After dinner, Yu, following their usual routine, would communicate work matters and synchronize information with Yan on a weekly basis. During these phone conversations, Tang Mingtuo would also sit by and participate, supplementing or answering Yan's questions as needed. After synchronizing the information, both Yu and Tang Mingtuo would inquire about Chong MingDe's situation.
Due to Yan's control over the information, neither Yu nor Tang Mingtuo knew the true condition of Chong MingDe. All they knew was that Chong MingDe had returned to Yan's side due to health issues and was undergoing treatment by Yan. Every time they visited Chong MingDe before, he remained in a coma. Yan explained that Chong MingDe's "condition" was due to accumulated physical problems from living alone for all these years, and that the combination of various illnesses made treatment difficult.
"But it's okay. I have been gradually helping him recover and he will gradually recover in about a month," Yan previously concluded.
"Has Mingde woken up these days?" Yu asked Yan over the phone, with the call on speaker so that both she and Tang Mingtuo could hear.
"Yes, he woke up once yesterday," Yan answered.
"He also asked about the two of you, how you both are doing, as he hasn't seen you in a long time," Yan continued.
Upon hearing this, Tang Mingtuo felt confused. The Chong MingDe he knew was cold and wouldn't say such affectionate words. Could it be that his illness had changed his temperament? Tang Mingtuo recalled an ominous saying: "A bird's mournful cry when facing death; a dying person's pleasant words."
This statement wasn't appropriate to say out loud, especially with Yu present.
"How did you respond to him?" Yu didn't suspect anything, she was just anxious to know about Yan's situation.
"I told Mingde that both of you are doing well. You had visited him many times before, but unfortunately, he was always in a deep sleep and couldn't meet you," Yan explained.
"Then let's go see him tomorrow," Yu couldn't contain her excitement at finally getting the chance to see Chong MingDe awake.
"It's alright, you can continue with your usual cycle. Mingde is still very unstable. After waking up, he went back to sleep. Even if you come back tomorrow, the chances of him being awake are not high. It would be better to wait a few more days for him to recover further before coming back," Yan calmly said, without revealing any suspicious intention in tone or choice of words.
Neither Yu nor Tang Mingtuo were suspicious, because they both knew how much Yan loved Chong MingDe and couldn't possibly imagine that Yan would do anything harmful to him. Since childhood, the three of them, Yu, Tang Mingtuo, and Chong MingDe, had grown up following Yan. Among the three, Chong MingDe was the most talented and favored by Yan in terms of academics, arts, and sports. Yan's affection for Chong MingDe was so exaggerated that there was a period of time when Yu even disliked Chong MingDe because he took away her grandfather's love and favoritism.
However, Chong MingDe's personality has never been sociable since childhood. He is rebellious and unruly. Even though Yan has shown him various forms of affection and privilege, Chong MingDe never really felt close to Yan.
Instead, as they grew older, Tang Mingtuo and Yu started to reveal their respective talents, capturing Chong MingDe's attention. He began to see Tang Mingtuo and Yu as competitors, and through their competition, their relationship gradually improved. Eventually, the three of them became inseparable.
Everyone saw them as the future core successors of Yan's influence and believed that they would soon take on important positions. However, Chong MingDe suddenly left the organization without informing anyone.
"Well, then in a few days, Mingtuo and I will go back to see him," Yu replied with a tone full of helplessness and disappointment.
