Chapter 139 Advanced Liver Cancer
Soon we arrived at the floor where Grandpa An was staying in his VIP ward.
Pushing open the ward door, it was very quiet inside, with only the regular, soft ticking of the instruments.
Grandpa An lay quietly on the hospital bed, his eyes closed, his face pale, and his breathing weak, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
He was much thinner than Su Xiaonuan remembered, which was heartbreaking.
An's mother sat on a chair by the bed, holding An's grandfather's withered hand. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying.
Seeing Su Xiaonuan enter, she forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, her voice hoarse: "Xiaonuan's here..."
“Aunt An.” Su Xiaonuan responded obediently, walked to the bedside, looked at Grandpa An’s peaceful sleeping face, felt a pang of sadness, and gently comforted him, “Auntie, don’t worry too much, Grandpa An is a lucky man, he will definitely be alright.”
These words were a comfort, but also a hope that everyone present knew was impossible.
Birth, aging, illness, and death are the natural laws. When faced with an elderly person who is nearly ninety years old and nearing the end of their life, everyone knows that this day will come sooner or later. However, when it truly approaches, the reluctance and grief are still unbearable.
Somewhat surprisingly, Qin Haochu was also there.
He was dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, standing at the foot of the bed, his posture still upright, but the usual cold expression on his face was replaced by a complex melancholy.
He saw Su Xiaonuan and An Ran, his gaze lingered for a moment on An Ran's red and swollen eyes, and he nodded slightly as a greeting.
Not long after, the attending physician walked in with the examination report.
The atmosphere in the ward instantly became even more tense.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the doctor's face.
The doctor adjusted his glasses, his tone as calm as possible but unable to hide his seriousness: "Mr. An's test results are in... It's liver cancer, late stage. The cancer cells have shown signs of spreading."
He paused, glancing around at the family members whose faces had turned deathly pale. "Considering the patient's age and physical condition, the surgery carries an extremely high risk. Currently, conservative treatment is recommended, primarily focused on alleviating pain and improving quality of life. If the treatment goes smoothly, it might extend survival by a year or even longer..."
The words "late stage cancer" strike like a heavy hammer on everyone's heart.
Despite being mentally prepared, hearing the diagnosis with my own ears was still a huge shock.
The ward was deathly silent, filled with despair and a bittersweet sadness.
Mr. An took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and followed the doctor out to discuss the treatment plan in detail.
The door was gently closed, leaving only suppressed breathing and the rhythmic ticking of medical equipment in the ward.
Anran could no longer hold back. She rushed to the bedside, buried her face in the blanket, and let out low, suppressed sobs.
Su Xiaonuan stood behind her, all she could do was gently pat her back, silently keeping her company, while silently praying for Grandpa An in her heart.
Perhaps it was the calls of his loved ones that had an effect, or perhaps it was a coincidence, but Grandpa An's eyelids twitched and he slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were somewhat cloudy, reflecting the weakness of his illness, but when he saw his relatives gathered around his bedside, especially his tearful granddaughter, a faint, loving light appeared in his cloudy eyes.
He slowly raised his withered hand, beckoned to An Ran, and his lips moved, uttering a weak whisper: "Ranran... come here..."
An Ran quickly raised her head, hastily wiped away her tears, sat down on the chair by the bed, held her grandfather's hand tightly, looked at him with red eyes, her lips trembling, but she couldn't say a word, afraid that if she opened her mouth, the tears she had been holding back would burst forth.
Grandpa An's wrinkled hands trembled as he gently stroked his granddaughter's hair, his movements slow and solemn.
He tried to force a comforting smile, but it seemed strained: "Silly child... don't... don't be sad... when people get old... there will always be a day like this..."
He spoke haltingly, each word sounding as if he had used up all his strength.
An Ran listened, unable to hold back any longer. Tears streamed down her face like broken beads. She bit her lower lip hard to stop herself from crying out loud.
Grandpa An's face showed a hint of helplessness and heartache. He slowly shifted his gaze to Qin Haochu at the foot of the bed and beckoned to him, "Qin family... boy... you too... come here..."
Qin Haochu concealed the surging sadness in his eyes, obediently stepped forward, and squatted down beside An Ran's legs, his posture extremely humble. He reached out and carefully grasped Grandpa An's other withered hand, his voice low and clear: "Grandpa, I'm here."
Grandpa An looked at the two outstanding young people in front of him, who seemed like a match made in heaven, and his eyes showed relief, but also a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe.
He painstakingly placed An Ran and Qin Haochu's hands together gently, and patted them tremblingly with his own hand.
"You two...their relationship...I...haven't inquired too much about it..." He was panting, speaking slowly, "Recently...you two...must have had...a little conflict, right..."
He paused, gathering his strength, his cloudy gaze seeming to pierce through time, carrying a world-weary wisdom:
"If...you two don't end up together...don't be sad...don't be heartbroken...don't...hold grudges against each other..." His voice grew softer and softer, yet every word struck a chord deep within. "Life is...very short...just like...your grandmother...and me..."
When his late wife was mentioned, Grandpa An's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and he seemed to be lost in distant memories, filled with endless regret and melancholy.
"In the first half of my life... I didn't know how to cherish... Only after she died... did I begin to realize... My feelings for her... That... was the most painful..." His voice choked with sobs, his withered fingers tightening slightly. "Don't... make yourself... suffer... okay? Even if... you two will be... the most familiar... strangers in the future..."
Anran knows her grandparents' story.
That was a typical old-fashioned arranged marriage. They were indifferent to each other for the first half of their lives, lived apart for a long time, and were practically strangers.
It wasn't until his grandmother suddenly passed away from illness that his grandfather seemed to be struck by a thunderbolt, aging considerably overnight. He spent the rest of his life in endless regret and self-blame.
This unresolved issue had been weighing on his mind for far too long, and he only finally revealed it when he was nearing the end of his life.
Listening to her grandfather's words, spoken with his last breath and filled with lessons learned through blood and tears, Anran was overwhelmed with emotions. Her heart, which had been hesitant and entangled by various realities and inner conflicts, suddenly became incredibly clear and resolute at this moment.
She raised her tearful eyes and looked into her grandfather's eyes, which were brimming with tears and full of expectation. Her gaze was more determined than ever before, and she said clearly, word by word, "Grandpa, I won't."
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