Chapter 290 I'm Afraid He'll Destroy You

The next day, Lin Yan prepared to go to the hospital to see Lin Zhi.

Just as she reached the door, the doorbell rang suddenly. She looked through the peephole and saw that it was Xing Yingxue.

Opening the door, Lin Yan and her eyes met.

It has been three or four days since she came back from Li Island. The haggardness on her face has faded a little, and her eyes no longer have the sharpness that used to pierce people.

Only the calmness with the edges and corners smoothed out remains.

"What? Don't you want to invite me in and sit down?" Xing Yingxue spoke first, in a joking tone.

"Come in." Lin Yan turned and walked towards the restaurant: "Please sit down first. I'll get you a glass of water."

Xing Yingxue walked into the living room, her eyes sweeping across the spacious flat, her fingertips rubbing against the armrest of the sofa. "Nice house! This is my first time here. Where's my brother?"

"He went out early in the morning." Lin Yan handed her the cup of water.

Xing Yingxue took the water and didn't ask any more questions.

The two of them were silent for a few seconds. The sofa sank a little. Xing Yingxue leaned against the cushions and called her, "Lin Yan."

Lin Yan turned to look at her, but she stopped talking and just stared at the light spot at the bottom of the cup in a daze.

"What's wrong? What do you want from me?"

Xing Yingxue raised her eyes and pulled a faint smile at the corner of her mouth: "Can't I just chat with you? After all, you are my sister-in-law."

Lin Yan teased her: "Now you admit that I am your sister-in-law, didn't you deny it before?"

"People can't teach people, but things can teach people, once is enough." Xing Yingxue said with a double entendre, mocking herself: "I was blind before, you know that."

Of course Lin Yan knew what she meant.

She deliberately avoided Song Yanzheng and asked, "Have you seen Nan Xin?"

When Xing Yingxue mentioned her daughter, her eyes lit up a little and her tone softened: "I saw her. The little one missed me very much and refused to be separated from me for a moment these past few days."

"That's good."

There was another silence. Xing Yingxue suddenly sat up straighter, put the cup on the coffee table and looked at her.

"Lin Yan, tomorrow is Chinese New Year, come home and have dinner with me." She paused, her voice adding a hint of helplessness: "I called my brother and asked him to come back, but he didn't reply. I really have no choice but to come to you."

Lin Yan didn't agree at first, but listened to her continue.

"After all, we are a family, there are no conflicts that cannot be resolved. You and my brother have been married for two years. Although we haven't had a wedding, you are still part of our Xing family. It's time to go home for a reunion dinner. Grandma hasn't passed away yet. After the New Year, she will go back to the countryside. Let's get together for a meal and make her happy."

She had been with Xing Yu for so long, but she had never sat down to have a proper meal with anyone in the Xing family.

Although Xing Zhonghua never approved of her, as a junior, she should try her best to maintain this superficial harmony.

"I understand." The hesitation in Lin Yan's eyes disappeared, and she agreed: "I will go back with Xing Yu tomorrow night."

"Lin Yan." Xing Yingxue picked up the water cup and took another sip. As the warm water slid down her throat, she said slowly, "Thank you..."

"Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for letting bygones be bygones, thank you for helping me on Li Island, thank you for... being a kind person."

"You're welcome, sister."

The two smiled at each other, and the ice that had previously stood between them finally revealed a warm undertone.

…

Lin Yan came to the hospital and turned the corner of the corridor, then saw Are standing outside the ward, talking on the phone seriously.

When he hung up the phone, he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.

His voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement: "Sister Lin, I have good news for you!"

Lin Yan stopped and asked, "What news?"

"I've found a cornea donor." Are's voice rose a little, then quickly lowered: "Seventh Brother's eyes can be saved!"

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat, and then her brows furrowed tightly.

She knew only too well how difficult it was to find a cornea donor. She had consulted a doctor yesterday and learned that there were more than four million patients in China waiting for transplants, but less than ten thousand donors were available each year.

How did Arei find it so quickly?

"Alei." Her tone deepened, her eyes wary. "You're not doing anything illegal, are you?"

Are raised his eyebrows, the excitement on his face faded a little, but he did not avoid her gaze.

"Sister Lin, don't worry. I found the corneas at Lantai! Those places can get donors as long as you pay. I don't care what they do. As long as I can cure Brother Qi's eyes, I don't care."

Lin Yan stepped forward and whispered to him, "Alei, tell me honestly, you wouldn't...harm an innocent person for the sake of a cornea, right?"

"..." Are leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes a bit evasive. "I... this is absolutely legal. The donor was a cancer patient at a hospital in Lantai. He signed a donation agreement before leaving. I asked my brother at Lantai to contact the person in charge there to confirm that there was no problem, and then we decided on it."

He was afraid that Lin Yan would not believe him, so he added, "I have checked the procedures and all the formalities are complete. There will definitely be no problems. Don't worry."

Lin Yan stared into his eyes for a few seconds and reluctantly believed it.

"So when does the doctor say I can have the surgery?"

"We'll have to wait a few more days. Brother Qi's eye is still inflamed, and we need to get rid of the inflammation first. It'll take about a week for it to subside. Also, the donor is currently at Lantai, and it'll take time to get him back there. I've asked around, and they say corneas can be kept refrigerated for 1 to 14 days, so that's definitely enough time."

He looked at Lin Yan's worried expression and added, "Sister Lin, don't worry too much. Have a good New Year. Everything will be fine after Brother Seven has the surgery."

Lin Yan felt warm in her heart: "Alei, thank you. You have been taking care of my brother these days."

"Speaking of this." A Lei waved his hand: "Seventh Brother is my brother. He treats me like his own brother. He is my family. It is my duty to take care of him."

Lin Yan suddenly became interested in why he called Lin Zhi "Seventh Brother": "By the way, why do you all call Lin Zhi "Seventh Brother"? Is there any special meaning?"

Are leaned against the wall and smiled: "I actually asked him this question."

"Seventh Brother said the number seven is very meaningful. For example, there are 'seven stars' in the sky, there are 'seven-character verses' in poetry, there are 'seven emotions and seven senses' in people, there's the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meeting on the Magpie Bridge on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, and after a person dies, a memorial ceremony is held every seven days until 49 days have passed, when they are considered at peace. He thought seven was auspicious, so that's how he named it."

Lin Yan: "I can't believe my brother is such a cultured person."

"You are truly my sister. I thank you on behalf of my seventh brother."

Lin Yan stopped joking with him and got down to business: "Tomorrow is Chinese New Year. I was planning to have you and my brother come home for dinner tonight, but I have to go back to the Xing family with Xing Yu tomorrow, so you guys..."

"Don't worry about us." A Lei interrupted: "Seventh Brother's mother, it was Zhou Jing who just called me and said she would come to pick up Seventh Brother to go home for the New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow. She also asked me to come with her, saying that it would be more lively with more people."

"That's fine." After saying that, Lin Yan remembered something and reminded him, "By the way, don't ask too much if you don't see Luo Luo when you get home tomorrow. She... went out of town. Don't let my brother know yet. I'll tell him after the surgery."

Are's eyes moved slightly: "Yeah."

Seeing that Lin Yan returned to the ward first, Are's expression became more serious.

After a while, the phone in my hand rang again.

He frowned and answered the call.

"Brother Lei, what do you think? She came to me on her own initiative. Should we remove her cornea?"

Arei held the phone tightly, hesitated for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Get it."

The other end reminded him: "Then you have to keep this news secret. If Brother Seven knew, I'm afraid he would destroy you."

"It doesn't matter. I will bear all the consequences."

"She has conditions."

"Agree to everything. Agree to any condition she has..."