Chapter 65

Jian Huaijin helped introduce her professor from her time studying abroad, who was now the vice dean of a renowned private hospital in Country D.

Ming Siyu underwent a comprehensive check-up again. Her condition was extremely rare, so the professor brought in other experienced doctors and experts for a joint consultation. Combined with her history of being forced to ingest a special oxidizing agent, it took two days before they provided a preliminary and accurate diagnosis.

The results greatly relieved Ming Siyu.

She could still be saved. Her initial illness wasn’t caused by Ming Siwei drugging her; she truly suffered from a rare degenerative disease that would lead to death if untreated, but that was likely twenty years away. Ming Siwei’s drug had acted like an accelerator, shortening the time from diagnosis to onset and death from twenty years to just seven or eight.

The domestic doctors hadn’t lied about one thing: if she hadn’t discovered the issue with the water and continued on, combined with her repeated emotional outbursts, it would have been hard for her to survive past her twenty-eighth birthday.

And now, her twenty-eighth birthday was just one month away.

Additionally, there was an unexpected finding: her so-called “Plush Hunger Syndrome” was actually a complication of organ degeneration, not true hunger syndrome. The sweating, pain, and itching in her palms stemmed from an imbalance in the body’s bioelectricity, which manifested most prominently in her hands. Touching something furry could balance the bioelectricity to some extent, resembling Plush Hunger Syndrome. A living furry thing naturally carried bioelectricity, so it provided even better relief.

In that light, her purchase of Liu Ran had been based on a misdiagnosis. She and Liu Ran had been a complete mistake from start to finish.

Ming Siyu’s body had reached a critical state. The preliminary treatment plan was to hospitalize her first to stabilize her condition, then proceed with surgery using stem cell technology and organ transplantation. There were still risks, but the success rate was far higher than the nine-in-ten chance of death the previous doctors had quoted.

However, there was one less-than-satisfactory aspect: a long post-operative recovery period. The professor told her she needed to set aside at least a year for rehabilitation and recuperation. During that time, she shouldn’t worry about work or daily life at all—completely relax her mindset and provide her body with the optimal growth environment. The same applied pre-surgery.

The professor hoped she could start hospitalization immediately. But Ming Siyu had come in a rush this time, leaving domestic affairs mostly unresolved. She couldn’t just drop everything without any arrangements.

The professor had no choice but to reschedule with her, setting the optimal stabilization period and surgery date, and urged her to handle her affairs and return fully focused on treatment.

“Do you have an Alpha partner? A partner’s pheromones can help you feel more stable and comfortable, providing a beneficial auxiliary effect for the overall treatment.”

Liu Ran’s face appeared in Ming Siyu’s mind.

Her thin lips parted slightly, and her cold voice carried no warmth: “No.”

She had managed not to fall for anyone before, and she could do so now. Liu Ran’s betrayal had hurt her, made her heartbroken, held her back—she had no reason to love someone like that again. She would ruthlessly kick Liu Ran out of her heart and send her to hell along with Qi Zhen and Ming Siwei.

During the days Ming Siyu was away, Qi Zhen often went out. Once, during a meal, Liu Ran noticed an oddly shaped calendar used as a decoration. June 30th had been circled in a big red circle, which she didn’t remember being there before.

Qi Zhen tapped the calendar and smiled faintly. “The eldest young lady’s birthday. We must celebrate her twenty-eighth properly.”

“Where did she go?”

“Abroad. She has business to handle.”

“When will she be back?”

“In a few days. The eldest young lady didn’t specify with me.” Qi Zhen paused, then suddenly asked, “Do you know Miss Siwei’s birthday?”

Liu Ran shook her head. Why would she need to know Ming Siwei’s birthdate? Qi Zhen’s question seemed a bit nonsensical.

Qi Zhen answered herself: “It’s June 29th, one day before the eldest young lady’s.”

After tidying up, Qi Zhen hid a spare phone in her arms and went to the balcony to make a call. As soon as it connected, she said urgently, “Siwei, I want to see you.”

Ming Siwei sounded a bit impatient. “Didn’t we just meet? We can’t meet too often right now. If she finds out, all our previous efforts will be wasted.”

Qi Zhen pursed her lips, hiding her disappointment. “You’re right. You’re always so thoughtful.”

“Wait a little longer. In another month, two at most, everything will be settled.” Ming Siwei changed her tone. “Once I smoothly become the sole heir, I’ll arrange for you to join the Group. You won’t have to busy yourself with trivial daily matters or live under others’ scrutiny anymore. A-Zhen, you’re the key link in the plan—be extremely careful not to expose yourself.”

Hearing Ming Siwei’s concern, Qi Zhen covered the phone and revealed a sweet smile. “I don’t want to join the Group. I like taking care of people. I want to take care of you every day. But…” She voiced a faint worry. “I always feel like something’s off, like I’m being watched every day…”

“A-Zhen, you’re just too nervous. Don’t be paranoid. I just confirmed with the doctor—my sister truly believes she’s about to die and is already distributing her assets and handling her affairs. You know her; if she weren’t certain of her impending death, she wouldn’t prepare in advance.” Ming Siwei’s voice turned sinister.

Qi Zhen wasn’t interested in the other plans; she just wanted to see Ming Siwei and tried again. “Siwei, can I really not see you? She’s not home now.”

Ming Siwei hesitated for a moment before relenting. “Find a time to come back to the Old Mansion. I’ll be here all day.”

Qi Zhen carefully hid the spare phone back in her room and happily left. The Old Mansion was bustling, and Old Madam Ming pulled her aside to ask about Ming Siyu’s condition for a good while before Qi Zhen finally found a chance to be alone with Ming Siwei.

In front of Ming Siwei, she was always timid and fawning. She was nearly ten years older than Ming Siwei, the daughter of a servant, while Ming Siwei was a dazzling young lady—young, beautiful, and rich. Being loved by someone like that felt like a dream to Qi Zhen. Even if Ming Siwei asked her to die, she would go without hesitation.

Qi Zhen carefully hugged Ming Siwei. Seeing no rejection, she closed her eyes contentedly and greedily breathed in the scent on the other woman.

“Siwei, why don’t we tell Liu Ran about the plan? She’s at odds with the eldest young lady now. We could have her join us…”

“No.” Ming Siwei cut her off sharply. “She’s not completely over her feelings for my sister. If she learns about our plan, she’ll definitely tell her. It took so much effort to turn them against each other… Just making my sister dislike her isn’t enough. She needs to leave voluntarily. Only then will my sister give up the idea of handing the company to her and give the company and other assets to Grandma instead. Once it’s with Grandma, getting it to me is just a matter of time.”

Qi Zhen didn’t understand. “Why does it have to be the eldest young lady’s company?”

In her view, Ming Entertainment Group was enough.

Ming Siwei’s gaze drifted to a distant void point. “You wouldn’t understand. The company is my sister’s life’s work. I’d rather forgo the Group than let it go.”

“Fine.” Qi Zhen never interfered with Ming Siwei’s decisions. Ming Siwei gave orders, and she followed without question. After a while, she suggested, “Why not just kill Liu Ran? I’ll do it. If we’re caught, it’s on me alone—I can go to jail.”

She eagerly wanted to prove her worth to Ming Siwei.

Ming Siwei’s mouth twitched. “Killing is going too far and could raise suspicions. I’ve bought plane tickets for Liu Ran and her mother to leave the country next week. Find an opportunity then to quietly let Liu Ran slip away on her own.”

Not long after, Ming Siwei sent Qi Zhen away. As Qi Zhen left reluctantly, gazing at her, she quickly kissed Ming Siwei’s cheek.

Once Qi Zhen was gone, Ming Siwei’s face darkened instantly, disgust nearly spilling from her eyes. She rushed to the bathroom and frantically scrubbed the kissed spot with disinfectant. After roughly wiping her face and shaking off the water droplets, she returned to her room and opened the wardrobe. Inside hung dozens of Ming Siyu’s old clothes, neatly arranged.

Ming Siwei stepped into the wardrobe, burying herself among the garments, and revealed a happy yet twisted smile. “Sister… I love you so much… and I hate you so much. Everything of yours, including your life, is mine…”

***

Ming Siyu regretted not planting a bug on Qi Zhen as well. She really wanted to know what Qi Zhen and Ming Siwei said when alone. But she could guess with her toes—it was probably just nauseating sweet talk. No need to listen.

Upon returning home, she didn’t go straight back but met He Qiange instead. They talked through the night, plotting countermeasures. He Qiange was so furious she wanted to gather people and beat Ming Siwei and the others on the spot, but Ming Siyu stopped her.

Ming Siyu was clear-headed. Her current physical condition couldn’t handle a direct confrontation with Ming Siwei. And simply assassinating her would let Ming Siwei off too easily. Since Ming Siwei was so certain she would die, why not “die” according to the plan? Let Ming Siwei gloat for a while, then slowly strip away everything she had, savoring her prolonged pain and fear. Just imagining Ming Siwei’s ghostly expression upon seeing her alive filled Ming Siyu with fighting spirit.

She shed all trace of despair, burning brightly like a rekindled flame.

But when He Qiange brought up Liu Ran, Ming Siyu frowned deeply. She couldn’t decide yet and simply skipped it. “We’ll deal with that later. Ungrateful white-eyed wolf.”

He Qiange said regretfully, “I really shouldn’t have encouraged you to get close to her back then.”

Ming Siyu didn’t see it that way. In fact, she owed Liu Ran thanks. If Liu Ran hadn’t slapped the cup away, she wouldn’t have uncovered Ming Siwei’s ambitions. If Liu Ran knew her action had exposed Ming Siwei, she’d probably regret it to her guts.

Over the next few days, she busied herself with work, handling affairs on both sides adequately. She transferred some liquid assets to overseas funds, sold off some real estate, and gifted the rest to He Qiange, Secretary Wen, and others as planned—leaving some for Old Madam Ming too. If she liquidated everything without leaving a trace for the Ming Family, Ming Siwei might grow suspicious.

Liu Ran stayed quietly at home for several days. With no disturbances, she calmed down and carefully recalled recent events.

“You knew I hate Ming Siwei the most! Yet you still colluded with her against me!” Ming Siyu’s furious rebuke echoed in her ears.

In the heat of their confrontation, she hadn’t thought much and crudely assumed Ming Siyu had discovered Ming Siwei’s escape plan, hence the rage. But from later exchanges, Ming Siyu seemed unaware of that. And even if it was about that, at worst it was “collusion”—how was it “against” her? They hadn’t done anything directly harmful to Ming Siyu.

She worried Ming Siyu had misunderstood something and might act against Bai Yu. But she didn’t know how to explain the twenty million otherwise. Telling Ming Siyu it was escape money from Ming Siwei would heighten her vigilance, making escape harder. Besides, she had the Nano Bomb in her body. She feared being blown to bits.

Injecting a bomb— Ming Siyu was utterly ruthless. Every time she wanted to confess to Ming Siyu, that madness deterred her.

After days apart, Ming Siyu had held her, kissed her, bitten her, their pheromones wildly intertwining, yet she hadn’t offered her nape gland for marking again.

Once satisfied, Ming Siyu wiped her glistening lips, sweat-dampened, and said emotionlessly, “Nothing special after all.”