"Cough, cough, cough....."
Amid a bout of painful coughing, Chu Ling gradually caught her breath; clutching her stomach, she felt unbearable abdominal pain.
But what hurt more than her body was....
That heart already riddled with a thousand wounds.....
Just now Chu Xiong, fierce as a devil, had yanked her off the bed and onto the floor, truly frightening her.
From him, Chu Ling did not feel the slightest thing called... fatherly love!!!
There was only disgust and hatred, as if the two of them were not father and daughter but enemies with a blood feud.......
Is this really behavior a normal father... should have?
Over the years, Chu Ling had in fact increasingly realized that her parents didn't like her, even harbored a nameless aversion to her.
So, to earn her parents' approval and affection, Chu Ling practically obeyed their every word, thinking that as long as she behaved.....
One day, she too would, like the other girls in the village, enjoy warmth from her family.
Unfortunately......
No matter how hard Chu Ling tried to please them, what she got in return was only distance and abuse.
Previously she could still deceive herself, consoling herself that constant dripping wears through stone and that she would eventually gain her parents' love.
But Chu Xiong's recent disregard for her life was like a sharp steel blade driven straight into the depths of her heart.....
This was far more than just not liking her?!
He practically wished her dead!!!
Coupled with the inner voice she had eavesdropped on earlier, Chu Ling went from initial distrust and half-belief to gradually believing now......
Perhaps.... there really was another hidden truth to her origins......
Thinking of this, Chu Ling's nose stung; she looked fragile and aggrieved.
In the past, no matter how much the Chu couple made things hard for her, Chu Ling had never thought of leaving her parents.
Because in her view, as long as her parents were alive, her life had a place to return to, she still had a home.....
But now she learned that her background was in doubt and the Chu couple might not be her biological parents.
This sudden explosive news made her whole head spin; for the moment she didn't know how to cope.
......
"Dad, do you really hate me that much?"
"I truly don't get it—other children have their parents' love, yet I've only ever faced your beatings and scoldings."
"Other girls in the village all get to study, but you forced me to drop out and work with reasons like [girls studying is useless; sooner or later they're just water poured out]."
"All these years I've worked diligently and obeyed you in everything, yet you've never been satisfied with me and made me eat leftovers every day."
"Sometimes I really doubt... am I really your biological daughter?"
"Why are the looks in your eyes at me, and the way you treat me?! It's as if I were an enemy you can't wait to kill!"
"I have stomach cancer! If it isn't treated, things could worsen in a short time—I will die!!!"
"Before, you said the family couldn't afford the medical bills—I could understand, so I didn't complain and I didn't want to burden the family."
"But now this Brother Lin is kindly helping me and willing to shoulder this huge bill, yet you still refuse to let me be treated and even try to forcefully take me out of the hospital......"
"Why?! Why exactly? Do you really want to watch me die?!"
"......"
Chu Ling cried herself hoarse; for the first time in front of Chu Xiong she accused him of the grievances she'd suffered over the years.
Big tears kept falling; she was extremely emotional.
Faced with his daughter's stern rebuke, Chu Xiong froze and stood there in a daze.
Clearly, he had not expected the always submissive Chu Ling to suddenly burst with courage today and dare to call him out in front of so many people.
Of course, that wasn't the main point....
The main point was that she actually suspected their blood relation? That had never happened before.....
Damn it, could this wretch have discovered something?!
It seemed that after taking her back this time, he had to quickly think of a way to get rid of her early, or else more trouble could arise......
Chu Xiong said nothing, but a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
......
"Xiao Ling, calm down! Don't get worked up!"
"Yes! Given your current physical condition, it's best to stay calm at all times, or it could worsen your illness!"
"Sir, I am a parent too. I simply cannot understand your behavior. But please stop doing things that agitate the patient, if you still think of yourself as a father...."
"Alright! Whatever conflicts you have with your daughter, with her this ill, both emotionally and logically treatment should come first. After she's better you can slowly resolve father–daughter issues!"
"In Xiao Ling's current state, letting her be discharged is playing fast and loose with a life! Young Master Lin said he'd cover all medical costs—you don't need to worry! Hurry and reprocess the hospitalization!"
"......."
A group of medical staff surrounded Chu Ling, patiently comforting her and repeatedly explaining to Chu Xiong how terrible "gastric cancer" is, hoping he would take it seriously at once.
Unfortunately...... Chu Xiong had already been wishing this daughter would die......
Now hearing how terrible the disease was, he was all the more unwilling to treat her, even secretly praying she would hurry up and die.
Thus, he remained tough, ignoring everyone's persuasion, and snorted coldly:
"All of you shut up! She's my daughter—what I say goes!"
"Chu Ling, I order you—get up and leave with me right now! Otherwise, don't ever think of coming home; I'll act like I never gave birth to such a disobedient daughter!!!"
"........"
As such inhumane words came out, the whole ward fell deathly silent; everyone stared at Chu Xiong in horror.
They simply could not comprehend......
That his own daughter had cancer—shouldn't a normal father, even if it meant losing everything, selling pots and pans, and praying to the gods, still do whatever it takes to cure his girl?!!
But this bizarre man was the opposite; not only would he not treat his daughter, he even threatened to sever their relationship to force her to give up treatment?!
To put it bluntly......
This beastly behavior was practically murdering his own daughter with his own hands!!!
"Dad... how could you...."
Faced with Chu Xiong's unquestionable hardline stance, Chu Ling felt as if knives were cutting her heart; she wept silently, the pain so great she could hardly breathe.
At this moment she had almost completely believed Lin Xuan's inner voice......
Chu Xiong was not her biological father!!!
Because his actions were simply not something a normal father could do.
But even if they weren't related by blood, they'd been father and daughter for so many years—how could he be so heartless?!
Even raising a dog and living together day and night for more than a decade—there would still be some feeling, right???
Let alone that she is a human being!!!
What grieved Chu Ling to no end was.......
In Chu Xiong's eyes she saw only utter loathing; he really did seem to... very much want her to die.......
Just then!
Lin Xuan, who had been silently watching at the side, finally spoke slowly: "If you want to stay for treatment, I can help you."
"Don't worry! As long as you nod and agree, I guarantee your guardian won't be able to harass you again before you recover."
"Honestly, I think a scumbag dad like that isn't worth keeping—don't you think?"
"......."
The reason Lin Xuan had kept silent before was to let Chu Xiong reveal his cold and cruel face.
Only then could Chu Ling see him clearly, grow disheartened, accept his help, and gradually be used by him in the process.
Now that the time was ripe, she would surely agree at once.......
On the other side.
Hearing Lin Xuan suddenly intervene, Chu Xiong felt awful.
He really wanted to curse him out as a meddler, a dog catching mice and poking its nose where it didn't belong!!!
But when he thought of Lin Xuan's status, the words on the tip of his tongue were forcibly swallowed.....
Damn it! Now this really was troublesome?!
With this kid's identity and status, as long as this little wretch nodded, I would have no chance to resist at all.
After all, people with power and influence have countless ways to deal with me!
Damn it!!!
If I had known, I shouldn't have brought this little tramp to the hospital.
Maybe in a few days she would have simply died of illness at home without anyone knowing—ai, what a pity.....
This little wretch really is lucky!!!
.......
"Child, did you hear? Hurry and thank Young Master Lin for his great kindness!"
"You're really fortunate! With Young Master Lin's guarantee, the hospital will surely give you the best treatment environment; your illness will definitely recover in the shortest possible time."
"Why are you still dazing there? |_?) Are you still worried about your father? I think Young Master Lin is right—such a father is worse than....."
"Cough, cough... Xiao Xu, mind your words! But child, take my advice—treat the illness first; consider other things after you're well!"
"......"
A group of medical staff were overjoyed, chattering around Chu Ling.
They all felt heartache at the girl's plight and felt lucky she could meet someone kind-hearted like Lin Xuan.....
Everyone present, including Lin Xuan, was almost ninety-five percent certain that Chu Ling would agree to stay and be treated.
No one is unafraid of death, let alone a girl so young???
"I'll go home with you."
Hm???
Yet to everyone's surprise......
Chu Ling did not choose as they expected.
She first thanked the astonished Lin Xuan, then stated her resolve to go home.
"Think thrice, child!"
"Ai, pity the hearts of children under heaven!"
"Sir! Facing such a daughter whose filial piety moves heaven and earth, can you really bear to watch her die?"
"No matter how unjust a biological father may be, as a child one will instinctively follow one's parents."
"......"
Everyone was stunned by Chu Ling's choice.
In their eyes, Chu Ling was choosing discharge without hesitation to avoid a break with her father, even if the path ahead might be a dead end.
"Wuu wuu wuu....."
Many young nurses couldn't control their emotions, eyes red as they sobbed softly.
Even Chu Xiong himself was moved for an instant, a trace of shame rising in his heart, but it vanished in a flash.
Hmph! Idiot!
This is your own choice, don't blame me!
I'm doing this for my daughter too—only if you disappear completely can my daughter sleep easy in the wealthy family and live a life of riches.
As the saying goes: pity the hearts of parents under heaven.
For my daughter, for my earth-shattering fatherly love, please just go die like this.....
Chu Xiong was smug in his heart, feeling he already had the victory in hand, even fantasizing about his daughter gaining a foothold in the wealthy family and secretly bringing them to the city to enjoy life.....
Little did he know that from the moment she suspected she wasn't the Chu family's biological daughter.....
Chu Ling's feelings toward the man before her had faded greatly, even faintly turning to hatred.
And the reason she still agreed to return to the Chu home was not for any fatherly or motherly love, but purely because she couldn't bear to part with the few thousand in savings she had secretly put away over the years.
This trip home was partly to retrieve what belonged to her and partly to personally investigate the mystery of her origins.
As for Lin Xuan, the man who claimed to be her cousin.....
His arrival today was clearly deliberate.
Fortunately, through his inner voice she could roughly judge that he wasn't a bad person and might even have something to ask of her.....
And since she had nothing, the only thing he could possibly want... could it be her biological parents whom she had never met???
Very likely.....
If that was the case, after she had handled everything....
She could fully reconnect with this "cousin," and he surely would still not refuse her request for treatment.
Thinking of this, Chu Ling, now with no more worries, quietly put away the business card Lin Xuan had given her; it would be her greatest support in the future.
Just then, someone's inner voice sounded by Chu Ling's ear again.
........
'My foolish cousin!'
'I thought she would definitely agree to stay for treatment—who'd have thought she actually refused?!'
'Could this be some inevitability of fate in the dark?'
'Is she destined that after returning to the Chu home this time....'
'First to be defiled by her drunken adoptive father, then sold by him to a sixty-year-old village chief as a wife?'
'Tragic, tragic, tragic~~ how could one word "tragic" suffice?!'
'My cousin here~~ it's bad enough her eyes are full of stupidity, and she's also so ill-fated~~ let me observe a second of silence for her first!'
Chu Ling: "???!!!!!!!!"