Chapter 196 - Nothing's Worth Losing Ying (2)
Li Chuntao opened her eyes, but there was no need to rush out of bed. Today was her day off as well as her and Ying\'s twenty-eight birthday. For the first time in her life, she was going to celebrate her birthday truly alone, not even a wish from her twin anymore.
\'Ying, why did you have to leave me so soon?\'
She stretched lazily and got out of bed, shuffling over the calendar on the bedside table, mentally counting the days since her twin sister departed from this world. Her heart nearly broke just thinking of the old days they\'d come together to celebrate their birthdays.
She yearned to hear Ying\'s voice again. To hear her laugh, to see her smile, but Li Chuntao knew that she could only see it to the previous recordings her twin sister left for her.
Taking her phone to see if she received mails, she read a short message from Shen Zichen reminding her not to skip breakfast and not to worry about the birthday party later as her Auntie Yue had taken over the preparations and she only needed to rest for now.
She sent him a good morning voicemail and let him know that she intends to relax today after weeks of being drowned with paperwork.
After a quick shower, she threw on a pair of denim jeans and a white shirt. It was almost seven in the morning, meaning her husband had left before the sun rose, again.
If it wasn\'t for meeting the private investigator later, Li Chuntao would\'ve stayed in bed today. Lucky for her, Shen Zichen prepared her breakfast ahead so she wouldn\'t have to waste time preparing her meal.
Satisfied with her meal, Li Chuntao grabbed her keys and phone, calling Su Ling\'s number telling him to wait at the parking space. After locking the door behind her, she checked for Shen Zichen\'s reply but there was none. He might still be in that major surgery he was invited to scrub in.
She and Su Ling went to the small coffee shop near Shen Zichen\'s place. It was far too expensive, but it was to Li Chuntao\'s liking. A table had already been reserved for her so she wouldn\'t have to wait in line.
The brew was good, although the decor of the place wasn\'t to her liking. It pained her slightly to be in the place. The dark wooden walls didn\'t go well with the leather seats.
The white gold and diamond watch on her wrist told her that she was ten minutes early for the meeting, nevertheless, she took this time to sort out her plans.
Barely ten minutes later, the private investigator walked in. Despite being in his late fifties, the man aged well. His body was still fit underneath his gray suit and his hair barely had any silver streaks on it.
He paused and looked around for her. When he saw her, Li Chuntao raised a manicured hand in greeting. She noticed his leather shoes were actually shinier than the polished hardwood floor of the cafe.
"Miss Li," he paused as if he remembered something. "Madam Shen, have you been waiting long?" He asked. The public was still speculating if she truly married Shen Zichen but for someone like him, it was easy to tell the truth from the rumors.
Li Chuntao hid her smile behind her cup before placing it down the saucer with a clunk.
"No, I just arrived a little earlier. Please take a seat," she gestured across her.
The man pushed a manila envelope towards her, catching her attention. Li Chuntao eyed it for a moment before glancing back to his face. Without further ado, she opened it and checked the contents.
Inside, there were several pictures of Lin Meirong and Yao Qigang, dated months before Ying\'s accident. It also showed the money transactions that went through Yao Qigang. The trail ended with a withdrawal outside the capital.
"You did well," she finally said as she returned the contents into the envelope. "Where is she now?"
"Three cities outside the capital. One of my people spotted her going to a local hospital and got herself admitted." The man informed her.
Li Chuntao kept her silence and let him continue.
"It seems like she has cancer. After her biopsy, she was confined at the hospital and hasn\'t been discharged until now."
"A cancer, huh," Li Chuntao rubbed her chin as she gave it a thought. How befitting as a punishment for the woman who killed her twin sister. If this was the way the heavens wanted to tell her not to taint her hands for revenge, then she\'ll just wait and see how Lin Meirong\'s fate would turn later.
"How bad is it?" She inquired. She had been slacking off with her revenge plans lately, but she never thought that Lin Meirong would be unfortunate to suffer like this.
"According to her medical chart, it is bad. The cancer cells have metastasized to her internal organs at an alarming rate. Her recent pregnancy might have triggered it."
Li Chuntao hummed. If the cancer cells had already metastasized, that could also mean that Lin Meirong would be up for a much greater pain later.
If the pain is from the cancer itself, it can be from the cancer growing into or destroying Lin Meirong\'s nearby tissue. As a tumor grows, it can press on nerves, bones or organs. The tumor can also release chemicals that can cause pain to her.
She wasn\'t a person who wishes harm to others, but this time, Li Chuntao couldn\'t help but think that Lin Meirong\'s karma just bit her hard in the ass. Ying\'s life would never return no matter how Lin Meirong tried to regret and repent for her sins.
Remembering the last moments Ying had suffered before her untimely death still made Li Chuntao\'s blood boil with rage. Whatever suffering Lin Meirong had to face later would never be enough.
Noticing the sudden coldness in her eyes, the man sitting across her cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Sorry, I spaced out," Li Chuntao apologized.
This sudden turn of events had caught her off guard. Tonight, she was about to push Yao Qigang to insanity and haven\'t given a thought on how she would deal with Lin Meirong.
Li Chuntao took a sip of her coffee, processing this new information. She kept the thought to herself and wondered if she should discuss this with her husband later. Shen Zichen would certainly want to hear the details.
"Did the doctor say how much time she has left?" She folded her arms. Lin Meirong might die anytime soon.
The man shook his head, wondering what Li Chuntao could be thinking right now. It seemed that she was determined to spite the other woman no matter where Lin Meirong went.
"No. Do we still need to keep an eye on her?" He asked. If Lin Meirong was really dying, then what\'s the point of following her around? It would only take some time before she succumbed to death and Li Chuntao didn\'t need to do anything.
After thanking and exchanging some words with the private investigator, Li Chuntao left the cafe with Su Ling, but before she could slip inside the backseat of her car, Su Ling\'s words made her still.
"Miss Chuntao, Hou Chen called earlier. She wants me to tell you that Song Zexi finally woke up."
Her gaze sharpened. Since the car accident, Song Zexi, Ying\'s personal bodyguard had slipped into a coma.. None of them had thought that she would be able to wake up until now.