Chapter 5: Deceiving and Cultivating Relationships
Bai Zhenzhen paused, stopping on the stairs.
The conversation in the study continued. Zhao Yongchang sighed as he packed up the examination equipment and continued to persuade him, "I told you three years ago that your illness can only be treated with surgery. Conservative treatment is just delaying the progression of the disease. You should make plans as soon as possible."
"It's not as serious as you make it out to be. After resting and recuperating for the past few years, I feel much better."
Bai Chuxiong leaned back on the single sofa and waved his hand, indicating that the surgery was out of the question.
With medication and conservative treatment, he can live a few more years peacefully. Heart surgery is a major operation, and he's afraid that if something goes wrong, leaving his daughter alone in this world, he won't be able to leave in peace.
"The technology for heart surgery in China is indeed not mature enough yet. I suggest you look for it abroad..."
Zhao Yongchang was a responsible doctor. He wasn't confident he could cure Bai Chuxiong's illness, but he didn't want to see the patient waste the best time for treatment. Every time he came to do a check-up, he would try to persuade him to stop.
Unfortunately, Bai Chuxiong was a very opinionated patient who wouldn't listen to him at all, so Zhao Yongchang had to be a bit harsher: "Your condition seems okay now, but the underlying problems haven't disappeared. The medication isn't very effective for you anymore, and it could flare up at any time. By then, it will be too late to say anything."
"Little Zhao, I've seen all sorts of storms, don't try to fool me..." Bai Chuxiong straightened his clothes, glanced up slightly, and even with a smile on his face, he still exuded a strong sense of pressure.
Zhao Yongchang lowered his head slightly, about to say he dared not, when suddenly there was a loud bang from outside the door, and then the half-closed door was pushed open from the outside.
Bai Zhenzhen walked in with red eyes, her high heels clicking on the floor. The moment Bai Chuxiong saw her, he instantly transformed into a doting father, his face crinkling with smiles. "Zhenzhen's back! The orchard has had a bumper harvest lately, and lots of your favorite fruits are ripe. I was just about to ask Uncle Liu to bring some back for you. Your arrival today is perfect..."
"Dad, what's wrong with you? Don't hide it from me anymore!" Bai Zhenzhen wanted to throw herself into her father's arms and act spoiled like she used to, but then she remembered what she had overheard at the door and quickly stopped him, interrupting his attempt to change the subject. "I heard it all. He said you're dying!"
"..." Zhao Yongchang looked down at the floor. He had just made his words sound more serious; he didn't seem to have mentioned the word "death."
Bai Chuxiong was also speechless at his daughter's words. He smiled helplessly and said, "No, don't talk nonsense. I was just having a normal physical examination. They just found a minor problem."
After saying that, he stood up abruptly, as if to prove that he hadn't lied to her, "You know these doctors, they love to exaggerate. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine, there's nothing wrong with me..."
Before he could finish speaking, Bai Chuxiong suddenly felt a dull pain in his chest, so painful that he lost his balance and swayed as he fell back onto the sofa.
"Dad!" Bai Zhenzhen was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she immediately tried to rush over.
Zhao Yongchang was faster than her, quickly opening the medicine box, taking out the appropriate pills for Bai Chuxiong to take, and then taking out an injection and placing it aside for future use.
Fortunately, Bai Chuxiong gradually recovered after taking the medicine, and the pain in his heart slowly subsided. He turned to look at the frightened Bai Zhenzhen and said, "Zhenzhen, don't be afraid, Dad is fine."
Bai Zhenzhen couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. "You said you were okay, but just now you were... Daddy, I was so scared. Promise me you'll be okay, you can't leave me..."
At this moment, Bai Zhenzhen couldn't remember the dream at all. She only had one thought in her mind: she didn't want anything to happen to Bai Chuxiong. She had never had a mother's love since she was a child, and she absolutely couldn't lose her father as well.
"Okay, okay, sweetie, stop crying. Daddy promises you, Daddy will promise you anything, okay?" Bai Chuxiong couldn't stand seeing his sweet girl cry. Whenever he saw her cry, he wished he could pluck the stars from the sky to comfort her.
"Then you can't lie to me anymore. You have to get proper treatment and live to be a hundred!" Bai Zhenzhen cried as she made her demands, as if she would cry again if she didn't agree. Bai Chuxiong had no choice but to agree to everything.
Sigh, it's okay to tell her now. My daughter has been spoiled by me since she was little and doesn't know anything about the world. Bai Chuxiong has always been worried that Bai Zhenzhen will be bullied after he dies. He knows his own body and how many more years he can live is unknown. It's better to let her be independent sooner rather than later.
Zhao Yongchang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Bai Chuxiong's condition had stabilized. At this moment, Bai Zhenzhen took the opportunity to coax Bai Chuxiong into agreeing to tell her everything.
"What exactly is my father's illness?" Bai Zhenzhen asked, her eyes brimming with tears, without bothering to wipe her face.
In her panic, she knelt down on the sofa. Her face was still wet with tears, and her nose was red from crying as she looked at him. Zhao Yongchang's heart softened, and he helped her up.
“My master has always been in charge of Mr. Bai’s illness. I’m just here today to do a routine check-up for him.” Zhao Yongchang first explained his identity, and then, after obtaining Bai Chuxiong’s permission, slowly informed his family about the patient’s condition.
Clearly, Bai Zhenzhen had a great influence on Bai Chuxiong. When Zhao Yongchang explained the patient's condition, he also hoped that she could persuade him to actively seek treatment. So, disregarding Bai Chuxiong's expression, he sincerely advised her, "There are already very mature heart surgery techniques abroad, including various advanced instruments. These can increase the chances of a successful surgery. Conservative treatment is not good for Mr. Bai's condition. Surgery is the only hope for a cure."
"Dr. Zhao, I have a question for you. Is it true that my father's condition cannot be aggravated by any kind of stimulation?" After listening to his explanation, Bai Zhenzhen already had the answer in her heart.
Zhao Yongchang answered her affirmatively, "Yes, Boss Bai's illness is best treated with rest. Excessive emotional fluctuations can easily trigger his symptoms."
No wonder, Bai Zhenzhen only regretted that she discovered it too late. It turned out that her father had been sick for a long time, but she was too careless to notice. Thinking about it, if she hadn't had that dream, Shen Qing would have gotten into trouble because of her, and she and Shen Huai'an would definitely have divorced. When the news reached her father's ears, he would have been very angry, and his emotional distress would have caused his illness to flare up.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I only found out about your illness now. Was I too willful? Did I always make you angry and cause you to get this disease?" Bai Zhenzhen said, tears welling up in her eyes again, her voice choked with sobs.
Bai Chuxiong was horrified by the scene and hurriedly tried to comfort her. His heart started throbbing again, but fortunately Zhao Yongchang noticed in time and put another pill under his tongue.
Bai Zhenzhen realized what was happening and felt extremely annoyed. Wiping away her tears, she repeatedly assured him, "Dad, I'm fine. I won't cry anymore. Don't worry."
It's understandable that she would lose control of her emotions upon suddenly learning that her loved one's condition was serious. Zhao Yongchang tried to comfort her, saying, "Ms. Bai, I understand how you feel. Mr. Bai's current condition means that the success rate of the surgery is still very high. Your support is also very important. Please cheer up."
Seeing how pitifully the other person was crying, he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to them.
"Thank you, I will." Bai Zhenzhen sniffed. Originally, she had come here today to tell her father about her dream, but now that Bai Chuxiong was unwell and couldn't take any more stimulation, she didn't dare to say anything about it.
After Bai Chuxiong's condition stabilized, Zhao Yongchang left with his medicine box, leaving only the father and daughter in the study.
Bai Chuxiong, feeling stared at by his obedient daughter, coughed lightly and changed the subject, "Alright, my illness is all better now. Zhenzhen, you still haven't told Daddy why you came today. Is it because you didn't have enough money?"
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head, thinking that she couldn't talk about the things in her dream now, but she could pick out some things that wouldn't upset Bai Chuxiong so much to remind him, so she brought up the conflict she had with Li Zhenzhu that morning.
Her intention was to remind her father that some of the family's relatives were problematic and that he shouldn't trust them too much.
Bai Chuxiong, however, seemed unsurprised and instead advised her, "I didn't mention it before because you were on good terms with her. In the future, when you get along with her, remember to be more careful. Remember, no one in this world will be kind to you for no reason except your father. Everyone expects three times the return for being kind to you, and ten times the return for being kind to you. There are no exceptions."
His words didn't seem to refer only to Li Zhenzhu. Bai Zhenzhen nodded to indicate that she remembered. Seeing Bai Chuxiong's gratified expression, she couldn't help but jokingly ask, "Is Shen Huai'an the same way? Dad, you insist that I marry him. Aren't you afraid that he will bully me?"
"Of course, Dad can't completely guarantee that he won't bully you, but his character is quite upright and reliable. In the future, Dad, cough, he works in the procuratorate, and his future is bright. Dad has been kind to him, and as long as he has a conscience, he will definitely protect you." Shen Huai'an was the backer that Bai Chuxiong specially chose for Bai Zhenzhen after weighing the pros and cons, so that he could protect her from those unscrupulous wolves and tigers after he left.
Bai Chuxiong had said these words when he forced Bai Zhenzhen to marry him, but Bai Zhenzhen didn't understand them at the time. Now, reflecting on them, she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
It turns out that her father had started planning for her long ago.
She was too willful, which not only disappointed her father but also harmed herself and others. In the end, she suffered the tragic fate in her dream, which was not unjust.
"Dad, I understand. Don't worry, I will definitely win him over and make him my support forever." Bai Zhenzhen made this bold statement to reassure her father and for her own sake.
Bai Chuxiong nodded earnestly in agreement. In his eyes, his daughter was perfect in every way and more than a match for Shen Huai'an. The reason their relationship was not good before was because Bai Zhenzhen hadn't figured it out. Now that his daughter was willing to change, the young couple would definitely live happily ever after.
Perhaps it's true that good things bring joy, because Bai Chuxiong couldn't help but imagine the wonderful prospect of holding his grandson in a couple of years. His obedient daughter, who had previously resisted marriage, suddenly became sensible.
“Alright, alright, Zhenzhen, that’s the right way to think. Huai’an may seem cold, but he’s actually very grateful and a kind-hearted boy. That’s why I chose him from among so many people. As long as you’re willing to live well with him, he will definitely treat you well in return.”
Upon hearing her father's words, Bai Zhenzhen inexplicably recalled Shen Huai'an's cold face from last night. She subconsciously pouted, wanting to say something disdainful, but then remembered the grand ambition she had just made and obediently held it back.
"Okay, I'll go back and move in with him to build up our relationship!"
A note from the author:
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Zhenzhen: Win him over!
Shen: Who did you take down?
Dad: Holding my grandson, hehe
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