Chapter 42
With Tang Hui regaining consciousness, the incident of malicious assault in the parking lot quickly came to an end.
As Song Ziyi stated, the perpetrator, Wu Qiren, was the ex-husband of one of Tang Hui's clients, and he confessed to the crime. He was immediately detained by the police after recovering from his injuries and is awaiting trial.
It's worth mentioning that this incident somehow reached the ears of Wu Qiren's ex-wife. She felt somewhat guilty, thinking that Tang Hui, as her lawyer, had taken those two blows for her.
Furthermore, Tang Hui knew her father, who had facilitated her divorce case. To make amends to Tang Hui and to increase Wu Qiren's sentence so he wouldn't harm others again, she voluntarily submitted evidence of Wu Qiren's embezzlement and bribery during his tenure.
With one charge of intentional assault, plus economic crimes such as embezzlement and bribery, it is believed that Wu Qiren's sentence will not be short.
Tang Hui was recuperating in the hospital. During this time, in addition to Shen Bining and Chen Nian, who worked at the hospital, visiting him frequently, Song Ziyi and Qi Wang came to visit him every day.
The most dramatic thing is that he and Shen Changqing hit it off immediately and found they shared similar interests, becoming close friends despite their age difference within just a few days.
Shen Changqing patted Tang Hui on the shoulder several times and said meaningfully, "My daughter has always had good taste. I am very satisfied that she chose you."
Whenever Tang Hui heard this, he would laugh it off, and if Shen Bining was present, he would pretend he hadn't heard it.
On one occasion, Shen Changqing even suggested bringing Shen Bining's mother to visit the patient, which would also be considered as meeting her future son-in-law. This startled Shen Bining, who quickly gestured to Tang Hui from behind.
Tang Hui remained calm and said, "It should be me visiting you two at home with gifts. How could I let your aunt come to the hospital to see me on our first meeting? Don't I have any pride?"
Shen Changqing thought about it and agreed, then laughed and said, "You're right. Then come over to my house for a meal after you've recovered and been discharged from the hospital. That way, we can meet formally."
Shen Bining and Tang Hui breathed a sigh of relief. After exchanging a glance, their eyes held a complex expression. They seemed afraid to look each other in the eye and immediately looked away, concealing their guilt and unspoken words.
They both knew that from the moment Lisa said she wanted to let go, their contract had been automatically terminated, and at this point, they could no longer be considered a couple.
But no one could bring themselves to say "goodbye".
Then there's Lisa, this eccentric girl. Based on her usual style, Shen Bining thought she would stay by Tang Hui's bedside every day, the kind that you couldn't get rid of no matter how hard you tried.
But the truth was quite surprising.
Aside from visiting Tang Hui when he first regained consciousness, Lisa did not show up during Tang Hui's entire hospital stay.
Lisa was not injured, just frightened. She was hospitalized for two days for observation and was discharged after finding nothing serious. She has not been seen since.
At first, Tang Hui and the others were relieved that the girl had finally stopped causing trouble, but she never showed up or even made a phone call. Gradually, they began to feel that something was wrong.
After all, she was Tang Hui's cousin and hadn't done anything particularly heinous, so naturally, no one could ignore her. Therefore, Shen Bining got Lisa's phone number from Tang Hui and proactively called to inquire about her well-being.
After explaining why she was calling, Lisa was silent for a moment, and then her soft sobbing could be heard from the other end of the line.
Shen Bining was startled, thinking that something had really happened to her or that she had suffered some aftereffects. Just as she was about to ask, she heard Lisa sobbing softly, "I didn't save him, I almost killed him, I'm so ashamed to face him. Don't worry about me, let me atone for my sins alone."
He hung up the phone after saying that.
Shen Bining stared speechlessly at the ended call, utterly at a loss for words to describe Lisa.
To say that her moral standards are low, she is still resentful about not being able to save Tang Hui, to the point that she is embarrassed to see him. People who don't know her might think that she is the one who injured Tang Hui. Even the murderer Wu Qiren's sense of guilt is not as heavy as hers.
But if you say she has high moral standards, then why did she keep pestering Tang Hui even after he clearly rejected her multiple times, and why did she still not give up even though he had a girlfriend...
In the end, Shen Bining concluded that Lisa's moral standards were entirely based on Tang Hui's personal customization. To use a phrase from a melodramatic novel, it's like saying, "I'd rather betray the whole world than betray you."
*
Tang Hui's injuries were not serious. The fruit knife only made a few cuts on his body and did not damage his internal organs. He has always been in good physical condition, and after lying in the hospital for a week, he was ready to be discharged.
On the night before her brother was discharged from the hospital, Shen Bining called Lisa again and said bluntly, "Your brother is being discharged tomorrow. If you don't come to see him soon, he won't be able to see him again. You don't even know where he lives."
After a moment of silence, Lisa cautiously asked about the time, indicating that she would be back tomorrow.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Bining stared at her phone screen for a long time without making a sound until the screen went black automatically.
Suddenly, Shen Bining laughed self-deprecatingly, feeling that she was really just being silly. Before, she was afraid that Lisa would cling to Tang Hui, but now that Lisa was willing to let go, she went and eagerly called her to tell Tang Hui about her discharge from the hospital.
As she was laughing, a voice suddenly rang in her mind, striking Shen Bining's heart like a bolt from the blue.
"You don't want Lisa to leave because you want to keep this charade going with Tang Hui."
*
The next day when Tang Hui was discharged from the hospital, Lisa indeed came, carrying several suitcases. She first inquired about Tang Hui's health, and then explained to everyone's surprised gaze, "Tang Hui's injury is fine, I'm going back."
Everyone was used to Lisa's persistent pestering, so when she suddenly said she was leaving so casually, no one could give a normal reaction.
After a while, Tang Hui said in a hoarse voice, "Are you going to the airport by yourself? Why don't you wait a couple more days, and I'll come and see you off once I've recovered from my injuries?"
Lisa smiled and shook her head, saying, "The tickets are already booked. Since you've made up your mind, let's go today. I can take a taxi to the airport. I came alone before, and I can leave alone now. China is very safe, so don't worry about me."
Since Lisa had said so, Tang Hui was happy to go along with her, but he reminded her, "Call me when you get to the airport, and call me again when you get back to the United States to let me know you're safe. Don't tell your parents about my injury."
"Mmm." Lisa nodded in agreement, then suddenly rushed over and hugged Tang Hui tightly.
She buried her head in Tang Hui's chest and said loudly, her voice trembling with tears, "I will never forget how much I loved you, and I hope you can find happiness. Tang Hui, remember to come home. Your mom, dad, and I will always love you."
Finally, the group couldn't bear to let Lisa, a foreign girl, leave alone. After discussing it, they decided that Song Ziyi and Mu Ci would take Lisa to the airport first, while Qi Wang, Chen Nian, and Shen Bining would pick Tang up and take her home. The two groups would then meet at Tang's home.
Qi Wang drove, while the two beautiful doctors took care of the patient, and they rushed home.
This was Shen Bining's first time visiting Tang Hui's home. Standing at the door, she glanced around and thought to herself: "You can tell this is Tang Hui's place just by looking at the decor. To put it nicely, it's minimalist; to put it bluntly, it's a cold, aloof style."
She even doubted whether anyone usually lived in the house, how could it be so empty and desolate, with almost no trace of the owner's life in the huge living room.
After putting down his luggage, Tang Hui insisted on taking a shower. He hadn't showered during his week-long hospital stay because of his injuries, and the usually clean person was on the verge of a breakdown.
Qi Wang frowned and asked, "Can you take a shower now? Doctors, please give me some professional advice." He then looked at Chen Nian and Shen Bining, who were touring the house.
Before the two doctors could speak, Tang Hui declared firmly, "I must wash, and no one can persuade me otherwise."
Since he had already said that, and knowing that further persuasion was useless, Chen Nian could only remind him, "Be careful not to get the wound wet."
Tang Hui nodded to indicate that he understood, and then strode towards the bathroom.
Qi Wang, like a worried old mother, kept nagging Tang Hui, "Are you sure you can manage on your own? Can you guarantee you won't hurt your wound? I have such a high chance of that."
Tang Hui suddenly stopped and turned around, staring at Qi Wang expressionlessly, but his words carried a hint of amusement, "What, you want to help me take a bath or something?"
Shen Bining and Chen Nian, who were standing nearby, were completely stunned. Qi Wang's face changed drastically, and he jumped three feet away, quickly distancing himself from Tang Hui, as if he was afraid that if he was a step too slow, he would be dragged into the bathroom by the perverted lecher.
Tang Hui let out a triumphant laugh and quickly went into the bathroom.
Behind them came Qi Wang's heart-wrenching wails. "Wife, listen to this! This pervert harassed me! You have to get revenge for me! Next time he goes to the hospital for a dressing change, make the nurse in charge torture him mercilessly until he's in excruciating pain. If you do it well, I'll treat you to dinner..."
*
While Tang Hui was taking a bath, Shen Bining and the other two ordered lunch. Although the room had not been occupied for a week, it was very clean because the housekeeping service came to clean it every three days.
Whether it was because Tang Hui hadn't showered in a long time and needed a thorough cleaning, or because he was genuinely unable to move around easily, the shower took a full hour. Song Ziyi and Mu Ci had already returned from seeing someone off at the airport before Tang Hui finally emerged from the bathroom.
After finishing all their tasks, the group sat down for lunch, both to celebrate Tang Hui's narrow escape from death and to congratulate him on his recovery and discharge from the hospital. Song Ziyi made a few polite remarks, which made everyone laugh until their stomachs hurt.
Just as everyone was about to pick up their chopsticks, Song Ziyi suddenly grinned mischievously and winked at Tang Hui and Shen Bining, saying, "Lisa is gone, now you two can have a proper romance."
The once lively scene fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Shen Bining and Tang Hui were both somewhat embarrassed, lowering their heads and pretending to eat as a response.
Mu Ci pinched Song Ziyi's thigh hard under the table, making Song Ziyi yell in pain.
Qi Wang and Chen Nian exchanged a glance, their brains racing as they tried to resolve the awkward situation and continue to try to bring Shen Bining and Tang Hui together.
At this critical moment, the sudden ringing of a cell phone startled everyone.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call." Shen Bining put down her chopsticks and forced a smile. She then picked up her phone and went to the quiet living room to answer the call.
No sooner had Shen Bining left than Qi Wang and Mu Ci immediately turned on Song Ziyi, berating him so much that he didn't dare to breathe.
Before they could exchange more than a few words, Shen Bining rushed back, her face pale and panting. She said to Tang Hui, "Tang Hui, Zhou... your father's condition has worsened. He's fallen into a deep coma, and I'm afraid his condition is very serious..."
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