CHAPTER 159: CHAPTER 159 SHOWING OFF AND MAKING A FOOL OF ONESELF3_1

She looked at him in disbelief. "Donglin, you can still smile?"

"Why wouldn’t I? Lady Daqing, you should know that this illness itself isn’t so terrible. It’s that many people are scared to death simply by the diagnosis."

Liu Daqing’s expression eased slightly. Her son really needs to maintain a positive attitude now, otherwise, this hardship is going to be tough to get through.

"Son, you need to hang in there!"

"Don’t worry. When have you ever known your son to be a wimp?"

Just then, the door was pushed open, and a young woman walked in. She was exceptionally graceful and beautiful, with a fashionable air. A thin sheen of sweat covered her face, evidence of her haste and the urgency she felt.

Liu Daqing immediately greeted her, "Zhou Ting, you’re here."

Zhou Ting had no time for pleasantries. She looked quickly at Wan Donglin and asked, "Auntie, what’s wrong with Donglin?"

Liu Daqing hesitated. Wan Donglin, however, just smiled faintly and said, "Mom, show Zhou Ting the report."

Liu Daqing had no choice but to hand over the report. Upon reading it, Zhou Ting’s face changed drastically. She couldn’t believe her eyes. How terrifying! Terminal lung cancer... The patient likely doesn’t have more than three months to live. And saying three months is conservative; many people die within a month of diagnosis.

Liu Daqing tactfully said, "You two chat. I’ll go to the lounge for a cup of tea."

Only the two of them were left in the hospital room.

She looked closely at Wan Donglin, only then noticing he was much thinner than the last time they had met. His face was sallow, his spirits seemed depleted, and his smile was weak.

The spirited man from the past was gone forever.

She stared blankly at the medical report, unsure of what to feel.

"Zhou Ting, I’m sorry."

A flicker of unease crossed her face. "Donglin, don’t overthink things."

He sighed deeply. "Ah, you see, our wedding was fast approaching, but then this happened to me. I’m truly sorry. At this point, I don’t want to drag you down. Let’s do this: I’ll take responsibility for explaining to our friends and family and recalling the invitations. I promise I won’t make things difficult for you."

"Donglin, don’t dwell on it. Just focus on getting better."

"With my condition, I can’t afford to delay. It wouldn’t be fair to you."

"Let’s discuss it then. We still have about twenty days, don’t we?"

Wan Donglin smirked. "Are you suggesting we have a wedding on the execution grounds? Zhou Ting, times have changed. If we were to insist on going through with the wedding, it wouldn’t be impossible, I suppose. I’ll be dead by then anyway, so it won’t matter much to me. But what about you?"

Zhou Ting’s face flushed, then paled.

Their marriage was merely an arrangement between two families. They hadn’t spent much time together and could hardly be said to share any deep affection. Suddenly finding out about Wan Donglin’s terminal illness, she felt a bit upset, of course. But, as a modern woman, tying herself to such a marriage was unjustifiable. If they truly loved each other, that would be one thing. But to become a sacrifice in a doomed tragedy merely for the sake of their families? That wasn’t necessary.

Wan Donglin observed her expressions, understanding her thoughts as if they were reflected in a clear mirror. He smiled. "Zhou Ting, there’s no need for hypocrisy between us now. I heard you had a college boyfriend, someone you were very close to, but your father broke you two apart. As for me, I’ve had a failed marriage and countless women. To be honest, if we actually got married, we’d be like a new couple, each bringing a set of old furniture. Neither of us would truly love the other..."