Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  As long as she was able to change Yan Rusheng’s mind.

  As she drove back to the city, she had been thinking hard of ways to change his mind about the bidding for the land. She knew he certainly wouldn’t change his mind so easily.

  Xuxu went straight to his office.

  She rapped on the door and when there was no response, she decided to barge in.

  Qiao Jian made his presence at the right time. “Sister Xuxu, President Yan just went to Country Y.”


  Xuxu was startled. She then turned around and looked at Qiao Jian. “When did he leave?

  Qiao Jian responded, “I just sent him to the airport. His dad seems to have fallen seriously ill.”


  “What?!” Xuxu was visibly anxious. She then hurriedly fumbled for her phone in her bag and saw that there was an unread text from Yan Rusheng.

  She called him right away after she read the text.

  But there was no response. The flight must have already taken off already.

  Xuxu was already worried about her father-in-law’s condition, and it made her even more anxious when she couldn’t reach Yan Rusheng. So she promptly dialed Mu Li’s number instead.

  “Hello, mother.” Once Mu Li answered the call, Xuxu asked her, “What happened to father?”


  Mu Li said, “He’s getting ready for an operation.”


  Mu Li sounded far from her usual cheerful, energetic self.

  When she heard about her father-in-law’s condition, she got even more anxious. “I’ll book an air ticket right away.”


  Mu Li stopped her. “Your first uncle and Third Yan are already here. You should stay at home and wait for our news. The company is so busy during this period, and if you come here as well, I’m afraid that things would go out of hand.”


  Although she knew that Mu Li was right, Xuxu hesitated. The end of the year usually was the busiest time of the calendar.

  If both Yan Rusheng and her weren’t around in the company, then the working staff won’t be able to proceed with their projects.

  She paused and continued, “Then let me know if there are any updates.”


  For the whole day, Xuxu was worried about her father-in-law. She had wanted to call Mu Li for updates, but she was afraid that she might add on to her anxiety.

  So she kept calling Yan Rusheng instead.

  It was almost midnight when his phone was finally switched on.

  Yan Rusheng answered with an exhausted and weak

  He must have been extremely worried and anxious in the whole duration of his long flight.

  When Xuxu heard his voice, she got emotional. “Ah Sheng, how’s father’s condition?”


  Yan Rusheng replied, “I just met the chauffeur. He is having his operation in the afternoon.”


  “Okay. When you reach the hospital, send me a text.”


  “Okay. Sleep early.”


  How would she be able to keep her promise to Yan Rusheng, though? Her father-in-law’s operation was in the afternoon in Country Y, that would mean that it would be happening at that moment, too.

  She anxiously held on to her phone as she waited in her room.

  The clock went ticking and after some time, she walked out of her room.

  As she walked towards the staircase, she could see that the living room was pitch-dark. She switched on the staircase lights, and it illuminated the living room as well.

  She descended the stairs and walked to Wang Daqin’s photo. She gazed at her benevolent-looking face, and soon tears brimmed on her eyes.

  Xuxu prayed to Wang Daqin for her father-in-law. She stood there ’till her legs were numb before she decided to rest on the couch. She clenched the phone tightly in her hands.

  She slowly drifted to sleep on the couch, and soon Aunt Zhang—who wakes up earlier than the rest— woke her up.

  She was jolted awake, and she hastily glanced at the time. It was almost dawn, so she hurriedly dialed Yan Rusheng’s number.

  It had rung for some time before it got through. But the voice from the other end wasn’t Yan Rusheng’s voice.