Murong Hongyan felt a discomfort in his stomach after hanging up Murong Yanran's call, and clutched his abdomen with a frown.
Liu Shuhui walked in with a cup of ginseng tea. Seeing Murong Hongyan holding his stomach, his face pale, she asked with feigned concern, "What's wrong, is your stomach bothering you?"
Murong Hongyan held his stomach, took a sip of the ginseng tea, and his complexion seemed to improve slightly. "It's nothing, just an old problem. Has our son gone to sleep yet?"
"He's asleep. You... do you really intend to agree to Mu Zhengtao?"
Murong Hongyan gave a wry smile, "What choice do we have? Their Mu family is now all-powerful and overbearing. Our city connections can't resist them. I have confirmed news that Mu Yongqi is about to take office."
"Really?" Liu Shuhui felt a surge of delight, a flicker of excitement in her eyes as she rolled them, her thoughts unknown.
"It's good that we sell. Ten billion is enough for us to live the rest of our lives," Liu Shuhui comforted him.
"Ten billion..." Murong Hongyan gave another wry smile. Even if he sold parts, it would be worth more than that. "Sigh...! Alright, you should get some rest too. I'll sit here for a while longer."
"Don't think too much about it, get some rest early." After saying that, Liu Shuhui turned and left without any hesitation, almost eagerly.
"Ten billion... hehe!" Murong Hongyan shook his head, then suddenly remembered something. "I never mentioned ten billion. How did Shuhui know?"
A bad premonition surfaced in his heart. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and quietly followed her.
"Brother Tao..."
"Shuhui, didn't I tell you not to contact me these few days? Be careful during this crucial time."
"It's fine. He's stressed in his study. From his tone just now, he should have decided to sell."
"Hahaha, he has no choice but to sell. How long can he sustain the daily expenses of several million?"
"Brother Tao, why didn't you wait for his uncle to take office before making a move? You could have pressured them for a few more hundred million."
"You don't understand. We can't give them a handle to criticize. It would be detrimental to Yongqi."
"What about our son's situation?"
"Don't worry, I've already bought a villa over there. Once this is settled, you can move over. Alright, that's all for now."
"Brother Tao, son? Mu Zhengtao?" Murong Hongyan, eavesdropping from outside the door, caught these fragmented words. Connecting them with how he first met Liu Shuhui, he broke out in a cold sweat. Ruthlessness instantly surged within him. Just as he prepared to kick down the door, a violent cramp seized his stomach.
"Ah..."
He shouted in pain and collapsed on the ground...
Beep, beep, beep...
"Husband, husband... are you awake?"
"Dad..."
Murong Hongyan, just regaining consciousness, opened his eyes to see the hypocritical Liu Shuhui. Anger immediately flared up. He was about to confront her, but then reconsidered, deciding to conceal his hatred. He thought to himself that even if he got nothing, he wouldn't let them have it easy.
"I'm fine. Son, come here."
Murong Yuyang obediently walked to Murong Hongyan's side.
He calmly stroked his son's head, then glanced at Liu Shuhui. Making a decision, he tugged out a few strands of Murong Yuyang's hair while Liu Shuhui was turned away.
Murong Yuyang, being young, didn't understand why his hair was being pulled and pouted a little with grievance.
"Shuhui, I'd like some porridge. Can you go back and cook some and bring it over?" Murong Hongyan made an excuse to send Liu Shuhui and their son away.
"Oh, alright. You rest well, I'll be back later."
As soon as Liu Shuhui and their son left, the doctor walked in, holding a stack of reports, looking somewhat hesitant to speak.
"Doctor, how is my condition? Why did I suddenly faint?"
The doctor looked at Murong Hongyan and sighed helplessly, handing him the examination report. "Mr. Murong, you... need to be mentally prepared!"
Murong Hongyan's heart skipped a beat. He took the test results.
"Splat..."
The test results scattered on the floor. Murong Hongyan's eyes were vacant, his face pale, and his breathing became labored. He was speechless for a long time.
"Late... late stage..."
"Mr. Murong, please pull yourself together. Don't be too sad, it will worsen your condition."
"Doctor, do I still have a chance?" Murong Hongyan was still young and didn't want to die. If there was even a sliver of hope, he didn't want to miss it.
"This..." The doctor shook his head, remaining silent.
Seeing the doctor's reaction, he knew instantly. He clenched his fists, filled with unwillingness. After a long while, he sighed helplessly, "Is this retribution?"
Suppressing his unwillingness, he said, "Doctor, I have a favor to ask you."
Murong Hongyan handed over the hair wrapped in tissue paper. "Please help me do a paternity test..."
The doctor was surprised. Without much thought, he took the hair, offered more comfort, and then left.
Murong Hongyan opened his phone, looked at the number in his contacts, and hesitated. He still held a sliver of hope but ultimately didn't press the call button. "I'll wait for the results."
Murong Yanran, who had just cried, looked much more haggard. She went to wash her face, hiding her sorrow, and walked downstairs.
"Yanran... are you... alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine!" Murong Yanran forced a smile and walked over to sit on the sofa, lost in thought.
"By the way, has Zijun returned yet?"
"Oh, I'm so tired!" As soon as Murong Yanran finished speaking, Liu Zijun entered, rubbing her arm and looking resentful.
"You two lovebirds are living the good life, having a blast. I'm exhausted and you don't even check on me. Hurry up and compensate me." Liu Zijun plopped onto the armchair, feigning complaint.
"Pfft... Here, go ask him for a 'meat payment.' I don't mind."
Liu Zijun cast a sidelong glance at Li Haochen. "No way! I prefer fair-skinned, tender, creamy young men, hahaha?"
Li Haochen's face went dark. He thought to himself that he was fair-skinned back in the day, but... well, never mind. He was doing well now too.
"How is the shop?" Murong Yanran knew she was joking, so she ignored her 'complaint.'
"With me here, how could it not be okay? Everything is perfect," Liu Zijun said proudly. "Tomorrow we'll go test the equipment and think about other food options. Even the best coconut desserts can get monotonous. How about some steamed rice? Like preserved meat with pork patties, cured meat, served with coconut desserts. A set meal, or à la carte. Think about those people shopping, office workers – many choose places with quick service. If you're hungry, no matter how delicious it is, would you be willing to wait an hour or two?"
Liu Zijun's eyes lit up. She slapped her thigh hard. "Hahaha, that's a great idea! It's good, really good. Let's make a decision. I'll do some experiments tomorrow."
Murong Yanran blushed. "Why are you slapping your thigh so excitedly? Watch your image, okay!"
"You have no common sense. Slapping your thigh doesn't hurt. If I slapped my leg, I'd be crying for hours!"
"..."
"I won't disturb you. I'm going upstairs to wash up and sleep." Liu Zijun stretched, stood up, and walked towards the second floor. After a few steps, she turned back and said, "Uh, you can call out however you want. I wear headphones to sleep."
"(⊙x⊙;)"