Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman

Noticing that Gregory and Terry weren't following them around anymore, Jean enquired, "Where are Gregory and Terry?"

"There are too many people in the hospital and they would be conspicuous if they could be seen just like that. They've hidden themselves quite well actually." Toby explained.

"Well..." Jean responded with a simple nod. Although she still didn't understand their intentions or reasons to hide, what she could understand was that Toby had his own arrangements and ideas.

She walked slowly towards Henry's ward and stopped at the door, giving another nod to Toby, who immediately sensed what she meant and nodded back. He then stood by the side of the door. It seemed as if Jean wanted to go in alone.

Jean knocked on the door and noticed that Henry was already awake and sitting on the bed in some deep thought. She couldn't fathom what it was and he didn't stop even after she had walked inside. "Father..." She called out.

Henry seemed to come back to his senses and looked at her in amazement, frowning as he asked, "What are you doing here, Jean? The Wen Group has been handed over to you and it's your responsibility now. You aren't handling it too well if you're coming to see me here everyday and asking an old man like me for advice! What's the point in doing that, may I ask?"

"There's something I want to talk about with you." Jean didn't hide her intentions and told him frankly.

"What's the matter?" Henry's frown deepened when he heard Jean wanted to talk about something.

"It's about Shirley..." Finishing her words, she stared intently at Henry's face, determined not to let any expression that showed over there escape her eyes, trying to judge how he felt about the topic.

Just as she had expected, when Henry heard Shirley's name, the expressions on his face immediately turned unpleasant and angry, even more than before. He stared at her furiously and asked,"Has Joy been to see you too? Jean, you may be in charge of the entire Wen Group, but without my permission, don't even think about spending even a single penny for that wretched girl!"

"Father, I can understand that you're really disappointed in her, especially after all the things she did to you. But Shirley is your daughter, right? Are you really so cruel that you're going to let her suffer like this?" Jean continued her efforts to try and calm Henry down. If only he could see some sense! "Father! If you don't save her in time, she is going to die. And once she is dead, there's no going back and there will be no one for you to turn to!"

"She is not my daughter. I don't want a daughter like her. Why would I?" Hearing Jean's pleas, Henry screamed excitedly, "A woman who can threaten even her own father just for the sake of money and power doesn't deserve to be my daughter. I don't want her to be my flesh and blood!"

Noticing that Henry was getting more and more excited by the minute and would soon lose sense, Jean sighed helplessly and said, "I had thought that after a good night's sleep and thinking, you must have thought this through and through. If even you don't want to save her, then there is no way for me as well! Father, I'll ask you one more time, please reconsider. Are you sure you don't want to save her? I know that she is really not a good person, and her intentions are in no way good. But father, remember the little Shirley who used to be your daughter. She was young and she brought you great pleasure then!

During those days, there were only Winner and Shirley in your eyes. Every time you came back from work, you held them tightly in your arms and didn't want to let them go. Don't you know how much I admired them when they stood by your side? I know that Winner's death really hurt you and now that Shirley is in danger, do you really have the heart to let her die and not save her?

Father, just for today, please forget the hatred and resentment you carry in your heart! Shirley may not have been the most obedient or the best of persons, but she is your daughter and that much is invariant. Please remember how much she meant to you and how much she made you feel happy and delighted. The fact that she turned out to be like this is all because you and Joy spoiled her so much. And I think you know that very clearly.

How she used to behave and the situation she is in now show that she is already paying a hefty price for her future life. I am her step-sister and even I don't have the heart to see her suffer like this. And I believe that neither do you carry that intent in your heart! Or you would not have totally ignored me when I came in. I know you are thinking about that, and deep in your heart, you still want to save her, don't you?"

Jean had been saying all that in one breath and she stopped at last to catch her air and notice Henry's reaction to her pleas!

Henry was quite surprised to hear her plead to him like this and looked at her, as if trying to find out her real intentions behind these thoughts. After quite a long while, he asked, "Jean, why do you want to save Shirley? I can't seem to understand you right now. Aren't you the person who hates her the most?"

"Yes, father. It is true. I hate her with everything I have! But I don't want, and neither did I ever want, to take her life. I have spent quite a great deal of effort in trying to gain what I have right now. What's more, I haven't seen Shirley get hurt near enough, so how is it that I can let her die so easily?" Jean sneered.

Henry looked deep into Jean's eyes and he was well aware that what she said was not true at all.

However, he could not retort back or question her anymore.

In the face of this daughter, he knew clearly that he owed her too much.

He thought to himself, 'Now that even Jean is trying to persuade me, why am I worrying so much about it?'

"Do you really plan on saving her, Jean?" Henry turned to look at her with a serious expression and confirmed once more to help him make the final decision.

"We are all her family members. And if we don't save her now then who else will and at what other time will we stand by her?" Jean realized that Henry had already been a little convinced by her so she smiled before she continued in a reasonable tone,"To be honest, if it is not your words which are making me think of the pleasure and warmth she brought to me when she was young, and yes, I don't want to save her at all. During my days in the hospital, she disappointed me a lot. And she even dared to plan and cooperate with Joy to..." As Henry was talking about his daughter's malintents, his voice got choked with sobs and at that moment, Jean knew how deeply sad and hurt Henry was!

And the people who had hurt him this deeply were no one else but Joy and Shirley. The former was the person whom he had dumped his first wife for and the latter was the child he had always been spoiling.

He used to have a harmonious and happy family. However, it was only after he had been admitted into a hospital that he saw through the two people whom he had always considered to be his closest family members!

So it was understandable how he might be feeling at that moment. Not necessarily excusable, but understandable!

"Let bygones be bygones, father! Don't let anything trouble you now. And you know what, I believe that after such a near-death experience, Shirley will definitely try to rectify her errors." Jean comforted Henry as she stood by his side.

"Shirley? Rectify her mistakes? No my child, I wouldn't expect her to do so." Hearing what Jean said, Henry immediately shook his head and sighed before saying, "The actual reason for which I want to save her is that I don't want to see her lose her precious life at such a rosy and tender age. Of course, if she can realize the mistakes she has made and be a better person after that, I will be much happier."

Henry's tone betrayed that he still cared at least one bit about his daughter.

And hearing that, even Jean couldn't help but admire Henry for his love. 'Shirley even asked him directly for the Wen Group. And even after that, he didn't stop believing that Shirley could reform and be his beloved daughter once again. He truly cares about her even now! How absurd! How ironic! And at the same time, how touching!'

"How much money have they asked for in exchange of her return?" Henry asked after he had thought for a while.

That presented a problem. Jean had intended to pursue him to help Shirley but she hadn't been planning on telling him exactly how much money the kidnappers actually want.

This was because she knew if Henry got to know the amount, he would have immediately flipped and stopped her from saving Shirley.

However, when she found out that he hadn't totally lost hope in Shirley and still believed that she could come back, Jean changed her intentions at once. "100 million."

She looked up as she finished her words, again not letting any expressions escape her sight.

She was just in time to see the look of amazement that crossed Henry's pale, old face when he heard of the outrageous sum. He frowned and there was apparent anger in his eyes which were complimented rather ungenerously by a dark face. "Who are these people? How dare them ask for 100 million? They should rob a bank instead. Perhaps that way, they will get their money much quicker!"

Jean saw Henry's reaction and she immediately knew his thoughts very well in her heart.

If he didn't want to save Shirley at all, then according to his personality, he would have scolded and screamed greatly and then refused directly.

She was well aware of how much money meant to Henry and how much it mattered to his heart, but right now, even after he had heard that the gangsters had asked for a hundred million dollars, he had cursed them but he hadn't asked Jean to not save Shirley. This made Jean realize that even after everything Shirley had done to him, nothing mattered to Henry any more than she did, and he still believed that he could save her by bringing her back.

Jean thought quietly, 'Well, after all, Shirley is his daughter and the princess of the Wen family. Ever since she was born, he has cared for her and loved her greatly. And the extent to which he has spoiled her clearly speaks of how much he still cares and that he is still willing to save her, even if he has to pay such an enormous amount.

With such a beloved daughter in danger, there's no way he is going to sit in peace and be at ease with letting her suffer and die?'¶¶¶¶