The following chapter is a brief story about the Xu family's past. You may skip it if you don't like it.

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The woman remained silent.

Lu Meili took a step back and looked at Small Xixi. "Xixi, why is she not speaking? Is she really Aunt Kara?"

"My best friend's daughter is getting engaged. Of course I will pay my respects." Kara Yang finally spoke.

Lu Meili was even more alarmed. She studied the woman carefully. Then, like a child curious about something harmful, she stuck out a finger and stretched her hand to poke Kara Yang's hand.

It was really her. "You know what I'm talking about. Aren't you..." Aren't you dead?

"Little Li, did you just say Kara?" Wan Jia overheard them and came to take a look.

"Kara! It's really you..."

Just like earlier, she looked at Wan Jia for a while before finally hugging her.

Lu Meili shot a curious glance in Small Xixi's direction. What was up with her?

"Mother's brain is slower than it should be. She will take some time to process who she is speaking to and what they said."

"Oh. But can you tell me what in the world is going on?"

"Sure. Let's go somewhere else."

On the balcony, Small Xixi didn't know where to start with her explanation. "When I got discharged, my brother took me to City H and explained everything. I think you should know everything from the start."

___

Twenty years ago, in Lu Aotian's villa.

Because Wan Jia was pregnant, Lu Aotian had invited everyone over for a meal.

At some point that night, Kara had gone to the bathroom and didn't return even after a long while.

Xu Laiowen went to check on her and the scene that met his eyes was shocking! His wife had coughed out blood.

"We are going to hospital." He declared.

Kara Yang pushed his hand off her waist. "I ate too much spicy food just now. I'm alright."

Xu Laiowen knitted his eyebrows. How could one eat so much spicy food that they coughed out blood? Was she trying to die?

Without listen to any explanation from her, he dragged her to hospital.

That night, the doctors ran a full body check on her but all they came up with was the explanation that her veins had constricted as a result of the spiciness and that she would be alright as long as she didn't eat any spicy food for the following two weeks.

He had believed them.

...

For the following few months, however, Kara Yang acted strange.

In the first month, she worked harder than usual and secured many projects for Xu Real Estate. Her explanation was that she had a lot of time in her hands and wanted to use it to help her husband out. Of course, no husband would be unappreciative when his wife worked hard for him. He appreciated her effort and took better care of her. He would remind her to have her meals and rest. As a result, he was also motivated to work even harder.

A few months later, she transferred all the assets she had recieved from the Yang family and those she had achieved through her hard work to Xu Tang's and Xu Lingxi's names. She even put all her valuable jewelry in a box and gave them to Xixi. Any random necklace or bracelet of hers would cost millions, but she gave them all without second thoughts.

Of course, Xu Liaowen found her actions strange. "Why did you transfer everything you own to our children?" He asked.

With an innocent smile, she had answered with her head on his chest. "I just want to make sure that even if something happened and the company went bankrupt, our children wouldn't have to suffer."

"That is quite thoughtful of you. However, all my hard work is for you and our children. I will not let you suffer."

She only nodded in response.

...

The next time, she did something more significant. They had both agreed to send Xu Tang to business school so he would take over the company in future. However, she suddenly decided to enroll him to a dance school and termed it as letting her children follow their dreams.

That day, Xu Liaowen finally realized that something was wrong with her.

Her actions meant nothing when viewed separately. However, why was it that when he pinned them together, it looked like she was preparing to leave?

"Kara, what are you hiding from me?" He asked.

"Nothing. What's wrong with indulging my kids a little?"

Although that's what she said, she hid a hint of guilt beneath her eyes.

Xu Liaowen realized just how stupid he had been. How could he not have realized?

"You have been trying to match make Tangtang with Little Jia. You even repeatedly suggested an engagement with the Lu family.

At the same time, you told Little Jia that in future, she should take care of Xixi.

Let's not talk about how you suddenly transferred all your property in Tangang's and Xixi's names. All your actions point towards the same direction - you are creating a predefined future for our children.

Kara, are you planning to leave?"

"No."

That was the least confident answer he had ever heard from her. He would never forget how dim her eyes looked.

...

For the sake of his family, he decided to stalk her.

She must have expected him to do so because for a whole week, he didn't see any strange move from her.

On the eigth day, however, he saw her sneakily enter an apartment and the person who recieved her was a man.

Xu Laiowen was furious. How could she?

Was she doing all these things because she wanted to divorce him and move on with that man?

Decisively, he confronted that man secretly. He would never have expected that the man was not a lover but a doctor, and Kara Yang was his patient.

Now it all made sense. For her to do all these things paired with the fact that she had lost some weight, she must be sick. Perhaps she was.... terminally ill?

But why didn't she tell him?

"Kara, why didn't you tell me that you're sick?" He asked that night.

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Didn't want to worry me? I'm more worried since you didn't tell me!"

"Liaowen, there's nothing you can do about it. I only have less than one month left. All treatment methods failed. You should spend more of your time handling more serious business than wasting it on a dying woman."

"Who said you're a dying woman? You are not allowed to say that. You are not allowed to leave me, okay?" Xu Liaowen retrieved the medical documents he had got from hospital. "Then why is it that all your medical documents state that you are alright? You are obviously far from that."

That night she had cried so heartbreakingly that the sudden emotional instability made her weaker. "On the day I had Xixi, I was poisoned. It takes months for the poison to develop and by the time I realized it, it was too late. It's already deeply rooted in my organs."

Xu Laiowen was devastated. "How could you keep such a thing from me?"

"I thought there was hope. I wanted to find a cure on my own but... I'm sorry. Take good care of the kids while I'm gone, okay? You... you can remarry, but she has to be kind and not bully Tangtang and Xixi."

"Kara Yang, what nonsense are you spewing?"

Not caring that it was night, he took her in his arms and headed out.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To find the antidote."

"But the kids..."

"They are asleep at the moment. Let the nannies take care of them. If we will not be back tomorrow, I will call my mother and ask her to take care of the kids temporarily."

Who knew that they wouldn't be back any soon?

Kara's condition worsened significantly in just a few hours and she was losing her sanity. Her brain was the first to be affected by the poison.

As hard as he expected, every doctor dismissed them - her condition was too complex. They were lucky that he managed to get in touch with a certain young genius doctor. He was willing to study the effects of the poison and create an antidote. However, it would take a few days to develop it, and the treatment might take years.

While they did get the antidote in a few days, she needed someone to take care of her all round the clock. Her feelings couldn't be agitated even for a bit or she would lose her sanity forever.

To be exact, it was too late for the antidote to clear the poison off her body. It could only decrease its effect. That was why it would take a long time.

Because he had to take care of her until she got well and since he didn't want to scare the children, he had told them that he and their mother were on a business trip and would be back soon.

But her condition was unexpectedly much worse than it seemed to be.