quarrel
After 32 hours of emergency treatment, the two were finally pulled back from the brink of death. Wan Yi was more seriously injured and remained in a coma in the ICU for 18 days without showing any signs of waking up. Gu Nan stood in front of the small window, holding the IV bag, lost in thought.
The doctor grumbled from behind, grabbed her hand to check for blood return, and gently scolded, "Didn't I tell you to rest? He's in the ICU, he can't run away. He'll be transferred to a regular ward in a few days."
Why isn't he awake yet?
"His brain was severely damaged, and he himself was unwilling to wake up. What happened before? In short, his will to live was very low."
As they were talking, Sudi caught up with them, saying, "I knew you'd come here since you weren't in the ward."
The doctor feigned anger: "That's right. The moment she opened her eyes, before she could even finish speaking, she grabbed me and asked where Wan Yi was, insisting on coming to the ICU to see her. Now that she's free to move around, there's no way to keep her confined."
Let's go.
Eighteen days have passed, and Gu Nan still feels weak all over, leaning listlessly against Su Di's arm.
Sudi comforted her, "You've been too tense, and this time it all came out at once. Don't worry, the doctor said your vital signs are improving every day, and you should be able to be discharged in about a month."
Gu Nan nodded slowly, leaning against the headboard and staring blankly into space.
While peeling an apple, Sudi said, "Dr. Du is an expert in this field. Before being awarded the title of academician, he had treated dozens of similar serious injuries. After the rescue, only one person did not survive. The rest are all alive and well now. Don't disbelieve me. When Dr. Du finished the follow-up examination and was talking to my senior brother, I secretly went over to listen. It seems that he said Wan Yi's physical functions are good and he has recovered better than expected."
Gu Nan hesitated, raising her eyes, the glint of light in them dimming: "He..."
I opened my mouth, but didn't know where to begin.
She had been unconscious for too long. The new product launch of Lu's Xuncheng branch was the day before she woke up, but all the information about the launch had been leaked in advance. She even copied the backup plan to Shen Ming.
At first, she was only awake for about two hours a day, and even if she wanted to check, she didn't have the strength to pick up her phone. Later, during her recovery period, her aunt forbade her to use her phone and kept a close eye on her every day, so she couldn't keep up with the press conference.
During this time, Xue Li often came to visit, constantly expressing her gratitude. Su Di and Ji Yuanyu would set aside half a day every few days to spend with her. He Xiao, unable to resist He Wu's antics, also brought him over a few times.
From these people's stories, she pieced together a complete narrative.
For example, the perilous situation of Wan Yi lying in a pool of blood, how Dr. Du escaped danger, etc., but no one told her who saved Wan Yi, who brought Dr. Du from Beicheng to Xuncheng Hospital in an hour, and Lu Yushi's attitude.
My heart is shattered into pieces.
He did everything he could to save her, but she had no moral boundaries and harmed him.
Sudi misunderstood and explained on Lu Yushi's behalf: "It's not that my senior brother doesn't want to come see you, he just had some problems at the branch office's press conference and has been very busy lately."
After he finished speaking, he finally saw a reaction on Gu Nan's face, which deepened the misunderstanding. He then revealed all the facts that Gu Nan wanted to hear but dared not hear.
"It's strange, the fourth-generation Tianyu Intelligent System launched by Lu's Group was kept secret from the project's inception to its development. Everyone signed a confidentiality agreement, and the company even granted employees shares in the branch to incentivize them. Logically, no one should have leaked the information. However, the day before my senior brother went to the press conference, a little-known company suddenly appeared and launched a system that was exactly the same as the one my senior brother had. Even the presentation slides were identical. We were going to hold an emergency meeting to activate the backup plan, but the next morning, the company announced the launch of a second product, which happened to be the backup plan my senior brother had."
The Xuncheng branch held its press conference at 9 a.m., and the smaller company gave a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the performance of the second product at 8 a.m.
One hour.
Gu Nan buried her head in the blanket, her eyes unfocused.
Lu Yushi was always at ease; what was he thinking during that hour? He had witnessed Hacker N's abilities and knew she could contact people. Was he filled with regret at that moment, wishing he had asked someone to rescue her?
"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Sudi watched her movements anxiously, raising his hand to press the call button for a doctor.
"Where is my phone?" Gu Nan asked, bewildered.
“It’s in your aunt’s hands. She said she can only return it to you when you’re better.”
Where is my aunt?
"The doctor said that I can have some mild, nourishing soups during this period. She's going home to make some soups for you."
"Call her, I need to use my cell phone."
When you're preoccupied with something, you don't notice how quickly time flies.
Sunlight peeked through the window cracks onto the bed, gradually filling the entire ward with warmth. Sudi rested by the bedside for a while, then heard a noise outside the door. She ran to open it, looking anxious, and said, "Auntie, you've finally arrived. She seems a bit off."
Gu Shuping turned her head to look into the ward, sighed silently, her brows furrowed as she spoke of her exhaustion. She took Su Di's hand and said softly, "Thank you for your help. I need to talk to Nan Nan alone for a while."
Sudi had no suspicions. After all, she wasn't family. She went back inside to get her bag, gave a few instructions, and left.
The door closed, and Gu Nan looked up from her thoughts: "Aunt."
Gu Shuping hugged her shoulders tenderly, her nose stinging with tears, and said in a rambling voice, "The doctor doesn't allow sweet and sour pork ribs, so I made them steamed. Try them and see if you like them."
"My phone..."
"Let's eat first."
Gu Shuping frowned slightly, lowered her head to tidy up the small table, and opened the lunch boxes one by one. The aroma was irresistible. The two women had different expressions. One pretended to have an appetite, while the other was too lazy to even pretend.
“Gu Nan!” Gu Shuping emphasized.
"Aunt, I..." Gu Nan forced back her emotions, "Can I have it?"
Gu Shuping glared at her, both anxious and angry, yet also heartbroken: "What do you need the phone for? To watch the video of Lu Yushi being interrogated at the press conference, or to find out what happened to you when the Wan family locked you in the cold storage? Fine, then you don't need to watch it. I can tell you, you succeeded. Lu Yushi is too busy with this to spare any time, working non-stop at the group, and the Wan family and the Shen family have reconciled. Jin Yan sent you a lot of messages, saying he knows who that person is. So what are you going to do? Go back to infiltrating Lin Jianye's circle to find that videotape, or pretend you know nothing and continue to stay by Lu Yushi's side? How long do you think it will take him to discover your use after escaping death abroad and fighting his way out?"
Some words were too hard to say, and Gu Shuping choked up as she said, "Let's listen to Auntie and give up, okay?"
I'm not going to seek revenge. The two of them are doing well.
Gu Nan's lips trembled, her pale face filled with disbelief: "Aunt, what did you say?"
After going through countless hardships, she finally found the person behind Master Wan. Her goal was to force Master Wan and the Shen family to their side. The rift in their relationship could be widened by a little provocation. Once their alliance was broken, the two would inevitably push each other to the brink in order to protect their own interests. At that time, the long-forgotten endings might take a turn for the better.
"What about Uncle? Dad, Mom, and Grandpa are watching over us from heaven. We haven't found Aunt yet, how can we give up?"
“But,” Gu Shuping said, clutching the lunchbox and swallowing her tears along with the rice, “you’re all I have left, Auntie.”
After more than ten days of being asleep, Gu Shuping's eyes were filled with endless fear. She had put aside all hatred and resentment. All she wanted was for Gu Nan to be alright. If her parents wanted to blame someone, they could blame her. She simply couldn't bear to watch Gu Nan get into trouble.
The ward was silent. The steam from the lunchboxes dissipated, and the cooled ribs were covered with a layer of off-white oil.
In the end, Gu Shuping gave in, took out her phone from her pocket and handed it over, then silently cleaned up the untouched bowl of porridge.
Gu Nan bit her lip and said, "Auntie, I bought a house abroad, right where Auntie disappeared. Please give me some more time. After the New Year, in the spring, no matter what the outcome is, I don't care anymore. I'll move there with you. Maybe we can still find Auntie's whereabouts."
Gu Shuping clenched her fists at her sides, didn't respond, tucked the blanket around her, and changed the subject: "New Year's Day is coming soon, what do you want to eat? Your aunt will make it for you."
Both of them simultaneously withdrew the sharp edge they had used against their loved ones, swallowed back their sobs, and let tears flow back into their hearts, as if their emotions had never been suppressed to the extreme, and those hysterical words were just an extra memory out of thin air.
He Wu came in carrying a candied hawthorn, and without any hesitation, he found a stool to sit on. Taking advantage of his young age, he snatched the already cold ribs. Xue Li's cheerful laughter came from outside the door, teasing He Wu that he was a reincarnation of a starving ghost.
After that day, Gu Shuping acted as if nothing had happened, but she went up the mountain more often. Gu Nan would sometimes sleep for the whole afternoon, so she would quietly do volunteer work at Xingyin Temple by herself.
On New Year's Day, the doctor announced that Gu Nan's bodily functions had mostly recovered and she met the conditions for discharge.
Xue Li brought over a brazier, and He Wu, having found some kind of water from somewhere, insisted on exorcising the evil spirits from her with a bottle, while also pouring a full bottle over his own head. He Xiao stood guard at the ward door, afraid that the doctor would see them turning the tidy ward into a party scene. Su Di put a bunch of random talismans on her body, and Ji Yuanyu helped Gu Shuping stand beside Gu Nan to prevent her from escaping.
Everyone pushed the table together, had a lively lunch, and then went their separate ways.
He Xiao and He Wu stayed behind to clean up the mess, while Gu Nan slipped away to visit Wan Yi again. Wan Yi had long since passed the critical period and been transferred to a regular ward, but he had not yet woken up.
Gu Nan sat on the edge of the bed, resting her chin on her hand, and muttered to herself, "Are you trying to make me feel guilty by deliberately staying asleep? Then give up. I'm the hardest-hearted person. Even if you sleep for the rest of your life, I won't feel guilty. Who told you to be so stupid as to rush in to save someone with your life on the line? Can't you use your brain? I can't even beat them, do you think you can beat them all by yourself?"
Even though the words were spoken, they understood the underlying meaning.
Wan Yi was certain that those people were sent by Master Wan, so he risked his life alone, but he didn't expect that they wouldn't even spare him.
"You're so stupid. The old man still refuses to acknowledge your identity in front of the media, and you still have illusions about him? It's hard to find a more stupid person in the world than you."
“You’ve been asleep for so long, doesn’t he know your condition? He hasn’t come to see you even once. He might even cause trouble for Lu Yushi.”
"By the way, I was just making things up when I told you Lu Yushi was bad. He's the one who saved you this time. Don't always think about fighting him anymore; you can't beat him anyway."
"Looking at it this way, isn't he a pretty good person? Do you know Du Kang? He's a first-class academician from the North Academy. He specially invited him to save you. You should be grateful and repay him properly in the future. He's much better than your useless father."
"Wait, something's not right. Anyway, you need to be able to tell who's good to you and who's not."
Don't be like me.
"You know what? The higher-ups at Platinum House were frantic because they couldn't find you. Luckily, they all know me, otherwise, would you still want your Platinum House? By the time you wake up, everything will be gone."
After a long chatter, the person on the bed didn't react. Gu Nan's eyes drooped slightly as she stared at him for a long time, her eyes reddening.
"Happy New Year, Wan Yi. I was the one who said it first this year."
"I'm leaving. I won't be able to come see you every day anymore. Take care of yourself. If... if you can wake up before spring, why don't you come abroad with me?"
He lowered his voice: "Anyway, there's nothing here I'd miss."
"If you really want to stay, could you please look after one more person for me?" Gu Nan murmured, leaning against the bed. "Am I particularly bad? He's clearly been very good to me. I know that bad people will get their comeuppance sooner or later, I accept that, but why are those other people living such good lives?"
The sleeping person's breathing is long and even.
Gu Nan said to herself, "Please wake up soon, I can't stand it for another minute. It'll be three months at most. If you still can't wake up after three months, you'll be all alone here."
“It’s not that I don’t want to take you with me, I just don’t know…” A sob escaped her lips, and a tear rolled down her cheek and landed on the bed. “I don’t know how much he knows. I’ve caused him a lot of losses, and he might not let me go. I’ll be in trouble myself then, and you’ll only be in more danger if you come with me.”
"But don't worry, as long as I can get out of the country alive and make all the necessary arrangements there, as long as I can evade him, I will definitely come back and take you away."
"Whom did you manage to dodge?"
The door to the hospital room had been open for some time, and the man standing in the doorway was impeccably dressed in a suit, his voice icy cold.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com