Chapter 490 What happened to your wrist?
He then slowed his movements, and as he bent over, the hem of his suit jacket lightly swept across the ground. He gave Xiao Nuomi a gentle, harmless smile, opened his palms upward, and said in a very soft voice, "Xiao Nuomi, Uncle is here."
Little Nuomi, whose head was buried between Cui Xiao's legs, suddenly raised it, her reddened eyes instantly brightening, as if the fear from before had been mostly dispelled by this call.
She scrambled out from behind Cui Xiao, throwing herself into Zhou Mubin's arms. Her little arms clung tightly to his neck, her cheek pressed against his slightly sweaty shirt. The scent of milk mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant filled Zhou Mubin's nostrils. "Uncle Zhou, I was so scared just now..."
Zhou Mubin steadily supported her knees, holding her even tighter. His fingertips, calloused, gently wiped away the remaining tear stains on her cheeks, his fingertips deliberately avoiding the corners of her reddened eyes. "With Uncle here, our little Nuomi isn't afraid."
Watching the two interact intimately, Cui Xiao felt the lump in her throat ease slightly.
She raised her hand to rub her throbbing temples, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling slightly, "Why did you suddenly come here?"
Zhou Mubin paused in holding Xiao Nuomi, not answering immediately, his gaze first falling on the obvious red mark around her wrist.
The fingerprints were clear, obviously made by a forceful grip. His brows furrowed instantly, and the gentleness in his eyes faded, replaced by heartache and anger.
He quickly averted his gaze and turned to Sun Chengjian, who was still lingering in place. His tone turned colder, carrying an undeniable authority, "Let's put that aside for now. What exactly happened? What happened to your wrist?"
Cui Xiao took a deep breath, her chest churning with grievance and anger that was almost overflowing. She clenched her fists tightly to maintain her composure.
Cui Xiao slowly recounted the whole story: "I had just arrived and hadn't even entered the ward when he stopped me and demanded medical expenses. I mentioned that you gave Sun Lu one million, but he said he hadn't seen the money at all."
She paused, her voice trailing off, "It seems Sun Lu only used Jin Ping's illness as an excuse to ask you for money; she never intended to save Jin Ping at all."
Before he could finish speaking, Sun Chengjian interrupted him with a sharp shout, shattering the silence of the corridor: "Since you're back, that's good, saves me the trouble of looking for you everywhere."
Sun Chengjian's face was plastered with a smug look, as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealed his pride. "This is your own mother, who carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. It's not my place as a stepfather with a different surname to take care of you every day. From today onwards, all the work in the ward is your responsibility. Cleaning up after you is your job, and you're in charge of the medical expenses. It has nothing to do with me."
As he spoke, he walked towards the corridor entrance, taking large, hurried steps, as if afraid of being stopped. When he reached the corner, he deliberately turned back, pursed his lips, and said, "Anyway, if she really dies, it's because you, as her daughter, are unfilial, it has nothing to do with me."
After saying that, he disappeared at the end of the corridor, leaving only a series of light footsteps.
Cui Xiao was so angry that she trembled all over, her chest heaving violently. Just as Zhou Mubin was about to chase after her, her wrist was grabbed by a warm hand.
Cui Xiao's palm was warm, her movements gentle yet firm, "There's no need. The most important thing now is Jin Ping's treatment and Sun Lu's whereabouts. Arguing with him will only waste time."
She lowered her voice, her tone carrying an undeniable composure.
Seeing that Cui Xiao's emotions had calmed down a bit, Zhou Mubin carried Xiao Nuomi to a quiet spot in the corridor, took out his phone, and dialed his assistant's number. His tone was efficient and decisive, without the slightest hesitation. "Help me investigate a woman named Sun Lu. She's from City B and withdrew a large sum of cash from the law firm three days ago. Focus on checking her entry and exit records at the airport, high-speed rail station, and port over the past three days, as well as her frequently used social media accounts. Call me immediately if you have any information, the sooner the better." After hanging up, Zhou Mubin glanced at his watch.
He turned to look at Cui Xiao, his gaze softening considerably. "You and Xiao Nuomi wait for me in the rest area over here. I'm going to pay the bill."
Before Cui Xiao could refuse, he had already carried Xiao Nuomi toward the payment window. After taking a couple of steps, he turned back and specifically instructed, "There are sofas in the rest area, don't stand there waiting. I'll be back soon."
Cui Xiao stood there, watching his back as he held his daughter.
He deliberately slowed his pace as he walked, afraid of bumping the child in his arms, and even stopped briefly when he passed a convenience store.
Sunlight streamed through the corridor windows, falling on him and outlining his warm silhouette. Her heart felt slowly filled with something, and at that moment, it began to soften, her nose tingling slightly.
Half an hour later, Zhou Mubin returned quickly, carrying not only the payment slip but also a cup of steaming milk and a bag of children's biscuits.
He handed the payment slip to Cui Xiao, then put the milk into Xiao Nuomi's hand and carefully tore open the seal for her. "The payment has been made. I confirmed with the cashier that the cost of subsequent chemotherapy and painkillers is included, so you don't need to keep going to the payment window."
Little Nuomi held the warm milk, took a small sip, her eyes crinkling into crescents, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Thank you, Uncle Zhou."
Zhou Mubin ruffled her hair, then turned to Cui Xiao, his tone questioning, "The attending physician's office is still open. Should we go over now and ask about Auntie's specific situation? That way we'll have some idea of what's going on."
Cui Xiao clutched the payment slip, feeling the warmth of the paper on her fingertips. She nodded and handed Xiao Nuomi to Zhou Mubin, saying, "Could you please look after her for a while?"
Zhou Mubin smiled and agreed, "Go ahead and don't worry, I'll take Xiao Nuomi to play in the rest area."
When Cui Xiao knocked on the door of the attending physician's office, the doctor was organizing medical records.
Upon seeing her enter, the doctor gestured for her to sit down, then walked over with Jin Ping's medical record and CT scans, his face devoid of any extraneous expression, only revealing an unconcealable solemnity.
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, tapped his finger on the CT scan report in the medical record, and said in a heavy tone, "Regarding your mother's condition, the situation is not optimistic. When the patient was diagnosed three months ago, she was already in the late stage of pancreatic cancer. At that time, we recommended that she be hospitalized immediately, but no one has been able to complete the procedures. This three-month delay has caused the cancer cells to spread extensively, and metastatic lesions have been found in her liver and lungs."
The doctor paused, seemingly considering his words, "Surgery is no longer meaningful. We can only provide palliative care to alleviate the patient's suffering and prolong their lifespan as much as possible. Your family should be prepared that we may need to arrange for someone to accompany them afterward."
The doctor's words hit Cui Xiaoxin like a heavy hammer. She felt a ringing in her ears and couldn't hear clearly what was said about the treatment plan afterwards.
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