After having lunch with her brother, Zhou Suisui tidied herself up and prepared to drive to the Jiang residence to pick up Mrs. Jiang and take her to the hospital for a physical examination.
She had just walked out of the Zhou Group building when a car parked outside honked at her.
Following the sound, Zhou Suisui saw a brand-new, eye-catching sports car coming to a smooth stop right in front of her.
“Suisui, get in!”
“Tiantian, is this your new car?”
Zhou Suisui stared at the sports car, which was worth several million yuan. Its body had been repainted an indescribably ugly shade of poop yellow.
It was a four-seat supercar.
Mrs. Jiang was sitting in the back, her face full of heartache.
“Suisui, I hope I’m not delaying you?”
Zhou Suisui worked at her family’s company, while Tiantian had also gone there for an internship.
Seeing that the children had all grown up and become sensible, Mrs. Jiang suddenly felt a little melancholy.
She looked forward to them growing up, yet she didn’t want them to grow up either.
Growing up meant having to shoulder responsibilities.
“How could you? We agreed beforehand that I’d accompany you to the hospital today, so naturally I’ve already arranged everything.”
Zhou Suisui opened the passenger-side door and got in, her fingers brushing over the brand-new leather interior.
“Tiantian, when did you buy this car?”
“Cool, right?”
Jiang Ruitian looked smug. “I had my brother order it for me.”
Zhou Suisui was puzzled. “Don’t you always complain that your brother is stingy and doesn’t treat you well? Isn’t he actually pretty indulgent?”
“Hehe.”
Jiang Ruitian gave two nasal chuckles. “I traded him the dress he gave you for it.”
Zhou Suisui: “…??”
One dress for a sports car?
After saying that, Jiang Ruitian winked at her with a sly grin.
“Suisui, is there anything else you like? I’ll have my brother buy it for me, and then I can take the opportunity to fleece him again.”
Did your brother know you were this good at extorting him, sweetheart?
“Will Brother Yan buy whatever I like?”
Zhou Suisui pouted and teased her. “Then you’d better not get your hopes up.”
“Don’t doubt me. My brother is just all bark and no bite—he’s warm-hearted underneath. Besides, he wants to marry you!”
“Marry me?”
Zhou Suisui’s eyes widened in fright, her little face turning pale as though she had just heard something terrifying.
She remembered how he had cornered her against the wall at the Jiang residence the day before, and the way he had looked down at her as though he wanted to tear her apart.
Even now, thinking back on it made her shudder.
“Tiantian, don’t say such scary things again.”
“Why aren’t you surprised? Shouldn’t you be happy?”
Jiang Ruitian was bewildered. Suisui’s reaction was far more subdued than she had imagined. She had thought Suisui would be delighted to hear the news.
“Between him and me, it’s…”
Zhou Suisui sighed.
Meeting Mrs. Jiang’s puzzled gaze in the back seat, she swallowed the rest of her words. Then she leaned toward Jiang Ruitian and whispered,
“It’s not what you think.”
“…”
In the back seat, Mrs. Jiang frowned almost imperceptibly.
That brat. No wonder he had asked them to help him win Suisui over. So he hadn’t managed to win her yet!
—
At the hospital.
The doctor held the examination report, his tone grave.
“Mrs. Jiang, there is indeed a small cyst on your lung. We recommend having it surgically removed as soon as possible, as there is a risk it could become cancerous.”
“C-Cancerous?!”
Jiang Ruitian looked as though she was about to cry from fright.
Although Zhou Suisui had been mentally prepared, her face still went pale when she heard those words.
“Doctor, after the cyst is removed, is there no chance it could develop into cancer again?”
The doctor reassured them, “Fortunately, you brought Mrs. Jiang in for an examination in time. The cyst has only just formed. As long as it’s removed promptly and she receives proper aftercare, the risk of it becoming cancerous is extremely low.”
“Extremely low?”
Zhou Suisui’s expression stiffened slightly. Recalling Mrs. Jiang’s gaunt, haggard appearance in her previous life, she asked anxiously, “Can’t you guarantee that there’s a one-hundred-percent chance it won’t happen?”
The doctor assured her, “Please rest easy. As long as Mrs. Jiang comes in for a checkup every six months from now on, the risk can be completely controlled.”
Only then did Zhou Suisui let out a sigh of relief, forcing a pale smile onto her face.
“Thank you for your trouble, Doctor.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what we’re here for.”
The doctor recommended that Mrs. Jiang undergo surgery immediately to remove the cyst.
Jiang Ruitian sent messages to Jiang Xingming and Jiang Zongyan, informing them of the situation.
Less than twenty minutes later, Jiang Zongyan hurried over.
He was wearing nothing but a light-gray silk shirt, with his tie hanging loosely around his neck. A thin sheen of sweat clung to his temples.
It was obvious that he had rushed there straight from somewhere else.
“Brother…”
Jiang Ruitian had been spoiled since childhood and had never experienced much hardship. Upon hearing that her mother needed surgery, she had been completely terrified.
She had forced herself to stay strong so as not to worry her mother.
But the moment she saw her brother, her eyes immediately reddened.
“What are we going to do?”
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
A gentle warmth touched Jiang Zongyan’s usually cool, elegant features. He raised a hand and patted his sister on the head.
The next moment, he felt a gaze fixed on him.
Jiang Zongyan looked to the side.
Zhou Suisui was staring at him with a pair of large, watery eyes. Her usually rosy little face was pale, as though she had been frightened.
Jiang Zongyan paused.
This girl was usually so bold. Could she actually be afraid?
Before he had time to think, his other hand had already risen and settled atop her fluffy head, giving it a gentle pat.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“…?”
Zhou Suisui had been lost in memories of her previous life when a warm hand suddenly landed on her head.
Her unfocused gaze snapped into clarity, and her body instinctively shifted aside, avoiding his hand.
At the look in her eyes—as though she regarded him as something as terrifying as a flood or a wild beast—the man’s hand froze, and his face instantly darkened.
Only then did Zhou Suisui realize that Jiang Zongyan had been trying to comfort her, while she had dodged as though avoiding a poisonous snake or scorpion.
Coming to her senses, she waved at Jiang Zongyan with an ingratiating smile.
“Brother Yan, you’re here.”
Jiang Zongyan withdrew his hand and cast her a cool glance.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly, but he didn’t respond.
She hadn’t shown even the slightest sign of surprise. Always pretending.
“…”
Zhou Suisui pressed her lips together.
What is it now, Your Highness?
Just then, a commotion arose at the elevator entrance.
“Where’s my wife? Where is my wife?”
“Mr. Jiang, please calm down! Mrs. Jiang only has a minor problem. It’s nothing serious, nothing serious!”
Jiang Xingming was followed by a group of elderly doctors in white coats. With their thick glasses, they were clearly highly experienced physicians—at the level of hospital directors.
