Is it a terminal illness?

"Mom! You're awake!"

When Lu Yuwu noticed that Shang Wu had opened her eyes, she immediately rushed to her and hugged her, crying even harder.

"You scared me to death, Mom..."

Shang Wu raised her somewhat weak hand and gently patted her daughter's back, her voice low and feeble.

"Don't cry, Mommy's okay..."

At this moment, Lu Rang finished talking with the doctor and turned around to come back.

Upon seeing Shang Wu wake up, he immediately walked quickly to the bedside, took her other hand, and tried his best to force a reassuring smile.

But his smile betrayed his weariness and worry.

"You're awake? How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Lu asked a series of questions, his tone urgent.

Shang Wu shook her head, looked at him calmly, and asked directly, "A-Rang, what did the doctor say? Do I have some kind of serious illness?"

Lu Rang tightened his grip on her hand, avoiding her probing gaze, and tried to keep his tone relaxed.

"Don't overthink it, it's nothing serious, just a minor surgery, it'll be over soon."

"Minor surgery?" Shang Wu looked at his shifty eyes and became even more certain of her guess.

If it's just a minor surgery, why is his daughter crying like this? And why is he so serious?

But she didn't ask any further questions.

If the outcome is truly bad, she doesn't want to reveal it to her daughter and make her daughter even more worried.

She simply took Lu Rang's hand in return, her fingertips slightly cool, but a gentle smile appeared on her face.

She looked at Lu Rang, her eyes filled with longing and deep affection.

Shang Wu said softly, "A-Rang, don't worry. Being able to marry you, give birth to Xiao Wu, and have everything I have now is already the greatest fortune of my life. No matter what the outcome, I have no regrets."

Her words were sincere, but Ju Sa Di felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just gripped her hand tighter, his voice hoarse: "Don't talk nonsense, you'll be alright."

Shang Wu smiled and didn't continue the topic.

She turned to look at Lu You, who was still lying there crying, and said softly, "Xiao Wu, don't cry. Mommy is a little hungry. Can you go and buy Mommy some light porridge?"

Lu Yuwu raised her tear-filled face and saw Lu Rang nod gently to her before choking back tears in agreement.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

She wiped away her tears and walked out of the ward, turning back to look at herself every few steps.

After sending their daughter away, only the two of them remained in the ward.

Looking at Zhang Lurang's furrowed brows and the deep worry hidden in his eyes, Shang Wu felt a sense of peace.

She gently pulled Lu Rang's hand and placed it on her slightly cool cheek, closed her eyes, and felt the familiar warmth and lines of his palm.

Outside the window, the sky was getting dark, and the lights in the ward were not on.

Regardless, it's enough that they're together at this moment.

...

The surgery was urgently scheduled for that evening.

Lu Yuwu had just returned from buying porridge when she learned that her mother was about to enter the operating room, leaving her completely stunned.

As she watched the nurses prepare for the surgery and her father silently sign document after document, her sense of foreboding grew stronger and stronger, and her heart pounded with anxiety.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the corridor.

Lu You and Cheng Zhou rushed over, their faces full of anxiety.

"Ah-Rang! How is Ah-Wu? What happened? Why does she suddenly need surgery?"

Lu You grabbed Lu Rang's arm and kept asking questions, her voice filled with undisguised panic.

She and Shang Wu had an extremely close relationship, like sisters. Upon hearing the news, she immediately dropped everything and rushed over.

Cheng Zhou also looked serious as he asked Lu Rang, "Yes, what exactly is the situation? How serious is it?"

Looking at their worried faces, Lu Rang's Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to keep his voice steady.

"Sisters, don't worry too much. It's just a minor issue that was found during the checkup. I need to have a minimally invasive surgery, and it will be over quickly with no risks."

He deliberately downplayed the seriousness of the matter, not wanting to cause greater panic before the surgery.

"A minor problem? A minor problem that would cause fainting? And require such an emergency surgery?"

Lu You clearly didn't believe it.

She knew her brother well; he wouldn't be in that expression and state if the situation weren't serious.

"A-Rang, tell me the truth! What happened to A-Wu?"

"Sis, you're really okay."

Lu Rang pressed down on Lu You's shoulder, his eyes filled with pleading, yet also with unwavering determination.

"Trust me, let's talk about it after the surgery, okay? Don't distract A-Wu now."

Lu You and Cheng Zhou felt even heavier.

But they understood Lu Rang's intentions, so they could only suppress their unease and doubts and wait anxiously in the corridor.

Lu Yuwu felt a pang of sadness and pain as she watched her father bear the pressure alone, trying to remain calm and reassure her when questioned.

She walked over, gently took Lu You's arm, and said in a hoarse voice, "Auntie, don't worry, Dad knows what's going on. What we need to do now is wait patiently for Mom to come out."

Looking at her red eyes and the way she was trying to suppress her grief, Lu You felt a pang of heartache and pulled her into his arms. He sighed and didn't press Lu Rang any further.

The atmosphere in the corridor was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Time passed by second by second, and each second seemed exceptionally long.

Suddenly, the elevator doors opened again, and a figure staggered out.

It is Fu Yan.

He was wearing a hospital gown with a coat casually draped over his shoulders, and his face was even paler than before.

Fu Yan had just finished his IV drip, and with every step he took, his brows were furrowed and his forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

"Fu Yan! What brings you here? Your injuries..." Lu Yuwu was both surprised and anxious when she saw him, and quickly ran over to support him.

"I'm fine..." Fu Yan's voice was weak, but his gaze swept anxiously across the closed operating room door. "How is Aunt Shang?"

“He’s still inside.” Looking at his weak yet determined appearance, Lu Yuwu’s tears welled up again, and she helped him to sit down on a nearby bench.

"Why aren't you staying in your ward? What are you doing out here? What if your wound reopens?"

Fu Yan shook his head, grasped her hand tightly with his uninjured left hand, and looked firmly toward the operating room: "I'll wait with you."

Lu Yuwu was somewhat moved, her eyes flickering, and finally she nodded.

Looking at the way they nestled together, and then at Lu You and Cheng Zhou who had been waiting silently, Lu Rang was filled with mixed emotions.

He walked alone to the window, his back to everyone, gazing at the deep night outside, his figure exuding an indescribable heaviness.

Lu Rang clenched his fists.

No one knows what kind of pressure he is under beneath his seemingly calm exterior.

He was afraid, afraid of losing the woman who had been with him for many years and was already a part of his very being.

Time slowly passed in anxious waiting.

Finally, after several hours, the lights above the operating room went out.