Chapter 1574 More Serious Than Expected
Chapter 1574 More Serious Than Expected
Ashandra Knightson called next. Like the others before her, she wished for Iris' grandmother-in-law to get well soon.
"I had been looking forward to you coming to the academy after so long and hanging out together with our other friends, but such an unfortunate thing just had to happen," Ashandra said with a sigh. "I don't know what's going on with us lately. First, something happened in Paris that prompted me to end my art exhibition ahead of schedule. And now, something also happened to your family member needing you to leave Munich and rush back to China."
Iris also sighed. Now that Ashandra mentioned it, Iris realized that her friend was right.
"It should just be a coincidence," Iris said.
"Should be," Ashandra echoed.
Iris didn't believe that they were having bad luck. There were so many good, exciting things that happened to her and her family and friends. Perhaps this so-called bad luck was simply an unfortunate coincidence.
The two women didn't chat for too long because Iris needed to go.
She saw her husband speaking at the front desk. Iris walked to Jin Liwei but didn't disturb him. She continued checking her messages on her phone.
Theresa Blipsburg hadn't replied yet. She was probably still in America busy with her own affairs.
"Xiulan, my dear." Huang Yuyan appeared.
Grandpa Lu came next, followed by Chen Fei. Iris' glam team and the other members of her entourage were also ready to go.
Their luggage was now being wheeled to the waiting vehicles outside.
Even Alric Bauer who didn't have to leave with them still came downstairs to see them off. Chen Fei was now discussing the upcoming Orchidia launch with him.
Grandpa Lu played with the now-hyper Little Mochi. The baby was running all over the hotel lobby. His steps were unsteady, but thankfully, he didn't fall down.
Finally, Jin Liwei finished checking all of them out except for Alric Bauer. He held Iris' hand.
"Let's go home, love," he whispered.
"Okay," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.
###
Half a day later, the jumbo plane LX Air landed in China. It was evening local time.
The headlines already featured the news about superstar Jin Chonglin and CEO Jin Liwei's grandmother being rushed to the hospital after suffering from a heart attack. Since Iris Long was now the Young Madam of the Jin family, her name was also included in the news alongside her husband and brother-in-law.
Apparently, the leak originated from the hospital itself. The hospital administration already launched an internal investigation into the patient confidentiality violation even before being prompted to do so. They must be trying to avoid offending the Jin family.
The Jin family, however, didn't care about it at all. For now, at least. They were the most concerned about the condition of their family's old matriarch.
Upon touching down, Iris and Jin Liwei immediately transferred to a waiting helicopter headed to the hospital. They entrusted their sleeping twins to Dom and the others who would drive straight home to Dragon Palace.
Huang Yuyan, Grandpa Lu, and Chen Fei all joined the husband and wife in riding the helicopter.
"Grandpa Lu, are you sure that you want to come with us right now?" Iris asked. "You're not too tired?"
"Your grandpa already rested enough in the plane," Grandpa Lu replied. "Don't look down on this old man, my girl! I'm old, yes, but I can outrun all of you any day. Don't you believe me? Tell me I want to know!"
Iris and the others chuckled. "Yes, Grandpa Lu. We believe you."
He snorted before smiling. "That's a good look on all of you. We should all be smiling, not crying. Your Grandma Li is still alive. Let's be thankful instead of worrying about what might have happened. Once you reach my age, you begin to have a broader, deeper appreciation of life. I've watched so many of my family, friends, acquaintances, and contemporaries leave before me. At the same time, I've also witnessed so many new additions to our family like my granddaughters-in-law and precious great-grandbabies.
"I've known your Grandma Li for as long as I remember because she was the one who gave my best friend and brother, your Grandpa Jin, a wonderful family. She's like a sister to me. After your grandfather and father's deaths, the two of us depended on each other to remain strong for the family and also for the company. I'm sure that she also feels the same way as I do—thankful for being alive for as long as we have and grateful for our amazing family who continues to love and care about us."
Huang Yuyan sobbed quietly after listening to the old man's wise words.
Iris also had teary eyes. She glanced at her husband whose face and entire body looked tense, like a crossbow strung too tightly. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
He looked at her and forced a smile. It looked unnatural on his face.
She mentally sighed. Her husband looked like a cold statue on the outside, but on the inside, he must be almost going crazy from fear and anxiety for his grandmother.
Behind them, Chen Fei watched the night view below the helicopter. The night lights in the city were beautiful. Even the darkness in the rural areas also held a mysterious kind of beauty.
Like what she mentioned to Iris earlier at their hotel in Munich, she wasn't as affected by Grandma Li's heart attack as they were. She mostly only interacted with the old lady during special occasions hosted by Iris and Jin Liwei.
Right now, Chen Fei was more worried about her fiancé. She hoped that Jin Chonglin wouldn't do something stupid just because of his fear and worry for his grandmother.
The group wished that the helicopter could fly faster.
After what felt like forever, they finally landed on top of a hospital helipad. The hospital administration and security were already waiting to welcome them. These people knew about the dire situation of the Jin family's old matriarch, so they didn't attempt to chat with Jin Liwei, Iris Long, and the others but directly led them to the hospital VIP floor.
"Please suit up before entering," a nurse stopped them at the door.
Iris' stomach felt like it dropped to the floor. She glanced at her husband and the others' expressions. They also realized that the situation must be more serious than they initially expected.
Huang Yuyan started crying again.
"Mom, please control yourself," Jin Liwei told her in a stern voice. "If you keep on crying like that, you'll contaminate the PPEs and they won't let you enter my grandmother's room."
Following the nurse's instructions, they put on the personal protective equipment provided. The nurse checked if all of them put on the PPEs properly before finally letting them inside the room.
The hospital administration representatives waited for them outside. As much as they looked eager to speak with Jin Liwei, they knew that it wasn't appropriate given the situation.
Jin Liwei led the way. Iris and the others followed him inside.
It was a suite with a living room, a kitchenette, and what looked like a washroom.
At the far side was an enclosed room with a glass wall. This was where Grandma Li lay unconscious with a frightening amount of tubes connected to her body from an equally frightening variety of medical machines.
"Big Bro! Sister Xiulan!" Jin Chonglin stood up from where he sat just outside the glass window. He was also wearing PPE like them. "Grandpa Lu! Mom!"
Then Chen Fei finally stepped out from behind everyone. When he saw her, Jin Chonglin began sobbing.
"Oh, you!" Chen Fei ran to him and hugged him.
He rested his head on her shoulder and began bawling in earnest. "Babe! My grandma…my grandma is…wuwuwu!!!"
"Stop crying!" Jin Liwei scolded his younger brother but to no avail.
He was about to scold him again but Iris stopped him. "Let your brother vent out his emotions."
Jin Liwei clenched his jaw but eventually decided to ignore his younger brother. Before he could take his next breath, another loud sob sounded beside him. This time, it was his mother. His head began hurting.
Iris patted his hand, trying to calm him down, before heading to comfort her mother-in-law.
In the end, it was Grandpa Lu who stood beside Jin Liwei. The old man patted his back. It was a real, soft pat this time. It seemed that the old man's strength had also been affected by what happened today.
"Let's go inside, my boy, and ask the doctor about your grandma's actual condition," Grandpa Lu said.
"En."
Jin Liwei followed the old man and entered the enclosed room. It was a big, wide room but he felt a little claustrophobic because of all the medical equipment inside.
A doctor and a nurse were checking on Grandma Li.
Jin Liwei almost couldn't breathe upon seeing his grandmother. To him, Grandma Li had always been a regal, elegant, and strong grandmother. She might not be the most affectionate grandmother—he inherited most of his cold personality from her—but she was still a loving elder presence.
Seeing her in such a state made him feel like his chest was about to fold in unto itself. If not for his strong determination to keep it together for the sake of their whole family, he might have already collapsed.
"Doctor, tell us my friend's condition," Grandpa Lu said. "We want to know!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"The patient suffered a myocardial infarction or what we usually call a heart attack and a stroke shortly afterwards," the doctor replied.
Both Jin Liwei and Grandpa Lu's breaths caught in their throats.