You, CEO’s Secret Wife

Everyone would die sooner or later. That was something Jian Yun had grown accustomed to ever since she was a little girl, but when it came to her mother, she had only prayed that she'd never be this young to witness it. No matter whatever hardships her mother had gone through, she had always avoided that word like a plague, hoping that she'd never get to say it until her hair had turned grey. But it seemed that she had no other choice but to ask that question now.     

    

She had wanted to hear an immediate denial–for Bai Ze to knock back his chair and tell her that this would never happen under his watch. But all she was met with was pure silence. His sad eyes bored right through her, as if he was trying to say that her death was simply the inevitable.     

    

Immediately, she felt as if her entire body had been soaked in iced water. It was so cold that her all her limbs had become limp from the temperature, and all she could hear were harsh shivers and sniffles coming at her own expense. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, trying to keep a hold of herself, but it seemed that the more she tried to reel it in, the more the news was starting to affect her.     

    

Originally, she had viewed Bai Ze as her lifesaver–that the man would simply sweep all of them off their feet with a promise that her mother would return to her arms good as new. But it seemed that in reality, her lifesaver was also human, and he could only do so much for Mrs. Jian's safety.     

    

Even Wu Wenjing and Luo Yanyan glanced at each other in dismay, shocked by the silence.     

    

The atmosphere in the office immediately tensed up, and the calming walls suddenly felt as if they were looming over her body, desperately trying to swallow her in. Jian Yun stared at her shoes, refusing to look at any of them in the eye.    

    

"But we haven't reached the worst-case scenario. Right now, we still have a chance of saving your mother, and we will do our very best." Seeing her broken body, Bai Ze couldn't help but reach out and pat her on the shoulder as he tried his best to comfort her. "We will do our best, okay? Don't worry about that for now. I will call you as soon as I have a few more updates regarding her condition.    

    

"Wait, Director Bai, I have another question I need to ask," Wu Wenjing suddenly intercepted. "How could Auntie Ouyang suffer like this after just falling off her bed? Could she have been hit by some type of heavy object? Something to cause the hemorrhage?"     

    

When Bai Ze heard of this, he immediately shook his head. "There were no traces of any heavy object hitting her to cause that kind of hemorrhage," he explained. "Usually, intracranial hemorrhage doesn't need to be caused by a large impact to the skull. Sometimes, it could be caused through a strong wave of emotions–something that could stimulate her that could bring forth such disaster."     

    

"Hm..." Wu Wenjng glanced worriedly at Jian Yun.     

    

She, on the other hand, had her head lowered this entire time without saying another word. At this moment, Bai Ze used this opportunity to glance at his watch. "I have to check out the ward," he later said, excusing himself. "Please stay here with Jian Yun for a while. You can find me if you have any other questions regarding your mother, okay? I have to go first."     

    

"Thank you, Director Bai!"     

    

Bai Ze took the medical records and left the office. There, Wu Wenjing glanced at Jian Yun, hesitating to speak. With her current ghostly appearance, it was hard to bring up any matter regarding her resignation. She played with the fabric on her skirt, as she chewed on her bottom lip.     

    

When she had gone to work today, she found out that Xia Bingbing had a copy of Jian Yun's resignation letter. Wu Wenjing knew for a fact that her friend hadn't sent any letter to their HR Manager, so someone must have gone onto her computer and used that document to get her fired. At the thought, she clenched her fists even harder. She actually had a few theories as to who would've planned this, but it was already too late.     

    

Even Huo Liancheng received word that she was resigning. The HR Department would soon follow resignation procedures by notifying Jian Yun to pack up in the next two days.     

    

With Auntie Ouyang's current state, Jian Yun was in urgent need of money. And now that she didn't have a job...    

    

Wu Wenjing thought it over and over again on how to break it to her, but she found herself at a complete loss of words. She still hadn't mentioned to Jian Yun that Cheng Muze had come to find her today to gather news as to where she had gone. It didn't take a genius to know that it wasn't Cheng Muze who had wanted to ask, but Huo Liancheng. However, after what had happened yesterday, she just couldn't understand how the wealthiest of all men was still thinking of Jian Yun–especially after he had insulted her.     

    

If he had really liked her, why did he always seem so distant? Why would he be so hurtful in his words?     

    

'Whatever,' she thought, dismissing him. Even if she did mention the man, Jian Yun wouldn't be in the mood to listen.     

    

"Yun, now that Auntie's in the ICU, it must've been very expensive. I've already given all my money to my family, but I've secretly saved up 20,000 yuan just in case I need it. Here's the transfer card." Pulling out her friend's hand, Luo Yanyan placed the card right between her fingertips. "Don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure Auntie will get better. She always does. All we have to do is be strong for her."     

    

"I've already transferred 30,000 to you too. If that's enough, then I'll even sell my car. Don't you worry! You still have us to count on," Wu Wenjing comforted, regaining her senses.     

    

Jian Yun squeezed her eyes shut. She really didn't know what she had done to deserve such friends, and now after taking their money, she couldn't help but feel a little vexed. It had taken much insistence    

    

"Let's go out." She stood up. After all, they were in the doctor's office. It wasn't appropriate to cry around here and make a mess, given that there were other doctors in the room, writing in their patient records. The best they could do as of this time was to wait.     

    

The three of them returned to the waiting area outside of the ICU and sat down. Wu Wenjing and Luo Yanyan both knew for a fact that talking would only make matters worse. The best thing they could provide their friend right now was their presence. Simply just being there was enough. Without another word, they leaned onto their friend, hoping that their warmth could calm her down, even just for a while.     

    

Outside the ICU, there were plenty more haggard people waiting by the bench, so their states didn't really attract much attention. They sat there for a few minutes when Auntie Qin came rushing back in with a lunchbox in her hands.     

    

"Yun, drink some porridge," Auntie Qin reminded, concerned. "You shouldn't starve yourself."     

    

"I don't have much of an appetite," she muttered. It was only after much persuasion by her friends did she manage to drink half a bowl of porridge with great difficulty. Once she was done, she could only shake her head helplessly. It was hard to even swallow the thing, knowing that her mother was in one of the very same hospital beds she had been seeing going back and forth in the ICU fighting for her life.     

    

"I've called our neighbors back at Boshan, and she said that the police station has some news with regards to the incident," Auntie Qin relayed to them to news, relieved to see that Jian Yun had finally eaten. "I'll be heading back tomorrow to see what they have to say."     

    

Jian Yun had her suspicions that her mother's fall was no accident. There must have been someone else in that house that day who must have provoked her mother to get out of that bed. Bai Ze's words echoed in the back of her mind. She must have been stimulated for a hemorrhage to affect her like this. Nodding, she leaned back on her seat. She wanted to go with Auntie Qin to find out what had happened that day, but she knew for a fact that she needed to stay here and be with her mother. Noticing this, Wu Wenjing immediately stepped in with a nod.     

    

"Auntie Qin, I'll go with you tomorrow." After all, it wasn't as if she had any plans for tomorrow either way. She could just ask for a leave of absence to get off early. The old woman nodded in agreement.     

    

Although Wu Wenjing and Luo Yanyan wanted to stay with her for the night, Jian Yun had driven them both away. She knew how much they cared for her, but they both had jobs tomorrow. Knowing that this could be affected by her as well, she couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty. She didn't want to burden them with her problems, and besides, just simply coming by was enough.     

    

Bai Ze was on duty that night as well. Seeing that she was sitting there all by herself, he wanted to go over and talk to her. However, as she didn't want to disturb even more people with her presence, Jian Yun refused him. Instead, she leaned back against her seat and waved her hand. "It's fine," she said softly. "Besides, I'm nearer to my mom this way."    

    

"Alright." Although reluctant, he later agreed, handing her a few blankets. "Just go to my office if you need anything, okay?"     

    

Jian Yun couldn't sleep at all that night, and this was certainly not the most peaceful nights she had spent in the office. Ever so often, doctors and nurses would suddenly rush into the ICU with their carts in tow. Her heart would skip a beat every time she saw them rushing in, thinking that they were visiting their mother. Bai Ze, who was just passing by, was the first one to comfort her, telling her that the patient they were administering these to were for someone else. It seemed that there was another patient who had undergone craniotomy who had gotten an infection.     

    

The next two days passed quickly. There wasn't any trouble regarding her mother's health. In fact, some of the nurses had even commented that her mother was a fighter, how she could survive such complications. Just when she had thought that the dangerous period had passed, something had happened. Bai Ze had pulled her aside to inform her that her mother was suffering from another hemorrhage, and she was in need of a second operation.     

    

Jian Yun was on verge of collapse when she heard the news.     

    

In just the two days alone, she had already used up 50,000 yuan. At this rate, her money wouldn't even last ten days. If she didn't have any money to survive this operation, then what would she do now that her mother couldn't even stay in a normal ward. Her hands shook at the thought, and she suddenly had the urge to cry out. "What am I going to do now?" She whispered to herself.     

    

She had used up 100,000 yuan in one go, and as she saw the money in her card becoming less and less, she was just about to fall into a pit of despair. It seemed that the fates weren't done with her and her mother just yet.     

    

Jian Yun couldn't reach her Uncle Beicheng anymore. And now that her grandparents were getting old, she was afraid that they wouldn't be able to handle the anxiety. At this point, all she could do was stay silent and wait for this to pass. Seeing as her other relatives were out of reach, her thumb hovered across her father's name almost hesitantly. With a sigh, she pressed on his number, deciding to give him a call.