Chapter 77. Wait for me to comfort me, warm me, and love me...
One day, a person arrived outside Siyi's hospital room, claiming that he had something to discuss with Xia Chan.
Xia Chan was initially wary. Now, the online events were escalating, and reporters would occasionally loiter around the hospital trying to ambush Xia Chan, which worried her and Si Yi.
He was surprised when he saw who it was after he went out.
Jing Zixi.
"I'm sorry for coming here so abruptly. I hope I haven't bothered you." Jing Zixi said, "I only found out that your sister was sick, and I couldn't find you. I found out you were at this hospital through a friend, so I came here. Please forgive me if I've bothered your sister. This is a gift for her, and I hope she recovers soon."
Xia Chan shook her head and said no, then she and Huang Mao entertained her and let her visit Siyi.
While Siyi was still asleep, Jing Zixi left her some flowers and nutritional supplements before leaving.
Before leaving, facing Xia Chan's hesitation, he finally spoke, "Crossing the river..."
Xia Chan's eyelashes trembled for a moment, and her fingertips silently tightened.
When Xia Chan saw Jing Zixi today, she roughly guessed that Chenzhoudu's current situation was probably not very good.
She just didn't dare to guess, didn't dare to ask, and didn't want to ask proactively.
She tried to maintain a calm demeanor, but her voice suddenly became hoarse, "How...is he doing lately?"
"He asked me to tell you... he's alright," Jing Zixi said after a moment's hesitation.
That would be very bad.
Xia Chan suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe, as if she had become a fish out of water, her throat and heart clenched tightly. She took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "He..."
“His father locked him up,” Jing Zixi said.
Xia Chan was taken aback.
“After he released the statement that day, he went back and got into a fight with his dad. The thing your dad broke the news about… is also related to Uncle Shen. Zhou Du couldn’t stand it, so he had a big fight with him and his dad forcibly locked him up.” Jing Zixi said, becoming increasingly anxious.
“He’s surrounded by surveillance cameras and jammers, and bodyguards are watching him 24/7. He’s been on a hunger strike for days to rebel against his father, but thankfully Bohan and I went over and talked to him for a bit, and he’s been able to eat a little now. I’m just very worried about you.”
"He asked me to tell you he's alright, just to ask how you and your sister are doing. Do you need anything? Or are you short of money or anything... Also, it seems your dad went to Zhou Du's dad to ask for money before, so in a few days, the Shen family will probably retaliate, which might implicate you. He told you to remember no matter what, don't be afraid, hold on, and don't... give up on him easily. He's still trying, and hopes you can wait for him a little longer."
Xia Chan's heart pounded wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat, and her voice trembled slightly: "Please tell him for me, if possible... please tell him for me."
Her hand, which she held lightly, was also trembling slightly.
"I'm fine, so don't worry. Tell him to take good care of himself first. No matter what happens... don't fight it head-on, just protect yourself."
Jing Zixi agreed to everything, and told her that if she needed any help or was short of money, she could come to him and Guan Bohan. He gave her some more instructions before leaving.
After Jing Zixi left, Xia Chan found a quiet, empty bench in a corner and sat down. The setting sun, shining through the west window, bathed the entire world in a golden glow.
She felt as if her limbs and bones were frozen.
She suddenly felt extremely tired...
Since the incident, she has hardly rested, seemingly using busyness to escape something, to escape... these facts that she doesn't want to think about or face.
First, Zhang Guozhong slandered her and spread rumors about her;
Then I recalled being sick;
Then the hotel suspended her.
She clearly did nothing wrong, and she believes she did nothing wrong. But now the whole world is insulting her, cyberbullying her, criticizing her, and mocking her;
And there's the sunken boat crossing...
Sunken boat crossing...
"The sunken boat crosses the river."
She silently uttered the name, and suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes.
For some inexplicable reason, Xia Chan seemed to suddenly recall a day when she was also feeling down. She had just unintentionally heard a song, called out a name in her heart, and suddenly turned around to find him standing in front of her.
Clean and tidy, like a salvation fallen from the sky, grabbing her hand in the mud.
"The sunken boat crosses the river."
"The sunken boat crosses the river."
If I call your name now, could you appear again?
Comfort me, warm me, love me;
Don't make me so sad...
"The sunken boat crosses the river."
"The sunken boat crosses the river."
"The sunken boat crosses the river..."
She called out to him again and again, tears streaming down her face. She curled up into a ball, burying her hands in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"The sunken boat crosses the river..."
"The sunken boat crosses the river..."
She clutched a pendant tightly to her chest, calling out and sobbing softly.
It seemed that only in this way could she prevent him from simply disappearing from her world.
-
Siyi's condition improved significantly after a week, and she was transferred to a special care ward.
After several days in the ICU, she lost a lot of weight, looking like a skin and bones paper doll, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
Although her physical strength was not what it used to be, her spirits were still quite good. There were two elderly ladies in the same ward who had undergone stent surgery, and they were both caring and tender towards her. Siyi was like a ray of sunshine, always finding ways to make the grandmothers happy, and Xia Chan couldn't help but feel comforted by her optimistic attitude every day.
Si Yi was unaware of the news about Xia Chan and Shen Zhou, and Xia Chan did not intend for her to know.
Although its popularity on the internet has decreased somewhat, it still attracts a considerable number of followers.
The long silence surrounding Chenzhoudu has fueled the growing anger of many, who are vowing to not rest until a thorough investigation is completed.
There's even an online association that posts a lot of messages every day to prevent the public from forgetting about it.
Xia Chan found it all laughable.
This world always seems to be like this: people believe everything they hear, and everyone pushes a wall when it's about to fall.
Even without any grudge, seeing someone fall from grace, they'll kick them while they're down, even if they don't know the full story. They think they represent justice, but they're just tools in the hands of those with ulterior motives, fools taking the opportunity to vent their anger.
Xia Chan turned off all her cell phones and the internet, and also forbade Si Yi from going online under the pretext of recuperation. She also asked several fellow patients in the same ward who recognized her to be lenient with her in front of her.
But in today's big data era, it's not easy to completely hide this matter.
One day, a girl in the same ward was watching short videos with the speakers on, and Siyi accidentally overheard the sound.
Upon learning of this, Siyi immediately borrowed a phone to go online and find out the whole story. She was so anxious that she almost had a relapse of her old illness and even made a scene, saying, "Sister, I'm not getting treatment anymore!"
"You're all in this state now... and you're still worrying about me. I knew I'd only cause you trouble, and I'm still causing you trouble at this critical moment! I'm not getting treatment!"
Xia Chan tried to persuade Si Yi gently at first, but Si Yi still made a fuss.
She finally seemed to lose her temper and angrily retorted, "Zheng Siyi, do you know how much manpower, resources, and money we've spent to save you? Do you know how long it's been since we've had a good night's sleep!"
Huang Mao, Pang Hu, and the others stood to the side, their eyes dark and swollen like those of hawks that had been kept awake all night. Xia Chan said, "You're saying you're not going to treat us now? What are we all doing here? Playing along with your nonsense? You said you'd only cause us trouble, and now you're causing trouble! Can't you have some pity on us and stop being so selfish!"
Siyi cried uncontrollably and nearly suffered a heart attack, requiring another trip to the ICU for emergency treatment.
This prompted the attending physician to come out and give both her and Siyi a severe scolding, telling them that if they didn't want treatment, they should get out of the hospital as soon as possible.
Xia Chan also ran out and cried her heart out, leaving Huang Mao, Lala Pang Hu, and the others unsure how to comfort her.
Fortunately, this ordeal helped them release the stress of the past few days. Siyi also stopped mentioning the possibility of incurable diseases and began to obediently undergo treatment.
I saw the sunken boat again a week later.
That day, Xia Chan received a call from Jing Zixi asking her to meet Chen Zhoudu at a certain location. Xia Chan was still somewhat dazed.
Jing Zixi said that during this period, she and Guan Bohan often visited Shen Zhoudu at the Shen family home. Shen Jinghai finally relaxed his vigilance towards them and allowed them to occasionally take Shen Zhoudu for a walk in the community garden.
Shen Jinghai was attending a summit that day and was not at home.
Jing Zixi and Guan Bohan persuaded Yang Yuan to bribe the two bodyguards watching over him, allowing them to turn a blind eye and have a brief meeting.
Because Chen Zhoudu was still weak, Guan Bohan somehow managed to get a wheelchair for him.
As Xia Chan passed by, she saw Chen Zhoudu sitting quietly in his wheelchair, staring blankly at a yellowing tree.
Autumn has arrived, and the ginkgo leaves in Shanghai are already turning yellow.
His face was very pale, and his frail and sickly appearance was even more apparent upon seeing him again after so long; his thinness was alarming.
He was wearing a clean white hoodie and black sweatpants, which were obviously well-groomed, but they couldn't hide his haggard appearance.
Sitting quietly in the autumn sunlight, there was a touch of loneliness.
Xia Chan watched him quietly from a distance for a long time, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
For a moment, he seemed to sense her as well.
He looked up and his gaze met hers in an instant.
Her gaze trembled slightly, but his gaze instantly deepened as he stared at her intently.
Xia Chan and he looked at each other silently for two seconds, then Xia Chan smiled, squatted down in front of him, and said, "You look a bit disheveled like this."
As she said those words, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
Chen Zhoudu looked at her and sighed softly. He raised his hand and chuckled as he wiped away her tears. "Why are you crying? Are you so unhappy to see me?"
His voice was still hoarse and strained, and his eyes were slightly red. Xia Chan immediately shook her head, covered her forehead with her hand, and remained silent. Chen Zhoudu took her hand and quietly changed the subject, "Siyi, how are you?"
"I'm much better now." Xia Chan took out the temporary phone that La La had prepared for her from her pocket. "Do you want to see her?"
Chen Zhoudu nodded, and Xia Chan then dialed Huang Mao's WeChat.
The video call connected quickly, and Huang Mao and Si Yi's faces appeared on the other end of the screen.
The group joked and laughed, and no one brought up anything unpleasant. Finally, with slightly red eyes, Siyi said in a coquettish tone, "Brother Zhoudu, I want to go to your concert."
"Okay, then you have to get better soon." Chen Zhoudu smiled at her. "The sound system at the concert is really loud, so you really have to get better. Siyi, get better soon, and I'll take you to the concert."
"good."
After hanging up the video call, Chen Zhoudu finally had a chance to observe her properly, gently stroking her cheek with his fingertips. "You've lost weight."
"Yes, I need to lose weight." Xia Chan smiled at him, her eyes red with tears.
He couldn't help but say, half-jokingly, "Don't lose any more weight, you're going to become a stick."
"Aren't you the same?" Xia Chan retorted, not to be outdone. "The two of us standing together are like a pair of chopsticks."
He couldn't help but laugh even harder, his gaze once again fixed on her face.
I gazed at it for a long time, and gazed at it...
Suddenly, unable to hold back any longer, he pulled her close and hugged her tightly in his arms!
Xia Chan hugged him tightly in an instant, holding him close as if afraid he would disappear in the next second.
His tears, which he had been holding back, finally fell, and he rested his head on her shoulder, the tears seeping into her hair.
Xia Chan silently shed a tear as he held her tightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Xia Chan, I won't be able to see you as often lately."
"Mmm," Xia Chan responded softly.
"There's something I want to do, although I don't know if I can succeed... but I want to do it anyway, wait for me."
"Um."
Aren't you going to ask me what I want to do?
"You can do whatever you want." Xia Chan gently pulled away from his embrace and looked into his eyes, which were almost filled with red, but she was smiling. "Zhou Du, just do what you want to do."
"I will also...do what I should do."
"I will take good care of myself and Siyi."
"I'm waiting for you. So please take good care of yourself, I'm waiting for you."
Chen Zhoudu finally smiled, tears streaming down his face. Silently, he and she wiped each other's tears.
The bodyguards were already approaching from a distance. He gently said "Goodbye" to her, and they pushed her away.
Xia Chan watched quietly, watching him disappear into the bright autumn sun.
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