A crowd of people Qin Haiyue had never seen before stood in front of the hospital room. They all seemed to have their own agendas, while she felt like an outlier.
She pursed her lips, knowing now was not the time to overthink things, but she couldn’t find a way to step through the crowd. After a moment of thought, she decided to wait by the door until the people dispersed before heading inside.
As for why she was waiting? She was the patient’s family, after all. If she just announced herself as his daughter, no one would dare stop her. Yet, she didn’t do it. Her mood was strange; despite how much she had cared on her way here, now that she was just one step away, she suddenly found herself hesitating.
She found a secluded corner and sat on a cold hospital bench. Occasionally, people glanced at her, but she simply lowered her head and ignored them.
Those people probably just thought it was strange for her to be there, but they quickly looked away to continue their conversations. They made no effort to hide their voices, so Qin Haiyue could hear everything they were saying.
“What’s the situation? How did a perfectly healthy man suddenly collapse?”
“Sigh, I heard it’s lung cancer.”
“Lung cancer?!”
“Yes, it’s already in the late stages. The chances of recovery aren’t high. The doctor said there is only a 10% chance, and he might have less than one year left.”
“Hiss — how did it happen so suddenly?”
Qin Haiyue’s body suddenly trembled, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to let those around her notice her reaction.
There were also some ethnic Chinese people speaking English. Even foreigners had come? It made sense, considering it was a multinational corporation, though Qin Haiyue couldn’t understand what they were saying.
Sitting on the bench, Qin Haiyue’s expression turned grim. Even though those two hadn’t specified who they were talking about, the context made it clear. Her father, the man she barely saw once a year, was dying.
Was the news true? It likely was. Her heart felt bizarre and difficult to describe. Was it sadness? It didn’t feel like sadness. Why should she feel sad for a father who didn’t care about her at all?
Was she happy then? How could she be happy?
No, her chest felt as if it had been pierced by a bullet, leaving it empty. A strange sense of hollowness spread through her, making it hard to breathe.
Suddenly, she stood up with a blank expression and violently pushed through the crowd, heading toward the ward.
“Hey! Why are you pushing?”
In front of her was a tall, blonde girl she didn’t recognize.
“Move,” Qin Haiyue said coldly.
“Who do you think you are? Why do you have to force your way in? Don’t you know only family is allowed inside?”
“My name is Qin Haiyue.”
“Qin Haiyue?” The girl frowned, never having heard the name, until someone beside her nudged her with an elbow.
“That’s the CEO’s eldest daughter.”
The girl’s face immediately shifted into a look of realization.
“Oh, oh! So it’s the Miss. Please, come in. Hey, you guys in front, make way for the Miss!” she shouted, and the people around them immediately began to whisper.
‘Is that the eldest daughter? I’ve never seen her before.’
‘I heard she has a bad relationship with the family, which is why she rarely shows her face.’
‘Hmph, no matter how bad her temper is, it’s not like we wouldn’t have seen her at least once. Could she be an illegitimate — ‘
‘I wouldn’t be surprised. Otherwise, why does she look nothing like Jiangmian?’
Qin Haiyue’s pace faltered for a split second, and the gossiping voices stopped immediately upon noticing her movement. But she said nothing. After a brief pause, she continued walking inside.
The path wasn’t long, yet it felt as if she had been walking for an eternity. Her hand rested on the door handle of the ward; a moment later, she pushed it open.
The interior was a spacious private room, a stark contrast to the crowded scene outside. She closed the door behind her, and her expression changed slightly at the sight before her.
She remained silent. Although the people inside noticed her arrival, no one said a word. Her mother was a tall woman with black hair, currently sitting in a chair and leaning over the head of the bed with her younger sister. Lying in the bed was her blonde father, fitted with a respiratory mask.
Her arrival seemed insignificant, unable to break the oppressive atmosphere. Only her younger sister turned back to look at her, her gaze carrying a hint of cold detachment.
“Sister? You’re here? Just sit anywhere.”
She pointed to a chair placed near the bed, her tone somewhat indifferent.
This time, Qin Haiyue’s reaction was far from calm. She suddenly clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, but she didn’t speak. In the end, she dragged the chair over and sat beside the bed.
The noise of her moving the chair was not quiet, yet the man lying on the bed acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. He continued to gaze only at her mother and sister. After a long silence, he spoke again.
“Jiangmian… your grades are good, and you’ve always been obedient. I want you to inherit the family business, all right?”
He was speaking to Qin Haiyue’s younger sister, Qin Jiangmian. Unlike what Qin Haiyue remembered, the black-haired girl didn’t cry despite such a massive upheaval. Instead, her face was calm, and her dark eyes were like a pool of stagnant water.
“Okay,” she said.
After hearing her response, Qin Haiyue’s father nodded. A smile appeared on his pale, gaunt face. He looked toward Qin Haiyue’s mother, who was already sobbing uncontrollably. Feeling helpless, he finally shifted his gaze toward Qin Haiyue. This time, the smile on his face vanished.
It was replaced by a look of hesitation and distress.
“Haiyue, you’re here?”
So he had noticed her arrival long ago and had just been pretending not to see her?
Qin Haiyue couldn’t help but let out a cold sneer.
“Yes, I’m here, Father.”
“Oh, that’s good then. Regarding the task I entrusted to you before… how is it going?”
“You must handle it well. Build a good relationship with that Miss from the Luo family. This matter is very, very important. Do you understand?”
“Mhm.” Qin Haiyue turned her head away in irritation.
Gritting her teeth, she once again felt a surge of annoyance and anger.
He had talked about inheriting the family business with her younger sister, yet when it came to her, he only asked about errands, as if she were nothing more than one of his subordinates. This disparity truly infuriated her. Besides, both she and her sister were his daughters, weren’t they? How could he arbitrarily decide the heir without even asking her?
To be honest, she already wanted to leave.
“And one more thing. How is your relationship with Ye Xingmian progressing?”