Chu Qianqian soon learned about Shen Dehan’s admission to the hospital. She did not rush to the hospital to see him, but appeared at the hospital during work hours without haste.
By the time she arrived at the hospital, everyone knew about Tian Wenyao and Shen Rong’s video. Listening to the chattering of the little nurses discussing this matter, Chu Qianqian looked surprised on the surface, but she was sure that this matter was nothing but Shen Xi’s handwriting. Not to mention anything else, she had heard of Lao K, and those videos must have come from Lao K’s hands.
After preparing some things she needed, Chu Qianqian walked towards Shen Dehan’s ward carrying the medicine.
By the way, in order to conform to the identity that Shen Xi had given her, she stayed at the hospital since Shen Dehan was discharged last time. Although this job was rather hard, after some adaptation she liked the work of a nurse. She also occasionally thought that she could simply come back to work as a nurse when she finished what Shen Xi had asked her to do. With Shen Xi’s money, it would be enough to feed and clothe herself, and this job would also give her a clean identity, so maybe she could meet a good man and live her life in peace.
The thought was only fleeting; Chu Qianqian had already reached Shen Dehan’s ward and was about to push the door, but unexpectedly the door suddenly pulled open from the inside. Subconsciously, Chu Qianqian looked up and smiled in greeting, but was slightly stunned when she saw the man on the opposite side.
Shen Ji was also slightly startled for a moment.
The last confrontation was still fresh in their minds, and although Chu Qianqian quickly left that day, Shen Ji and Shen Dehan had a cold war for several days. If it hadn’t been for Yunrou’s incident later, the relationship between father and son would not have eased up so quickly. After that, Shen Dehan never mentioned Chu Qianqian in front of Shen Ji again. Although he knew that his father still kept in touch with Chu Qianqian, Shen Ji stuck to an evasive mentality, comforting himself that Chu Qianqian was merely treating his father as an elder and that there was no ambiguity between the two.
Now that they had met again, Shen Ji subconsciously did not want Chu Qianqian to appear in front of Shen Dehan. But when he thought about his father’s current state of health, the doctor’s words came to his mind once again. Shen Ji clenched his fists, swept a cold glance over Chu Qianqian and walked straight past her.
Chu Qianqian was quite surprised by Shen Ji’s behaviour. She was prepared to be kicked out of the ward by Shen Ji, but when she saw that Shen Ji was really not going to care about her, she quickly reacted and walked into the ward with a smile.
Outside the ward, Shen Ji did not leave, but stopped not far away. Soon, the sound of Shen Dehan’s moderate laughter came from the ward. A trace of sadness flashed in Shen Ji’s eyes; with an expression of ridicule on his face he left the ward in big strides without looking back.
Despite knowing that Shen Ji was in a bad mood right now, the bodyguard holding the phone had to bite the bullet and continue, “Miss Zhou just called to indicate that Shen Rong Shao is in a bad state at the moment and would like to ask Mr. Shen what to do?”
Shen Ji frowned in disgust and sneered, “Not in a good state? If she calls again, tell her that I will arrange for Shen Rong to go abroad within three days and she can choose any foreign sanatorium she wants. Isn’t he in a bad state? From now on, he will stay abroad and never have to come back.”
The bodyguard couldn’t help being taken aback when he heard Shen Ji, nodded and repeated his words quietly.
After she hung up the phone, Zhou Mingmei’s face was completely grim and her eyes were full of gloom.
“Mother, what did Father say?” Shen Rong, who had been keeping watch, hurriedly came up to Zhou Mingmei and asked hastily.
Zhou Mingmei’s face was cold, “The call didn’t even reach your father, Shen Ji stopped it.”
“Then what? Father is going to abandon me?” Shen Rong cried out in a daze.
Zhou Mingmei swept a cold glance at Shen Rong, who cringed and took a step back, trying to appear calm. He had never expected things to develop into what they were now. When he initially saw the news on the internet, his entire mind turned blank. He couldn’t understand how Fang Jiaying could have the video of him and Tian Wenyao together in her hands. Didn’t she love Tian Wenyao very much? Wasn’t she about to get married to Tian Wenyao? How could she expose his relationship with Tian Wenyao in front of so many people? Wasn’t she afraid that she would have to endure the public’s finger-pointing in the future?
Shen Rong had been anxious all morning, worried that his father would once again banish him abroad. Once he left this time, he might not be able to return, and even if he could come back later, he would completely lose the possibility of being recognised by the Shen family and would carry the name of illegitimate son forever.
There was also Tian Wenyao. Shen Rong couldn’t imagine what Tian Wenyao would think of him now. He wanted to call Tian Wenyao several times, but after thinking about it, he held back.
Shen Rong’s uneasiness was seen by Zhou Mingmei. Although she was furious with Shen Rong, Shen Rong was, after all, her only son and the only one she could count on for the rest of her life. Zhou Mingmei took a deep breath, “Ah Rong, go back to your room first, let me be alone.”
Shen Rong did not dare to object and retreated quietly in anxiety.
Zhou Mingmei’s heart was racing. This matter had become too big. She alone might not be able to win Shen Dehan back. It seemed that she still needed that man’s help. But this matter was now basically known to everyone, she did not believe that he had not heard the news. But he had not responded, was he planning to get rid of her?
Zhou Mingmei thought for a long time with her face grim, then finally picked up the phone and sent a text message to the mobile phone number she had memorised.
It was as if she had waited for a century before the phone gave a soft jingle. Zhou Mingmei grabbed the phone, saw the simple words “Old place” on it and let out a long sigh of relief.
After carefully putting on her make-up and changing her clothes, Zhou Mingmei walked out of the room with her bag.
“Mother, you’re going out?” Shen Rong, who was in the living room, looked at Zhou Mingmei in surprise.
Zhou Mingmei nodded and gave Shen Rong a warning glare, “Stay at home and don’t try to go to the hospital to find your father.” Shen Rong’s secret intention was seen through by Zhou Mingmei, and he nodded reluctantly.
After Zhou Mingmei left home, she carefully avoided the reporters guarding outside and familiarly went to another neighbourhood not far from her house, anxiously waiting for the arrival of that man.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, she heard the sound of the door opening. Zhou Mingmei slowly regained her senses, stood up quietly and looked in the direction of the door.
The door was gently pushed open and a familiar figure appeared there.
A hint of excitement flashed in Zhou Mingmei’s eyes, “Changlin.”
The man at the door was Wang Changlin.
Wang Changlin cautiously glanced at the door and quietly closed it.
“You shouldn’t come out at this time. What if a reporter catches you on camera?” Wang Changlin said with slight dissatisfaction as he walked up to Zhou Mingmei.
Zhou Mingmei couldn’t help but explain, “I’ve carefully avoided all the reporters.”
Even though Zhou Mingmei said this, Wang Changlin, who was cautious by nature, was still dissatisfied, but did not pursue the issue on the surface and just sat quietly opposite Zhou Mingmei.
Seeing that Wang Changlin had no intention of speaking up, Zhou Mingmei could not help but say, “Changlin, what should we do now?”
Wang Changlin did not answer this question, but asked, “How is Ah Rong now?”
Despite her anxiety, Zhou Mingmei patiently replied, “Ah Rong has always been impatient and he doesn’t deal with accidents calmly. I am worried that he will go out and run around, so I detained him at home.”
Wang Changlin nodded, “That’s right, in this situation, it’s best for Ah Rong not to go anywhere.”
When Zhou Mingmei saw that Wang Changlin did not get to the point, she became anxious again and asked once more, “Changlin, what should we do now?”
Zhou Mingmei had always been calm and collected in front of Wang Changlin. This was the first time she had lost her cool; she obviously realised the seriousness of the situation. As Wang Changlin thought about it, his expression revealed a hint of embarrassment, “Mingmei, I don’t want to lie to you, but the current situation is very unfavourable to Ah Rong. This time the matter has gone too far. Shen Dehan will never recognise Ah Rong as his son now.”
These words undoubtedly poured a pot of cold water on Zhou Mingmei’s head. Zhou Mingmei could not help but ask rhetorically, “Five years ago the same kind of video broke out, didn’t you say that Ah Rong still had a chance to turn over a new leaf?”
Wang Changlin frowned, “Five years ago is five years ago, the circulation of the video was only on the Internet, Shen Dehan could pretend not to know about this matter and could still lie to himself. It was his fig leaf. This time the video was blown up in front of the entire upper class circle in Zhongjing. Shen Dehan was so angry that he fainted on the spot, do you think he can still pretend not to know anything?”
“Then what should we do?”
Wang Changlin said patiently, “The best outcome is for Shen Dehan to send Ah Rong out of the country and for you to never return to Zhongjing again.”
“No way!” Zhou Mingmei flatly refused, “I’ve been with Shen Dehan since I was eighteen, my best years were spent on him, and Ah Rong is also his child, why should we, mother and son, end up with nothing?!”
Perhaps noticing that her tone was a bit heavy, Zhou Mingmei softened her voice and pleaded, “Changlin, think of something, didn’t you say that in your heart, Ah Rong is just like your own child? Can you bear to see him leave Zhongjing with nothing and never return?”
Wang Changlin pondered for a moment, but shook his head, “This matter has gone too far and there is no longer any possibility of reversing it. Now instead of thinking about anything else, you should find a way to get more money from Shen Dehan, so that even if the worst occurs, you will have money in your hands and will live equally well in a different place.”
After listening to Wang Changlin speak for so long, still persuading her to give up, Zhou Mingmei finally laughed out coldly, “Do you think that Shen Rong and I have no more use value, so you want to kick us away? You must not forget who found me and instigated me to go to Shen Dehan’s side in the first place. I could have stood up in front of people in a dignified manner, and perhaps after all these years of hard work, I would have already made a name for myself in the entertainment industry. If it weren’t for your instigation, how would I have given up my promising future to follow Shen Dehan’s side without a name and status?”
Wang Changlin looked at Zhou Mingmei, his expression unchanged, “What do you mean by this statement, Mingmei?”
Zhou Mingmei said coldly, “Nothing else, I just want to remind you that since we joined forces twenty years ago, we are grasshoppers on the same rope (we are in the same boat). If I’m good, you’ll be good, and if I’m not, you won’t be good either.”
Wang Changlin suddenly laughed, “Are you threatening me?”
Zhou Mingmei’s expression changed slightly but she still nodded.
Wang Changlin shook his head, “You shouldn’t say it was my instigation either. Back then if it weren’t for your own ambitions and you being unable to bear the pain of rising in the entertainment industry from the bottom up, do you think my words alone could have convinced you? How much have I helped you over the years? Without me, do you think you would have been able to stand by Shen Dehan’s side and that Ah Rong would have been able to please Shen Dehan? Mingmei, I have said that in my eyes Ah Rong is my child. I will not harm my own child. If you want to go to Shen Dehan, go to him. Do you think Shen Dehan will believe you or me? Even if Shen Dehan believed you, what good would it do you? Wouldn’t Ah Rong’s situation still be the same? Keeping me is at least a way back for Ah Rong in the future.”
Zhou Mingmei subconsciously wanted to refute Wang Changlin’s words, but she had to admit that he had a point. Shen Dehan might not believe her indeed.
She did not know what Wang Changlin had done at Shen Dehan’s side over the years, but she had seen Wang Changlin gaining more and more of Shen Dehan’s trust, and even becoming Shen Dehan’s personal lawyer. Zhou Mingmei felt that she had never seen through Wang Changlin. If he hated Shen Dehan, how could he have pretended so well in front of Shen Dehan for more than twenty years and even gained his deep trust? But if he didn’t hate Shen Dehan, then what was the purpose of his seeking her out in the first place? He claimed to love Han Rou, but then he watched as Han Rou’s only flesh and blood was ignored by Shen Dehan and even Shen Rong was able to ride on Shen Xi’s head.
Zhou Mingmei looked at Wang Changlin quietly for a while, then suddenly smiled and said softly, “Changlin, I just said that in a moment of anger, you must not take it to heart.”
Wang Changlin smiled lightly and asked rhetorically, “Did you just say something?”
Zhou Mingmei smiled in understanding, “Changlin, you have a point, but I’m still not willing to give up without one last try. Even if someone raises a dog for so many years, there will be some feelings. I don’t believe Shen Dehan has no feelings for me at all.”
Zhou Mingmei’s reaction was what Wang Changlin already expected and he was not surprised, “It’s fine if you want to give it a try, I will also try to help Ah Rong.”
Zhou Mingliang breathed a sigh of relief at Wang Changlin’s compromise; she was afraid that Wang Changlin would abandon them. She smiled, “I’ve been out long enough, it’s time for me to go back. As for what you said, I will consider it seriously.”
Wang Changlin did not stop Zhou Mingmei from leaving but suddenly mentioned when she was in the doorway, “In a few days, you should make some arrangements, I want to meet Ah Rong.”
“Good!” Zhou Mingmei replied dryly. Whether Wang Changlin really regarded Shen Rong as his own child or just said it casually, there was no harm in Ah Rong following him.
As he watched Zhou Mingmei leave carefully, Wang Changlin’s eyes flashed with a trace of mockery.
This woman really did not want to die until she reached the Yellow River, but that’s precisely what made her valuable. He only hoped that Shen Rong, like her, would not fail to live up to all the hard work he had put in them over the years.