Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Manipulating Dong Xiaoxiao
Hu Yunqin left and went directly to find Lan Yan.
This time, Lan Yan readily agreed to meet her.
The meeting location was right outside the research institute.
When Lan Yan came out, she saw her car.
“Yanyan, get in the passenger seat,” Hu Yunqin said.
Lan Yan glanced at her, walked to the passenger side, opened the car door, and got in.
As soon as she sat down, she said, “Say what you have to say. You only have ten minutes.”
Hu Yunqin knew that meeting her was already pushing her limits.
She rushed to say, “Alright, alright, I know. I’ll come straight to the point.”
“So, Yanyan, can you release Dong Xiaoxiao first?”
Upon hearing this, Lan Yan raised her eyebrows slightly and turned to look at her.
Her statement was strategically phrased.
Lan Yan asked, “What’s your reason?”
Hu Yunqin gritted her teeth and said, “I want her to donate bone marrow to Haohao. Once it’s done, you can deal with her however you want.”
Lan Yan smirked slightly, sneering, “Deal with her however I want? Ms. Hu, are you no longer helping Miss Dong now?”
Hu Yunqin’s expression changed slightly. She had indeed indulged Dong Xiaoxiao before, but now…
“Sorry, Yanyan. It’s Mom’s fault before, but now…”
“You don’t need to explain this to me. I agree to release her, but I have one condition.”
Hu Yunqin said, “Say it. Mom will agree to anything.”
Lan Yan firmly said, “Stop calling yourself my mom from now on!”
The last trace of a smile on Hu Yunqin’s face froze instantly.
“Alright, since we’ve finished discussing, I’ll leave now. I’ll have someone from the station take care of it. If everything goes quickly, you’ll be able to pick her up today.”
After finishing, she pushed the car door open and got out.
Lan Yan returned to the research institute and took out her phone to call Wan Muqi.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Wan Muqi asked.
Lan Yan replied affirmatively, “Release her first, and we’ll deal with the rest after she’s finished on her end.”
“Alright, I’ll call the people on that side.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wan.”
“…”
Wan Muqi acted quickly. By three o’clock in the afternoon, Hu Yunqin received a call from the police station to pick up Dong Xiaoxiao.
When Dong Xiaoxiao was brought out, she only saw Hu Yunqin alone.
“Mom, why are you the only one here? Where’s Dad?”
Seeing only Hu Yunqin, Dong Xiaoxiao felt a pang of disappointment.
Hu Yunqin smiled and said, “Your dad is still busy. He specifically asked me to pick you up and take you to the hospital for a check-up.”
Dong Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, “Why go to the hospital?”
Hu Yunqin said calmly, “Your father is worried that you’ve been eating poorly and sleeping badly inside. He’s afraid your health has suffered, so he specifically asked me to take you for a check-up. That way, we can be at ease. Be good and listen; let’s go for the tests.”
Hu Yunqin took her directly to the hospital after leaving the detention center.
To avoid arousing Dong Xiaoxiao’s suspicion, she did arrange a full-body examination for her.
“Mom, how long do I need to stay in the hospital?” Dong Xiaoxiao asked.
Hu Yunqin replied, “Once the tests are done, you can go home.”
“Oh, alright.”
Dong Jian still didn’t know Dong Xiaoxiao had been released.
Hu Yunqin had no plans to inform him either.
She deliberately arranged separate floors to prevent Dong Xiaoxiao from running into Dong Junhao.
This matter cannot afford any mistakes!
Meanwhile, as Dong Xiaoxiao was being picked up, Dong Junhao had already received the news.
“Young Master, your wife truly has skills, doesn’t she? She got the eldest lady out in just one day,” Xu Hai remarked, somewhat shocked.
Dong Junhao said nothing.
“Young Master, since the eldest lady is already in the hospital, there shouldn’t be any issues, right?”
Dong Junhao glanced at him and said, “If you can’t speak properly, then don’t speak.”
Xu Hai pursed his lips, “Young Master, you’ve misunderstood. I’m just a bit worried. After all, the eldest lady isn’t exactly easy to deal with.”
“If she’s not easy to deal with, then keep a close eye on her.”
“Alright, I understand.”
Dong Junhao took out his phone and sent a message.
The content read: Thank you.
Lan Yan had just left the research institute with Su He when she received the message.
She opened it, glanced at it, and then deleted it.
In the car, Su He suddenly asked, “I heard you agreed to help Hu Yunqin get Dong Xiaoxiao out?”
Lan Yan hummed softly.
Then she explained the recent events to her.
Su He was slightly surprised to hear this.
Su He smiled and said, “It seems like you’re keeping your bone marrow safe. But Dong Xiaoxiao is truly surprising—she put on such an act just to avoid donating bone marrow! Yet Hu Yunqin treats her like her own daughter. Why would she choose to watch someone die instead of helping?”
Lan Yan responded coldly, “Who knows? Maybe she’s afraid of pain, or maybe she’s just inherently selfish.”
Su He nodded, “Your last point might be the key.”
A selfish person truly only thinks of themselves.
Su He shook her head and laughed, “Still, Hu Yunqin’s move is ruthless. Using magic to defeat magic really works.”
Lan Yan’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. Who would disagree?
…
In the hospital.
“What is this? You only check two items in a whole day? At this rate, when will I finish my examination?”
After just one day, Dong Xiaoxiao was already restless.
Within that day, only two tests had been conducted. She had spent the rest of the time in her hospital room.
Just as the nurse was about to respond, Hu Yunqin walked in.
“What’s going on here?”
Dong Xiaoxiao turned to Hu Yunqin and quickly said, “Mom, I want to be discharged. I feel completely fine and don’t need all these tests.”
“Plus, they’re so slow here—it’s a waste of my time. They could finish everything in a day, but they’re dragging it out.”
Hu Yunqin comforted her, “Xiaoxiao, calm down. The hospital has its procedures. Besides, our family doesn’t mind the expense, so just listen and cooperate.”
“But I really don’t want to stay here,” Dong Xiaoxiao complained.
Faced with her stubbornness, Hu Yunqin reluctantly compromised, “Alright, alright. We’ll go home tomorrow after the tests, okay?”
Dong Xiaoxiao asked, “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Fine, I’ll stay one more day.”
“Good. Now eat your meal. Mom made all your favorite dishes today.”
As she spoke, Hu Yunqin took out the food and displayed it in front of her.
Then, she turned to the nurse and said, “You can leave now. Thank you for earlier.”
The nurse nodded and left.
Hu Yunqin watched Dong Xiaoxiao eat for a while, then found an excuse to step outside.
Early the next morning.
A sudden scream came from Dong Xiaoxiao’s room.
“Impossible! How can there be a tumor in my body?”
Dong Xiaoxiao refused to believe what the doctor told her.
She couldn’t accept the shock!
The doctor looked at her and said, “Miss Dong, I understand this is hard for you to process right now, but it’s the truth. If you don’t believe it, we can arrange another test.”
Flustered, Dong Xiaoxiao looked at Hu Yunqin and cried out, “Mom! I don’t believe this! I don’t believe it!”
Hu Yunqin held her and patted her back, soothing her, “Alright, alright. Don’t panic. Mom doesn’t believe it either. We’ll ask the doctor to run another check to confirm, okay?”
“Doctors are professionals. We need to trust their judgment. If the diagnosis turns out to be correct, then we’ll proceed with treatment immediately. A tumor doesn’t necessarily mean something terrible; after all, there are benign and malignant tumors. If it’s benign, we’ll just remove it with surgery, and everything will be fine.”
Hu Yunqin comforted her, trying to calm her down.
Meanwhile, the doctor nodded and added, “Miss Dong, your mother is right. Please remain calm. We’re still unclear about the exact nature of the tumor. Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial and will greatly help recovery.”
…
News reached Dong Junhao’s side not long after.
“A tumor?”
Dong Junhao looked stunned.
Xu Hai confirmed, “Yes, that’s what the nurse on that floor said.”
The man looked at him suspiciously, “Are you sure you didn’t mishear?”
“No, I heard it clearly,” Xu Hai insisted seriously, “But whether it’s true or not is hard to say. The timing seems odd, doesn’t it? Getting diagnosed now of all times? It’s suspicious.”
Dong Junhao chuckled.
Xu Hai asked, “Young Master, what are you laughing at? Do you have some inside information?”
The man replied, “Don’t know, but someone will let us in on it sooner or later.”
“Who?”
“…”
An hour later.
Hu Yunqin appeared.
Dong Junhao glanced at her and said indifferently, “Ms. Hu, why aren’t you at the hospital with your beloved daughter and instead came looking for me?”
Hu Yunqin frowned slightly upon hearing him call her “Ms. Hu.”
“Haohao, do you already know something?” she asked.
Dong Junhao smiled faintly, “If you don’t want me to know, then I probably already know.”
Hu Yunqin sighed. She hadn’t intended to hide it, “Rest assured, Xiaoxiao isn’t ill. It won’t impact the surgery. I just wanted to keep her in the hospital longer; you know her personality—she wanted to leave after just one night.”
Dong Junhao raised his arm and gave her a thumbs up, “Impressive as always.”
Indeed, if anyone could handle Dong Xiaoxiao, it was Hu Yunqin.
No one knew better than her how to manipulate Dong Xiaoxiao.
“I bet President Dong doesn’t know, huh?”
“I didn’t tell your father.”
Hu Yunqin deliberately did not inform Dong Jian, fearing unforeseen complications.
She needed to ensure the smooth execution of the surgery tomorrow.
After all, caution is never a bad idea.
She added, “You don’t need to worry about this matter. Rest up today; the surgery is tomorrow.”
She didn’t stay long and soon returned to Dong Xiaoxiao, mainly to prevent her suspicions.
She planned to spend the night at the hospital to keep an eye on things.
Later that afternoon, Dong Xiaoxiao’s CT exam report came back, matching what the doctor had said earlier.
When she saw the report, she looked utterly deflated.
Hu Yunqin comforted her, “It’s alright. It’s just a small tumor; surgically removing it will be fine.”
Dong Xiaoxiao looked distressed and said, “But the doctor didn’t say whether it’s benign or malignant.”
Hu Yunqin forced a smile and patted her head, “We’ll know tonight. Don’t worry, trust the doctor’s expertise.”
She had already arranged everything ahead.
Even if Dong Xiaoxiao didn’t want to believe it, she’d have no choice.
That evening, the doctor came by with the test results.
“The tumor was detected early and is still benign. We’ve discussed a treatment plan: a surgery tomorrow to remove it. Alternatively, Miss Dong could opt not for surgery and just take medication instead.”
Dong Xiaoxiao, afraid of pain, immediately asked, “If I don’t do surgery and only take medication, how effective is that? Will the tumor go away on its own?”
The doctor explained, “If left untreated, it won’t disappear on its own. The medication will only manage its growth and prevent spreading. Skipping surgery would mean undergoing medication-based chemotherapy, which has some uncomfortable side effects like stomach issues, nausea, weakened immunity, and even hair loss.”
Dong Xiaoxiao panicked at the thought of hair loss.
She touched her hair and said, “No way! Hair loss is unacceptable. What about surgery? Will I lose hair? Does it hurt? Will there be scars?”
She bombarded the doctor with several questions, leaving him slightly helpless.
Though he knew she wasn’t actually ill, she genuinely believed she was.
It was his first time encountering someone concerned more about superficial details than the illness itself.
“Miss Dong, you don’t need to worry about pain. The surgery involves anesthesia, so you’ll wake up with it over. Regarding scarring, this is a minimally invasive procedure, so my recommendation would be the surgical option.”
The doctor then glanced at Hu Yunqin.
Hu Yunqin immediately reassured Dong Xiaoxiao, “Xiaoxiao, listen to the doctor. Technology is so advanced now; minimally invasive procedures don’t leave scars. If the doctor says so, it must be true.”
Dong Xiaoxiao hesitated briefly but nodded, “Alright. Surgery it is.”
The doctor replied promptly, “Great. I’ll arrange for the operation tomorrow morning. Pre-surgery instructions will be explained by the nurse in the morning. For now, rest well and keep a positive attitude—very important for recovery.”
Hu Yunqin said, “Thank you, Doctor.”
“Mom, will Dad come tomorrow?” Dong Xiaoxiao asked.
Hu Yunqin assured her, “Yes, he’ll come. I’ve already told him.”
For the past two days, Dong Xiaoxiao hadn’t had access to her phone.
“Mom, did you get my phone back?”
“Sorry, honey. I’ve been caught up in your situation and forgot to pick up your phone. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely retrieve it for you. Tonight, just rest well, like the doctor said—store up your energy for the surgery.”
With no other choice, Dong Xiaoxiao agreed.
“Mom will stay here with you tonight, not going anywhere.”
“Mom, you’re so good to me.”
Hu Yunqin smiled faintly, “Silly child, you’re my daughter. How could I not be good to you?”
No sooner had she said this, Dong Xiaoxiao happily hugged her arm and leaned on her.
A flash of inexplicable coldness crossed Hu Yunqin’s eyes.
Meanwhile…
Lan Yan exited the Yu Group’s building with Su He when she received a call from Xiao Si.
“Xiao Yanyan, I didn’t drive today, and Peng Yiming is busy. Can you come pick me up from work?”
Lan Yan felt speechless at his words, “Doctor Xiao doesn’t have money for a taxi anymore?”
Xiao Si replied, “Getting picked up by your girlfriend is quite different from riding a taxi.”
Lan Yan was about to decline, citing her plan to drive Su He home since they’d only brought one car.
At that moment, Su He overheard and said with a smile, “Go ahead and pick him up. Fei Xu will come to get me later. Don’t let me interfere with your lover’s special time. Otherwise, Doctor Xiao might complain I’m taking up all your time.”
Lan Yan: “…”