Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s Chapter 2373 - 2309: A Bit Softhearted

Noticing that Old Meng remained a touch confused, she forced a gentle smile onto her face.

"Didn't I start calling you Dad earlier? So..."

Old Meng grew thrilled in an instant, "Little one, does that mean you see us as your family now?"

"Yes."

Chiang Xiao felt a lump in her throat, struggling to get more words out.

In the past, she had been so cold-hearted, likely staying unmoved in moments like these since she often pushed aside the hardships and betrayals from her previous life.

She never forgot the promise she swore after her rebirth—no more excessive kindness, no more letting her heart go soft.

That's exactly how she'd behaved these last few years.

But why was her resolve weakening at this moment?

Could it be because she finally had a father figure?

Recalling Ah Liu's tender nature, Chiang Xiao found speaking a little easier.

"Grandpa, I'll make sure to send the potion home often. I saw that Dad's chemo isn't helping much—maybe we should give my potion another shot. What do you say?"

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Go with your remedy, yours, it's the best!"

Old Meng exclaimed with fervor, spinning away.

Chiang Xiao acted as if she hadn't noticed him brushing away his tears.

As she turned, her eyes landed on Ding Haijing, who sat nearby, gazing at her with a peculiar look.

Ding Haijing truly unsettled her in a subtle way.

Yet Meng Xinian had vouched for his reliability.

To be frank, without Meng Xinian's strong reassurances, she would've kept her defenses up against Ding Haijing.

Before long, the doctor pushed open the door and approached them.

"Old Meng."

"Doctor Xu, what's the update?"

Thankfully, this on-call physician, Doctor Xu, had become somewhat known to Old Meng by now.

From their casual exchange, Chiang Xiao realized Meng Chaojun must have been rushed to the hospital multiple times.

True enough, Doctor Xu explained: "I warned Alliance Officer Meng last visit that hospitalization was the wisest choice given his condition, but he flat-out declined. The scans today look grim—there's evidence of progression, so admission is essential."

Old Meng staggered slightly, but Chiang Xiao was quick to steady him firmly.

"Hasn't he stuck with chemotherapy this whole period?" she inquired.

"And who's she?" Doctor Xu eyed Chiang Xiao. He didn't know her face, only that she'd never appeared here before, sparking his interest in her tie to the family.

"She's..." Old Meng shot a look at Chiang Xiao.

He paused, reluctant to presume and disclose her role outright.

Chiang Xiao's temperament was fierce; she'd only just committed to supplying medicine for Meng Chaojun regularly. One wrong phrase could sour the fragile bond they'd rebuilt.

Chiang Xiao picked up on his reluctance, feeling a bead of sweat form.

Was she truly coming across as so overbearing?

"The patient's my father-in-law—I'm Jiang Xiao." Chiang Xiao aimed to shift her name's pronunciation starting with Doctor Xu, yet since Jiang and Chiang sounded alike, no one caught on.

Ah, so that's her...

Doctor Xu grasped it at once.

Hadn't rumors claimed Meng Chaojun's ties with his son and prospective daughter-in-law were strained?

Clearly, that wasn't the reality here?

"Young Lady Meng," he called her right away.

Chiang Xiao felt another drop of sweat.

Why did that form of address strike her as so off-putting?

She had no idea Doctor Xu hailed from a noble lineage too, where formal titles like that were the norm, far from the comrade-style greetings he wasn't accustomed to.

"Let me lay it out: for an ailment like this, chemo doesn't promise full eradication or containment of the rogue cells—we hope for the best, yet decline has set in, rendering the old regimen ineffective. We'll convene for a fresh review and craft an updated strategy."