"How's the situation at Luo Corporation?"
"We've already issued notifications. Everyone now believes President Luo fainted due to low blood sugar that day, but speculation is inevitable. All we can control is preventing rumors from spreading. As for the employees previously under surveillance, we've lifted the restrictions—they've started leaving the capital today."
Lin Ran: "That's enough. If Luo Wushuang still doesn't buy it, then he’s truly something else."
It really was enough. This cover-up, combined with their earlier performance, only solidified Luo Wushuang’s belief—hidden away in the basement—that Luo Yao had indeed been poisoned.
If it were all an act, there wouldn’t be so many slip-ups, especially with Luo Corporation employees deliberately covering things up.
Sometimes, the cover-up is the truth.
Just then, Little Tong hurried over.
"Lin Ran, can I take some time off?"
"To be with Qi Chengwei, right? Go ahead. It’s a good chance for you two to catch up. Once Luo Yao’s situation is resolved, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you."
Little Tong felt a little guilty. With Luo Yao’s life hanging in the balance and Lin Ran in need of all hands on deck, here he was asking for leave.But Qi Chengwei was about to return to Shanghai with Liu Meng. If he didn’t seize this moment, who knew when they’d see each other again?
"Thank you, Lin Ran. I’ll be back as soon as I can."
After Little Tong left, Lin Ran didn’t hesitate—he headed straight for the hospital.
Today, he wasn’t planning to stay at the estate. Instead, he chose to keep vigil by Luo Yao’s side.
No point in dragging her back and forth. The hospital was as good a place as any to make a scene—it wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before.
Back when Wang Anjian was undergoing surgery, they’d already caused quite the stir.
By afternoon, Lin Ran’s phone rang.
Luo Yao’s hospital room had become a tightly guarded zone—no one entered without reporting, except for Lin Ran. Over the past two days, many had tried to visit, including Luo Yao’s personal assistants, but none were permitted.
"Lin Ran, Chen Qingtian is here. Should we let her in?"
Lin Ran hesitated at first but decided to allow it. There were things he needed to clarify with her—to ensure she didn’t go blabbing outside.
Chen Qingtian had been among the guests at Luo Corporation’s annual gala and had witnessed Luo Yao collapsing on stage.
The moment Chen Qingtian entered, her eyes landed on Luo Yao lying motionless in bed.
"Cousin, how’s your wife doing?"
Lin Ran was taken aback. "This is the first time you’ve addressed me before her."
Chen Qingtian wore a troubled expression. "She’s still unconscious—this is hardly the time to nitpick over trivialities, isn’t it?"
Lin Ran noticed something off about Chen Qingtian’s mood. Her words carried an edge.
As her cousin, he decided to feign concern.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Chen Qingtian exhaled deeply. "Sigh… Troubles never come singly. First, your wife falls ill, and then… that person is about to return… Never mind. I’d rather focus on your wife."
Lin Ran didn’t press further. He wasn’t one to pry into others’ secrets.
Everyone had their own burdens, after all.
"Yao is in a coma for now. No telling when she’ll wake up."
Chen Qingtian’s face darkened with sorrow. She genuinely admired Luo Yao and had grown fond of her sister-in-law.
Even though Luo Yao usually treated her with indifference, it didn’t stop Chen Qingtian from wanting to get closer.
"Cousin, there’s something I need to ask of you," Lin Ran said, breaking the silence.
"Go ahead." Chen Qingtian was surprised—Lin Ran rarely asked for favors.
"Don’t tell anyone about Yao’s condition. Not even the Chen family."
Luo Yao’s illness needed to stay confined to those who already knew. If word spread, it wouldn’t just affect Luo Corporation—it could destabilize the entire economic landscape of the country.
That wasn’t an exaggeration.
The influence of the first financial magnate was beyond imagination.
Chen Qingtian nodded. "Don’t worry. I won’t breathe a word to anyone."
Her gaze lingered on Luo Yao, then shifted to Lin Ran, whose eyes never left his wife. A sudden pang of heartache struck her—a familiar, long-lost agony of losing someone dear.
But this pain was for herself.
A love that bloomed briefly, only to become a lifelong regret.
Some affections end before they even begin.
"I should go. Let me know when your wife wakes up."
Chen Qingtian’s abrupt departure left Lin Ran puzzled, but he remembered one thing that might cheer her up.
"Yao mentioned setting up a company for you. We can discuss the details in a few days at the office."
Sure enough, the words worked like magic. Chen Qingtian instantly perked up, her gloom vanishing without a trace.
"Really? But your wife is still unconscious. Shouldn’t we wait?"
Lin Ran shook his head. "No need. Yao had everything arranged long ago. Your entertainment company will launch after the New Year—though it’ll still fall under Nuanyao Group."
Chen Qingtian had no objections. That had been the agreement all along.
Being under Nuanyao Group’s umbrella gave her more leverage—though she wondered how long that leverage would last.
The thought brought back her melancholy as she stared at Luo Yao.
"I’ll keep an eye on you for your wife. If she doesn’t wake up by the New Year, I’m taking all the women from Nuanyao Group with me."
Lin Ran: ???
Are you serious?
"I’ll head out now. Just let me know when you need me back at the company."
Chen Qingtian left, her manager and assistant in tow.
Outside the hospital, she stood lost in thought. Her manager, Pei Qianqian, grew concerned.
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing. You go ahead. I need some time alone."
Pei Qianqian fretted. "Then promise you’ll call me if anything happens. And avoid public places—watch out for paparazzi, mind your image, and—"
"Got it. I just need to clear my head. I won’t wander off."
With a resigned sigh, Pei Qianqian left. Managing Chen Qingtian alone felt more exhausting than handling ten artists.
But it was precisely this intensity that allowed her to micromanage every aspect of Chen Qingtian’s career and life.
Back in the hospital room, Luo Yao opened her eyes.
"Why was she crying?"
Lin Ran shrugged. "No idea. Maybe her tear ducts malfunctioned."
He didn’t dwell on Chen Qingtian’s emotions. She was the type to feel deeply in the moment but bounce back quickly, laughing it off later when reminiscing.
"That’s just how she is. She’ll be fine by the next time we see her."
What Lin Ran didn’t expect was Chen Qingtian’s return at midnight—carried in on a stretcher.