What the hell is wrong with you?

If he chose to negotiate with me today, it would prove that he had no desire to stand against us. At the very least, there was room for discussion. But if he refused outright, it would prove that he intended to set himself against Luo Mingzhu, all to curry favor and show off in front of the head of the Luo family.

Come to think of it, it was quite absurd. Not being members of the core family, yet harboring such unrealistic ambitions. The world was chaotic precisely because of people like them. If everyone could simply discipline themselves and abide by the rules, there would not be so many filthy affairs in this world.

Actually, I was no different. We were all driven by greed. They were greedy for wealth, while I was foolishly attached to Liu Zhuyin.

Luo Tianming took a deep breath. After just a few brief exchanges, his inner thoughts had been completely exposed by me, naturally making him nervous. In fact, I had already anticipated this before coming here. The moment Ning Yuanzhou made his move and those characters jumped out of the woodwork, anyone connected to the project was bound to be tied to it! He wanted to step on me, rallying the local toughs and outlaws, and Luo Tianming happened to want to make a name for himself within the Luo family. It was a match made in heaven—not hard to guess at all.

"Mr. Gu... I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you're saying."

He looked somewhat flustered, but I didn't press him further.

"If you don't understand, then forget it."

"Whenever Mr. Luo figures it out, you can talk to me anytime."

I stood up. Having attended enough of this gathering, I followed Luo Mingzhu as she left.

"Brother Chen, are you saying... Ning Yuanzhou has even hooked up with someone from our Luo family?"

As soon as we got into the car, Luo Mingzhu asked anxiously.

"What else?"

"At a time like this, anyone acting suspiciously is inevitably tied to the project!"

Having done business for years, I knew all too well the feeling of a gathering storm sweeping through the mansion. Once the dust had settled, everyone would be quietly getting up to their own devious deeds in the dark; they wouldn't be this active and restless!

"It seems this Ning Yuanzhou is quite troublesome to deal with after all."

Luo Mingzhu looked dejected. She had thought the matter was firmly in the bag, never expecting so many unexpected twists and turns to arise.

"How could a project of this scale ever be that easy?"

"Don't worry, everything is under my control."

Ning Yuanzhou certainly had some competence, but much of it relied merely on the lingering influence of the Ning family. He wasn't too difficult to handle. What worried me most was still Liu Zhuyin. If she gave Ning Yuanzhou her unconditional support, things would become infinitely more complicated. The stance of the Liu family mattered immensely!

Still, even if Liu Zhuyin truly fell out with me over this project, I wouldn't be afraid. In fact, I hoped she would fall out with me. That way, getting a divorce would be all the easier.

"Ahem..."

A sharp pain pierced my chest, and I couldn't help coughing. I had been taking my medication as prescribed lately, but my body was still growing weaker by the day.

"What's wrong, Brother Chen?"

Seeing my terrible complexion, Luo Mingzhu anxiously inquired.

"It's nothing..."

I didn't want anyone to know about my physical condition—neither Liu Zhuyin nor Luo Mingzhu.

After returning home, I took a long time to calm myself down before I finally recovered.

Early the next morning, my attending physician called and asked me to come to the hospital for a follow-up examination.

"Mr. Gu, there are a few people who would like to meet you in person."

"I wonder... would that be convenient for you?"

"If it's inconvenient, never mind, I can turn them down on your behalf."

I had no objections to this. Since they wanted to lay eyes on the goods, and I had willingly chosen to donate, there was nothing to feel uncomfortable about.

"No problem."

After hanging up the phone, I drove straight to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Ning Yuanzhou had also received the news.

"That's wonderful! To be able to see him with my own eyes gives me peace of mind."

Overwhelmed with excitement, he immediately called Liu Zhuyin. Hearing the news, Liu Zhuyin was overjoyed as well and rushed over in her car without a moment's delay.

Little did she expect that I would run right into her downstairs.

The moment our eyes met, a flash of embarrassment crossed Liu Zhuyin's face, but she forced herself to brace and greet me.

"You... what are you doing here?"

"A medical check-up. Something the matter?"

She immediately shifted to a concerned tone. "Are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt? Why didn't you tell me?"

This sudden display of concern left me utterly bewildered.

"I'm in perfect health. You can drop the hypocrisy."

"You never used to care about me like this before. Acting this way now... don't you find it rather bizarre?"

I didn't give her a pleasant look, but I was only stating facts. During our marriage, she ignored me completely, and now that we were divorcing, she suddenly grew enthusiastic! She must have lost her mind!

"I... I was genuinely worried about you."

"How can you say things like that to me..."

She looked somewhat aggrieved, yet she couldn't find any words to retort. Too lazy to entertain her pitiful demeanor, I turned to leave, but she stepped forward to block my path.

"Um... Ah-zhou's liver source has been found, which is why I came here..."

So, she did have a sense of boundaries after all, knowing what should and shouldn't be done. Yet this explanation was still utterly laughable!

Liu Zhuyin, are you treating me as if I've lost my memory? Ever since Ning Yuanzhou came back, out of ten days, you'd go see him on nine of them, wouldn't you? What is the meaning of explaining this to me now? To prove that you just happened to drop by by coincidence? What a remarkable coincidence that is!

I really didn't want to snap at her, but her words were simply nauseating!

"I... I didn't mean it that way. But I really haven't been seeing him much lately."

I smiled helplessly. "Fine, I'll believe whatever you say. But there's no need for you to explain yourself to me."

She grew even more agitated, as if she desperately needed me to believe her.

"Yichen, I really was just worried about him. He donated a kidney for me; even if he were a stranger, I would still feel deeply grateful."

"I... I hope you can understand. I will be more careful and keep my distance from him in the future."

I laughed. "Liu Zhuyin, we are divorced. Why can't you seem to grasp those four words? Never mind the fact that you care about him now—even if you were to marry him today, it would have nothing to do with me."

With that, I turned and walked away.

What kind of nervous breakdown was she having now, acting all tender and affectionate toward me? Despite all her smooth words, when it truly mattered, didn't she still rush to Ning Yuanzhou's side at the very first moment?

Arriving at the attending physician's office, after a brief examination, the doctor let out a series of sighs. "Mr. Gu, your condition... the disease is progressing very rapidly. I strongly advise you to be hospitalized."

I didn't take it to heart. "Just tell me how much time I have left."

That was what concerned me most. Treatment could only delay the arrival of death; it could not alter the outcome. There were many ways to live life. Living in a hospital bed versus living on your feet were worlds apart. I certainly didn't want to spend my final moments bedridden.

"Conservatively speaking... one to two years at most. And that's assuming your condition remains stable. If you continue burning the candle at both ends, I'm afraid..."

The doctor didn't give an exact figure, but I got the message.

"Good. There's still enough time."

For a dying person, death itself wasn't terrifying. What was terrifying was having lingering attachments! Right now, I was completely unburdened and free of ties. Naturally, I didn't care whether I had a few months more or a few months less. As long as I could finish the project and enjoy a few days of peace and quiet in comfort, that was enough!

"Then I'll have them come in. They want to see you in person. Besides their worry, they also wish to express their gratitude."

I didn't refuse, so the attending physician called them in.

For the very first time, I witnessed firsthand human beings' desperate yearning for life, as well as the terror brought by death. The way they looked at me was akin to ghosts from hell gazing upon the mortal world—tears of gratitude streaming down their faces, some even dropping to their knees to kowtow to me...

This profound entwinement of fates left me deeply unsettled. I felt sorrow and pity for them, and perhaps a lingering sense of injustice regarding my own destiny.

Just at that moment, the door was pushed open, and Liu Zhuyin and Ning Yuanzhou walked in.

"Quickly, where is the person who donated their liver to me?"