No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

Jiang Hua's eyes were wet with tears. The suffocating pain from her heart felt like she couldn't breathe. The fear that was deeply rooted in her heart made her afraid that everything from her past life would come true on this day. "Okay. I'll stay at the hospital with you today. I won't go anywhere else. I'll stay home and keep you company when you wake up." Her voice trembled uncontrollably as she numbly stood up and left the ward.

Upon seeing the person who came out, Pei Zhan walked forward, but Jiang Hua looked lost and didn't respond to him. She simply walked past him and sat down on the sofa.

Worried about her condition, Pei Zhan stepped forward, knelt down on one knee, and half-squatted in front of Jiang Hua. "Chairwoman Jiang will be fine, I assure you." As he spoke, the man tightly grasped her cold hand.

Only then did Jiang Hua's empty eyes catch his outline, but she didn't say a word. She glanced at him indifferently, then sat quietly on the sofa, not moving at all.

The VIP ward was a complete suite. Pei Zhan turned up the temperature in the ward to dispel the excess cold air. He also took off Jiang Hua's wet cotton slippers, filled a basin with hot water from the bathroom, and washed her. During this time, Jiang Hua was like a quiet doll, motionless, letting him do as he pleased.

When Zuo Xiangnan brought over a set of clothes, carrying a paper bag, he silently placed the items on the coffee table and left.

Pei Zhan held a dry towel in his hand, lowered his head, and helped her wipe the water stains from her feet. He spoke gently and told her, "Chairwoman Jiang's condition is indeed not suitable for a second heart transplant, but a pharmaceutical company has developed a new drug specifically for heart disease with no side effects. Chairwoman Jiang just received an injection of the drug, which has a sedative effect. She'll be fine after a nap."

"don’t worry…"

“He’s not your father, of course you’re not worried.” Jiang Hua looked at Pei Zhan with cold, emotionless eyes. “Pei Zhan! What exactly did you and my father talk about in the study! Before we went back, Dad was perfectly fine. It was only because he went to Yulong Bay yesterday that he ended up in the hospital. Dad helped you cover it up, so why won’t you even tell me the truth!”

"Don't tell me it's because of the company again. I've heard that lame excuse countless times."

"Since you've chosen to be together, why won't you even tell me the truth?"

“I’ve already explained, but Mrs. Pei doesn’t believe me.”

Yes! Jiang Hua didn't believe her. Even though she had just said that she would always make him believe Pei Zhan, in Jiang Hua's heart, she still pointed the finger at Pei Zhan for her father's hospitalization.

She didn't know if she was wrong or not.

"I'm sorry, I was just too worried about my father's condition. Pei Zhan... I can't lose my father. Apart from my grandfather, I have no other family left."

“I know.” Pei Zhan gazed at her intently. “It’s still early. I’ll carry you to your room to rest for a while. I won’t go to the company today. I’ll stay here with Chairman Jiang. I’ll call you when he wakes up.”

He brushed her question aside lightly, but Jiang Hua was struggling internally as he picked her up. Pei Zhan carried her to the adjacent room for a companion, where the sheets and blankets had been changed.

"I'm not sleepy, you should rest."

"You stayed by Dad's side all night. From now on, I'll just watch over things."

Pei Zhan's tired, bloodshot eyes couldn't lie; it seemed he really had stayed up all night watching over his father. "Sleep with me, I can't sleep alone..."

“Okay.” Pei Zhan took off his suit jacket, got into bed, and then carried her to his bedside.

"I'm sorry... I was just so worried about Dad's safety. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Ah."

"But I'm still worried, I want to go outside and keep watch."

"With Xiang Nan and Uncle Wang there, they will keep an eye on things themselves, so nothing will happen."

Perhaps it was his words that gave Jiang Hua a sense of security, and her emotions calmed down a bit. She knew about her father's situation. He was old and not really suitable for a second heart transplant, so he was managed with medication every time he had an attack.

Hearing the familiar breathing, Jiang Hua realized the man holding her seemed to be truly asleep. She looked up and saw that his eyes were closed. She moved slightly, and Pei Zhan opened his eyes, his eyes filled with drowsiness. Jiang Hua looked away and moved closer to his chest.

So be it.

At least while Dad is still alive.

Even if she knew nothing, as long as her father was alright and Jiang was alright... she didn't want to dwell on it anymore.

More unbearable than the cruelty of the truth was the pain of losing her loved ones.

Perhaps it was the soothing sound of the rain outside that lulled her to sleep, but Jiang Hua placed her hand on his waist and soon fell asleep as well.

Jiang Hua didn't know how long she had slept, but when she heard footsteps outside, she became more alert. Instinctively, she remembered that she was in the hospital. She quickly opened her eyes, threw off the covers, got out of bed, and rushed to the next ward...

"father!"

When Jiang Hua saw the person who had woken up in the hospital bed and was drinking porridge, Pei Zhan, Aunt Xu, Uncle Wang, and Zuo Xiangnan were all in the room. The worry and anxiety on her face instantly turned into peace.

"Not even wearing shoes, what kind of behavior is that?"

Xu Qiulan: "I'll go get the young lady's shoes."

Pei Zhan: "No need, I'll do it."

Jiang Hua realized her lapse in composure. Pei Zhan stepped forward, carried her back to the room, and helped her sit on the bed. "Mrs. Pei, I've put your shoes by the bed. They're not just for decoration."

Pei Zhan helped her put on her socks.

Jiang Hua moved her foot, looking disgusted. "Who wants to wear socks? They're so ugly."

Pei Zhan: "Want to get sick?"

"When did Dad wake up? Did the doctor say anything? When can he be discharged?" Jiang Hua disliked hospitals, especially this one.

Pei Zhan: "Once the check-up is complete and everything is fine, you can go back."

"Come back for a follow-up examination in a week."

Jiang Hua: "Is that medicine really that good?"

Pei Zhan helped her put on her flat shoes, tying the shoelaces into a bow with practiced ease. After doing this, fearing she might not believe him, he took a medical bill from his black suit pocket. "One injection costs over six million. What do you say, Mrs. Pei? Is it effective?"

"As long as it can be cured, I don't care how much money it costs."

Even if this sum of over six million is expensive, it's still just the price of the most inconspicuous set of jewelry that Jiang Hua keeps in her dressing room. Jiang Hua suddenly understood why her father wanted to keep Pei Zhan in the Jiang family.

This is the reality that Jiang Hua has to face. She has no choice but to admit that the Jiang family does need Pei Zhan's presence.

"Pei Zhan".

"Ok?"

Jiang Hua: "After Dad is discharged from the hospital, we will stay in Yulong Bay for a while. If Dad asks, just tell him your request."

Pei Zhan knew what she was worried about, so he didn't refuse. "Alright, I was also afraid you'd be bored at home alone, but... you're not allowed to go to Baize alone."

"Shen Yebai harbors ulterior motives towards you."

Jiang Hua got off the bed, still wearing her shoes. "You're crazy."

What is he thinking about all day long? No matter what, Shen Yebai already has a child, and Xu Xiangjun is still taking care of the child at the Shen family's old house. It's only a matter of time before she marries Shen Yebai.

With the Wang family gone, Shen Yebai has no enemies left. He no longer needs to rely on marriage alliances to gain power. Even if Xu Xiangjun has no background or status, as long as she behaves herself, it's only a matter of time before the Shen family accepts her.

When Zuo Xiangnan finished her discharge procedures, Uncle Wang drove her home, while Pei Zhan had to go to the company.

In the car, Jiang Weiguo said, "Pei Zhan works such a high-intensity job every day, you should check on him from time to time."

Jiang Hua: "People who have committed many sins are usually not taken by the Grim Reaper. He is in good health and doesn't need my concern."

Jiang Weiguo: "You! No one but Pei Zhan would spoil you like he does."

"Who said that! Don't we still have Dad? You can get another husband, but you only have one dad." Jiang Hua hugged his arm and leaned on his shoulder.

Jiang Hua has been staying by Jiang Weiguo's side in Yulong Bay all this time. During the day, she goes fishing with him, and at noon she goes out with him to sit with her grandfather at the Jiang family's old house.

She thought her father's life was dull and boring, but she was surprised to find that he was doing even better than her. He was always playing golf, playing cards with his friends, and drinking tea...

Jiang Hua is overthinking things...

That evening, she went to the Kyoto Grand Hotel with several representatives from the Chamber of Commerce for a social event. In the private room, there were several representatives from various chambers of commerce in their fifties, and they talked about topics that Jiang Hua was not interested in.

She hadn't been sitting for long when she came out to get some fresh air. Just then, a waiter came over, and Jiang Hua instructed him, "No one is allowed to bring any kind of cigarettes or alcohol, no matter who asks for them."

"Okay, Miss Jiang."

She was afraid that once she left, those old guys would behave themselves...

In order to attract investment from previous clients, Xue Ruyao and Ye Qing endured their nausea and accompanied these old men to social events. She drank quite a bit and became very drunk. When she couldn't take it anymore, Ye Qing helped her out of the private room. The somewhat drunk Xue Ruyao immediately saw Jiang Hua outside the restroom door.

Ye Qing was surprised: "You can run into her here?"

"Who is that man? Yao, did you see him? The two of them were chatting and laughing."

"Look, look! That man has his hand on her."

"That look in their eyes clearly doesn't indicate innocence..."

Xue Ruyao picked up her phone and captured the scene. She sneered disdainfully, "This Jiang Hua is truly a leopard that can't change its spots. She flirts with all sorts of men. Maybe... the president of the Jiang Group is only willing to marry her to spite Qingran, to get back at Qingran for getting engaged to Lu Yuanzhou."

"Maybe after the president of the Jiang Group married Jiang Hua, he thought she was dirty and didn't want to touch her at all. So now he can't stand being alone and is seducing older men, thinking that... after she gets divorced, he can quickly find another job without any problems."

Upon hearing Xue Ruyao's analysis, Ye Qing realized that what she said was not without merit.

"Ah Yao, you really shouldn't say that."

"That's really possible."

Xue Ruyao: "Xiaoyu, we need to be confident. Jiang Hua is just a little prettier than us. In the end... it's all about looks. With makeup and dressing up, we're no worse than Jiang Hua!"

Ye Qing: "Ayao, you've had too much to drink."

"I'm telling the truth." Xue Ruyao had never drunk so much before. "Let's go! Let's go upstairs and have a word with her."

"Jiang Hua! You stop right there."

Just as Jiang Hua was about to leave, she heard a voice behind her calling her back. She turned around and looked at the person who was staggering towards her, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, his chin slightly raised, and his eyes looking down at them with disdain.

“Jiang Hua! What’s so great about you? Before, you relied on the Shen family, but now… let me tell you, even if you marry the president of the Jiang Group, you can’t change your lowly status. In the end, you’re just a nanny’s daughter who climbed the social ladder by relying on your looks. What’s so great about you?”

"He is Qingran. The president of Jiang's Group married you just to spite Qingran."

"Let me tell you, you're just someone who gets played with!"

"...You only know how to climb the social ladder by relying on men; you'll never achieve anything great."

With a 'smack,' Jiang Hua suddenly raised her hand and slapped Xue Ruyao hard across the face. Xue Ruyao lost her balance and fell to the ground. Ye Qing was stunned when she saw this.

"Jiang Hua! What right do you have to hit me! Are you sick in the head?!"

Jiang Hua followed up by hitting her with both hands, and then slapped her again with a raised hand.

They had both drunk some alcohol and were momentarily stunned. When the numbness subsided, they felt a sharp pain on their faces, and even the thickest foundation couldn't cover the swollen finger marks.

"How dare you hit me!"

"Why do you hit me!"

Xue Ruyao had a fiery temper, and she wanted to stand up and fight her, but suddenly she lost her balance and fell back down.

"Miss Jiang, what happened?"

"Are you... alright?"

The noise attracted the attention of the waiter.

Jiang Hua took the strong liquor from the waiter's tray and poured it onto Xue Ruyao's face, drop by drop. "Do you know? You... reek of cheapness and filth, you're rotten to the core."

"Song Qingran didn't tie you up with ropes? So she let you two out to yell?"

Jiang Hua put the empty wine glass back, and the waiters who had been attracted by her actions did not intervene, but silently watched what was happening in front of them.

I don't know where they get their confidence from, they must be blind to dare to mess with the daughter of the Jiang Group!

Jiang Hua has a reputation for power and status. Anyone who has met the Jiang family knows what kind of person she is. She is also a regular here. Everyone who has met her a few times knows this. So when facing her, all the waiters in the restaurant are trembling with fear and dare not offend her.

Having just slapped them, Jiang Hua's hands were covered in a disgusting, cheap cosmetic residue. Luckily, there was a handkerchief on the tray, so she grabbed it, wiped her hands, and threw it directly at Xue Ruyao's face. "Tell your manager that from now on, they are not allowed to set foot in here."

"Yes, Miss Jiang."

Jiang Hua didn't bother to look at them anymore. But then, Xue Ruyao suddenly stood up like a madwoman, grabbed the wine bottle from the waiter, and was about to smash it against Jiang Hua's back.

The waiter was terrified: "Miss Jiang, be careful!"