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Si Tingyan wasn’t completely out of danger yet. He was still in a coma and was moved to the intensive care unit after coming out of the operating room.
The intensive care unit was lit 24 hours a day, regardless of whether it was day or night.
Si Tingyan wasn’t in a crowded intensive care ward with several beds but in a private room, separated from that area, in a quiet environment.
This place wasn’t for everyone. Those who could stay here were either rich or powerful.
It was the result of a single phone call from Si Tingyan’s father, Li Chengxun.
Through the window, Si Tingyan lay quietly on the hospital bed. His heartbeat was stable on the cardiac monitor. The curve on the screen bent and rose and fell. The thin line was precarious.
His handsome face was pale under the oxygen mask.
Cheng Mi, Si Huiru, and Li Chu were all in the hallway. Li Yeheng was very busy with work, and his phone hadn’t stopped ringing since last night. A few minutes ago, he went to the stairwell to take a call.
Si Huiru came back in a hurry after her IV drip was done, not willing to rest for even a moment. When she saw Si Tingyan inside, she couldn’t help but shed tears.
Si Huiru had never been married, and Cheng Mi had never seen her contact any family members. She seemed to be a lone person with no relatives, having only adopted Si Tingyan as her son. Her son was her everything.
Cheng Mi was beside her and handed her a tissue.
Si Huiru’s eyelids were very red. She reached out and took the tissue Cheng Mi offered.
Cheng Mi could tell that she was on the verge of a breakdown, but Si Huiru didn’t transfer her sadness to her. She held back her emotions, and the look in her eyes was as gentle as ever.
“Auntie is fine here. You should go home, take a shower, change your clothes, and get a good night’s sleep.”
Cheng Mi’s trench coat was stained with blood, and there were also some red stains on the side of her fair face.
It was all Si Tingyan’s blood. Not a single drop was hers.
This should have all been hers.
She told Si Huiru: “I’ll go back later.”
Li Yeheng finished his call and came back from the stairwell. The frown on his face hadn’t smoothed out yet, but it returned to normal when he walked in front of them.
“You should all go back and rest for a bit. I’ll watch over things here.”
Everyone had stayed up all night, whether it was Cheng Mi, Li Chu, Si Huiru, or Li Yeheng. Not one of them had closed their eyes.
Cheng Mi’s nerves were still tense even now.
________________________________________
Footsteps came from the hallway. They turned their heads to see police officers in blue uniforms.
One of the police officers was older, with a buzz cut, and the other was younger.
When they got to their side, they asked: “Are you Si Tingyan’s family?”
Li Yeheng said yes.
Si Huiru said: “I’m his mother.”
Si Tingyan was the victim. The police officers came to the hospital to inquire about the situation and take notes, but Si Tingyan was in a coma.
After asking about Si Tingyan’s general condition, the older police officer informed them: “In this case, one suspect died, and one turned himself in.”
Two people were fine last night. Why did one of them suddenly die?
Li Yeheng frowned slightly: “Died?”
“Yes,” the police officer closed his notebook. “He committed suicide.”
Hearing this, they were all stunned.
Cheng Mi asked: “Which one?”
The answer that followed was even more surprising.
The police officer said: “The one named Chen, Chen Zhaochi.”
Between Chen Zhaochi and Zheng Hongkai, if someone were to commit suicide to escape responsibility, Zheng Hongkai was clearly more likely.
Chen Zhaochi wouldn’t be afraid of going to jail at all.
Cheng Mi glanced at Li Chu next to her.
Li Chu was looking at her phone. She seemed very calm, as if she wasn’t surprised at all. This matter didn’t shock her one bit.
Si Huiru asked another question: “Officer, why were these kids fighting so badly?”
The police officer simply said: “They were fighting over a girl.”
Si Huiru was stunned.
Si Tingyan had never been close to any girl since he was a child. He never spoke more than ten sentences to them, let alone was friends with them.
And now, he was fighting over a girl.
“We are still handling the specific case. If there are any updates, we will let you know.”
He then looked at Cheng Mi: “You’re Cheng Mi, right? Come with us to the station and tell us what you saw so we can take a statement.”
It was already very obvious. Everyone knew who was responsible for Si Tingyan lying inside.
There was a moment of silence in the hallway.
Cheng Mi broke the atmosphere and prepared to go with the police officers: “Okay.”
The police officer was about to take her back with him when Si Huiru suddenly stopped him.
Si Huiru didn’t say anything bad to her or become hysterical after learning that Si Tingyan was in this state because of her. Instead, she said to the police officer: “Can you let the child go home and change her clothes before she goes?”
The police officer probably found this incredible. He glanced at Si Huiru. The victim’s mother wasn’t condemning the girl. Instead, she was protectively and thoughtfully thinking about the girl’s blood-soaked clothes.
Cheng Mi was just the one who reported the crime. She wasn’t involved in the case. The police were just taking her to give a statement and ask about the situation at the time.
The police officer glanced at Cheng Mi and nodded: “Okay. Then come to the police station yourself later.”
After saying that, he left with his young subordinate.
As soon as the police officers left, there were no outsiders, but they became even quieter in the hallway.
Li Yeheng asked Cheng Mi: “Why didn’t you tell me that Chen Zhaochi was bothering you?”
Because if she didn’t take that step to get hurt, the hatred between them would never end.
Even if Li Yeheng had great power, he couldn’t put an innocent Chen Zhaochi in jail forever. The revenge would be endless.
Cheng Mi was about to answer when Li Chu spoke for her: “It just happened in the last two days. She was just hiding. There wasn’t time to say anything.”
Li Yeheng had always disliked their impulsive ways and hoped they would be more steady and suffer fewer losses. Adults only acted according to the rules of adults. Telling the truth would only result in a serious lecture. Li Chu didn’t want to be lectured by Li Yeheng.
“What about you?” Li Yeheng suddenly looked at Li Chu with a serious expression.
How could he not know what they were thinking?
Li Yeheng had flown back overnight because Si Huiru had told him that something had happened to Li Chu.
He said: “Weren’t you hiding? What were you doing yesterday?”
When Li Yeheng got angry, he was very serious. His elder’s authority was weighing down on the two of them.
Cheng Mi and Li Chu were in front of him, but they didn’t say anything.
Li Yeheng said: “I told you two years ago that you must tell me everything. You are at an age where you should have your own opinions, but these big matters concern your lives. Even if I can’t do anything, I won’t let anything happen to you two even if I have to stop working.”
“If it had been a little more dangerous last night, what would Si Tingyan’s condition have been?”
Now he was in the intensive care unit, and his life was uncertain.
If it had been a little more dangerous, he wouldn’t even have the chance to lie here.
Si Huiru had always been protective of these children. Her eyes were still red. She reached out and protected them behind her: “Enough. They didn’t sleep last night. Let them go home and get some sleep.”
Li Yeheng glanced at Si Huiru and didn’t say anything else.
________________________________________
At this moment, the police officers had just left the hallway, and another set of footsteps came from behind them.
This time, it wasn’t just two or three footsteps.
The sound of leather shoes and high heels intertwined. They were calm and composed, but the footsteps had a presence.
Just by listening to the sound, you could feel their aura coming at you as if it were a physical thing.
Cheng Mi turned her head and saw a group of people in deep, serious tones, most of them in suits.
The man in the lead was wearing a black suit. His facial features were three-dimensional, with thick eyebrows and deep, serious eyes.
With just one look, Cheng Mi knew who he was.
Si Tingyan and Li Zhiyu both looked somewhat similar to him.
The man had a profound and masterful aura that came with age. Even at his age, you could still see the imposing style of his face from when he was young.
He was followed by several people. Next to him was a woman.
Her face was quite elegant and beautiful. She was dignified and refined and was carrying a black Hermès Birkin bag.
Li Chu also recognized who the man was at first glance: “Si Tingyan’s dad?”
“Yes.”
Actually, it wasn’t the first time they had seen this face.
It was just that they didn’t know Si Tingyan when they recognized this face. Later, even after they knew Si Tingyan, they never connected them.
Not only did they know him, but they also knew his name.
Li Chengxun, CEO of Dongcheng Group.
Dongcheng Group was a household name. It had a long history and had formed a large group with many industries such as business, finance, culture, technology, and real estate.
The fields it was involved in were broad, and it was a giant in the industry. No other group could compare to it at the moment.
Si Huiru reacted faster than Cheng Mi and the others and stepped forward.
The group of people soon arrived in front of them. Cheng Mi’s blood-stained clothes were too eye-catching. There were even a few faint red stains on her hair.
Even though she was standing behind Si Huiru, many people still noticed her at first glance.
Including Li Chengxun.
His aura was so powerful that it gave people a sense of gravity at first sight.
But Li Chengxun only gave her one glance. Cheng Mi knew that with just that one glance, he already had a good idea of who she was.
After nodding in greeting and shaking hands with Li Yeheng, Li Chengxun looked at Si Huiru, who was standing in front of him.
Si Huiru was always cautious around people, let alone in front of Li Chengxun. Moreover, Li Chengxun was Si Tingyan’s biological father.
Si Huiru lowered her head in guilt: “Mr. Li, I’m sorry. I didn’t take good care of Si Tingyan.”
Li Chengxun glanced into the intensive care unit.
Si Tingyan was lying quietly among a pile of machines.
The people behind him all seemed to be holding their breath.
But surprisingly, Li Chengxun didn’t blame her harshly. Instead, he said blandly: “With his personality, no matter how you managed it, this would have happened today.”
When he said this, Cheng Mi glanced at him.
He was indeed Si Tingyan’s biological father.
Li Chengxun really understood his son. He withdrew his gaze from the intensive care unit and looked back at Si Huiru. His voice was calm and low, without any imperious command.
“What has happened cannot be changed. What’s important now is Si Tingyan’s heart surgery. This problem can no longer be delayed.”
Si Tingyan had a congenital heart disease. He was different from others since birth, and his heart problem wasn’t something that could be solved with a simple surgery. It had been very serious since he was a child and could endanger his life at any time.
But because the medical technology in this area was not yet mature, Si Huiru had never dared to take this risk.
And this accident caused Si Tingyan’s long-delayed heart problem to completely erupt. He wouldn’t last long without surgery.
Cheng Mi heard Si Huiru ask Li Chengxun in a low voice: “Do we need to go to the capital for surgery and treatment?”
Li Chengxun didn’t say yes or no. He only said: “Let’s follow the experts’ arrangements.”
At this moment, a doctor in a white coat rushed over from the other end of the hallway. Cheng Mi looked at him and saw that it was the director of cardiothoracic surgery who had performed Si Tingyan’s surgery this morning.
The other person quickly walked to Li Chengxun’s side.
“Mr. Li.”
Li Chengxun wasn’t paying attention to Si Huiru anymore. He looked at the doctor.
The doctor had obviously been notified. He explained Si Tingyan’s condition to Li Chengxun and said that the situation would only get worse if they delayed, but the surgery also had high risks.
Li Chengxun naturally knew. He had been aware of his youngest son’s health for a long time.
He introduced the expert he brought from the capital to the director who was in charge of Si Tingyan. This expert from the capital had superb skills in heart disease surgery, and Si Tingyan’s heart surgery would be performed by him.
No one was allowed to visit the intensive care unit casually. Li Chengxun asked his male assistant next to him: “Which floor is the older one on?”
At this moment, the woman next to him spoke: “Seventeenth floor.”
The seventeenth floor. Cheng Mi had never been there. Ordinary people couldn’t get up there either.
Cheng Mi knew they were talking about Li Zhiyu. Li Zhiyu was hospitalized after fighting with Chen Zhaochi.
Both of his sons were in the hospital now, and the person who caused the accidents was the same person. If Chen Zhaochi hadn’t already died this time.
Cheng Mi thought that if he were still alive, he wouldn’t be for much longer.
After hearing where Li Zhiyu’s hospital room was, Li Chengxun said: “Okay, let’s go.”
He then looked at Si Huiru: “We’ll go first.”
Si Huiru nodded.
Li Chengxun and his group came and went like the wind. Soon, the large crowd in the hallway was once again reduced to just the four of them.
Cheng Mi watched their figures disappear into the elevator and looked away.
Then, she looked at Si Tingyan behind the glass.
________________________________________
Cheng Mi went home, took a shower, changed her clothes, and went to the police station to give a statement.
Li Chu went with her and waited outside.
After Cheng Mi came out, neither of them listened to Si Huiru and went home. The taxi drove straight to the hospital.
When they returned to the hospital, there was only Si Huiru on the chairs in the hallway. Li Yeheng was probably caught up in work calls again and went to the stairwell to answer the phone.
Si Huiru sat on the chair. She wasn’t crying as she was this morning. Her eyes were empty. Her brows were peaceful, and a sad emotion enveloped her whole body.
It was unclear what she was thinking.
Cheng Mi and Li Chu walked over.
Si Huiru didn’t know they were back at first. It wasn’t until they walked to her side that she noticed them out of the corner of her eye and suddenly came back to her senses.
When she saw them, she was a little surprised: “Why didn’t you go back and rest?”
“It’s okay, we’re not tired.”
At a time like this, none of them could sleep.
Cheng Mi sat down on the chair. Although she looked like a normal person now, all the bloodstains had been washed away, and her emotions had long since calmed down, so she looked no different from her usual self.
But in reality, her thoughts were still a mess, tightly clinging to a fine thread that was about to break.
Si Tingyan was lying in the intensive care unit. Every second he slept, the thread holding her sanity together would get tighter.
Cheng Mi didn’t look at Li Chu sitting next to her.
After Li Chu saw Si Huiru’s pale, wrinkled lips, she remembered that since last night, no one had had a drop of water or a bite to eat.
And here, she was the only one who could think of this for them.
Li Chu said to them: “I’ll go downstairs and get a few bottles of water and some food. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“No need,” Si Huiru hastily got up. “Auntie will go buy it.”
Li Chu didn’t let her: “You sit. I’ll go.”
After saying that, she turned and went downstairs.
Si Huiru couldn’t win against her, so she sat back down on the chair.
The sun only poked its head out for a moment in the morning. On the way to the hospital, Cheng Mi heard on the taxi radio that it would rain heavily in Fengxun for the next two days.
Cheng Mi sat next to Si Huiru.
She said: “Auntie, this is my fault.”
She confessed truthfully. She never had to prepare for being blamed or resented.
But even so, the moment the words left her mouth, she still felt as if she had fallen apart from head to toe.
She had died over and over again since last night.
Because that person was Si Tingyan, not someone else.
It was Si Tingyan.
Si Huiru was silent for two seconds. She didn’t say whether she blamed her or not. Instead, she said: “What Si Tingyan’s father said was right.”
She said: “With Si Tingyan’s personality, no matter how you managed it, this would have happened today.”
Si Huiru’s voice was still very gentle. She looked at her: “Cheng Mi, Auntie doesn’t blame you, and Si Tingyan doesn’t blame you either.”
Cheng Mi’s heart was squeezed.
She looked away and met Si Huiru’s gaze.
Si Huiru looked at her. The redness in her eyes hadn’t faded yet: “Even though Auntie doesn’t want Si Tingyan to be lying in there, Auntie also doesn’t want to see you lying in there.”
With one sentence, Cheng Mi’s heart was instantly filled with a sour ache.
People with soft hearts always had to endure greater sorrow.
Si Tingyan was Si Huiru’s everything. She loved Si Tingyan, but she also loved Cheng Mi and Li Chu.
If Si Tingyan hadn’t saved Cheng Mi today, Cheng Mi would also be suffering.
She would also feel pained, so she didn’t blame anyone.
As long as her children were safe and sound.
Cheng Mi’s eyes were dry. She looked out the window.
As expected, it started to rain in Fengxun, just as the taxi radio had said.
The light outside the intensive care unit was dim and cold. The hallway was a long, white stretch.
And Si Tingyan was in a coma. He hadn’t woken up to look at her.
________________________________________
The next morning, Li Chu went downstairs to buy breakfast.
The hospital inpatient building was gray. Rain was drizzling, and the ground was wet and muddy.
When she came back with breakfast, Li Chu ran into one of Chen Zhaochi’s friends outside the hospital.
When she was hanging out with Chen Zhaochi, Li Chu often drank with them. She recognized him at a glance.
The other person was clearly waiting for her and walked toward her.
Li Chu was holding an umbrella. She watched as the person walked up to her and stopped. The fine drizzle that landed on the umbrella splashed onto the tip of her nose.
The two black umbrellas faced each other.
Chen Zhaochi’s friend told her that Chen Zhaochi was riding a motorcycle and ran a red light. He was killed on the spot in the traffic.
Li Chu actually knew. This person was eye-catching even in death. The news reported it over and over again.
He died in a very carefree way. Suicide might have been a game of extreme death for him. He simply felt that there was nothing good left for him to play with in this world, so he died. It wasn’t because of fear.
The guy handed her a phone.
Li Chu recognized it. It was Chen Zhaochi’s.
“Brother Zhao threw it to us that night when we were drinking. We saw there were some things inside, and we thought we should show them to you.”
Li Chu’s gaze fell on it, but she didn’t take it.
She said: “He told you to give it to me, didn’t he?”
Chen Zhaochi was never considerate. Even if he was dead and not in this world, he wanted her to remember him for a lifetime.
The other person was speechless. The phone was between the two umbrellas, constantly getting covered in raindrops.
The guy said again that Chen Zhaochi was not murdered. After the public security department issued a death certificate, the body had been transported to the funeral home.
He asked Li Chu if she wanted to go see him.
Rain drizzled on the umbrellas. The sky was gray.
Li Chu didn’t say a word and didn’t take the phone. She turned and walked into the hospital inpatient building.
The Fengxun funeral home was in the south. That day, Li Chu was in the north, walking north.
...
“In the next life, I’ll go find you before Jiang Xunzhi.”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist bullying you. In the next life, when you see me, you have to tell me not to bully you first. I’ll listen to you.”
“I know you hate me. I finally did something that made you happy. For the sake of me dying and making you happy, go to the funeral home and take my ashes. I like you to hold me.”
“Li Chu, love me in the next life.”
After that day, all of these things were sealed in that phone and never saw the light of day again.
At the funeral home, unclaimed bodies were cremated, and the ashes were kept for three months.
Until someone came to take him away.
But until the very last day, when Chen Zhaochi’s ashes were disposed of by the funeral home, Li Chu never set foot there.
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