After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

An Yucan had just gotten lunch at the cafeteria of Jinghai Medical University.

It's summer vacation now, and most students have already left school and gone home. Those who stayed on campus either worked part-time nearby or were working on projects with their advisors.

He had both skills: on one hand, he worked on projects with his medical mentor, which not only gave him experience but also earned him a small bonus. In his spare time, he worked part-time at restaurants near the school, earning a monthly salary.

Although he didn't have much money, he didn't spend much either, and it was enough for his living expenses. He could even save some money and occasionally transfer it to An Ning so she could buy things for An Xian.

There weren't many people in the cafeteria, and the auntie serving the food stopped shaking. Seeing that he was tall and thin, she added an extra spoonful of braised pork to his plate.

"Thank you, Auntie."

The boy was handsome and polite, and his smiling demeanor pleased the cafeteria ladies.

He found an empty seat with his plate and sat down. Just as he picked up his chopsticks, a few people walked by, glanced at his plate, and spoke up.

"Hey, isn't this our top student An? Eating so much meat? Can you even digest it?"

"What can't he digest? He can even suck other people's blood."

"What do you mean by that? What human blood? The way you're talking makes our top student An sound like a vampire."

"Isn't that a vampire? Do you know that he eats so much meat by sucking his sister's blood? His sister is so pitiful. I heard she got divorced and had a child with her, and she works day and night for him."

"How pitiful! No wonder he can eat so comfortably."

The sarcastic voices came from the two tables in front and to the left. Several students deliberately spoke loudly so that everyone around could hear them.

An Yucan sat alone in his seat, seemingly oblivious to everything, quietly eating his meal with his head down.

"Look at him, his own sister has done so much for him, and he's completely unmoved. His heart is truly hard."

"You know what, I heard he had a heart transplant. The heart in his body now probably belongs to a murderer, so cold-blooded and ruthless."

"Someone like him studying medicine and becoming a doctor to save lives? Isn't that a joke? He should save his sister first!"

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Several people burst into laughter.

"Didn't a few girls in the department send him love letters? I don't know what those girls like about him. If they knew he was just a vampire, who in school would still like him, hahaha!"

After shoveling down several mouthfuls of rice, An Yucan's handsome face turned a little pale, but he didn't say a word. He picked up his tray and left the cafeteria.

The mockery behind him continued until he walked out of the cafeteria. Only then did the group turn their attention away from him and excitedly start discussing it on their phones.

"Holy crap! Quick, check if the money's arrived!"

"Just a few words and they're giving each person a thousand dollars? That's like money falling from the sky!"

"But isn't what we're doing a bit unfair?"

"Why bother with all that? An Yucan is fine, isn't he? We didn't interrupt his meal no matter what we said, and he didn't even take it to heart."

"Exactly, we can just take the money!"

......

Heavy breathing came from a corner next to the cafeteria.

An Yucan leaned against the wall, cold sweat dripping from his temples. His face was pale, and he quickly rubbed his rapidly beating heart with one hand.

Blocked, stuffy.

I can't breathe.

Although he pretended to be indifferent, their words still echoed in his ears.

My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest, and my throat felt like it was being choked, making it hard to breathe.

His jagged spine was bent, one hand supporting his knee, the other pounding his chest, his head bowed as he forced himself to breathe deeply.

The doctor said that although his surgery was very successful, he could not be stimulated and his emotions could not fluctuate too much.

He gasped for breath, telling himself not to get agitated.

He had promised his sister that he would find a good job after graduation so that he could help her raise Xianxian.

Twenty minutes later, the boy's breathing gradually stabilized.

He slowly sat down against the wall, took a few deep breaths, and his heart finally calmed down.

......

It was already 11 a.m.

In the restaurant of the Lu Family Manor, the private chef had already prepared the Chinese food, and the servants brought it to the table one after another.

The dishes were plentiful and exquisite, filling the large, round, luxurious stone dining table.

Jixiu glanced at his watch in the courtyard, then turned and walked towards the pavilion.

"Chairman, the second young master has not returned yet."

Lu Lixiao fiddled with the chessboard and asked, "Have you made a phone call?"

"I called," Gishu said. "He didn't answer."

Lu Lixiao paused, looking up. "Today is his thirtieth birthday. Isn't he planning to go home?"

In the past, Lu Xiyan would always go home for a meal on his birthday and would inform Ji Xiu in advance of approximately what time he would be back.

Half the day has passed, and he hasn't called or even shown his face.

Lu Lixiao's voice turned serious. "Where did he go?"

"The driver said that the second young master went to see the second madam early this morning, then went to the ancestral hall to offer incense to the second master before leaving," Ji Xiu said after a moment's thought. "He must have gone to see Miss An."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Lixiao angrily slammed the chess piece in his hand onto the chessboard.

"He just throws away something so many people would kill for!" Lu Lixiao's face was cold and stern. "He really thinks that giving up everything for that woman will give him a peaceful life? He'll suffer endlessly in the future!"

......

"Wow! A birthday cake!"

The little boy stood in the glass display case, his eyes sparkling with joy as he looked at the cakes that the shop assistant had packed.

"Mom!" He gripped the woman's hand tightly, looked up, and asked, "You said we're celebrating Dad's birthday today, so can I see him today?"

He pointed to the wrapped birthday cake and asked, "Does Daddy like toy motorcycles too? Will Daddy like Xianxian? What is Daddy like?"

The little guy had so many questions that Anning smiled and looked down into his big, round eyes. She picked out the most important one to answer: "Daddy will definitely love you."

After accepting the cake, An Ning thanked her, took An Xian's hand, and went out. "We're going home to find Grandma now. Dad will come to pick us up for dinner later."

When she went out to get the cake, Li Chunfang insisted on preparing some dishes at home. She couldn't stop smiling when she mentioned having lunch with Lu Xiyan.

She said that Lu Xiyan used to like the side dish she made, but he hadn't eaten it in the past few years. She wanted to make a proper version to take to the restaurant, and also wanted to sincerely apologize to Lu Xiyan and clarify the misunderstanding from back then.

Li Chunfang said that it doesn't matter whether Lu Yuan forgives her or not, as long as he can forgive An Ning and know that An Ning's decision at the time was out of necessity, and as long as there is no misunderstanding between them.

An Ning, carrying a cake in one hand and holding An Xuan's hand in the other, waited for a ride-hailing car by the roadside.

Her phone beeped with a text message notification, and she picked it up to take a look.

What gift are you secretly preparing? Why are you only picking me up now? I'll be there in twenty minutes. I hope this gift will be even more of a surprise than seeing you.

An Ning couldn't help but smile. Just as she was about to reply to a message, a phone call came in.

The moment the call connected, the cake in Anning's hand suddenly fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Little Anxuan was startled and shouted, "Mommy! Cake!"

An Ning's face paled instantly. She instinctively gripped An Xian's hand, her voice trembling, "Which hospital?"