Chapter 186: Chapter 186

The Fu Family rushed to Renhe Hospital at the fastest speed.

The doctor handed the informed consent for surgery to Fu Jichen to sign and explained the situation to him: the patient was in multiple organ failure when brought to the hospital for treatment and might not survive the operation. The surgery was difficult and risky, and even if the rescue was successful, recovery was uncertain. In short, things didn’t look optimistic, and the family was advised to prepare themselves mentally.

Mr. Fu was dizzy after hearing the doctor’s words and staggered back a couple of steps, steadied by Fu Qizhen and Fu Jianfang on either side.

"Doctor, please, you must save my son." Once stable, the old gentleman grabbed the doctor’s hand, eyes pleading fervently, no longer showing his usual strict and cold demeanor. Content originally comes from n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

"Rest assured, sir, we will do our best." The doctor couldn’t offer much comforting words or make any promises about saving the patient.

Fu Jichen pressed down heavily with the pen, his knuckles standing out, signing his name on the consent form and handing it to the doctor without saying anything extra.

A moment later, the operating room door closed, preventing any disturbance.

In the corridor, the Fu Family remained silent, anxiously waiting, occasionally glancing at the tightly shut door, knowing full well the surgery wouldn’t end quickly, yet unable to resist looking to know the result at the earliest possible moment.

"Dad, why don’t you sit for a while?" Fu Jianfang gently coaxed the old man, "Standing for too long is not good for your health. Brother has his own luck; he will be fine."

Mr. Fu did not resist and was helped by his children to sit on a public seat against the wall, hands clenched into fists resting on his knees, his wrinkled face unable to hide his sorrow.

His mind was clear; the doctor’s words were explicit, but until things reached that point, one always hoped for a miracle.

At this moment, the elevator door opened, and the sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Hearing the sound, Fu Jianfang looked up. The approaching person was Wei Ronghua, disheveled, face anxious, eyes red and swollen from crying. She wore a light gray cardigan over her dress and indoor slippers on her feet, clearly having rushed upon hearing the news, with no time to groom herself.

The always elegant and dignified lady of the Fu Family had probably never shown herself in such a state before. Fu Jianfang withdrew his gaze, saying no harsh words.

"How is Zhengjun?" Wei Ronghua’s fingers interlocked tightly, her words mixed with a choking sound rising from her throat.

No one answered her question.

"What exactly is Zhengjun’s condition?"

Repeating the question, Wei Ronghua’s voice was now quite hoarse, almost inaudible, her eyes blurred with tears, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Fu Feibai held his mother’s hands, eyes red, and said, "The doctor just said dad’s organs are failing; he might not survive the surgery. Even if it’s successful, the situation is not optimistic."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ronghua couldn’t hold on and started to slide downwards.

Fu Feibai caught her shoulders, preventing her from collapsing, tears flowing fiercely: "Mom..."

He too didn’t know what else to say, unwilling to believe that two hours ago his healthy father had turned into this.

At that moment, Fu Feibai deeply regretted not going after his father when he noticed his pale face before dinner. Had he showed more care then, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.

Wei Ronghua covered her mouth, low sobs leaking through her fingers. The remorse in her heart was even deeper and heavier than Fu Feibai’s. She shouldn’t have argued with her husband, shouldn’t have slapped him, shouldn’t have brought up the deceased Xiao Heting in a fit of anger. Perhaps, going further back, she shouldn’t have interfered in Jichen’s matters...

So many "shouldn’t haves" led to the current situation.

An hour passed, the sliding door of the operating room opened, and the doctor came out. Despite being used to life and death, one could still see distress in the exposed eyes: "We are very sorry, the patient passed away due to unsuccessful resuscitation..."

After announcing the specific time of death, the doctor consoled the patient’s family.

The old man stood up sharply the moment the doctor came out. Before he could ask about the situation, he heard the news of his eldest son’s death, his mouth agape, pupils dilating, his entire body leaning backward.

Fu Jianfang shouted, urgently calling the doctor to attend to the old man.

The doctor who performed the surgery on Fu Zhengjun called for assistance. The Fu Family split into two groups, one to monitor the old man’s condition, and the other stayed outside the operating room.

The corridor echoed with the sound of sorrowful sobbing and a woman’s incredulous cries.

"I don’t believe it; you must have made a mistake. Zhengjun can’t be dead. I want to see him! I made him angry, and he’s refusing to forgive me, deliberately making you all conspire to deceive me, isn’t it? I know it; let him come out, I’ll apologize to him, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have ignored his words, I won’t act on my own in the future..."

Wei Ronghua rushed over, grabbing the doctor’s arm and shaking it forcefully. She lost one of her slippers, stepping barefoot on the ground, mentally scattered, like a madwoman.

Even if someone saw her, they wouldn’t believe she was the distinguished lady of the Fu Family.

"Mom, don’t be , dad is gone." Fu Feibai also couldn’t accept the fact, sobbing as he held onto his mother.

Wei Ronghua froze entirely, slowly turning her head to look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, hanging off her chin: "What are you saying? What do you mean he’s gone? He was fine; how could he be gone!"

The operating room door opened again, and Fu Zhengjun was pushed out, his face serene, bearing no sign of suffering, looking just like he was sleeping.

Wei Ronghua let go of her son and rushed to her husband. The moveable bed could go no further, stopping outside the operating room as her cries echoed throughout the corridor.

"Fu Zhengjun, get up!" Wei Ronghua knelt on the floor, fingers tightly gripping her husband’s arm, trying to wake him up, "What does lying here mean? Get up and talk to me! Can you hear me? No matter how you resent or hate me, it doesn’t matter, as long as you wake up."

Fu Jichen walked over, his leather shoes clicking steadily on the tiled floor, his face showing no emotion, only his voice slightly hoarse. He said to Fu Feibai, "Get her up and take her home first."

Fu Zhengjun’s death was a fact, and no matter whether they accepted it or not, it couldn’t be changed. There were still many arrangements to make, and they couldn’t let Wei Ronghua continue .

Fu Feibai glanced at his elder brother. Although he appeared calm, it could easily be perceived as cold and heartless. Yet, the redness in his eyes was real, indicating his grief. As the eldest son and the head of the family, he had heavier burdens to bear than anyone else, forcing himself to remain composed, to prevent further chaos.

Fu Feibai had always trusted his elder brother unconditionally. He bent down, one hand gripping his mother’s arm, the other around her shoulder, pulling her up: "Mom, let’s go home first."

"I won’t go back, I won’t go anywhere, I want to stay here with him, waiting for him to open his eyes and forgive me." Wei Ronghua clung tightly to her husband’s body, refusing to let go.

Fu Feibai had no choice but to forcibly pull her away.

Wei Ronghua’s hand slowly left the bed and finally fell to the floor, watching helplessly as her husband was wheeled away, unable to bear the blow, she fainted.

The news of Mr. Fu’s eldest son’s passing spread in the circles the following day.

People were surprised by the suddenness of the event, regretted Fu Zhengjun’s untimely death, and sympathized with Mr. Fu, who, at his old age, had to bury his child.

That morning, people came to pay their respects.

Outside the mourning hall were filled with floral tributes and banners sent by people from all walks of life; inside, Mr. Fu was nowhere to be seen, but the rest of the Fu Family was present.

Fu Zhengjun’s eldest son Fu Jichen was dressed in a black shirt and suit, draped in a white burial cloth, wearing a mourning cap, standing beside his brother Fu Feibai. Fu Yuling knelt on the mat, head bowed, holding a handful of paper money, tossing it into the brazier, her mourning cap covering her petite face as she mourned.

Wei Ronghua had been there earlier but fainted from crying and was helped to rest by the second wife of the household.

As guests came to pay their respects, after offering incense, they moved to the side to comfort the bereaved family members.

The brothers bowed in gratitude, and then the guests looked at Fu Jichen, inquiring about the old man’s health, with Fu Feibai answering on his behalf without hiding the truth: "Grandfather is still in the hospital, temporarily under my aunt’s care."

The guests sighed, "Let the elder take care, be mindful of his health, I’ll visit later."

"Thank you, Uncle Li, for your concern, I’ll relay your message to Grandpa." Fu Feibai’s face was pale and haggard, seeing off guests, then welcoming a few more who came to offer condolences.

The smells of burning incense, candles, and paper mingled. Fu Jichen lowered his head, looking at the man lying in the crystal coffin, his father, who had always treated him with kindness and patience, and how could his heart not ache.

In the past, he often resented his father for things Wei Ronghua did, refusing to speak kindly with him. In retrospect, the father and son rarely had any profound conversations.

Now that his father was gone, he realized some things missed would be everlasting regrets.