Two soldiers quickly found cover and returned fire. The situation deteriorated in an instant.
"Watch your back!"
A shout came from the hallway.
Almost as soon as the shout faded, a tremendous force slammed into Song Yao’s back.
She had been about to observe the situation inside the room, but the impact sent her completely off balance.
She pitched forward, tumbling into the center of the room.
The patrol soldier behind her was only now snapping to his senses.
He was supposed to be guarding the passage, but a moment of carelessness had allowed someone to get close. He was filled with regret.
Seeing the attacker appear, he immediately raised his weapon.
He fired continuously at the woman in a nurse’s uniform at the other end of the hallway.
Song Yao had just pushed herself up from the floor, her vision not yet steady.
Then she saw blood spurt from the chest of one of the soldiers in the room.
He collapsed heavily to the ground and didn’t move again.
The other soldier, horrified, instinctively tried to crawl over to check on his comrade.
At that moment, Song Yao was positioned in the fake doctor’s blind spot.
He hadn’t noticed her at all.
She leaned forward slightly, her fingers quickly fumbling across the floor.
It was a metal thermos that had fallen in the corner.
Its shell was dented and uneven, the lid long gone.
She snatched the metal thermos off the floor and hurled it with all her might!
THUD. The bottom of the thermos solidly struck the back of his head.
The fake doctor staggered, his forehead slamming into the bed frame with a CLANG.
The wounded soldier on the other side of the room saw his chance and acted.
By the time Song Yao came to her senses, her ears were still ringing.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood.
The fake doctor bent down and pulled a gleaming short blade from his boot.
A rush of adrenaline hit Song Yao. She kicked off the ground, leaped up, and lunged at him.
In mid-air, she stretched out her arms and wrapped them tightly around his waist!
They crashed into the wall together, making a shelf wobble and sending bottles and jars CRASHING to the floor.
She used every ounce of her strength but could only hold him for a few seconds.
Her legs clamped around his waist, her hands locked tight.
The fake doctor twisted his body, trying to break free, his boots scraping shrilly against the floor.
But the fake doctor knew he couldn’t delay any longer.
Any further delay and the exit might be blocked.
Furious, he turned and stabbed viciously back at Song Yao!
The tip of the blade tore through her clothes and skin, plunging directly into her side.
A jolt shot through her body. An intense pain washed over her, and her muscles convulsed uncontrollably.
Instinctively, she wanted to let go, her body starting to recoil.
But then her mind cleared slightly.
She realized that if she let go, the leader on the bed would surely die.
She gritted her teeth, tightened her arms again, and roared through the pain.
"Sir! Sir! Wake up!"
The enemy was entangled once more.
He let out a furious roar and tried to elbow her in the head.
But he couldn’t break free. Humiliated and enraged, he decided to deal with this meddling woman first.
He raised the dagger, preparing to slash it across Song Yao’s throat.
In the instant he raised the dagger to slash at Song Yao’s throat...
The sound of urgent footsteps came from outside the door.
Then, a tall figure burst through the doorway.
A hand grabbed the fake doctor’s hair and yanked it back violently!
The searing pain, like his scalp was being torn off, made him scream in agony!
"THWACK!"
A heavy punch slammed viciously into his face.
The fake doctor’s strength was instantly drained, his knees going weak.
The dagger in his hand hadn’t even had time to fall.
His grip loosened, and it CLATTERED to the floor.
"THUD!"
Song Yao fell to the ground, still clinging to his bloody body.
Xiao Li immediately rushed over, his shoes making a sticky sound as they stepped in the blood.
He saw the two of them collapsed together, and his heart clenched.
"Song Yao! Song Yao, are you okay?!"
He knelt, placed a hand on her shoulder, and shook her.
Song Yao’s gaze was unfocused, her pupils dilated.
Her head was spinning, and her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton.
But she managed to recognize Xiao Li, and her heart instantly eased.
She released her grip, unable to move a muscle.
Xiao Li’s eyes darted to the blood on her waist, his fingertips brushing the edge of the wound.
The color drained from his face, and his voice trembled.
"Hang in there! I’ll carry you to a doctor right now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yao’s eyes closed, and she went completely still.
Just then, Mr. Shen, on the bed, struggled to open his eyes.
His eyelids were heavy and his vision was blurry. It took him several seconds to focus.
"My girl... My girl..."
He mumbled, his voice hoarse and faint.
Sensing movement nearby, he laboriously turned his neck to look.
His pupils contracted in shock!
The room looked like a warzone. Blood was splattered on the floor and walls, and everything was a mess.
And the girl he’d been thinking of day and night was lying motionless in a pool of blood!
Song Yao felt like she was having a very long dream.
In the dream, she was reliving those lonely days.
Growing up, she’d had no family to care for her, no friends to keep her company.
The neighbors would avoid her, afraid of catching some of her bad luck.
She had tried to change things, but the results were always the opposite of what she hoped for.
Over time, she stopped hoping for warmth and affection, focusing all her energy on making money.
When doing business, she never spoke of personal matters, her pleasantries always flawless and impersonal.
With this caution, she managed to save up some money and finally rented a small storefront on a street corner.
Not long after the small shop opened, business began to pick up.
She thought her life would slowly get better from then on.
But a sudden disaster destroyed everything.
The house was gone, the merchandise burned to ash.
She had passed out, her heart filled with bitter unwillingness.
Consciousness returned bit by bit, her head buzzing.
She opened her mouth, intermittently muttering a few words of complaint.
"She’s awake! She’s really awake!"
A voice suddenly rang out.
Mr. Shen was sitting on a stool by the bed.
Aunt Zhang had one hand on the edge of the bed, the other gently patting Song Yao’s shoulder.
Several other people stood nearby with various expressions on their faces.
"Quick, quick! Bring the congee! Feed her something first, she must be starving!"
Shen Zhenwu shot up and yelled.
At his words, Xiao Li ran in from outside, holding a metal lunchbox.
"Coming, coming! It’s freshly heated!"
He carefully lifted the lid.
Aunt Zhang quickly helped her sit up a little, placing a pillow behind her back.
Shen Zhenwu wanted to help but didn’t dare to touch her, standing to the side and watching every movement.
"Slowly, slowly! Don’t rush."
When he saw Aunt Zhang lift her a little while adjusting her position, he quickly added.
"Easy, easy! She has a knife wound on her side, don’t pull on it!"
Aunt Zhang rolled her eyes.
"I know, Mr. Shen! You’re a patient yourself, can’t you just lie down quietly!"
As she spoke, she gave Shen Zhenwu a firm push.
Shen Zhenwu staggered back a couple of steps, nearly falling over.
The others couldn’t help but laugh.
Aunt Zhang ignored them, focusing on taking care of Song Yao.
She scooped up a small spoonful of congee and blew on it.
Song Yao slowly ate a few mouthfuls.
She looked at the people around her, feeling puzzled.
’These people are usually busy with their own things. Why would they have time to gather around my bed?’
’Even if I’m injured, it’s not enough to cause such a huge fuss.’
The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed, and she couldn’t help but frown.
"Aunt Zhang, I... what exactly happened to me?"
Hearing this, Aunt Zhang immediately put down the spoon and pulled out a towel to wipe her mouth.
Then she took her hand and said with a serious look in her eyes.
"Xiao Song, you’re a true hero this time! You saved everyone in our entire courtyard!"