Chapter 47: Just Venting
Two days later.
Xie Duo regained consciousness in severe pain.
He opened his eyes, his vision blurred for a moment before gradually coming into focus—
The ceiling was a blinding white, the smell of disinfectant was strong, and the regular "beeping" sound of the monitor was particularly clear in the silent ward.
Turning around, I saw the man standing in front of the French window in the ward, whispering some instructions to the other end of the phone.
His voice was cold and serious, as if this was not a ward but his office.
Xie Duo wanted to move, but found that his chest was tightly bound by the straps. When he exerted a little force, he felt a sharp pain at the broken ribs.
His throat was so dry that it felt like it had been rubbed with sandpaper, and he had trouble swallowing.
"Major General Xie is awake!"
The secretary standing at the end of the bed immediately pressed the call bell and came forward to help him.
The doctor came in quickly and various examination instruments were used one after another.
Xie Duo listened to them reporting the injuries to his father. The medical terms were blurry as if they were separated by a layer of frosted glass.
His memory still stayed at the moment of the car accident——
When Jiang Tingwan was held in his arms, her eyes widened slightly, and her eyelashes trembled before her consciousness faded.
How is she?
He wanted to ask.
But there was an oxygen tube in his throat, so he couldn't even utter the simplest questions. He could only stare at the door of the ward, as if he could see that figure that way.
-------------------------------------------
Five days later.
Jiang Tingwan stood outside Xie Duo's ward, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the military badge.
Although she knew that there would be military personnel guarding outside Xie Duo's ward, she was still slightly stunned when she actually saw the armed guards standing on both sides of the corridor.
Xie Duo has a special identity. He is a major general and the only son of the Xie family, so such a scene is not surprising.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door gently, but heard the low and majestic voice of Xie's father from inside -
"I knew it when you suddenly told me that you were willing to return to the Xie family and accept this identity."
Jiang Tingwan paused in pushing the door.
"You're after that girl, aren't you?"
Her fingers tightened unconsciously.
No one responded to him in the ward.
Father Xie sneered.
"I wanted you to come back, and I also hoped that there was someone like this that would make you willing to climb up. But I didn't expect that you would make yourself like this!"
His voice suddenly rose.
"You don't even want your life, do you think you can make people never forget you?"
The air stagnated for a moment.
In the ward, Xie Duo's weak but stubborn voice rang out:
"It's my business whether I forget or not... I'm not as cold-blooded as you."
"Bang——"
The chair was suddenly pushed away, and Xie's father stood up with a gloomy face.
But when he turned around, he saw Jiang Tingwan standing at the door.
She was wearing a simple beige sweater and trousers, her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, and her face was a little pale.
The two looked at each other for a second, Jiang Tingwan opened the door and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, uncle."
Father Xie's gaze stayed on her for two seconds.
There was no venting of anger, no accusations, and even no emotion at all.
But Jiang Tingwan knew that given Xie Duo's current injuries, it would not be an exaggeration for the father to slap her on the spot.
But he gradually suppressed the anger in his eyes and returned to his appearance as a senior politician who never showed his emotions.
"Ms. Jiang."
He nodded slightly, his voice as calm as if he was greeting someone in a conference room, and then left.
The door closed gently, and the only sound in the ward was the sound of the monitor.
Jiang Tingwan then looked towards the bed——
Xie Duo was half leaning on the raised bed, his face pale, with large patches of bandages visible on his forehead and the collar of his hospital gown.
But those eyes were still as sharp as an eagle, and they were staring at her without blinking.
Jiang Tingwan walked to the bed and sat down gently.
"You're awake." she whispered.
Xie Duo wanted to speak, but the wound on his chest was affected and he frowned slightly.
Jiang Tingwan poured a glass of water, carefully held the back of his neck, and let him take a sip.
Warm water moistened her cracked lips, but Xie Duo's left hand suddenly grasped her wrist.
His palms were burning hot, and his strength was so great that he didn't look like a seriously injured person at all.
"You're fine."
His hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing against my eardrums.
Jiang Tingwan was stunned, and her eyes suddenly felt hot.
At this moment, the first person he asked was still her.
His eyes were focused to the point of paranoia, as if he was trying to confirm that she was indeed intact.
This major general who was invincible on the battlefield actually had a hint of fear in his eyes at this moment.
Jiang Tingwan did not break free from his hand, but lowered her eyelashes and asked softly.
"Why?"
She can accept the give and take of both sides.
But she couldn't afford it after doing this.
Xie Duo was silent for a moment.
Of course he knew what she was asking.
Why did he risk his life to protect her? Why did he seem to have been watching her for years even though they had only just met again?
The ward was so quiet that you could hear the sound of medicine dripping from the infusion tube.
Xie Duo's thumb unconsciously rubbed the bruise on the inside of her wrist.
"Peel an apple for me." he said suddenly.
Jiang Tingwan raised her eyes to look at him. There was gauze on Xie Duo's brow bone and there were still bruises on the bridge of his nose, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.
She picked up the apple from the fruit bowl and sat aside.
Xie Duo watched her peeling an apple.
The blade rotated at a constant speed along the peel, and the peeled skin formed a long strip and hung into the trash can.
"The last time I took you to school...you didn't remember me."
"You know, I'm a bastard."
Xie Duo looked out the window, the sunlight casting a shadow on his well-defined profile.
"In high school, I had a... bad time. My mother suffered from depression because of him, and people at school took it out on me."
Jiang Tingwan's knife tip paused slightly.
"But I've seen you before."
Xie Duo turned his head and his eyes fell on her drooping eyelashes.
"At that time, everyone in the school knew you - you always ranked first in grades, won awards in piano competitions, and even the way you walked seemed to glow."
He chuckled.
"There are too many people who like you. I know I am not good enough and I am not interested."
The apple slowly lost its red coat in her hand, revealing the bright white flesh.
"Until that day."
Xie Duo's voice suddenly became low.
"I was blocked in an alley by them, and you passed by in a white dress and glanced at me."
He pulled the corner of his mouth and said, "I thought at the time, what campus goddess, it turns out that she is no different from those people who are watching coldly."
"After a while,"
Xie Duo's voice was filled with a hint of laughter. "This quiet girl walked back with her hands behind her back, and she was smiling and greeting them the last second—"
"The next second he pulled out an iron rod from his back and smashed the leader's head until it was bleeding."
Jiang Tingwan cut the apple into small pieces.
Of course she remembered that day.
I should have called the police.
But it happened that Jiang's mother had just coldly praised her, saying "well done" that day.
She was inexplicably upset.
The group of people ran into the gunpoint.
Later she called Jiang's father and just said that they wanted to bully her.
Perhaps in Xie Duo's eyes, it takes great courage for her to do these things.
"So, that's why you did that?"
Jiang Tingwan's voice was almost cold.
The only sound in the ward was the faint sound of a toothpick poking into the fruit flesh.
She handed him the bowl, only to find that his right hand was wrapped in bandages.
So she took it back, picked up a piece herself and put it to his lips.
Xie Duo didn't answer, just looked at her.
"I thought I was above the world, but it turns out I was just... not close enough."
Jiang Tingwan put down the toothpick and sighed.
"Thank you for taking it."
She looked him straight in the eyes.
"If that's the reason, I have to tell you."
“I was just venting.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
