Jade of Another World

Lin Ning tiptoed to the door and cautiously looked around to make sure no one was there. Then, her expression turned serious.

"Brother," Lin Ning's voice was low and tinged with helplessness, "Grandmother's days are probably numbered."

Lin Qi's face turned deathly pale instantly, his eyes filled with shock and pain, his lips trembling slightly: "Sister, what did you say? How could this be..."

Lin Ning looked at her brother, her heart filled with reluctance, but she gritted her teeth and continued, "Grandmother is old and has fallen ill from worrying about Father's situation. Her body is already too weak to bear the burden. With my current medical skills, I really have no way to completely save her. The prescription I gave her can only make her more comfortable in her final days; it cannot bring her back to life."

Lin Qi swayed, as if struck by the heavy news, his eyes revealing deep despair: "How could this be... Even your medical skills couldn't save her, then... Grandmother worked so hard her whole life, she didn't even get to enjoy her retirement." Lin Ning's eyes also reddened. She fought back tears, gently took Lin Qi's hand, and comforted him: "Brother, birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of things. All we can do is stay with Grandmother in her final moments, so she can leave in peace. Now, all we can do is wait."

Lin Qi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He nodded and said, "My sister is right, we should spend more time with Grandmother. But these days, I'm afraid the days we can spend with her are getting fewer and fewer..."

Seeing her brother's pained expression, Lin Ning felt incredibly sad. But she knew that all she could do now was stay by her family's side and help them through this difficult time.

"Brother, let's go inside. Don't let Grandmother notice anything unusual. What she needs most right now is our company and comfort," Lin Ning said softly.

Lin Qi nodded again. The two composed themselves, forcing a calm demeanor, and slowly entered the room. Lin Ning walked to the bedside of Old Madam Lin, gently took her hand, and smiled tenderly: "Grandmother, are you feeling better?"

Grandma Lin slightly opened her eyes, looked at Lin Ning and Lin Qi, and a look of relief flashed in her eyes. She said weakly, "Ning'er, Qi'er, I'm relieved that you're both here..."

Lin Ning and Lin Qi, fighting back tears, smiled and comforted Old Madam Lin, quietly staying by her bedside, cherishing these last moments...

In the final moments of Madam Lin's life, she lay on her sickbed, her eyes cloudy yet filled with worry. Lin Ning stayed by her side, holding her hand tightly, feeling her weakness and reluctance to part.

Old Madam Lin opened her mouth slightly, her breath weak as she said, "Ning'er... your father... just ran away like that, leaving behind such a mess, and Jun'er, that child is nowhere to be found... This old woman, even if I were to pass away now, when I meet your grandfather, I would truly feel I have let him down, let down the ancestors of the Lin family..."

Looking at her grandmother's face, which was full of guilt and worry, Lin Ning felt a pang of pain in her heart. She held back her tears and gently comforted her, "Grandmother, please don't say that. It's not your fault. I'll find a way to deal with Father and Jun'er when I get back."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Old Madam Lin's eyes. She gripped Lin Ning's hand tightly and said with difficulty, "Ning'er, Grandmother knows you are capable and kind-hearted. Promise Grandmother you will help find your father and Jun'er. No matter what, you must bring them home..."

Lin Ning nodded heavily, her voice firm: "Grandmother, I promise you. I will do everything in my power to find Father and Jun'er and bring them back. Please stop worrying about these things and focus on getting better."

Madam Lin smiled slightly, seemingly relieved by Lin Ning's promise. Her hand gradually loosened, and her eyes grew increasingly dim.

Looking at her grandmother, Lin Ning knew that her time was running out, and tears welled up in her eyes. She gently stroked her grandmother's forehead, whispering warm words in her ear, reminiscing about the beautiful times they had shared.

Finally, surrounded by Lin Ning and her family, Old Madam Lin peacefully closed her eyes. Looking at her grandmother's face, Lin Ning was filled with grief, but she also clearly remembered the promise she had made to her grandmother.

After arranging her grandmother's funeral, Lin Ning began searching for her father and Lin Jun. It was time for her to uncover the truth behind her mother's past conflicts with her father and her mother's death.

News of Lin Ning's search for Lin Xiang and Lin Jun quickly reached Xuan Yuanche's ears. On this day, Xuan Yuanche summoned Lin Ning, who arrived before him with a hint of trepidation.

"I heard you're looking for Prime Minister Lin and your brother?" Xuan Yuanche sat on the dragon throne, looking at Lin Ning with indifferent eyes.

Lin Ning curtsied slightly and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, my grandmother was thinking of the two of them before she passed away. I promised my grandmother that I would find them no matter what. I hope Your Majesty will not stop me."

Xuanyuan Che's lips curled up slightly, and he said with a half-smile, "Since you have this intention, I can also help send people to search for it."

Lin Ning was overjoyed and quickly bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

However, a question lingered in Lin Ning's mind. She remembered that Xuan Yuanche and her father had left Dayu together before, and after that experience, her father's whereabouts became unknown. She mustered her courage and cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, I remember that you and my father left Dayu together once. Does Your Majesty recall the events of that time, and do you know my father's whereabouts?"

Upon hearing Lin Ning's words, Xuan Yuanche's smile vanished instantly, and his eyes turned icy. He frowned slightly, as if trying to recall, but then shook his head and said, "I don't remember this. Perhaps you're mistaken."

Lin Ning's heart sank. Looking at Xuan Yuanche's expression, her intuition told her that Xuan Yuanche didn't really not remember, but was deliberately hiding it. But she dared not ask any more questions, and only said in a low voice, "Perhaps I have remembered wrong, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Xuanyuan Che waved his hand and said, "Alright, don't worry too much about this. I will send people to search for it with all my might. You should go back and get some rest."

Lin Ning bowed again to take her leave, her heart filled with doubt and resentment. She knew that Xuan Yuanche's attitude was highly suspicious, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

Back at the Jade Pavilion, Lin Ning sat by the window, gazing at the sky outside, lost in thought. She felt that Xuan Yuanche must know something, and she couldn't simply rely on him sending people to search; she had to find a way to investigate herself, perhaps she could find some clues…