The cold white light shone down in the hospital.
It made Wei Xuanming's old friend look even more pale.
The doctor said, "In the later stages, even morphine might become ineffective."
After hesitating for a moment, the doctor continued, "Why don't you go to Anderson for treatment? You're not lacking money or connections..."
The old friend closed his eyes and said helplessly, "He's just too stubborn! Stubbornly insisting that if the worst happens, he at least wants to die in his homeland."
The doctor felt helpless and wanted to say more, but suddenly a nurse brought several people over.
Wei Xuanming's old friend, whose surname was Li, saw from afar a man leading the group who greeted him with a mechanical AI voice: "Uncle Li."
"Wen Qing?" Old Li was startled, "Why are you here... this..."
Old Li looked behind him and his expression changed: "Why did you bring Wenyi here? Your father will definitely..." be angry!
Before Old Li could finish his last three words, a child's voice interrupted: "I brought them."
"You..." Old Li lowered his eyes and saw a little girl who was carefully hidden behind Wei Wenyi.
She looked... familiar.
"Aren't you the child who was just reclaimed by the Zhang Family? Old Mr. Zhang's granddaughter?" Old Li still remembered the news reports that had flooded the media at the time.
Xiao Ya nodded.
"Then is old Wei your..."
"Grandfather."
Old Li got excited: "So he wasn't lying back then!"
"What wasn't he lying about?" Xiao Ya asked curiously.
"When you were recognized by the Zhang Family and it was in the news, your grandfather pointed at the news and said you were his granddaughter..."
Xiao Ya paused. So grandfather had been following the news back then... Had he been crying secretly? Feeling left out?
Grandfather was just too proud to admit it.
"Grandfather!" Xiao Ya rushed towards the hospital room.
Old Li couldn't stop them in time and could only watch as they all hurried in.
Wei Wenqing was very worried about his sister's condition, occasionally glancing at Wei Wenyi.
Wei Wenyi's eyes showed a hint of confusion, but she no longer displayed the earlier signs of mental instability.
Inside, Xiao Ya entered the room, and the person lying on the bed immediately opened his eyes.
Wei Xuanming, beyond what they had seen in videos, had clearly aged even more.
He wore a sleeping cap, his glasses removed, having lost his usual scholarly yet domineering demeanor.
It was as if he had truly transformed from the powerful patriarch of the Gui Family into an ordinary elderly man.
However, in the next moment, his gaze turned sharp.
"Did you bring them here?" he looked at Wei Wenqing.
Wei Wenqing boldly nodded, not mentioning it was Xiao Ya's idea.
"So you won't even listen to me anymore?" Wei Xuanming struggled to sit up.
He had become so thin he looked different, which wasn't apparent in video calls. Now, combined with his tone, his intimidating presence seemed even stronger.
Wei Wenqing hesitated but still firmly shook his head.
Wei Xuanming coughed several times in anger.
At this point, Wei Wenyi came over, sat down beside him, and stared at him with eyes still showing some unfamiliarity but mostly confusion.
She asked, "Father, are you sick?"
Wei Xuanming stopped coughing and looked up to meet Wei Wenyi's gaze but didn't respond.
What's the point? Wei Xuanming thought to himself.
What's the point of having her wake up only to face her father's death?
Wei Wenyi pushed her father back down: "You should sleep, you'll get better after sleeping."
Wei Xuanming closed his eyes briefly, his eyes reddening even more.
"Wen Qing, take your sister out, I need to talk to Xiao Ya."
This time Wei Wenqing finally obeyed and led Wei Wenyi out.
Wei Wenyi was very compliant.
Once outside, she suddenly said, "Little sister didn't argue with father."
Wei Wenqing lowered his head, only making some vague sounds of acknowledgment.
"Little sister calls father grandfather, and father calls her Xiao Ya."
When Wei Wenqing heard this, he was startled, worried that Wei Wenyi might suddenly become triggered.
But Wei Wenyi continued: "We've changed, we've all changed so much. We've grown up, Uncle Manager has aged, and father is sick."
"Is this world real?" Wei Wenyi suddenly asked.
This question made Wei Wenqing break out in a cold sweat, not knowing how to answer without triggering something.
But Wei Wenyi didn't seem to need his answer.
After a while, Wei Wenyi mumbled, "I'm not dreaming, little sister is real, but little sister isn't little sister anymore."
Many people think mental patients have confused thinking, but that's not true.
Wei Wenyi's logic and common sense were still intact.
It's just that in her eyes, many things were different.
Because the people around her didn't match her memories, they became "strangers."
But when she realized they had just "grown up," things became different.
Wei Wenyi supported her head and thought for a while longer, then asked, "Is she little sister's child?"
Wei Wenqing nodded slightly, then froze, afraid she would ask, then where is little sister?
But Wei Wenyi didn't ask any more questions.
Inside the room.
Wei Xuanming spoke calmly: "You encouraged your young uncle, didn't you? He wouldn't have had the resolve and courage to bring you to see me directly."
Xiao Ya only said: "Young uncle will have more resolve and courage in the future."
"He will?"
"Yes! Young uncle will soon discover that not listening to grandfather actually isn't such a big deal. Then his courage will grow."
"..."
Wei Xuanming changed the subject and asked: "Why did you bring your aunt?"
"So aunt won't have regrets."
"She'll suffer if she comes."
"But aunt will recover someday, and when that time comes, remembering today will make her suffer even more."
"You seem very confident about your aunt." Wei Xuanming paused, then couldn't help letting out a small laugh, "You've always been confident about your uncles too. Children are different, always looking on the bright side."
"Then why does grandfather always think they can't do well and won't improve?"
"Businesspeople can't just think about profits, they have to consider risks."
"Does everyone who becomes a businessperson turn out this way?"
Wei Xuanming lowered his eyes: "I... I'm not sure anymore."
With Xiao Ya, things might be different. But he wouldn't be around to see it.
Xiao Ya said softly: "There's another reason I brought aunt."
"What is it?"
"To make grandfather happy."
Wei Xuanming's lips moved, but he couldn't speak.
"Isn't grandfather happy now?"
"...I am."
"Then let's come keep grandfather company every day."
Wei Xuanming clenched his fist, his facial muscles trembling slightly. Finally, he managed to say: "Do you know what sick people gradually become like?"
"No."
"You'll be scared when you see it. Coming once today is enough. I'm very happy. Happy that you helped your aunt return to normal, happy that she came to see me, happy to see that Wen Qing has finally become brave enough to defy my authority... Go home now."
"I've seen what people look like as they decay after death. Could it be scarier than that?" Xiao Ya looked up and asked.
Wei Xuanming was speechless.
"There was an old woman in the village who died, and her children argued about who would pay for her burial. They argued for a long time, and her body just stayed there. I would smell it every day on my way to school," Xiao Ya said slowly.
She had encountered death early and witnessed various forms of suffering.
Wei Xuanming sighed: "Grandfather underestimated you."
"Then will you let us come?" Wei Xuanming paused, then asked, "Will you cry?"
Xiao Ya asked: "Will grandfather cry?"
Wei Xuanming smiled slightly: "No. At first, I thought this ending was my retribution, retribution for taking this path. But that was just helpless acceptance."
"It's different now. I've completely let go of my worries. I'm not sad at all about the path I'll have to take. I know your uncles and your aunt will live better and better lives."
Xiao Ya listened very carefully and said: "Then I won't cry either."
"Good!" Wei Xuanming was genuinely happy, and he rarely showed another smile.
From that day on, Xiao Ya would come to see grandfather every day after school with her aunt and young uncle.
After seeing grandfather, she would go back to have dinner with her grandfather.
She was very busy.
Very, very busy.
So busy that in the blink of an eye, Mr. Rong from the board of directors, who had bribed the nun, was extradited back to the country for suspected endangerment of national security.
Who told him to get involved with a suspicious nun who was mixed up in a major case?
Overseas.
The board members quickly discovered... someone was missing!
"Why haven't we seen Director Rong lately?"
"Did the Second Young Master take action privately? I heard he's investigating the Second Miss's case."
"Haven't you... seen the domestic news?"
"What about the domestic news?"
"Director Rong... has been arrested."
The board members fell silent for a moment, then hurriedly opened domestic news platforms.
"Damn, it's true!"
"How did those two brothers manage to do it?"
"We... need to remain cautious. First Wei Lin, then Director Rong, and next..."
"Let's contact the Old Master."
When the board members made the video call, Xiao Ya hadn't finished school yet.
When Wei Xuanming answered the video call, he said to his old friend: "The time has come."
His old friend felt chills down his spine and muttered: "You're truly insane!"
To control even his own death, to control it at the most opportune moment, and to make use of it one last time!