Chapter 10

Lu Wuqi’s answer was something Lan Xu had never expected, leaving her stunned for quite a while before she finally reacted.

“Auntie went to the hospital? Is she sick?” Lan Xu asked urgently. “Have the results come back yet? Auntie should be okay, right?”

“She was originally just planning a routine checkup, but they found a minor issue with her kidney. Today, she’s undergoing more detailed tests.” Lu Wuqi didn’t hide anything from Lan Xu, but she also didn’t tell the full truth, downplaying the condition.

Even so, Lan Xu couldn’t help worrying for Lu Wuqi. “If Auntie is hospitalized, should I go with you tomorrow to see her? Can you take care of her alone? What can I do to help?”

“It’s fine. The hospitalization is just to make the tests easier. My mom’s condition is about the same as usual—she can still do everything.” Lu Wuqi reassured her. “Once the tests are done, they’ll prescribe the right treatment. It’s not a big deal.”

“Okay. If there’s any difficulty, we can solve it together.” Lan Xu offered some awkward comfort.

Lan Xu was just a recent high school graduate. Right now, all she could do was comfort Lu Wuqi.

Lu Wuqi smiled, her tone light. “This isn’t really a difficulty. It’s just discovering a minor health issue. No one can avoid getting sick forever, right? We’ll just follow whatever the doctor says.”

Lan Xu blinked, thinking along Lu Wuqi’s lines. Her inner worries eased quite a bit.

That made sense. Finding a small problem during a checkup was normal, and catching it early meant treating it early!

–

Considering that Lu Wuqi had handled all the payments and arrangements before and after, once the test report came out, the doctor didn’t tell Mother Lu directly. Instead, he called Lu Wuqi to his office.

“The tumor in your mother’s body is still in the early stage. If surgery is performed right away along with appropriate treatment, the chances of full recovery are very high,” the doctor said.

Lu Wuqi appeared mature and steady, but remembering she was only eighteen, the doctor tried to frame things positively to avoid overwhelming her.

“Doctor, if I take my mom to a major hospital in the capital for the surgery, would the success rate be higher?” Lu Wuqi didn’t find the truth hard to accept. She calmly sought advice.

The doctor paused, then answered honestly. “A big hospital definitely has better facilities than ours. If an expert is willing to operate, the trauma to the body would be much less.”

“Doctor, could you please tell my mom that she needs to rest well for a month? Also, tell her that the hospital’s relevant experts are training in the capital, and she needs to go to Capital Hospital for a minor surgery.”

Lu Wuqi explained, “I’ll be reporting to Capital University in more than ten days. I want to take my mom to the capital for treatment, but I’m worried she won’t agree if she’s concerned about the cost.”

The doctor hesitated slightly and said tactfully, “Expert appointments in the capital are hard to get, and hospitalization costs would be much higher than here.”

Lu Wuqi smiled. “That’s not an issue. I’ll arrange it. Thank you for the reminder, Doctor.”

As expected, the first version of the contract would arrive in a few days. Before signing, she would mention her mom’s situation to Miao Miao. If Miao Miao was willing to help, Lu Wuqi would make concessions in the contract, giving up a substantial portion of the benefits.

Hearing Lu Wuqi’s confident words, the doctor couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, much like Miao Miao had.

Young people these days were truly impressive. After high school graduation, the most he could do was a part-time job. He couldn’t afford to take a sick mother to the hospital, let alone secure an expert appointment in the capital.

–

Under Lu Wuqi’s arrangements, everything proceeded smoothly.

Mother Lu trusted and obeyed the doctor’s words. Once she knew no high treatment costs were involved, she wasn’t opposed to going to the capital for surgery.

Mother Lu also wanted to visit the university where her daughter would attend. After Lu Wuqi persuaded her a bit, she nodded in agreement.

“This might inconvenience the boss. I’ll be at least a month late starting work,” Mother Lu said guiltily. She had been ordered to rest well before the surgery.

“Mom, only when your health is good can you work without worry. I believe the boss will understand,” Lu Wuqi comforted her.

Lu Wuqi had also settled things with the supermarket boss. While Mother Lu was hospitalized, she paid him eleven thousand yuan—principal plus interest.

The boss was a bit regretful he hadn’t been able to help in her time of need, but after getting Lu Wuqi’s contact info, he was quite satisfied with forging this good connection.

On Miao Miao’s side, after hearing Lu Wuqi’s proposed exchange, she agreed immediately.

Just for the fact that Lu Wuqi raised the request before signing the contract, Miao Miao’s favorable impression of her increased further. She even said they were friends now—Lu Wuqi could speak up if she needed anything.

After signing the contract and sending it back, Lu Wuqi really did speak up without hesitation.

Lu Wuqi: President Miao, mind lending me a million? I’ll pay back 1.1 million in three months.

I Love Cats: For your mom’s treatment?

Lu Wuqi: No, I’ve been interested in the stock market lately and want to give it a try.

Seeing the message on her phone, Miao Miao hesitated. She paced half around the table before sitting next to her wife. “Weiwei, the promising partner I value wants to try the stock market. Should I support her?”

Miao Miao wasn’t reluctant to part with the million; she was worried her money might lead her new partner down a path of stock market addiction from which there was no return.

“Support her. If she fails in the stock market, she’ll become your subordinate,” Ye Yingwei glanced at their conversation.

“What if she succeeds?” Miao Miao asked.

“If she succeeds, it proves your judgment is spot on. From then on, we should pay even more attention to her suggestions,” Ye Yingwei said.

Miao Miao found this very reasonable. She kissed her beloved and then asked Lu Wuqi for her bank details, swiftly transferring the million.

–

Lu Father returned home at a perfect time—the day after Mother Lu came back from the hospital.

Seeing Lu Father’s worried expression, both Mother Lu and Lu Wuqi independently chose to keep the truth from him.

Mother Lu simply told Lu Father that she would personally see Lu Wuqi off to school and stay in the capital for a few days.

Lu Father actually wanted to see the world too, but thinking of the trouble he’d caused on this outing, he quietly shut his mouth. He lit up some cheap tobacco—worth only a few bucks a pack—and went to the balcony to smoke.

In the blink of an eye, it was three days before the start of school. Capital University, considering students came from all over the country, gave them two and a half days to register.

This allowed students to arrange their time more reasonably and avoided parents crowding together during registration.

A few days earlier, Lu Wuqi had invited Lan Xu to fly to the capital together. After Lan Xu agreed, the two packed a streamlined set of luggage.

Things like quilt inserts and mattresses would cost too much to transport over such a distance, so they decided to register first and then buy them.

They skipped most daily necessities too, bringing only essential electronics, a freshly washed set of bedding, and some clothes suitable for the current season.

Just as Lu Wuqi and Mother Lu finished packing and were about to meet Lan Xu at the airport, Lu Father—struggling to hide his panicked expression—blocked their path.

“Um, I want to send Little Lu off to school too. I’ll go to the capital with you,” Lu Father said, thinking his tone was calm. But his left hand, clenched tightly at his side, betrayed his inner tension.