Join a Dating Reality Show with the Aloof, Fishing-Style Richest Man - Chapter 43.2

Ji Zhaoxi adjusted the coat draped over Lu Zhao and held her, her mind focused on Mother Lu’s condition. This situation couldn’t be delayed any longer. Today’s incident was likely a sign of pathological change. If it progressed further, especially given the dangerous location of the tumor, there would be no chance for a cure.

Ji Zhaoxi sat in the hallway with Lu Zhao. Despite having traveled all day herself, she couldn’t sleep, praying that the calls she made before returning would prove useful.

Time ticked by. At 4:00 AM, someone approached quietly. Ji Zhaoxi looked up to see Sister Li and Xiao Xia holding a thin blanket.

“President Ji, you two should go rest. We’ll take over from here,” Sister Li whispered.

Ji Zhaoxi looked down at the soundly sleeping Lu Zhao. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. Declining help, she carefully picked Lu Zhao up herself. Staying in the hallway wouldn’t provide real rest, and there would be much to do tomorrow. If they didn’t recover their strength, it would be hard to manage.

She carried Lu Zhao back to the ward. Of the two beds, only one showed signs of use, likely left for them. Ji Zhaoxi placed Lu Zhao on the bed. She intended to get up and sleep on the small cot, but Lu Zhao’s arms were still wrapped tightly around her neck.

When Ji Zhaoxi tried to gently pull away, Lu Zhao—even in her sleep—seemed to instinctively feel she couldn’t let go, tightening her grip with an air of absolute dependence.

Ji Zhaoxi pursed her lips. It wasn’t that she couldn’t physically remove Lu Zhao’s hands, but doing so would surely wake her up. Given the circumstances, Ji Zhaoxi didn’t insist. Instead, she lay down beside Lu Zhao in her clothes, pulling the quilt over both of them.

The room was silent, making Lu Zhao’s breathing even more distinct. Recalling her previous resistance, Ji Zhaoxi only hoped she wouldn’t mind her actions when she woke up in the morning.

Holding Lu Zhao, drowsiness finally overtook Ji Zhaoxi, and she closed her eyes.

She was eventually woken up by the sound of wailing outside the door. Upon waking, her head throbbed with a dull ache, feeling as though hardly any time had passed at all.

“Mm—”

Lu Zhao furrowed her brows, clearly awakened by the noise. However, as soon as she regained consciousness, she snapped her eyes open. There wasn’t a trace of sleepiness left in her; she was like a wound-up spring, instantly tense once more.

She glanced around, looking at Ji Zhaoxi with hesitation for a moment, but ultimately rolled out of bed decisively. Without even pausing to freshen up, she threw on her shoes and ran outside.

Seeing this, Ji Zhaoxi hurried to follow. She followed Lu Zhao straight to the outside of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). On the way, they saw doctors and nurses wheeling out a patient covered in a white sheet, with the family members crying so hard they could barely stand.

A shadow crossed Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes at the sight. Once, she too had seen off her dearest loved one in a hospital. That sense of powerlessness and resentment was a memory she still held vividly to this day.

Arriving outside the ICU, Ji Zhaoxi stood with Lu Zhao, looking through the glass. Inside lay a pale woman who shared some resemblance with Lu Zhao, though she currently lay there devoid of vitality. Having perhaps just been pulled back from the gates of hell, an air of death still lingered around her.

Lu Zhao kept her eyes fixed on the woman inside, as if terrified she might vanish in the next second. Her entire body was rigid.

Ji Zhaoxi didn’t disturb her. Opportunely, her secretary ran over to inform her that Dr. Will would arrive at the hospital tonight.

Hearing this, Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes flickered. Dr. Will was an expert in brain tumors with many achievements over the years. She had tried to secure his help through connections three years ago, but he had other patients at the time and hadn’t agreed to come.

She was somewhat surprised that he had agreed so readily this time, considering she had tried to get him to see Lu Zhao’s mother more than once over the last three years. He had previously glanced at her records when he had a spare moment, but the success rate for surgery was too low; he suggested that a failed surgery would only bring more pain to the patient’s final days. The implication was to give up treatment.

But how could they give up? This was Lu Zhao’s mother, the person Lu Zhao cared about most.

Lu Zhao also heard the secretary. She slowly turned her head toward Ji Zhaoxi, a spark of light gradually igniting in her eyes.

“Mom can be saved, right?”

She tried her best to remain calm, but her distorted voice betrayed her.

Seeing her like this, Ji Zhaoxi quickly signaled to the secretary and Sister Li to give them space. Once they left, she looked into Lu Zhao’s eyes and said seriously, “He is just coming to take a look first. The specifics will depend on their conclusion.”

Ji Zhaoxi didn’t want to dampen her spirits, but she had to tell her the truth. She feared that if Lu Zhao’s hopes were too high and things didn’t work out later, she wouldn’t be able to handle the blow of her hopes being shattered.

Hearing this, the light in Lu Zhao’s eyes dimmed slightly, but at least a shred of hope remained. A trace of liveliness finally returned to her. Even a sliver of hope was better than nothing; currently, the hospital was completely at a loss regarding her mother’s condition, only able to ensure her bodily functions didn’t decline too rapidly.

Ji Zhaoxi said nothing more. She looked down at their wrinkled clothes and sent a message to her secretary to prepare some toiletries and a change of clothes.

As Lu Zhao sat there in a daze, Ji Zhaoxi sat down beside her. Ji Zhaoxi rubbed her throbbing temples; her complexion wasn’t very good.

Noticing that she clearly hadn’t rested well, Lu Zhao remained silent for a long time before saying, “You should go back and get some rest.” Looking at her rumpled clothes again, Lu Zhao fell into an even deeper silence.

“No need. I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I went back,” Ji Zhaoxi said softly.

Lu Zhao didn’t respond. The two sat side-by-side against the wall. After a long silence, Lu Zhao asked, “How did you know about all this?”

She had even contacted experts in advance. Looking back now, the things she had ignored before started to make sense. She was just an ordinary person; how could she have secured the hospital’s best medical team for her mother, and why was the hospital director himself personally involved last night?

Now that Ji Zhaoxi was at the hospital, everything clicked. It was likely that she had known all along and had been secretly ensuring the best medical care for her mother.

Hearing this question, Ji Zhaoxi didn’t feel the panic she had once imagined she would. Instead, she let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a sense of liberation that the truth was finally out.

“I investigated you,” Ji Zhaoxi said bluntly. After a moment, she pursed her lips and added, “I couldn’t allow someone of unknown origin to be near me.”

Lu Zhao didn’t show any agitation. Once she had calmed down earlier, she had already considered this possibility.

“Why help me?”

If they were already close now, it would be understandable, but what about before? What was there before that was worth her spending such immense resources on her?

Ji Zhaoxi pursed her lips, feeling it wasn’t the right time for a heart-to-heart. Moreover, perhaps out of pride, she didn’t reveal the full truth.

“It didn’t take much effort anyway. It’s good to give you a favor so you can ‘pursue’ me more diligently.”

Lu Zhao fell silent again. Perhaps the reality was exactly as she said—it was just a matter of a few words for her. But those few words represented something Lu Zhao had once found completely out of reach.

“Thank you,” Lu Zhao said. Regardless, her help had led to a positive outcome.

“Why didn’t you think to call me yesterday?” Ji Zhaoxi asked.

Lu Zhao was stunned for a moment, as if she hadn’t expected the question.

“In your heart, did you never even consider that I would help you?”

Lu Zhao went completely silent. She really hadn’t thought of Ji Zhaoxi at all last night. For so many years, she was used to enduring everything alone, hiding all her wounds and only showing her optimistic, cheerful side to others.

She never expected to have someone to rely on, let alone thought that Ji Zhaoxi would help her if she asked. After all, even her own blood relative had only offered rejection when she knelt and begged, not even opening the door. Everyone avoided their family like the plague; if relatives wouldn’t help in their time of need, what obligation did an outsider like Ji Zhaoxi have?

Not hearing an answer, Ji Zhaoxi felt only a small pang of disappointment for a moment and didn’t press for one. The answer would likely be one of two things, and neither would be pleasant to hear.

As they both remained silent, an awkward atmosphere began to spread—a rarity between them. This hadn’t even happened when they weren’t close, as Lu Zhao would usually work hard to liven the mood.

After another long silence, Lu Zhao spoke again, but this time her question made Ji Zhaoxi’s body go stiff.

“The reason you hired me to be your ‘pursuer’ was actually because you saw my situation… were you pitying me in a roundabout way?”

Lu Zhao turned to look at Ji Zhaoxi, staring directly into her eyes, not wanting to miss any change in emotion. She was thinking, how could there be such a bizarre thing in this world? Spending money to hire someone to pursue oneself—it was unheard of.

Ji Zhaoxi’s lips were pressed thin, and her face went slightly pale. She found herself at a loss for words because she didn’t know how to answer. While she did have selfish motives for the hiring, the idea had also come from a desire to lighten Lu Zhao’s burden.

Lu Zhao’s mother needed to stay in the ICU for constant monitoring, and a single day’s cost was more than an ordinary person earned in a month. This was why Lu Zhao moved between sets, never passing up even the smallest role. She desperately needed money. She had to find every way to earn more to afford the hospital fees.

Ji Zhaoxi didn’t pity her; she felt for her and wanted her life to be a bit easier. But now that Lu Zhao had asked, how could she explain? Should she say it wasn’t pity but heartache? And why did she feel that heartache? Ultimately, no explanation felt better than the truth.

Ji Zhaoxi said nothing more. Lu Zhao watched her for a long time before withdrawing her gaze and saying “thank you” once again.

Just then, the secretary and Sister Li returned with many bags. Ji Zhaoxi took a bag from the secretary and handed it to Lu Zhao. “Go wash up. A change of clothes is ready.”

Lu Zhao looked at her, her eyes narrowing slightly. She suddenly felt she couldn’t quite understand her—or perhaps she never had? Everything Ji Zhaoxi had done was too much—so much that it made her feel a sense of trepidation and an unpayable pressure.

Seeing Lu Zhao didn’t take the bag, Ji Zhaoxi’s expression stiffened for a moment. Finally, she said, “I have some work to handle, so I’ll head back first. I won’t stay here with you.”

Lu Zhao’s gaze flickered, but she eventually gave a soft “okay.”

Ji Zhaoxi pursed her lips and didn’t turn to leave immediately. She hesitated for two seconds, and seeing that Lu Zhao had no intention of asking her to stay, she finally turned and left.

Lu Zhao watched Ji Zhaoxi’s back—slender and thin, appearing as if she could be knocked over by a breeze, carrying a sense of inexplicable loneliness. Lu Zhao felt a pang of bitterness; she hadn’t meant to drive Ji Zhaoxi away, but she suddenly didn’t know how to interact with her. She also felt their statuses were too far apart; if Ji Zhaoxi wasted her time at the hospital with her, the loss would be far greater than her own.

After leaving the hospital, Ji Zhaoxi drove straight to one of her residences in North City. After a hot shower to wash away her fatigue, she sat at her computer to handle work. Having been abroad for so long, many domestic matters had piled up.

With the conclusion of the dating show, the surge in popularity wasn’t just reflected in Lu Zhao and the others, but in Ji Zhaoxi as well, causing the group’s stock price to rise steadily. Now, none of those old fogeys in the company dared to say she was neglecting her duties, as simply appearing on a show had brought such a pleasing result to the group.

However, Ji Zhaoxi knew well that one person cannot become the sole image of a company. If that person encountered any issues, it would easily affect the company behind them. Therefore, most topics about her online were being suppressed.

Though busy, she didn’t stop monitoring the hospital. When she received a call from her secretary saying Dr. Will would land in an hour, she quickly tidied herself up, changed into a formal suit, and drove to the airport herself. Dr. Will had been very busy over the years, and it was rare for him to fly over personally, so Ji Zhaoxi would naturally not be remiss in her hospitality.

When Ji Zhaoxi reached the airport, her secretary had arrived along with several bodyguards in separate cars, as Dr. Will had reportedly brought a large team with him.

Ji Zhaoxi recognized the man from his photos instantly. She stepped forward and greeted him in fluent French. Dr. Will looked to be in his fifties, though his hair was completely white and swept back, revealing the reassuringly large forehead of a doctor.

Dr. Will looked at Ji Zhaoxi in surprise, not expecting her to pick him up personally. This showed him just how important the patient was to her. He was also delighted by her fluent, beautiful French and complimented her.

Ji Zhaoxi took it as a compliment, inviting him into her car, while his students and staff were distributed among the other vehicles.

On the way to the hospital, Ji Zhaoxi briefed him on Mother Lu’s condition to give him a baseline. Dr. Will nodded thoughtfully and said, “The reason I came this time is that we have recently mastered a new technique that can significantly improve the success rate of such surgeries.”

Ji Zhaoxi’s heart skipped a beat. She suppressed her excitement and continued to drive steadily, asking him to give Lu Zhao’s mother a thorough examination once they arrived.

They only notified Lu Zhao when they were nearly there, so by the time they arrived, Lu Zhao and the others were there to meet them.

Arriving at the hospital, Dr. Will and his team wasted no time. They quickly coordinated with the hospital staff and began performing various examinations on Mother Lu to determine her vitals.

Lu Zhao was stunned to see such a large group. She had thought it would be a blessing just for Dr. Will to come, but it seemed he had brought his entire team.

Sister Li and the others were also shocked. Such a grand display—anyone unaware would have thought a head of state was lying inside.

Watching Ji Zhaoxi arrange everything in an orderly fashion, Xiao Xia couldn’t help but sigh with her hands on her face, “President Ji is so good to Auntie. Someone who didn’t know better would think she was Auntie’s daughter.”

“Mhm, President Ji really does look like she treats Auntie like her own mother.”

Lu Zhao’s gaze immediately snapped toward her.

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