Wen Ran's eyes welled up as she spoke in a trembling voice, "My brother is in the emergency room. Mo Xiuchen, can you take me to the hospital?"
She had already lost her parents—she could not lose her brother too. Absolutely not.
"Alright, I'll take you," Mo Xiuchen replied, a trace of emotion flickering in his eyes as he answered in a deep voice. After a brief word to Housekeeper Zhang in the kitchen, he took her by the arm and strode toward the door.
Housekeeper Zhang emerged from the kitchen and caught only a glimpse of Mo Xiuchen leading Wen Ran out the door. She blinked heavily, and when she opened her eyes again—although they had already left—she was certain that what she had just seen was real.
A joyful smile, etched on her face by years of experience and deepened wrinkles, spread across her face as she turned and ran upstairs, excitedly calling out, "Old Liu, I've got good news for you!"
Kangning Hospital, the best private hospital in G City, awaited them.
When Wen Ran and Mo Xiuchen arrived, her brother, Wen Jin, was still inside the operating room. Looking at the tightly closed door and the words "In Surgery" glowing on it, her heart was immediately gripped by tension and unease.
A specialized nurse briefly explained Wen Jin's condition to her and warned her to be mentally prepared for the worst. Stiffening, and with tears held back, Wen Ran stubbornly declared, "My brother will be fine."
"We all hope so too, Miss Wen. I only mentioned the worst-case scenario—please don't be too upset," the nurse added with a hint of compassion, moved by her clearly sorrowful yet resolute appearance.
Wen Ran pressed her lips tightly together, her hands clenching at her sides as her fingernails dug into her palms. The moisture in her eyes grew steadily, glistening on her lashes, on the verge of falling.
She looked up at the ceiling, forcing her tears back, repeatedly telling herself that her brother wouldn't abandon her—he wouldn't, he wouldn't…
Mo Xiuchen gave the nurse a meaningful look, signaling her to leave.
After the nurse departed, he glanced at a nearby bench, his gaze calm as he looked at Wen Ran and softly said, "The surgery might take a while—please have a seat and wait."
Wen Ran shook her head, her tear-filled eyes fixed intently on the closed door of the operating room, as if by staring at it, she could ensure her brother's safety.
Mo Xiuchen furrowed his brow slightly, then without a word, he grasped her wrist and forcefully pulled her to the bench. He pressed her down onto the seat and issued a firm command, "Stay here and wait—I'll step out for a bit."
Wen Ran did not resist; she remained seated, her pale face and trembling body betraying the fear in her heart as she stared fixedly at the operating room door.
Mo Xiuchen crouched down and gazed at her for a moment, then, frowning, he reached into his pocket and handed her a packet of tissues. In a measured tone, he said, "If you want to cry, just cry. If you want to be strong, then hold your tears back."
"I'm not crying. I don't need this," Wen Ran replied, her voice choked yet imbued with stubborn determination. She returned the tissues to him.
Mo Xiuchen's eyes flickered briefly as an echo of a long-forgotten, youthful voice—"I'm not crying"—ran through his mind.
Something in him was stirred, as if a chord had been plucked. Frowning, he tucked the tissues back into his pocket, walked aside, and took out his phone to make a call.
A moment later, the call connected, and Housekeeper Zhang's voice came through, "Hello, Young Master!"
Collecting himself, Mo Xiuchen spoke in a calm tone, "Housekeeper Zhang, please prepare some food and have it brought to the hospital."