However, what Shangguan Ning didn’t expect was that Zhao Anan would start the topic herself.
Zhao Anan paused while eating the beefsteak. In a serious tone, she said, “Ning, please, remember not to leave me alone with Mu Qing again, in case I can’t control myself.”
In case she couldn’t stop herself from getting close to him, to hug him, to kiss him…
After getting to know about her disease, she had not kissed him even once. How many years had passed since then? Ten maybe?
Zhao Anan shook her head firmly. She mustn’t think about it because her heart would hurt.
Shangguan Ning couldn’t help but get startled. Judging from Zhao Anan’s expression… it seemed that she had deep feelings for Mu Qing.
But what did she mean by that statement? She had feelings for him but was pushing him away because of her… disease?
Soon, Zhao Anan’s happy face returned.
She laughed, “I won’t be getting together with Mu Qing ever, so don’t bother trying to hook us up again. My mother is already enough for me to handle. I don’t want you to be involved in it as well. She wants me to marry into Family Mu because she believes that Old Mu is excellent and Mu Qing is also a rare genius in the medicine world. Together they can make sure that I live up to 99 years of age.”
Mothers were the most selfish creatures who wanted the best for their children.
Zhao Zhao was aware that Mu Qing was courting Zhao Anan and that they had been together ages ago. Zhao Anan had even got pregnant with his baby and it was reasonable for her to marry him. Besides, Family Mu could deal with all kinds of diseases with various methods. Although cancer might not be totally curable, yet Zhao Anan could stay alive by staying in Family Mu and receiving treatment all her life.
She just wanted her only daughter continue to stay alive!
She had not given her daughter a healthy body, so she had to be selfish to sacrifice Mu Qing so that her daughter could have a steady and happy person to turn towards.
If they were lucky enough, her daughter’s disease might not ever surface again and she could live happily like a normal person.
Zhao Anan knew what her mother was up to, but she didn’t want to drag Mu Qing down with her. It was nice enough to live this way, where she had family and friends around her. She didn’t want to disrupt this.
Seeing her like this, Shangguan Ning felt bitter in her heart.
She knew that Zhao Anan had feelings for Mu Qing, but she didn’t want to pull him down.
What a silly girl!
“Anan, I suggest that you should reconsider the situation. Sometimes, we need to be a bit selfish because that might not necessarily be a bad thing. Neither of you would be happy if you think too much from only your head.”
Hearing what she had said, Zhao Anan displayed a bright smile. “I am very happy now! I have never taken my disease seriously. I want to have fun while I can. It is always easy to live one more day when you are not attached to anyone or anything. That is why I keep saying that I will not get married. I don’t want to be restrained by marriage. Look at me. I am not a person who could breed a child. I am a child myself!”
Shangguan Ning thought that Zhao Anan and Mu Qing had a similar personality – they both were outgoing. They were good at adjusting their state of mind and people like them usually lived happily and freely.
But she really wished that they could be together. Mu Qing knew about Zhao Anan’s disease better than anyone else, and he didn’t seem to mind it. Then why was Zhao Anan being so adamant?
Seeing Shangguan Ning’s expression, Zhao Anan knew what was she thinking.
She smiled and said, “Stop thinking about hooking us up. Trust me, what I have decided is the right thing. You can hook up any good girl you run into later, with Mu Qing. Better let him fall for another girl so that he can forget what has happened in the past. He owes me nothing, hence he doesn’t need to pay me back with his wonderful life.”
Shanggun Ning was not going to take up her silly suggestion.
She was not going to hook Mu Qing up with any girls, but she was going to keep an eye on Mu Qing instead and drive away any girls who came near him.
Shangguan Ning whispered in her heart –”Sorry, Doctor Mu, you are only allowed to be my best friend’s man. She is completely healthy now and the chances of her disease returning are extremely slim. She belonged to you when she was a teenager and was even pregnant with your baby, once. I am sorry, but you have to take full responsibility!
Zhao Anan was a frivolous girl and was passionate about something for only three minutes before she changed her mind. Although she insisted on separating herself from Mu Qing, she might change her mind after a while!
Shangguan Ning stopped persuading Zhao Anan. She would rather go and talk with Mu Qing instead of wasting anymore time on her.
Shangguan Ning took Zhao Anan to her house post dinner.
She didn’t live with her mother. Instead, her flat was in a compound close to University X because of convenient commuting to her previous workplace.
Shangguan Ning had not been to her home before. The servants welcomed them with enthusiasm and started to make tea for them.
Zhao Anan’s home was spread across 400 square meter and was full of European styled golden luxurious decorations instead of the black and white style which she usually preferred.
She explained smilingly, “My mother entrusted someone else to decorate the house. I was just too lazy to get involved because it meant too much work. I was happy for only two days after the house was bought. Then I got bored and gave it to my mother to handle. But when I came in, I was like, oh my gosh! It was a house of a nouveaux! It looked as if she wanted everyone to know that we are wealthy.”
Shangguan Ning had no idea what was Zhao Anan’s family business, earlier. After she married Jing Yichen, she got to know that Family Zhao was into jewelry business since generations. They had jewelry stores everywhere across the world and their business was at the top in A City. The diamond wedding rings sold by them every year became very popular in A City and usually were the top choices of all newly-wedded couples. Every year, Family Zhao presented some treasures for auction and whoever was able to buy these treasures became tremendously popular in A City.
Family Zhao didn’t have any sons but two daughters, namely Zhao Qing and Zhao Zhao. Therefore, the two sisters had shared the properties of Family Zhao equally.
Zhao Qing’s share had been the dowry which she brought along to Family Jing. After she passed away, her properties that were worth hundreds of billions were transferred to Jing Yichen by Jing Zhongxiu.
Zhao Zhao’s share was still with her. She planned to give them to Zhao Anan as her dowry.
The dowry was more than enough for many generations to finish. So Zhao Zhao was not worried that her daughter would not find a family or whether Mu Qing would take her in. What she was worried about was that her daughter would not live long enough to use those properties.