Chu Xun nodded her head cooperatively as she turned to look at Fu Huai'an.
"All these years, you have toiled over the Kaide Corporation to make it what it is today. Can you bear to see so many years of your effort go down the drain? I don't believe your heart doesn't ache!" Old Madam Fu looked hurt. "Huai'an, go back!"
The Kaide Corporation wasn't only the fruit of Fu Huai'an's efforts; Old Madam Fu had invested effort in it too. It was the fruit of labor over a lifetime for Old Madam Fu.
If Fu Huai'an's heart ached, Old Madam Fu's heart would ache even more…
Fu Huai'an walked in with Lin Nuan's hand in his. Chu Xun and Old Madam Fu were cooperating seamlessly, rattling off like cannons at Lin Nuan and Fu Huai'an, as if they had rehearsed this.
Fu Huai'an's handsome features appeared indifferent. He didn't reply, merely squeezing Lin Nuan's little hand forcefully before letting go.
He walked over leisurely to the foot of Old Madam Fu's bed and merely asked her, "How do you feel now?"
Lin Nuan stood at the door, further outside than Chu Xun, not uttering a sound.
After that unpleasant incident with Old Madam Fu, Lin Nuan couldn't make herself act like nothing had happened and pretend to be warm and affable. So she chose to just wait for Fu Huai'an at the door.
Even Fu Huai'an's words of concern sounded cold. Old Madam Fu felt terrible hearing this, but she still forced a smile. "Much better, thanks to Chu Xun! Chu Xun is a good kid… Knowing I had arrived in Venice, she came to look for me immediately. If Chu Xun hadn't arrived in time, I might have died here."
Chu Xun smiled by the side. "I'm good friends with Huai'an, so it's only right that I look for you!"
"Did Chu Xun tell you that I was in Venice?" Fu Huai'an's deep gaze carried a hint of a smile, but it had darkened.
Seeing Chu Xun turn pale, Old Madam Fu didn't dare to answer carelessly. She pursed her lips and said, "I got anxious when I couldn't contact you, fearing you only cared about your vacation and didn't care about the Kaide Corporation's news in the country. You'd either be giving the Kaide Corporation up to Lu Qingmei and her son, or the Kaide Corporation…"
The latter consequence was what Old Madam Fu was unwilling to see, so she couldn't say it out loud.
"The Kaide Corporation belongs to the old man, so no one can stop him if he wants to hand it over to Fu Tianci. I was too stubborn previously, unwilling to let go of the Kaide Corporation because I invested a lot of effort into it, like you. All these years, I've been assuming the position of the Kaide Corporation's President and receiving a salary from the old man, so it's only right! I shouldn't be unable to take this lying down."
Old Madam Fu and Chu Xun's expressions changed.
Old Madam Fu adjusted into a straighter sitting posture and looked straight at Fu Huai'an. It was rare to catch a look of panic in her eyes. "Huai'an, you can't put it this way! The Kaide Corporation ought to belong to Wan Wan to begin with! And what is Wan Wan's should be yours!"
"But Tianci is Old Master Fu's own flesh and blood. Even if he's an illegitimate son, he should be the first in line when it comes to succession rights!" Fu Huai'an spoke in a nonchalant tone. "As a salaried President of the Kaide Corporation, I have never taken a vacation in so many years. It should be reasonable for me to take a long vacation all at once!"
"If you carry on with your vacation, the Kaide Corporation will be finished!" Old Madam Fu's eyes had turned red. Her tone nearly sounded like pleading as she said, "Huai'an, stop… stop trying to spite your grandfather! Once you produce results, he'll come to his senses!"
The Kaide Corporation was the fruit of Old Madam Fu's labor after a lifetime of work. Old Madam Fu really couldn't bear to see the deep-rooted Kaide Corporation fall.
Old Madam Fu's original intentions were to not divorce and to try and outlive Fu Qingquan, after which the Kaide Corporation would be hers. She certainly wouldn't give Lu Qingmei and her son a penny.
But now, with her health deteriorating by the day, she feared she might not have long to live.
Once she passed on, Fu Qingquan and Lu Qingmei, plus her son, would have their way. So before this, she would do whatever it took to help Fu Huai'an get the Kaide Corporation!
Fu Huai'an smiled slightly. "Do you believe this yourself?"
A lump got stuck in Old Madam Fu's throat, her heart feeling terrible.
Believe this?
If Fu Qingquan were really capable of coming to his senses, he wouldn't have handed control of the Kaide Corporation over to Lu Qingmei.
How could a wise lady like Old Madam Fu not be able to see this?
Fu Qingquan didn't relinquish power to Secretary Song, who had been following him for so many years, but instead, handed control to Lu Qingmei. The reason was none other than the fact that Lu Qingmei was Fu Tianci's mother, so Fu Qingquan believed that Lu Qingmei wouldn't do anything to harm Fu Tianci. Neither would she hog onto power and not pass it on to Fu Tianci.
Fu Qingquan's every step was taken in consideration of the ultimate goal, which was helping Fu Tianci inherit the Kaide Corporation in the future!
Seeing this situation, after a moment's hesitation, Chu Xun went up and soothed Old Madam Fu's heaving chest, even fixing the shawl on Old Madam Fu's shoulders. She then said to Fu Huai'an, "Huai'an, the doctor said that Grandma shouldn't get angry. Stop saying all of these things that will anger Grandma, will you?"
Lin Nuan didn't utter a word throughout and merely stood there watching Chu Xun and Old Madam Fu.
Just then, the doctor came in, so Lin Nuan shifted to the side. The doctor left after reminding the patient to rest well, informing her that she could be discharged after staying overnight for observation.
Fu Huai'an remained unmoving at the foot of the bed. On the contrary, Chu Xun was behaving like Old Madam Fu's biological granddaughter, sending the doctor out of the room and attentively inquiring about things to take note of for Old Madam Fu's diet.
"If you have nothing else to do, after your discharge tomorrow, return to the country first!" Fu Huai'an spoke coldly. "Else, if something should happen back home, you won't be able to deal with it since you're in Venice."
"Huai'an!" Old Madam Fu's heart was all jumbled up. To conceal her anxiety, she subconsciously tightened the shawl around herself with her right hand, which was injected with an IV. "I don't have long to live. I've devoted my life to Fu Qingquan and the Kaide Corporation, so I don't wish to see it fall or see it land in the hands of that woman!"
Old Madam Fu tried to sound as calm as possible, but blood started to reverse in her IV-injected right hand because she had used too much force gripping on her shawl.
"You've said it, that you would take the Kaide Corporation yourself! Because of that, all these years, I have never interfered!" Old Madam Fu's eyes were reddened.
"Grandma Fu!" Seeing that blood had reversed its flow on the back of Old Madam Fu's hand, Chu Xun got a scare. She hurriedly went over to soothe Old Madam Fu's palm.
"Huai'an! Do it for your mother!" Old Madam Fu started crying. "I only had this one daughter! The Kaide Corporation ought to have belonged to your mother!"
Fu Huai'an's dark eyes remained calm, without any hint of emotion. His expression was deep and unfathomable.
After a while, Fu Huai'an said, "Isn't there still Fu Cheng!"
Fu Cheng was Old Madam Fu and Fu Qingquan's adopted son.
That year, when Fu Cheng got into an accident, Old Madam Fu and Fu Qingquan begged Fu Huai'an to take over the Kaide Corporation. Later, when Fu Cheng woke up, he brought his wife and children away to another country, not returning in order to avoid arousing suspicion.