More often than not, reality doesn’t follow the neat, dramatic script of movies or TV shows. When a loved one suddenly falls gravely ill, rushing to the hospital only to catch a fleeting moment of clarity, hearing their final words at the bedside—that’s almost never how it happens.
When Lin Shen arrived at the hospital, Lin Pengcheng had already passed away.
He didn’t get to hear a single last word.
There was no chance for reconciliation in those final moments.
He didn’t even have time to think much about any of that, because by the time he got there, the room was already packed with a mix of strangers and familiar faces. The moment he stepped inside, there was a brief silence, then a chaotic wave of chatter that seemed to crash over him all at once.
Lin Shen stared at the figure under the white sheet, and all the voices around him—the arguing, the reminiscing, the sighs, the crying—blurred into something distant, as if trapped in an airtight jar.
He could barely extract a single clear piece of information.
The last time he had seen his father was just a week ago. He had gone to discuss Linhong Trading’s business situation, analyzing the numbers and offering suggestions. At that time, Lin Pengcheng seemed no different than usual and outright rejected Lin Shen’s recommendation to close stores that were losing heavily and had a bleak future.
It was exactly as Lin Wangye had said: with the rapid rise of the internet, online shopping was taking over, and heavy losses in most commercial centers were inevitable.
No matter how clever Lin Shen tried to be, he couldn’t reverse the losses.
The only solution he could see was to cut his losses fast.
A clean break, no hesitation, take the hit—and only then could the losses be controlled.
But Lin Pengcheng had always sailed smoothly through life. His mindset was steeped in tradition, hard to shake.
He believed shutting down so many stores would be like throwing years of work into the wind. Losing out to this newfangled online shopping craze was just a temporary setback, he insisted. There would always be room to recover later. He even harshly criticized Lin Shen’s idea.
In truth, Lin Pengcheng’s logic wasn’t entirely wrong.
Online shopping had only boomed in a very short span of time. Before that, not just Linhong Trading, but most malls were doing quite well.
The Lu family, who owned the most malls in Ningchang, had been raking in profits.
That was why, years ago, Lin Pengcheng expanded aggressively, eager to grab every opportunity. By now, he had opened a total of nine commercial centers.
Though some were losing money now, the losses were still manageable.
Thanks to Linhong Trading’s earnings, the Lin family also had several other companies, all performing reasonably well. For Lin Pengcheng, it was just a rough patch in the industry. Keep running things properly, and there would come a day when everything would bounce back.
Lin Wangye had warned that the industry would take a heavy hit and a harsh winter was coming. Lin Shen, with his sharp instincts, could already see it coming, but Lin Pengcheng dismissed it as alarmist nonsense.
There was nothing Lin Shen could do about it. In the Lin family, no matter how many matters were at stake, his father had the final say. No amount of reasoning or protest could shake his authority.
The arguments ended as they always did—bitterly, with neither side willing to yield.
No one could have guessed that would be the last time father and son saw each other.
It was only through Lin Qianqian’s tearful recounting that Lin Shen learned why his father had died so suddenly.
In short, it was alcohol combined with diabetes. Excessive drinking sent his blood sugar spiking, which led to diabetic ketoacidosis.
According to the friends who had been drinking with him, Lin Pengcheng suddenly collapsed at the table, started vomiting, and quickly slipped into a semi-conscious state. By the time he was rushed into the emergency room, he was already close to death. The hospital immediately issued a critical condition notice.
At the time, Lin Shen was still out at the suburban university town. Lin Qianqian arrived a bit sooner, but she couldn’t see their father one last time either—she only saw the doctor leaving the ER shaking his head.
Diabetes plus alcohol—it ended that fast.
The constant noise, the sharp accusations, and the bickering around him soon ignited Lin Shen’s anger. He couldn’t even remember exactly what he shouted, only that he exploded in a fury so intense that hospital security had to step in to handle the situation. By the time it was over, most of the chaotic crowd had dispersed.
Lin Wangye and Lu Chengxuan lived farther from the hospital, and with rush hour traffic, they were delayed.
When they finally arrived, Lin Shen was sitting at the far right end of a long row of three chairs outside the hospital room. His usually proud, upright back was bent, elbows resting on his knees, and his face buried deep in his palms.
Xu Ziqian, who had rushed over from school with him, sat silently to his left.
On his right stood two lawyers in black suits. One held a briefcase, the other had a stack of A4 documents, speaking to him continuously.
When Lin Wangye and Lu Chengxuan came into view, Xu Ziqian reached over and patted Lin Shen’s shoulder.
It took nearly ten seconds before Lin Shen moved. He drew in a deep breath, slowly lifted his head, and followed Lu Chengxuan’s eyes down to his feet, locking gazes for a few seconds before turning to look at Lin Wangye.
The whites of Lin Shen’s eyes were streaked red with blood, but he did not cry.
At this moment, there was hardly anyone who understood him better than Lin Wangye.
Almost the instant their eyes met, Lin Wangye couldn’t hold back his tears. Worried that it might upset Lin Shen further, he quickly raised his arm to wipe them away, but his lips moved without forming a word—the carefully prepared lines he had planned to say had all vanished.
Lin Shen rolled his Adam’s apple, clearing his dry, bitter throat. He lifted his chin slightly toward the hospital room, his voice a little hoarse, but his tone calm.
“My sister’s in there. Go keep her company.”
Lin Wangye glanced at the room behind him, red-eyed, and nodded. “Alright…”
He gave Lin Shen a lingering look, then glanced at Lu Chengxuan. Only after catching Lu Chengxuan’s subtle nod did he turn and walk into the room.
Inside, besides Lin Pengcheng lying on the bed, there were only two people: Lin Qianqian, crying uncontrollably at the bedside, and on the other side, Wu Yingxia, wiping her tears with her head bowed.
Perhaps to catch one last glimpse, the white sheet had already been pulled back. Lin Pengcheng had been carried to the operating table while unconscious. With his eyes closed, he looked like he was asleep, seemingly free of pain.
Lin Wangye, who had been to grave-sweeping every Qingming, wasn’t completely unfamiliar with this nominal grandfather. Compared to the black-and-white two-inch photo, the man looked even older in person.
It’s hard to accept when a loved one dies suddenly.
Lin Wangye had experienced it before. Words were useless now; the only thing he could do was hand over a tissue and quietly wipe away tears.
Seeing Lin Wangye approach seemed to give Lin Qianqian a momentary outlet for her grief. She turned, threw her arms around him, and cried her heart out.
Lin Wangye stood obediently, lightly patting her back, his gaze wandering almost unconsciously toward Wu Yingxia. When their eyes met, he quickly looked away, feeling awkward.
Time passed in that quiet, heavy atmosphere, until Lin Wangye’s phone suddenly rang.
The ringtone felt jarringly loud in the silent hospital room. He quickly reached into his pocket to hang up, then helped Lin Qianqian sit on the chair by the bed. When he checked, it was a call from Lin Qianqian’s assistant, Manman.
Feeling that a call was inappropriate for this moment and unable to leave, Lin Wangye quickly sent a message instead.
[Lin Wangye: What’s up?]
[Manman: Xiao Lin, I was just mistaken for a passerby by security and was stopped from getting in. I saw you go inside earlier. Are you in there?]
[Lin Wangye: Yes, I’m in. Where are you? I can come get you.]
[Manman: It’s fine, I’m not in a hurry. Right now, this isn’t the priority!]
[Manman: The media are super sharp—they’ve caught wind and are sniffing around. Many of them are already waiting outside the hospital!]
[Manman: The news about Chairman Lin’s passing will probably break soon. And since Qianqian is his daughter, that can’t be hidden. Someone will definitely use this to grab attention! Think of a way to avoid them when leaving. Don’t let Qianqian run into them. She already hates paparazzi—last time, after the whole Chen Zhiyuan affair and all that gossip, it stressed her out so much. If reporters bother her now, it’ll only make things worse…]
[Lin Wangye: Got it, I understand.]
[Lin Wangye: Don’t worry, handle things outside. I’ll figure something out.]
After sending the message, Lin Wangye peered out the window, but from that angle he couldn’t see the hospital entrance, so he gave up and bent his head to think.
The sudden death hit everyone off guard.
Word would spread fast. The Lin family ran a huge company — if the head of the household died without any warning or plan, people would panic and things could fall apart overnight.
Worse, what was left behind was a total mess.
Lin Qianqian was a public figure with big popularity on Sing for the Heavens; once her identity came out, the news would spread even faster.
The more Lin Wangye thought, the more worried he became. Then he suddenly remembered something.
In his past life, Lin Shen’s death had been just as sudden, and his real sister, Lin Qianqian, didn’t show up at his funeral.
Lin Wangye had never thought about that before — he hadn’t had time to. Now, at this moment, it hit him.
Back then, his father’s achievements and status were far above Lin Pengcheng’s. If the death had leaked out, it would have been catastrophic for the Lin Group.
His father had only him as a son — he’d only just finished high school and knew nothing about running the family business. The company would have fallen into his hands, and everyone would have doubted his abilities. That doubt would have tanked the stock, scared off investors and partners, and triggered a mass exodus.
So in that past life, Lin Shen’s death was kept completely secret. The funeral had only inner circle people from the group and family. The only outsider there had been Lu Chengxuan.
Now the situation looked similar, but actually much better.
Back then, Lin Shen was a spoiled rich kid straight out of high school with no skill to run a giant company. Now, Lin Shen might actually have what it takes to save things.
Still, no matter what, the news absolutely could not leak out so fast. Lin Shen, no matter how capable, needed some buffer time to handle everything.
But paparazzi were everywhere — if they caught even one side-shot of Lin Qianqian, it would blow up beyond control.
Staring at the hospital ward building, Lin Wangye furrowed his brow. Suddenly an idea struck him. He pulled out his phone and sent a message.
[Lin Wangye: Is there any back exit to the People’s Hospital that people don’t usually know about?]
[Bai Yanchuan: To get a job there you’d have to pass medical school first.]
[Bai Yanchuan: Even if you were the crown prince’s study buddy.]
[Lin Wangye: …I mean the back exit from here.]
[Lin Wangye: My sister is in the hospital. Her father just passed away suddenly. There are paparazzi outside. She can’t be seen.]
[Bai Yanchuan: Where exactly? I’ll come and get her.]
Seeing Bai’s last message, Lin Wangye finally relaxed a little. Lin Qianqian’s crying had lessened, but she was still dazed, and every time she looked at her father, tears fell again.
Some things can only be accepted slowly, digested little by little.
Lin Wangye couldn’t do much to help, so he quietly stayed by her side, just being there to comfort her.
Outside the hospital room, Lin Pengcheng’s lawyers were still standing next to Lin Shen, going over the contents of his father’s will—everything from property division to company shares and more.
Lin Pengcheng had so many assets that the will was extremely detailed.
Nearly all of his assets, including company shares, were transferred to Lin Shen, written clearly in black and white.
Lin Qianqian, as his daughter, received a large sum of money and a very small portion of shares.
Lin Shen closed his eyes, frowning deeply, leaning back in the chair. The crease between his brows deepened until he could no longer bear it. He sat up abruptly, lifting his gaze to Lu Chengxuan, silently motioning toward the lawyers.
“Get rid of them. Now.”
Lu Chengxuan, who had been standing silently, immediately turned and signaled the bewildered lawyers toward the elevator at the end of the hallway.
The two lawyers understood, handing over the thick files and nodding politely before preparing to leave.
“I’ll see you both out,” Xu Ziqian said, standing and walking with the lawyers toward the elevator.
Lu Chengxuan, who rarely spoke and knew Lin Shen didn’t want to say anything, silently sat down next to him. He lowered his head and started reading the will from the first page.
A moment later, he suddenly felt Lin Shen’s shoulder press lightly against his.
Glancing sideways, he saw Lin Shen gently resting his forehead there.
From this angle, Lu Chengxuan couldn’t see Lin Shen’s expression. Almost immediately, he felt his arm being gripped.
He slowly looked down and saw Lin Shen clutching his wrist tightly, knuckles white, veins bulging, with such force it even hurt him.
Lu Chengxuan closed the will and moved his lips slightly.
“No difficulty can beat you.”
He knew Lin Shen didn’t need empty comfort, so he chose encouragement and recognition. After a moment of thought, he couldn’t help adding a little extra, almost unnecessarily:
“And you still have me.”
You still have me.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
