Chapter 12

“It's here! It's really here!”

In the hospital ward, Kang Honghou and Pan Shuangyu stared at the phone. The bank balance now truly showed that the money had arrived.

The two of them nervously opened the text message. Kang Honghou blinked at the amount displayed. “Why… why is it five hundred thousand short?”

He rubbed his eyes and looked again. There was still only a little over a million.

Pan Shuangyu opened the Cat Paw platform and saw a private message from the Cat Paw administrator. It explained in detail that the platform would deduct taxes from all streamers’ gift revenue, and that the remainder would be transferred into the streamers’ personal bank accounts.

“So it was taken for taxes. No wonder.”

Kang Honghou nodded as well. “Paying taxes is only right. A little over a million is enough for Xinxin’s treatment. All right, you should get some rest too. We still have to see Doctor Chen tomorrow.”

Pan Shuangyu hummed in agreement. “I’ll send Ms. Xia a text to thank her. I don’t know whether she’s asleep yet, and I’m afraid calling might wake her.”

With that, she picked up her phone and began composing a message.

In her rented apartment, Xia Zui was lying in bed reading a novel. She had been busy all morning, but she could not spend all her time thinking about that matter. Besides, all she needed to do now was wait for the hospital to give her the list, then let the system screen it.

Just as she was growing drowsy, a text suddenly popped up.

[Pan Shuangyu: Ms. Xia, you must already be asleep, right? Thank you so much for helping us. The money you donated has just arrived, and Xinxin should be able to undergo surgery in a couple of days. Thank you so much. Once Xinxin is discharged, I’ll definitely have her write several more novels! Thank you!]

When Xia Zui read the message, a smile unconsciously spread across her face.

She replied, telling Pan Shuangyu to get some rest, and specifically added that she did not need to respond.

Otherwise, one message would lead to another, and the conversation would never end.

Xia Zui hated chatting most of all.

She simply did not know how Pan Shuangyu was progressing with the matter she had promised to handle. Still, it was understandable. After all, someone had to look after Kang Xin.

Xia Zui did not log on to Cat Paw again for the entire day, and naturally did not send any more gifts to the female streamers.

In truth, the gifts she had already given them were enough to support their lives. As long as they continued to work hard, there would be no problem with them achieving a modestly comfortable life.

Xia Zui continued reading her novel and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, at first light, Kang Honghou went to see Doctor Chen again. He first discussed Kang Xin’s surgery with him.

As for the medical expenses, Doctor Chen said that so long as no complications arose, the million would certainly be enough to cover the treatment.

He then made arrangements for Kang Xin to enter the sterile chamber.

Only after everything had been arranged did Kang Honghou ask Doctor Chen about Ms. Xia’s donation.

Doctor Chen had actually discussed the matter with the hospital director the day before. It would be a blessing for families with seriously ill patients, but first they had to confirm that Kang Xin’s money had arrived.

Now that it had, they could begin making further arrangements.

Doctor Chen asked Kang Honghou for Ms. Xia’s phone number, then went to find the director. After explaining the situation, the director personally contacted Ms. Xia.

After all, a donation involving tens of millions was no trivial matter.

The director immediately called Xia Zui.

When Xia Zui answered, the other party introduced himself and then began discussing the donation process.

Xia Zui’s request was that the hospital provide a list of patients, along with the amount of money each required for treatment. The director would then start a livestream, and she would send the required sums as gifts. The issue of taxes, however, would also have to be taken into consideration.

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So she would send over the full amount, with the actual distribution determined according to the treatment costs listed for each patient.

Furthermore, the money had to be used specifically for medical treatment. She did not want a situation in which a patient’s family decided they no longer wished to continue treatment, took the patient home, and used the money to buy a house or something similar.

As for why she would not simply transfer the money directly to the patients’ families, it was because there were too many of them. If a patient decided to use the money to support their family and gave up treatment, Xia Zui would never be able to keep track of everything.

It would be better to transfer the entire sum to the hospital director at once and sign a donation agreement with him.

Xia Zui dictated the terms of the agreement, while the director would have someone draft it. They could then sign it online.

After ending the call, the director began compiling a list of seriously ill patients’ families in need of assistance.

Xia Zui continued waiting.

Meanwhile, the female streamers who had previously received gifts from her began chatting in a group.

[Cola: Xiaxia didn’t come to my livestream yesterday.]

[Softsoft: She didn’t come to mine either.]

[Celine: She didn’t come watch me dance, either.]

[Ameng: Some viewers in my livestream said that Xiaxia sent a huge number of gifts to a patient early yesterday morning, and then never came online again.]

[Softsoft: What?]

[Cola: Which livestream? I’ll go take a look.]

[Ameng: xxxxxx]

Cola had created the group. In her view, since they were all female streamers whom Xiaxia liked, they should support one another and work together for mutual success.

After creating the group, Cola also discovered that all the female streamers Xiaxia liked had excellent temperaments and personalities.

They all liked Xiaxia as well, so they often chatted in the group and helped one another attract followers.

Ameng, who had originally had the fewest fans, had begun to gain momentum too.

After all, Ameng was very pretty, and her sleep-aid streams were especially good. She had simply never had a chance to stand out before.

Cola took a look at the livestream in question and discovered that it had only been active for one day. The channel was called A Cat, and it had no recorded broadcasts.

Cola quietly followed the account, intending to invite A Cat into the group once it followed her back.

But was A Cat ill?

She had no idea. She decided to wait a couple of days and see.

At the hospital, meanwhile, everyone was extremely busy. The nurses went from family to family, asking about those suffering from serious illnesses who needed assistance.

Those who had been borrowing money everywhere because they could not afford treatment all learned that a woman named Ms. Xia was going to donate money to help them.

They were overcome with gratitude.

On Kangping Road, in an old apartment building, an elderly man sat on a sofa. Before him, a woman knelt on the floor.

“Dad, I’m begging you. Dad, please…”

The woman was named Song Yuexi. She was twenty-six years old, unmarried, and had an unstable job.

The man was named Song Zhengtu, and he was already sixty. His wife had died of illness many years earlier, leaving only the two of them to depend on each other.

Song Yuexi, her hair tied in a ponytail, knelt on the floor and clutched her father’s aged hand. “Dad, please go get treated. I’m begging you…”

“I’m begging you…”

She pressed her forehead against her father’s hand, tears streaming down her face.

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She had never imagined that illness would come so suddenly. When her father suddenly fainted, Song Yuexi had taken him to the hospital at once. After examining him, the doctors diagnosed him with heart failure.

Without a heart transplant, merely treating the symptoms of the heart failure would cost at least two hundred thousand.

But the family could produce only a few tens of thousands at most. Song Zhengtu had taken the medical report and left the hospital without saying a word.

He did not want treatment. There was only one daughter in the family—if he underwent treatment, how much more would she have to bear?

Besides, he was already sixty. How many years could he have left?

Why burden his daughter with hundreds of thousands in debt just to prolong his life for a few more years?

It was not worth it.

Song Yuexi’s tears fell onto the sofa as she pleaded desperately. “Dad, you’re my only family in this world. I’m begging you, I’m begging you.”

“Let’s go to the hospital and get you treated, all right? I can earn money. I really can.”

By the end, her words had become indistinct.

Song Zhengtu closed his eyes and stroked his daughter’s head with his other hand. He opened his mouth, and after a long while finally managed to say, “Don’t treat it. I know my own body. It’s nothing serious.”

Song Yuexi shook her head violently. She truly could not bear to lose another loved one. Her father was the only family she had left in this world.

If he left her too, she would have no idea how to go on living.

Song Yuexi began sobbing loudly. “Go get treated! You have to get treated! If you won’t, then I won’t live either!”

She knelt on the floor. Though she had been working for several years, at that moment she seemed like a helpless child, desperately begging her father to listen to her.

“Ring… ring…”

The telephone rang. Song Yuexi sniffled, wiped away her tears, and picked up her phone. The caller ID clearly displayed the name of the hospital.

She answered, her voice still thick with tears, her vision blurred. “Hello?”

“Hello? May I ask if this is Song Zhengtu?” The voice on the other end was clear and bright.

Song Yuexi nodded. “I’m his daughter. Is something wrong?”

The nurse hurriedly explained, “We understand that you brought Song Zhengtu to the hospital for an examination a few days ago.”

“You ultimately gave up on treatment because of the cost, is that correct?”

“Our hospital is about to receive a donation from a Ms. Xia. The money is intended to help families with seriously ill patients. We would like to ask whether your father is still willing to receive treatment.”

“If he is, we will submit your family’s name and the specific medical expenses required. The donation will cover the cost of treatment.”

As Song Yuexi listened, her sobs gradually quieted. Between hiccups, she said, “We are willing. We’re willing!”

“Very well. We recommend that you bring your father to the hospital for surgery and treatment the day after tomorrow.”

“Goodbye, and we wish you a pleasant life.”

The call ended, but Song Yuexi suddenly began laughing and crying at once.

“Dad, you can get treated now. Someone kind has donated money to the hospital. The doctor just called and said they’ve submitted our name.”

“It won’t cost us anything, Dad. Go get treated. Please get treated…”

She smiled through her tears as she continued begging him.

Song Zhengtu looked at his daughter’s tear-streaked face and silently wept. At last, as though surrendering, he said, “We’ll do it.”

That was all he managed to say. Song Yuexi finally broke down completely. With her mouth open, she held her father tightly and wept soundlessly.

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