"Shu Xin, my grandfather's surgery was a success. Thank you." The man, dressed in a silver-gray suit with impeccably styled hair, had one hand in his pocket and the other extending a coffee towards the person in front of him.
Shu Xin smiled faintly and accepted, taking a sip. "You're welcome."
Qin Huan's narrow eyes glinted with a smile and a subtle light. "Did you hear? Your sister is about to bankrupt the Shu Group. Do you want my help?"
Upon hearing this, Shu Xin paused her coffee drinking, then chuckled dismissively. "What does that have to do with me?"
She finished her coffee and set down the cup. "The old man needs rest. Call me if anything comes up. I'm leaving."
Qin Huan watched her retreating figure. Only when she was out of sight did he say, "Alright."
Inside a VIP hospital room.
"Miss Shu, this way, please." The chief of internal medicine's obsequious demeanor stunned the young doctors and nurses.
Given a subtle glare by the chief, lest they be targeted, everyone quickly dispersed like startled birds, pretending not to have seen anything.
Shu Xin entered the room. The middle-aged man on the bed lay unconscious, an oxygen tube in place. Beside the bed, a frail figure was slumped over, and the table nearby was piled high with fruits and tonics.
The sound of the door opening startled Shu Yue, who had dozed off. She instinctively looked towards the entrance, and the person who appeared instantly brought her to full alertness.
"Shu Xin..."
Shu Xin turned to leave. Shu Yue quickly found a caregiver and followed her out. "Shu Xin, wait!"
In the quiet hospital corridor, Shu Xin looked at Shu Yue, who seemed to have something to say but hesitated. "Is there something?"
Shu Yue, who hadn't rested much for a week, looked haggard. "Shu Xin, I know you're very capable. Can you operate on Dad?"
"Dad? Is he your dad or my dad?" Shu Xin's calm tone carried a hint of mockery.
Shu Yue said bitterly, "Of course, he's our dad."
Shu Xin sneered, "Sorry, I don't have a dad."
She said this coldly and turned to leave. After only a few steps, her wrist was grabbed. Shu Yue said urgently, "Shu Xin, I'm sorry for what I did to you. Please save Dad, won't you? I'll do anything if you save Dad!"
Hearing this, Shu Xin turned around and took a good look at her sister, whom she hadn't seen in years. The spoiled, hypocritical, and arrogant demeanor from her memory was completely gone, replaced by an expression filled with exhaustion, guilt, and regret.
Shu Xin withdrew her gaze. She knew her scheming sister was good at playing the victim and wouldn't fall for it.
She curved her lips into a sarcastic smile. "You'll do anything? Then come see me at the top of Xiangshan tomorrow morning at nine. I want you to climb it wearing high heels." With that, she strode away.
Leaving a stunned Shu Yue standing in place, the thought of climbing a mountain in high heels made her face turn pale.
The next morning, Shu Xin took the cable car to the summit. The air at the top was fresh and cool. Taking a deep breath, her mind felt clearer.
It was now eight-thirty. She would wait until ten minutes past nine at most. If Shu Yue didn't show up, then so be it.
There was a temple at the summit. Devout men and women of all ages had started climbing since five or six in the morning, hoping to be the first to offer incense for the day. By eight o'clock, the number of people holding incense had increased.
To Shu Xin's surprise, the majority of those offering incense were middle-aged and elderly women. There were no elderly men, very few middle-aged men, and almost no young people.
Shu Xin checked her watch. It was just past nine. Young people should be at work, unless it was a weekend.
Only women holding incense appeared at the entrance to the mountain path. Whether she felt disappointed or disdainful, Shu Xin stopped staring at the entrance and turned to look into the distance.
She quietly admired the view for a moment, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips, and was about to take the cable car down when she turned around and saw Shu Yue in a white dress, wearing high-heeled sandals.
Shu Yue's face was not only flushed but she was also breathing heavily, clearly having exerted herself climbing the mountain.
Shu Yue bent over, gasping for air without regard for her image. She waited for her racing heart to slowly stabilize, otherwise, she would become the first young person to die of sudden cardiac arrest due to climbing.
Passersby cast glances at her, thinking the young girl was a bit silly for wearing high heels while climbing a mountain, making it harder for herself.
Despite their thoughts, no one intervened. In this day and age, everyone was focused on their own affairs.
Shu Xin waited for her to calm down before saying, "Follow me."
Shu Yue said nothing and followed.
The two of them went to a secluded spot, right in a windy area. The morning breeze blew their clothes and hair in the same direction.
"Shu Xin, I did as you asked. Can you save Dad now?"
Shu Xin curved her lips into a blank expression. "If merely climbing a mountain could free a loved one from illness, I believe this mountain would have been leveled by now."
Shu Yue let out a bitter smile, then said with determination, "What else do you want me to do? I'll do it, as long as you operate on Dad!"
At this moment, Shu Xin didn't believe her at all. How could she not know her own sister? One face for the public, another in private.
She said casually, "Why don't you jump from here? If you dare to jump, I will not only save Father but also save the Shu Group, and we'll call it even between us."
After saying this, she watched for Shu Yue's reaction. As expected, the young girl looked astonished, as if she couldn't believe it.
Shu Xin scoffed inwardly. She knew it.
Shu Yue swallowed and asked bitterly, "Do you really hate me that much?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I understand." Shu Yue couldn't help but shed tears, recalling her experiences during this period.
She only caused her mother sorrow and trouble for her father. If she disappeared and was replaced by a smarter and more capable daughter, it wouldn't be a loss.
Shu Xin was unaware of how much her sister had been through. In her memory, this sister was spoiled and flamboyant, timid and selfish, never considering those around her. It was almost impossible for her to sacrifice herself to save someone.
Shu Yue was indeed afraid, very afraid. She was afraid of pain.
But as soon as she thought of her father lying unconscious on the hospital bed, she felt she was deeply sinful. If she didn't exist in this world, none of this would have happened.
She hadn't originally intended to seek death. Shu Xin's request today seemed to have given her a reminder. If she disappeared, the crisis for her parents' company would be resolved, her father would recover, and they would have a more sensible and capable daughter. It was a worthwhile trade.
Shu Yue had figured it out, but she still didn't dare to look down the mountain. She could only step back, inch by inch, gazing at Shu Xin, who had her back to her, with tear-filled eyes. "I was ignorant before. I hope you can forgive me. And Mom and Dad will only have you left. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
Her voice sounded wrong. Shu Xin turned around to see that she was already standing outside the protective chain, at the edge. Her heart immediately panicked. "Wait, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Shu Yue's right foot slipped, and she fell. This part wasn't a slope; it was a sheer drop.
Shu Xin panicked. She ran over, grabbed the chain, and looked down, shouting, "Shu Yue!"
She only saw a white figure disappear from her sight.
Shu Xin was truly panicked. Shu Yue, you must not be alright!
Trembling, she called the police. She never expected Shu Yue to actually jump. She had just said it casually!