Protect him
Downstairs in the inpatient department.
Zuo Xiao hung up the phone. Five minutes later, a man of medium height and a square face approached and respectfully asked, "Excuse me, are you Miss Zuo?"
"It's me." Zuo Xiao smiled slightly, "Are you Mr. Lu?"
"Yes, yes." The other person smiled broadly. "You can just call me Lu Ziqiang. Come on, I'll take you upstairs to have a look."
Lu Ziqiang led her to the ICU door and said, "As I reported to you on the phone, Mr. Lu is currently in critical condition and no visitors are allowed, not even relatives. Mr. Lu's father came yesterday and was furious when he heard that he wasn't allowed in!"
"I know." Zuo Xiao stared at the blue door and said lightly.
At this moment, another door opened not far away, and a middle-aged man and woman rushed over. After hearing what the doctor said, the woman was stunned for a moment, and suddenly her body went limp, falling to the ground. The man's shoulders trembled, and he belatedly went to support her. Then he let out a heartbreaking cry: "Juan'er... my Juan'er..."
Amidst the wailing, Zuo Xiao frowned and heard Lu Ziqiang sigh. He said, "That's the open ICU over there, with more than a dozen beds. Every day is filled with separations and deaths. The older sister next door, her daughter is only in her second year of high school. She got depressed and jumped off the building because she couldn't think straight. Sigh..."
Zuo Xiao looked away and asked, "Is he awake?"
Lu Ziqiang shook his head: "He has been unconscious."
He led her to a seat and said, "Don't worry too much. Mr. Lu is blessed with good fortune. The doctor said the first round of surgeries went smoothly, and the second and final major surgery will be performed tomorrow afternoon. Mr. Lu has made it through it all, so he will be fine in the future as well."
Zuo Xiao nodded and lowered his eyes silently.
Suddenly, I recalled that long hug on the sofa at Blue Lemon that day. Luffy's body was warm, his breath was hot, and his heart was beating strongly.
Then, Luffy's parting glance surfaced before her eyes. He was inside the door, she was outside, and she only felt that those eyes were filled with fatigue and confusion, but she didn't realize that fatigue might be ennui, and confusion might be despair with no end in sight.
If only she could understand him at that time.
If only she hadn't been so cold and ruthless later on, and had shown him some concern, that would have been great.
If only she had never appeared in his life...
When she realized what was happening, her eyes were wet. She stood up and turned her back to Lu Ziqiang: "I'm going to the bathroom."
After returning from the restroom, he stayed there for over an hour. Lu Ziqiang said he arrived at 8 a.m. and left at 8 p.m. every day, staying at a hotel near the hospital. He also left his phone number with the nurse, ensuring he would be the first to know if anything happened and report it to Mr. Zhuang.
Zuo Xiao felt something was wrong and frowned, "What about his family?"
Lu Ziqiang was stunned for a moment and said, "Mr. Lu's father came twice, his mother came once, and other relatives have come as well." After a moment, he added dryly, "Both sides are doing big business, so it's understandable that they're a bit busy, right?"
Zuo Xiao sneered. She had heard Luffy say that his parents had married for personal gain, and that they had been estranged for years. They were also lukewarm towards their son. His father even had an illegitimate teenage child.
"Is there anything else you want to know?" Lu Ziqiang asked, "I think it's getting late, why don't you go back and rest first?"
The setting sun painted the streets golden. Zuo Xiao left the hospital and made her way back to her hotel. She booked a standard room at a nearby motel, costing just over two hundred yuan a day. She didn't know how long she would stay, so she booked three nights.
She lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling. The hotel was in a residential area and quiet, but the soundproofing wasn't great, and the noise from the hallway and the next room was constant. One of the men seemed to be constantly on the phone, asking different people to lend money for his wife's medical treatment.
In her twenty-plus years, she had never been so close to death as she had been recently. First, Zhuang Yu'an's life hung by a thread, then Lao Zuo suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized, and then Luffy was seriously injured in a car accident, his life or death unknown. Furthermore, the separations she witnessed at the ICU door, and the struggle of the man next door, all made her realize how close death is to everyone. Who knows when someone might be chatting and laughing with you, and then it will be your last goodbye. If she had understood this earlier, she would never have confronted Lao Zuo, nor would she have treated Luffy so coldly. Looking back, she really wasn't a kind person.
She was woken up by her phone in a daze. Zhuang Yu'an called and asked her where she was.
Zuo Xiao rubbed his sleepy eyes and replied, "Hotel."
"Baby, give me the address. I'll come over now."
"Now?" She suddenly felt completely refreshed. "You came to Taiyuan?"
An hour later, Zhuang Yu'an appeared in this room of less than 20 square meters.
Along with her guitar.
"Why did you bring your guitar?" Zuo Xiao was surprised and delighted. Zhuang Yu'an smiled slightly: "I guess you might be staying here for a while. If you don't practice for a long time, won't your hands get rusty?"
Zuo Xiao pursed her lips and sat down on the edge of the bed. After a moment, she said, "I just want to wait here for him to wake up. I have no other purpose."
"I know." Zhuang Yu'an sat down on her right and took her into his arms. "I feel the same way as you."
Zuo Xiao raised his head, and thousands of words were expressed in the meeting of eyes.
After a while, Zhuang Yu'an asked, "How's things going with uncle?"
"He was discharged this morning and is doing well."
"That's good." Zhuang Yu'an said, "I asked someone to find a male caregiver who can cook. He will come to take care of you at 7 o'clock every morning and wait until uncle has finished his meal and taken his medicine before leaving. Is that okay?"
Zuo Xiao shook his head: "No need. He can take care of himself. Besides, with his personality, he can't adapt to having a stranger in his house."
Zhuang Yuan paused and said, "The first month of care after a heart attack is very important. I'm worried that Uncle will smoke, drink, and eat without supervision. Let's let the nurse go over and try first. If he really doesn't want to, we can think of other ways, okay?"
His words made sense, and Zuo Xiao nodded. He then added, "If he refuses, just tell him you've already paid him a month's salary and can't refund it. If he doesn't want to use it, it will be a waste of money."
Zuo Xiao couldn't help but laugh: "You're quite good at dealing with elders."
Zhuang Yu'an smiled and said, "The company has a contracted hotel nearby. How about we move there?"
Because of his earlier "deal" with Old Zuo, Zuo Xiao was skeptical about the so-called "agreement hotel." But there was no doubt that Zhuang Yu'an, tall and imposing with a powerful presence, was a complete misfit in this cramped, shabby room. There was no reason to force him to stay here just to save money or fulfill her wish.
The two went downstairs to check out, and the front desk clerk readily refunded the next two nights' stay and expressed a hint of curiosity about their relationship. A poor but beautiful woman living alone in a motel near a hospital is picked up by a handsome, wealthy man out of nowhere at night—there's so much room for interpretation here.
Ten minutes later, Zhuang Yu'an led her into a five-star hotel chain. During check-in, the front desk staff mentioned they had booked an "apartment suite." Inside, the outer room resembled an apartment living room, complete with an open kitchenette. It seemed he was prepared to stay with her for the long haul.
"The trip to Canada has been postponed. Let's wait for half a month and see how the situation develops." Zhuang Yu'an said before going to bed.
The next afternoon, the two came to the hospital together. Chen Quan and Lu Ziqiang had been waiting downstairs in the inpatient department for a long time.
Chen Quan opened his portable smart notebook and wrote a lengthy report: "The operation will begin at two o'clock, conducted collaboratively by the orthopedics and general surgery teams, and is expected to last three to four hours. The main focus of the operation is internal fixation of the major fractures in the limbs. At the same time, the abdominal cavity will be reopened to remove the gauze used to initially stop bleeding, thoroughly clean the abdominal cavity, and inspect the healing of the organs. The main risks of the operation are tissue adhesion and bleeding. Since this is a second entry into the abdominal cavity, the risk of bleeding is higher than the initial one. There are also risks of infection and anesthesia, as well as the uncertainty of postoperative recovery. If the operation is successful, Mr. Lu will return to the ICU for observation. Once his vital signs stabilize, he will immediately begin rehabilitation treatment."
The four of them waited outside the operating room. Chen Quan and Lu Ziqiang consciously moved away, leaving Zuo Xiao and Zhuang Yu'an alone.
Zhuang Yu'an pulled a talisman bag from his pocket. It had a flesh-colored base, embroidered with gold patterns, and a red vertical frame in the center, with the words "Forever Peace and Health" embroidered in gold thread.
He placed the talisman bag in her hand: "This is the amulet Jinghao asked for, to bless Luffy's surgery to be successful and to be healthy and safe. You keep it for him first and give it to him personally when he wakes up, okay?"
Zuo Xiao held the thing in his palm and nodded.
After a while, a boy in school uniform came over and sat next to them.
Zhuang Yu'an saw Chen Quan waving his phone at him and pointing at the screen, so he took out his phone to check. Chen Quan said on WeChat, "Boss, this kid is Mr. Lu's half-brother. He's just started junior high. Lu Ziqiang said he came here twice."
Zuo Xiao noticed what they were doing and gave them a questioning look, so Zhuang Yu'an showed her his phone. She took a closer look at the middle school student next to her and saw that he was as tall, thin, and fair as Luffy, but his facial features were different.
She stood up, pulled Zhuang Yu'an a little further away, and sat down again.
Waiting is always a long time. During this time, Zhuang Yu'an made and received several calls, all for official business. Zuo Xiao was a quiet person, so no one called him, but he received some greetings and invitations on WeChat.
Old Sun asked everyone in the group about their return dates to Beijing so they could arrange a rehearsal time. The day after tomorrow was the Lantern Festival, and everyone else had planned to return to Beijing after the holiday, except Zuo Xiao, who said family matters kept him away and he might be away for ten days or half a month.
"After the Lunar New Year, our account gained 2,000 followers. I think most of them are here for our beautiful lead singer," Peng Lei said to her in the group chat. "Goddess, please show up when you have time, shoot a short holiday video or something, and satisfy the fans' expectations!" Then Zhuang Jinghao interrupted him, saying, "You don't understand account management, so stop giving orders blindly, okay?" Peng Lei retorted, "You're the only one who knows everything. You're the king of knowledge, right?"
Zuo Xiao thought about it, and then Xiao Chuang explained the whole situation to Lao Sun. She didn't mention that it was Luffy who was in the accident, but only that a close friend had been in a car accident, and she would wait in the hospital until he woke up. Lao Sun expressed his understanding and told her not to worry and to take care of everything before returning.
After a while, Zhuang Yu'an came back and said that he would go back to Beijing tonight and come back the day after tomorrow night.
"Actually, you don't need to go back and forth so frequently. It's too tiring." Zuo Xiao frowned.
"I want to come over." He hugged her gently. "On the one hand, I want to be with you, and on the other hand..." He paused. "I feel guilty. Even though being in the hospital won't help, it will make me feel better."
Zuo Xiao certainly understood this feeling, so he stopped trying to persuade him.
At 5:30, the operating room door remained closed. Zuo Xiao, increasingly restless, paced back and forth clutching her amulet. Zhuang Yu'an didn't stop her, merely staring at her intently.
More than ten minutes later, the door opened and several medical staff walked out one after another.
Several people followed Lu Ziqiang and surrounded him. They heard a nurse say, "Family members, please wait a moment. The surgeon will come out and tell you about the operation."
"Make way, make way!" With a shout, everyone moved aside, and then the sound of wheels rubbing against the ground was heard, and a hospital bed with guardrails was pushed out.
Zuo Xiao's heart raced. She looked over and saw a figure in a blue surgical gown lying on the bed, wearing an oxygen mask and receiving an IV drip. Several tubes and wires she couldn't understand were attached to their bodies, a forbidding sight. Upon closer inspection, the figure's face was pale and emaciated, with gauze wrapped around their forehead and several small, exposed wounds. It was almost unrecognizable from their original appearance.
Zuo Xiao's tears fell, and she was immediately pressed into Zhuang Yu'an's arms. He kissed the top of her head silently, his lips trembling slightly.
After a while, the surgeon came out, swept his eyes over the crowd, and fixed on Lu Ziqiang's face.
"Please rest assured, the operation has been successfully completed. We have successfully completed the internal fixation of the fracture and the exploration of the abdominal cavity for the patient. The gauze that was previously stuffed has also been safely removed. The condition in the abdominal cavity is currently stable."
"That's great, that's great..." Lu Ziqiang slapped his thigh with joy, and everyone else also had a happy look on their faces.
"However, please understand and be mentally prepared for one thing," the doctor continued. "The patient is currently recovering from anesthesia and has not fully regained consciousness. Considering he hasn't been awake since being admitted, we need to carefully observe the speed and extent of his recovery. We will return him to the intensive care unit for continued close monitoring to ensure he safely navigates this critical period. The most important thing right now is to provide him with a quiet environment. Please remain patient, and we will do our best."
Everyone's faces were solemn. At this moment, a middle school student beside them suddenly asked, "Do you mean to say that you can't rule out the possibility of remaining unconscious?"
The doctor replied cautiously, "Based on the patient's brain damage and current condition, this is indeed a possibility. We will closely monitor his progress and will inform you as soon as there are any new developments."
Back at the hotel, Zhuang Yu'an packed his luggage and Zuo Xiao walked him downstairs. Before leaving, he hugged her and said, "You have to eat well while I'm away. If you don't want to go out to eat, call the front desk and have them bring it over."
Seeing Zuo Xiao looked absent-minded, he added: "Take good care of yourself, just for your uncle, for Luffy, for everyone in the band, and for me. Okay?" Only then did she nod seriously.
For the next two days, Zuo Xiao went to the hospital twice a day, clutching a peace charm in her hand, and sat outside the ICU door for over an hour. Lu Ziqiang was always there, sometimes leaving her alone, sometimes chatting with her.
It was almost midnight, and Zuo Xiao was still asleep when he heard the door being opened. He stood up and saw Zhuang Yu'an coming in with a suitcase.
She quickly stood up and went to meet him, burying her face in his arms.
The two hugged each other quietly for a moment, and Zhuang Yu'an opened the suitcase and took out a lot of things from it, including dumplings and wontons he made by himself, her clothes, a new set of skin care products, and a jar of kimchi.
"Kimchi is made by my grandma. If you have no appetite, eat some kimchi. It's very appetizing." He said as he put the food into the refrigerator.
"I saw some bad rumors online." Zuo Xiao stood aside, saying worriedly, "They said...that Luffy committed suicide for love. Someone posted a video of you fighting at Blue Lemon, saying that you became enemies because of a woman, and that Luffy was responsible for your arm injury years ago. The rumors are getting more and more outrageous..."
Zhuang Yu'an took her to sit on the sofa and said calmly, "I saw it. The public relations department is filing a complaint and reporting. These false information will be deleted soon."
Zuo Xiao's expression remained heavy. "But I see these rumors spread very quickly, and quite a few shareholders are discussing it on the stock forum. Will it have a significant impact on the company?"
Zhuang Yu'an thought for a moment and said, "There is a slight impact, but it's controllable. You don't have to worry. How has Luffy been these past two days?"
Zuo Xiao knew he was trying to change the subject. Lu Ziqiang was always on guard at the ICU door, so Zhuang Yu'an would definitely be the first to know if anything happened. But she still replied, "He's still not awake, but there's no bleeding or infection, and he's recovering well."
"Yeah." Zhuang Yu'an held her in his arms. "You only need to worry about this. Leave the rest to me, okay?"
Zuo Xiao nodded. After a moment, he asked, "What if—I mean, if—Luffy doesn't wake up for a long time, what are your plans?"
Zuo Xiao thought about this possibility and said truthfully, "I haven't made up my mind yet... I plan to stay here for half a month and see how things go."
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a moment and said, "Don't be anxious, think about it slowly."
That was all he said, but how could Zuo Xiao not know the underlying meaning? Time rolled on, and no matter what happened along the way, life must go on. However, even if one could continue to move forward, some things were done and never left a mark on one's life.
"Oh, right." Zhuang Yu'an let go of his hand and said with a smile, "Today is the Lantern Festival. Have you eaten glutinous rice balls?"
"No."
"So, eat some now?"
Zuo Xiao then realized that he had also brought a bag of frozen glutinous rice balls. "How many do you want to eat?" he asked.
"Three is about right."
"Black sesame or peanut?"
Zuo Xiao thought about it carefully and said, "Then let's have two each."
Zhuang Yu'an cooked eight dumplings, divided them into two bowls, and the two of them sat opposite each other and ate them.
That night, the two slept in each other's arms. Zuo Xiao buried her head in his arms, enveloped by the breath of the Cangshan Mountains after the autumn rain, and her heart, which had been hanging in the air, slowly fell back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
