CHAPTER 287: CHAPTER 287: NOT RETURNING TO JIN CITY?

Not long after the party had ended, Li Zihan received a call from the family doctor and immediately rushed to the hospital upon learning about his mother’s condition.

Today was the roast duck restaurant’s anniversary celebration, and he had treated all the employees to a barbecue.

So Madam Lai was not at home when she fainted.

On the other hand, Li Zishen, who was in Huang City, was still holding a video conference through his laptop.

It wasn’t until half an hour later, when the meeting ended, that he saw several missed calls on his phone, from the family doctor and his younger brother Li Zihan.

Li Zishen frowned, realizing that something might have happened at home.

He immediately made a call.

"Hello, Zihan, what happened?"

On the other end of the phone, Li Zihan answered anxiously, "Brother, come back quickly. Mom fainted, and she might need surgery."

Li Zishen’s heart tightened. "Okay."

After hanging up, he quickly left the hotel.

By the time he took a private jet back to Jin City, Madam Lai had already completed all the examinations. At the moment, she was lying on the hospital bed, somewhat delirious, with an IV drip in her hand.

Looking at his mother’s pale face, Li Zishen was filled with self-blame.

"Mom, I’m sorry."

Nanny Wu came over and comforted him, "Young Master, the madam will be alright, don’t worry too much."

She then detailed the whole story, including every word Second Aunt Lai had said.

After listening, Li Zishen, with dull eyes, sat by the bed, tightly holding his mother’s hand.

He glanced at the IV drip hanging above the bed and silently vowed to acquire all of Second Uncle Lai Wanshan’s personal assets in his own name, to properly seek revenge for his mother.

Just then, Li Zihan came in.

He had just been called to the doctor’s office.

Seeing his brother at a loss, Li Zishen immediately asked, "What did the doctor say?"

"The doctor said the bleeding in Mom’s brain isn’t severe. She can undergo conservative treatment for now. Even if she wakes up, she will need to be observed in the hospital for some time, and we mustn’t stress her further."

Li Zishen solemnly responded, "From now on, I forbid Second Uncle and Second Aunt from setting foot in this ward, and even Third Aunt as well."

"It’s despicable; what Nanny Wu said is true. They are ruthlessly scheming, all of it deliberate!"

With that, a shadow of coldness flashed in Li Zishen’s eyes as he firmly said, "Don’t worry, I won’t let them get away with this; I’ll make them pay."

The bodyguards quickly took their positions several minutes later.

Aside from medical staff, no one else was allowed to enter the ward without permission.

Under Li Zishen’s instructions, Chen Xin started preparing for the acquisition of Li Wanshan’s private holdings. This time, Li Zishen was indeed embodying those messy rumors online, ruthlessly overpowering his own uncle without regard for family ties.

In terms of tactics, Li Wanshan was no match for Li Zishen; the outcome would be clear in three days.

At six o’clock in the morning, as dawn broke,

Li Zishen was still by the hospital bed, filled with self-blame, thinking he had been too caught up with business over the years and had neglected spending time with his mother.

He recalled the times following his father’s death.

The memories were vivid; his mother had had a hard time those years, facing family conflicts alone. Even now, having turned the situation around, she still wasn’t respected by Second Uncle Lai, with issues from as far away as Huang City being blown out of proportion.

"Mom, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault; you’ve suffered so much because of me."

"In the future, I’ll visit Bie Yuan more often."

"I’ll join you for meals, take walks... I’m sorry, Mom, it’s all my fault, I’m so sorry."

Although Madam Lai was still unconscious, maybe sensing her son’s self-blame, her right hand’s two fingers twitched slightly.

Li Zishen quickly squeezed her hand, softly calling out, "Mom, it’s Zishen, Mom..."

Li Zihan, watching his brother so distressed, also felt an indescribable pain, as he too wasn’t by their mother’s side when she had the incident.

...

Jinyuan Academy, building 29.

Granny Yu had just finished cooking lean meat porridge and was about to call everyone to eat when she suddenly received an unnamed call and fell into deep thought.

Wang Meijuan approached and immediately asked, "What happened?"

"Miss is not coming back."

Wang Meijuan, upon hearing this, was extremely shocked, and her eyes widened.

"But... why? School is about to start. Is Miss planning to take a leave of absence? Oh, right, is she preparing for the wedding with Mr. Leng?"

After speaking, Wang Meijuan smiled happily.

She had seen the trending news last night and was genuinely happy for them.

"It’s not a wedding—it’s that the old lady is still alive. Miss wants to stay in Huang City for a while," Granny Yu replied thoughtfully.

"Old, Old Mrs.? How is that possible? Isn’t the old lady already..."

"Yes, still alive."

Wang Meijuan looked at Granny Yu with a puzzled face and whispered, "Then... who is the person who died, it couldn’t be Granny Cai, could it?"

"Yes, it was... Granny Cai."

After answering, Granny Yu smiled and went up to the third floor, tears filling her eyes.

Watching her lonely figure, Wang Meijuan felt particularly complicated, happy for her own miss yet saddened by the departure of Granny Cai.

Last month, during the reunion at Mei Garden, only Granny Cai and Lin Xiaoxiao were missing. She was puzzled then, thinking Granny Cai had gone home to retire and Lin Xiaoxiao perhaps had climbed a different branch, never imagining it would be like this.

Ah, what a good person Granny Cai was!

Hope Lin Xiaoxiao is alright.

Nothing will happen, definitely not.

"Meijuan, Meijuan?"

A deep voice came, it was Cheng Shi who had just finished washing the car.

"What’s wrong Meijuan?"

"Granny Yu said that the old lady is still alive, she didn’t die. Miss won’t be returning to Jin City for now, she plans to stay in Huang City for a while and won’t be returning to school either."

Wang Meijuan spoke calmly, still not recovered from the shock.

Thinking Cheng Shi would react the same.

However, he remained unfazed, simply nodding slightly before quickly walking past her toward the kitchen.

"Hey, Cheng Shi, why don’t you..."

"Hurry, hurry, let’s eat quickly. Knowing the young miss’s temperament, we might get a call any minute... and then we’ll have to head to Huang City."

"Are you that hungry?"

Cheng Shi took a spoon, replying, "It’s already seven o’clock, how could I not be?" He then started to serve the lean meat porridge, "How much for you, half a bowl still?"

"Oh, right, half a bowl."

Wang Meijuan shook her head, resigned, and silently muttered two words in her heart: typical man.

With that, they began to have breakfast.

Soon, just as Cheng Shi had predicted, he received a call from Tang Xiaowan saying they would leave for Huang City in two hours.

Except for seasonal clothes and personal items, they needed to bring nothing else.

"I can finally leave Jin City!"

"Remember in July, when the old lady dismissed everyone, saying she was going back to Huang City to retire? I thought at the time... it was just an excuse to placate us."

"The old lady always keeps her word."

"So, you’re not at all surprised... about the old lady still being alive?"

"Of course not. The day before the car accident, the old lady said she’d return to Huang City on October first. During this period, whatever happened, she told me to protect the young miss and be ready at any time."

"You’ve got to be kidding, it’s as if..."

"The old lady never breaks a promise, it’s always been that way," Cheng Shi replied with conviction.

At that moment, Wang Meijuan was also baffled.

She didn’t know whether on this issue, it was Cheng Shi being too straightforward and obstinately keeping promises, or if Old Mrs. Tang had foreseen the future and successfully avoided danger.

Thus, she went straight to the third floor, intending to have a good talk with Granny Yu.