Because of a single sentence from his teacher, Nie Zhao was convinced that his father would definitely die that night. Even though there were two separate bedrooms for accompanying patients in this ward, he didn't go to sleep. He first sat by the bed, and then moved to the sofa, staying up all night until dawn.

Why is it that people who have been ill for a long time are both afraid of death and yet yearn for it?

Just like Nie Rong, at first he was still energetic, but after lying down for a long time, he developed bedsores and was in pain.

As his yang energy gradually waned, he began to experience auditory and visual hallucinations. He would feel as if his body was being burned by fire or fried in oil. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see scenes of hell before him, and he could even see Ox-Head and Horse-Face dragging him into a pot of boiling oil.

At times like these, wealthy people resort to two things: performing religious rituals and making donations, in order to eliminate karmic obstacles.

Perhaps the continuous water and land rituals had an effect, but in medical terms, most of his organs had become dysfunctional, and the edema had numbed his sense of pain. In any case, Nie Rong slept peacefully through the night without any dreams.

When I woke up early in the morning, I turned my head and saw my youngest son curled up on the sofa, fully clothed, sleeping so soundly. Although he was struggling to breathe because of the diaper, he didn't move or call the male nurse who was accompanying him. He just silently stayed there.

In his youth, life was fleeting, but now, lying in a hospital bed, only able to reminisce and savor the past, Nie Rong was surprised to find that he had indeed wronged Nie Zhao a great deal.

For example, he suddenly remembered that Nie Zhao was particularly prone to crying before he was one year old, and would cry all night long until dawn. At that time, Han Yuzhu was very ill and had been hospitalized. Nie Rong also had to take on too much business and was annoyed by his son's crying. Once, in the middle of the night, he snatched Nie Zhao from the nanny and threw him heavily onto the bed, almost killing him.

But it was only at this moment that he suddenly remembered that once when he happened to see the wet nurse changing Nie Zhao's diaper, Nie Zhao's whole bottom was red. He casually asked the wet nurse what the reason was, and the wet nurse said it was fetal toxins, which was congenital.

He only cursed, "What a wicked child! Not only did he ruin his mother, but he's also useless."

But only today, only now, does he realize that it was because the wet nurse was too lazy. She was too lazy to get up at night to make him milk and too lazy to change his diapers. What did it matter that little Nie Zhao was born into a wealthy family? No one was supervising the wet nurse. His body was weighed down by the heavy diapers, and his little bottom was itchy and sore. He was also hungry, so he could only wail and cry incessantly.

The reason he loved and missed his mother so much was because when Han Yuzhu was around, the wet nurse dared not slack off.

The elderly and children all need care, and that care has nothing to do with money, but with love.

He always complained that Nie Zhao wouldn't get close to him, but only now did he recall the fear he felt when the little baby cried until his voice was hoarse in the middle of the night, finally seeing his father, only to be yelled at by his father to be thrown to his death and left on the bed.

He always felt indebted to Nie Yao, but at that time, Nie Yao was carefully protected by Mei Lu and lacked nothing.

He never gave Nie Zhao, who had lived in hunger, cold and fear since childhood, a single bit of love, so how could he expect to repay him?

And then, Nie Rong suddenly felt scared and inexplicably guilty.

If it weren't for the fact that infants under three years old have no memory, and Nie Zhao were to remember those past events, he would probably hate him even more.

Because diapers need to be changed and the body wiped, the person on night duty is a strong male caregiver, who sleeps on the cot.

Sensing movement on the hospital bed, he immediately sat up, but Nie Rong waved his hand, signaling him to calm down and not move.

He said in a low voice, "Let Ah Zhao sleep a little longer."

However, as soon as someone spoke, Nie Zhao immediately woke up and sat up.

He glanced at his watch and saw that it was already six o'clock in the morning. He said to the caregiver, "I have to go. Call me anytime if you need anything."

He hoped his father would have a stroke, but of course he didn't want to torment him over trivial matters, so he instructed the caregiver: "Change his diapers frequently and wipe him down often. Also, whatever medicine can relieve his pain, don't limit the dosage, use it as much as you like."

The caregiver followed him out, seeing him off all the way: "Chairman Nie, you are truly the epitome of filial piety."

Nie Zhao paused for a moment, then called Secretary An: "Thank you for getting up early. Call a reporter over, just one."

The bodyguards were resting on the bed in the outer room. When they saw Nie Zhao come out, they escorted him into the elevator. He yawned and pressed the button for the first floor. There was a famous egg tart shop nearby. The bodyguards could have bought some, but he insisted on going by himself and asked Song Yuanchao to accompany him. The egg tart shop was not far from the hospital and had just opened.

Suddenly, someone called out from the side, "Chairman Nie?"

Nie Zhao turned his head and saw a dark-skinned middle-aged man. He nodded and said, "Good morning."

The man raised his camera. Song Yuanchao tried to block it, but Nie Zhao waved his hand. He quickly took a picture and gave a thumbs up, saying, "I saw you coming out of the hospital. You stayed up all night to stay with your wife, didn't you? Are you here to buy egg tarts for her?"

In fact, as long as there are no hidden forces stirring things up behind the scenes, social order can be improved.

Now that Gui Tou Chang is gone, big bosses are less wary of major kidnappers like Zhang Ziqiang.

Moreover, big bosses need exposure; appearing in newspapers is free publicity for their businesses.

When Nie Zhao talked about his son, he couldn't help but smile: "It's my little rascal who loves to eat this."

The reporter, holding a recording pen, said: "Working during the day, staying up all night to keep your child company, and still buying breakfast for your child at dawn, Chairman Nie, you are truly a model of Hong Kong men, a 24K gold filial son, a 24-fold devoted husband, and a doting father."

Everything else is negotiable, but Song Yuanchao wondered if he was sure about the 24K gold-plated filial son.

Nie Zhao waited for the egg tart shop to open and chatted with the reporter: "My wife arranged for me to stay with her, so I had no choice but to go along with it."

The reporter nodded while holding up the recorder and said, "Mrs. Nie unveiled the electronics exhibition yesterday, and in the evening she was photographed by reporters shopping in Lan Kwai Fong with friends. She even had the thought to remind you, sir, to go to the hospital. Her schedule is packed, but she still doesn't forget to be filial."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!