Chapter 9 A Good Omen: Things Might Not Be What You Think...
The piercing alarm shattered the tranquility of Xiaominglou.
The housekeeper, Wang, who was on the phone at the stairwell, was so startled that he almost dropped the phone. Fortunately, he reacted in time and grabbed it, preventing it from falling through the gap in the railing to the ground below.
He had never heard such an alarm in the past month!
A wave of panic surged from his feet to his head. He practically wet himself as he ran into the ward, his voice trembling with extreme terror: "What happened? What's going on?!"
Ling Shu had already shrunk to the window a few meters away from the hospital bed, shaking her head innocently: "I don't know."
The doctors and nurses in the next room also heard the alarm and rushed out in a panic.
Sheng Zhujun, who was waiting on the first floor, was also startled and ran upstairs.
Soon, doctors and nurses rushed into the room and quickly tested various indicators.
"Normal body temperature!"
"Blood oxygen saturation is normal!"
"Blood pressure is stable!"
The on-duty doctor stood by the bedside, his brows furrowed so deeply they resembled the Chinese character "川" (river).
He repeatedly checked the test data, his eyes filled with confusion: "All vital signs are normal, so why is the heart rate soaring abnormally? This has never happened since President Sheng fell into a coma, this... is too strange..."
Ling Shu took a step to the side guiltily, her gaze drifting towards the ceiling.
Hmm, it shouldn't have anything to do with her... right?
Butler Wang excitedly grabbed the hem of the doctor's shirt: "Does this mean that President Sheng's condition is improving?!"
Previously, the doctors said that Sheng Yun Shen had lost all sensation, but his heart rate suddenly increased and his vital signs were all normal. Does this mean that his condition is improving?
Just as Sheng Zhujun, panting, reached the door, she overheard this and became excited as well: "Really? Is Second Brother really getting better?!"
The on-duty doctor shook his head, somewhat bewildered: "It's not certain yet. This phenomenon is extremely rare. We need to investigate further... By the way, did President Sheng just experience any special stimulation?"
Butler Wang was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Ling Shu with a mixture of surprise and delight: "Miss Ling! Miss Ling just came to visit President Sheng!"
Oh, right!
It must be because of Ling Shu!
Is it possible that President Sheng knew he had married such a wonderful bride as Ling Shu, and that some unseen force caused the change in his heart rate?
Ling Shu: "..."
Um, Uncle Wang, calm down. Things might not be as you think.
Sheng Zhujun, who was standing next to her, was immediately convinced by this explanation. She nodded vigorously, her voice filled with undisguised joy: "Yes, yes, yes! Second Brother must know that his bride has come to see him, and he must be very happy!"
The on-duty doctor hesitated, "Hmm... maybe?"
Ling Shu: "".
Oh no, the more I try to explain, the worse it gets.
-
In the banquet hall, Ling Xinyao nestled in her mother's arms, crying her eyes out, her face streaked with tears.
“Jian Yicheng likes me, but that’s not something I can control, so why should Sheng Zhujun blame me…”
"She gave me those jewels voluntarily, I didn't force her. How could she have the nerve to take them back!"
Ling's mother gently patted her shoulder, her face full of heartache: "Xinyao, don't cry. It's just some jewelry. Mom will buy you new ones!"
The father, standing nearby, snorted heavily: "The Sheng family has really gone too far. We're in-laws, after all, and you're our precious darling. How could they treat you like this? I'm going to reason with them right now!"
Ling Xinyao immediately reached out and grabbed her father's clothes, raised her tear-filled face, and said with just the right amount of worry in her voice, "Dad, don't go. I'm afraid... I'm afraid the Sheng family will take their anger out on my sister, and then my sister will have a hard time."
She actually hoped that Ling's father would cause a scene and make the Sheng family hate Ling Shu completely.
However, Ling Xinyao is very good at maintaining her public image and will never reveal her true inner thoughts.
She blinked, a calculating glint in her eyes, her expression growing even more pitiful. "Just now, Sheng Zhujun said in public that my sister is the Sheng family's lucky star. It's rare that they're willing to accept my sister. I... I don't want to cause her any more trouble."
Ling's father waved his hand dismissively: "What lucky star? Xinyao, don't listen to their nonsense."
Ling's mother chimed in with a smirk, "That's right. With Ling Shu's stubborn personality, it's a miracle she doesn't anger the Sheng family. How could she possibly bring good luck?"
Ever since Ling Shu came to the Ling family, the house has been in chaos. One day Ling Xinyao is injured, the next day Ling Xinyao is sick. Ling's mother thinks that Ling Shu is more like a jinx than a lucky star.
Ling Xinyao raised her hand to wipe away her tears, concealing the smugness that flashed in her eyes.
Her tone was still aggrieved: "Mom and Dad...you are so good to me."
She was about to say a few more sarcastic remarks when she was surprised to hear a series of exclamations from outside.
It was as if something truly shocking had happened.
"What happened?" Ling Xinyao turned her head subconsciously, somewhat curious. "What happened?"
Ling's parents also craned their necks, glancing in the direction from which the sound came.
Ling's mother, who was seething with anger, cursed a few times: "Could it be that Sheng Yun Shen's condition has changed? Oh, I hope this happy occasion doesn't turn into a tragedy!"
Ling's father's eyes flickered as he shrewdly calculated: "If Sheng Yun Shen is really dead, this marriage is null and void, and we have to take Ling Shu back!"
No matter how much he disliked Ling Shu, she was still a daughter of the Ling family and couldn't become a widow.
With so many wealthy families, there are always other marriage alliances possible.
As the commotion over there grew louder, a gloating glint flashed in Ling Xinyao's eyes.
She tugged at her parents' sleeves: "Dad, Mom, let's go check it out, just in case something really bad has happened."
Judging from the commotion over there, everyone seems quite agitated; there's definitely something wrong.
The three of them stood up and walked towards the most crowded area, squeezing into the crowd of onlookers.
Ling's father grabbed a familiar friend: "Old Zhou, what's wrong?"
Old Zhou turned around, saw it was him, and grinned from ear to ear, patting him on the shoulder repeatedly: "Oh! President Ling! Congratulations! You've given birth to an extraordinary daughter!"
This wasn't the first time Ling's father had heard such comments. In the past, on various occasions, many people had praised him for having a good daughter.
He skillfully offered a few words of modesty: "Mainly because my Xinyao is sensible and promising, she has never caused us any worry since she was little..."
Ling Xinyao skillfully lowered her head beside her, cooperating with a shy expression.
Old Zhou was taken aback: "Xinyao? President Ling, I wasn't talking about Xinyao!"
"Huh?" Ling's father's smile instantly froze on his face.
Ling Xinyao looked up, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Old Zhou was completely oblivious to the stunned expressions on the father and daughter's faces. He excitedly pointed into the distance and exclaimed, "It's your biological daughter! President Ling, your daughter just got married, and President Sheng reacted immediately. I heard his heart rate went up. Maybe it's because he's so happy!"
Sheng Yunshen is not only the pillar of the Sheng family, but also a legendary figure in the entire capital city.
His accident caused great grief and regret among many wealthy families in Beijing.
Old Zhou was a die-hard admirer of Sheng Yunshen. The thought that the once-powerful business legend might be able to recover made him so excited that his eyes reddened. "I hope God will bless him and that President Sheng will recover as soon as possible!"
Because of his affection for Ling Shu, Old Zhou now finds her quite pleasing to the eye and continues to exclaim, "The eldest daughter of the Sheng family is right, President Ling, your daughter is the Sheng family's lucky star!"
Ling's father gritted his teeth, his facial muscles twitching unnaturally a few times, and he forced out an ugly smile with all his might: "No, no... I, I'm just happy."
What lucky star? That's ridiculous!
Sheng Yun Shen is already in a vegetative state, how could he possibly recover?
Ling Xinyao was also thinking about this issue.
How could Sheng Yun Shen possibly get better?
What if he really does get better...
Wouldn't that mean she got the most perfect marriage in Beijing?
Thinking of this, her face turned deathly pale, and her vision blurred.
What's going on today? Nothing seems to be going right!
-
Inside Xiaoming Building, the Sheng family, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, gathered in the small hall outside the third-floor ward, their emotions running high.
"This is the first time President Sheng has reacted like this. It's a good omen, absolutely a good omen!"
"Waaaaah, second brother, you have to get better soon!"
Even the usually composed Qin Hong was beaming with joy, frequently glancing into the ward, eager to see her son open his eyes and sit up the next moment.
Butler Wang was also beaming, his mouth stretched to his ears in a wide grin.
However, he still remembered his role as a professional butler. Seeing that the wedding banquet was over, he comforted the excited Sheng family members while arranging for the servants to properly see the guests off.
Of course, when seeing the guests off, the servants would all mention Sheng Yun Shen's "good fortune" today.
The Sheng family, which had been shrouded in gloom since Sheng Yun Shen's incident, finally saw a bit of a festive atmosphere.
Sheng Zhujun looked around in the crowd and found that Ling Shu was not in the small hall.
The other members of the Sheng family were probably too excited to notice that Ling Shu wasn't present.
Ling Shu was a great contributor, where is she now?
She stood up and looked around for Ling Shu.
Ling Shu sat by Sheng Yun Shen's hospital bed, munching on an apple in one hand and resting her chin on her other hand, watching the doctors and nurses bustling around, performing various examinations on Sheng Yun Shen.
She took a bite of the apple, feeling a little guilty, and muttered something to herself.
[If everyone knew that Sheng Yun Shen's reaction was because I secretly touched his chest and abs earlier, wouldn't they be disappointed for nothing? I'd better not say anything.]
Sheng Zhujun happened to be walking to the door and heard this heartfelt remark clearly.
The smile on her face froze instantly, and she stood there stunned for several seconds.
So that's why!
However, unlike Ling Shu's simple guilt, Sheng Zhujun thought about things more deeply.
Her eyes flickered as she looked at Sheng Yunshen, who was surrounded by doctors and nurses on the hospital bed.
As a person in a vegetative state, Sheng Yunshen requires meticulous care every day, including wiping his body with warm water several times a day and moving his joints to prevent atrophy.
During the nursing process, doctors and caregivers inevitably had to touch his body, but Sheng Yun Shen never showed any reaction.
He had never done this before today.
Ling Shu's appearance must have brought something.
This is the Sheng family's hope!
Sheng Zhujun bit her lower lip and looked at Ling Shu intently.
Sure enough, Ling Shu was the Sheng family's lucky star.
The more she thought about it, the more grateful she became. She walked over and gently patted Ling Shu's shoulder, her tone even more tender: "Shu Shu, are you tired? Do you want to go and rest first? Do you like Xiaoming Building? There are a few more bedrooms on the second floor. Which one do you like to stay in? I'll have the maid prepare it."
As for what Ling Shu had mentioned in her thoughts earlier about touching chest and abdominal muscles, she planned to keep it a secret and not tell the rest of the Sheng family.
She certainly wouldn't meddle in the young couple's "romantic escapades."
Ling Shu felt a little embarrassed by Sheng Zhujun's enthusiasm.
She nodded: "Xiaoming Building is nice, I'll stay here."
While the Sheng family was busy, she took a few turns on her own and found out the layout and layout of Xiaoming Building.
In the original book, the main characters relied on the unique geographical advantages of the Sheng family manor to survive the most chaotic early stages of the apocalypse and developed it into one of the top bases in Beijing, accommodating many survivors.
It can be said that the success of the main characters is at least 60% thanks to the Sheng family manor.
Xiaominglou is the best-located building in the Sheng family manor.
It has the highest location, a reasonable room layout, and ample underground space, which is more than enough to store water, food and other necessities.
The scenery at Xiaominglou is even more spectacular. There is a terrace outside Sheng Yunshen's ward, where you can overlook the lights of Beijing, which look like a sea of lights.
Before the apocalypse, one can enjoy the view; after the apocalypse, a high-definition telescope can be set up here to understand the situation in most parts of Beijing, making it easier to make corresponding arrangements.
In the eyes of those who hoard goods for the end of the world, the Sheng Family Manor is the most ideal paradise.
To live in seclusion, but not to hide from it.
While wandering around just now, Ling Shu had already decided to make Xiaominglou her stockpiling base.
Anyway, the "owner" of Xiaoming Building can't protest now.
Sheng Zhujun was even happier to see that Ling Shu was willing to live in Xiaoming Building.
This means that Ling Shu is willing to stay by Sheng Yun Shen's side, which is a good thing for the Sheng family.
She led Ling Shu out of the ward and towards the stairwell.
Inside the small hall, the Sheng family members were still arguing and excitedly imagining what would happen after Sheng Yun Shen woke up.
Sheng Zhujun pulled Ling Shu away from the corner of the wall, without attracting anyone's attention.
Just before she was about to go down the stairs, Ling Shu looked back at the small hall.
These people in the small hall must be the most important core members of the Sheng family right now.
Besides Qin Hong, Sheng Zhujun, and Butler Wang, there was also Sheng Yunshen's elder brother and sister-in-law. Because of the busy wedding banquet today, the elder brother and sister-in-law hadn't had a chance to meet her yet.
As someone who knows the original plot, Ling Shu couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
So, at the same time, all the members of the Sheng family in the small hall heard a woman's voice ringing in their minds.
The Sheng family was certainly quite lively. But they could never have imagined that two months later, the apocalypse would arrive, and in just a week and a half, the entire family was either dead, insane, or turned into zombies. Such a large family, just like that, completely vanished… It's a real pity.
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