Chapter 231: Silent Shadows

By the time the Rolls-Royce carrying Jiang Jingshi reached the hospital, it was already evening. Since she was still unconscious, the hospital staff quickly began examinations without delay.

Even regular doctors weren’t given a chance; only the director-level physicians stepped in personally.

They bustled around, meticulously checking her with instruments for a long time.

Finally, after more than an hour.

In the private room, Jiang Qian looked at her sister lying on the bed with a serious and worried expression; Jiang Jingshi’s face was peacefully serene.

Jiang Jingshi had changed into a white hospital gown, her slightly curly long hair spread out on the pillow.

Pan Lin and the driver stood nearby, both more tense than the other. Now that things had come to this, there was no hiding it anymore.

“What is Jixin Disease? When did this happen?” Jiang Qian asked coldly.

The driver didn’t dare speak, so Pan Lin glanced at the still-unconscious Jiang Jingshi and whispered:

“Boss Jiang was diagnosed just a few days ago at the hospital. It’s a hereditary cardiovascular disease, and according to the doctors, it seems to have been going on for some time.”

Jiang Qian looked at her sister: “Hereditary? Then why didn’t it show up before?”

“The hospital said Boss Jiang’s condition is from generational inheritance. Not everyone carrying the gene will develop it, and the onset is after adulthood. It doesn’t show up in checks before then.

Additionally, the Eldest Miss asked the doctors about your situation, and they said the Second Miss’s body was previously checked and found healthy with no similar signs.”

Jiang Qian clenched her slender fingers.

“During the check just now, the doctor said this disease could lead to full-body paralysis in the later stages?”

Pan Lin didn’t speak.

“Something this serious, and my sister didn’t let you tell me? You two really didn’t say a word about it, did you?!” Jiang Qian said angrily, glaring at them.

“Qian Qian…” Suddenly, Jiang Jingshi, who had been unconscious on the bed, opened her eyes.

Her eyes were a bit dazed.

The three hurried closer.

“Boss Jiang! You’re awake!”

“Boss Jiang!”

Jiang Qian rushed to Jiang Jingshi’s side anxiously: “Sister! How do you feel?”

At that moment, Jiang Jingshi’s mind was a bit fuzzy, but seeing the hospital environment and the three of them there, she figured out what was going on.

Gazing at her sister’s concerned expression, though the sisters could sense each other’s care in daily life, Jiang Jingshi rarely saw her sister look this worried about her openly.

Jiang Jingshi smiled: “I feel great. Where did I pass out?”

Jiang Qian: “In the courtyard. Why didn’t you tell me about something this big?”

Her voice suddenly turned hoarse. Jiang Jingshi’s almond eyes widened slightly, a smile on her face as she held her sister’s hand: “What big issue? I told you I’m fine. Don’t make it sound so serious.”

She glanced at Pan Lin and the driver, saying softly: “You two go take care of things. No need to stay here guarding me.”

Pan Lin and the driver exchanged looks and nodded, but as they were leaving, Jiang Jingshi suddenly spoke again: “Pan Lin!”

Pan Lin turned back quickly: “Yes, Boss Jiang?”

Jiang Jingshi whispered: “Don’t tell him. It’s late, and it might disturb him. I’m okay; it’s just the early stage.”

Pan Lin nodded slowly. Jiang Qian had a good idea who her sister meant.

Pan Lin and the driver left, closing the door behind them.

Now only the two sisters remained in the room. Jiang Jingshi turned her beautiful eyes back to her sister and smiled: “What’s with that look? I don’t often see you looking at me like this, Qian Qian. Usually, you’re just mad at me.”

Uncharacteristically, Jiang Qian didn’t retort and spoke quickly: “That’s usual stuff. This is different. If you think I upset you by arguing before, I’m sorry, Sister.”

Jiang Jingshi looked stunned for a moment, then said gently: “Why apologize? I prefer the Qian Qian who argues with me. This obedient version isn’t like you at all.”

Jiang Qian had nothing to say.

Soon after, the hospital director entered the room. Jiang Qian stood up quickly: “Doctor! How is my sister?”

The director held up the scans and said:

“Boss Jiang, Second Miss, the results are in. The Eldest Miss’s condition isn’t as good as we hoped. It’s worsening faster than expected. We thought late stage in three months, but it might be sooner.”

Jiang Qian asked urgently: “What? What can we do?”

“We’ve got the foreign drugs here. Starting today, have Boss Jiang take them daily and monitor closely.”

“Just medication?” Jiang Qian didn’t understand. “For something this serious, is medication enough to cure it?”

The doctor hesitated.

Right then, Jiang Jingshi, still in bed, wasn’t too afraid inside because she knew someone would come to save her—if he made the promise.

He’d definitely follow through; she believed in him.

Jiang Jingshi slowly sat up and interjected: “Doctor, just say it. We’re at this point, so be straightforward.”

Jiang Qian hurried to support her sister.

The doctor said with a troubled expression: “Because this disease is extremely rare in our country and even worldwide, it’s still considered incurable. All we can do is use medication and help you manage your mindset to slow its progression. Beyond that…”

Jiang Qian frowned angrily: “What did you say?!”

Jiang Jingshi soothed: “Qian Qian, it’s not the doctor’s fault. Don’t use that tone.” She turned to the doctor: “I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”

The doctor knew the situation and didn’t mind: “It’s nothing. I’ll arrange for a nurse to bring the medication now. Our hospital’s experts will do everything possible to find a way. Maybe a miracle will happen.”

Jiang Jingshi nodded, and the doctor left.

The city at night wasn’t completely dark; Ziteng City’s neon lights flashed, and the roads outside the hospital were even busier than during the day.

In the quiet room, Jiang Jingshi watched Jiang Qian, who sat with her head down.

She bit her lip, and a tear slid down her cheek.

Jiang Jingshi was touched: “Qian Qian? You’re crying? I told you I’m fine. Don’t be like this.”

Jiang Qian suddenly leaned onto her lap.

Grasping the blanket, she trembled: “Why does something like this have to happen to you, Sister? I can’t accept it…”

Jiang Jingshi stroked her head to comfort her: “Don’t be afraid. If I’m not scared, what are you worried about? Besides, I might have a way to get better.”

Jiang Qian cried even harder.

Jiang Jingshi laughed: “Really, I’m not just saying that. I have a real chance to recover.”

Jiang Qian lifted her head slightly to look at her.

Jiang Jingshi thought Qian Qian seemed like she was back to being a little kid, just born and always crying: “Listen to me. Don’t tell Mom and Dad yet; it’ll worry them. If you have to say something, wait a week.”

“But this is such a big thing… and why wait a week?”

“Because in a week, someone will call me. I’m waiting for his call.”

Jiang Qian looked at her sister, not quite understanding, but guessing who: “Lin Zheng Ran?”

Jiang Jingshi thought her sister caught on fast and teased: “Yeah, your brother-in-law.”

Jiang Qian buried her head in her sister’s lap, voice hoarse: “He’s not my brother-in-law.”

Jiang Jingshi couldn’t help but laugh, gently stroking her sister’s head.

“Anyway, just listen to me. We’ll talk about it in a week.”

Two days later.

In the lab, the table was covered with experiment notes and scattered failed products.

Lin Zheng Ran wiped sweat from his forehead and carefully opened a box of round, bucket-shaped objects.

He took out the contents and filled it with hot water.

“As expected, theory is one thing; it doesn’t go that smoothly in practice.”

Muttering, he tossed in the messy stuff, like salt packets and butter packets, closed the lid, and waited five minutes.

Five minutes later, he picked up the fork that came with the bucket and started eating the steaming bowl of Master Kang beef noodles.

Lin Zheng Ran slurped the noodles, gazing at the bottles of potions he’d made with medicinal solutions.

He sighed in relief: “Even with a solid theory, it still took two full days, dozens of failures to succeed. And the most frustrating part is, right after I developed the special medicine, the system broke through because of that adventure with Fang Meng…”

[Adventure – Over the past two days, you and the Eldest Princess’s personal assassin, Fang Meng, explored the ancient Medical Saint ruins, uncovering ancient secrets. You gained many treasures, pills, and cultivation methods, and a few ancient techniques linked with your bloodline, causing your cultivation to surge!]

[In this adventure, you gained three levels in spiritual energy, one in energy, and one in all-encompassing mastery.]

[Your spiritual energy level has reached seventy, and with energy full, the energy value has transformed into a new ability – Heaven-Earth Resonance.]

[Heaven-Earth Resonance: Your mental power now resonates with the heavens and earth. As its level rises, you’ll gain various abilities to connect with the heavens, like summoning rain, wind, earthquakes, or lightning. When you refine pills or create things, you can gather heavenly spiritual energy, greatly enhancing their effects.]

[Heaven-Earth Resonance: Your mental power now resonates with the heavens and earth. As its level rises, you’ll gain various abilities to connect with the heavens, like summoning rain, wind, earthquakes, or lightning. When you refine pills or create things, you can gather heavenly spiritual energy, greatly enhancing their effects.]

Lin Zheng Ran was slightly shocked by the system’s voice.

He thought to himself, had he heard right? The description of this new ability sounded so exaggerated?

And this time, it even leveled up three times.