"They're considered old acquaintances, but according to our investigation, Sis Lan isn't doing too well health-wise," Mu Yuchen spoke nonchalantly as he continued what he was doing.

She was not doing too well health-wise?

Xi Xiaye was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, she remembered the first time she met Sis Lan. At that time, she looked quite frail and her face seemed pale with illness. Xi Xiaye thought that it had been because she was just under the weather then. Could she have been ridden with an even more severe illness?

"She seems to have been frequenting hospitals abroad these past few years," Mu Yuchen thoughtfully added on.

"No wonder she didn't look that great. Okay, let's set these things aside first. Check on how Ah Mo and Ah Shi are doing. Since that person's hiding, I'm sure we have a lot more to do. I'll dry my own hair while you go bathe. I've prepared the water for you."

Then, she stopped Mu Yuchen's hand and took the towel...

...

That night, after talking about Sis Lan with Mu Yuchen, she did not think much about it. She thought that she probably would not be contacting Sis Lan much anymore. After all, she sounded like she did not plan to stay in City Z much longer according to the last time they spoke.

However, she did not expect to hear about news about her one autumn day at Hospital T.

It was a sunny day that morning. Xi Xiaye went for a checkup with Ji Zitong accompanying her.

It was early in the morning, so many people were there to see the doctor. Thankfully, they had made an appointment in advance with Dr. Huang, so they could see him as soon as they arrived.

Dr. Huang was very professional as he gently did the checkup for her. Then, she beamed and told her, "Missus Mu, your fetus is still very healthy, so don't worry, but you have to watch your health. You must keep up with your nutrition. The reaction is a little drastic, but you can have some folic acid. Also, if want to look more beautiful, you can begin to moderately slather on some olive oil. That way, the marks won't be too obvious later. We don't need medication to stabilize the fetus anymore. Just take care of yourself and rest well. When suitable, walk around."

Upon hearing that, Xi Xiaye nodded gratefully. "Mmm, I will. Thank you, Dr. Huang."

She had just only found out she was pregnant when Wang Hui and Zhuang Shurong had already filled her up with a lot of knowledge about pregnancies, especially the latter. She had already prepared everything about preventing pregnancy marks with olive oil.

Xi Xiaye heard that when she was pregnant with Mu Yuchen, it had not been worry-free either and was about the same as how she was right now, so she was experienced with such a situation. There was also Su Nan who would call her every two or three days. She was even more worried about her than her own child. Sometimes, she forgot that she was pregnant herself. In fact, she was going into labor very soon.

Along the long path, Ji Zitong who followed behind her suddenly asked softly, "Director Xi, are we going to Fuhua now or straight to Glory World?"

Xi Xiaye slowed down her steps. She turned to look at her and fell silent for a moment. Then, she said, "Let's go straight to Glory World. Isn't there a quarterly planning meeting? Some of the Planning Department documents are still with me. You go get the car first. I'll wait for you downstairs."

Ji Zitong nodded and responded before walking ahead quickly, "Okay."

Xi Xiaye was not in a rush. She took her handphone out and was about to call Shen Yue to tell him that she was not going over today.

However, just as she slid her phone out and was about to make the call, there was the sound of rushed footsteps in front and a slightly familiar voice. She looked up reflexively and saw Sis Li walking towards her unexpectedly!

It was Caitlin's manager, Sis Li!

Back then, it was her whom she had looked for to ask about Sis Lan.

Now, she seemed quite anxious and panicked as she asked the doctor before her, "Doctor, how's Sis Lan doing? What's wrong with her? Is it serious? Is she okay?"

She rattled off a few questions at a go. Meanwhile, the doctor's expression looked solemn too. He was about to answer her when Sis Li saw Xi Xiaye.

"Director Xi! Why are you here too?"

"Sis Li?"

Xi Xiaye looked puzzledly at Sis Li, then at the doctor beside her. She politely nodded to greet the doctor, and then seeing Sis Li's anxious expression, she continued, "Did something happen?"

"It's Sis Lan! This morning, I received news that Sis Lan was in a critical condition and was sent to the hospital, so I rushed over to visit her. I don't know how she is right now. This is worrying me to death."

Sis Li's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

Sis Lan was sent to the hospital at midnight?

Her conversation with Mu Yuchen from a few days ago suddenly came to her mind. Xi Xiaye had a bad feeling as she glanced at the doctor beside Sis Li. At this moment, the doctor spoke up, "Which of the two of you know the patient's family?"

When the doctor said that, Sis Li immediately answered, "Sis Lan is alone. I'm her best friend. If there's anything, you can let me know."

The doctor examined her for a bit, then sighed solemnly. "She doesn't have much time left. You have to be ready."

"What happened? What do you mean not much time left?"

The moment the doctor said that, Sis Li was stunned. She could not help but shudder and gape at the doctor in a daze.

Xi Xiaye frowned slightly as well while she frowned at the doctor.

"Her heart is deteriorating. Even though she has been receiving the treatment on time, this sudden complication has worsened her condition. You seem like you don't know she's been having this illness, do you?"

"What... What do you mean?"

Sis Li widened her eyes as she looked in disbelief at the doctor. "Are you saying...?"

"It's the heart failure that you people always talk about. She's actually been treating it abroad for quite a few years now. It's only recently that she's been transferred back. She's been waiting for a suitable heart, so she couldn't do the transplant surgery yet. Her condition is not ideal. If this continues, she won't be able to make it past one or two months, so you have to be mentally prepared."

The doctor's words were like a thunderbolt that exploded in Xi Xiaye's heart, rendering her dumbstruck.

No wonder! No wonder she looked so pale and quite dispirited. It turned out...

Xi Xiaye suddenly remembered that she had said that was her last time visiting Mu Zi or something. Perhaps she knew that she would not be living for much longer!

"No way! This is impossible... She's always been quite healthy and wasn't sick with anything. How did she get heart failure? This is impossible! Doctor, did you get it wrong?"

Sis Li was stunned to the point that she was disoriented.

Xi Xiaye's hands that fell by her side subconsciously tightened as her expression became complicated. She asked the doctor with a frown, "Is there no other way? It's just been one or two months... How could this be?"

"I think she knows that she's not been doing too well either. She's probably returned to enjoy her so-called last years."

The doctor sighed. "Her condition is severe. It hasn't been easy to make it all these years. Since you're her friends, be with her more. See if she has any unfulfilled wishes. Her ward is right in front. Come with me."

As the doctor spoke, they walked ahead.

Sis Li's expression was very solemn. She exchanged a worried look with Xi Xiaye, and when she saw her consoling gaze, she followed the doctor.

They walked quite a distance with the doctor before reaching a ward. They were just about to enter when they saw a nurse walk out holding a tray in her hands.

"Dr. Zhang..." the doctor called out.

"How is it? How's the patient's condition?"

"We've just given her acupuncture treatment. The patient's not awake yet."

The doctor nodded. "You can go first."

Then, the nurse slowly retreated. Sis Li impatiently barged in to see a weak Sis Lan on the sickbed. The beeping of the machine was the only sound breaking the silence in the ward.

When Sis Li walked to the bedside, her eyes had already welled up in tears. "When will she be awake?"

Xi Xiaye stared at Sis Lan who looked lifeless on the sickbed before she turned to look at the doctor who advised, "Her condition isn't stable. She should be awake soon according to her condition. However, these next two days is still a critical period, so don't stay too long and don't disrupt her rest."

...

Hearing this, Xi Xiaye could not help but sigh. Who would have thought that a person who was doing just alright a few days ago would be like this right now? All these years, she had been receiving treatment abroad. That must have been the reason she quit the entertainment industry.

From the way Sis Li and Caitlin spoke, they must hold her in very high regard.

And now...

Nevertheless, why was she not willing to explain all those things clearly?

The doctor left after explaining a few more things. Xi Xiaye stood by the sickbed for quite a while, watching Sis Li quietly cry. She could only reach out to pat her shoulders. Just as she was about to console her, they suddenly heard a light cough. She subconsciously looked up and saw that Sis Lan was trying to open her eyes through the fatigue.

When Sis Li saw Sis Lan wake up, she felt relieved and quickly attended to her. "Sis Lan, how are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

In a daze, Sis Lan opened her misty eyes which gradually returned to clarity after a while. She looked around, and when she saw Xi Xiaye, she was clearly surprised. Her pale and bloodless face was momentarily stunned.

"I'm fine. Why are you here?"

The two of them were quite close. To a certain extent, Sis Li had been mentored by Sis Lan, and she was considered her student.

"I received a call. Sis Lan, you... Why are you hiding this from everyone? Why didn't you tell us? We thought that you..."

"What's the point of telling you lot? It would just to add to everyone's worry. You don't have to worry anymore. I don't think I'll be able to recover with my condition anymore."

Sis Lan's tone and gaze were calm. Her nonchalant expression seemed to be one that has experienced the hypocrisy of the world and seen through life and death. She sounded incredibly sad to Sis Li.

Sis Lan watched her quietly without a sound. She watched Xi Xiaye silently, thought about it, and decided to ask, "Missus Mu, why are you here?"

Upon hearing this, Xi Xiaye's beautiful face flashed with a faint smile. She said softly, "I came over for a checkup. Unexpectedly, I bumped into Sis Li and found out you were hospitalized, so I came over to take a look. You'll get better."

"Thank you." A wry smile appeared on Sis Lan's pale face. "By the looks of it, there isn't any way anymore. Perhaps this is fate. This is my fate."

"Sis Lan, don't be dismayed. The doctor will find a way to save you," Sis Li consoled.

Sis Lan shook her head, not seeming too sad. Perhaps she was indifferent to things now given her state. "It's fine, I know myself. Otherwise, I wouldn't rush back. Upon my return this time, I'm afraid I wouldn't have any more chances of leaving. There's nothing bad about that, after going round and round, I still end up back here. I don't have much time left..."

"Sis Lan," Sis Li called out anxiously as she quickly grabbed her frail hand. "No, Sis Lan, as long as you get treatment, you'll get better. I..."

...

Xi Xiaye did not know how to console her, so she did not say much. When she left the hospital, she felt quite depressed.

Yet, just as Xi Xiaye learned about Sis Lan's condition, Mu Yuchen received news too.

In his spacious and cozy office, Mu Yuchen was standing at the shelf and flipping through a book. Ah Mo stood before his desk and reported, "Ah Bo sent a message saying that it's heart failure. She probably doesn't have much time left. She's been staying at home because she's been feeling unwell."

"Has anyone visited her recently?" Mu Yuchen stood there, his gaze never leaving the page.

"Qi Qiming's secretary did go looking for her once, but after that, there wasn't much contact," Ah Mo answered.

"Does Qi Qiming know about her illness?" Mu Yuchen flipped the page and continued to ask.

Ah Mo fell silent for a moment. He thought about it, then answered, "I think he doesn't know. Qi Qiming has rarely been in contact with Sis Lan all these years since there's nothing for them to keep in touch about. I find the recent sudden contact quite odd too. However, the two of them did work quite closely back then. I think they do more or less keep in touch. Perhaps, Qi Qiming also knows something about Aunty's matters. Don't forget that he was quite popular in the circle back then too."

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuchen nodded in agreement, a sneer curled on his lips while the light in his eyes became quite unfathomable. "I am quite looking forward to seeing if Mr. Wen has any connections to Qi Qiming."

"Master, why would you say that?" Ah Mo was puzzled now.

Mu Yuchen sneered. His tone was quite nonchalant. "Lu Xinlan and Qi Qiming didn't just work together. She and Qi Qiming had a past."

Mu Yuchen's words shocked Ah Mo into sheer disbelief. "That's impossible. Isn't Sis Lan...?"

"I've investigated Qi Qiming's trail in the past. Qi Qiming transferred Lu Xinlan's current house to her in secret. He's always been generous to his mistresses. This reminds me about the termination of their collaboration which might be due to Wang Qin's intervention."

"How could it be? Master, do you mean Qi Qiming might be Mr. Wen?" Ah Mo's expression darkened.

"It's still too early to make a conclusion right now. This only tells us Qi Qiming and Lu Xinlan have an unusual relationship. If Mr. Wen is truly Qi Qiming, then there's a reason for the accidents that happened to your sister-in-law before. He was picking trouble with me for Qi Feng's sake. That's a strong motive," Mu Yuchen said.

"Qi Qiming... If that's true, then everything makes sense."

"That's why I suppose things aren't that simple. Let's do this, think of a way to let both Qi Qiming and Wang Qin be aware of Lu Xinlan's condition, and observe their reaction, also, investigate if aunt knew Qi Qiming before."

Ah Mo was startled before nodding. "Yes, Master." He then left after a brief reply.

It was afternoon when Xi Xiaye arrived back at Glory World. She received a call from Mu Yuchen the moment she stepped out of the car. He told Xi Xiaye to visit his office.

Xi Xiaye went back to her office to grab the documents needed for the meeting later before heading over.

Inside Mu Yuchen's office, lunch was already prepared. They had lunch together once she arrived.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind. Is something bothering you?" He handed her a wet towel and noticed that her emotions were fluctuating slightly.

Xi Xiaye took the towel as she looked at him solemnly. "Guess who I met at the hospital just now?"

"Who?" Mu Yuchen replied as he got her some soup.

"I met Sis Li, and she was visiting Sis Lan! Sis Lan had a heart attack last night and was sent to Hospital T. Her condition is very bad and she most probably can't make it past the next two months. The doctor also mentioned that Sis Lan has been visiting hospitals abroad frequently in the past few years. She probably returned to City Z because she knew she doesn't have much time left and wants to spend her final days here." Xi Xiaye's tone of voice sounded heavy while her eyes darkened.

"No wonder she looked unwell when I visited her the last time. She doesn't look very energetic. How unfortunate. I thought we could find something about Aunty out from her..."

Sis Lan's attitude was pretty determined at that moment. Xi Xiaye thought about paying her a second visit, but she did not want to rush things and she knew that Mu Yuchen had people keeping an eye on her, so she did not want to ruin his plan.

However, with the current situation, she was worried that if they still did not find out anything from Sis Lan now, all those things they never knew about would vanish with her.

Xi Xiaye did not see any change in Mu Yuchen's expression as he casually scooped food onto her plate. "I'm talking to you. Aren't you worried?" she complained when he did not give her any sort of response at all.

"If worrying works, I don't mind worrying about it. Well, I know about it. Have your lunch first. What did the doctor say? It looks like it's grown..." The man seemed indifferent about this. Instead, he made Xi Xiaye sit down as he put his hand on her belly gently.

"You touched it this morning and said it didn't seem different, but now you're saying it looks like it's grown? You're contradicting yourself." She shot him a stare while she had a twisted smile on her face. "The doctor said I'll be able to feel him moving inside me soon."

"Mmm, just leave all the work to us soon. Grandpa says the same as well."

"It's still early and I have nothing to do anyway. It's no harm for me to walk around. I'm practically an idle person now. When I went to take some documents from my office just now, everyone looked at me in surprise. Do all of them know that I'm pregnant?" She frowned and stared at him.

Ever since their wedding, they started going to the office together and did not avoid letting people see them. The whole company knew about their relationship, and since she was pregnant, people had been acting carefully around her as if she was an old lady. Some would even come to her aid when she walked by since her swollen belly was obvious.

"So what if they know? It's a marvelous thing. Don't you feel proud bearing my child? She'll be Glory World's little princess. Isn't that something to look forward to?" He then delivered a slice of deboned fish into her mouth.

She ate it without any resistance. He had been sweeter and sweeter to her. According to Su Nan, this man had the potential to be trained, but of course, Xi Xiaye did not dare try as he might use it against her and train her back instead.

"How do you know it's a little princess? It might be a boy. Why is it a proud thing? You speak as if you're an ancient emperor. I'm not like those imperial concubines." She rolled her eyes at him.

He chuckled, his face filled with warmth. "It'll be a princess as I say. If we're really in the past, a certain someone selected you from a thousand others. Aren't you lucky?"

"Who's that certain someone?"

She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "Mr. Mu, I noticed that your tongue has been getting sweeter. Had it been in the past, I'd never have believed that you could say such flirtatious phrases. So, you like to have a few thousand girls around you, huh?"

He was not really embarrassed about it. Instead, he looked at her straight in the eyes. "Don't you like to hear those sweet words too?"

"I don't!" She faced the other way as her face blushed furiously.