Chapter 248: Absolutely Hopeless

The next day, Jiang Lai saw Xie Yongsi in the first‑floor lobby lounge of the Ke Group.

The Shen family members and Lin Shutong were expressly barred from approaching the Ke Clan, but Xie Yongsi was not; once he produced his status as the Xie Family's Young Master, hardly anyone would dare to stop him, and they would all report it.

When Xie Yongsi arrived, he was very polite, saying he was Dr. Jiang's friend, here to wait for Dr. Jiang's business, and the front desk had no reason to drive him out.

Jiang Lai heard the front desk say that and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Seeing her, Xie Yongsi instantly rose and approached; he stopped calling her sister‑in‑law, and dared not address her by full name—"Dr. Jiang" was too cumbersome for him, unfamiliar, so he called her nothing at all.

He only said: "Brother Xun has had a lot going on lately, fell ill, only woke up last night at midnight. While in a coma he kept looking for you; when he awoke he said nothing, but we know he really wants to see you. If you could go see him, his condition would improve a lot."

First Shen Xi burst into Nanshan Shu Jiuhao in tears, then Xie Yongsi came to the Ke Group early in the morning waiting for her.

Shen Xun, aside from being merely indifferent to her, is nice to everyone, so many people are willing to act as his lobbyists.

Jiang Lai was unmoved, merely retorting to Xie Yongsi: "If you were in my position, would you still say that?"

Xie Yongsi pressed his lips together, his expression pausing: "Brother Xun realized his mistake; he's already received the punishment he deserves. He's unemployed, his future bleak, his aunt has a brain tumor, and now the child is gone… He's miserable enough."

Jiang Lai: "My four years have been pretty miserable too, because I don't have a bleak future, I don't have a brain tumor, I haven't lost a child, so I'm not miserable enough? Who's miserable, who's right?"

Xie Yongsi was already on the losing side of reason; hearing Jiang Lai's word‑for‑word expose of their thinking felt like his face being dragged on the ground.

But he didn't dare to show any anger.

This is the Ke Clan; who would dare cause trouble on the Yama King's territory?

Jiang Lai stepped forward to leave.

Xie Yongsi called after her: "You'll drive Brother Xun to death; his crimes don't merit death."

"You should say that to Lin Shutong; I've never been the one pressuring him. I'm the one forced forward by the two of them." Jiang Lai stared at him, "If you keep harassing me, I'll call security."

Xie Yongsi ultimately failed to persuade her.

But he also didn't dare to relay Jiang Lai's words to Shen Xun, fearing it would upset him.

In his change of mind, he thought Jiang Lai's words were reasonable; some things should be said to Lin Shutong.

At the doorway of Lin Shutong's ward, he faintly heard sobbing; the loss of the child had hit Lin Shutong hard.

Xie Yongsi was about to knock and enter when Ji Lao arrived.

Ji Lao wore an expression that, rather than concern, seemed more like anger. Xie Yongsi quietly moved aside. The Ji family recognized him and asked if he had come to see the patient; he said yes and was ushered in together. He knew the woman—it was Lin Shutong's aunt.

He followed inside.

Just a moment ago Lin Shutong had been clinging to her mother, wailing, but the instant she saw Ji Lao, her tears were so frightened she dared not let them fall, trembling she cried, "Grandfather, why are you here…"

Ji Lao walked over, saw her pallid face, and, suppressing his anger, asked, "What's going on?"

Lin Fu and Lin Mu opened their mouths to speak, but Ji Lao said sternly, "I want to hear her explain herself: what happened with the miscarriage? When did she become pregnant? Whose child is it?"

Lin Shutong's tears fell again from being shouted at.

Lin Mu, feeling distressed, said, "Dad, Shutong is still convalescing; any matters can wait until her health improves, okay?"

Ji Lao didn't want to lose his temper now, but he was utterly disappointed!

Mixing with a married man, spending over a hundred million on him, has landed them in lawsuits, and an unwed pregnancy!

How could a child that Ji Xiucheng personally raised be such a disgraceful, untouchable sort?

Lin Fu spoke for his daughter: "Shutong already knows she was wrong and has received the corresponding punishment; not only does she face compensation, but she's also damaged at the root. She will change in the future."

"Damaged at the root?" Lin Shutong's aunt asked, surprised, looking at Shutong, "You can't have your own child anymore?"

Lin Shutong's already pallid face turned even whiter.

She hadn't expected this outcome.

"Aunt, I know you've never liked me living in the Ji household, but you don't have to push me down at this moment."

The woman shut her mouth; seeing how pitiful she was, she still didn't speak of her today.

Ji Lao no longer knew what to say, not even where to begin, and just glared angrily at Lin Shutong.

Everyone immediately let Ji Lao sit down, served tea and poured water, fearing he might explode.

Ji Lao, upon sitting, said, "Lin Shutong, you're simply beyond help, there's no way to save you."

Lin Shutong, panicked, said, "Grandfather."

Ji Lao: "Don't call me."

Ji Lao came in anger, left in disappointment; that disappointment pierced Lin Shutong deeply.

Lin Shutong had previously relied on her grandfather to pave the way; now with so many events, if Grandfather doesn't continue to help, she truly can't climb up again.

Seeing Grandfather about to leave, Lin Shutong endured the pain, tried to get up from the bed, but her parents held her down.

Lin Fu and Lin Mu now only hope for their daughter's health; everything else is unimportant, and they'll do everything possible to repay her debts, after all she's their only daughter.

Lin Shutong has been crying constantly lately, her eyes swollen beyond measure.

Seeing her like that, Xie Yongsi at that moment didn't know what to say.

Lin Shutong, eyes reddened, looked at him: "Did Brother Xun send you to see me? Why didn't he come himself? Now the child's gone, is he satisfied? Does he have no more ties with me?"

Xie Yongsi's expression said it all: "Shutong, the miscarriage was an accident."

"He knew I was pregnant, why did he push me so hard?"

Xie Yongsi looked at her, truly embodying the old saying: lovers end up as foes.

He sighed: "Brother Xun is also ill, his mother has a brain tumor, he's swamped with troubles, he can't even take care of himself. With things having come to this point, no one can blame anyone."

Lin Shutong was startled: "His mother has a brain tumor?"

That would mean a huge amount of surgery costs!

Shen Xun doesn't have many assets; if all he gave his mother for surgery, even with his guilt, what could he still give her?

Could it be that marrying her would be taking responsibility for her?

That won't do.

Xie Yongsi, seeing she didn't know, explained in detail, and the more Lin Shutong listened...

"You don't need to worry too much, Shen Xun's mother's condition isn't serious; the possibility of cure through surgery is high, and if President Chi is willing to intervene, it's even higher."

"President Chi?" Lin Shutong's head buzzed; the fee for having President Chi perform the surgery would only be higher, right? Including any bribes.

Lin Shutong grew increasingly panicked.

She thought that by engineering the child's miscarriage, things would gradually work in her favor—for example, Shen Xun would compensate out of excessive guilt, or she could take advantage of this incident to "break her heart" and throw herself into Gu Zhiyan's arms… But instead the situation turned increasingly against her, as if they were pushing her step by step into a dead end.