The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

Xie Ci stood beside him, his brow furrowed.

He took a step forward, trying to pull Sun Jing away.

Chen Shi, with his sharp eyes, quickly stepped forward and grabbed Sun Jing's wrist.

"Sun Jing!"

He lowered his voice, "Calm down!"

Sun Jing was pulled away by him, staggered a step, and still stared at Fu Hua.

Chen Shi stood in front of her, his face showing embarrassment and apology as he looked at Fu Hua and Xie Ci.

"Comrade Fu, please don't take offense. She...she's been so tense these past few days because of the child, she's been a bit..."

He couldn't continue, only nodding repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Sun Jing stood behind him, panting, tears welling up in her eyes again.

She suddenly took a step forward, pulled Chen Shi away, and bent down towards Fu Hua.

"Comrade Fu, I'm sorry."

Fu Hua looked at her.

Sun Jing straightened up, her face streaked with tears, but she spoke each word clearly.

"I was rude and nitpicky at the restaurant before. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me. I'll take whatever you want to do to me."

She paused, and her voice began to tremble again.

"If only you could save my child..."

She bent her knees, as if she were really about to kneel down.

Chen Shi helped her up, his eyes also reddening.

"Sun Jing..."

Sun Jing broke free from his hand but still tried to kneel down.

Fu Hua spoke up.

"stand up."

Her voice was soft, cold, and devoid of emotion.

Sun Jing was unsure of Fu Hua's attitude and stood there frozen, looking up at her, somewhat at a loss.

Fu Hua stood in the corridor, the light shining down from above.

The photo captured the expression on her face clearly.

There was no anger, no smugness, and not much emotion.

"I didn't take it to heart."

She explained, "The child comes first. I understand that you are worried about the child and are emotional."

Sun Jing stared blankly at her, tears still streaming down her face.

Fu Hua took a step forward, getting closer to her.

Fu Hua stood in the corridor, looking at the couple in front of her.

They looked ten years older after just a few days apart.

Chen Shi had a stubble beard, sunken eyes, and his military uniform was wrinkled like pickled vegetables.

Sun Jing leaned against the wall, her hair disheveled.

The tear stains on her face dried and then became wet again, and her eyelids were swollen and shiny.

She lacked the gentle tranquility she displayed at that gathering.

"The child needs to be hospitalized for gradual treatment."

Fu Hua's voice was much softer than usual.

Sun Jing looked up at her expectantly.

"During this period, I will do my best to cooperate with the hospital to stabilize the child's various data."

Fu Hua said, "At the same time, I will start research on artificial valves for children as soon as possible."

She paused.

"When that day comes, the child will have the latest valve replacement, and he will recover."

"How long will that study take?"

Chen Shi calmly inquired.

"The shortest time will be around the Lunar New Year, and the longest will not exceed March of next year."

Fu Hua was very certain.

Sun Jing's eyes lit up, brighter than those of someone experiencing a final burst of energy before death.

Her lips trembled; she wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out.

Chen Shi was equally pleased, but also somewhat worried.

So certain!

This, on the contrary, made him feel somewhat unreal.

Fu Hua's gaze moved from Sun Jing's swollen eyelids to Chen Shi's face, and then back again.

"Before that,"

She sighed, "The first thing you need to do is take care of your own health."

Sun Jing was stunned, her eyes wide with surprise.

Fu Hua continued, "You are the child's support; none of you can be harmed."

"What should children do if something happens to their parents?"

Xie Ci took a step forward and stood next to Fu Hua.

"Chen Shi".

He shouted.

Chen Shi looked up, somewhat stunned.

Xie Ci looked at him, her tone not as relaxed as usual.

Take care of yourself. Did you hear me?

Chen Shi opened his mouth, but felt as if something was stuck in his throat.

Sun Jing was the first to react.

She straightened up, leaning against the wall, and bowed slightly to Fu Hua.

"Comrade Fu, thank you."

Her voice was hoarse, but she was in much better spirits than before.

"We will. We will take good care of ourselves and we won't collapse."

She reached out and tugged at Chen Shi's sleeve.

Chen Shi also came to his senses and nodded to Xie Ci.

"Don't worry, brother."

His voice was terribly hoarse, his eyes were bloodshot, and his tone was strained. "We can hold on."

With this hope, there is something to look forward to in the future.

This is more powerful than any words.

The two supported each other and leaned against each other.

Sun Jing rested her head on Chen Shi's shoulder, and Chen Shi put his arm around her waist.

Xie Ci pulled Chen Shi to the corner of the corridor, away from the two women's gaze.

"Where will you be staying for the next few days?"

He asked, "If it's inconvenient at your relatives' place, I'll help you find a place to stay close to the hospital, so it's convenient for cooking."

"It's convenient; my relative's house isn't far away."

Chen Shi rubbed his eyes, his voice still hoarse: "Sun Jing runs back and forth every day, and I just... in the hospital corridor, next to the nurses' station there's a bench, that'll do."

Xie Ci frowned.

"Are you eating?"

"The hospital cafeteria has steamed buns, and they're cheap."

Chen Shi twitched the corners of his mouth, trying to smile, but couldn't. "We won't go hungry."

Xie Ci looked at him without saying a word.

Chen Shi looked much thinner than when we last met, and his eyes were sunken.

His beard was unkempt, his clothes were wrinkled, and there was a dried tear stain on his cuff.

He no longer has any trace of the capable and efficient person he was in the army.

"Hang in there, it will be alright, everything will be alright."

Xie Ci patted Chen Shi on the shoulder.

Chen Shi was a man, and he considered himself to be more hard-hearted.

The most pitiful one is the child's mother.

That tiny lump of flesh was a piece of flesh that had fallen from her body; how could it not hurt?

He had previously thought that Sun Jing was too strict with the children.

At the age of three, forcing a child to recite ancient poems all day long...

Whose child isn't running around wildly?

Now I realize that she was the one who loved the child the most.

He glanced over there and saw Sun Jing leaning against the wall, looking as if her bones had been removed.

She couldn't imagine what would happen if anything happened to the child; she knew she wouldn't be able to survive.

"She's suffering more than I am."

His voice lowered as he muttered to himself, "I haven't slept for days. When I try to feed her, she shakes her head and just cries. I've cried all my tears out."

Xie Ci was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and patted his arm.

Take care of yourself.

"You are the pillar of this family. If you stand up, everything will be fine."

Chen Shi nodded, his eyes reddening again.

"I know...I know..."

Xie Ci didn't say anything more and turned to walk back to Fu Hua's side.

"Let's go."

He said.

Fu Hua nodded and glanced at the couple again.

"Remember what I said."

She said, "You are the children's support. None of you can be hurt."

Sun Jing raised her head and nodded vigorously.

Chen Shi nodded, saying "thank you" repeatedly.

The two turned and headed towards the stairs.

The corridor was long and the lights were a stark white, and the sound of their footsteps echoed one after another.

Chen Shi stood there, watching the figure in military uniform walk further and further away.

He suddenly remembered his time in basic training.

Xie Ci, as the team leader, took good care of him.

I've helped him with so many things, I can't even count them all.

During a field training exercise, he sprained his ankle, and Xie Ci carried him for five kilometers.

On the day he was discharged from the army, Xie Ci saw him off at the station.

Two grown men stood on the platform, their eyes red, neither of them speaking.

He reached into his pocket for a cigarette, but touched something hard.

Chen Shi was stunned.