“Dr. Li, quick—save Qing’er!” Her blood-stained hands desperately clutched Li Chengru’s white coat, her eyes dull and lifeless, filled only with thick, unyielding anxiety.
“I’ll carry her inside first. Follow me.” Li Chengru had no time to attend to her, scooping up Lu Chengqing and rushing through the doorway. Ji Liao groped her way upright, stumbling upon the medical kit Li Chengru had set down. Without a word, she grabbed it and hurriedly felt her way forward to follow them inside.
Li Chengru laid Lu Chengqing on the sofa, pulling two tissues to wipe her mouth. “Tell me where it hurts.”
Lu Chengqing coughed up another mouthful of blood, thoroughly soaking the tissues. After catching her breath against the sofa cushions, she weakly gasped, “Yu Nanzhi kicked me in the chest. It hurts terribly.”
“What?” Li Chengru was shocked. “Yu Nanzhi is a taekwondo expert. A kick like that must have damaged internal organs. We need to get you to the hospital for X-rays immediately.”
Just as Ji Liao entered, she heard Li Chengru’s words. Instantly, a piercing pain shot through her own chest, nearly making her collapse where she stood.
Lu Chengqing rubbed her chest, wincing as she inhaled sharply. “You doctors always exaggerate. It’s just a kick, nothing serious. If it’s really necessary, just prescribe me some Wan Hua Oil for bruises and injuries. I’ll apply it regularly. No need to waste money, cough…”
“Still being stubborn while coughing up blood? I’ve already called an ambulance—it’ll be here soon. Until then, try not to talk too much. We’ll do a thorough examination at the hospital.” Li Chengru continued wiping her mouth with fresh tissues. Though Ji Liao couldn’t see, she understood the gravity of the situation.
Unconsciously, regret washed over her—regret for following them back, for implicating Qing’er because of herself.
“I’m sorry…” Ji Liao couldn’t help but whisper, only to be sharply cut off by Lu Chengqing.
“If you say that again, I’ll get angry.” She looked at Ji Liao, pressing her blood-tinted lips together. Seeing Ji Liao’s pale, guilt-ridden face filled with terror, a bitter ache surged in her heart. Even with such severe injuries, she could never resent Ji Liao—because what Ji Liao had endured was a thousand times more horrifying.
The wailing ambulance soon arrived at Lu Family Village. Medics charged up the path with a stretcher, guided by Li Chengru’s directions.
“Where’s the patient?”
“A’Su, over here!” Li Chengru lifted Lu Chengqing onto the stretcher, urgently instructing, “Her injury is in the chest, possibly affecting internal organs. Be careful.”
A’Su nodded while adjusting the stretcher. “We’ll need further observation. We’re heading out now.”
“Alright.” Li Chengru stayed behind, unable to abandon the blind Ji Liao.
“How serious is Qing’er’s injury?” Her voice trembled, betraying both fear and a desperate need for truth.
Unable to deceive her, Li Chengru replied honestly, “Given the amount of blood she’s coughing up, you should prepare for the worst. But rest assured, we’ll do everything we can to save her. We won’t give up until the very end.”
“So it’s that critical…” Ji Liao staggered two steps, swaying precariously until Li Chengru swiftly steadied her.
“Stay strong. If you collapse, she’ll have no one to care for her, and that would only add to her suffering.”
Ji Liao trembled as she managed to utter a simple “Mm,” heaven knows how much courage it took for her to make a sound. She didn’t want to involve others in her personal affairs, but things went against her wishes—fate always enjoyed playing tricks on her.
Qing’er was innocent. Perhaps in others’ eyes, Qing’er was a dispensable stranger, but to Ji Liao, she was like family, immensely important.
The ambulance sped away with Lu Chengqing inside. Li Chengru held her hand, keenly sensing her fear. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Circling around the car, Li Chengru opened the rear door and carefully helped her in.
Ji Liao shortened her blind cane and fumbled inside the car, finding a comfortable spot to lean against. Li Chengru didn’t close the door immediately but stood outside, watching her intently—seeing her panic over her friend’s crisis, watching her shrink into a corner like a frightened turtle.
Since her parents’ accident, she had never felt such terror and sorrow. Gritting her teeth, she desperately tried to suppress the turbulent whirlwind of anxious thoughts inside her. Clutching the blind cane, she bit her lip so hard it bled, yet felt no pain.
In Li Chengru’s eyes, she was filled with regret, yet powerless due to her own vulnerability.
“Mr. Li, aren’t we leaving yet?” She could barely restrain her racing heart, wishing she could sprout wings and fly to Qing’er’s side.
“Ready.” Only then did Li Chengru close the door, return to the driver’s seat, calm his breathing for a moment, and start the car.
Soothing patients was a basic part of a doctor’s duties. He pretended to chat casually with her, meandering from trivial topics to the vastness of the universe, then subtly steering the conversation toward her blind eyes.
Mentioning them, Ji Liao paused briefly, gripping the blind cane. After a moment, she feigned composure, speaking as if recounting someone else’s story.
“It’s been years since I lost my sight. I missed the optimal treatment window, so I’ll probably never recover in this lifetime. But it doesn’t matter—the world is so filthy, whether I can see or not is irrelevant.”
Once again, she was deeply pessimistic.
Knowing full well what had led to her downfall, Li Chengru’s expression grew complex. He had to admit, Yu Nanzhi’s methods were truly cruel—to inflict such extreme punishment on his lawfully wedded wife for the sake of a married woman, reducing her to this state, was nothing short of brutal.
“I don’t believe you’re the one who killed Cheng Shuangshuang,” he blurted out unexpectedly.
Ji Liao shuddered, abruptly lifting her head to “stare” at the man driving, though she couldn’t see. Yet the gratitude in her eyes was genuine. “You… really think so?”
“Somehow, I just believe you’re not the kind of person others imagine you to be.”
In that instant, trapped in darkness, she felt as if a crack had split the gloomy sky, letting light rush in unexpectedly to dispel the shadows in her heart.
Having been doubted so often, she had long forgotten what it felt like to be trusted.
However, joy didn’t linger long. A blank expression tinged with confusion and disappointment surfaced. Others’ opinions were useless; what she cared about was Yu Nanzhi’s judgment and affirmation. As long as he refused to relent, she would never glimpse paradise.
In the end, she fell into despondent silence.
Li Chengru had no words to comfort her and quietly drove on to the hospital.
The road was so damp and cold, the rain mercilessly washing over every corner of the city. Lightning and thunder roared together, startling the pitiful soul lost in her own world.
Yu Nanzhi tormented Ji Liao like an uncontrollable virus every single day. She felt abandoned by everyone, even by the most merciful heavens, leaving her unable to control her own thoughts. Her heart was filled with terror—the slightest sound would make her jump in fright.