Being interrupted by Quan Yu, Ning Guiwan naturally couldn’t hear how Ning Honghua and He Yunqing had discussed matters.
Before the two of them finished their conversation and returned to the hospital room, she went back first. Along the way, thinking about Quan Yu’s ambiguous attitude, her brows furrowed deeply.
She recalled a time four years ago when he had been exceptionally cold towards her. She now wished he would treat her like that again.
As she neared the hospital room door, Ning Guiwan heard Ning Rongyue’s displeased voice cry out, "...Lai Yang, what on earth are you trying to do?" Then, more clearly, "What right do you have to stop me from going out?"
"I don’t care! Neither of you can go out!" Lai Yang retorted, standing her ground.
"I have something very important to do. Lai Yang, stop being unreasonable!"
"I don’t care..." Lai Yang continued to block the door until she saw Ning Guiwan return. Only then did she move aside.
"Xiaowan, you’re back?"
Ning Rongyue must have had something truly urgent, as she had no more time to argue with Lai Yang. She glared at her, glanced at Ning Guiwan, and hurried off with her bag.
Seeing Ning Guiwan watching Ning Rongyue’s retreating figure, Lai Yang explained, "She just received a phone call, then she suddenly wanted to leave, acting like she’d gone mad."
Ning Guiwan averted her gaze and walked into the hospital room.
Ning Qinghan was still unconscious.
Yun Shu sat by the bedside, sobbing as she washed a towel in a basin. After wringing it out, she gently wiped Ning Qinghan’s hand.
Quan Xiangru stood before the open window, a gentle breeze rustling his hair. His silhouette seemed inexpressibly lonely.
Ning Guiwan suddenly remembered the first time she had seen him. He had just been adopted by the Quan Heng couple and was withdrawn. While everyone else in the room was laughing and joking, he stood alone by the window. The thin, solitary young man had a world-weary look in his eyes. Like a fallen, melancholy prince.
"Xiangru, come out with me."
Ning Honghua and He Yunqing had finished their conversation and returned as well. He Yunqing stood at the doorway without entering. After speaking to Quan Xiangru and glancing at Ning Guiwan, she turned and left.
Quan Xiangru slowly turned around, his gaze lingering briefly on Ning Guiwan’s face. Without a word, he followed He Yunqing out.
Ning Guiwan looked at Ning Honghua. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally voiced the doubt in her heart, "Dad, what did you and Mrs. Quan discuss?"
Quan Xiangru followed behind He Yunqing. He had already guessed what his adoptive mother was going to say, but hearing it confirmed plunged him into a long silence.
"Your wedding with Qinghan will proceed as planned."
Quan Xiangru remained silent for a long moment, then scoffed. "You were the one who said I couldn’t be left without an heir, and now you’re the one insisting the marriage go on. What benefits did Chairman Ning promise you?"
He Yunqing, ignoring the sarcasm in her adopted son’s words, smiled, clearly in a good mood. "Fifteen percent of Tianchi Group’s shares."
Quan Xiangru stared at her incredulously. "Are you short of these shares?"
He Yunqing simply smiled. She didn’t care about those shares, but someone else did.
"What did you say?" Ning Guiwan’s beautiful eyes widened. An indescribable rage churned within her. "You’re going to use the company’s shares to protect the marriage of an illegitimate daughter?"
"I absolutely will not allow you to do this!"
Ning Guiwan’s gaze was ice-cold, and her unyielding attitude made Ning Honghua frown.
"This matter isn’t for you to decide," he said, his tone cold. "If you hadn’t hurt Qinghan repeatedly, would she have ended up ?"
Thinking of He Yunqing’s aggressiveness, Ning Honghua also felt deeply displeased. That woman usually seemed to genuinely like Ning Qinghan, but he hadn’t expected her to change her tune so quickly the moment trouble arose.