Chapter 144 The Immortal Man is looking for a girlfriend and finds her here
An hour's drive from Shanghai, Tong Zhongyuan received a message from Qin Tian. She couldn't come because of something. He was a little surprised; this was different from what he expected. He called her, but she didn't answer.
Even though he knew she wouldn't show up, he still glanced around as he left the station. These past few days, he'd felt increasingly unfamiliar with himself. When had he started harboring these unrealistic fantasies? Was he really expecting her to surprise him? There was no need to be disappointed. She wasn't deliberately not coming; she must have something serious to worry about. He'd see her tonight. He wheeled his luggage to the taxi stand.
There was some traffic jam heading into the city, and by the time he reached the Shanghai Museum, it was already closing time. Tong Zhongyuan hadn't felt like going inside the museum that day. He'd inevitably have to deal with well-intentioned yet annoying attentions. Besides, the surprise he'd prepared couldn't withstand prolonged exposure to room temperature and needed immediate attention.
He bought a few simple charcoal grills and bamboo skewers from a nearby supermarket, then returned to his rental apartment and cut the lamb leg into small pieces and skewered them. He'd already thought about this the previous day while eating the roasted lamb: Qin Tian loved roasted lamb, and it would be a good atmosphere to grill together. He kept glancing at the small window across from him, and even when it was completely dark, the window remained dark.
The lamb skewers were arranged temptingly and neatly, and everything was ready, but she still hadn't returned. He called again, but she still didn't answer. He waited patiently for half an hour, then couldn't help but call a third time, but she still didn't answer. He sent her a message asking what was wrong, asking her to see the message and call back.
His imagination began to distort. The warm image of him and her laughing while grilling skewers gradually faded from his mind. The cold, unlit oven, the skewers oxidizing, the darkness permeating the silence.
Song Suiyang was having dinner with her boyfriend when her phone rang. It was Tong Zhongyuan. If she remembered correctly, this was the first time Tong Zhongyuan had called her. The moment she answered the phone, Tong Zhongyuan's voice came over, with a tone of anxiety she had never heard before.
"Did you see Qin Tian in the museum today?"
Song Suiyang was delighted when she heard this. No wonder Qin Tian dressed up today. He must be going to see Tong Zhongyuan this weekend. The fairy man didn't hide it anymore and came to her looking for his girlfriend. She said lightly, "I saw her when I entered the museum this morning. She was dressed very beautifully~"
"Did you see her before leaving get off work?"
Oh no, it sounds like the two haven't met yet.
"No. We just met this morning."
"Do you have Yuan Junruo's contact information? Send it to me."
In a few seconds, Song Suiyang sent Yuan Junruo's number to Tong Zhongyuan. Yuan Junruo told him that Qin Tian left in the afternoon and did not say why.
Tong Zhongyuan hung up the phone. He looked at the third person on the WeChat list. Impossible, Tang Zhixu wouldn't know her whereabouts. He locked his phone and threw it aside. If Qin Tian was too busy to answer his call, then Tang Zhixu wouldn't be able to contact her either. As long as she saw the message he sent, she would call back immediately.
Two searchlight-like beams approached from afar, accompanied by a shrill horn. Qin Tian turned back abruptly and covered her eyes with her hands. A large truck roared past her.
She stepped back, helplessly watching the truck vanish into the distance. She folded her arms and shivered. The night was so cold that the chill seeped unchecked into her coat and her shoes, causing pain with every step. Where was he? Where on earth was he? The hospital was so close to the highway. Could he have walked onto it?
That call from the hospital was not to announce the result, but to send her into hell.
Qin Yunjie went missing from the hospital.
She rushed to the ward. He hadn't taken anything with him, not even his coat. It was so cold, and he'd gone missing wearing only a single layer of clothing.
The doctors and nurses huddled against the wall, trembling with fear, as if she were about to explode. She didn't blame them, not even a little bit. How could she have the nerve to blame the hospital? She'd only been there a handful of times since her father was admitted. A male doctor summoned his courage and approached her, telling her they'd called the police and asking her to wait for further information. Also on the way was Director Qian, Qin Yunjie's attending physician.
She knew that going out to look for her was the most inefficient and useless way, but waiting for news was even more torture. She searched until the night, and the cold and pain in her body were a morbid salvation, allowing her to forget at this moment what a terrible daughter she was.
When the police called to say he'd been found, she burst into tears. As she shed her first tear, she felt completely shameless. What right did she have to cry? While she was wearing a wool coat and makeup, her mind racing to her evening date, her father, who had dementia, left the hospital in a single layer of clothing in the freezing wind.
Director Qian stayed, waiting for Qin Tian to arrive. He was supposed to have spoken with the patient's family yesterday. The patient's new medication had failed. After a final comprehensive checkup, he was due to be discharged next Monday. But now, discharging him immediately after the patient went missing felt like a shoo-in, especially since this patient was referred by Elder Deng.
He held up his glasses and chose the gentlest words possible to speak to the patient's family.
"My personal opinion is that the patient's new drug trial has concluded. He can be discharged next week after a comprehensive examination. I'm very sorry for this incident. We will strengthen patient safety management before he is discharged."
Qin Tian looked at him dully. Yes, it was over. She already knew the result of the experiment.
She returned to the ward. Qin Yunjie, injected with a tranquilizer, was already fast asleep. She stared at his aged face, silently leaning on the edge of his bed, the sleeves of her sweater gradually soaking. Her eyes were open, her vision blurred by the water, like the beginning and end of a dream. That appointment at the train station, that person who hadn't been picked up, was already a thing of the last century.
The next morning, when she saw Qin Yunjie open his eyes, she knew he was back, just for a short while. He was surprised that she was in the hospital, and she smiled as she washed up with him and had breakfast together.
She told him that she would be discharged from the hospital next week, and they both knew what discharge meant.
"Dad, what do you think about when you're discharged from the hospital?"
He looked into her eyes and said, "I'm going back to the nursing home. Don't have any other ideas."
She said nothing.
"Yi Zhang," he called, "Promise me that you will respect my choice and not act on your own."
She left the subject. She was more concerned with the next week than with the wind blowing through the fog, the unresolved past waiting for her.
Qin Yunjie finished his meal, covered the lunch box with his skinny hands, and looked up to smile at her.
It was a new day, the sun was still shining, birds were flying across the sky, and the world was as beautiful as ever. But she was running out of time.
After leaving the hospital, she called a taxi. Her phone had died last night, so she borrowed the nurse's phone line to charge it this morning. Of the messages that popped up, she only saw his. Last night, he was waiting for her to call back.
Everything in the world expires, including messages. A message from last night, by the time I reply today, it's already distorted. She deleted and wrote, wrote and deleted again. Ultimately, she didn't send it. She'll send it when she gets home.
The taxi stopped downstairs, she closed the door and dragged her feet into the corridor. The elevator was full of aunts and uncles who had just returned from shopping, discussing what dishes to cook today. The elevator stopped at each floor, and there were fewer and fewer people. After a dull sound, it stopped on the 12th floor, and the elevator door slowly opened. She tiredly took out the key from her bag, opened the door of her house, leaned against the door frame, bent down to take off her leather shoes, and put her scarred feet into the slippers. Just this one action, she almost used up all her strength. She stood up with the help of the door frame and pushed the door closed. The sound of hurried footsteps came running, and a big hand suddenly grabbed the door frame. She was startled and quickly pulled the closing door.
The door opened, and Tong Zhongyuan, unable to stop himself, fell against the doorframe. His hair was disheveled, his hands resting on his legs, and he was bent over, gasping for breath. He reached out and grasped the doorknob, then raised his head, gasping for air, his eyes bloodshot.
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