"Let go."

Mu Yiran's eyes were bloodshot, and her voice was broken and intermittent: "I won't let you go... Wait a moment, I'll throw you up there, it'll be alright... You'll be alright, you have to survive, I'll take you to find your sister—"

"...You can't shake him off."

Mu Zhentong looked up and saw Mu Yiran's right hand encircled by the rings. Her wrist was very thin, but the rings were tightly bound by Shi Bianji, and her entire wrist was bent backward. Mu Zhentong could even see the bone that was about to protrude under the thin skin.

That's because she was trying to grab him as he fell, and the weight of the two of them was concentrated on her right hand in an instant, causing her hand to break.

To save him.

Mu Zhentong couldn't understand why this woman, knowing full well that he wasn't her biological brother, should have killed him to protect herself. Why did she save him?

Mu Zhentong didn't understand, just as he didn't understand why his older sister, who hated him so much, took him away time and time again.

Mu Yiran lowered her head and, out of Shi Bianji's sight, Mu Zhentong pulled a delicate miniature pistol from her pocket. Her left hand touched something cold.

This belongs to Mu Yiran. She forgot to take it with her when she left the rented house. She left it on the sofa where Mu Zhentong was lying. Mu Zhentong wanted to take it with her to give to her older sister when they met.

He did indeed see it.

"Don't even think about it! Don't let go—" The small, thin hand slowly pulled away from hers. Mu Yiran sensed what he was about to do, her eyes widened, and she kept muttering:

"Don't let go, I'll kick you out, I'll take you there, to find my sister—"

"Let go, save him, save yourself..." Having lost too much blood, Mu Zhentong's vision was blurry. He kept looking at Mu Yiran's face and slowly said:

"...Let me save you this time too."

His name was given to him by his older sister.

His life began when his older sister fed him his first bite of food.

His home was provided by his older sister.

He wandered for more than a decade, but he still found a place to return to; his older sister was his home.

His body was now addicted to drugs; the body his older sister had raised was ruined, despite how many times she had saved him...

He always had to...save his older sister at least once.

"No...no..." Mu Yiran felt the warmth in her palm gradually withdraw, leaving only an icy chill.

"No--"

Mu Yiran reluctantly loosened her grip, staring blankly ahead, too afraid to look down. After a brief pause, she immediately tightened her grip on the cold, lifeless gun.

Qi Pan got the phone, but it was pierced by a bullet, and he didn't know if the chip could be repaired. He ran towards the door, shouting at Shi Bianji as he ran, "Stop talking nonsense, take Shi Youxi away! Let's go!"

Shi Bianji's eyes turned cold as he chambered a gun. "Fine, then I'll help Xiaoxi choose." He didn't fire directly at Mu Yiran, but instead aimed at Shi Youxi's hand, which was stuck in the chains. "Look carefully, Xiaoxi, if you can't save her, you can't save yourself—"

"Bang—Bang!"

"Ah!" A dull pain shot through his shoulder. Before Shi Bianji could dodge, another shot rang out! It grazed his hand holding the gun, and the gun fell to the ground.

The situation changed in an instant.

Shi Youxi changed her hand from the grenade, using the last of her strength to leap forward, grab the gun, pull the trigger, and without hesitation aimed at Shi Bianji's head, "Bang—"

The power button was covered in bloodstains.

Shi Youxi braced himself and broke the ring. He dared not touch the woman's wrist stuck in the ring, for fear of hurting her. He hugged Mu Yiran, and the shredder stopped. The contents inside spilled out into the gap. Shi Youxi glanced at it and covered Mu Yiran's eyes.

"Shi Youxi..." Mu Yiran's voice was weak and feeble. Her eyelids were wet and oily with Shi Youxi's blood. Her hand holding the gun trembled uncontrollably, her fingers stiff on the gun handle. She held Shi Youxi's hand like that for a long time before suddenly saying, "Shi Youxi, you're bleeding..."

"Okay, let's go to the hospital. Everything will be alright. Your hand will be fine. Does it hurt?" Shi Youxi brushed her lips against hers and carried her outside.

In the darkness, corpses lay strewn across the ground. Blood from Shi Youxi's forehead congealed on his eyelashes. Shi Youxi's vision went black, he staggered, and knelt heavily on the ground, tightly holding Mu Yiran.

"Shi Youxi!"

...

Near the farm on the edge of the Cotswolds, Seifer sat in the newly built first aid area of ​​the rescue station. The head nurse next to her yawned for the third time. She glanced at the quiet hall, where there was no one except for a few patients receiving IV drips due to allergies caused by mosquito bites.

She glanced at the time, couldn't stand it anymore, and wanted to go home after get off work; it was time for her sheep to eat dinner!

Seifer coughed discreetly and raised an eyebrow. "Speak."

"Seifer, it's time. You were on duty yesterday, you can go home now..."

"My bed is upstairs, so resting here is fine too. What if a patient comes later..."

"Pah, pah, pah!" the head nurse interrupted her. "Who looks forward to patients coming? Seifer, don't worry, there are other doctors here, you won't be needed—"

Before she could finish speaking, a commotion erupted at the door. Before she could react, Seifer nimbly got up and ran to the hospital bed that had been wheeled in. The man on the bed had bloodstains all over his face, but his striking pink hair made Seifer recognize him immediately. "What happened!"

Isn't this the patient of Guan Yi, the mentally ill person who imprisoned others? What's he doing here?!

"Gun wounds, approximately four in total! He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the wound on his head is very deep! We don't know if the bullet went in!"

"There is a penetrating injury in the lower back!"

"Get ready for surgery, everyone come in and help me! Where are the people who brought him here?"

"He was injured too, and they're bandaging him up from behind—"

Seifer quickly tended to Shi Youxi's injuries, grabbed a pair of scissors from the side, and instantly cut open Shi Youxi's clothes. His hands were covered in blood as he wiped the black bulletproof vest on it.

She frowned gravely. "This person is Guan Yi's private patient. Contact London headquarters immediately—"

The rescue station was a newly built project by Guan Yi. It was not large, with only a few operating rooms and no waiting area. Mu Yiran had two loose bandages wrapped around her hand, and her right palm was still strangely bent. She ignored it and stood motionless at the door of the operating room.

Shi Youxi was more seriously injured than she had seen.

The nurses carried blood bags as they went in and out of the operating room several times.

Mu Yiran stared stiffly at the operating room door, the red fluorescent "In traoperative" sign announcing to her that the person inside was undergoing emergency resuscitation.

A nurse suddenly rushed out of the operating room: "Hey! The patient's not well. He needs to sign a critical illness notice."

"Are you a family member?!"

"Are you his family?!"

The nurse pulled Mu Yiran, who was lost in thought, back to reality. Mu Yiran nodded vigorously.

"Yes! That's me!"

Just as she was about to sign the surgical consent form, the head nurse hurriedly stopped her, "Wait a minute, this patient's situation is special, we need you to show proof of relationship."

"What proof of relationship! I already said I'm his family!"

The head nurse raised her hand and pressed down, her tone urgent: "I'm sorry, but because this gentleman signed a confidentiality agreement with Guan Yi, we must ensure that he is a close relative."

"Anything will do—photographs, or other objects that can prove the relationship, people—I hope you understand—"

"—I'm sorry! You can't sign this! Please contact another relative—"

"—They are my parents, I am their daughter, their closest relatives! Why can't I sign! I am their family!"

"—Please understand that signatures made by minors are not legally binding—"

"....."

Mu Yiran stared blankly at the notice so close to her, the pungent smell of disinfectant filling her nostrils, while the sounds around her grew fainter and fainter.

And once again, she stood on the snow-white corridor, the tiles beneath her feet reflecting the red light hanging above her head, like an axe dangling precariously overhead; she was a sinner awaiting judgment.

Why is this happening...?

Why is it like this again...?

Why is it that every time the person most important to her gets hurt because of her? And she can only stand there helplessly, unable to do anything, not even qualified to share the risks and responsibilities with him!

She had prayed thousands of times in the hospital, but it seems that the gods did not hear her. Even if the gods had shown the slightest bit of divine intervention, the person inside would still be her.

It's because of her, it's all because of her!

Why isn't she inside?!

“I am...I am his closest person.”

A mournful cry escaped from the depths of her body; Mu Yiran was almost begging.

"What's going on! Why isn't it signed yet!" Seifer rushed out and saw Mu Yiran standing there in a disheveled state. Her face turned cold. "Where are the family members?!"

"This woman has no way of proving her relationship with Mr. Shi."

Seifer raised an eyebrow and decisively said, "Just have her sign it!"

Head Nurse: "But, the contract with headquarters—"

Seifer grabbed the pen and shoved it into Mu Yiran's hand, pulling her left hand down onto the notification form. "I'll vouch for you. She's the patient's emergency contact! This was filled out with the patient's permission!"

"I can vouch for their close relationship!"

"sign!"

"I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

Mu Yiran mechanically finished signing, and Seifer immediately returned to the operating room. Before leaving, he paused for a moment and patted her forehead with the back of his hand.

"We will do our best."