A nurse came over, attempting to separate them. "The patient must be moved to the intensive care unit immediately. Sir, please step aside."
Susu was about to release his hand, but he clung to her, speaking rapidly. "The Shu Corporation is now in your hands. You must ensure it thrives. I have one more request: can Hengyu change his surname to Shu? So that the Shu family will have a successor..."
"Dad, this isn't the time for these discussions. Once you're better, we can talk about anything, alright?" Susu feared this would delay his treatment and wanted him to let go.
"What did you just call me!" Shu Zhongze glared at her, tears streaming down his face in a moment of intense emotion.
Susu called out again, "Dad, please stop talking. Cooperate with your treatment. We're all waiting for you to get better."
The nurse forcibly attached the respirator to him, cautioning them, "You can't do this. The patient absolutely cannot be stimulated right now!"
With that, they quickly pushed the hospital bed towards the intensive care unit. Susu chased a few steps further before Tianyi held her back firmly.
"Don't chase anymore. We can't get into the ICU anyway."
Leaning against him, Susu said with great unease, "Will he be alright? The doctor said he's still very dangerous. What should we do?"
Tianyi helped her sit down on a chair. Lacking absolute confidence himself, he still tried to comfort her, "The doctors are doing their best. Don't be too upset, and take care of yourself."
Susu hugged him, bursting into tears in his arms, saying with self-reproach and regret, "Did I treat him too badly? Knowing he's my biological father, I never acknowledged him and said so many harsh things to hurt him..."
"It's not your fault. After all, you only found out about your relationship with him later. Any normal person would react and behave as you did." Tianyi gently stroked her back, wishing she wouldn't be too sad.
"But he was always expressing his sincerity to me, hoping to acknowledge me, and I ignored him, deliberately disregarding his kindness. Why did I do that? I'm so awful..." The more Susu thought about it, the more she felt she had done wrong.
"Susu, don't blame yourself. You're too tired. Go back and rest. I'll stay here and notify you immediately if anything happens." Tianyi tried to help her up, suggesting she go home to rest for the night.
Susu struggled, unwilling to leave. "I'm not going. I want to stay here. You go back and rest, and let me stay here to watch over him, okay?"
"If you don't go, I won't go either." Tianyi couldn't bring himself to leave her alone at the hospital. He stood up and said, "I'll go ask the doctor about the consultation. You rest here for a bit, and then we can go out for something to eat together."
Susu nodded, not wanting him to worry. She smiled at him and said, "Go quickly. I'm fine. Think positively about everything. I believe he'll be alright."
Tianyi gave her a thumbs-up gesture, then hurried off to find the attending physician with a relieved expression.
Not long after Tianyi left, Susu, possibly due to exhaustion, fell asleep leaning against her chair.
When Tianyi returned from the doctor's office, he found Susu asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he sat down beside her gently, placing her head on his lap to let her sleep as comfortably as possible.
It wasn't until a flurry of hurried footsteps woke her that she opened her eyes to find Tianyi beside her, her head resting on his lap. She quickly sat up.
At that moment, another patient needing resuscitation was being wheeled into the emergency room, followed by several anxious family members.
Tianyi took Susu's hand and stood up. "Let's go get something to eat. We'll head to the ICU waiting area afterward."
Susu hummed in agreement. Looking out the window, she saw that it was completely dark. She must have slept for at least an hour.
As they left the hospital, Susu asked, "By the way, what did the doctors say after the consultation? Are there any plans to help him through the critical period?"
Tianyi replied, "I asked. The specialists have a further surgical plan. However, given Mr. Shu's current physical condition, it's not suitable to undergo surgery immediately. They said he needs some time to recover and recuperate before the operation."
"What are the chances of the surgery being successful?"
"I noticed the experts seemed quite confident. They said as long as the surgery can be performed, the blood vessels around Mr. Shu's heart can be improved, and with proper care, he could live for another ten to twenty years." Tianyi intentionally spoke optimistically to ease Susu's worries.
In reality, the doctors had mentioned that he might live for eight to ten years after the surgery.
They found a small eatery near the hospital and ordered some food casually.
Tianyi kept placing food into her bowl. She became more talkative, saying, "When he's better, I'll often take the three children to the Shu family mansion to play. I've been there twice, and it's so somber. Honestly, living there would make anyone sick even if they weren't ill."
"Okay, then you can just go and stay there often." Tianyi agreed with a smile. "It's just, with the children being so noisy, can your father handle it..."
He paused as he spoke, noticing her stiffened expression. Fearing she might be displeased, he quickly explained, "I said that just now because you called him 'Dad'. You're not angry, are you?"
Susu put on a stern face and pretended to be angry. "What 'your dad, my dad'? You know I've changed how I address him. What should you call him now?"
Tianyi breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Right, right. I should follow your lead and call him Dad too."
"That's more like it." Susu directly picked up a piece of meat and fed it to him. She couldn't help but smile, her previous worries and sadness vanishing, feeling a bit better.
Tianyi swallowed the meat she fed him and said, playfully annoyed, "You're becoming more mischievous."
Susu smiled and replied, "It's all because I learned from you."
After they finished eating, they returned together to the area outside the intensive care unit.
Seeing his tired expression, Susu advised, "Why don't we take turns staying at the hospital? You go back and sleep for a while, and I'll come to relieve you at dawn."
Tianyi was still reluctant to leave her alone at the hospital at night. He was about to say he would stay that night and she could take the day shift.
Suddenly, a nurse rushed out of the ICU, shouting, "Quick, find the on-call doctor! The patient in Bed 8 is in critical condition!"
Susu immediately stood up and tried to see who the patient in Bed 8 was through the half-glass wall of the ICU. However, she found that all the patients inside were on respirators, with tubes all over them, making it impossible to identify anyone.
Soon, the nurse called for several doctors, who hurried into the ICU.
Susu grabbed the nurse walking at the end and asked, "What's the name of the patient in Bed 8? Is it Mr. Shu?"
The nurse immediately replied, "Yes, his surname is Shu. He's over sixty years old, had a sudden myocardial infarction, and was just resuscitated today."
Susu's heart sank. The nurse had already entered the ICU and closed the automatic doors.
Tianyi put his arm around Susu and said, "Don't worry. The doctors have gone in. Everything will be fine."