Unexpected Second Chance at Love

While the couple enjoyed dinner with their subordinates and the Liu siblings, in another part of  Imperial, a little white fur ball was curled in his comfy warm bed.

Inu laid down on his stomach with his head resting on his paws. He stares at the opened door, and every time he hears footsteps, his ears would perk up.

He raised his head and wagged his tail in excitement. However, as the footsteps passed the door, his ears dropped.

It was only a nurse.

He sounds a faint whimper and puts his head on his paws again.

Grandfather Ji sat up on the hospital bed with a newspaper in his hand.

He sees Inu's behavior from the corners of his eyes and lowers the paper.

"Inu, I'm sorry you have to be here with me. You must want to go home."

It's been a long while since the little guy stayed with him. Ji Jingxu often came to visit and keeps Inu distracted, but one thing is clear.

He (Inu) misses his favorite human.

Grandfather Ji knew this because the little guy always looks around when he hears someone's footsteps. However, the person was never the one he had been waiting for.

Inu loots up at Grandfather Ji. like he understood the old man's words, he gets up from his bed and jumps onto the bed.

He curls up near the old man's feet and places his head on Grandfather Ji's legs.

"Aiya..."

Grandfather Ji was touched by this and reached forward to pat the white fur ball's head.

"You want to go home but are being considerate of me."

He lightly chuckles and looks at the door to the private room he was admitted.

"Once I get Doctor Dong's approval, we will leave here together."

After he met Lu Tian for lunch, his health deteriorated. He had no choice but to remain cooped up in Imperial Military Hospital.

He stares at Inu and sighs inside as he thinks about a phone call he had received.

"It seems people are finding trouble for her again..."

Chief Ren had informed him of the situation regarding the Qin and Chen family.

It is natural for Madam Qin to react the way she did as the incident involved her only child. However, to shift the blame onto someone innocent is irrelevant.

He thought about the ill-manner treatment his granddaughter and Lin Hui had to endure, and rage swam inside him.

"I am not dead yet, and they dare to cross the line."

He may be in the hospital due to his poor health, but he is still alive. Lin Hui may not be his flesh and blood, but the boy is still a son to him. 

If the Qin and Chen family think it will be easy to take down his granddaughter, they are overestimating themselves.

"They will pay for messing with the wrong family."

* beep beep beep beep

Just as his last word fell, a continuous loud beeping sound rang from his heart monitor.

He jumps up in surprise and glares at the machine like it is his mortal enemy.

"Oh my God, will you shut it!"

He reached over to hit the machine but paused mid-air when he heard multiple footsteps from outside his room.

"Here we go again."

He exhales and stares at the door. He sees Doctor Dong and five nurses frantically rushing into the room.

"Old man, what are you doing?!"

Doctor Dong roared with intense anger when he saw Grandfather Ji. He strides to bed to check the old man's heartbeat then the monitor.

He sighs in relief when he sees the heart rate return to normal.

"Good grief. Are you trying to give everyone at the hospital a heart attack?"

He wipes away any sweat on his forehead and turns to the nurses.

"He's stabilized. You all may leave."

The nurses also sighed in relief. They did as told and left the room to check on other patients.

Doctor Dong waited until the room was quiet, then looked at Grandfather Ji with eyes so deadly they could kill a person.

"Old man, are you trying to leave this world already? Didn't I tell you to watch your emotions. Any minor mishap and..."

He swallows his words as he is unable to finish and rubs his forehead. He pulls a chair from the side and takes a seat.

"What is it this time? What got under your skin?"

Ever since Grandfather Ji had been admitted into the hospital, his temper seemed to increase drastically. It also caused multiple false alarms that whitened his hair more each passing day.

Grandfather Ji remained frozen in his current position. He chuckles with sarcasm and turns into a child who had been caught red-handed.

"Uh... heh. You see, I have a perfectly good reason for being angry."

He sarcastically chuckles again and leans back on the bed but makes sure to do it quietly as not to disturb Inu's sleep.

His expression turned grave, and he looked at his good friend of many years.

"Qin and Chen family."

Doctor Dong furrows his eyebrows. He has heard about both families but isn't acquainted with them.

He never met the Chen family but did encounter the Qin family when Qin Xue was brought in for a check-up after her kidnap incident.

His frown deepens, and he looks at his good friend.

"When do you ever involve yourself in other family's business?"

Grandfather Ji's eyes darkened at the question. The intense aura of his strong and mighty General side protruded throughout the room.

"Only when it involves my family."

Hearing this, Doctor Dong was not lease bit shocked. He folds his arms over his chest and leans back on the chair.

His expression also turned severe as he was close to the old man's grandchildren.

"Yue Ling or Jingxu?"

"Ah Ling and Hui."

Grandfather Ji did not hesitate to answer. He knows that Doctor Dong's words regarding his health are correct. He can feel his health worsening each day.

However, he cannot continue to stay locked up in the hospital.

"When can I be discharged? My children need me by their side."

Doctor Dong stares in silence at his friend of many years. He could tell how severe the man was at this moment.

Others may think of it lightly, but Grandfather Ji will move heaven and earth for his family, especially his grandchildren.

He inhales a deep breath and exhales. His hand rubs his forehead again and he gives in.

"I'll see what I can do."

He stood up from his seat, but a serious look appeared on his face.

"But if anything happens to you, even in the slightest way, you are coming back here, even if I have to drag you back in handcuffs."

Grandfather Ji faintly smiles and pats Inu's head with gentleness.

"Thank you for understanding."

He was indeed thankful. His time is running out, and he wants to do everything in his power for Yue Ling, Ji Jingxu, and others who have become a big part of his life.

Doctor Dong walks away to leave the room but stops in his steps when he reaches the door. He turned back to look at Grandfather Ji and spoke.

"In consideration of our friendship, I understand why you are doing this. However, as your doctor, I hope you tell her soon."

His expression turned down-hearted, and his words continued.

"The more you stall time, it'll only hurt her more when you finally decide to tell her."

He ends his words and steps out of the room, leaving Grandfather Ji and the sleeping Inu alone.

As he walked away from the room and greeted the nurses as usual. He arrives at his office and enters.

He closes the door and walks over to the bookshelf in his office. He stares at the pictures on the shelf and reaches out to grab one.

It was an old picture of Grandfather Ji and him when they were young and dressed as soldiers.

His hand tightens its grip on the picture, and a choking sob escapes from him.

"Why... Why... Why..."

He knows as a doctor that everyone leaves this world one day. However, why is it that good people are always the ones to leave while the evil ones get to live.

As this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly laughed at himself but sobbed again. He is a doctor, and yet he is thinking of such things.

Unaware of the old man crying his heart out in the room. Grandfather Ji sat in silence in his room.

His head lowered as he stared at Inu, whose head was now resting on his lap.

"I know others are worried about me."

He pats the little guy's head, gently running his fingers through Inu's soft white fur.

"But I don't want to have any regrets. I want to protect my children while I am still breathing."

Inu awoke at the sadness underneath his calm voice. He looks up at his second favorite human and lightly nudge his head against the old man's palm.

His reaction was like he understood Grandfather Ji's words and made him (Grandfather Ji) chuckle with a bitter yet, heartfelt smile.

"See.... even you can sense that my time is nearing."