novelraw Chapter 30 | Foster Mother
Chapter 30 | Foster Mother
"You've already done several times the work of others these past few days." Park Ji-eun decisively pressed down on his mouse. "formis_9 isn't going to disband just because you left two hours early. Get lost."
Cao Yisen didn't argue anymore. He packed up his computer, shouldered his bag, and squeezed onto the subway all the way home through the cold wind of Jiangnan.
He was still a little dazed when he stepped inside—
Normally at this time of day, the house is mostly dark, but today the living room lights were on and the TV was on, though the volume was very low.
"I'm back."
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone poked their head out of the kitchen: "Hey, you're up so early today?"
Cao Rouli was wearing loose loungewear today, her hair was tied in a loose bun, her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and she was carrying a pot in her hand.
The stove was covered with seasoning packets and vegetables, which looked dangerous no matter how you looked at it.
"What...what are you trying to do?" Cao Yisen subconsciously became more alert.
"Cooking, of course." Cao Rouli said matter-of-factly, "Now that we have a working person in our family, it's only natural that I have to cook for you occasionally to make you feel better."
As she spoke, she proudly shook the pot: "Today I learned a simple recipe online—chicken breast cream pasta."
Cao Yisen quickly pictured the combination of "chicken breast + cream + spaghetti" in his mind. Then, glancing at the pot on the stove that had turned into a burnt mess, which looked like a "failed experiment from the previous one," he immediately reached out and pressed her down: "Stop, stop, stop, please put the pot down."
"Hey!" Cao Rouli glared at him. "What kind of reaction is that?"
"Last time you fried me an egg, you almost woke up the smoke alarm." He was very sincere. "I really don't want the property management to come knocking on my door today."
Cao Rouli blushed, her sore spot touched, but she still stubbornly insisted, "That was last time. This time is different. I've already seen the video."
"The video is for teaching people how to cook, not for showing the landlord an accident scene." Cao Yisen took the pot from her and gently placed it back on the stove. "How about we respect modern civilization and order takeout?"
She hesitated for a moment, clearly torn between her pride after failing at cooking and the reality of eating normal food, before finally sighing in frustration: "...How about spicy hot pot?"
"Okay." Cao Yisen immediately took out his phone. "This time, I promise I won't order any healthy meals."
The two people squatted in front of the coffee table ordering takeout, as if they were discussing an important deal.
"Would you like some beef?"
"want."
"Pork intestines?"
"want."
"Lotus root slices?"
"Why are you asking this? Lotus root slices are the soul of the dish."
"Then add more green vegetables, Nunu, you've been busy with your schedule lately, so you can stay in shape."
"Hey, you're starting to care about my figure now?" Cao Rouli raised her hand and tapped him, then laughed. "But it's not bad to have an unhealthy meal together, it seems like it's been a long time since we've had one."
Ordered takeout, expected delivery in 40 minutes.
The two tidied up the kitchen briefly and put on some background music in the living room. Not long after, Cao Rouli's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen, her expression visibly pausing, then casually picked up her phone: "I'm going to answer this call."
"Hmm." Cao Yisen didn't think much of it, reached for the remote control on the coffee table, and turned up the TV volume by one notch, just to give her some space.
Before closing the door, he subconsciously glanced at her retreating figure—
My usual relaxed gait at home now feels unnaturally "heavy".
The living room was filled with laughter from a variety show, while hushed conversations could be faintly heard from the bedroom.
The sound insulation isn't very good, especially in quiet conditions.
"...When did you start feeling unwell?"
"...What did the doctor say?"
"Mom, don't be stubborn."
Upon hearing those words, Cao Yisen, who had been leaning back on the sofa, stiffened slightly.
My mom.
Cao Yisen certainly knew who he was referring to—
For Cao Rouli, she was her birth mother;
To him, she was his "foster mother".
What was said on the other end of the phone was not very clear. All that could be heard was Cao Rouli saying "um" and "I'll go tomorrow" for a while. There were one or two times in between when she seemed to be trying to ease the atmosphere with a smile, but she didn't actually laugh.
The delivery location showed "the rider has arrived nearby," and the doorbell rang, breaking the tension that had been hanging in the air.
The door opened at that very moment.
When Cao Rouli came out, her face looked relatively calm, except for a faint red ring around the corner of her eyes, and her hair was tied up tighter again.
"Has your takeout arrived?" Her voice sounded perfectly normal.
"Hmm." Cao Yisen pretended not to hear anything and carried back a large bag of spicy hot pot from the entrance. "The boss is pretty generous. This should be enough for you to eat until tomorrow morning."
She smiled and took the bag from his hand: "Nonsense, I'm an idol, I have to manage my image."
The two of them poured the food into a large bowl, laid out a disposable tablecloth, and sat down at the coffee table. Like all the busy workers who were too tired to sit at the table after get off work, they quietly began to eat.
No one spoke for the first few bites; the only sound was the crisp clinking of chopsticks against the rim of the bowl.
The spiciness gradually builds up, making my nose feel a little sore, but my eyes don't get red as easily.
Halfway through the meal, Cao Yisen casually asked, "Nuna, haven't you been less busy lately?"
"Hmm? Why are you suddenly concerned about my work?" Cao Rouli poked at the fatty beef with her chopsticks.
"I never seemed to see you before." He picked up a slice of lotus root, "I've seen you at home twice recently."
Cao Rouli said "Oh," and thought for a moment: "There have indeed been fewer activities recently. The situation for the group is not very good lately. As for my company... I am still coordinating some new plans."
She spoke casually, as if she were talking about the weather.
That's the end of the topic, so it's time to move on.
But Cao Yisen slowly put down his chopsticks, his tone casual: "Just now... was that a call from Busan?"
Cao Rouli paused for a moment while holding her chopsticks, then quickly resumed her normal movement, tossing a piece of potato into his bowl: "Were you eavesdropping on my phone call?"
"I just happen to have ears here," he said, shrugging. "I can hear a little."
She lowered her head, ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally sighed: "My mother hasn't been feeling well lately, and the doctor said she needs to get checked out."
Is it serious?
"They said...we'll do some tests first." She tried to sound nonchalant. "You know, people that age tend to overthink even the smallest problems."
She looked up at him and forced a smile: "Anyway, don't worry, I'll go back and check on things tomorrow."
"I'll go with you," Cao Yisen blurted out.
Cao Rouli looked at him for a while, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
To her, this was her birth mother;
To Cao Yisen, she was simply the person whose name was written as "mother" on the household registration book.
Although he was adopted, his adoptive parents treated Cao Yisen very well, and he never lacked money for living expenses while studying abroad.
"You don't need to, Yisen," she shook her head. "You've only been working for a short time, and fromis_9 is coming back; aren't you busy too?"
"The company won't go bankrupt because I took a day off." He smiled. "Besides, it's tiring for you to run around in a hospital all by yourself."
Cao Rouli stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes reddening slightly, then quickly lowered her head and shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth: "Don't give me these heartwarming words, or I'll start to suspect that your soul has been swapped."
"Then why don't you also wonder if I'm your brother?" He deliberately changed the subject.
"You wish." She sniffed, looked up and glared at him. "Whether we're close or not, I'm not reimbursing your train ticket back to Busan."
"Then I'll eat more and make my money back." He picked up a large mouthful of meat and put it in his bowl. "Let's get our money's worth from today's meal first."
After dinner, Cao Yisen quietly made a decision—
The next morning, I went to the company to report to them, and then bought a train ticket to Busan.
Cao Rouli left early in the morning.
Only one Kakao voice message remained on the phone:
"Hey kid, I'm off now."
I have an early morning shift at KTX today, so I need to go back first to accompany my mom to her checkup.
Go to work first, and come to the hospital this afternoon after you get the leave.
I've sent you the address, please don't go to the wrong department.
"It's okay, don't worry too much. I'll go check on things first."
His tone was still as cheerful as ever, but the last "It's okay" trembled as if he was suppressing something.
After listening, Cao Yisen placed his phone face down on his pillow, stared at the ceiling for a while, and then got out of bed.
I went to the company as usual in the morning, prepared reports, replied to emails, and finished everything that could be done ahead of schedule. In the middle of the day, I greeted my manager and briefly explained that "an elderly family member is hospitalized and I need to go to Busan." He quickly approved my leave.
After having a hot lunch, he took the subway from Gangnam to Seoul Station, then squeezed into the KTX train car.
The heating in the carriage was a bit too strong, and the winter outside the window swept by like faded negatives.
He glanced down at his chat window with Cao Rouli—
[Cao Rouli]:
"I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the internal medicine department on the fourth floor."
My mom is having a checkup, and the doctor said they'll need to discuss the results with the family.
Cao Yisen:
"I'm on my way."
Busan Hospital was bustling with people in the afternoon.
The electronic screen played health promotional videos on a loop, and the smells of disinfectant and coffee mingled together.
Cao Yisen followed the navigation upstairs. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a familiar figure on a bench by the window at the end of the corridor.
Cao Rouli was wearing a simple sweatshirt and down jacket, with a mask hanging on her chin. She was huddled in the chair, holding a medical examination form that was not yet fully unfolded in her hands.
Upon seeing him, she quickly stood up and waved, "Over here."
"Where's my mom?" Cao Yisen approached and asked directly.
"I'm still doing another test." She stuffed the test report back into her bag, forcing a smile. "The doctor said he'd like to talk to the family when the results are out, so he's letting the two of us go into the office to listen first."
"Okay." He nodded. "Then let's listen first."
At the entrance of the internal medicine department, the call number screen lit up with a "beep" and displayed a name.
"They're here." Cao Rouli took a breath. "Let's go."
The doctor's office was quiet.
The doctor, around fifty years old, wore glasses. On the table were X-ray films and a thick stack of medical records, and several images were displayed on the computer screen.
He looked up at the two people who had entered: "The patient's family members?"
The doctor was a man in his fifties, wearing glasses, with stacks of medical records piled on his desk. Seeing them enter, he politely nodded and gestured for them to sit down, then picked up the X-ray films in his hand and waved them around.
"Are you...family members?"
"I am the daughter," Cao Rouli said first. "This is the younger brother."
When she uttered those two words, her voice was soft, yet very natural.
The doctor hummed in agreement and glanced at the medical record: "Let me first tell you about the results of the current tests."
He spoke in a standard hospital accent, at a slow pace, and with great care in his choice of words. Phrases like "the imaging doesn't look optimistic," "long-term treatment is needed," and "we can't delay" gradually emerged.
Cao Yisen sat beside him, his palms a little cold, but his mind retained a certain professional clarity—
Instead of clinging to the specific diagnosis, he instinctively waited for a number.
That number that determines the rest of your life.
Sure enough, after explaining the treatment plan, the doctor flipped open a piece of paper on the table, picked up a pen, and wrote down a few numbers:
"You should have medical insurance, which can reimburse part of this. However, this disease has a long treatment period, including hospitalization, medication, and follow-up examinations... If we take a conservative estimate, even if we use all the available insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses will be approximately—"
He turned the paper around and showed it to them.
A string of numbers lay neatly on the paper:
"Starting at 1.5 billion won. The total cost of treatment could be several billion won."
The air suddenly felt heavier.
Cao Rouli didn't react at first, pausing for two seconds before hesitantly repeating, "Ten...five hundred million?"
The doctor nodded: "This is a long-term plan. You can calculate the costs year by year, but this disease is unlikely to end in a year, so I hope you are mentally prepared from the beginning."
"Are there... other options?" Cao Rouli's voice tightened. "Like shortening the cycle, or... just controlling it a bit?"
"Of course you can choose a more conservative approach, which will be cheaper," the doctor said, looking at her, "but the results will be less effective."
He paused for a moment, then put it another way: "Simply put, this is a disease that requires both time and money to develop."
The room was quiet for a while, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner vents remaining.
Cao Yisen stared at the paper, his gaze momentarily unfocused—
1.5 billion.
He instinctively did a quick calculation:
1.5 billion Korean won is roughly equivalent to one million US dollars.
At my mother's current age, according to the doctor, she may need another five or even ten years of treatment.
A few billion might just be the "starting price".
For ordinary families, this is a number they might never dare to dream of in their lifetime.
In his previous life, this was just a fraction of the amount in his fund's portfolio.
Cao Rouli sat down next to him, her hands unconsciously gripping the straps of her bag tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Doctor, can we... go back and discuss this first?"
"Of course," the doctor nodded. "The earlier you start, the better, but you should also consider your own situation. I suggest you complete all the tests in the next few days to confirm the stage and extent of the infection, and then determine a specific treatment plan."
Before leaving, he added, "Miss, your mother is actually quite optimistic. She just said she didn't want to cause you any trouble. Please try to spend as much time with her as possible during this time."
The moment the door closed, the sounds of the corridor rushed in again—the nurse calling numbers, the elevator jingling, the wheelchair gliding across the floor—all of which seemed to belong to a different world from the small office they had just been in.
Cao Rouli walked ahead, her steps a little unsteady, as if she might trip over something at any moment.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and tugged at his sleeve: "Yisen, do you...do you think we can hold on?"
There was a hint of panic in her eyes, but she tried her best to suppress it, not wanting to lose her composure.
Cao Yisen did not answer immediately.
He stared at the green exit indicator light at the end of the corridor, two lines of thought unfolding simultaneously in his mind—
One is for "normal people":
Loans, insurance, selling the house, borrowing money from relatives—these are all the solutions that ordinary families would think of.
The other one is "him in my previous life":
Leverage, hedging, volatility—from stocks, futures, and derivatives, to the codes and charts he knew all too well.
He suddenly realized that the "trading room" he thought he had completely shut down had never actually been locked; the lights had just been temporarily turned off.
Now, someone knocks on the door from the outside.
1.5 billion Korean won.
These three words are like a huge, cold stop-loss line, standing between the two siblings and "normal life".
He took a breath, trying to make his voice sound steady, and reached out to pat Cao Rouli's shoulder: "Don't think that far ahead."
"How could I not think about it..." she said, head bowed, "Fifteen billion..."
"Fifteen billion is an estimate; we might not need that much." He looked at her. "We can start from the first year. Anyway, no matter how you look at it, someone has to earn the first sum of money."
"Who will earn the money?" She looked up at him, her eyes already red. "You just started working."
Cao Yisen stared at her, then suddenly smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Who told me to be your brother?"
At that moment, a soft "click" seemed to sound in a corner of his heart.
That was a very familiar switch.
In his previous life, he walked down the path of Wall Street to prove himself, only to lose everything in the end.
In his life, he originally wanted to be a proper office worker, writing reports and watching girl groups dance in an entertainment company.
But now, the numbers are laid out before him—not the fund's losses, not the boss's drawdown, but "his adoptive mother's fate" and "his sister's future."
Everything he had learned and practiced over the years, as well as some methods he no longer wanted to use in his previous life, suddenly had a very naked and specific purpose.
He glanced down at his hands—
In my previous life, I used these hands to type out countless trading orders;
Can I use it again in this lifetime?
"Noona," he said, "you focus on keeping my mother company. As for the money... I'll figure something out starting today."
Cao Rouli sniffed and forced a smile: "Think of a way? Don't go and do some shady loan sharking again."
"Don't worry." He patted her shoulder. "I won't take company money, nor will I misappropriate other people's money."
He raised his head, and for the first time in this life, his eyes resembled those of certain trading days in his previous life—a calmness that treated the market as a counterparty.
"I'm only willing to risk my life to gamble with the market."
The siblings walked and talked, then returned to the bench by the window and sat down. The plastic lawn in the garden downstairs looked very fake behind the glass, and a few sparrows hopped around on the bare branches.
"Billions..." Cao Rouli seemed to still be reeling from that number, her throat a little dry. "Where would our family get billions?"
She didn't cry when she said this, but she looked a little exhausted, leaning back in her chair with a somewhat unfocused gaze.
"Don't be scared by that number." Cao Yisen looked ahead, his tone unusually steady. "The doctor is giving a long-term estimate, not telling us to swipe our cards today."
"But that's still money," she said with a wry smile. "You just started working, and I haven't settled down yet, and my mom's situation is..."
When she said the word "Mom," her voice softened slightly.
"Don't shoulder all the pressure yourself." Cao Yisen turned to look at her. "The money issue isn't just your problem."
"Who else could it be?" she sighed. "Even if I did a few variety shows, I wouldn't make billions."
"Then let's not rely on variety shows." His tone wasn't panicked. "We'll try another approach."
Cao Rouli was taken aback: "You have a way?"
"Not now." He shrugged honestly, "but compared to having absolutely no idea what to do, I still have some experience and connections."
"What experience?" She seemed a little confused. "What was your major in the US?"
"Well, sort of." Cao Yisen forced a smile. "Just think of it as me having a rather crazy job once."
He didn't say the words "Wall Street," "hedge fund," or "margin call," but simply went through that familiar timeline in his mind again.
Gamestart, ANC, tech stocks that surged after the flu, Faraday Future at its peak, retail investors in Rebbit who lost control of their emotions, and then that final margin call.
That was the world he wanted to leave behind completely.
Now, however, a line on the doctor's paper, "Out-of-pocket expenses: several billion Korean won (estimated)," has ruthlessly dragged me back into the present.
"Nuna." He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Cao Rouli. "You focus on taking care of my mother first. Get all the necessary hospitalization procedures and examinations done, and ask about all the available insurance policies."
"And you?" Cao Rouli asked.
"I'll go back to Seoul first and sort out my work a bit," he said calmly. "Someone has to figure out how to make money."
He deliberately used a very vague word—"find a way"—
But he himself knew very well what that "solution" would most likely be.
As I left the hospital, my phone vibrated in my pocket; it was a message from Park Ji-eun.
Park Ji-eun:
How is things at home?
If it's serious, don't try to tough it out. Let us know if anything happens.
He stood at the hospital entrance, bowed his head, and replied:
Cao Yisen:
Not very optimistic.
The doctor first gave a figure of "billions".
I might have to work night shifts for the next few years.
After sending the message, he put his phone away, glanced at the gray sky, and suddenly made a calm decision in his mind—
In this life, he will still participate, but not to "become a god again".
The only reason is that when the doctor says "we can try the best option," the family won't say "no" first because of money.