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

"Isn't the surgery scheduled for tomorrow? Why the sudden transfer to another hospital?"

In the doctor's office, Anning angrily questioned, "What kind of hospital makes sense to transfer a patient the day before surgery?"

"Ms. An, I understand how you feel."

The doctor explained, "The decision to transfer you to another hospital was made after our hospital director and your mother's surgeon understood the situation. Our director suggested that you transfer to Huaihai Hospital, which is more authoritative in the treatment of breast cancer, considering your mother's condition."

"Huaihai Hospital?"

Anning knew that hospital; it was a very famous hospital in Jinghai. But this municipal hospital had a higher level of medical care and was the best hospital in Jinghai.

"Yes, Huaihai Hospital has a higher success rate for surgery," the doctor said. "I suggest you transfer your mother to another hospital as soon as possible. I can contact Huaihai Hospital to arrange surgery immediately."

The doctor spoke very sincerely, and Li Chunfang's surgery was indeed urgent; every day that it was delayed increased the risk of death.

Moreover, the success rate is higher, which is what Anning cares about most.

"Then please contact the hospital there immediately," Anning pleaded anxiously. "My mother's illness really can't be delayed any longer."

"Don't worry, I'll make the call right away," the doctor said. "Go and complete the formalities."

Anning took the doctor's prescription and quickly went to complete the transfer procedures. Li Chunfang had only been admitted for two days and was about to be transferred. She thought her condition had worsened and turned pale with fright. She hurriedly asked her what was wrong.

As Anning packed her things, she comforted her, "Don't worry too much. The doctor said Huaihai Hospital is more authoritative and has a higher success rate for the surgery. The hospital has already contacted them for us. We'll go there today and have the surgery tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Li Chunfang smiled with relief and quickly helped her pack her things.

After completing the formalities, Anning took Li Chunfang to Huaihai Hospital.

They were told halfway there that the hospital had no beds available and no surgery scheduled, and that they should go back and wait for news.

This news came like a bolt from the blue.

Having just left the city hospital, and with Huaihai Hospital refusing to admit her, An Ning's mind went completely blank.

The taxi stopped halfway down the road; the sun was shining brightly and it was exceptionally hot.

An Ning helped Li Chunfang out of the car, found a shady spot by the roadside to settle her down, and then went to make a phone call.

She first called the attending physician at the city hospital, but no one answered.

She then called the hospital reception, only to be told that the hospital currently had no beds available, not even VIP rooms, and therefore could not perform surgery.

Anning stood by the roadside, under the scorching sun, as if a bucket of water had been poured over her head, thoroughly soaking her inside and out.

She stood silently by the roadside, turning her head to glance at Li Chunfang, who was sitting quietly by the roadside.

Although she was in relatively good condition during this period, she had become extremely thin, almost skin and bones.

She sat there quietly, her slightly sunken eyes looking calmly at Anning, meeting Anning's gaze like a thorn piercing Anning's heart.

No hospital bed available, no surgery – for a cancer patient, this means... waiting to die.

Anning hurriedly looked away, squatted down and picked up her phone to check other hospitals, calling them one by one, but the hospitals seemed to have made a pact, giving almost the same response.

An Ning refused to give up and called five or six hospitals. Her heart sank infinitely, and her hands trembled more and more, growing colder and colder.

Just as she continued dialing the seventh hospital, a bottle of water was handed to her.

Looking up, there was a sallow hand with a few brown age spots.

An Ning looked up and met Li Chunfang's slightly smiling gaze.

"Daughter, let's go home."

An Ning's eyes suddenly stung, her nose tingled, and her hand holding the phone trembled slightly as an immense sense of powerlessness overwhelmed her.

"Mom knows this disease is incurable," Li Chunfang said with a smile. "If it can't be cured, then let's not treat it. Let's go home, and I can still play with my dear grandson for another year or two."

An Ning's tears streamed down her face as she scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? There are so many hospitals in Jinghai, surely one of them can cure it."

She was about to continue making the call when tears blurred her vision.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist. "Let's go home, Anning. Actually, Mom doesn't really want to get treatment anymore."

Anning looked at her with red eyes and heard her say, "At first, Mom had selfish motives. I wanted to live to see you and Yucan get married. But after I saw Xianxian, I realized that I didn't have any unfulfilled wishes. Besides, Mom can't be a burden to you anymore."

"My dear daughter, you've done so much for us to settle down. We owe you so much."

Li Chunfang pulled her up from the ground and gently tucked a few strands of hair that had fallen by her temples behind her ears. "Mom doesn't want treatment anymore. Mom just wants to go back to her own home."

An Ning was in tears, choked up and unable to utter a single word.

......

"Don't worry, Mrs. Cheng, I've done everything you asked me to do. I'd appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me with the dean regarding this work matter."

At the entrance of the city hospital, attending physician Jiang Wei, with an embarrassed smile, made a phone call and walked towards his parking space.

"Dr. Jiang!"

Suddenly a voice called out to him, and Jiang Wei quickly hung up the phone after recognizing the person.

An Ning jumped out of the taxi and blocked Jiang Wei's path. "Dr. Jiang, didn't you say that if I transferred my mother to Huaihai Hospital immediately, we could arrange surgery right away? Why can't she get into Huaihai Hospital now?"

Jiang Wei's previously sincere expression vanished completely. He looked at the woman in front of him with disdain. "I'm just a doctor, not the head of the hospital. Whether Huaihai Hospital will accept you or not is your business to ask them. What's the use of asking me?"

Anning could hardly believe such words came from a doctor's mouth. She questioned, "But it was you who suggested transferring to another hospital? You said you'd help coordinate things over there!"

"Yeah, I only said I'd help. Whether I can actually help or not isn't up to me. Besides," Jiang Wei's eyes swept over An Ning's slender figure from head to toe, his tone meaningful, "asking for help requires some sincerity. Your family hasn't offered anything, how can I help?"

An Ning stood there, stunned. Seeing Jiang Wei about to leave with a light smile, she quickly asked, "Dr. Jiang, my mother is in a lot of pain right now. Could you prescribe some painkillers to temporarily relieve the pain?"

"Prescription drugs cannot be prescribed without authorization." Jiang Wei said this, opened the car door, and got in.

"Dr. Jiang!" An Ning clung to Jiang Wei's car window. "Is this huge hospital deliberately making things difficult for my mother?"

Jiang Wei glanced at her. The woman had fair and delicate features and was very beautiful. However, her clothes and appearance were nowhere near those of the top-tier wealthy Cheng family.

I don't know how their family offended Mrs. Cheng, to the point that even their hospital director spoke up.

Now that the matter was settled, Jiang Wei didn't mind being more direct: "You should think about whether you've offended some powerful figure you can't afford to mess with."

After he finished speaking, he started the car and drove away.

An Ning stood there, stunned.

I've offended some powerful figure I can't afford to mess with.

She suddenly turned around and looked at the towering hospital building.

A thought was about to emerge in my mind.

The hospital invested in by the Lu family.

The last time we changed beds, this time we were transferred to another hospital...

Another chilling voice rang in his ears, "You'll have to beg me one day."