After settling Old Master Shen into his room, Shen Nanyue, Zhou Yu, and the others went to the attending physician’s office.
The doctor shook his head, his tone heavy.
“The cancer cells are still spreading. You should prepare yourselves mentally.”
Shen Nanyue pressed her lips together, an indescribable pain filling her heart.
If her disappointment in marriage came from her parents’ failures, then her longing for family affection came entirely from her grandfather.
Ever since she was little, no matter how much trouble she caused outside, her grandfather had always been there to clean up after her.
To her, the doctor’s words were undoubtedly devastating news.
“Doctor, my father… how much time does he have left?” Zhou Yu stepped forward anxiously, her eyes filled with worry.
“Right now, the old gentleman’s condition has stabilized. Judging by the speed of the cancer’s spread, we estimate he still has a few months…”
“Doctor, is there really no other way?”
Shen Nanyue’s limbs felt stiff as she mechanically forced the words out.
The doctor’s grave expression already said everything.
After leaving the doctor’s office, the three of them fell silent.
Supported by Lin Siwan, Zhou Yu walked behind Shen Nanyue.
After pondering for a while, she finally hardened her resolve and called out to her.
“This time, I don’t care what you think. At my birthday banquet, I’m going to publicly announce your engagement to Meng Yan!”
Zhou Yu’s face was cold and stern, her attitude unyielding.
Shen Nanyue’s cool gaze swept across her face as she replied mockingly,
“Grandpa is already in this condition, and you’re still thinking about your birthday banquet?”
“If I cancel the banquet, your grandfather will only overthink things even more!” Zhou Yu retorted self-righteously.
Shen Nanyue said nothing.
Old Master Shen was sensitive by nature and deeply concerned with appearances.
If Zhou Yu really canceled the banquet because of his health, he would probably fly into another rage.
“Mom, give it up. I will not marry Meng Yan.”
Only after a long silence did Shen Nanyue slowly and firmly say those words.
Zhou Yu’s face instantly darkened with fury.
Lin Siwan released Zhou Yu’s arm and walked over to Shen Nanyue, putting on a worried expression.
“Big Sister, I know you’re angry at me, but Meng Yan is a husband Mom carefully selected for you after so much consideration. How can you act on impulse and casually waste Mom’s good intentions like this?”
Shen Nanyue tilted her head slightly, her lowered gaze utterly cold.
Her mood had already sunk to rock bottom, and she needed an outlet.
“Good intentions? Chen Mu was also a husband Mom carefully selected for me. I didn’t waste her good intentions—you forced me to.”
Lin Siwan’s face instantly turned pale as she stared at Shen Nanyue in disbelief.
She grabbed Shen Nanyue’s hand, tears welling in her eyes as she looked utterly wronged.
“Big Sister, I know you blame me for being with Brother Chen Mu, but we truly love each other. Even if you had married Brother Chen Mu, you two wouldn’t have been happy. In that sense, I actually saved your marriage. But that’s between you and me. Mom has exhausted herself worrying over your marriage lately. If you waste her efforts, it’s like stabbing her in the heart!”
Shen Nanyue considered herself fairly thick-skinned.
But compared to Lin Siwan, she still cared too much about dignity.
She pulled her hand away and took a disinfectant wipe out of her bag.
As she elegantly wiped her hand clean, she coldly looked at the dutiful daughter beside her and sneered,
“The way you act, anyone who didn’t know better would think you were my mother’s biological daughter.”
The moment Shen Nanyue finished speaking, Lin Siwan’s face turned several shades paler.
After her father brought her into the family and married Zhou Yu, the two of them had lived and eaten at the Shen family home.
Over time, the luxurious lifestyle of living in wealth had completely intoxicated her.
She no longer wanted to believe that she was merely the daughter of an ordinary woman.
For the rest of her life, she could only be the daughter of the Shen family!
But Shen Nanyue’s cold tone seemed intent on carving an unhealable wound into Lin Siwan’s vain heart.
“My grandfather is kindhearted. He couldn’t bear to see my mother spend her life alone, so he was willing to take in and support you and your father.”
“Not a single drop of Shen family blood runs through your veins, so stop calling me ‘Big Sister’ every chance you get and disgusting me. If you really want to hold onto your luxurious life of living under someone else’s roof, then you should recognize your place. Understand?”
For the sake of her mother’s dignity, Shen Nanyue was rarely this sharp-tongued.
But right now, she was furious.
Seeing Lin Siwan’s face twist in humiliation brought Shen Nanyue a trace of satisfaction.
“Shen Nanyue!”
Furious, Zhou Yu strode forward and raised her hand to slap Shen Nanyue.
But Shen Nanyue reacted quickly and dodged the slap.
That only made Zhou Yu even angrier.
“Who gave you permission to speak to your sister like that? Apologize to her right now!”
The moment Zhou Yu defended her, Lin Siwan instantly burst into tears.
She stepped forward and clung to Zhou Yu’s shoulder, silently sobbing as though she had suffered an enormous grievance.
And Zhou Yu comforted her with practiced familiarity.
It wasn’t just a matter of one or two days—Zhou Yu had always protected Lin Siwan and her father.
Suppressing the surge of pain in her chest, Shen Nanyue deliberately spoke in a casual tone.
“Apologizing isn’t my style. If you feel sorry for her, then hurry up and prepare the wedding for her and Chen Mu. Stop meddling in my marriage.”
With that, Shen Nanyue strode away.
“Shen Nanyue!”
Zhou Yu’s face flushed red with anger.
One hand clutched at her chest as she tried to calm her pounding heart.
Lin Siwan immediately stopped crying and hurried to support Zhou Yu.
“Mom, don’t be angry. You’ll ruin your health! Big Sister is just angry right now. Once she calms down, she’ll understand your good intentions.”
“I’m her mother, and now I have to cater to my daughter’s moods?”
This was getting outrageous!
Zhou Yu sighed and held Lin Siwan’s hand.
“If only your sister were even half as sensible as you, I wouldn’t have to worry so much about her.”
Lin Siwan lowered her eyes, looking obedient and gentle.
“Then, Mom… what about Big Sister’s marriage with Young Master Meng?”
At the mention of this, Zhou Yu’s expression instantly hardened.
“I worked extremely hard to secure this marriage arrangement. She has to marry him!”
Lin Siwan lowered her head, the corners of her lips curling into a smug smile.
Shen Nanyue, so what if you’re the Shen family’s precious daughter?
Everything you have—money, family affection, love— as long as I want it, I can take it as easily as reaching into my pocket.
Just wait.
Sooner or later, there’ll come a day when you cry.
….
When Shen Nanyue returned to the hospital room, Old Master Shen still hadn’t woken up.
The caregiver thoughtfully wrapped a hot water bottle around the IV tube so the medicine flowing through it wouldn’t feel so cold.
Looking at the old man’s pale and haggard face, Shen Nanyue’s eyes grew slightly moist.
A notification sound rang out.
She walked to the side and glanced at the message.
It was from Zhou Yushen.
“Remember to change the dressing on your hand.”
This was the first text he had sent in three days.
And it was only to remind her about changing her bandages.
Yet Shen Nanyue felt an indescribable emotion stirring inside her.
Those short eight words seemed to carry warmth, slipping into her heart through every vein and limb.
She shook her head, forcing the strange thoughts out of her mind.
It was probably because tonight she felt too disappointed and helpless, and her fragile heart was desperately seeking comfort.
She didn’t need to rely on anyone.
“Got it. Thanks.”
After replying, she put her phone back into her bag and turned around to stay by her grandfather’s side together with the caregiver.
Meanwhile— Zhou Yushen was sitting at the head of his bed.
After receiving Shen Nanyue’s reply, he was about to put down his phone when a call from the Zhou family came in.
His expression darkened as he answered.
“Young Master, the old master wants to know whether you’ve made a decision about your marriage with Miss Gu.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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