Li Mingshi had nearly finished her flower painting. She turned to Lu Yanhua and asked, "How does it look?"
Lu Yanhua didn't give a perfunctory response. After appreciating it seriously, he evaluated, "It looks great, vividly realistic."
Li Mingshi curved her lips in a smile, then carefully adjusted some details.
Lu Yanhua arranged the sunflowers neatly, placing the tools Li Mingshi needed to work with beside her for convenience.
After adjusting the details, Li Mingshi took a sunflower that had been soaked in a flower drying agent and compared it to the painting. She cut off the lengthy stem with scissors, then glued it onto the canvas using tools.
Few people would design artwork this way. Li Mingshi was quite imaginative, and this approach made the entire painting appear exceptionally three-dimensional.
Once finished, Li Mingshi looked back at Lu Yanhua, who praised her without reservations, "Very beautiful."
"Mmm," she nodded. "I think it looks quite nice too."
Remembering something, she picked up a pen and began writing in the bottom right corner. Lu Yanhua watched her complete the text one letter at a time, a smile forming on his face.
Seeing her finish writing, Lu Yanhua gently spoke up, "Shall I frame the painting for you?"
"Mmm," Li Mingshi nodded, then added, "I want to hang it in the room."
"Sure," Lu Yanhua always obliged her requests.
The two framed the artwork together. Lu Yanhua personally hammered a nail into the wall, then hung up the painting.
"How's this?" he asked his wife.
Li Mingshi stared at the artwork in front of her and nodded, "Good."
...
Soon came Li Mingshi's first chemotherapy session. Chemotherapy is a painful process, a prolonged ordeal.
From the end of the first session until before the second, hair loss would become noticeable, and more hair would fall out over time.
Even knowing this would happen, it had to be done. Chemotherapy is the most effective treatment for cancer.
Surgery is only effective for treating tumors in the area of operation, but is unable to address potential metastatic lesions and clinically metastatic cancers, so chemotherapy is necessary.
The agony of chemotherapy erased the smile Li Mingshi had barely managed to maintain these past few days. After undergoing the treatment, she looked haggard, which pained Lu Yanhua to see.
If he could, he would willingly take on his wife's suffering tenfold.
But for now, all he could do was hold her hand and never leave her side.
Lu Lingchuan stood at the doorway, watching his father sit by his mother's bedside, grasping her hand intently, even losing focus.
He had once heard people say that the love between the older generation was enviable. Despite the ups and downs experienced in their brief lives, in the end, they would grow old together, two wrinkled hands tightly clasped, vowing to reunite in the next life.
But for their generation, they were too rational and realistic.
In this age of rampant ambiguity, profound affection and devotion seemed like a joke...
Sensing a gaze from behind, Lu Yanhua turned to see his eldest son standing at the entrance.
"Lingchuan?" His voice was soft, looking at his son in surprise, silently asking: When did you arrive?
Before Lu Lingchuan could respond, Lu Yanhua glanced at his wife. She was still quite weak, and he was afraid his conversation with his son might wake her, so Lu Yanhua gestured for Lu Lingchuan to go outside, indicating they should talk there.
Lu Lingchuan didn't speak, only turning to leave silently.
After ensuring there were no issues, Lu Yanhua went out.
In the living room, Lu Lingchuan spoke first, "How's my mom doing?"
"Quite well," Lu Yanhua's expression was more relaxed than before. "Your mother's been in a good mood recently, smiling more. The psychologist has been communicating with her, and she's been understanding."
These were all increasingly positive signs.
Recently, Lu Lingchuan had been busy with something, hence his absence from the hospital these past few days.
"The doctor said it's moderate depression, but since it was caught in time, with more guidance and companionship, she'll gradually improve," Lu Yanhua revealed a smile.
Although his wife had cancer, the treatment was going well so far. And even though his wife had depression, they were able to guide her back in time.
Fate had been unfair to the Lu family for years, but now they were finally seeing some light.
Lu Yanhua didn't ask for too much, only to help his daughter get justice soon, then for the family of four to be happy together.
Lu Lingchuan was about to speak when his phone vibrated. He glanced at it, his eyes darkening.
Turning off his phone, he looked up at Lu Yanhua and said, "There's been progress on Ling Rui's case..."
Hearing this, Lu Yanhua's eyes lit up, "Really?!"
"Yeah," Lu Lingchuan nodded. "Let's discuss outside."
"Yes, yes," Lu Yanhua nodded repeatedly, following Lu Lingchuan out of the ward.
Not long after the father and son left, Shen Nian arrived carrying newly bought sunflowers. She intended to leave the sunflowers at the entrance and depart, but a nurse at the nearby nurses' station noticed her and spoke up.
"It's Ms. Shen again."
Hearing someone address her, Shen Nian turned and nodded at the nurse.
The nurse wasn't too busy at the moment and had time for idle chat with Shen Nian.
"Mrs. Lu has completed her first chemotherapy session. The doctor said the effects were excellent. Mrs. Lu has been in high spirits lately, which is very good for her condition. I believe Mrs. Lu will recover soon."
Hearing this put a broader smile on Shen Nian's face. She gave a soft "Mmm" in acknowledgment, murmuring, "She will definitely recover."
"Oh, that's right," the nurse continued, remembering something. "I just saw Mr. Lu and the eldest young master leave. Seems they had some important matter. They probably won't be back for at least half an hour. The elderly lady Mr. Lu brought is also out buying groceries. So Mrs. Lu should be resting alone in the ward right now. This is a good chance for you to go in, Ms. Shen. If anything comes up, be sure to call for us."
Shen Nian had intended to leave the sunflowers and depart, but upon hearing the nurse's words, her heart stirred.
Regaining her senses, she nodded at the nurse, "Alright."
Then, carrying the sunflowers, she entered the ward quietly.
...
Meanwhile, the Lu father and son went to the family lounge on this floor. Since these were all VIP wards, those receiving treatment here were either wealthy or prominent, so even the lounge was designed quite luxuriously.
After finding some premium Longjing tea from the cabinet, Lu Lingchuan brewed two cups for Lu Yanhua.
Setting the teacups on the table, they sat on the leather sofa. Lu Lingchuan began, "My people discovered that those two got locked up seven years ago on suspicion of assaulting a woman, but they were released after just a few days. The public explanation was a misunderstanding. But not long after that incident, the related woman's ordinary working-class family, whose parents earned just 5,000 yuan a month, somehow managed to buy a 3 million yuan apartment in the city..."
How could such an ordinary household suddenly afford a 3 million yuan home?
"Eight years ago, someone made a huge fuss at Wang Yong's home, claiming their daughter was one of the 'concubines' chosen by Wang Yong and his cronies. But afterward, there were no results..."
"The same year, a young woman went missing without a trace. Her family reported it extensively, but to this day, her whereabouts remain unknown."
