"Mom, what's wrong?"
...
As Zhang Meiyu suddenly fainted, the scene instantly turned chaotic.
Zhang Meiyu collapsed into Tang Xiaomin's arms, something she hadn't expected. She thought she could hold on a little longer, but it came so quickly.
She knew her own body best.
Before completely losing consciousness, Zhang Meiyu held Tang Xiaomin's hand and weakly told her.
"Xiao... min, I... don't want to go to the hospital... take me... home..."
...
She had clearly given up struggling. In her final moments, rather than lying in a hospital bed with cold medical equipment,
She wanted to return home, lie on her warm bed, and pass away peacefully surrounded by the warmth and company of her loved ones.
"Mom..."
Tang Xiaomin choked back a sob. She didn't know whether she should listen to Zhang Meiyu and take her home to die slowly, or take her to the hospital for a last-ditch effort.
But without a heart for surgery, going to the hospital wouldn't make much difference, as the doctor had clearly stated before.
Tang Ye said, "Xiaomin, what should we do?"
Everyone knew the situation. No matter what decision they made, the outcome would be the same.
"Decide quickly, Mom can't stay here," Tang Yan urged.
Everyone was panicking and didn't know what to do.
The pressure fell on Tang Xiaomin. She didn't want to make a choice, but she had to.
At this moment, Tang Zhongcheng suddenly said excitedly, "To the hospital, quickly take her to the hospital! We can't just watch her like this. The doctors at the hospital will find a way. What if there's a miracle!"
A miracle, who wouldn't want that?
But everyone knew that relying on a phantom miracle was less sensible than following Zhang Meiyu's wishes, taking her home, and staying with her until her last breath.
At least then, she wouldn't be alone.
No one spoke, and Tang Zhongcheng immediately became angry.
"What are you hesitating for! Are you just going to stand by and watch her die?"
"Listen to me, take her to the hospital. Believe me, she still has a chance!"
"Tang Yu, quickly take your mother to the hospital!"
Tang Zhongcheng realized he couldn't count on anyone. He stepped forward himself, attempting to lift Zhang Meiyu.
But he had become much thinner over the past year due to his suffering, and his strength was nowhere near what it used to be. His movements were unsteady and clumsy.
This scene was filled with heartache and despair.
Suddenly, Zhang Meiyu was lifted steadily.
It was Yan Jue. He couldn't bear to watch any longer and didn't want Tang Xiaomin to make such a difficult choice.
So, he lent a hand.
"To the hospital, let's go!"
Yan Jue moved quickly. Seeing him leave, Tang Xiaomin and the others quickly followed, the scene remaining chaotic.
Everyone's hearts were with Zhang Meiyu, and no one paid attention to anyone else.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Zhang Meiyu was immediately rushed into the emergency room.
As the door closed, they could no longer see what was happening inside.
Outside the emergency room, because it was Tang Xiaomin's engagement banquet today, everyone was dressed in their finest attire.
All of them were heavy-hearted, silently watching the operating room door. The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
Yan Jue pulled Tang Xiaomin to a chair nearby and draped his jacket over her shoulders.
"Minmin, I'll be with you the whole time."
This maternal love, she had once yearned for, had once hated Zhang Meiyu for, had received, and now faced losing again.
It felt as if she was caught in an inescapable abyss of fate.
Tang Xiaomin rested her head on Yan Jue's shoulder. She needed an anchor more than ever.
"Yan Jue, do you think I'm really her jinx? She's so sick, and I'm partly responsible."
"If I hadn't exposed Tang Zhongcheng's affair, she wouldn't have known anything. She would still be that carefree rich wife and wouldn't have become so despondent and ended up like this."
The Buddha said, when will the cycle of grievances end?
Tang Xiaomin even began to doubt whether what she had done before was right or wrong.
"Even if you hadn't exposed it, what was bound to happen would still happen. It's not your fault, you don't need to blame yourself."
Things had reached this point, all they could do was pray for a miracle.
Not long after, a doctor in a white coat emerged with a grave expression.
Tang Xiaomin immediately stood up and walked forward, as did Tang Ye and the others.
"Doctor, how is my mother?"
"The patient's heart function has failed. She is currently relying on the support of machines, and her life has been temporarily saved. However, this is not a long-term solution. She could have a sudden complication at any moment. As soon as the machines are removed, she will die immediately."
For a moment, Tang Xiaomin's mind went blank. An unspeakable sadness washed over her, turning into tears that fell uncontrollably.
"Doctor, I beg you, please save my mother."
With a thud, Tang Xiaomin knelt before the doctor.
Then, Tang Ye and the other two followed suit, kneeling in unison.
This was the only straw they could grasp at.
Yan Jue's heart ached at the sudden sight. He wanted to help Tang Xiaomin up but found he couldn't.
He didn't even know how to comfort her sorrow.
As much as she hated the Tang family, she cared deeply.
Otherwise, she could have resolved things with the Tang family long ago with ease.
"Minmin..."
Yan Jue had never seen Tang Xiaomin kneel so humbly before someone, pleading so desperately.
The doctor, with a look of helplessness, helped Tang Xiaomin up, his face full of apology.
"I understand your feelings very well, but our abilities are limited. I am truly sorry. The family should prepare themselves psychologically."
The doctor left with a helpless expression.
"Yan Jue, what do we do?" Tang Xiaomin asked Yan Jue, tears streaming down her face.
She was crying as sorrowfully as the first time they met, when she had also cried like this.
Yan Jue had no answer for Tang Xiaomin.
The next moment, he held Tang Xiaomin in his arms, just as he had then.
...
Suddenly, the doctor who had just left rushed back, exclaiming with surprise.
"We just received a call! There's a heart that matches Ms. Zhang's condition, and surgery can be arranged immediately!"
"What?"
The sudden good news invigorated everyone present.
"This is wonderful! Mom can be saved!" Tang Ye exclaimed excitedly.
The doctor informed Tang Xiaomin and the others of the surgical risks. After signing the consent forms, they decided to proceed with the surgery immediately.
All the family could do was wait patiently outside the operating room.
Lu Xing approached Yan Jue with a solemn expression.
"Mr. Yan, I have an urgent matter to report to you. Shall we discuss it outside?"
Yan Jue said indifferently, "We'll talk about it tomorrow."
To him, nothing was more important than Tang Xiaomin's affairs.
With Zhang Meiyu having a chance at life, Tang Xiaomin's heart relaxed somewhat.
"You go ahead. Don't delay important matters. I'll be alright."
Only then did Yan Jue stand up and walk outside. Once outside, he said to Lu Xing with displeasure,
"If you don't have something extremely urgent to tell me, I won't let you off the hook."