Chapter 26: An Unexpected Encounter

Wang Ziyue’s hand went numb, and she staggered to stand behind Ye Lan.

“Dad, he…”

“He was perfectly fine… We went fishing by the Ecological Lake— but who would have thought, just as we were about to head back… he suddenly fainted.”

Ye Lan took a deep breath, her voice still carrying a trace of sobbing.

Her parents had always had a good relationship; seeing her husband suddenly collapse, Mom must be heartbroken.

“What did the doctor say?”

Wang Ziyang looked toward Secretary Liu.

“The preliminary examination suggests it might be a cardiovascular disease; we still have to wait for the results from the other side.”

“Ah, all the family members are here…”

The director entered the ward with two experts, wiping the sweat from his temples as he handed over a CT scan.

Wang Ziyue took it and looked at the black-and-white image, asking, “This is…”

“We conducted a full-body check on Chairman Wang and have confirmed it’s a coma caused by cerebral thrombosis. Surgery is needed immediately.”

The golden treatment window is only 4 or 5 hours; considering Chairman Wang’s age, the director didn’t dare make a rash decision.

Another document was the surgical consent form, listing possible complications.

“Please rest assured, everyone; the lead surgeon is a neurology expert specially invited from S City.” 

Behind the director stood a refined middle-aged man.

Wang Ziyue glanced at her father wearing the ventilator and decisively made the call.

“Surgery immediately.” 

She patted the back of her mother’s hand and gave her brother a look.

Wang Ziyang understood and followed her to the family lounge in the VIP ward.

“I’ll stay tonight to keep watch; Xiao Yu still has school, so you all should go back first… Then stay at Mom’s place tonight. I’m worried she’ll have nightmares if she’s alone. Have Auntie stew a calming soup for her.”

Ye Lan’s expression was still somewhat dazed. 

Normally, she as the wife should be the one in charge, but her current state inevitably worried Wang Ziyue.

Wang Ziyang nodded after seeing his sister efficiently arrange everything.

“I’ll take over tomorrow; you have a lot going on at the company too. Now that Dad is hospitalized, the pressure on you will only increase.”

Though he had been thinking of staying himself tonight, he had caught the expression on his sister’s face when she first entered the ward.

“I know. Dad is at this age… sigh.” 

Wang Ziyue suddenly felt like smoking a cigarette.

She always kept a pack of ladies’ cigarettes in her bag but rarely smoked, only lighting one when she was particularly agitated.

The siblings left the lounge. Wang Yu was talking with his grandmother; Ye Lan responded but her gaze never left Wang Zhen.

Wang Ziyang walked to his wife’s side and whispered a few instructions.

It wasn’t until the medical staff wheeled Wang Zhen into the operating room that Wang Ziyue said to Ye Lan, “Mom, go back first. I’ll keep an eye here; nothing will go wrong.”

“But your dad… I really… if I can’t see him, I won’t feel at ease no matter what.” 

Ye Lan’s elegantly shaped eyebrows were knitted together, and even her carefully styled curls looked a bit disheveled.

“Dad will definitely be fine.” 

Wang Ziyue stared at a strand of white hair near her mother’s ear. 

“You should go back and get a good night’s sleep now. Come to the hospital tomorrow morning; by then, Dad might already be awake.”

The surgery duration was uncertain, and Wang Ziyue worried her mother might fall ill from staying up all night.

“If you get sick too, won’t Dad be heartbroken? Please spare him some worry.” 

As soon as Wang Ziyue said this, Ye Lan listened.

She nodded repeatedly. 

Wang Ziyang promptly helped his mother up, and together with Fang Qinghua, one on each side, they escorted her toward the elevator.

“Go on, you go back to Grandma’s house too.”

Wang Ziyue looked at Wang Yu still sitting in the chair and shooed him away.

“I want to stay and accompany Grandpa.”

“What can a student like you do here? Auntie will handle it.” 

Wang Ziyue ruffled Wang Yu’s hair and herded him toward the elevator like chasing away a chick.

After watching the four enter the elevator, Wang Ziyue let out a long breath.

At the end of the corridor, the operating room doors were tightly shut, with only pale light seeping through the glass panel.

She glanced at the time.

Just past eight o’clock.

Wang Ziyue returned to the ward and called the housekeeper at home, asking her to pack some of her father’s daily necessities.

Then she messaged Secretary Fang to cancel tomorrow morning’s regular meeting. 

There were still files in her work email that needed handling, but Wang Ziyue had to ignore them for now.

She walked to the window, turned the handle, and pushed it open. 

The cool night breeze flowed in, making Wang Ziyue feel much better.

In her other hand, she held a lighter, flicking it on and off. She turned into the lounge, closed the door, and lit a cigarette.

Wang Ziyue held the cigarette in her mouth; the tiny sparks flickered in the pitch-black room.

She took a drag and immediately coughed violently; the burning sensation pierced through her lungs straight to her heart.

Even after going through this routine, Wang Ziyue’s gloomy mood didn’t ease much.

She watched the cigarette burn down to a tiny stub before casually pressing it into the ashtray nearby.

Wang Ziyue picked up her phone and pushed the door open, not expecting to see an unexpected person.

The pink-haired girl was draped in a school uniform jacket, wearing a plaid short skirt underneath, with thigh-high stockings cinching her legs and outlining a secretive area.

The girl took only a couple of steps before squatting down, clutching her abdomen in obvious pain.

“Stomachache?”

Wang Ziyue’s voice startled Jiang Cheng, who was suffering from the falling pain in her belly.

Turning her head, Jiang Cheng first saw a pair of flat shoes, then wide-leg pants and an asymmetrical white shirt—the person she’d seen that afternoon was standing right in front of her.

“Sister?” 

The girl’s pink lips parted lightly.

Wang Ziyue bent down and extended her palm.

Jiang Cheng understood, freeing one hand to lightly place it on hers. 

Wang Ziyue helped her to the wall and sat her down.

“Why are you here?”

“Stomachache…”

Wang Ziyue scratched her cheek, realizing she’d asked a stupid question.

Jiang Cheng could tell she was distracted.

This was a sign of having something on her mind.

“My mom went to pay the bill, but after leaving the clinic, I think I took a wrong turn… and my phone just died.”

“The payment counter… you need to take another elevator.”

Jiang Cheng wasn’t familiar with how the floors were divided into different areas here. 

She stood up, then seemed to remember something.

“What about you?”

“Me?” 

Wang Ziyue looked at the girl; the concern on her face caught her off guard.

“My dad is in surgery.”

Jiang Cheng frowned upon hearing this; she couldn’t quite read Wang Ziyue’s expression.

It was clearly such a tense matter, yet she seemed somewhat “calm and detached”?

“Minor surgery?”

“Cerebral thrombosis.”

Jiang Cheng lost her composure. 

She sat down again and leaned closer on her own; a faint scent of wind chimes and grass drifted into Wang Ziyue’s nose.

It was probably the smell of Jiang Cheng’s shampoo.

“Aren’t you nervous… your dad, he—”

Jiang Cheng stopped talking; she realized she was being foolish. 

Wang Ziyue’s current quiet state was the abnormal one.

“Sorry.”

“What’s there to apologize for?” 

Wang Ziyue glanced at Jiang Cheng.

Unknowingly, the stifling gloom in her heart seemed to have dissipated.

“Your dad’s surgery will definitely go smoothly, absolutely.” 

Jiang Cheng’s eyes sparkled with light; Wang Ziyue gazed at them, feeling a hint of doubt in her heart.

“Ah, Ms. Jiang, is that your daughter?”

A hushed voice broke the quiet corridor. 

The two sitting by the chairs turned to look.

Jiang Xiaoyue hurried over, her thin eyebrows furrowed like waves. In her hand were several crumpled receipt slips and a white plastic bag.

“You ran off and made Mom search for ages.”

“I was looking for you too… but I got lost. It was… this sister who showed me the way.”

“Did you cause trouble for someone?” 

Jiang Xiaoyue lightly patted her daughter’s hand, then turned to Wang Ziyue.

Her previously smoothed eyebrows curved again.

Jiang Cheng hadn’t thought much of it at first, but seeing her mom’s reaction, she remembered the person sitting beside her was Wang Ziyue.

Jiang Xiaoyue also recognized the woman before her; she hadn’t missed that earlier “Mom.”

“Thank you for looking after my daughter… Um, we have to leave now.” 

Jiang Xiaoyue helped her daughter up; no matter how many questions she had, she kept them buried for now.

Jiang Cheng’s heart raced wildly as she followed her mom into the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, she saw Wang Ziyue lower her head.

Her golden long hair concealed her expression at that instant.