Chen Wei went straight to the hospital to find Xing Zhaozhao. At this point, she knew without guessing that Xing Zhaozhao should be at the hospital with Gao Mingcheng.
However, when she arrived at the hospital and stood at the door of Gao Mingcheng's ward, Chen Wei hesitated. She was too embarrassed to go in. Yesterday, when she saw Xing Zhaozhao, she acted as if she had seen a ghost and couldn't wait to run away. Now, only one night later, she was offering herself up again. It made her seem shameless, and she really couldn't bear to lose face like that.
Chen Wei hesitated for a long time outside Gao Mingcheng's ward. Even a passing nurse came over to ask why, "Are you alright, ma'am? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Chen Wei looked at the nurse, gave a stiff smile, shook her head, and said, "It's nothing, thank you for your concern."
After saying that, she turned to look at Gao Mingcheng's ward again, took a deep breath, did one last mental preparation, and finally mustered up the courage to knock on the door: "Knock knock."
It was completely quiet inside; no one answered.
Chen Wei frowned and knocked again.
Still, no one agreed.
She couldn't resist any longer and pushed the door open. Then she was stunned. There was no one inside. Not only was Xing Zhaozhao gone, but even Gao Mingcheng, who should have been lying in bed, was nowhere to be seen.
Where did she go? Was she discharged from the hospital? When did this happen? How come I haven't heard anything about her?
Chen Wei immediately looked conflicted. She had already mustered all her courage to come to the hospital; she simply didn't have the face to go to the Gao family.
Just then, the nurse who had just asked her came in and asked, "So, the old lady came to see General Gao?"
Chen Wei looked at the nurse and nodded: "I'm his sister-in-law. I've taken the time to come and see him today. May I ask where he is? Has he been discharged from the hospital?"
The nurse smiled and shook her head, saying, "No, General Gao is starting his rehabilitation treatment today. He should be in the rehabilitation room now. If you want to find him, you can go to the rehabilitation department."
Upon hearing this, Chen Wei breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the nurse, saying, "Oh, I see. Thank you for telling me."
After saying that, she asked the nurse for the address of the rehabilitation department and prepared to leave. She had just taken a step when she stopped, turned to the nurse again, and asked, "Excuse me, who is with him now? Is it the caregiver hired by the Gao family, or is it still that Ms. Xing?"
"I don't know if that lady's surname is Xing, but if you're asking about the lady who used to often accompany General Gao here, then it is indeed her," the nurse said.
Having confirmed that Xing Zhaozhao was indeed with Gao Mingcheng, Chen Wei felt completely relieved. Looking at the nurse, a smile quickly spread across her face: "Thank you."
At this moment, in the rehabilitation room of the rehabilitation department, Gao Mingcheng was doing rehabilitation training under the guidance of the doctor, with Xing Zhaozhao by his side.
Having been bedridden for so long, Gao Mingcheng wasn't completely unable to walk; he could still manage a few steps with the help of crutches. However, for someone who had once been able to walk briskly even at his advanced age, the sudden feeling of being unable to walk was unbearable.
So, when he felt that his body had recovered to a certain extent, he took the initiative to ask Wen Sinan to start rehabilitation as soon as possible. Wen Sinan gave him a detailed physical examination and confirmed that he was a suitable candidate before arranging rehabilitation treatment for him, starting today.
In order to recover as quickly as possible, Gao Mingcheng worked very hard. After one round of rehabilitation, a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Alright, this round is over. Take a rest now," the doctor said.
Gao Mingcheng was unwilling, but he felt he still had the energy: "Let's continue, I can continue."
The doctor shook his head, disagreeing: "Given your current physical condition, one round of rehabilitation is the most scientifically reasonable amount. You can't continue. You should rest for a while first."
Gao Mingcheng's face hardened, as if he were reprimanding one of his men, and he said angrily, "I said it's okay, so it's okay. Don't I know my own body? Continue."
They weren't the only ones doing rehabilitation in the rehabilitation room. Gao Mingcheng's shout instantly silenced the entire room. Everyone was stunned and dared not make a sound.
Xing Zhaozhao shook her head helplessly, walked over and grabbed him: "What are you yelling about? This is a hospital, not your army. In a hospital, the doctor is the boss, not you. Whatever the doctor says goes. You better behave yourself and come over to rest."
Gao Mingcheng frowned, still unwilling: "Zhaozhao, I think I can do it..."
Xing Zhaozhao crossed her arms, glared at him, and said without waiting for a reply, "In the hospital, only the doctors have their opinions, not yours. Come and rest."
Gao Mingcheng stood still.
"Hmm?" Xing Zhaozhao started humming through her nose.
Gao Mingcheng: "..."
Seeing Xing Zhaozhao's face growing increasingly pale, Gao Mingcheng helplessly tugged at the corner of his mouth, picked up the cane lying to the side, and slowly walked to a seat to rest.
Xing Zhaozhao looked at the doctor apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, he has a bit of a temper..."
The doctor glanced at Gao Mingcheng, who had obediently returned to his seat to rest, smiled nonchalantly, and looked at Xing Zhaozhao, saying, "It's alright, I understand General Gao's feelings. Remember to make sure he drinks plenty of water."
"Okay." Xing Zhaozhao nodded and turned back to sit next to Gao Mingcheng, handing him the water glass that had been prepared beforehand.
Gao Mingcheng reached out and took it, then drank it.
Just then, a familiar voice came from the doorway of the rehabilitation room: "I've finally found you. You really are here."
Xing Zhaozhao looked up in surprise and saw Chen Wei smiling as she walked in from outside towards them.
"Sister-in-law?" Gao Mingcheng was somewhat surprised to see Chen Wei and asked, "Why are you here? Didn't you get discharged from the hospital yesterday?"
"Oh, I came for a follow-up appointment and stopped by to see you on the way." As she spoke, Chen Wei walked up to Gao Mingcheng and Xing Zhaozhao, pulled up a chair, and casually sat down next to them. Her calm and composed demeanor made it seem as if nothing had happened yesterday.
Since Chen Wei didn't mention it, Xing Zhaozhao pretended nothing was wrong and sat there casually, looking down at her nose and minding her own business.
"I went to the ward to look for you, but I couldn't find you. I asked a nurse and found out that you started rehabilitation today." Chen Wei said, glancing at the crutches in Gao Mingcheng's hand, and asked, "How is it? Is it progressing smoothly?"
"It's alright, I can walk a short distance now. After all, I've been lying down for so long, it will take some time to fully recover," Gao Mingcheng said.
"That's good." Chen Wei said, glancing casually at Xing Zhaozhao, and added with a smile, "But with someone to keep you company, it shouldn't be too tiring, right?"
Gao Mingcheng and Xing Zhaozhao exchanged a smile and nodded: "Yes."
If before this, Chen Wei might have still harbored some doubts about Lin Wan's words, now she was completely certain that this was indeed Xing Zhaozhao. She had seen the deep affection in Gao Mingcheng's eyes when he looked at her far too many times; she was all too familiar with it.
Chen Wei's heart skipped a beat, and she almost lost control of her expression.
She forced a smile and said, "If it weren't for the age difference between you two, I would really think my sister-in-law is still alive."
Gao Mingcheng and Xing Zhaozhao smiled but didn't say anything, tacitly guarding the little secret they thought only they knew.
Chen Wei spoke calmly and casually to Gao Mingcheng and Xing Zhaozhao, but inwardly she was becoming increasingly anxious. She had been wanting to ask Xing Zhaozhao if they could have a private conversation, but with Gao Mingcheng sitting right next to her, she didn't dare to speak. She was afraid that if Gao Mingcheng found out, he would ask about it, and she wouldn't know how to explain it to him. She was even more afraid that Gao Mingcheng would notice something was wrong and press her about that matter. If he found out, he would definitely not let it go. It probably wouldn't be long before Xing Zhaozhao found out, and she didn't dare to gamble.
Gao Mingcheng had already keenly sensed that something was wrong with Chen Wei. On the surface, she seemed to be fine, but her eyes were darting around and she was restless. It was obvious that something was on her mind, but since she didn't say anything, he didn't want to ask.
Just then, the doctor came over again: "General Gao, we are about to begin the second round."
Gao Mingcheng nodded and went with the doctor, leaning on his crutches.
When Chen Wei saw that Gao Mingcheng had finally left, her eyes lit up; the opportunity had finally arrived.
She looked at Xing Zhaozhao and asked, "Can we talk privately?"
"With me?" Xing Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow, looking at Chen Wei with surprise. She had already sensed something was wrong with Chen Wei and was waiting for her to make a move, but she didn't expect this.
"Mm." Chen Wei nodded.
Xing Zhaozhao was very curious. She had seen Chen Wei yesterday as if she had seen a ghost. What had happened that made Chen Wei suddenly change her mind overnight and take the initiative to come to her door?
She stared at Chen Wei for a moment, thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, go ahead and say it."
Chen Wei turned to look at Gao Mingcheng, who was walking away with the doctor, hesitated for a moment, then turned back to Xing Zhaozhao with concern and said, "Let's find a place where no one is around to talk."
Xing Zhaozhao shrugged dismissively and said, "There's no one else around, so you can say whatever you want."
Chen Wei shook her head firmly and said, "Let's go somewhere else."
Xing Zhaozhao looked at Chen Wei, remained silent for a moment, and was really curious about what she was up to, so she nodded and agreed: "Alright then." Anyway, she wasn't afraid of Chen Wei causing any trouble. Not to mention that Chen Wei was already quite old, even if she were fifty or sixty years younger, she wouldn't get the better of Chen Wei if she tried to fight her.
Xing Zhaozhao left the rehabilitation room with Chen Wei.
Just then, Gao Mingcheng followed the doctor to the rehabilitation equipment. He turned his head unintentionally and saw Xing Zhaozhao leaving with Chen Wei. Thinking of Chen Wei's strange reaction just now, he frowned and had a bad feeling.
He raised his hand to stop the doctor from continuing, and said, "Shall we stop here for today?"
The doctor asked, puzzled, "Why?"
"I suddenly realized I have something else to do." Gao Mingcheng said, then leaned on his crutches and slowly walked to the door of the rehabilitation room. He peeked out and saw Xing Zhaozhao following Chen Wei to the emergency exit and then pushing open the door to the stairwell.
He thought about it for a moment, then followed.
After leaving the rehabilitation room, Chen Wei led Xing Zhaozhao to a convenient place to talk, and finally chose the stairwell at the emergency exit.
Just in case someone overheard, she went up and down two floors to check and make sure no one else was there before she felt completely at ease.
She was completely unaware that while she was checking herself up and down, Gao Mingcheng had already slowly walked over with his cane and stopped in front of the emergency exit, separated from them only by a thin emergency evacuation door.
“I visited Lin Wan at the mental hospital today, and she told me everything about you,” Chen Wei said, her gaze fixed on Xing Zhaozhao.
Xing Zhaozhao didn't react for a moment: "My business? What business of mine?" What business could she possibly have that would make her come all the way to find her?
However, a moment later, a thought flashed through her mind, and she quickly realized what was happening, looking at Chen Wei in surprise: "It can't be..."
Although Xing Zhaozhao didn't say it outright, Chen Wei already knew what she was going to say.
Chen Wei nodded: "That's right."
Xing Zhaozhao looked at Chen Wei, her eyes flickering, and asked, "Do you believe me?"
“If anyone else said this, I definitely wouldn’t believe it, not even Lin Wan. But I believe Gao Mingcheng. Even your son or your brother might be wrong, but I believe Gao Mingcheng would never be wrong.” Chen Wei looked at Xing Zhaozhao seriously and said, “So, yes, I believe you.”
On the other side of the evacuation door, Gao Mingcheng heard everything Chen Wei said and unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth into a smile, but unfortunately, it didn't last long.
Xing Zhaozhao crossed her arms: "So, you specifically asked me to speak to you in private. What did you want to say? It can't be that you want me to acknowledge my brother, right? After all, there's no need to hide this kind of thing."
“You don’t want to acknowledge your brother either, do you? Otherwise, you would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?” Chen Wei said.
Xing Zhaozhao's face darkened, and she looked coldly at Chen Wei, saying, "Don't you know why I don't want to acknowledge my brother? Don't pretend to be innocent after getting the benefit."
Gao Mingcheng's heart skipped a beat, and he unconsciously pricked up his ears.
“I know you resent me,” Chen Wei said. “But you can’t entirely blame me for what happened back then. We hadn’t been in touch for years, and when you suddenly sent me a letter asking for help, who knew if it was true or not? Besides, you’re so strong, yet you couldn’t even handle a few country folk and protect yourself and your child. You can’t blame anyone but yourself, can you?”
Gao Mingcheng's pupils contracted, his face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his whole body tensed up, and his hands gripped the newly bought Hainan rosewood dragon head cane that Gao Hongfei had specially bought for him tightly, making a creaking sound. Then, with a "snap," the dragon head was twisted off by him.
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