Inside the kitchen, Chen Jing's two apprentices were busy at work.

Luo Yifan looked around but couldn't find the figure who was wearing a chef's uniform but still looked slender.

Where is your master?

The two young men looked up at the same time, and one of them answered him.

"Good morning, Boss Luo. My master has something to do today and won't be coming back."

Luo Yifan was stunned for a moment. If he remembered correctly, he called her when he left last night, and she clearly said that she would come back today.

Moreover, she rarely misses going back to the restaurant; it's just a matter of whether she goes back earlier or later.

When did she say she wasn't coming back?

Perhaps the two young men received false information.

“Master came back this morning and prepared all the ingredients we need for the next two days. He left a note saying he won’t be coming back today.”

Seeing that Luo Yifan still looked skeptical, he gestured towards the refrigerator and said, "Hey, the note is still stuck there. Mr. Luo, take a look for yourself."

Undeterred, Luo Yifan actually went to take a look. Besides explaining some things, the last item on it did indeed say that he had something to do and wouldn't be coming back.

But why didn't she inform him? She's not usually such a irresponsible person.

Did she say what it was about?

Luo Yifan, who was stood up, expressed that he was also a little unhappy.

"She didn't say. Could it be that she went to take care of Uncle Dong? Uncle Dong has been sick lately, and Master has been making soup for him every day."

The young chef's words made Luo Yifan frown slightly.

She left suddenly yesterday because of Bai Xiangdong. When he called her around 9 p.m., she was still in the hospital.

It seems that today, it is indeed possible that she went to the hospital to take care of Bai Xiangdong.

But doesn't Bai Xiangdong have a daughter? Besides, it's not convenient for a single woman to take care of a single man, is it?

With that thought in mind, Luo Yifan carried the soy milk and fried dough sticks out of the kitchen.

There were no customers in the store yet; the staff were cleaning and preparing for opening. They were used to his presence and ignored him.

He took out his phone and played with it for a while, but in the end, he put it away, stood up, greeted the clerk, and walked out the door.

Every time he comes here, he stays at a hotel not far from the restaurant, just a few minutes' walk away.

He then strolled leisurely from the restaurant back to the hotel. Halfway there, he realized he was still carrying the soy milk and fried dough sticks he had bought for Chen Jing. When he passed the trash can, he hesitated for a moment, but still threw them in.

...

Bai Shao worked overtime until very late last night before returning to the Yan family home. By then, Zhu Qianying was already asleep. Yan Shao told her that her father had fainted again.

So, she got up early in the morning and went to the hospital to see Bai Xiangdong.

When Bai Xiangdong saw her, he smiled and said, "Xiao Shao, you're here?"

Bai Shao looked at his forced smile and knew that he was probably in a lot of pain.

Just now, she went to see the doctor to learn about her father's condition. The doctor said that the cancer cells were spreading very quickly, and surgery should be performed as soon as possible.

Bai Shao was also anxious, but no matter how anxious she was, she had to coordinate with Jiang Qi's schedule and itinerary.

Actually, she had a vague feeling that there must be a lot involved in the matter of Dr. Zhao, otherwise, Young Master Yan would not have been so reluctant to talk about him.

However, the recovery rate of most similar surgeries performed by doctors in China is only 20%, while the recovery rate of the authoritative foreign expert that Yan Shao consulted was around 40%.

As for Dr. Zhao, the data from a few years ago was around 50%, and it is said that it has improved slightly in the last two years.

For Bai Shao, she was willing to take any risks to give her father a 30% better chance of survival.

This danger doesn't just refer to Dr. Zhao's side, but also to the Zong family behind Jiang Qi.

It seems that Xiao Luzi's true identity will soon be exposed.

Bai Shao had a vague sense of foreboding.

"Dad, I just talked to the doctor and they'll prescribe some medicine for you tomorrow so you can be discharged temporarily. We'll go out and spend the day with Xiaoluzi, okay?"

Bai Shao felt as if she were standing on a precipice with a broken arm, unable to move forward or backward.

"Of course! I haven't seen Xiao Luzi for days, I've missed her terribly." Bai Xiangdong immediately looked excited.

Recently, his expressions have become much more revealing; his joys, sorrows, and anger are no longer as unpredictable as before.

Perhaps even he himself realized something.

Bai Shao turned around and went to discuss it with the doctor.

When she returned to the Yan family home that evening, she told Zhu Qianying that she was going to take Xiao Luzi out to accompany her father the next day. Zhu Qianying looked at her in surprise, and then, after a long, long time, asked.

"Xiao Shao, are you really sure?"

Bai Shao nodded solemnly, "Yes, if the worst-case scenario comes true, I have to accept it, don't I?"

Seeing her friend say this, Zhu Qianying didn't want to dissuade her. After all, only she knew what was best for her and for Xiao Luzi, and only she had the right to decide.

"Alright, since you've already made up your mind, I don't need to say anything more. Anyway, if you need any help, just let me know."

Zhu Qianying remained steadfast in her stance of "no matter what you do, I will always be your strong support," which brought tears to Bai Shao's eyes again.

She reached out and hugged her friend, "Ying'er, thank you!"

Zhu Qianying patted her head, "Stop being so mushy. Remember to come back healthy with Uncle Dong and bring Bai Xiaolu back. If you don't come to pick her up by then, I'll take Xiaolu for myself."

Bai Shao burst into laughter through her tears, "Hehe, sure, I'll give her to you as your daughter-in-law."

After laughing and joking around for a while, Zhu Qianying handed her the bank card that she had previously returned.

"Take it, just in case!"

Bai Shao hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she accepted the card.

At first, she accepted the card because she thought it contained at most a few hundred thousand yuan.

But when she checked the card at the ATM, she was immediately stunned by the long string of zeros inside, so she quickly returned the card to her.

But now, she has no idea how much money it will cost to accompany her father abroad.

She hasn't actually saved much money over the years; otherwise, her father wouldn't have had to pay for her house.

Thinking about it, it's really pathetic.

But she had no choice. Unlike Zhu Qianying, who was in the US for work, she was studying abroad. She was already penniless, and then this little debt collector showed up.

She worked for two years, and in the first year, she used most of her income to pay off the money she had borrowed during her studies and raising her child.

That year, she managed to save some money, but then had to terminate her contract with the company and pay a penalty for breach of contract because she had to return to China.

Therefore, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was penniless when she returned to China with Xiao Luzi.

"Wherever you want to go tomorrow, let the driver take you. It's better to have someone look after Uncle Dong in his current condition!" Zhu Qianying added at the end.