CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123 QIN JINHAI IN CRITICAL CONDITION

"You actually don’t want me to be more than friends with Fu Bing, right?"

Han Liying didn’t respond immediately.

After thinking it through seriously for a while, she finally said, "It’s not a simple matter of opposition or insistence. As a mother, I’ve been negligent over the years. Our relationship can’t be considered close. Since waking up, I’ve desperately wanted to make up for my absence. I want to share everything with you, to build a new bond with you both in the process.

"Based on this, I won’t oppose anything you do. I’m also willing to offer advice and strategies when you pursue Xiaobing.

"However, precisely because I am a mother, I don’t want my children to endure a difficult romance or a tumultuous marriage. Xiaobing has been through so much. No matter how open-minded or detached she tries to be, her past will still affect her. Her relationship with Qin Jinhai was too profound, too deeply etched in her heart to be easily forgotten. You might spend your entire life in doubt, constantly wondering if she truly loves you. You may be willing to live that life, but you might not fully grasp the hardship and pain it entails."

Su Junling listened intently to her analysis.

Han Liying continued, "From my perspective, Xiaobing is my lifesaver, and I wish her well. The Su Family is like a large umbrella that can shield her from life’s storms. For that to happen, her marrying into the Su Family isn’t the only path. I can adopt her as my daughter, making her the adopted daughter of the Su Family. That way, she can still be protected by us."

"I object!" Su Junling immediately refused without a second thought.

"I’m only analyzing the situation with you, not announcing my decision. You need to figure out what to do on your own and arrive at your own conclusion. Given that your father and I have had a reasonably successful marriage for decades, my advice is that relationships need to be managed with sense, not just pure passion and love. Love, by itself, will eventually fade. If you’ve thoughtfully nurtured your connection leading up to that point, you’ll have the foundation and confidence to keep your bond harmonious."

Su Junling nodded and said, "In the future, when I direct romance scenes, I absolutely must ask you to be a consultant."

"I’ll be waiting," Han Liying said, not continuing the lengthy discussion with him.

She was more concerned about Fu Bing’s condition.

「*」

Jian Yao was about to lose his mind.

No matter what medicine they poured into Qin Jinhai’s mouth, nothing worked.

This guy is seriously challenging my medical skills!

It wasn’t that his medical skills were poor, leading him to neglect in-depth study. It was because the Jian Family needed someone to branch out into other fields. Focusing solely on medicine was too monotonous and also too risky.

Within the Jian Family, he practiced medicine the least.

But he was incredibly confident in his medical abilities.

Qin Jinhai was the only one who had ever made him doubt himself.

Defeated, Jian Yao glared at the comatose Qin Jinhai and sighed.

"Dad, what should we do now? I’m afraid he might not make it."

The elder Mr. Jian was also anxious.

"Notify the Qin Family. Tell them to come and see Qin Jinhai for the last time."

"But... I think we can still try harder."

"And if we fail? How will you explain it to his family?"

Jian Yao couldn’t answer and obediently called Li Yuan.

"Mrs. Qin, my Junior Brother Jinhai’s condition is critical; he could pass away at any moment. If you’re able, you should come see him one last time."

The elder Mr. Jian pressed his hand to his forehead.

How can this youngest son’s IQ be so erratic? Wouldn’t this phone call scare Li Yuan straight into the hospital?

Li Yuan’s mind exploded, her thoughts shattering.

She couldn’t even hold her phone.

It slipped from her grasp, falling onto the carpet.

Qin Sheng and Qin Jinmo looked at her, puzzled.

"What happened?" Qin Sheng asked.

"Someone called and said Jinhai is dying. They told me to go see him for the last time."

"He’s going to die? Impossible!" Qin Sheng exclaimed.

"Mom, he’s full of tricks," Qin Jinmo said. "He must have set a trap, waiting for us to walk right into it."

Li Yuan picked up her phone and checked the recent call history.

After a moment, she announced, "I’m going to Jiangnan."

"Your son is not that weak," Qin Sheng stated.

"I’m his mother! When someone tells me my son is on the brink of death, should I really have to think twice about going to see him? Even if he’s tricking me, so what?"

"He is losing leverage by the minute," Qin Sheng said. "He needs something more important to hold onto. You are his most important leverage. Are you sure you want to go?"

Li Yuan felt a storm of emotions. She rarely showed anger, but her voice was laced with unusual resentment as she said, "In your eyes, the Qin Family’s interests are paramount. Everything you do is for the Qin Family. I’ve turned a blind eye to your schemes all these years. But I am a mother. I only want both my children to live well. If Jinhai is truly critically ill, I almost think it might be a mercy for him. His past life was so dark. You personally snuffed out his only ray of sunshine, and now Fu Bing lies there like a broken rag doll, unable to move. It wouldn’t be him if he weren’t heartbroken.

"As his mother, shouldn’t I be there to comfort him when he’s in such despair and pain?"

"After all these years, you’re still so naive," Qin Sheng said, his tone unreadable.

Li Yuan ignored him and walked out the door.

"Dad, you’re just letting Mom go like that?" Qin Jinmo asked. "If Jinhai intends to harm Mom, won’t she be in great danger?"

Qin Sheng gazed at Qin Jinmo and asked, "Was what you just said a joke, or were you serious?"

Qin Jinmo dared not answer.

Qin Sheng once again doubted his own decisions.

Qin Jinmo is so mediocre. Can he really lead the Qin Family? Without Qin Jinhai, Qin Jinmo would only be a placeholder, someone to maintain the family fortune—if he could even manage that.

Qin Sheng said coldly, "Listen carefully. Many people in this world might wish for Jinhai to die, but you absolutely cannot be one of them. The stronger he is, the more secure your position will be. If anything happens to him, your good days are over."

"Why?" Qin Jinmo asked, not understanding.

"Because you two are a true community of interest, two sides of the same coin. If one suffers, both suffer; if one prospers, both prosper."

"He just slandered me! Why don’t you tell him that if one suffers, both suffer, and if one prospers, both prosper?" Qin Jinmo fumed, thinking about the online smear campaign against him.

Besides Qin Jinhai, who else would do something like this?

Qin Sheng ignored him.

He arranged for the private jet and flew to Jiangnan with Li Yuan.

Jian Yao, who had been by Qin Jinhai’s side the entire time, wasn’t surprised to see Li Yuan and Qin Sheng arrive.

Thinking of the wounds on Qin Jinhai’s body, Jian Yao was filled with anger.

He mocked, "You’re quite eager to collect his body, aren’t you?"

"Where is he?" Li Yuan asked anxiously.

Jian Yao gestured towards a room.

Li Yuan hurried inside.

The room was thick with a strong medicinal scent, so overpowering it almost drove her back out with the first breath.

Seeing Qin Jinhai’s ashen face, Li Yuan couldn’t help but cry.

"Jinhai, Mom is here."