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Jono was slightly surprised. Did this mean Jin Chengyan agreed to her request for a divorce?
However, before she could ask the next question, A-Shan hurried in from outside. He was taken aback to see Jono there, but he didn't have time for pleasantries.
"Godfather had a heart attack and has been rushed to the hospital!"
Jin Chengyan immediately jumped up from his chair, grabbing his suit and phone, ready to follow A-Shan out.
In just a matter of seconds, Jono was still sitting on the sofa, unable to process what was happening.
Jin Chengyan stepped forward and grabbed Jono's hand. "What are you still doing sitting here?"
Wasn't she just caught off guard? Hearing Jin Chengyan say this, Jono quickly got up and followed him to the hospital.
During the drive, Jono listened as A-Shan explained Jin Zhongshu's health condition. Despite this middle-aged man usually appearing imposing, he had been dealing with heart issues for years and had been careful not to overexert himself.
Recently, with all the turmoil surrounding Jin Chengyan, it had taken a toll on him. The announcement of Jin Chengyan's termination of the contract with Yan Fei only added to his worries. This stress had caused his health to deteriorate!
As the chairman of the Jin Family, Jin Zhongshu's health was constantly under scrutiny; any sign of trouble would not escape public attention.
This time, his illness came on suddenly, and with him being admitted to the hospital, reporters were naturally waiting outside to learn about the condition of this once-dominant figure.
The car couldn't enter; it could only stop at the entrance. As Jin Chengyan and Jono got out, they were swarmed by reporters.
"Mr. Jin, can you tell us how your father's health is? Can you give the public and all those shareholders an explanation?"
"Mr. Jin, is the collaboration between the Jin Family and Yan Fei really at an end?"
"Mr. Jin, we heard Miss Ruan is also in this hospital. Will you be visiting her since you're here with your wife?"
The first questions were indeed related to Jin Zhongshu, but then they unexpectedly brought up Ruan Shengyu!
Jin Chengyan had intended to take Jono straight inside but paused upon hearing Ruan Shengyu's name. He noticed that Jono's hand in his grip felt slightly stiff, as if she wanted to pull away.
Jono lowered her head, her hair obscuring half of her face, but from Jin Chengyan's perspective, he could see the darkness on her face.
The reporter, not receiving an answer, became even more aggressive.
"Mr. Jin, may I ask if your appearance with your wife is an attempt to clear your reputation as a scoundrel? Your wife is a victim in this situation, yet instead of helping her, you are shielding the criminal suspect. You..."
"Bang—" Before the reporter could finish, Jin Chengyan released Jono's hand and threw a punch!
The reporters surrounding them gasped at Jin Chengyan's sudden action.
"How can you hit someone so casually?" the reporter said, covering his mouth with anger. "A public figure hitting someone? There are so many cameras capturing this! I'll make sure you go viral!"
"Go ahead and try!" Jin Chengyan replied harshly, sounding like a reckless thug.
Jono stood frozen in place, watching the furious Jin Chengyan. Was he overreacting?
Hitting someone in front of so many cameras!
"Jin Chengyan, let's go inside!" Jono grabbed Jin Chengyan's hand. If she didn't stop him, he might really not care about all the cameras and would beat that reporter to the point where even his parents wouldn't recognize him!
Seeing Jono's hand on his arm seemed to calm some of Jin Chengyan's anger.
The commotion ended as Jono pulled Jin Chengyan away.
On their way to the operating room, Jono released Jin Chengyan's hand.
"Why are you so impulsive? Even if what he said is true, hitting someone in front of all those cameras is not good for you," Jono said to Jin Chengyan, who was walking beside her.
Jin Chengyan turned to look at Jono. "Are you worried about me?"
"At a time like this, you're still in the mood for jokes? Your father is in the operating room!"
"Ziluo and the others will have the best doctors perform surgery on him. Besides, he's in great health and so young. With Mom still healthy by his side, he wouldn't want to leave her!" Jin Chengyan said confidently. In his mind, such a strong father could never die.
He thought that even if he died, the old man of the Jin Family might not be dead either!
Jono shook his head, still unsure where Jin Chengyan's confidence came from.
However, when the two of them reached the door of the operating room, they discovered that the entire Jin Family had arrived! It seemed they had all rushed over upon hearing the news about Jin Zhongshu's surgery!
Jin Zhongshu was not only the chairman of the Jin Family but also its head. If anything were to happen to this man with dual identities at this moment, it could throw the Jin Family into chaos!
Not to mention that such a large family had not yet officially been handed over to Jin Chengyan, and that massive company was not entirely under his control either. With so many board members, it was unlikely that they all listened to Jin Chengyan; who knew what kind of undercurrents were stirring beneath the surface?
Everyone anxiously waited, while Melancholy sat outside the operating room on a chair, clutching her chest, with Jin Mengli sitting beside her to offer comfort.
The family awaited news of the surgery, and with no one to care for him, Chuyu Xiu ran over to Uncle and Aunt-in-law when he saw them arrive.
"Uncle, what's wrong with Grandpa? Everyone seems really worried!" Chuyu Xiu asked, looking up with a hint of confusion.
Jin Chengyan glanced at the lights outside the operating room. It hadn't been long since he last waited outside; it seemed he had developed a special connection with the hospital lately.
He picked up Chuyu Xiu and gently patted his back. "It's okay; Grandpa is inside chatting with someone. He'll be out soon."
Jono: "..." Did he really think Chuyu Xiu was so naive as to believe such things?
However, Chuyu Xiu seemed genuinely tired and soon fell asleep on Jin Chengyan's shoulder.
Seeing Jin Chengyan arrive, Melancholy appeared to find her pillar of support. In this family, she first relied on her husband; if her husband fell ill, then it would be her son!
Jono naturally noticed this too. "Just hand Chuyu Xiu over to me. Your mother seems to have something she wants to discuss with you." Jono reached out to take Chuyu Xiu.
He understood that his mother truly needed him. "She's not just my mother; she's your mother-in-law, not just 'your mom.'"
At this moment, he still took time to educate Jono. She rolled her eyes but did so in a way that Jin Chengyan didn't notice as she took Chuyu Xiu from him before Jin Chengyan walked over.
Seeing Jin Chengyan arrive, Jin Mengli automatically moved away from Melancholy and came over to Jono's side.
"Give me the child, you're holding him too tightly." Jin Mengli was a very clever woman, aware that she was now a married daughter. Although her family still spoiled her and treated her like a young lady, her relationship with the Jin Family had fundamentally changed.
Jin Chengyan was the true heir of the Jin Family, and once her brother arrived, she would willingly give that position to him.
However, she didn't see anything wrong with that.
"It's fine; he won't sleep well if we keep switching. I'll hold him," Jono actually liked Chuyu Xiu. She liked him before losing her memory and still liked him afterward, so holding him wasn't a big deal.
Jin Mengli gently patted her son's head and allowed Jono to hold him.
"Father's illness came so suddenly. I hope he can pull through; otherwise, Ayan's path ahead will be really difficult," Jin Mengli said, looking at the mother and child on the chair, along with so many members of the Jin Family.
Jono couldn't help but hear the worry in Jin Mengli's words; she just didn't know how serious the situation truly was or what Jin Chengyan would have to face in the future.
"Jono, just stay by Ayan's side. After all these years, he's been carrying everything alone. The entire burden of the Jin Family rests on his shoulders. Right now, you're the only one who can help him share that load; no one else can," Jin Mengli said earnestly.
But Jono remained silent. What could she possibly do for Jin Chengyan?
Moreover, she had already decided to divorce him. As for him, there were certainly others willing to help; did he really need her?
"You might think I'm morally coercing you by using Ayan's current predicament to keep you by his side. If you want to think that way, fine; after all, I'm a selfish person who wants someone by my brother's side to support him. He likes you, and you can provide him with emotional support—it's as simple as that. That's why I want you to stay."
"Like..." Jono repeated those two words. She really couldn't say that Jin Chengyan liked her! At least that's how Jono felt in her heart.
"You don't believe it?" As someone who had been through similar situations, Jin Mengli quickly assessed Jono's tone. "I understand."
Jono thought to herself: Sister, your words are so fickle. One moment you say Jin Chengyan likes me; when I express disbelief, you just go along with it.
"But Jono," Jin Mengli continued, "what I want to tell you is that what’s kept in the heart isn’t love. What can truly be held in your hands and touched—that’s love."
Jin Mengli's gaze shifted toward Chu Tiankuo as she advised Jono, sounding more like someone sharing wisdom from experience.
"What’s kept in the heart isn’t love? Then what is love?" Jono didn’t understand. Isn’t it only love that can be held in one’s heart? If it can't even fit in there, how can it be called love?
Jin Mengli patted Jono on the shoulder, saying, "What matters is that he is by your side. And he can only exist in Ruan Shengyu's heart."
For men, a sense of responsibility is paramount. They always know who their wife is and who the woman outside is. Even if they indulge in debauchery, they ultimately recognize the way home and will return before midnight.
Jono looked at Jin Chengyan, feeling as though he understood a bit more, yet it seemed he understood nothing at all.
Ah, love—what a tormenting thing it is.
Two hours later, the assistant doctor emerged from the operating room to brief Jin Zhongshu's condition.
"Mr. Jin has suffered a myocardial infarction, accompanied by vascular aging and insufficient blood supply to the heart. There are also signs of liver cirrhosis. We just managed to stabilize Mr. Jin, but his condition is not good. We will conduct a detailed physical examination and arrange for surgery at a later date."
They had merely stabilized him; surgery would have to be scheduled for another day. Just thinking about it made this another arduous process.
Jono knew what kind of grueling days lay ahead.
When her father was ill in the past, she had no money and no doctors she knew. The daily hospital fees were a headache, along with a myriad of other issues—her mood was perpetually low.
If it weren't for the fact that the Qiao family still needed her to hold things together during that time, she probably would have fallen into depression long ago!
Now, Jin Chengyan was experiencing what she had gone through back then. However, unlike her, he had wealth and so many members of the Jin family around him.
The files were just the surface of what Jono could see.
Late at night, after everyone from the Jin family had left—including Melancholy, whom Jin Chengyan had sent home with A-Shan—the hospital was left with only Jin Chengyan staying behind to care for Jin Zhongshu. This was what a successor of the Jin family should do.
As Jono, being Jin Chengyan's wife, it seemed inappropriate for her to leave at this moment.
She stayed in the hospital room for a while but did not see Jin Chengyan return; he had said he would step out for a moment.
Jono glanced at Jin Zhongshu lying quietly on the bed, surrounded by numerous tubes and instruments.
She gently exited the room to look for Jin Chengyan.
After walking around for a while, there was still no sign of Jin Chengyan.
Hospitals can be quite eerie, Jono thought; it felt better to return to the ward.
Just as she turned to leave, she heard some sounds coming from the stairwell—a faint cough, low and somewhat suppressed.
Jono glanced around but saw no one. Perhaps it was best to just head back!
It was genuinely a bit frightening.
"Cough, cough..." The coughing continued from that direction, sounding more like someone had choked.
Jono pushed open the door to the stairwell. The light was bright, and she spotted Jin Chengyan standing on the landing, smoking. There were already several cigarette butts at his feet.
From her position, Jono could see his profile clearly. He didn’t look as composed and strategic as he had earlier in front of the Jin Family; instead, he appeared somewhat disheveled and helpless—not at all like the Jin Chengyan she knew.
In her mind, Jin Chengyan was invincible, capable of overcoming any obstacle. She never imagined there could be something that could leave him at a loss!
She knew he didn’t smoke, yet here he was with several cigarette butts lying around him. Despite not being accustomed to it, he continued to smoke, even coughing but not stopping.
Perhaps it was some sort of intuition; Jin Chengyan turned and saw Jono.
His first instinct was to throw away the cigarette in his hand and wave away the smoke lingering in the air before looking at her with a hint of helplessness on his face.
Seeing this made Jono feel an inexplicable pang of sympathy.
She felt sorry for this man who clearly didn’t hold her in high regard! She felt sorry for this man who had another woman in his heart.
She walked over and looked at him.
Jin Chengyan met her gaze, and after two seconds, they both leaned against the railing as if they had silently agreed to do so, gazing out at the night view.
"I'm sorry," Jin Chengyan said heavily.
"Uh?" Why was there a need to apologize at this moment?
"When you were at your wit's end, I brought up the idea of marriage at the most inappropriate time and insisted that you go along with it. Now I finally understand what it feels like to be threatened when the life of someone so dear is uncertain. So, I'm sorry."
Jono listened, somewhat confused but generally understanding.
Indeed, back then, Jono had been very angry, especially at Jin Chengyan's outrageous behavior. She had wondered how someone could be so cruel as to rub salt in another's wounds.
But now that she thought about it, Jin Chengyan's actions at that time didn't seem so significant anymore.
"Jono, actually, my father's condition is worse than what the doctors said outside the operating room. They downplayed it just to reassure most of the Jin family and calm my mother. The Jin family isn't as solid or united as you might think. If we had announced that my father's organs were starting to fail, it would have inevitably led to a power struggle," Jin Chengyan explained a world that Jono didn't quite grasp.
She had always been far removed from such family disputes. Even though her own family was well-off, her father had never allowed her to experience anything like that.
Sibling rivalries and relatives betraying one another—Jono didn't understand any of it.
But looking at Jin Chengyan now, he seemed to be struggling.
"If I had known this situation would arise, perhaps I shouldn't have ended my partnership with Yan Fei. At least I wouldn't have to guard against external threats while dealing with internal strife. And who knows, maybe there's a fire in the backyard too." Jin Chengyan looked at Jono with a bitter smile.
His backyard was Jono, wasn't it? Jono wanting a divorce was like setting fire to his home.
"Serves you right," Jono scoffed, showing no sympathy—only sarcasm.
Jin Chengyan was genuinely hurt; his heart ached as he suddenly rested his chin on Jono's shoulder.
Jono tried to push him away, but he held onto her hand.
"Jono, let me lean on you for a moment. I'm so tired," Jin Chengyan whispered almost inaudibly in her ear.
Once again, whenever he spoke softly in her ear with a hint of charm, Jono found herself defenseless against him.
She remained still, allowing Jin Chengyan to rest his chin on her shoulder.
"Jono, is your heart still here?" Jin Chengyan pointed at Jono's left atrium.
"If it weren't here, do you think I could stand here talking to you?" Jono knew that Jin Chengyan didn't mean it literally, but she was deliberately contradicting him.
"If it's still here, could you not shut me out? You have no idea how much I've been hurting these past few days. I don't want you to be cold towards me; I don't like it. You were the one who liked me first, so why should you stop liking me first? It's not fair that you get to take everything."
"Then I'll let you be the first to 'not like me'." Jono said bluntly.
"See? That means you still like me!"
Jono found herself caught in Jin Chengyan's trap, going around in circles until she didn't even know what she was saying anymore.
She fell silent, recalling the words she had spoken to Yan Beiting in the car that day. Most of those words were meant to provoke Yan Beiting, trying to make him let go and stop harboring any illusions about her.
But the things she could say were mostly what she had already thought about. Could she really tell Jin Chengyan that she didn't love him? That was impossible!
If Jin Chengyan truly came to seek her forgiveness and promised never to have anything to do with Ruan Shengyu again, she might just soften and agree to him wholeheartedly.
Especially in Jin Chengyan's current state, leaving him felt a bit too cruel.
Jono was the kind of person who would never understand the phrase "once bitten, twice shy." A single soft word from him or a look of grievance could unleash all her maternal instincts.
"Jin Chengyan..." Jono felt as if she lacked the strength to speak; after all, she couldn't bring herself to say those words: "I don't like you!"
"Jono, let's be together properly! Let's start everything anew, okay?" He shifted from resting his chin on her shoulder to embracing her.
Jono could smell the mixed scents of cologne and tobacco on him. They weren't overwhelming but were impossible to ignore. Instead of repulsing her, she found herself liking the scent he carried.
Often, it was because of love for the person that one would overlook their flaws. She couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance at other men who wore cologne and smelled of tobacco; it made her want to scream!
His words seemed almost magical, rendering Jono unable to refuse.
"Let's wait until Dad is better to talk about the divorce..." This was Jono's final concession. To bring up the topic of divorce during such a tumultuous time would be cruel to Jin Chengyan, and for the Jin Family, it would be seen as an act of ungratefulness.
After all, it was Jin Chengyan who had helped Jono when she was at her wit's end, regardless of whether his methods were morally right.
Upon hearing Jono's words, Jin Chengyan could no longer hold back. He cupped Jono's face and leaned in to kiss her lips!
Jono: "..." She hadn't even said she would forgive him yet; what was this kiss about?
...
The next day, Jono and Jin Chengyan continued to care for Jin Zhongshu in the hospital. The old man still hadn't regained consciousness.
Many wanted to visit, but they were all kept outside.
However, when Liu Mingzhang appeared with his goddaughter, Jono's previously rosy complexion drained of color in an instant.
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