After leaving the venue and getting into the car, Zhan Bei Jue, feeling unwell, started to sweat profusely from his forehead and instructed Zhou Jin Bei.
"Take me to the hospital."
Upon arriving at the hospital, he was severely reprimanded by the doctor.
"Your fever is already 39 degrees Celsius, why are you only coming now? You must have had symptoms two days ago, how could you be so careless?"
"Look at this, persistent fever, and a large shadow on your lungs. You're already in a semi-dehydrated state. If you hadn't come, you would have been ruined. Don't your family members supervise you?"
"Don't think that your youth gives you the capital to push yourself to the limit. Nowadays, young people are dying suddenly, suffering from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and even strokes are common."
"If you truly get to that point, or even lose your life, what's the use of earning so much money?"
As soon as Zhan Bei Jue entered the hospital, he fell into a daze and drifted off to sleep. The doctor's words were directed at Zhou Jin Bei.
Seeing her second brother with pneumonia, semi-dehydrated, and in a semi-conscious state, Zhou Jin Bei couldn't help but shed tears.
The doctor was right. Money could always be earned, and he already had so much. What was the point of exchanging his health for more money?
She wanted to call Jiang Nan Fang to inform her about Zhan Bei Jue's condition, hoping she might show some pity.
Perhaps, by taking advantage of his illness, she could get Jiang Nan Fang to reveal some past events and evoke some compassion.
But then she thought again, her own work was not yet finished, and she was in a state of utter confusion.
Never mind, she would deal with it later.
Zhan Bei Jue was admitted into a special care unit, with Zhou Jin Bei keeping watch outside.
As fate would have it, feeling dejected, she sat in the hospital corridor for less than an hour when a group of doctors rushed past her, pushing an emergency patient.
The person lying on the gurney had an oxygen mask on, so it was difficult to see who it was, but the people accompanying the gurney were familiar to her.
Weren't those Lu Qing Xu and Lu Mama?
What happened?
As the patient was wheeled into the emergency room, Zhou Jin Bei ran over to greet them.
"Lu Qing Xu, Aunt Lu, why are you also at the hospital? What happened?"
The weather in mid-November was so cold that white mist puffed out of their mouths as they spoke, yet Lu Qing Xu and Lu Mama looked pale and were covered in sweat.
Upon hearing her voice, Lu Mama immediately turned around, her emotions getting the better of her, and she threw herself onto Zhou Jin Bei's shoulder.
"Bei Bei, why are you here too? Are you also here to see A Zhe? Wuwu, this child is really too stuck in his ways. How could he hurt me like this?"
"If anything were to happen to him, I wouldn't want to live either. Wuwuwu, I've practically dug out my heart to give to him, why doesn't he understand my good intentions?"
"Raising children is too difficult, I'm too tired, Bei Bei, wuwu..."
Zhou Jin Bei finally understood that the person being rushed into the emergency room was Lu Ming Zhe.
Her mood instantly dropped by another two degrees.
As she patted Aunt Lu's shoulder, trying to calm her down, she looked at Lu Qing Xu for an explanation.
Lu Qing Xu took off his coat, sat wearily on a corridor chair, and said in a cold tone.
"Don't ask me, I'm already fed up! He refuses to live a good life, insists on making trouble, scattering the family, destroying our relationships, and only finds happiness when people court death and their families are ruined. Now that your goal is achieved, you should be happy, why are you crying?"
Hearing him say that, Lu Mama's head shot up from Zhou Jin Bei's shoulder, her eyes tearful as she looked at him.
"You are also heartless! Even you say that to me? I'm simply..."
"Alright, alright, it's all my fault, I'm sorry to both of you! I am only fit to give birth to you, raise you, and then I'm not allowed to interfere with you anymore, okay?"
"I understand, I was wrong, I won't interfere with you anymore. Do whatever you want, marry whomever you want, I won't care about anything anymore, alright?"
Lu Qing Xu looked at her with extreme disappointment.
"You say this every time we argue, but what happens next?"
"Your control freak nature has reached an extreme. To be honest, Mom, do you know why I've never brought a girlfriend home, why I don't want to get married?"
"It's because I know no woman can tolerate a mother-in-law like you!"
"As a man, if I can't make the woman I love feel at home in front of my parents, if she has to be as cautious as walking on thin ice every day, then I'm too incompetent."
"Knowing I can't change your mind, and that I'm incompetent, I'd rather remain unmarried for life!"
"You..."
Lu Mama, perhaps hearing Lu Qing Xu speak such rebellious words for the first time, trembled with anger.
Seeing her terrifying state, Zhou Jin Bei, afraid she might faint from anger, quickly intervened.
"Okay, okay, stop talking, don't make Auntie sick."
Lu Qing Xu sneered, "She's very mentally resilient. Only she can make others sick, nobody can make her sick!"
Zhou Jin Bei couldn't help but wonder what Lu Mama had done to not only anger Lu Ming Zhe into needing resuscitation but also to make Lu Qing Xu so upset.
Not daring to ask directly, Zhou Jin Bei spoke softly.
"Can we sit down first, Auntie? Let's talk slowly. Is there some misunderstanding between you two? Tell me properly, and I'll explain to them."
Just as Lu Mama was about to explain, Lu Qing Xu interjected.
"No misunderstanding! You know Xiang Wan, don't you? You also know that she broke up with my brother, right?"
"Back then, she and my brother were so close, they even had a child. I always suspected, how could she be so heartless, to leave just like that, and so cleanly. My brother used every connection he had, but he couldn't find her."
"Honestly, I thought this woman was somewhat heartless, until last night."
"The police called my brother to say they had apprehended a criminal gang and asked him to confirm. That's when we learned what our mother had been doing behind our backs!"
Lu Mama clearly didn't want him to tell Zhou Jin Bei these things. Trembling, she shouted.
"Alright, Lu Qing Xu, that's enough! I'm your mother, shut up!"
"Now you feel embarrassed and don't want others to know about your shameful deeds, what were you doing before?"
Lu Qing Xu refused to be silenced. "You actually found people to frame your daughter-in-law, forcing her into a corner and leaving her with heavy debts. I can't find enough words to describe you."
"Today, my brother is having a breakdown. If you continue to be so stubborn, the next one you lose will be me!"
Lu Mama, enraged, threw her bag at Lu Qing Xu.
"Your brother hasn't even done anything yet, and you're cursing him to death? Are you trying to make me die of anger?"
The hard Hermès bag hit Lu Qing Xu's forehead with a clang, as he had no intention of dodging.
A small cut instantly opened on his temple. Mother and son stared at each other like mortal enemies.
Zhou Jin Bei watched a thin trickle of blood snake down his forehead and quickly reached out to wipe it.