Chapter 6: The Withered Leaf

"Investment project?" Shen Zhichu's eyebrows knitted together. She thought, if her dad, Shen Changnan, really had a knack for business, grandpa wouldn't have handed the Shen Corporation over to her.

"Just wire me the money, I need it ASAP," he said.

Shen Zhichu retorted, "I can give you the money, but you gotta send me the deets on this investment project first."

Shen Changnan was fuming. What kind of dad gets bossed around by his daughter? He cussed her out over the phone, calling her a waste of space and saying she should've never been born. After a few harsh words, he played the victim card.

Shen Zhichu was used to his hot-and-cold routine. She coolly replied, "Got anything else to say? I'm swamped. If not, I'm hanging up."

"Wait, wait! I'll show you!" Shen Changnan hurriedly stopped her, afraid she might change her mind and his golden goose would fly away.

After hanging up, Shen Zhichu sat by her computer. Soon enough, she received the documents from Shen Changnan. She forwarded them to her assistant and asked her to print them out and bring her a cup of coffee.

As she was flipping through the documents, a steaming cup of coffee was placed on her desk. The rich aroma wafted through the air. Shen Zhichu took a sip. It was top-notch Blue Mountain coffee, but dang, it was bitter.

She had a sweet tooth and couldn't stand anything bitter. She used to pop a sugar cube whenever she had to take medicine. Now, she had to rely on this bitter coffee to keep her going.

She put the coffee down and continued to go through the documents.

Shen Changnan was investing in real estate. The project seemed legit with plans, certificates, and a seemingly reliable team... Shen Zhichu hadn't been looking for half an hour when Shen Changnan called again, nagging for the money.

Her assistant knocked on the door. Shen Zhichu, multitasking, motioned for her to come in while still on the phone.

The assistant said, "Ms. Shen, Dr. Qin is downstairs looking for you."

Why was Qin Mo here? Shen Zhichu was taken aback and quickly told her dad, "Got it," and hung up.

"Ask him to come up, and get someone to bring tea," she instructed her assistant.

While her assistant went to fetch Qin Mo, Shen Zhichu transferred 2 million yuan to Shen Changnan's account.

She stared at her phone, but not a peep of thanks came from her dad. She gave a self-deprecating laugh and tossed her phone on the desk.

"Ms. Shen, Dr. Qin is here."

The office door was open. When Qin Mo walked in, she waved her assistant away.

"Have a seat over here," Shen Zhichu said, leading him to the seating area by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

As soon as Qin Mo entered, he smelled the strong coffee. He frowned, "Why are you still drinking coffee?"

"Am I not supposed to?" Shen Zhichu pushed a cup of tea towards him and casually asked, "What brings you here today?"

Qin Mo sat down and said, "Seems like you've forgotten what I told you last night."

Shen Zhichu froze for a moment, then sank back into the couch, looking like a scolded child.

"You have to come to the hospital with me today, no matter what."

Shen Zhichu didn't look at him.

She was staring at a withered plant next to her and murmured, "What for?"

"A thorough check-up, to figure out a treatment plan, and get you admitted," he replied.

Qin Mo studied Shen Zhichu closely. He hadn't seen her in just a month, and she looked like a shadow of her former self. He couldn't imagine how she, who used to be terrified of needles, was dealing with the pain of stomach cancer.

Shen Zhichu shook her head, strands of hair falling over her eyes, hiding her emotions. "Qin Mo, my illness is like this plant. The roots are rotten. No amount of care can save it."

"Zhichu, how do you know if you don't try? You can work day and night, and you spent four years bending over backward for a guy who didn't love you. Why can't you spend a little time on your own health?" Qin Mo felt it was such a waste. She was not even 24.

She should be healthy, happy, full of life, enjoying the best years. Not stuck in a loveless marriage, buried in work, and enduring the agony of cancer.

Qin Mo moved closer and gently patted her head like he used to. "Medical science has come a long way. As long as you don't give up and undergo treatment and surgery, there's a chance…" He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed her eyes welling up with tears.

Shen Zhichu's hand was caressing the withered leaves. She whispered, "Then tell me, what are the odds of the surgery being successful? 50%? 20%? Or a measly 0.1%?"

Qin Mo pressed his lips together, unable to find words.

"Forget it," Shen Zhichu forced a smile, her lips cracked. "Don't bother. That sliver of hope is better off not given."

She understood what Qin Mo meant. Who doesn't want to live? To have a healthy body? But she had never heard of anyone in the late stages of stomach cancer making it...

Shen Zhichu clenched her hand, and the withered leaf crumbled, falling to the floor through her fingers.