly said, "No need, no need. The shredded chicken cold noodles are enough." Why would they add extra toppings? They didn't deserve it! Of course, Secretary Shen only dared to say that in her head. Lin Meiyan collected the money swiftly and had Ye Qiuju pack up two servings of cold noodles, along with two servings of mung bean soup. Secretary Shen took the food and turned to leave. As for the watermelon? What watermelon? That was the watermelon Youth Lin gave to her boss out of love! How could anyone else have it? Half an hour later, Secretary Shen arrived at the hospital ward, where Yu Jianghai, Yu Qingya, and Mother Yu were all keeping watch. Yu Jianghai heard the commotion and turned to look at Secretary Shen, his expression softening slightly. "How's Linji doing?" Secretary Shen set down the food and launched into a flurry of sweet talk. "Everything's fine at Linji. It's just that Youth Lin is quite worried about you—concerned you might be too busy to manage—so she specially asked me to bring you a meal." He took out Yu Jianghai's portion separately, smiling. "Youth Lin knows you don't like organ meat, so she specially added shredded chicken and beef strips, and even doubled the peanuts and sesame seeds." Actually, Yu Jianghai hadn't been hungry at first, but the aroma of the cold noodles when opened was simply too tempting—a faint fragrance of fresh cucumber mixed with the rich scent of sesame oil, enough to stir up one's appetite. Moreover, it was late August in Jiangcheng, and the weather was scorching hot. Along with it came a bowl of iced mung bean water. And an aluminum lunchbox of chilled watermelon slices—bright red melon covered in a thin layer of mist, carrying a hint of the melon's fresh fragrance and subtle sweetness. To be honest, Mother Yu and Yu Qingya weren't hungry either, but when that plate of chilled watermelon was opened, both of them unconsciously began to salivate. Having stayed at the hospital all day without a drop of water or food, it would be a lie to say they weren't tempted. Mother Yu couldn't bring herself to ask, but Yu Qingya took the initiative to open her own lunchbox. But after opening it, her lunchbox only contained a plate of cold noodles and a bowl of iced mung bean water. She was momentarily stunned, her elegant face filled with confusion. "Secretary Shen, where's my watermelon?" Secretary Shen shook his head. "That watermelon isn't for sale—it was specially prepared by Youth Lin for the boss, so there's only that one portion." Hearing this, the gloom that had been weighing on Yu Jianghai dissipated like smoke. He even lowered his head to taste the watermelon. Extremely sweet! Extremely delicious! Meanwhile, Yu Qingya beside him was nearly laughed into anger. This was too much—settling personal scores under the guise of official business—but she couldn't find any fault to argue with. She reluctantly began eating the cold noodles, but the moment they touched her mouth, the chewy noodles, crisp cucumber, tender shredded chicken, and crunchy peanuts blended together with a natural tangy-spicy flavor. This made Yu Qingya's eyes light up again and again. She couldn't help but say, "These cold noodles are way too delicious." Mother Yu didn't want to speak. Watching Yu Qingya like this, she was even more irritated, wasn't she? She pointedly said, "Lin Meiyan made those." The old man hadn't woken up all day, and she'd decided she wouldn't like Lin Meiyan for as long as that lasted! Yu Qingya muttered, "I don't care who made them—as long as they're tasty, that's enough." The portion of shredded chicken cold noodles wasn't large, and she wolfed down most of it in a few bites. Seeing Mother Yu not touching hers, she asked, "Mom, if you're not eating, can I have yours?" Mother Yu, "..." This blockhead really knows how to get on one's nerves! Author's Note: Mother Yu: Blockhead! Yu Qingya: Hey, thanks for the compliment.