Chapter Five: Thanks to My Mother-in-Law for the Windfall

“3…”
“2…”
“1…”

With the system’s excited countdown coming to an end, Wang Xiulian’s stomach began to grumble loudly.

The heaviness in her abdomen intensified, as if something was twisting and churning inside her.

A dull, crushing pain hit her, making it hard to breathe, followed by countless tiny spasms beneath her skin that tightened and released incessantly.

The ward was engulfed in dead silence.

The elderly patient in the neighboring bed breathed deeply and slowly, while the caregivers’ rhythmic snores sounded unusually loud in the stillness.

Wang Xiulian bit her lower lip hard, trying to summon strength to control her rebellious body.

But her legs and feet felt as soft as cotton, utterly powerless.

A sudden, piercing pain shot through her lower back, causing her to grunt softly as she collapsed heavily back onto the bed.

The turbulent sensation in her belly surged into a raging torrent, threatening to burst through any barrier.

Panic instantly clogged her throat. Her fingers scrambled blindly along the edge of the bed until she finally found her only hope—the nurse call button.

She pressed it hard, once, twice, rapidly and urgently.

A faint creak sounded from the door hinge as the night shift nurse’s figure was illuminated by the hallway light.

“Auntie? Are you feeling unwell?” The voice was gentle, soft, full of warmth.

“Quick! Help me to the bathroom!” The trembling voice drained of all strength, no longer a command like before but a desperate plea.

The nurse glanced at the empty caregiver’s chair and carefully supported her arm. “Do you want to go to the bathroom? I’ll help you.”

Just as her toes touched the floor and she was about to steady herself—

“Pfft—!!!”

A loud, unabashed sound of flatulence abruptly shattered the ward’s quiet.

Wang Xiulian’s face flushed fiery red; shame flushed through her mind—

Then a warm liquid burst out uncontrollably! It trickled down the inside of her thigh, instantly soaking through the thin hospital pants, dripping steadily onto the cold, smooth floor, spreading into a small wet patch.

A strong, sour, foul stench quickly filled the air.

“Plop! Plop~”

The motion-activated hallway lights were startled awake by the sharp sound; along with the light, other patients and caregivers in the ward stirred from sleep.

The light spilled in clearly, illuminating the wet stain on the floor and Wang Xiulian’s suddenly pale face.

That odor swiftly infiltrated every corner of the room, invading the nostrils of those just roused.

Hands covered mouths; panicked glances exchanged like lashes, mercilessly whipping at her dignity.

“Quick… help me go…”

Her voice trembled fiercely, her throat tightened as if gripped by an invisible hand.

The nurse quickly steadied her, and the two staggered toward the bathroom.

Her legs felt like noodles, each step laborious.

Behind them came rustling noises, whispers of complaint, hurried footsteps retreating down the corridor.

Those gazes stabbed into her back like needles, making her wish she could vanish instantly.

“Get out! All of you, leave!!” She suddenly shook off the nurse’s hand, her voice hoarse and alien.

Tears mixed with cold sweat rolled down, bitter and salty.

The nurse’s face shifted as she looked at the spreading wetness on the floor, then she swiftly turned to rouse the night doctor.

Wang Xiulian practically collapsed into the bathroom, sitting down hard on the toilet as her strength drained completely.

“Pfft—boom!!”

A muffled explosion echoed. The hallway’s motion sensor lights flicked on in response, casting a dim yellow glow through the crack beneath the door, lighting her ghostly pale face.

Patients from other rooms were startled awake by the sudden noise, rising to investigate.

What followed was a deluge, like a flash flood.

She gripped the edge of the toilet tightly, listening to the water roar in the confined space, her stomach churning as though it would empty every organ inside her.

Each wave of cramping pain deepened her despair, as if her body no longer belonged to her—only humiliation and helplessness remained.

The on-duty doctor and nurse switched on the ward lights and, faced with the chaotic scene, felt utterly defeated.

Upon entering, they saw Wang Xiulian trembling, drenched in sweat. The doctor quickly called for backup and began preparing potassium supplements and anti-diarrheal medication.

Several doctors and nurses from other departments arrived to assist, starting to clean up, occasionally knocking on the door to check on Wang Xiulian and kindly ask if she needed help.

Outside, the mop scraped repeatedly across the floor, but the sharp smell of disinfectant could not mask the sour stench lingering in the bathroom.

She sat there like an empty shell, hearing her dignity being flushed away down the drain.

“Pfft~ Hahahahaha!!”

Watching this through the screen, Wen Yan couldn’t help but burst into laughter, startling the nurse in charge to rush in and ask what was going on.

Even the system had to admit admiration for Wen Yan—definitely not someone to cross, especially since he had medical knowledge.

“Revenge on Wang Xiulian successful. Reward: 3% task progress,” the system announced again.

“Congratulations, host, on completing the novice test and successfully advancing. Stay tuned for double rewards.” After speaking, several mystery boxes appeared on the screen in front of Wen Yan.

Wen Yan glanced left and right before finally choosing the pink box in the center, simply because he liked the color.

With a flash, two options appeared on the screen: “Sudden Windfall” and “Fertility Capsule.”

“Host, pick one. Which do you need?” the system asked expectantly, awaiting Wen Yan’s answer.

“Sudden Windfall!!!” Without hesitation or second thought, he chose—any delay would be disrespectful to such a windfall.

“Host, have you thought this through? The female lead is in poor health. If you take the Fertility Capsule, you could have your own child to keep the male lead and humiliate Liu Yanyan,” the system warned with concern.

“Please, is infertility such a terrible thing? Besides, that male lead is almost a pseudo-person now. Why would I want to have his child to keep his heart? That’s like reusing someone’s used sanitary pad!” Wen Yan expressed his disdain for Li Jingyan with every word.

The system wanted to say more but respected Wen Yan’s choice and granted him the “Sudden Windfall”: “You should know what financial blessing arrives by tomorrow.”

Wen Yan folded his hands and silently wished for more wealth, drifting gradually into sleep.

Meanwhile, Wang Xiulian’s situation was far from peaceful. Because the cleaning lady didn’t rest at night, and all the available interns from nearby departments were sent down to clean up the mess, they spent two hours scrubbing the place. Other patients covered their noses as they entered the ward.

The doctor supplemented potassium to prevent dehydration while the nurses busily prepared and changed medications all night. As dawn arrived, the medical staff finally welcomed the morning, and Wang Xiulian regained some strength.

She pulled out her phone to call Li Jingyan, but no one answered. With no other option, she found a doctor early in the morning to arrange discharge, packed her things, and quietly left the hospital.

Having lived half a lifetime, she had now made a public embarrassment. At this moment, she no longer cared about her back pain; she just wanted to leave this place quickly.

After a busy night shift, the on-duty doctors and nurses sat on the floor of the nurse station, comforting each other and waiting for the relief staff to arrive and save their lives.

As the morning shift began, two cleaning ladies came in with their tools. Liu Yanyan was woken up by their noise.

Still wanting to maintain her image as a considerate person, she bit her teeth and forced herself to sleep, not allowing herself to lose her temper.

“You know, that girl collapsed as soon as she came out. She must have hit her head. There was also a man carried out on a stretcher; he’s in terrible shape. That poor girl must be seriously hurt.”

“Yeah, I was scared stiff by the elevator’s toppling sound yesterday!” The two cleaners grew more animated, completely forgetting Liu Yanyan was still resting on her bed.

“But even when she fainted, the girl insisted on delivering lunch to her mother-in-law. Near death, she was still worried her mother-in-law would go hungry.”

“My goodness, really? That mother-in-law must be so lucky to have such a daughter-in-law!” The cleaners’ envy caught Liu Yanyan’s attention.

“Ha! That’s Wang Xiulian in bed 99, on the fifth floor. You know her, right? Terrible temper!” The ladies quickly gossiped.

“She reported me three times a day! She even demanded I wash her shoes. Good heavens, I’m blind to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law.”

“Tell me about it. Now the poor girl is alone on the top floor, not even a caregiver with her.” The cleaners sighed in sympathy, and soon the ward was fully cleaned.

What Liu Yanyan heard was a jumble of words: [Almost died], [Mother-in-law called Wang Xiulian], [Severe injuries]...

The summary: Qing Wenyan was injured!!!

Hearing such good news, he had no mind to sleep, hurriedly tidied himself up, and rushed off to find Qing Wenyan.