He Yanzhi rushed Guan Wenru to the provincial hospital as quickly as possible.
At this moment, the corridor was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.
The overhead incandescent light emitted a dim yellow glow, illuminating the mottled white plaster on the walls.
Above the emergency room door, the bright red light displaying the words "Operation in Progress" was glaringly bright, like a red-hot branding iron, searing into everyone's hearts.
He Yanzhi stood frozen like a statue at the entrance of the emergency room, his military uniform still stained with Guan Wenru's blood, which had turned dark brown.
His tall frame was slightly hunched, his eyes fixed on the tightly closed door, as if trying to see right through it.
Beside him, three little ones... He Yi, He Qi, and He Sheng, their eyes red and swollen like little peaches from crying, their faces covered in tears and dust.
He Yi and He Qi hugged He Yanzhi's legs tightly on either side, sobbing softly.
He Sheng was held tightly in He Yanzhi's arms, his small body still trembling uncontrollably, clearly terrified.
"Dad... will Mom die..." He Sheng asked in a muffled voice, his little head buried in He Yanzhi's neck.
He Yanzhi's throat bobbed violently, and he tightened his arms around his son.
His voice was terribly hoarse, but he tried his best to remain calm, "No, Mom is the bravest, she'll be alright! The doctors are inside saving her."
He Yi looked up, tears welling up again. "It's all our fault... If it weren't for taking us to the state-run hotel... Mom wouldn't have..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" He Yanzhi interrupted him, his tone slightly hurried, but he immediately calmed down.
He knelt down, gathered the three children around him, and wiped away their tears with his rough hands. "Protecting you is your father's and mother's responsibility!"
Mom got hurt protecting you; she's a hero. You have to be strong. Mom will be happy when she comes out and sees you all safe and sound, okay?
The three children seemed to understand, but they nodded vigorously nonetheless.
A moment later, a series of hurried footsteps approached.
Lei Yongkang, Hua Xiaoyu, and the others ran over breathlessly, their faces filled with anxiety and worry.
Lei Yongkang was still wearing his work clothes, clearly having come directly from the factory.
"Commander He! How is the situation?" Lei Yongkang's heart sank when he saw the blood on He Yanzhi's body and the children's appearance.
He Yanzhi shook his head, his voice low, "He's still being treated. He lost too much blood and is unconscious."
When Hua Xiaoyu saw the pitiful state of the three children, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
She was accompanied by her three daughters, Daya, Erya, and Xiaoya.
She quickly stepped forward and whispered to He Yanzhi, "Commander He, you can rest assured and watch over Wenru. Leave the children to me. I'll take them to wash their faces and buy some food."
He Yanzhi looked at her gratefully, "Sister-in-law Hua, thank you for your trouble."
“What’s the trouble! Wenru has been so kind to us, mother and children, this is nothing!” Hua Xiaoyu said softly to the triplets, “Yiyi, Qiqi, Shengsheng, why don’t you go wash your faces with Aunt Hua and your sisters first? Let Dad wait for Mom in peace.”
Daya, being sensible, stepped forward and took He Yi's hand, saying, "Little brother Yi, come with us."
Perhaps it was the familiar aunts and sisters who brought them a sense of security. The triplets looked at their father, then at the door of the emergency room, and finally followed Hua Xiaoyu and her daughters, turning back every few steps.
Lei Yongkang patted He Yanzhi on the shoulder, wanting to say something to comfort him, but found his throat tighten.
In the end, she could only sigh heavily and stare at the red light with him.
After a while, a series of even more steady and rapid footsteps sounded.
He Yanzhi's colleague, Wan Tao, also dressed in military uniform, walked over quickly with a solemn expression.
"Old He!" Wan Tao walked closer, glanced at the emergency room, and frowned. "How is your sister-in-law?"
He Yanzhi shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the door.
Wan Tao took a deep breath and lowered his voice, saying, "The identities of the two thugs who attacked my sister-in-law have been confirmed."
"!" He Yanzhi turned his head sharply to look at him, his eyes as sharp as knives, his voice hoarse, "Who is it!"
He already had a vague idea in his heart!
Wan Tao's face was extremely grim. "It's a survivor from that cross-provincial criminal gang that you helped the police dismantle last time, the one that smuggled military supplies across provinces!"
The scarred man was a minor leader in the gang, and the other was his accomplice. When the police were taking inventory, they discovered two people and a batch of detonators were missing. They've been investigating ever since, but they never expected them to have gone into hiding, found out about your family situation, and were waiting for an opportunity to retaliate!
He Yanzhi's body swayed violently, and his face instantly lost all color.
He remembered the almost hiltless dagger on Guan Wenru's back, the children's terrified cries, and her pale face as she fell...
Endless regret and self-blame gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
"It's my fault...it's my fault that she...it's my fault that the child..."
His voice trembled, filled with pain, "If it weren't for me... if I hadn't provoked these people... they wouldn't have..."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his fist and slammed it hard against the cold, hard white wall next to him!
A muffled thud!
Where the fist collided with the wall, a small patch of bright red blood instantly appeared, and beads of blood seeped out from the broken joint.
"Commander He! Don't do this!" Lei Yongkang was startled and quickly went to pull him away.
Wan Tao grabbed his arm, his voice urgent, "He Yanzhi! Calm down! How can this be your fault?! Fighting crime and protecting the people is our duty! The fault lies with those heartless criminals! Not you!"
He Yanzhi was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently. His hand, which had been pounding on the wall, fell limply to his side, and drops of blood fell onto the cement floor.
He closed his eyes and shook his head in anguish.
If something happens to Wenru, how will he and the children survive!
How is he going to live his life?!
Wan Tao pressed down hard on his shoulder, his voice resolute, "Listen! Your wife is a hero! She protected her child, she did nothing wrong! You did nothing wrong either! The most important thing now is to pull through! She's so strong, she'll be alright! You have to stay strong! The children need you!"
He Yanzhi opened his eyes, which were bloodshot.
He stared at the still-lit red light, his jaw clenched, his jawline taut.
Wan Tao's words struck him like a hammer blow.
Yes, Wenru is still fighting inside; he can't collapse first.
He slowly straightened up, wiped his face, and didn't even notice the blood on his hand smearing onto his cheek.
He turned his gaze back to the door of the emergency room, the panic in his eyes fading.
It's okay, everything will be alright!
The corridor fell silent again, with only suppressed breathing and the silent yet heavy announcement of the red light.
Time ticked by, each second agonizing the hearts of everyone outside the door.
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