Chapter 221: When Will My Little Sister Return Home?

"Don't worry about the money," Jiang Ran said, "We'll arrange the company side; RuanRuan and I will handle it. It's just the home..."

"I'm here at home," Li Huijuan wiped away tears, "You focus on taking care of An'an; leave Jinjin and the household matters to me and your dad."

"Grandma will also help," Jiang Nainai said, "Even though I'm old, I can still cook and look after the children."

The family's support warmed Jiang Ran and Su Ruan's hearts a little.

Yet the hardships ahead still pressed on their hearts like a mountain.

When they returned home, it was already late night.

Jinjin was already asleep, and the two quietly returned to their own room.

After closing the door, Su Ruan finally broke down.

She threw herself into Jiang Ran's arms, crying out with a suppressed voice.

"Why An'an... she's still so young... what did she do wrong..."

Jiang Ran held her tightly, tears falling, "It will be fine, daughter-in-law, it will be fine. Our whole family is together; we can definitely get through this."

#Chapter 195 Treatment Begins

The day after the diagnosis, An'an officially began treatment.

The doctor set a detailed plan: first conduct induction chemotherapy, aiming to bring the cancer cells into remission. The whole process is expected to take a month, during which An'an will be hospitalized.

While handling the admission paperwork, An'an still didn't know what lay ahead. She clutched a newly bought doll, curiously looking at the various machines in the ward.

"Mom, how long will I have to stay?" she asked.

"Until the illness is cured," Su Ruan tried to make her voice sound easy, "When the illness is cured, we'll go to the beach, okay?"

"Okay!" An'an laughed happily, "I want to pick shells and build sandcastles!"

Jiang Ran stood nearby, watching his daughter's innocent smile, his heart hurting as if pricked by needles. He turned, blinked hard, forcing the rising tears back down.

Treatment began in the afternoon. When the nurse came to start the IV, An'an, frightened, hid in her mother's arms.

"Auntie will insert it gently; it won't hurt," the nurse said softly.

"Mom..." An'an's small hand tightly grasped Su Ruan's hem.

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart, Mom's here," Su Ruan held her daughter, turning her back to the nurse, "Look out the window, there's a little bird."

While An'an was distracted, the nurse quickly completed the puncture. An'an still cried, but was braver than imagined.

"An'an is awesome!" Jiang Ran gave a thumbs‑up, "Much braver than Dad was when he was a kid."

"Really?" An'an asked, sniffling.

"It's true," Jiang Ran said seriously, "When Dad got shots as a child, he cried much louder than An'an."

Those words made An'an laugh. But soon, the drug reaction arrived.

In the evening, An'an began to feel nauseous and vomit. Her tiny body curled on the bed, her complexion pale.

"Mom, it hurts..." she whispered.

"Mom knows, sweetheart," Su Ruan gently patted her back, "If it hurts, vomit it out; once you vomit, you'll feel better."

Jiang Ran brought warm water, carefully feeding his daughter. But An'an vomited again shortly after drinking.

When the doctor made rounds and saw this, he adjusted the medication: "This is a normal reaction to chemotherapy. We'll use anti‑emetics, but they can't eliminate it completely."

At night, An'an's sleep was restless, waking and sleeping intermittently.

Su Ruan and Jiang Ran took turns watching, neither closing their eyes.

At three A. M., An'an vomited again. This time even bile came up, her little face ghastly pale.

"Dad... am I going to die..." she suddenly whispered.

Those words were like a knife, stabbing into Jiang Ran's heart.

He gripped his daughter's hand tightly, "No, An'an won't die. She's just sick; once cured, she'll be fine."

"But... it feels so awful..."

"If it hurts, cry it out." Jiang Ran's tears finally fell, "Dad is here with you."

As expected, An'an cried—not loudly, but a suppressed, painful sob. Jiang Ran held her in his arms, gently rocking her as he had when she was a baby.

Su Ruan stood at the ward entrance, watching the scene, her heart shattered.

She turned and left the ward, covering her mouth in the hallway, silently sobbing.

After an unknown amount of crying, a pair of warm arms embraced her from behind.

"Sister." It was Jiang Jiaojiao's voice.

Su Ruan turned, seeing Jiang Jiaojiao and Yan Shen had arrived, their eyes all red.

"Why did you come?" Su Ruan asked hoarsely.

"With something this big, could we not come?" Jiang Jiaojiao hugged her, "How's An'an?"

"She feels bad, vomited all night," Su Ruan wiped away tears, "What about Jinjin?"

"Dad and Mom are watching," Yan Shen said, "Jinjin is very sensible; she said she wanted us to accompany her sister."

The three entered the ward. An'an saw her aunt and uncle, forcing a smile, "Aunt..."

"Hey, aunt's here," Jiang Jiaojiao held her niece's hand, "An'an is truly brave."

"Where's my sister?" An'an asked, "Yuan Yuan..."

"Yuan Yuan is at home; when An'an recovers, we'll bring her to see her sister."

That night, the family took turns staying with An'an.

In the following days, An'an gradually adapted to the treatment. The drug reaction persisted, but the anti‑emetics worked, reducing vomiting. However, her appetite was poor; she couldn't eat anything.

Li Huijuan cooked a variety of dishes each day and delivered them, but An'an would only take two bites before shaking her head.

"Grandma, I can't eat..."

"If you can't eat, then don't," Li Huijuan said tenderly, patting her granddaughter's face, "When you feel like eating, you can."

Jinjin comes to the hospital every day after school. He brings his most beloved Encyclopedia to the ward and tells stories to his sister.

"Sister, look, this is the ocean," he opens the page about the sea, "When you get better, we'll go see the real sea."

"Are there mermaids in the sea?" An'an asks.

"There are no mermaids, but there are dolphins, whales, corals…" Jinjin explains earnestly, "They're quite beautiful."

Watching the two children, the adults feel both pain and warmth. Although Jinjin is only four years old, he grew up a lot overnight.

On the weekend, Jiang Ran and Su Ruan finally have a chance to go home together and rest.

Li Huijuan lets them take a nap, but neither of them can fall asleep.

Lying on the bed, Su Ruan looks at the ceiling: "Jiang Ran, I'm scared."

Jiang Ran pulls her into his arms: "I'm scared too. But we have to be strong, for An'an."

"I know," Su Ruan's tears well up again, "I just… seeing her suffer so much, I…"

"I understand," Jiang Ran kisses away her tears, "We'll get through this together. You're not alone."

The two embrace each other; although they can't sleep, each other's body heat gives the other strength.

"About the company…" Su Ruan asks softly.

"I've got it arranged," Jiang Ran says, "Douzi and Yaya can hold on for a while. I'll handle important decisions remotely, and postpone the unimportant ones."

"What about the design?" Su Ruan smiles wryly, "The Memory Realm series…"

"Put it aside for now," Jiang Ran says resolutely, "Nothing is more important than An'an. We'll continue when you're ready."

Su Ruan feels warmth in her heart and hugs him tightly: "Thank you, Jiang Ran, for always supporting me so much."

"Silly words," Jiang Ran gently pats her back, "You're my daughter-in-law; if I don't support you, who would I support?"

The two remain quietly embracing like this until drowsiness attacks.

This is the first real sleep in several days; although they only slept for two hours, it's better than not sleeping.

When they wake up, it is already dark.

Li Huijuan prepares the meal, and Jinjin sits obediently at the dining table.

"Mom, dad, did sister eat today?" Jinjin asks, his eyes looking at his parents.

Su Ruan walks over, pats her son's head: "She ate a little. Jinjin is really sensible, knowing how to care for his sister."

"When will sister come home?" Jinjin asks again.