Chapter 186: To Tell or Not to Tell

The next morning, as soon as Qin Miaoyu woke up, she ran into the housekeeper.

The warm greeting of "Madam" caught her completely off guard.

The housekeeper smiled kindly, "This is my first time seeing Madam here. You look even more stunning in person than in the photographs."

Qin Miaoyu was momentarily stunned. "What photographs?"

The housekeeper chuckled playfully, "Has Madam never been into the master bedroom? There are quite a few photos of you in there. That's why, even though I didn't know you, I recognized you right away."

Before Qin Miaoyu could reply, Lu Qi'an emerged from his room. Seeing the housekeeper, he instructed her to start preparing breakfast first.

As the housekeeper headed toward the kitchen, Lu Qi'an looked at Qin Miaoyu and wished her a good morning.

Curious, Qin Miaoyu asked, "How did the housekeeper still call me 'Madam' knowing we don't sleep in the same room?"

Lu Qi'an explained, "To avoid slipping up, I told her earlier that we prefer sleeping in separate rooms, so naturally, she wouldn't find it strange."

After breakfast, Lu Qi'an drove Qin Miaoyu to the hospital.

It was the same hospital as before, though this time she was moved to a more upscale and tranquil private room.

When the two of them entered, Cao Xiuhua was already awake, leaning back against the head of the bed eating breakfast.

Seeing them walk in, a bright smile immediately lit up Cao Xiuhua's face.

"Why did both of you come?"

Qin Miaoyu sat down on the chair beside the bed. "We just had some free time, so we came to check on Grandma. How are you feeling today, Grandma?"

Cao Xiuhua waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with me at all! Qi'an is just making a fuss over nothing. I feel like I could be discharged today!"

Lu Qi'an put on a stern face. "Grandma, that is out of the question. The doctor specifically said you need to stay in the hospital for observation!"

Cao Xiuhua hated staying in hospitals. "Qi'an, Grandma genuinely feels fine. Can't you see how energetic and lively I am?"

This time, however, Lu Qi'an refused to budge. "Are you a medical professional, or are the doctors here?"

Cao Xiuhua instantly grew displeased and stopped talking to him.

Qin Miaoyu chuckled softly and explained to Old Mrs. Lu, "Grandma, Lu Qi'an is just too worried about you, which is why he wants you to stay a couple of extra days to be safe. Please don't be mad at him!"

Old Mrs. Lu merely let out a huff in Lu Qi'an's direction and continued talking to Qin Miaoyu.

Qin Miaoyu cast a helpless look at Lu Qi'an and earnestly resumed her chat with Old Mrs. Lu.

The painting that Old Mrs. Lu had previously taken a fancy to had long since been brought to her by Lu Qi'an, and she adored it.

Sensing that their conversation was about to veer toward the person who bought the painting, Lu Qi'an gave a subtle cough from the side.

Only then did Cao Xiuhua suddenly realize what was happening, and she smoothly steered the topic in another direction.

While Qin Miaoyu stepped away to use the restroom, Cao Xiuhua asked, "Why haven't you told Miaoyu that the buyer of the painting is your mother?"

"If I told her now, it would inevitably feel awkward when they eventually meet and interact. It's better to tell her later."

The roles of an elder and an art buyer were vastly different, and he felt it best not to let the buyer identity interfere with their interpersonal dynamics.

Lu Qi'an's reasoning persuaded Cao Xiuhua, so she asked instead, "Can I really not be discharged early? Grandma can't stand staying here."

Lu Qi'an shook his head firmly. "No. The doctor said we need to observe for a few days, so we observe for a few days. You'd better not try any tricks to leave the hospital early!"

"But don't I genuinely feel fine? Look at how good my condition is right now!"

Lu Qi'an, however, did not think she looked good at all. Or rather, because Cao Xiuhua wasn't looking into a mirror, she couldn't see the heavy cloud of worry lingering on her face.

Lu Qi'an asked, "Grandma, won't you tell me what on earth Elder Mrs. Li said to you?"

Putting on a nonchalant front, Cao Xiuhua replied, "It was nothing, just the usual old talk. You don't need to overcomplicate things."

Seeing Cao Xiuhua's attitude, Lu Qi'an knew he wouldn't be able to pry anything further out of her.

When Qin Miaoyu emerged from the restroom, the hospital room was wrapped in silence.

Behind Cao Xiuhua's back, Lu Qi'an pointed significantly at his phone toward Qin Miaoyu.

Qin Miaoyu took out her phone and saw a message from Lu Qi'an asking her to try and pry out of Old Mrs. Lu what Elder Mrs. Li had actually said to her.

Qin Miaoyu flashed Lu Qi'an an OK gesture and returned to her seat.

Strictly speaking, she hadn't spent a massive amount of time with Old Mrs. Lu, so she couldn't claim to know her every specific preference. However, she could clearly see what Old Mrs. Lu valued most.

She prompted, "Does Grandma know that Gao Qingqing is back?"

Cao Xiuhua's eyes widened slightly. "No, I don't. Why is she back? Qi'an, you must stay far away from her, lest she go crazy again!"

"Don't worry, Grandma, I won't have much contact with her."

"That's good, that's good. If we can't afford to offend her, can't we at least afford to stay away from her?"

Qin Miaoyu sighed softly. "Grandma, the problem is that it's no longer a matter of just staying away!"

"What do you mean?"

"That Mrs. Gao, I don't know what she's plotting behind the scenes. She previously hired someone to stalk me, and even came to me personally, trying to get me to turn against Qi'an!"

"There's such a thing?"

"Yes! Since I didn't comply, who knows what other tactics Mrs. Gao might have up her sleeve. Because we don't know her plans and intentions, Qi'an is currently in a passive position. He can only wait for her to make a move before trying to figure out a countermeasure, and by then, it might already be too late."

Cao Xiuhua nodded with a troubled expression.

Qin Miaoyu continued, "It's not just Mrs. Gao; the Li family is also trouble. Earlier, Old Mr. Lu asked Lu Qi'an to continue cooperating with the Li family on a project. Anyone can tell there's something wrong with that, but Qi'an can't figure out the underlying reason. Right now, he can only retreat in order to advance, with no way to turn his passivity into the initiative."

"People on both sides are scheming against him, yet Qi'an is in the dark about both situations. I'm just really worried something might go wrong. If both sides execute their schemes at the same time and Qi'an is unprepared, I'm afraid he will end up getting the short end of the stick..."

Qin Miaoyu's words plunged Cao Xiuhua into deep contemplation.

Elder Mrs. Li's visit had actually dropped a "bombshell" on her, and her words had also involved Fu Ling and Qi'an, which was why she had been so furious.

Her own anger didn't matter, but she was terrified that if Fu Ling and Qi'an learned this news, it would break their hearts. That was why, when Qi'an asked her yesterday, she refused to leak a single syllable.

However, hearing Qin Miaoyu's words just now shifted her perspective.

Just as Qin Miaoyu said, if Qi'an remained completely in the dark, when the scheme finally struck him, reacting in time might be impossible!

So, should she explain the situation to her grandson?

If she didn't speak, her son and grandson wouldn't be hurt, but when trouble struck, it might become even harder to handle.

If she spoke, her son and grandson might feel distressed, but at least they would have advance preparation!

After much deliberation, the scale in Old Mrs. Lu's heart quietly tipped.