With the matter finally settled, Xu Qinghuan returned to her room and began to pack. Fortunately, the business trip had been more of a scare than a disaster, and she wasn't just referring to Mr. Chen's anger. Xu Qinghuan tried to shove the thoughts from her mind, to stop seeing Fu Yanshi’s face, but her brain refused to obey. The images kept swirling until her phone, lying on the desk, began to buzz relentlessly, shattering the silence. She walked over quickly, and the moment she saw the string of numbers from the hospital, her heart plummeted. Her hand trembled as she pressed the answer button. “Is this Ms. Xu? Your mother just had a sudden heart attack. Her condition is critical, and she’s been rushed to the emergency room. You need to come quickly!” “…” For a moment, her vision blurred, and she nearly collapsed. But there was no time to waste. After a few seconds to steady herself, she immediately rebooked her flight. It wasn't until she was already boarding that she remembered to text Fu Jiajia, asking her to explain the situation to Mr. Chen. By the time Xu Qinghuan arrived back in Beizhen City, dusk was settling. She hailed a cab to the hospital, arriving just as her mother was being wheeled from the emergency room to the intensive care unit. Gazing at her mother’s ashen face on the pillow, Xu Qinghuan fought to hold back tears, but a stray one escaped, tracing a path down her cheek and landing on the sterile white hospital blanket. “Don’t cry…” Zheng Qiuzhi’s eyes fluttered open. She tried to raise a hand to wipe away her daughter’s tear, but she lacked the strength even to squeeze her hand. Xu Qinghuan quickly wiped her face, forcing a smile. “Mom, I’m not crying. Just got some dust in my eye. The doctor said you need to rest and not think about anything!” Zheng Qiuzhi nodded. A few moments later, her attending physician came over and called Xu Qinghuan out into the hallway. “Dr. Wang, how could my mother have a sudden heart attack? You told me before that her condition was stable.” “We’re doing everything we can. Her illness has always been a matter of buying time.” Dr. Wang sighed. “What are your plans? If she doesn’t have the surgery soon, situations like today will become more frequent. You need to be prepared.” Xu Qinghuan’s heart seized. “How much does the surgery cost right now?” “You should prepare a million dollars to start. We need to do the surgery first; the follow-up treatments aren’t as urgent.” A million dollars. The words left the doctor’s mouth so easily, but for Xu Qinghuan, it was a sum that would take years to earn. By then, it would be too late. “You should think it over.” With that, the doctor walked away. Xu Qinghuan was left standing alone in the empty corridor, the sterile scent of antiseptic clinging to the air. She stood there for a long, long time. She was still in the same spot when Fu Jiajia’s call came through. “How’s your mom?” “The doctor told me… if she doesn’t have the surgery, I should prepare for the worst.” Xu Qinghuan clenched her fists, forcing the words out. “Jiajia… do you have any spare money I could borrow?” In all these years, no matter how hard things got, she had never borrowed money from anyone. But this time, she had nothing left. Every penny she earned had gone toward keeping her mother alive. “Of course! I have two hundred thousand. I’ll transfer it to you right now!” Fu Jiajia agreed without a moment's hesitation. “Send me your account number!” “The doctor said the surgery is a million.” “…” “Jiajia, am I really going to lose my mom this time…?” Xu Qinghuan leaned against the wall, her body slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. “I can’t raise a million dollars. I just can’t!” Fu Jiajia sounded frantic on the other end. “Don’t give up yet. There has to be another way!” Another way? The words echoed in her mind, and Xu Qinghuan froze.