Chapter 1856: Chapter 437: Fame and Solitude Among Thorns

Yan Nanmo looked innocent: "Wronged, how would I dare to hide anything from you?"

Zhuang Xiyue snorted: "The words ’troubled mind’ are practically written on your forehead. Do you think I’m blind?"

Yan Nanmo sighed, straightened her up, and looking into her eyes, said: "I’ve just been too tired lately, don’t overthink it."

"Really?" Zhuang Xiyue stared at him doubtfully.

"Would I dare lie to you?" Yan Nanmo all but raised his hand to swear.

"I bet you wouldn’t dare."

Yan Nanmo quietly let out a breath of relief.

"It’s been half a month since Yun Ya left, and I don’t even know if she’s doing well abroad. Her phone has been off, do you think something could have happened to her?" Zhuang Xiyue was utterly worried, Yun Ya was dearer to her than her own daughter, and just after a few days apart, she already missed her, worried she wasn’t eating well or dressing warmly.

A hint of complexity flashed in Yan Nanmo’s eyes, he pressed his lips together, and said softly: "Yun Ya is fine."

"How would you know?" Zhuang Xiyue glanced at him: "Have you seen her by any chance?"

Yan Nanmo nodded with difficulty, "Although I haven’t seen her, I have news about her; she’s doing great abroad, don’t worry."

"Then why isn’t she answering my calls?" Zhuang Xiyue eyed him skeptically, her woman’s intuition telling her there was definitely something off.

Zhuang Xiyue, being a sensitive and smart woman, noticed every subtle change in Yan Nanmo’s expression. Yan Nanmo felt a chill inside, struggled for a moment, and finally decided to keep it from her for now.

Even though she would eventually find out, judging by Yueyue’s temperament, she wouldn’t let it rest easily, so best to hide it for as long as possible.

"Yun Ya has joined a closed medical research project and can’t take calls for the time being."

"Alright, but if I find out you’re lying, you know the consequences." Zhuang Xiyue said half-believingly.

Yan Nanmo frowned slightly and nodded.

"I’m going to take a shower first, you hurry too." Zhuang Xiyue got up and went to the bathroom.

Yan Nanmo sat quietly on the sofa alone, suddenly took out his phone, and dialed a number.

The call was quickly connected, a woman’s gentle and calm voice came through the phone.

"Big sis, there’s something I might need to trouble you with."

——

Zhuang Xiyue had intended to return to the country with Yan Nanmo, but then her big sister suddenly fell ill. Song Xi went abroad to negotiate business, and no one was there to care for her big sister, how could she just leave at such a time?

Yan Nanmo went back alone, leaving Zhuang Xiyue to take care of Zhuang Fanxing in the hospital.

"Judging by the test results, the patient’s condition isn’t optimistic."

As the attending doctor’s words fell, Zhuang Xiyue frowned tightly, "What do you mean?"

"We’ve discovered a tumor in the patient’s mammary duct epithelium...."

Zhuang Xiyue stepped back in disbelief, "Doctor, could there be a mistake? My sister is so young, how could she have cancer?"

The doctor sighed, "Luckily, it was found early. Now it’s stage three breast cancer. Although the cancer cells have started to spread, with local treatment combined with chemotherapy, and actively cooperating with the treatment, the cure rate exceeds 55%. However, you must be mentally prepared, this requires sacrificing the breast...."

"Doctor, no matter how much it costs, you must cure my sister."

Zhuang Xiyue wiped away her tears at the door of the ward, and entered with a smile.

The woman was leaning on the bed with a thick book in her hands. Although she was nearly fifty, she didn’t look old at all. Her makeup was exquisite, graceful and elegant, exuding an aura of timeless serenity.

Zhuang Xiyue suddenly recalled a phrase she’d seen somewhere, about how a woman can age gracefully...

Her big sis perfectly exemplified this phrase.

Her big sister hadn’t had a good life since childhood; she lost her parents young. Though their parents treated her like their own, she knew her big sister was always lonely inside. No one could replace the love of her parents. It was hard enough for someone to enter her heart and make her happy, but it turned out to be just an empty joy, that person’s betrayal left an indelible scar in her heart. Although her big sister didn’t speak of it, appearing unaffected, Zhuang Xiyue knew, she knew the wounded heart beneath her calm facade.

Later, she met Ruan Wencheng. She didn’t really love the man, but seeing their parents worried sick about her marriage, she wanted to find someone to marry randomly, if only to ease their minds. At the time, Ruan Wencheng spared no effort in pursuing her, eventually, she chose him. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

In the beginning, Ruan Wencheng treated her very well. She even thought of giving herself another chance, choosing to work hard at her marriage with Ruan Wencheng. However, Ruan Wencheng eventually let her down...