Chapter 2808: Sleepless Night

Nighttime, especially in a metropolis, can bring calm but also unrest. Li Yifei and Wu Shuwei fell asleep, yet some couldn’t find sleep. Like the family with the little girl they encountered by the river, the couple watched their daughter sleep but were wide awake themselves. Currently, they were staying in a small inn, renting a room for over a hundred a day, which wasn’t exactly cheap. Originally, they stayed in the hospital, but the doctor secretly told them there was no need for treatment anymore, as any further attempts would be futile, not even prolonging life, thus wasting money, especially since they didn’t have much.

The doctor was well-intentioned; if there were any chance to save her, it would not have come to this.

The daughter finally fell asleep after they administered pethidine, a potent painkiller often used for cancer patients to alleviate pain, albeit with significant side effects and addiction risks. Yet, at this time, anything that reduced the daughter’s pain was deemed better than anything else.

The couple sat on the floor, leaning against each other, merely two meters from the bed. However, their daughter on the bed seemed to be drifting further away, possibly… by tomorrow morning, she may no longer wake up. They couldn’t say anything to her because she was still young; she was sensible but still ignorant of many things.

“We…” the girl’s mother suddenly spoke. Her father held his wife’s hand and said, “I’ve decided. Tomorrow, I’ll ask that person to try. If there’s truly… I mean, if there’s any hope at all, even a slight chance the daughter could live a bit longer, we’d go for it. Money can be earned; I’m still in good health and can certainly earn it back.”

“It’s just too much like a scam. How could anyone possibly cure cancer!” the girl’s mother said while nodding, yet internally, she forced herself to believe regardless. In reality, many relatives of patients do so; it isn’t that they’ve lost their sanity or judgment but rather… faced with overwhelming despair and unwillingness to let go, reality compels them to believe in those scammers because it signifies a glimmer of hope—what if…

“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow morning, I’ll call him and inquire further. If there’s no mistake, I’ll take our daughter there while you wait here so we can stay in touch. If anything goes wrong… you call the police. If something happens to me or our daughter, the police will stand by us. Don’t worry,” the girl’s father said.

From the daughter’s illness until now, they had endured what seemed like an ordeal, visibly aged. Yet, they wanted to seize this last hope, refusing to give up.

“Alright, you accompany our daughter. But if you encounter an accident, I’ll join you!” the girl’s mother declared resolutely.

“That…” The girl’s father wanted to persuade her but gave up, knowing his wife’s character and understanding persuasion was futile.

The two spent a sleepless night sitting on the floor, leaning against each other, until dawn, until the sun rose…

In Haicheng’s expansive urban area, traveling from one end of the city to the other could take hours by car, even with the fast-moving subway requiring one or two hours. In a high-end residential area’s top-floor apartment, Yue Ming resided here, having bought the top three floors, integrated them, and renovated them. Tonight, he drank a lot but didn’t rush home; instead, he and Zhang Bai went to a more exclusive club for a small talk. Of course, they didn’t seek out any girls, as they found such behavior beneath them at their level; obtaining women was incredibly easy, summonable anytime. Zhang Bai went elsewhere, but Yue Ming found a small celebrity, indulged with her, a young woman graduated from film school two years ago, with looks and a good figure but little else. After his pleasure, she “slept soundly,” while he sobered up and sat in the spacious, luxurious living room.

Yue Ming had his family, and his child wasn’t small, but still under his wife’s care. At home, he had absolute authority, and his wife dared not interfere with anything related to him. He married her because of her beauty and university graduate status from a prestigious university, but merely for those reasons. Compared to Yue Ming’s status and position at that time, marrying such a woman was like treating her as a toy. Since she was a toy, there would inevitably come a time when it was no longer novel, especially after she gave birth and lost her figure, causing Yue Ming to lose interest.

He didn’t divorce her due to status constraints and because the woman was “sensible,” never intervening with his outside affairs. Consequently, Yue Ming didn’t divorce her, also considering their child. Yue Ming cherished the child, who resembled him. Now in college, Yue Ming pampered him, giving whatever he desired. Currently attending Fudan University, Yue Ming gifted him a luxury car worth millions and a mansion over ten million solely for the child’s residence. Pocket money ran into tens or even hundreds of thousands monthly, leading to inevitable pampering and spoiling.

In the middle of the night, Yue Ming consumed more alcohol, feeling tired. Yet, just as he was about to sleep, his phone rang beside the sofa, startling him. Quickly recollecting, only a few Vice-presidents and his office secretary knew this number, people who wouldn’t ordinarily call unless urgent. So, thinking this, Yue Ming picked up the phone.

“Yue Ming… are you asleep?” The office secretary cautiously asked.

“Not yet. What’s up?” Yue Ming replied calmly.

“Yue Ming, there’s an urgent matter you must handle personally. I just saw online news reporting a car accident by the river. From the photos and videos, it seems to involve Master Yue… I’ve been unable to reach him but am verifying with others. Please check if… you could contact your family. I haven’t confirmed yet,” said the secretary.

“What?” Yue Ming instantly became alert, sitting up straight, holding the phone, slightly trembling, raising his voice. “You said Yue Ziyang was in a car accident?”

“Possibly. The online information is limited, and I can’t reach Master!”

“What’s the online saying?” Yue Ming asked.

“Online says Master was racing and then caused a pile-up, but the master appears unharmed. I’m having someone find where the police took him, yet I can’t confirm it’s Master Yue.”

“Investigate, I’ll call home.” Yue Ming’s eyelid twitched, fearing it might involve his son but not ready to assume without confirmation.

Phone disconnected, Yue Ming swiftly dialed home, his wife’s number. The phone rang over a dozen times before connecting. Her voice was somewhat relaxed, somewhat muddled. Upon connection, she said, “Hey husband, why did you call so late? Have you returned? Should I open the door for you?” toward the end, she sounded excited.

Hearing her voice irked Yue Ming, though he refrained from hurling insults, instead asking, “Did Yue Ziyang come home tonight?”

“Husband, Ziyang hasn’t been home for a while, not in his place, occasionally staying at school,” the woman said.

Yue Ming immediately cursed: “How could you mothering care for our son like that? Is that how you manage him?”

“Husband, what’s wrong, what’s happened? Ziyang has always been independent, and he specifically asked I don’t meddle. It’s not me being inattentive!”

“Damn you, crawl out of bed now and find Yue Ziyang, go to his place or school, verify his presence!” Yue Ming cursed.

The woman panicked immediately, her voice trembling and changed. She was merely a trophy wife, mistakenly thought well of herself being married by Yue Ming. Eventually realizing this role was just that, bought and appreciated at first, yet neglected when gathered dust, though she accepted the status for luxurious sustenance. She had free rein, buying whatever desired, only constrained by her mothering status. As such, Yue Ming couldn’t be excessively harsh, but he seldom scolded her, concerned with his affairs while she remained the household mistress. However, becoming more irate than usual unsettled her.

“Husband, just tell me what’s wrong? I’ll hurry and find Ziyang if he’s upset you. I apologize on behalf of our son; I’ll reprimand him,” the woman hurriedly said.

“Screw your apology, proceed to find him!” Yue Ming fumed.

Slamming the phone down, Yue Ming shot to his feet, pacing the room repeatedly failing to calm himself. He subsequently dialed, enlisting help from two acquaintances for investigation.

Meanwhile, online reports proliferated, Yue Ming accessed them, discovering a video taken of the crash. Amongst chaotic images and cries, glimpsing the virtually totaled sports car he had bought for his son Yue Ziyang, the million-dollar number plate four sixes he had paid over a hundred thousand.

With the car wrecked, amid shaky footage, Yue Ming desperately attempted confirming the driver’s identity—the son mustn’t be involved, anyone else would suffice.