After being dragged by his daughter for a medical check-up, Lin Guochuan had been uneasy, barely sleeping that night and even having a nightmare.
The next morning, he woke up feeling slightly better and was about to start planning home renovations when the hospital called.
The doctor informed him that a significant shadow had been detected in his lungs and urged him to return for further tests immediately.
Though the call mentioned ruling out tumors, the mere mention of lung cancer terrified Lin Guochuan.
He initially planned to go alone without telling his family, but his restless demeanor tipped off Lin Youxi. After pressing him, she learned the truth and insisted on accompanying him—this time bringing Mei Fang and Liang Meijuan along.
Xia Yuan had wanted to come too, but Lin Youxi gently declined, saying Mei Fang’s presence was enough. Xia Yuan fussing over them might draw unnecessary attention.
Lin Youxi wasn’t the type to suffer in silence or hide things from her stepmother. To her, family hardships should be faced together.
In the waiting area outside the consultation room, Lin Guochuan sat numbly while Liang Meijuan paced anxiously.
Not usually one for religion, she now clutched a jade Buddha pendant, murmuring prayers under her breath.
Lin Youxi and Mei Fang sat slightly apart. Though outwardly calm, her grip on Mei Fang’s hand betrayed her tension.
She was barely holding it together.
Mei Fang gently reassured her, “Don’t assume the worst. Lung shadows aren’t always cancer—it could just be nodules.”
“But I looked it up… nodules can be precursors to cancer.”
“Dr. Baidu isn’t reliable. No matter what, YuanYuan and I will be here with you.”
Lin Youxi nodded slightly, squeezing his hand tighter.
When Lin Guochuan was called in, the family followed.
After reviewing the CT scans and hearing about his years in construction, the doctor’s expression turned grave:
“The shadow is sizable with irregular borders. We’ll need an enhanced CT for clarity.”
Liang Meijuan trembled as she asked, “Doctor… how likely is it to be cancer?”
“Further tests are needed, but even if it is, it appears early-stage with high survival rates. Staying positive is key to recovery.”
The word “cancer” nearly made Liang Meijuan faint. Mei Fang steadied her as she pleaded tearfully,
“My husband has suffered so much… He just started catching a break… Please, you must save him…”
The doctor, accustomed to such scenes, replied evenly, “We’ll do our best. But don’t despair prematurely.”
After settling Liang Meijuan in the waiting area, Lin Guochuan emerged with test forms.
“We need to schedule the enhanced CT first—”
“Uncle Lin, let me handle this.”
Mei Fang took the papers. “Aunt Meijuan needs you right now. I’ll run the errands.”
“Thank you…”
Mei Fang expedited the process, securing a same-day CT slot. With results pending for 48 hours, the family returned home.
Liang Meijuan was visibly shaken—so much that Lin Youxi regretted bringing her.
But this was human nature when facing grave illness. Mei Fang, having died suddenly in his past life, couldn’t fathom his parents’ grief.
No one blamed Lin Guochuan for neglecting his health, yet he admitted ruefully on the way back:
“I’ll quit my job tomorrow and rest until the results come.”
“Wait for the results first—”
“Regardless… if it is cancer, we shouldn’t waste money on treatment—”
“What nonsense!“
Lin Youxi’s roar silenced the street. The tension lingered until they got home, with Mei Fang trying to lighten the mood and Liang Meijuan retreating to cook.
Lin Youxi, refusing to speak to her father, followed her stepmother to the kitchen, leaving Mei Fang and Lin Guochuan alone in the living room.
After a moment, Lin Guochuan suddenly led Mei Fang outside—
And knelt before him.
Mei Fang panicked. “Uncle Lin! Get up—!”
This’ll shorten my lifespan!
“I know this is selfish… but I have to say it now, while I still can.”
Lin Guochuan clutched Mei Fang’s arm desperately, his voice low and trembling.
“You know… I’ve never been a capable man. Youxi suffered so much growing up with me, and Meijuan never had an easy life either. My greatest wish was to give them a better future—that’s why I kept chasing money, even after you told me we had enough…”
“Though I know you’re with YuanYuan now… I beg you, for the sake of all those years you’ve shared with Youxi, please watch over them both. This is my final request as a failing father.”
“Especially Youxi. She’s… my greatest worry in this world. Stubborn since childhood, I doubt anyone but you and YuanYuan can truly reach her heart anymore.”
When Lin Guochuan looked up, his bloodshot eyes held no tears—just the raw despair of a middle-aged man facing his limits.
“If even you two were to abandon her… she’d be utterly alone.”
“I’m useless. You lack nothing I could offer. So I swallow my shame to ask this of you.”
“Uncle Lin, you didn’t even need to ask.” Mei Fang met his gaze unflinchingly. “Youxi is family—we’ll never let her go. I swear this.”
“Good… that’s good…”
“Please stand. This isn’t right.”
As Mei Fang helped him up, he added gently, “Preparing for the worst is understandable, but it’s not time yet. Some things… only a father can give his daughter.”
“…You’re right.”
Lin Guochuan gripped Mei Fang’s shoulders. “Tell Youxi I’ll fight even if it’s cancer. And… I’m sorry for those hopeless words earlier.”
“She should hear that from you directly—just as she regrets shouting at you.” Mei Fang smiled wryly. “You’re equally stubborn, after all.”
Right, Youxi?
His gaze drifted to the faint shadow by the doorway.
After ushering Lin Guochuan inside, Mei Fang found Lin Youxi waiting in the courtyard—where she immediately collapsed into his arms, trembling fingers twisting his shirtfront.
“Family hardships should be faced together.”
Yet without Mei Fang, she wouldn’t know how.
“A-Fang… I can’t lose him too…”
Her whisper shattered against his chest. “Not again…”
“I know.”
He cradled her gently, stroking her back—just as he’d done during every rare moment of vulnerability since childhood.
“Youxi… you have a father who loves you so much.”
Holding her now, he thought of the Lin Youxi from his past life. After losing both her mother and closest friend, her overworked but devoted father might have been her sole anchor.
How could she have gone on living if even he was taken?
Parents leave us someday—this is life’s inevitability.
But most wish to depart without regrets, having seen their children find happiness.
Not necessarily through grandchildren or legacy—no longer society’s default expectation.
Simply knowing they’ll have companionship… or the strength to stand alone.
That alone lets them rest in peace.
The final diagnosis came back as benign pulmonary nodules—far from cancer, though requiring annual monitoring. If growth continued, minimally invasive surgery might eventually be needed.
For now, the crisis had passed.
Yet the scare changed Lin Guochuan. He resigned from his decades-long job to focus on home renovations (handling the hazardous materials himself while recruiting helpers for the heavy work).
Lin Youxi convinced Liang Meijuan to return permanently, seizing this chance to rebuild their marriage after years apart.
As for the trio?
Did they still need caretakers?
Not really.
They’d learned to take care of each other.
Orangest MTL 
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