Chapter 88: A Narrow Escape

After several days of rest, Nangong Ao returned to the company and once again slipped into his workaholic habits.

Cui Hao had already been pulling overtime for half a month straight, and life had become unbearable.

"Miss Bai, if this goes on, I'll end up like those office workers who drop dead online!" he complained miserably to Bai Luomei.

Bai Luomei gave him a sidelong glance and said indifferently, "Aren't you off work tomorrow?"

Cui Hao immediately cried, "Only for half a day! I haven't had a day off in a whole month!"

It had only been approved because of an issue at home. He could no longer even remember the last time he had enjoyed a proper weekend.

After thinking it over, Bai Luomei put the folder in her hand into a drawer. "Then leave this document for when you're back after your break. Don't work overtime tonight."

Cui Hao: "..."

He still hadn't even taken his rest, and the work was already waiting for him there.

"Forget it. I might as well stay and finish it now," Cui Hao said with a resigned sigh.

Even after his break, there would still be a mountain of work waiting for him.

Just as Bai Luomei was about to hand him the folder, Cui Hao's phone rang. When he looked at it, the caller ID showed Xue Zhiyun's number, and he hurried to answer.

Five minutes later, Nangong Ao emerged from the conference room and left the ZR Group building in a rush.

Meanwhile, the executives in the conference hall sat there in stunned silence, exchanging bewildered looks.

What on earth could have happened to make their boss abandon an international meeting and leave halfway through?

Bai Luomei was the one driving, and the car sped along the road. Nangong Ao sat inside with a dark, stormy expression, while Cui Hao sat rigidly in fear, not daring to say a word.

The call had come from Xue Zhiyun's mother. She said the second miss of the Xue family had suddenly suffered a heart attack, and no one knew how the emergency treatment was going.

When they arrived at the hospital, they learned that Xue Zhiyun had been saved and transferred to the inpatient ward. Nangong Ao went alone to the VIP room, while Cui Hao stayed downstairs to handle the calls from the company's executives.

Upon reaching the VIP floor, Xue Zhiyun's attending physician came forward and reported the situation to Nangong Ao.

"Miss Xue was only triggered by a momentary shock, which caused the attack. Her condition has stabilized for now, but she would be best kept in hospital for observation and treatment, with a period of quiet rest."

Hearing that it had been a narrow escape, the stone that had been hanging in Nangong Ao's heart finally fell away. "Understood. Make the arrangements."

After learning the details from the doctor, Nangong Ao walked toward the ward.

As he neared the door, he heard voices from inside belonging to Xue Zhiyun's family.

"Has Yun'er not been doing well this whole time? How did she end up having an attack after seeing Madam Nangong?" Xue Chengyu, the father, spoke with worry. "Did Madam Nangong say something unpleasant to her?"

Xue Zhiyin, standing nearby, immediately chimed in. "Isn't that obvious? Madam Nangong has always despised my sister's frail health. This time she must have called Yun'er over to threaten her into leaving Young Master Ao..."

"Didn't Young Master Ao say that the heart source has been found? Once Yun'er has the surgery, Madam Nangong will have no excuse to oppose her entering the Nangong family," Xue's mother, Yao Min, still clung to that hope.

Xue Zhiyin could not help but snort. "Mom, how can you be as naive as my sister? Even if Yun'er gets a heart transplant, that doesn't mean Madam Nangong will accept her into the family. Young Master Ao has never clearly said that he will definitely marry my sister in the future."

"This..." Yao Min looked uneasily at Xue Chengyu. "Young Master Ao couldn't really have no feelings for Yun'er, could he?"

Xue Chengyu said with certainty, "No. Although Young Master Ao has never said it outright, his care for Yun'er is plain for all to see. If he truly had no intention toward Yun'er, why wouldn't he clarify things to the outside world?"

"Heh!" Xue Zhiyin let out a soft laugh. "That's only because Young Master Ao is considering the fact that my sister once saved him, and doesn't want to reject her at this time and make her feel too humiliated.

"Maybe once her surgery is done, he will tell the truth!"

Xue Chengyu and Yao Min were both left speechless.

What Xue Zhiyin said did seem to make sense.

"But that won't do!" Yao Min panicked. "If Young Master Ao changes his mind, what then? Our Xue family finally managed to get close to the Nangong family. Are we just going to let this opportunity slip away?"

After a moment of thought, Xue Chengyu said solemnly, "Let's wait until Yun'er has had her surgery. I won't let her be wronged."

...

Inside, the family was still discussing their course of action, while Nangong Ao stood silently at the door, his face dark.

He had long understood what the Xue family was plotting. It was also one of the reasons he had never made his attitude toward Xue Zhiyun public.

Xue Zhiyun was already in a precarious state, and Nangong Ao did not want her to become a tool for the family to exploit, making matters worse for her.

Only after the voices inside had quieted did Nangong Ao slowly step into the ward.

The moment Xue's parents saw him appear, they were overjoyed.

"Young Master Ao, you're so busy every day. Why did you still come all this way?" Xue Chengyu hurried over to exchange pleasantries.

"I came to see how Yun'er is doing," Nangong Ao said calmly, his eyes resting only on Xue Zhiyun, who lay in the hospital bed.

The attack had made her already frail body look even more haggard.

Seeing the concern in Nangong Ao's eyes, Xue Chengyu finally felt somewhat reassured. "Yun'er is fine now. The doctor just said she's too weak and won't wake up for a while..."

So this was how her family stood around her and discussed using her? A chill crept across Nangong Ao's face.

Yao Min did not notice any of this and kept talking. "Young Master Ao, after Madam Nangong met with Yun'er today, Yun'er had the attack. We don't know what Madam Nangong said to her to provoke her so badly.

"We know that Madam Nangong has always had prejudices against Yun'er, and the people outside have always spoken harshly to her out of jealousy over her relationship with you.

"Yun'er is already in poor health, and having to bear all this pressure is really not good for keeping her condition stable."

As Yao Min spoke, she carefully watched Nangong Ao's expression.

His face remained unchanged. "Then in your view, what would be beneficial to Yun'er's condition?"

Hearing this, Yao Min grew excited. "If Young Master Ao could admit that Yun'er is your girlfriend, then she would feel much more at ease..."

"I disagree..." Xue Zhiyin, lying in the hospital bed, suddenly spoke up.

"Yun'er!" Xue Chengyu, seeing that she had awakened, hurried over and asked, "How do you feel? Are you still uncomfortable?"

Although he also wanted to climb into the Nangong family's favor, at that moment he was more concerned about his daughter's health.

But Yao Min's expression darkened at Xue Zhiyin's words. "Yun'er, you're confused from your illness, aren't you? You disagree? Do you mean you want to be Young Master Ao's mistress for the rest of your life?"

The words were unpleasantly blunt, and Xue Zhiyun was so angered that her breathing grew rapid again.

Seeing this, Nangong Ao's face turned cold at once. "The matter between Yun'er and me will be decided by the two of us. Madam Xue need not worry so much."

"I am Yun'er's mother. How can I not worry?" Though Yao Min was somewhat afraid of Nangong Ao's presence, she could not afford to care about anything else for the sake of profit at this moment.

Nangong Ao cut her off without mercy. "If you were Yun'er's biological mother, you would not say such things to provoke her when she is unwell!"

At this, both Xue Chengyu and Yao Min changed color drastically.