The next morning, Ning Yuan drove to a private hospital under the Ning Group.
Qin Changsheng has been transferred to a VIP ward. His vital signs are stable, but he has not yet regained consciousness.
"Doctor, why hasn't he woken up yet?" Ning Yuan frowned slightly as she looked at Qin Changsheng, who was still unconscious inside the hospital, through the window in the hospital corridor.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and explained, "Ms. Ning, Mr. Qin is not seriously injured; he only has multiple soft tissue contusions and a mild concussion."
"His coma was caused not only by injury, but also by long-term fatigue and excessive mental stress, which triggered his body's self-protection mechanism, causing him to enter a deep sleep state."
Standing to the side, Aheng rolled his eyes and impatiently interjected, "Speak plainly, he's just asleep! What kind of hero can't get out of bed?"
The doctor was momentarily speechless at Aheng's rudeness, then smiled helplessly: "That's true, but it's not entirely just ordinary sleep..."
He paused, added a few more medical instructions, and then tactfully left.
After the doctor left, Ah Kun saw Ning Yuan enter the ward and immediately got up.
"Miss Ning." His usual arrogance was completely gone, replaced by utmost respect: "Brother Sheng hasn't woken up yet, thank you!"
Ning Yuan's gaze fell on A-Kun, and her brows furrowed even more.
The man looked like a homeless man at that moment, with a scraggly beard and a strange smell of sweat and blood.
Although autumn in Hong Kong is not hot, it is not so cold that people can go for days without showering.
"Aheng, take him to wash up, treat his wounds, and change him into clean clothes. This smell is giving me a headache." Ning Yuan's tone was cold, but her words left no room for argument.
Ah Kun was somewhat reluctant. He was worried about Qin Changsheng's safety and stayed by his side closely: "But Brother Sheng..."
Ning Yuan crossed her arms and looked at A-Kun with a half-smile: "Don't worry, I won't do anything to him while he's unconscious. If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't have saved him."
Ah Kun was relieved and left the ward with Ah Heng.
Only Ning Yuan and Qin Changsheng remained in the ward. Ning Yuan pulled up a chair, sat on the edge of the bed, and quietly looked at Qin Changsheng.
His face appeared exceptionally pale under the soft light.
The hideous scar on his right cheek stretched from the corner of his eye to the base of his ear, like a centipede coiled on his face.
Ning Yuan's gaze fell on his hands.
It wasn't easy for him to go from the third young master of the Xiang family to Qin Changsheng of the 14K.
His hands, with distinct knuckles and long fingers, were covered with scars of all sizes, new wounds overlapping old ones, telling the story of what he had been through.
Ning Yuan frowned, recalling his refined yet arrogant demeanor in Shanghai. He was clearly a spoiled rich kid who never lifted a finger.
Now it's like a sharpened knife, its edge concealed, yet even more dangerous.
At this moment, Qin Changsheng's eyelids trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were somewhat dazed, as if he hadn't fully woken up yet. He looked around blankly, and finally his gaze fell on Ning Yuan.
Their eyes met, and something seemed to be flowing silently in the air.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Qin Changsheng regained a sliver of his senses and uttered in a hoarse voice, "Water..."
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any further questions. She got up, poured a glass of water, and handed it to him. Qin Changsheng took the glass and gulped it down, as if he had been thirsty for a long time.
"Awake now?" Ning Yuan sat back down in her chair, her posture languid, but her tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Qin Changsheng nodded, handed the empty water glass back to her, his Adam's apple bobbed, and then he uttered a single syllable: "Yes."
Ning Yuan took the water glass, placed it on the bedside table, interlaced her fingers, and looked him over with interest: "Tell me, why did you save me?"
Qin Changsheng was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, his tone calm and even: "My fourth uncle and I are business partners, and so are you. I saved you simply by fulfilling my duty."
Ning Yuan scoffed at her words, her eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of mockery: "Duty? Back in Shanghai, you tried to kill me time and time again, and today you're saving me because of the word 'duty'? Qin Changsheng, you don't actually think I'd be moved, do you?"
Qin Changsheng shifted his gaze from the ceiling to Ning Yuan's face and said expressionlessly, "I don't think someone as cold-hearted as Miss Ning would be moved."
Seeing his stubbornness, Ning Yuan suddenly felt bored and realized that arguing with him was a waste of time, so she got up to leave.
As she reached the door, she suddenly turned back and gave a cool smile: "You don't actually think I look like one of your old acquaintances, do you? A woman, no less?"
Qin Changsheng's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and remained silent.
Ning Yuan's smile deepened, tinged with pity: "I didn't understand your and Xiang Ziye's obsession with Ye Qiu before, but now I understand a little."
She paused, looked out the window, and chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Because... I also lost the person I cared about most, but I can't let go."
After saying that, he left the ward without looking back.
Qin Changsheng's eyelashes trembled slightly as he calmly closed his eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions within them.
When Ah Kun returned after taking a shower and treating his wounds, he saw Ning Yuan leaving and immediately called out, "Miss Ning."
Ah Heng stood to the side, arms crossed, looking completely unconcerned.
Ning Yuan nodded her chin at Aheng, and the two left the hospital one after the other.
Ah Kun entered the ward and, seeing Qin Changsheng already awake, excitedly stepped forward: "How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Qin Changsheng glanced at him and said indifferently, "He won't die."
Ah Kun clumsily helped him sit up, propping him up with pillows as he sighed, "Brother Sheng, you really scared me to death! The doctor said you only had a scrape, how come you only woke up now? The brothers were all so worried!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but complain, "Why did you have to risk your life to save Miss Ning? If that bullet had been just a little off course, it could have..."
Ah Kun paused, not daring to continue, the meaning of which was self-evident—a slight misstep would have cost him his life.
Qin Changsheng didn't speak, but just leaned quietly against the headboard, his gaze fixed on the window, lost in thought.
Ah Kun scratched his head, then suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his thigh—
"Oh! I remember now! I think I saw a photo in your wallet before, and the woman in it... looks just like Miss Ning! Could it be that Miss Ning resembles one of your... sweethearts?"
Qin Changsheng suddenly turned his head, his eyes like knives, shooting straight at Akun, who was so frightened that he trembled and immediately shut his mouth.
After a long while, Qin Changsheng slowly withdrew his gaze and looked out the window again, his voice low as if he were talking to himself: "Consider it... my atonement."
Ah Kun was completely confused and wanted to ask more, but Qin Changsheng stopped him with a look.
Qin Changsheng closed his eyes, and the self-deprecating smile Ning Yuan gave before leaving, along with her words, "I have also lost the person I care about most," floated into his mind.
He fell silent.
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