Yue Xinghe remained unconscious for a full three days. During these three days, the Star Network saw rapid shifts and upheavals.
Several corporate leaders eager to recruit Yue Xinghe rushed to post messages praying for his swift recovery.
Thanks to the efforts of students on campus who voluntarily shared stories of Yue Xinghe’s past kindness and gentle nature, the online comments about him were overwhelmingly positive, with countless netizens lining up to offer their well-wishes.
Even Lan Ji, a famous singer from the entertainment industry known as the “Mermaid Voice,” publicly expressed her hope for Yue Xinghe’s speedy recovery.
However, it wasn’t long before someone claiming to be a hospital insider leaked information, suggesting that Yue Xinghe remained unconscious and that the most likely reason was brain damage, which could potentially affect his mental powers.
This inevitably led to speculation about whether his S-ranked mental abilities might regress.
Once the news spread, it caused quite a stir online.
Meanwhile, Qin Tian, who was busy handling internal traitors at CS Group, was momentarily stunned when his secretary reported the news to him.
He immediately tried to contact Yue Xinghe via his light-brain, only for the call to be redirected to voicemail.
Suddenly recalling that the boss hadn’t visited the underground black market this month, Qin Tian, unusually flustered, quickly reached out to Qin Hao for more information.
After learning that the boss was not in critical danger, Qin Tian let out a long sigh of relief. But the thought of Yue Xinghe remaining unconscious made his scalp tighten.
Remembering the ferocious, murderous aura the boss had unleashed during his last venting session, Qin Tian couldn’t help but shudder.
The recent planetary development project a few light-years away had hit a few snags, maybe he could take a field trip there and lie low for a while?
Qin Tian rubbed his chin, seriously considering the feasibility of this plan.
Or perhaps he should show up and offer an apology despite his guilt? For the first time, Qin Tian felt utterly torn. After all, given the boss’s combat prowess and defensive capabilities, it should have been nearly impossible for him to get injured so easily!
Aside from Qin Tian, several other major figures eager to recruit talent also saw the news online and sent people to the hospital to verify its authenticity.
The doctors were tight-lipped, so they had to focus on the nurses. With substantial rewards on offer, there was always someone who couldn’t resist the temptation.
Thus, they confirmed the possibility, though specifics would only be determined after Yue Xinghe woke up and underwent another round of mental power tests.
That was the word, but over the next two days, these big shots’ enthusiasm waned. They merely sent people to deliver flowers as a formality before leaving.
On the evening of the third day, Lin Luxi had just brought back dinner from the hospital cafeteria when he spotted a man standing at the entrance of the ward.
The man was wearing a mask and lurking furtively by the door.
Hearing footsteps behind him, the man didn’t even turn around. He took off running and quickly disappeared from sight.
Over the past couple of days, people had often come to secretly visit Yue Xinghe. The ward was piled high with bouquets, fruits, and gifts, so Lin Luxi had grown used to it. Besides, a certain famous mermaid singer had only arrived that afternoon, so there were plenty of people sneaking in for visits. Lin Luxi didn’t think much of it.
He opened the door and walked inside.
At the corner of the corridor, the masked man leaned against the wall, panting heavily. He glanced back and, seeing that Lin Luxi hadn’t followed him, let out a sigh of relief.
When he straightened up again, he was once more the picture of refined elegance, a gentleman through and through.
“Bro, it really is you.”
Qin Hao had just stepped out of the restroom when he spotted the familiar figure. “You came to visit the boss. Why didn’t you go in?”
This was the downside of being brothers, even in disguise, he could still be recognized.
Qin Tian touched his nose, which felt unusually bare today, and cleared his throat. “Ahem, I’ve already visited. I was just leaving.”
Qin Hao replied, “Oh.”
Qin Tian took a few steps, then turned back to give some instructions. “Anyway, let me know when the boss wakes up.”
Qin Hao nodded and casually asked, “Sure. Are you planning to come visit him then?”
Not only would he come to visit, he would come to offer an apology in the humblest manner possible! His subordinate’s actions had ended up dragging their own boss into trouble.
When Qin Tian had verified the information, he was at such a loss for words that he stared out the window for a full half hour.
He then assigned that subordinate to develop a desolate planet, with orders not to return until he had made some significant contribution!
As for Zhou Ziheng, Qin Tian narrowed his eyes. He’d leave that matter for the boss to handle.
Inside the ward.
Gao Keyun and Elisa were both seated on one side of the hospital bed. They were usually rivals in love, and every encounter between them had been fraught with tension. Although they still found each other somewhat displeasing, they had managed to maintain a superficial harmony, all because of the woman seated on the other side of the bed: the mermaid singer Lan Ji.
With just a single glance among the three women, one could immediately sense the rivalry between them.
The three female characters with the most screen time in the novel had gathered in one place.
The moment Lin Luxi had stepped out earlier, Lan Ji had swiftly claimed the spot near the head of the bed that he had been occupying.
After recovering somewhat from their concussions, Gao Keyun and Elisa had taken up residence in this ward. They hadn’t felt such urgency before, but once Lan Ji appeared at the bedside, both grew vigilant. Setting aside all their studies and work, they were reluctant to leave unless absolutely necessary. They wanted Yue Xinghe to see them the moment he opened his eyes, hoping to demonstrate their care and leave a distinct impression in his heart.
They were, well, quite dedicated.
Surrounded by such a bevy of beauties, Lin Luxi felt not a shred of envy.
He knew these flowers were all poisonous daturas, each strikingly beautiful and unique in their own way, but those were merely outward appearances.
None of them were ordinary or simple characters. Ordinary people couldn’t handle them.
Even the male lead, who was far from ordinary, had ended up in such a miserable state at their hands later on.
He truly dared not harbor any unusual thoughts.
However, what troubled Lin Luxi was the change in the plot.
He clearly remembered that in the original novel, this explosion had never occurred. In the early stages, the male lead had sailed through smoothly. Incidents like falling unconscious only began to happen frequently in the middle and later parts.
Lin Luxi wondered whether these changes in the plot were due to his transmigration. If his presence had caused this crisis, and the male lead had been injured and left unconscious because of protecting him—
A pang of guilt stirred in Lin Luxi’s heart. Perhaps… he should treat the male lead a little better from now on.
Late on the third night, Yue Xinghe woke up.
The moment he opened his eyes, four heads popped into his field of vision, chattering away like a chanting monk.
Yue Xinghe’s fist clenched, and almost instinctively, he swung.
Zhou Ziheng let out a yelp, startling everyone.
Gao Keyun, Elisa, and Lan Ji, who had been leaning in close, all retreated half a step with strong survival instincts.
“Xinghe! I came all the way here out of concern for you, and you hit me!”
Zhou Ziheng’s face immediately swelled up from the punch, the corner of his mouth split and bleeding. Given that he himself was an S-rank physique, even bullets couldn’t break his skin before, which showed that this punch had been delivered without holding back.
Seeing this, Gao Keyun and the other two women touched their own fair and delicate faces and, almost in unison, took another half step back.
They felt a flicker of fear but couldn’t help admiring: Yue Xinghe was truly strong! No wonder he was the champion of the martial arts competition.
Even though Yue Xinghe had just woken up after three days of unconsciousness, there was no trace of the usual drowsiness or lethargy in his eyes. Instead, there was vigilance and killing intent. However, it was deeply hidden and flashed too quickly, and with the sudden punch, no one noticed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Yue Xinghe apologized sincerely. His lips were still pale, and his golden hair was messy over him, giving him the delicate air of a frail beauty that made one’s heart ache with sympathy.
“Zhou Ziheng, you were the one who got too close. Xinghe was just reacting on instinct.”
“Exactly. You’re a grown man; taking one punch isn’t a big deal.”
“Don’t be so petty. Xinghe already apologized. What more do you want?”
As Lin Luxi entered the ward from outside, he heard the three women each speaking in turn. Zhou Ziheng, holding his swollen face, looked stunned and somewhat angry but had no outlet for his frustration, a rather satisfying sight.