Treatment

Cui Yu didn't look at Chu Shen again, turned around and walked out of the warehouse.

The night breeze outside slightly dispelled the unpleasant smell of blood and pheromones mingling in the air.

He took out his phone and started dialing numbers as he walked towards his car, his voice chillingly calm: "Contact the best medical team to ensure Director Meng receives the most comprehensive treatment. Notify the head of the group's legal department to immediately establish a special task force. I want Chu Shen and everyone else potentially involved to pay the heaviest price."

"Also, send a 'gift' to President Ji of Dingsheng and 'tactfully' inform her of Chu Shen's capture."

After dealing with all that, he got into his car, injected himself with an inhibitor, and wearily rubbed his temples.

Meng Yihe's pale face and the bruises on his neck lingered in his mind.

This matter cannot be left like this.

Chu Shen's tragic state and ultimate fate brought him no pleasure; only Meng Yihe's pale and pained face kept replaying in his mind.

Cui Yu drove to the local hospital that had received Meng Yihe.

Hospital emergency room.

He immediately spotted Zhao Lei and Lin Xueyue waiting outside, both of them with expressions of worry and exhaustion.

"Director Cui!"

Cui Yu raised his hand to stop them, his gaze fixed on the emergency room door with the "Resuscitation in Progress" sign, his voice slightly hoarse from the tension he had been under.

What did the doctor say?

Zhao Lei quickly reported: "A doctor just came out and gave a brief explanation. Director Meng mainly suffered from... uh... a forced-induced acute pheromone disorder outbreak, compounded by stomach trauma, mild suffocation, and the effects of residual anesthetic. The situation was very dangerous at one point, but it has now stabilized initially, and he is undergoing deep neutralization treatment inside."

He carefully chose his words to avoid provoking Cui Yu.

Cui Yu closed his eyes, forcing his pheromones to become disordered... He could almost imagine how painful that would be.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, and simply nodded without saying another word, standing outside the emergency room like a statue. His gaze was fixed on the door.

Time passed by, and each second felt incredibly long.

Nurses rushed in and out, and Cui Yu's eyes followed them closely, but he refrained from disturbing them.

Finally, the emergency room lights went out, and the attending physician walked out looking exhausted.

Cui Yu immediately stepped forward: "Doctor, how is he?"

The doctor removed his mask and said in a serious tone, "The patient is out of danger for now. The pheromone levels are being forcibly suppressed and calmed down with medication, but this impact was extremely severe and put a great burden on the body. The patient will need a long period of rest and observation afterward, and should avoid any stimulation. The stomach contusion needs to be treated, but the soft tissue injury in the neck is not a major problem."

"In addition, the ingredients of the forced induction agent are somewhat special. It may have short-term effects on the nervous and endocrine systems, manifesting as extreme fatigue and confusion, which require time to metabolize. Currently, the vital signs are stable, but the person is still in a coma, which is the body's self-protection mechanism."

Upon hearing "out of danger" and "vital signs stable," Cui Yu's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but the doctor's subsequent words still weighed heavily on his mind.

"Thank you, doctor," he said in a deep voice.

Soon, Meng Yihe was wheeled out and transferred to a private room on the top floor. He was still unconscious, his face as pale as paper, his breathing weak but even, an IV drip in his hand, and various monitoring devices connected to him, emitting regular, faint sounds.

He looked incredibly vulnerable, a stark contrast to the sharp and assertive strategy director he usually was.

Cui Yu told everyone else to go back and rest, leaving only the necessary security personnel to guard outside the ward. He then dragged over a chair and sat down by the bedside.

The only sounds in the ward were the regular ticking of the medical equipment and Meng Yihe's soft breathing.

After a night of intense tension, and once Meng Yihe was confirmed to be temporarily safe, he finally succumbed to extreme physical exhaustion.

He tried to stay awake and watch, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Finally, Cui Yu could no longer hold on and slowly leaned against the edge of the hospital bed, resting his head on his arm, maintaining a guarding posture as he fell asleep.

Even in his sleep, his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were still worried about something.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the hospital room curtains.

Cui Yu suddenly woke up and immediately looked up at the hospital bed.

Meng Yihe lay quietly, her complexion seemingly a little better than the night before, but still pale.

Cui Yu rubbed his stiff and sore neck and shoulders from sleeping face down. He quickly checked the monitoring equipment by the bedside and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that all the data was stable.

He took out his phone, walked to the corridor outside the ward, and dialed Zhao Lei's number: "Zhao Lei, the project cannot be stopped."

"The inspection team will continue as planned today. You and Lin Xueyue will lead the team. Focus on following up with the second and fourth companies we talked to before. But the terms must be strictly adhered to, especially the environmental protection and liability clauses. If you are unsure about anything, send it to me immediately. Take care of other trivial matters first, and do not disturb me unless necessary."

He paused, then added, "Bring over my office tablet and the documents that need urgent processing; I'll handle them here."

Soon, Zhao Lei personally delivered the items, his face showing concern: "Director Cui, you've been busy all day, would you like to...?"

"I'm fine." Cui Yu interrupted him, took the things, and said, "It needs to be quiet inside. You guys go ahead and do your work. I'll contact you if anything comes up."

Back in the ward, Cui Yu moved a chair to the window, a little further away from the bed, and began to handle official business.

His efficiency remains very high.

But his gaze would occasionally drift to the sleeping person on the hospital bed to check if his breathing was still steady.

The entire morning and noon were spent in this atmosphere of alternating busyness and quiet. Cui Yu ate a simple meal delivered by the hospital and spent most of the time staying in the ward.

Until the afternoon.

On the hospital bed, Meng Yihe's eyelashes trembled slightly, his brows furrowed unconsciously, and he let out a soft groan.

Cui Yu immediately noticed, put down the tablet in her hand, took a few steps to the bedside, leaned down, and stared at him nervously.

"Meng Yihe?"

Meng Yihe struggled to lift her eyelids, revealing a pair of confused and unfocused eyes. Her vision was initially blurry before slowly focusing, reflecting Cui Yu's face, which was filled with worry and exhaustion.

The side effects of the forced medication left him confused, with a splitting headache, a body that felt heavy and weak as if it had been run over, and fragmented memories, like shattered glass.

But Meng Yihe remembered the cold, abandoned factory, Chu Shen's madness, and Cui Yu's figure that appeared as if tearing through the darkness, and his repeated, steady "I'm here."

An indescribable emotion instantly shattered his cold exterior. It was the relief of surviving a disaster, the gratitude he could never repay, and the reliance and trust that had accumulated over a long period of time, a trust that even he dared not delve into... All these emotions intertwined, almost making his nose sting with tears.

Meng Yihe opened her mouth, but her throat was so dry that she couldn't make a sound.

Cui Yu immediately understood, took the water glass next to her, carefully inserted a straw, and held it to his lips.

"Drink slowly."

Meng Yihe took a few tiny sips of warm water from his hand, soothing her burning throat.

He looked up at Cui Yu again.

He seemed to want to say something, his lips moved a few times, and those churning emotions were almost about to burst out, but in the end, his long-standing habit of suppression and rationality, as well as his disorientation with this unfamiliar and intense emotion, made him swallow back the words that were about to come to his lips.

All those words were condensed into a low, hoarse call, seemingly uttered with all his might: "Cui Yu."

It's just a simple name, yet it seems to carry everything that can't be said.

Cui Yu simply placed the water glass back on the bedside table, then very naturally reached out and gently tucked the blanket around him.

“Yes,” Cui Yu replied, “I’m here.”

"How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you? The doctor is right outside."

Meng Yihe slowly shook her head.

His movements were slight and slow, each one pulling at his heavy fatigue and aching nerves, but what made him even more helpless was the soreness in his chest caused by the person in front of him.

It's very unfamiliar.

He looked at Cui Yu's face, which was so close to his own. Those eyes, which always held a hint of mockery or shrewdness, were now filled with clear worry and the weariness left by a night of waiting.

This undisguised concern enveloped his cold and fearful heart like a warm current, yet it also made him even more flustered.

Why is he guarding me like this?

Is it just because I'm an important project partner?

Or is it because he treats everyone this way?

Meng Yihe's chaotic thoughts were struggling to process.

He tried to analyze it using his usual logic—Cui Yu was his colleague and the other half of the "Starry Sky Twins".

They cooperate seamlessly and need each other. Perhaps the other party's current concern can be interpreted as protecting important work assets and a moral responsibility towards a colleague with whom they have a relatively good relationship?

Yes, that must be it.

Meng Yihe tried to convince herself.

People like Cui Yu seem to be born with a knack for taking care of others and controlling situations; perhaps this is just his habitual way of doing things.

But a faint voice in my heart was arguing: Would he really be so nervous about every colleague with whom he had a "fair relationship"?

This speculation made Meng Yihe's heart skip a beat, followed by a deeper sense of bewilderment and a sliver of unattainable hope. He quickly extinguished this dangerous thought, attributing it to his vulnerability and confusion after waking from his serious injuries.

Meng Yihe dared not think any further.

He was afraid of glimpsing answers he couldn't bear, or perhaps he was even more afraid that it was all just wishful thinking on his part.

Meng Yihe was used to a cold and calculating emotional world and could not accurately interpret this overly complex and warm signal.

So he lowered his eyes, avoiding Cui Yu's overly focused gaze, and forcefully suppressed all the turbulent emotions deep within his heart, leaving only his pale face and still weak voice: "I'm alright... just no strength..."

His reaction caught Cui Yu's eye; that momentary evasion and the re-established sense of distance made Cui Yu's gaze darken slightly.

But Cui Yu quickly covered it up.

He understood Meng Yihe's personality; she was so strong-willed, yet people saw her vulnerable side.

"Yes, the doctor said it takes time to recover. Don't worry too much, just rest." Cui Yu's tone remained gentle, but she subtly took a half-step back, giving him some space.

"Are you hungry? Would you like some porridge? Or maybe you can sleep a little longer?"

He considerately gave the choice to Meng Yihe, quietly adjusted the IV drip rate, and checked the monitor data.

As Meng Yihe watched him revert to that slightly distant yet meticulously caring mode, the doubts that had just arisen in her heart about the "special" relationship seemed to waver again.

Sure enough... this is just Cui Yu's usual way of doing things, isn't it?

A sense of loss quietly spread, though faint, it was clearly present.

Meng Yihe closed her eyes and whispered, "...Sleep a little longer."

"Okay." Cui Yu drew the curtains for him, making the light softer.

"I'm right here. Call me if you need anything."

The ward fell silent again.

Under the influence of the medication, Meng Yihe fell asleep again, but this time, she seemed more at ease than before. Cui Yu sat back down in the chair by the window, looking at the person on the bed with a deep and unfathomable gaze.

He knew that some walls required extreme patience to slowly crumble, especially those of someone like Meng Yihe, who had wrapped himself in layers of ice.

Over the next two days, with the help of medication and meticulous care, Meng Yihe's physical condition recovered slowly but steadily.

He remained in a deep sleep most of the time, but his periods of wakefulness gradually lengthened. His thoughts also began to clear from their confusion, although his body remained weak and powerless.

Cui Yu practically used the ward as a temporary office.

Aside from necessary washing up and short rests, he spent most of his time in the hospital room. The small table by the window became his makeshift workspace, with a tablet, scattered documents, and his coffee cup dominating the surface.

During this period, Lin Xueyue and Zhao Lei remotely reported the progress of the project inspection and some minor issues encountered through encrypted messages.

[Lin Xueyue]: Mr. Cui, this is the supplementary environmental protection certificate provided by Xin Mining. It has been preliminarily verified, but there are still two data points that are questionable. They have been marked. Please take a look.

[Lin Xueyue]: Attachment.pdf

Cui Yu quickly browsed the documents, his fingertips swiping across the tablet.

[Cui Yu]: I have reviewed the points of contention. I contacted a third-party organization to verify their pollution discharge fee payment records for the previous quarter, compared the data's authenticity, and directly shared the results with my legal department.

[Zhao Lei]: Mr. Cui, a deputy section chief from the local housing and construction department hinted that we might need some 'extra fees' to expedite the approval of our temporary land use. His attitude was ambiguous. How should we respond?

Cui Yu's eyes turned slightly cold.

[Cui Yu]: Explicitly refused.

[Cui Yu]: Prepare two documents: a formal reminder letter and an anonymous research report on the department's recent work efficiency, which should be casually shown to the person in charge.

Cui Yu was able to resolve most problems through remote command.

His efficiency was so high that it seemed he never left the front lines of the project. Occasionally, when a more in-depth discussion was needed, he would take his phone to the corridor outside the ward and make a brief call in a low voice.

Every time he got up to leave, or focused on the screen, Meng Yihe, if she was awake, would unconsciously follow him with her gaze.

My feelings are mixed.

She felt guilty for slowing down the progress, but more than that, she felt an indescribable sense of security, as if as long as this person was there, no matter what difficulties she encountered, she could find a solution. This sense of dependence quietly grew, contrary to Meng Yihe's idea of ​​keeping her distance from others.