Chapter 44 Reconnection: "Getting sick turns you into a child"...
44
Meng Yao spent the entire morning in fear and trepidation.
Although she stayed up very late last night, she slept very soundly, perhaps because Fang Huaixu was beside her. However, when she groggily turned over in the morning and put her hand next to her, she discovered that Fang Huaixu was burning up with fever.
She called his name repeatedly, but he still showed no signs of waking up. She finally realized that he had fallen into a coma, and quickly found Chen Jie to take Fang Huaixu to the hospital.
After a preliminary examination, the doctor said that it was very likely that there was a big problem with the wound treatment yesterday. Coupled with the high fever and the weakened immune system, it caused an acute illness. He needs to be hospitalized for observation first, and we will have to wait for other results.
Meng Yao's heart clenched, and she could only nod repeatedly as she watched Fang Huaixu, who was hooked up to an IV drip, being taken away for various examinations.
Fang Huaixu didn't wake up until the afternoon. She stayed by his bedside, watching cold sweat constantly seeping from his forehead, his lips moving silently, and how restless he was even in his unconscious state.
She reached out and gently took his hand, repeatedly whispering words of comfort, praying that he could hear her in his dream. Her fingertips touched his burning skin, and her heart ached with a bittersweet pain.
Even though I was so sick last night, I still forced myself to talk to her for so long...
Just then, her phone vibrated at an inopportune moment, and the name flashing on the screen made her even more uneasy.
Lin Tianhai.
She instinctively wanted to hang up, but then she thought of Professor Anderson, looked at her phone, then at Fang Huaixu, and hesitated for a long time.
Grandma's hopes are still in Lin Tianhai's hands, and Fang Huaixu won't wake up anytime soon.
She gritted her teeth, and finally stood up and walked out.
When she reached the hospital corridor, she answered the phone, trying to remain calm: "Hello, Dad."
Lin Tianhai's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "Yaoyao, it's been a long time since I contacted you. I hope I didn't disturb your work?"
Meng Yao wasn't in the mood for small talk: "It's nothing, go ahead."
Lin Tianhai smiled and praised, "It's nothing serious, I just called to thank you. After I mentioned it to you last time, President Fang indeed agreed to let the Lin family get involved in the research and development process ahead of schedule. I knew it, my daughter is the one who has the ability."
Meng Yao sneered inwardly, but said calmly, "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I'm a bit busy here."
"Wait a minute," Lin Tianhai said, as expected, "Yaoyao, Daddy has something else I'd like to hear your opinion on."
Meng Yao's lips twitched. She knew that Lin Tianhai would not be satisfied with just intervening early. She remained silent and did not respond.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Lin Tianhai continued, "Since you've managed to get him to agree to our participation, could you perhaps find a way to cooperate further and get a copy of some of his company's internal research records and data backups related to this project? Just so we can familiarize ourselves with the process beforehand."
Meng Yao could hardly believe her ears; she never imagined that Lin Tianhai could be so shameless.
"Are you out of your mind?" This was a hospital, and although she tried to keep her voice low, it was filled with barely suppressed anger: "Aren't you cooperating? Fang Huaixu has already agreed to share the results with you! What else do you want? Stealing research records? That's illegal, you know that?!"
Lin Tianhai laughed on the other end of the phone, his tone still relaxed, even with a hint of coaxing: "Don't put it so harshly. What stealing? It's just a record of the research process, not some top-secret document. We can't get the truly confidential stuff even if we wanted to, right?"
That tone was like punching cotton. Meng Yao gritted her teeth and said, "Since you say it's so unimportant, and you're in the group now anyway, can't you do it yourself?"
A disdainful chuckle came from the other end of the phone, carrying an enigmatic tone: "So Dad is just discussing this with you. If you don't want to, then forget it."
His tone was light, but Meng Yao couldn't feel at ease.
She knew her father too well; the more indifferent he seemed, the deeper his scheming was. But whenever he brought up Professor Anderson, she could only become passive.
She forced herself to think, determined not to offend him with a flat refusal, but to make a good impression on him.
"I've done so much for you all this time," she said, having no other choice. Her tone softened, tinged with a hint of difficulty. "Dad, I already helped you last time, and I also mentioned to Fang Huaixu that you should participate in the research and development, just as you suggested. From the time we got married until now, you should know how much I've helped the Lin family, both openly and secretly, and how many good things I've said about you to Fang Huaixu."
She had only stated her neutrality to Fang Huaixu, but they didn't know what she had said to him. So, even though she wasn't sure herself, she continued, "I really can't help with this. Research records, even just process records, are important company documents. The risk is too great. You can let the research team participate. If I give even the slightest hint, Fang Huaixu can put me in jail anytime. It's not that I don't want to help my family. Wouldn't it be better to keep me by Fang Huaixu's side to do other things...?"
Professor Anderson had just given her the plan last week, and her grandmother's surgery was next month. She dared not make any mistakes, so she tried her best to show loyalty to the Lin family and to appear gentle. She hoped that her words could both temporarily appease Lin Tianhai and leave some room for maneuver in the event of a future confrontation.
Lin Tianhai on the other end of the phone remained silent. Meng Yao's palms were sweating with nervousness, unsure if her performance had worked.
Finally, Lin Tianhai spoke, his tone filled with understanding and tolerance: "Alright, it seems that Dad really thought too simply and didn't consider your difficulties and risks. It's okay, since you find it difficult, Dad will think of another way."
They gave up so easily?
Professor Anderson wasn't even mentioned?
Meng Yao found it hard to believe, but she still went along with him: "Well... I do have limited abilities."
"Alright, you go ahead and get busy. Take care of yourself."
After Lin Tianhai finished speaking, he simply hung up the phone.
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Meng Yao breathed a long sigh of relief, but her doubts only deepened.
Lin Tianhai's reaction was too abnormal.
He went to great lengths to contact Professor Anderson just to get an early opportunity to get involved in the research and development? That's definitely not his style; he would have used that leverage to his advantage.
What exactly is he planning?
That phone call just now was definitely not just a casual inquiry.
She went over the conversation in her mind over and over again, trying to find any suspicious points, when a voice suddenly rang out behind her: "Miss Meng?"
Startled, Meng Yao turned around abruptly and saw Fang Huaixu's attending physician standing not far away.
Meng Yao breathed a sigh of relief: "Doctor? What's wrong? Have his test results come out?"
The doctor's expression was very serious: "Several preliminary test results have come back. Regarding Mr. Fang's condition, I need to discuss it with you in detail. Please come to my office."
Meng Yao's heart jumped again, and she had a bad feeling. She immediately put aside all her worries and followed.
When Meng Yao came out of the doctor's office, she was holding several reports and images in her hand. Her face was pale and her steps were unsteady.
Her mind was buzzing, the doctor's words echoing repeatedly.
She couldn't think of how to tell Fang Huaixu the news, and returned to the ward in a daze. Just as she reached the door, she saw that Fang Huaixu had woken up at some point and was struggling to get out of bed, with obvious anxiety on his face, as if he was looking for something.
Meng Yao quickly ran over to help him up: "Why did you get up? Go back to bed."
"Where did you go?" he asked instinctively, rarely uttering such a capricious question, his face still looking extremely haggard.
It's said that when people get sick, they easily turn into children again, and it turns out that's true.
Meng Yao chuckled inwardly and helped him back to bed: "I just went out to answer a phone call, it's nothing."
"...Has it taken this long?" Fang Huaixu's tense expression relaxed slightly upon seeing her, and his gaze suddenly fell on the report in her hand: "What's that?"
Meng Yao's heart tightened, but she pretended not to care: "Your test results just came out. I just picked them up on the way."
She spoke casually, but subconsciously placed the report out of Fang Huaixu's reach.
Fang Huaixu's face still didn't reveal much emotion: "Have the test results come out yet? Did the doctor say how long it will take before I can be discharged?"
Meng Yao paused for a moment, then forced a smile. "It's nothing serious... but your arm wound is quite infected, so you'll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days. I want you to rest well..."
She tried to downplay the situation, but when she suddenly received such bad news, she was even more unable to control her darting eyes, as she was not good at lying to people she cared about.
Fang Huaixu was extremely perceptive and immediately noticed something amiss from her extremely unnatural expression and movements.
His heart sank. She wouldn't have reacted this way if it weren't a trivial matter. But since Meng Yao didn't say anything, he didn't press her further, simply watching her silently pack up the reports.
He leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes, but his mind was racing. Recalling his recent physical condition, apart from this accidental injury and high fever, he didn't seem to have any particular discomfort.
If it's not an acute illness, then it's very likely... a genetic factor.
He thought of his mother almost immediately.
Although he didn't want to think about the worst-case scenario, after his mother passed away, he always had a feeling that one day he might follow in her footsteps.
My mother died of pancreatic cancer, a type of cancer that has almost no obvious symptoms in its early stages, but once it develops, it comes on very aggressively.
A chill inexplicably rose in his heart, and he unconsciously clenched his hands.
Opening his eyes, Meng Yao continued peeling an apple with his head down, pretending nothing was wrong. He had already prepared for the worst, so he took a deep breath and, in as calm a tone as possible, broke the silence: "Just tell me directly, what exactly did the test results show?"
He looked into her eyes, leaving her no room to run away: "Tell me. I'm prepared for whatever the situation may be."
Meng Yao finally stopped, pursed her lips for a long time, and then sighed with difficulty: "The situation is a bit complicated, and the treatment is also... I didn't mean to hide it from you, I was just afraid that you would feel psychological pressure, but we'll take it slowly, there's definitely still a way..."
Author's Note: Don't worry, this is a sweet story. It's all a misunderstanding! There's going to be a kiss in the next chapter! [Please!]
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