Chapter 95 Special Medicine (Second Update)
He Changyi went into the house and, as was his habit, went to the bedroom to see Grandma Vitalie.
The TV was on, showing a news program with commercials interspersed. Grandma Vitalie had her eyes closed, as if she were listening to the TV and falling asleep.
Old people are always like this: they sleep with the TV on. If someone tries to turn it off, they immediately wake up and claim they were just resting with their eyes closed, even if their snoring is loud enough to lift the roof off, they still haven't fallen asleep.
He Changyi then quietly withdrew and whispered to the nanny if anything had happened after she left.
Wearing an apron, the nanny chuckled as she cooked, "Nothing happened! Madame Vitalier woke up once in the middle of the day, saying she wanted to watch some TV, but she fell asleep again. Ah, you know, that's how old people are, they always have too much sleep."
He Changyi was relieved; it seemed the police still had some decency and didn't rudely disturb the old man.
With no need to worry about Grandma Vitalie, He Changyi focused all her attention on Alexei.
...Alexei!
What a reckless idiot!
He Changyi cursed inwardly. Regardless of whether the prosecutor was murdered or not, how could Alexei have managed to become a wanted criminal!
He Changyi was consumed by rage. If Alexei were to appear before her now, she would immediately show him why the flowers were so red!
She was so angry that she paced around the room, cursing as she went through her contacts, trying to see which relationship could get him out of trouble.
It would be worth sacrificing half of her fortune if it could clear Alexei of suspicion of murder.
Of course, she couldn't just give him up for nothing. Alexei would then obediently serve her like a slave, and she wanted him to wipe the shop's floor tiles with a rag!
Wearing an apron!
Kneel on the ground!
Wipe every single floor tile clean by hand!
Just like the Japanese housewife that men fantasize about!
He Changyi kept dialing the phone and then hanging up.
Her expression gradually tightened.
—No...there's no way...it's too late...I can't help...
The person on the other end of the phone was refusing.
Even the greediest and most audacious individuals only discuss the price and remain silent about the outcome.
He didn't even dare to make a promise, even if it was a lie.
He Changyi's heart sank.
What trouble did Alexei get into?
After a barrage of phone calls, nearly exhausting her contact list, someone finally gave He Changyi a vague answer: this was a power struggle between gangs, and for safety's sake, she'd better not get involved.
“A scapegoat, you know what I mean? Regardless of whether he actually killed someone or not, he has to be the one to commit the murder in the end.”
He Changyi asked, "Why? He's not the godfather of the gang. Aren't there any more important figures than him?"
"Yes, he is not the Godfather, but he is connected to the Godfather by a thread. If we can get to him, we can drag the Godfather into it as well."
The person on the other end of the phone muttered, "They've controlled the Riguli Automobile Factory for too long. It's a huge piece of meat; it's time to let others have a taste."
He Changyi remained silent for a long time before pressing, "Is there any other way? Any way will do!"
The other person advised her: "Forget about him! There are plenty of good guys in Moscow. You can go to the army or the art academy. There are handsome boys everywhere!"
He Changyi said softly, "No, that's different..."
"Nothing's different anymore. Love isn't fashionable these days. Go find happiness; it's much easier!"
After hanging up the phone, He Changyi was lost in thought for a moment, but quickly came to her senses and decisively dialed the next number.
She refused to believe that she couldn't get a mere bear out!
After making phone calls all night, He Changyi fell asleep with a hoarse voice, thinking about who she should visit the next day before going to sleep.
But in the middle of the night, she was woken up by her panicked nanny.
"Madame Vitalie has a fever!"
He Changyi, who had been in a daze, instantly woke up.
She didn't even bother to put on slippers and ran barefoot to Grandma Vitalie's bedroom.
The old man on the bed had a flushed face, his eyes were tightly closed, tears kept streaming from the corners of his eyes, and he was muttering to himself incoherently.
He Changyi reached out to touch her forehead, and it was burning hot to the touch, clearly exceeding thirty-eight degrees Celsius!
"Let's go to the hospital right now!"
She made a quick decision, waking up the two bodyguards sleeping in the next room. Lermontov went out to warm up the car, while Xie Xuejun stayed behind to help.
The nanny hurriedly tried to dress and put shoes on Grandma Vitalie, but He Changyi stopped her. He wrapped Grandma Vitalie in a blanket and had Xie Xuejun carefully carry her out horizontally.
Xie Xuejun braced himself with his muscles, but when he actually picked up the old man, he was surprised to find that he was extremely light, and most of his strength went to waste.
Without thinking twice, he hurriedly carried the person into the car and carefully placed them in the back seat.
He Changyi only had time to put on her coat over her pajamas, grab her wallet, and leave. Before leaving, she instructed the nanny to stay and watch the house, and to tell Alexei to stay home and not go out if he came back.
She paused, then added, "Don't tell him about Grandma Vitalie's illness."
The nanny, bewildered, agreed.
The jeep sped recklessly through the night, running every red light, before finally stopping at the hospital entrance. Before the engine was even turned off, He Changyi jumped out and directed Xie Xuejun to carry Grandma Vitalie to the emergency room.
The doctor on duty was taking a nap at his desk when he was suddenly rudely pulled up.
Just as he was about to get angry, a stack of money was slapped onto his face.
The doctor's morning grumpiness immediately turned into gentle tenderness, and he examined the patient, who only had a fever, with great enthusiasm.
The chaos finally subsided when Grandma Vitalie was admitted to a private room and put on an IV drip, and her temperature began to slowly drop.
He Changyi sat wearily on the edge of the bed and whispered to the two bodyguards, "Go and rest. One of you is enough."
Lermontov and Xie Xuejun exchanged a glance, neither willing to go and rest first.
Finally, He Changyi was about to get angry, so Xie Xuejun quickly pushed Lermontov onto the cot in the outer room.
Lermontov hadn't slept either. After thinking for a while, he drove back and brought He Changyi's clothes and shoes.
She then realized that she was still barefoot, her feet as cold as two stones.
Whether it's due to the inadequacy of the Moscow Hospital's technology or because Grandma Vitalie's illness was too severe this time, her fever persisted for a long time.
Often, the fever would drop during the day, only to suddenly spike again at night.
He Changyi quickly became haggard, just like Grandma Vitalie, who was in the hospital bed.
During his hospitalization, Andrei visited him once.
He Changyi had messy hair, wore haphazard clothes, had dark circles under her eyes, and pale lips; she was actually not good-looking.
But Andrei seemed not to see it and said in a low voice, "I've found two experienced caregivers. You're too tired and need to rest."
He Changyi shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm not at ease."
Andrei pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Don't worry, I won't let them bother this old lady. Alexei..."
He said with difficulty, "Don't worry, he's hidden very well, we haven't found any trace of him."
He Changyi said, "I hope you catch him right away. I have only one request: send him to the hospital before sending him to prison. Maybe Grandma Vitalie will get better after seeing her grandson."
Andrei fell silent again, then said, "Don't worry, if I catch him, I will take him to the hospital first."
He Changyi forced a smile. "Then remember to cover the handcuffs with your clothes. I don't want to scare Grandma Vitaly. Alexei is a bastard, but his grandmother isn't."
Andrei didn't laugh, he just said, "I will."
The two stood silently in the corridor, where patients and medical staff came and went, and the air was thick with the smell of disinfectant.
Suddenly, Andrei stepped forward, reached out and hugged He Changyi, kissing her hair hard with a hint of pent-up anger.
"Don't make me worry."
She was taken aback; Andrei had already let go of her hand and left without looking back.
Andrei did not appear again in the following period, but the caregiver he sent continued to take care of Grandma Vitalie.
The hospital's attitude has also changed.
His previous attitude was alright, but it always carried a sense of a settled transaction; now it seems more like he's trying to curry favor, as if he's trying to curry favor with someone behind the scenes through He Changyi.
Despite the hospital sending its best medical team, Grandma Vitalie's condition showed no improvement as the days went by.
When her fever subsided and she felt better, she pulled He Changyi aside to chat about her youth, about faith and ideals.
Grandma Vitalie proudly told He Changyi, "I've met Lenin, the living one, and I even shook his hand—it was warm!"
He Changyi then chimed in, "It's a real shame. If I were to go and shake hands with Lenin now, I'd only be able to touch that cold, lifeless thing."
Grandma Vitalie laughed: "No! You can't go see him now! But I can, and then we'll both be completely cold to each other!"
He Changyi held Grandma Vitalie's hand and said gently, "Then you shouldn't go see him."
My gaze fell on the vase by the bedside; the flowers inside were somewhat withered and monotonous.
He Changyi paused for a moment, then said, "Spring is coming soon to Moscow, and there will be even more flowers then."
Grandma Vitalie just looked at her lovingly without saying a word.
So He Changyi tried to fill every second of silence by making small talk.
When she had a fever, Grandma Vitalie closed her eyes and cried continuously in her sleep.
He Changyi mechanically wiped away all the murky tears with a cotton swab.
She used all her connections and lavishly funded her way to bring in top clinicians and medical experts from Moscow.
A group of doctors in white coats racked their brains over X-rays, CT reports, and blood, urine, and stool samples. After a brainstorming session, they concluded that Grandma Vitalie's lungs were infected with a rare bacterium that existing antibiotics could not kill. This caused her immune system to fight alone, battling the bacteria for every inch of ground, ultimately resulting in recurring fevers.
He Changyi asked if there was a specific cure, saying he didn't care how much it cost. The doctors exchanged glances, and the oldest doctor cautiously said, "There is a specific cure, but it's currently in the clinical trial stage and hasn't received approval yet..."
He Changyi said decisively, "Experimental drugs are fine too. We can't worry about that now. If she keeps burning like this, she'll die!"
The old doctor said he could contact a friend in the pharmaceutical company, but whether she could ultimately get the medicine depended on her abilities.
The pharmaceutical company is on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, and it would take at least five days to travel there and back.
He Changyi was overwhelmed with problems. On one side was her ailing grandmother Vitalie, on the other was the business in disarray, and on yet another was Alexei, who had vanished without a trace. She was almost torn apart.
Unfortunately, she fell ill with pneumonia.
When Xie Xun heard the news and came to find He Changyi, what he saw was a patient who was delirious with fever and still struggling to leave the country.
"No, no, don't stop me, I have to go, right now..."
Xie Xuejun tried to persuade her until his lips were sore, while Lermontov, standing to the side, frantically tried to snatch the passport from her hand and hide it.
Xie Xun rushed forward in three strides and shoved He Changyi back onto the bed; the IV line was already bleeding back.
"What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?!"
Xie Xun was furious. He was filled with malice and dared to yell at He Changyi for the first time.
He Changyi didn't hold back either, grabbing the thermos from the bedside table and throwing it at him.
"Get lost! It's none of your business!"
Xie Xun laughed in anger: "Don't you need my help? I'm going to take care of it anyway! Let me tell you, you better lie still and get your IV drip, or I'll have the nurse tie you to the bed!"
Even though he was delirious with fever, He Changyi glared at Xie Xun with a mixture of shock and anger, and roared hoarsely:
"Who do you think you are, trying to tell me what to do?!"
Xie Xun sneered, "Yes, you're right, I'm nothing, but I'm determined to meddle in this mess today!"
He went to the doctor and insisted that He Changyi be given a sedative injection.
Under the influence of the medication, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Xun sat by the hospital bed, warming the IV tube in his hands, and learned the whole story from Xie Xuejun.
His expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. After a long pause, he finally said, "What's so great about that bastard? Even if you're going to love someone because of their family, you can't love the old woman too! To the point of risking your own life?!"
Xie Xuejun could only smile wryly; he couldn't understand why his boss would have such deep feelings for an ordinary old lady from Emei.
"If it weren't for the fact that I don't have a visa to go to the US, I would have gone there for my boss. Sigh!"
Xie Xuejun pointed at Lermontov again, "Those guys are even worse than me, they don't even have passports! Tell me, how did you guys even get to fight abroad back then?"
He used Ethnicity for the last sentence, and Lermontov protested, "We don't need passports to fight! Do we have to apply for visas at the enemy's embassy before we go abroad?"
Xie Xuejun said, "That's why I'm saying you're not as good as me! I was able to get a US visa, but you might not be!"
Lermontov was so angry that he clenched his fists, but he couldn't refute it because he really couldn't get a US visa and could only go there illegally.
Xie Xuejun muttered, "It's a pity that getting a visa requires going back to China, which will take several months. The old lady can't wait... Sigh, can we really make the boss make the trip? She's sick... But we can't stop her..."
Xie Xun looked terrible and suddenly spoke:
"I'll go."
These two words seemed to be squeezed out of his throat, filled with gritted teeth, jealousy, and hatred.
Xie Xuejun asked skeptically, "Can you go? Do you have a US visa?"
“I didn’t,” he said bluntly.
Xie Xuejun slapped his thigh: "Then what good is this?!"
Xie Xun replied, "I have a Spanish passport."
After going to Eastern Europe, he contacted a fellow countryman who had been illegally living in Spain in his early years. The other party had recently obtained legal status through the "amnesty for undocumented immigrants" and started an immigration business. One person brought another, and in a chain-like manner, he brought his relatives and friends from China over. There were so many people that they could establish a branch of their hometown in a foreign land.
Xie Xun spent money to get himself a fake marriage certificate, successfully fooling the authorities and obtaining a second passport.
At that time, Spanish citizens could travel to the United States visa-free. In other words, Xie Xun did not need to apply for a visa; he could simply buy a plane ticket with his foreign passport and fly directly to the United States.
Xie Xuejun didn't understand and pressed for an answer: "What do you mean?"
Xie Xun didn't explain. He got up to find the doctor and ask for the pharmaceutical company's contact information. Before leaving, he instructed Xie Xuejun to take his place and continue warming the IV tubing.
With a smile on his face, Xie Xun effortlessly extracted the lab director's information from the old doctor, then had the doctor readily contact the director and handle the intermediate steps. Xie Xun only needed to fly to the US, hand over a stack of US dollars to the director, and then fly back with the experimental drug.
He appeared to be a friendly and approachable young man, and his perfectly timed smile greatly increased the old doctor's goodwill towards him, leading him to engage in a warm conversation.
Xie Xun smiled on the outside, but in his heart he was raging and cursing through gritted teeth.
Damn black bastard!
That damned He Changyi—no, he shouldn't die—that despicable He Changyi!
He's gone mad, neglecting his business to meddle in this mess!
Ha, go buy some miracle medicine for that bastard's grandma?
It's more like buying a clearance shroud!
Xie Xun used every foul word he could muster to viciously curse the man he had only met once in his heart; at the same time, he was still politely talking to the old doctor, trying to get more information about the laboratory out of him.
Xie Xun felt like he was being torn apart.
One is twisted and insane, another is all smiles, and the third stares coldly at you from mid-air.
Look how pathetic he is, all for a woman who doesn't love him, who despises him, and who is cold and heartless—
Just a woman!
There are women everywhere in this world!
...But none of them are her.
Xie Xun held her name between his teeth, chewing it over and over again.
He Changyi, He Changyi, He Changyi... He Changyi!!!
Xie Xun smiled as he said goodbye to Xie Xuejun, smiled as he handed his passport to customs, smiled as he got off the transoceanic plane, smiled as he handed the US dollars to the person in charge, and smiled as he gave the special medicine to the old doctor.
"Don't worry," he said softly to He Changyi. "The old lady will get better."
He Changyi was pale and thin, like a sheet of paper, lying thinly on the hospital bed.
She moved her fingers, and Xie Xun considerately took theirs, asking with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Thank you," He Changyi said in a breathy voice, "and also, I'm sorry."
The anger that Xie Xun felt had nowhere to go and was constantly expanding was like a balloon that had been punctured by a needle, and it suddenly deflated.
His smile could no longer be maintained.
Xie Xun said softly, "I hate you."
He Changyi tried to shake his hand back.
"I know."
Xie Xun replied, "No, you don't know."
He Changyi looked over questioningly, while Xie Xun smiled again and skillfully changed the subject.
No, he will never let her know.
Even in the moment when he hated her the most, wishing he could kill her and devour her, he still couldn't help but beg in a lowly and humble way.
Please love me.
Even just a little bit would be helpful.
—Or they hate me.
Hate me as much as I hate you.
Xie Xun gazed at He Changyi with a long and quiet look.
—You won't love me.
So hate me, then.
He Changyi asked him, "What's wrong? Why are you staring at me?"
Xie Xun didn't speak, but just smiled and shook his head.
Since we can't love each other, let's just hate each other.
—I hate you.
--I love you.
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The author's note: The staff of the mental hospital rushed up with their straitjackets.
Xie Xun: What are you doing? Let me go! I'm not crazy!
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