Xu Jin came out of the ward and ran into Zhao Xiyin.
She must have stood there for a long time, but didn't go in. Xu Jin understood and politely asked, "Xiao west, please feel free to tell me if there's anything you need."
Zhao Xiyin smiled. "Brother Xu, let's talk in private."
The morning was a gloomy, overcast day, but now the sun has quietly peeked out, its weak rays shining on the ground, and the shadows of the branches and leaves swaying gently in the wind.
Zhao Xiyin and Xu Jin walked side by side in the garden of the inpatient department.
"Brother Xu, I want the truth." Zhao Xiyin cut to the chase and asked, "Is Zhou Qishen hiding his illness from me?"
Secretary Xu denied it, saying, "No."
Zhao Xiyin remained calm and clearly did not believe it. "It's actually a tumor, it's cancer, isn't it?"
Secretary Xu: "...?"
She took a deep breath. "You don't need to worry about my feelings. I'm mentally prepared. And don't worry about Zhou Qishen. He's a man who doesn't know what tomorrow will bring. He won't do anything to you. Speak freely, just say it."
Secretary Xu was sweating profusely. "No, no, no, Xiao west, President Zhou really didn't hide it from you. It's just a minor surgery. All the previous tests have already been done, and it's neither cancer nor a tumor."
Zhao Xiyin was skeptical. "Really?"
Secretary Xu almost nodded his head off, "Absolutely true."
Zhao Xiyin remained silent for a long time, her head bowed, lost in thought.
Secretary Xu smiled and comforted her gently, "Xiao Xi, you've known President Zhou for so many years, you should understand him. President Zhou is a very strong person, he likes to take the initiative and is good at standing his ground, but he would never stoop to deception. Having worked with him for nearly ten years, he is the most decisive man I have ever met. His only weakness might be everything related to you. Xiao Xi, please believe in President Zhou. If he really does have an incurable disease, he will definitely seek treatment actively and will not give up any hope."
Zhao Xiyin smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
After thinking for a long time, Xu Jin decided to tell her, "Xiao west, there's something you should take a look at."
Secretary Xu jogged away, gesturing for her to wait a moment.
Two minutes later, the person returned and handed her a file folder.
Zhao Xiyin was suspicious.
He said, "This is what Mr. Zhou wanted. You are his wife, so open it and take a look."
Zhao Xiyin opened it and took out a test report. She couldn't understand the professional terminology and the lengthy analyses and comparisons.
Turn to the last page —
According to current technical specifications for paternity testing, there are only two possible conclusions: support and exclusion. Support has an accuracy rate greater than 99.99%, while exclusion has an accuracy rate of 100%. Based on comparative analysis, the relative chance that (a) is the biological mother of (b) is 99.99%.
――
In the ward, Gu Heping and Lao Cheng watched Zhou Qishen undergo the entire examination.
Whether it's drawing blood or taking blood pressure, the two of them never forget to tell the nurse, "Prick him hard, don't be afraid of hurting him. He just needs a prick, he's tough-skinned, so don't be shy."
The young nurse was amused and laughed. Zhou Qishen noticed her needle trembling and realized she was genuinely nervous. "Don't listen to them, just perform at your normal level."
Believe it or not, Zhou Qi was terrified of injections. It stemmed from a childhood bout of chickenpox. He was burning up with fever, almost dying, before Zhou Boning finally took him to the hospital. But upon hearing he needed to be hospitalized, Zhou Boning thought it was too expensive and took him home the next day. The fever hadn't completely subsided, lingering on and off. Perhaps feeling a pang of conscience, Zhou Boning was genuinely afraid the little rascal would die at home, and wanting to save money, so he went to a small clinic and bought syringes and all sorts of random fever reducers and anti-inflammatory drugs, personally administering injections to him every day.
Zhou Qishen was malnourished as a child, as thin as a bean sprout, and couldn't withstand Zhou Boning's reckless actions. His knowledge of vein locations was completely nonsensical; one needle in, then another, and if it wasn't right, he'd pull it out and try a second one.
Once he recovered from chickenpox, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe his condition as riddled with holes.
The psychological trauma started around that time.
Of course, the nurse was very skilled, and you could hardly feel any pain while having your blood drawn. After numbering the seven vials of blood, Gu Heping, ever the sarcastic one, casually remarked, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you had a C-section."
Old Cheng crossed his legs and asked with genuine concern, "Zhou'er, why don't you top up your account more? All the hospitals in Beijing, big and small, deserve your VIP membership."
Zhou Qishen laughed and scolded, "Can you two shut up? Apart from a headache, I'm perfectly healthy."
The atmosphere changed as soon as this topic came up.
The jokes were falling apart, and Gu Heping felt increasingly frustrated. He paced back and forth in front of his bed, finally stopping in his anxiety and asking, "Can you give me a definite answer? What exactly is the nature of your surgery?"
Zhou Qishen truthfully said, "It's really nothing serious, at least from the footage."
"At least my ass." Gu Heping said irritably, "I don't like hearing that."
Zhou Qishen smiled faintly, "Nothing in this world is 100% certain, especially when you're in a hospital. Go ask around, which doctor can give you that guarantee? Maybe the surgery will go smoothly, but the test results won't be good. Then there's nothing you can do, you have to accept your fate."
Old Cheng and Gu Heping shouted in unison, "Pah! Pah! Pah!!"
Zhou Qishen: "..."
He frowned. "What's the use of ignoring the problem? If you really have to face this challenge, you still have to be proactive."
Old Cheng: "Don't try to fool me with this self-righteous and compassionate act. I might have believed you before, but not now. You're married, you have a family, a wife, and you can't let go of her. Leaving Xiaoxi alone in this world might make her sad for a while, but she's so young. She can't stay a widow for you forever. One day she'll forget you, marry another man, have children, and after a few decades, she won't even remember what you look like... Are you really willing to do that?"
Zhou Qishen fell silent, the light in his eyes gradually fading.
"Life is hard, but death is even harder." Old Cheng said, "Brother Zhou, that's called being a fake cool. When I came over this morning, you were getting a checkup, and Xiao west and I chatted outside for a long time. Guess what she said."
Zhou Qishen's eyes focused and landed on him.
"She said that if you come out of the operating room healthy, she will live a good life with you. If you are not healthy, she will take you abroad for treatment, find the best doctors and the best rehabilitation, and not be afraid of spending money. Unless you die. Even if you become a vegetable, she will accept it."
I acknowledge you as a person.
Whether rich or poor, healthy or sick.