Lina’s heart rippled. A man’s face gradually appeared in her mind.

Chen Qing.

She recalled what she had said to Chen Qing in the dining room that day. She knew in her heart that Chen Qing was just comforting her not to marry Wright on a whim, but she still looked forward to Chen Qing responding to her feelings.

That night, before Lina went to bed, she thought about her and Chen Qing. After thinking about it, she finally came to a conclusion.

Chen Qing didn’t seem to like her.

At that time, they had agreed to think about it for three days, but Chen Qing’s mind seemed to be filled with his career and he did not think about her at all.

At that time, what Chen Qing had said should be a stalling tactic.

He probably didn’t like her.

A forced smile appeared on Lina’s face. She looked at the president beside her, and there was a trace of bitterness in her smiling eyes. "Dad, you don’t have to worry about me. I know what I want. I hope our family can be fine. I hope you and Mom can be safe. I don’t care about anything else."

She knew that it was impossible for her to marry Chen Qing. To her now, it didn’t matter who she married. Anyway, that person wasn’t the person she loved the most.

The president’s expression froze for a moment. When he heard Lina mention Shen Mei, he felt extremely sad.

All these years, he had always thought that he could protect his family. In the end, he realized that he could not protect anyone.

The president clenched his fists tightly. He was frowning and his eyes filled with anxiety and unease.

Lina realized that something was wrong with the president’s gaze and hurriedly reached out to hold his hand. She said softly, "Dad, don’t worry. I’ll help you get evidence of Uncle. Then Uncle won’t be able to threaten us anymore."

"Lina, you don’t need—"

"Dad," Lina interrupted the president. She looked at him seriously and said softly, "I love you."

The president’s eyes turned red as he hugged Lina. The little Lina had grown up. Even though she was already an adult, in his heart, he was still a young lady he could dote on. He said in a low voice, "I love you too."

He wanted his wife and children to live an easy life, but in the end, they still had difficult lives. What could he do to let her live a better life?

"You…"

A gentle voice rang out from the side. The president hurriedly let go of Lina and wiped his tears imperceptibly. He turned to look at the door and saw that Shen Mei had already woken up. He asked with concern, "Mei Mei, you’re awake."

As the president spoke, he said to Lina, "Go and see if Miss Qiao is here. If she is, invite her over."

"Okay," Lina replied. She immediately stood up and was about to walk towards the corridor door when she saw Gu Zhou and Qiao Nian standing there.

Her expression faltered slightly, and she subconsciously looked at Chen Qing behind them.

At this moment, Chen Qing’s back was facing the sunlight, so she couldn’t see his face clearly.

Lina clenched her fists tightly. Had Chen Qing heard what she had said to her father just now?

Before she got Chen Qing’s answer, Chen Qing had already heard what she said to her father. Would he care about her?

Lina hurriedly threw all the messy thoughts to the back of her mind. Her gaze landed on Qiao Nian’s face not far away. She smiled and said, "Nian Nian, you came at the right time. You can take a look at my mother so that we can discuss a time for the surgery."

Qiao Nian nodded slightly and walked into the ward.

Gu Zhou followed her into the ward.

Chen Qing followed. He had been trained in the past to always protect Second Young Master and the Second Young Madam.

Hence, he did not look at Lina’s face. Instead, he followed Gu Zhou into the ward. Then, he heard Lina’s footsteps getting further and further away.

Chen Qing’s expression darkened slightly. Instinctively, he wanted to turn back to take a look at her, but he recalled his responsibility. His attention fell on Gu Zhou and Qiao Nian again.

In the ward.

Qiao Nian walked over to the bed and saw Shen Mei sitting with a pale face. She smiled and said, "Madam, let me take your pulse."