Chapter 1: The Storm Rises Again
Victoria's return trip was particularly sudden, and she did not tell anyone her whereabouts. When the plane slowly landed, the familiar Mandarin sounded on the airport broadcast, and the people around her were all compatriots, she truly felt the peace of mind of returning to her homeland.
Victoria wore a light beige windbreaker, a simple linen shirt and jeans, but her silky hair revealed an innate noble temperament. The driver asked in an authentic Beijing accent: "Girl, where are you going?" She replied softly: "The Third Hospital."
In April, Yancheng is full of vitality. Victoria has not set foot on this land for five years. This time she hurried back because her senior sister Grace was seriously ill. Entering the ward, Grace, who was thin , was sitting cross-legged on the bed, muttering: "Color is emptiness, emptiness is color, men can only be played with, not tempted..." Victoria 's worries all the way disappeared at this moment, and she joked: "How come you have realized the true meaning of life after being sick?"
Grace opened her eyes, and her surprise was beyond words: "Oh, how come you are back!" Victoria sat down beside the bed and asked with concern: "What did the doctor say?" It turned out that Grace was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome a while ago, which is a malignant tumor originating from hematopoietic stem cells, commonly known as pre-leukemia. What made her even more heartbroken was that her boyfriend, who had been dating for many years, not only took away all the company's cash and half of the backbones during her hospitalization, but also took away the technical data she had worked hard for two years.
" One bad news, one good news." Grace smiled bitterly, "The doctor said I have reached the intermediate-risk stage 2 , and the chance of transformation into leukemia is very high. I have to do chemotherapy." Victoria asked: "What about the good news?" Grace replied: "The good news is that chemotherapy can only control, not cure, and it will also have a serious impact on ovarian function. I may not be able to have children in the future." Victoria initially thought she said the opposite, but after thinking about it, the two pieces of news are indeed indistinguishable, which is worse.
" Is this good news?" Victoria touched Grace 's forehead, "Will this disease also affect the brain?" Grace smiled and said: "Isn't it good news to recognize the scumbag? Besides, I didn't want to have children. I suspect this disease is hereditary. My father died of leukemia." She and Raymond had a deep relationship for four years and returned to China to start a business together, but she didn't expect that Raymond would be so heartless when she got sick.
Victoria frowned upon hearing this: "I don't expect him to help me in my time of need, but I can't add insult to injury." Grace smiled carefreely: "Aren't all men like this? The most unreliable thing in the world is love. Women who believe in love are destined to suffer the pain of love." She continued, "Forget it, you haven't been in love, you don't understand." Victoria said: "Although I haven't been in love, I have suffered for it." She continued, "I still have some savings, which have been transferred to your card. Although it's not much, it should help you temporarily relieve the pressure."
After checking the balance of the mobile bank, Grace exclaimed: "This is called 'not much'???" Victoria's so-called "not much" is completely different from the "not much" in her mind. Victoria covered her mouth and motioned her to be quiet: "Shh... Just know that I am sincere to you, don't get excited."
Edward has always doted on her and given her pocket money since she was a child. After she went abroad, Edward was even more worried that she would suffer in a foreign country, so he increased the amount of pocket money several times. After five years, this is also a considerable amount. Grace said with emotion: "Don't talk about your heart and soul, you can even dig out my liver and kidneys! Are you really going to lend me so much? I may not be able to pay it back in my current situation..." Victoria smiled and said: "I'll buy a stake."
Feixue Company is already on the verge of bankruptcy, and others are avoiding it. Buying a stake now is undoubtedly extremely stupid. Grace didn't cry when she broke up with her ex-boyfriend, and she didn't cry when she signed the chemotherapy consent form alone in the hospital, but now her eyes are full of tears. "You can still be relied on at the critical moment!" Although she is strong, she feels completely different now with Victoria's support behind her. Victoria smiled and hugged her, patting her back gently: "It's okay if you don't want a man who can only share the good times but not the bad times. It's okay, I'll accompany you."
Grace suddenly thought of something, stood up and asked: "By the way, how do you explain your sudden return this time to your family? Do they agree to your return?" Victoria always kept it a secret about her family and the things before she went abroad. Grace only knew that she had a distant relationship with her family and that she had a brother who was very important to her. In addition, five years ago, Victoria was forcibly sent abroad - she called it "exile".
Victoria 's reaction was calmer than Grace imagined: "The worst result is just to be sent away again. I was mentally prepared before I came back." However, Victoria didn't know that the news of her return to China had been spread by an inadvertent passerby. In the celebrity circle of Yancheng, Victoria 's name is very famous. In addition to her complicated life experience, it is also because there is a famous Edward behind her .
The news was passed around for several times and finally reached Alexander 's ears. He excitedly threw the photo into the group and mentioned Edward many times, but he didn't get a response. Edward just came out of the meeting room when he received a call from Alexander : "What are you busy with? Why don't you reply to my message? Sister Victoria is back, why didn't you tell us?" Edward took down his phone, clicked on WeChat, and saw Victoria 's photo. In the photo, she was in the hospital, with people coming and going. She seemed to notice the sneak shot, turned around and looked back, her hair brushed across her cheek, and there was a hint of confusion in her clear eyes.
Edward exited the photo, opened the dialog box with Victoria , and confirmed that there was no new message. Since Victoria went abroad, they have been in contact less and less. The little girl who used to follow him like a tail now no longer shares many things with him. The last time she took the initiative to send him a WeChat message was more than two months ago, "Happy New Year". However, this time she returned to China without notifying him, is it a bit too "rebellious"?
The secretary handed over a large financial statement. Edward took the pen and signed it, looking normal: "Why should I tell you?" Alexander said excitedly on the other end of the phone: "What you said is true . Victoria is also my sister. Ask her to come out for dinner tonight. I haven't seen her for a long time and I miss her." Edward responded coldly: "Go find your own sister to eat." Alexander said helplessly: "My sister is only seven years old. Should I eat a children's meal with her? It's not enough for me to fill my teeth." Edward said mercilessly: "Then you should go see a dentist." After that, he hung up the phone directly, and waved his finger outwards lightly. The secretary closed the door and left tactfully.
Then , Edward called Victoria . At this time, Victoria was about to leave the hospital. Of course, she knew the reason why Edward called at this time. While answering the phone, she was thinking about how to explain that she came back without permission. On the other end of the phone, Edward 's voice was calm and natural: "Are you back?" Victoria replied softly: "Yes, I just arrived this afternoon." Edward asked again: "Why are you going to the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" His slow and steady pace made Victoria 's heart, which had been hanging since she boarded the plane, feel a little relieved. She replied: "I'm fine, I just came to visit my senior." Edward didn't say much, just ordered: "Go home for dinner tonight. Send me the address and I'll send someone to pick you up." Victoria agreed obediently: "Okay."
The sky gradually darkened, and the late spring in Yancheng still had a hint of chill. Victoria tightened the collar of her windbreaker and stood by the roadside waiting. Not long after, the car arrived. The driver went around to the back and respectfully opened the door for her: "Miss Victoria." Victoria handed the suitcase to the driver and bent down to get in the car when she saw the man sitting in the car.