The vitality in Lin Xia's hand was gradually dissipating. Elder Lou pointed to her fingertips, which had already begun to turn faintly purple.
"Look at this," he said solemnly. "All five fingers are changing color."
Panic surged through Lin Xia as she stared at her hand in disbelief. "Elder Lou, you must have a solution, right? Nothing can happen to my right hand!"
Her voice was filled with desperation. As a businesswoman who had been climbing the ranks of the Lin family's empire, her right hand was her lifeline. If it became useless, she would not only suffer personal humiliation but would also lose her standing in the corporate world. The whispers behind her back would be unbearable.
"Ms. Lin, please calm down," Elder Lou reassured her. "For now, I'll prescribe an IV drip to stabilize your symptoms. However, I must be honest—I have never encountered a condition like this before. I'll need to consult with other medical experts and hospitals to see if anyone has dealt with a case similar to yours."
With that, Elder Lou took her X-rays and left the room. Shortly after, two nurses entered, carrying the IV stand and medication. They swiftly prepared Lin Xia's infusion, their faces betraying traces of unease.
Lying on the hospital bed, Lin Xia could feel her composure slipping. She clenched her left fist tightly, the only hand she could still move. "Sheng, do you think my hand will truly end up like Yang Mo said?"
Her heart was gripped with fear. She had fought so hard to rise within the Lin family, but now, all of her efforts could be undone by something as simple as losing the function of her dominant hand.
"I blame that disaster, Yang Mo!" she spat angrily. "Ever since he came back into our lives, nothing good has happened!"
Lin Sheng, standing beside her sister, hesitated before speaking. "Big sister, I really don't think Yang Mo is the cause of this."
Lin Xia turned her gaze to her younger sister, her expression skeptical. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it carefully," Lin Sheng urged. "If Yang Mo had poisoned you, the doctors would have found something in your system, right? But no one has been able to detect anything. That's way too strange."
Lin Xia's eyes narrowed. "So, what are you saying?"
"I think Yang Mo knew about your hand's condition in advance," Lin Sheng said firmly. "And given how accurately he predicted when it would happen, he probably knows the cure too. Poisoning is a crime—if he really wanted to harm someone, he'd have targeted our father or little Ke'er. Why would he specifically attack you?"
Lin Xia frowned, struggling to accept the logic. "So you're saying he knew something was wrong with my hand this whole time, and yet he never warned me?" Her voice grew angrier. "What kind of heartless person does that? If he knew the cure, why didn't he say anything earlier?!"
She seemed to have forgotten that she was the one who had dismissed him as a thief, a fraud, and unworthy of being her brother just a few days ago.
Lin Sheng let out a sigh, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Big sister, the priority now is saving your hand. Didn't Elder Lou say just now that your hand is losing vitality? If you wait too long, you might end up completely crippled."
Lin Xia bit her lip, her pride warring with her desperation.
"Big sister, we need to go to Yang Mo," Lin Sheng pressed. "I'll come with you."
For a long moment, Lin Xia remained silent, her jaw clenched. Finally, she exhaled sharply, nodding reluctantly. "Fine."
Meanwhile, in the Yang household, Yang Mo had woken up early. It was rare for him to sleep in, and today, he had intended to help his parents with the household chores. Strangely, however, they were nowhere to be found.
Feeling a little uneasy, he made himself a simple breakfast and ate alone at the table. Just as he was about to call his parents, the front door creaked open. Yang Qing entered first, carrying a large box, while Feng Dongmei followed closely behind, carefully balancing a beautifully decorated cake.
As soon as they spotted Yang Mo standing there, they both froze.
"Why are you up so early, Mo?" Feng Dongmei asked in a panic, her face darkening with disappointment.
She turned toward her husband and scolded him in a hushed whisper, "I told you to open the door quietly! Now you've ruined the surprise!"
"Honey, I was already being careful!" Yang Qing protested, looking equally guilty.
Yang Mo watched the exchange between his parents and suddenly realized the truth—they had gone out early to prepare a surprise for his birthday.
A lump formed in his throat. "Dad, Mom... thank you."
Despite being gone for so many years, they had never forgotten his birthday. His heart swelled with warmth.
He thought back to his birthdays in the Lin family. Not once had anyone truly celebrated him. If he was lucky, he'd get to eat leftover cake from Lin Ke'er's birthday. Gifts? Not even a thought.
But now, standing before him were two people who had gone out of their way to make him feel special.
Yang Qing placed the box in front of him and smiled. "These are new shoes, son. I noticed your old ones were getting worn out. Try them on and see if they fit."
Yang Mo opened the box, revealing a brand-new pair of shoes. He looked up at his parents, his vision blurring slightly. This was the warmth of family—the warmth he had longed for all these years.
For the first time in a long time, he felt truly at home.