The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 470 - 472. Qinglan Escapes Danger

In the hospital room, Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi, "Why did you bring Anan here?" Such a scene is too cruel for a child under two years old.

Fu Hengyi’s gaze was tender, but deep in his eyes, there was concealed fear. He had been so worried that Shen Qinglan might just pass away, "I’m afraid I’m not enough to keep you here, Qinglan, I can’t take care of children, so you must stay and take care of Anan."

Although Fu Hengyi hid the fear in his eyes well, Shen Qinglan could still feel the fear in his heart. She wanted to reach out but had no strength. Fu Hengyi took the initiative to hold her hand. Shen Qinglan gently curved her lips, "Fool, you are my biggest concern, how could I bear to leave you." But no matter how reluctant she was, her body was at its limit. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold on, maybe she’d fail in the next second, but how could she bear to tell the man in front of her this.

"I remember when Granny Shen passed away, Grandpa cried. Grandpa is a tough man, I once asked Brother, and he said he had never seen Grandpa cry before, but that time, Grandpa cried like a child, constantly muttering that Granny Shen was a liar, who had promised to accompany him for a lifetime, yet left first."

"Qinglan, stop talking."

"Let me finish, Fu Hengyi, I don’t want to be an untrustworthy person, but it seems I’ll have to break my promise to you too. I wish I could hold your hand until we’re old and gray, and walk together in the sunset when we’ve aged."

"It will happen, Eden’s new drug will be ready soon, just hold on a little longer, one day, just one day okay, Qinglan, I beg you," Fu Hengyi pleaded softly.

He said, I beg you.

Such a proud man, but now he put aside all his pride, his eyes reddened as he softly begged his wife to hold on for one more day, to make one more effort.

Tears fell from the corners of her eyes, blurring Shen Qinglan’s vision, Fu Hengyi reached out, gently wiping away her tears, "Why are you suddenly crying?"

Shen Qinglan’s mouth curved slightly, "Fu Hengyi, I love you."

"I love you too, Shen Qinglan, in this life, I only love you," Fu Hengyi whispered in Shen Qinglan’s ear, repeatedly saying I love you, tenderly, yet with a choke in his voice.

He was not a man who liked to express his feelings with words, it wasn’t the first time he told her he loved her, but it was the time he said it the most.

Her body was in pain, Shen Qinglan’s forehead gradually became covered with fine sweat. She wanted to touch Fu Hengyi’s face with her hand, but she couldn’t. She spoke softly, "Fu Hengyi, don’t be sad, it will hurt me."

Fu Hengyi smiled, "Okay, I won’t be sad."

"Fu Hengyi, I’m so sleepy, I want to sleep."

"Qinglan, be good, don’t sleep, I’ll tell you a secret, don’t sleep."

"Okay, I won’t sleep, you tell me."

"Actually, I fell in love with you a long time ago, from the moment I saw you sitting on the ground, silent because of Granny Shen’s death, I thought, this girl looks so pitiful, I want to take care of her for a lifetime, so she will never cry again in her life."

"So you fell in love with me so early," Shen Qinglan’s expression was very gentle, but her eyes gradually closed.

Just then, the door to the hospital room was pushed open fiercely, and Eden ran in, holding a syringe in his hand, and injected it directly into Shen Qinglan’s body without a word.

"Is this the new drug?" Fu Hengyi asked.

Eden nodded, "Yes, it has just been developed." The new drug had just come out, it was too late for experiments, it was used on Shen Qinglan without any testing on animals or humans, neither Eden nor the specialists were certain of the results. But this was ultimately the last hope.

The drug didn’t take effect so quickly, Eden sat by the bedside, recording Shen Qinglan’s various data points, a few experts stood behind Eden, carefully observing Shen Qinglan.

"It’s effective, Mrs. Fu’s heart rate has returned to normal," one of the experts said, pointing at the monitor. Previously, Shen Qinglan’s heart rate had been only two-thirds of a normal person, and her blood pressure had dropped.

"The blood pressure has also risen to the normal range; Doctor Eden, we have really succeeded," another expert said excitedly. For this new drug, they had tirelessly worked on it for so long and had also combined such a vast array of medical resources—it was truly unprecedented.

Fu Hengyi and Shen Junyu just stood there, eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shen Qinglan.

After Doctor Eden had recorded all the data, he went up to Shen Qinglan for a careful examination, took her temperature, and let out a long breath. "Fu Hengyi, Qinglan is going to be okay."

Upon hearing this, Fu Hengyi’s body swayed. If it weren’t for Shen Junyu’s timely support, he would have collapsed onto the floor.

"Doctor Eden, are you telling the truth?" Shen Junyu asked impatiently. Fu Hengyi’s gaze shifted from Shen Qinglan to Shen Junyu, while Doctor Eden nodded in affirmation to their looks, "It’s true. All her indicators are beginning to return to normal."

Suddenly, Shen Junyu bowed to Doctor Eden, "Doctor Eden, thank you, thank you so much."

Doctor Eden was startled and stepped aside, "Mr. Shen, please don’t do this; I cannot accept it. Qinglan is my friend; it’s only right that I saved her."

"Doctor Eden, you can accept it; you’ve saved more than just my sister’s life, you’ve saved the life of my family member." If Shen Qinglan really hadn’t made it, the two elders of the family, especially his grandfather, would have been the first unable to take it; these few days, he was already having doctors come to give him IVs every day. Next would be Fu Hengyi. No matter how calm Fu Hengyi appeared now, if anything had happened to Shen Qinglan, he definitely would have been in serious trouble.

Shen Junyu knew from what Chu Yunrong had said that, to Fu Hengyi, Shen Qinglan was more important than his own life.

"Eden, when can Qinglan wake up?" Fu Hengyi’s voice was completely hoarse.

"As long as these indicators remain normal within twelve hours, she’ll wake up within three days," Doctor Eden stated.

Fu Hengyi nodded his head and earnestly said a thank you to Doctor Eden, "If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to reach out to me." This promise weighed heavily.

Doctor Eden patted Fu Hengyi’s shoulder, "I’m going to check on Ya Xi." He had left Ya Xi in Peter’s care and still didn’t know how she was faring.

The other experts followed Doctor Eden out. In the ward, Shen Junyu addressed Fu Hengyi, "Hengyi, Lanlan is okay now. You should go freshen up; she wouldn’t want to see you like this, it would make her worry again. I’ll watch over her here and won’t leave her side."

Fu Hengyi wiped his face and went into the bathroom. In just five minutes, he came out with a change of clothes, water still dripping from his hair.

Shen Junyu was on the phone giving the family an update. Everyone at home was waiting for his news.

At the Shen Family, Wen Xiyao hung up the telephone, and tears fell from her eyes. Chu Yunrong looked pale and toppled to the ground, tears cascading down her face, "Qinglan! My Qinglan!"

"Mom, Mom, Qinglan is okay, she’s really okay now," Wen Xiyao hurriedly explained, understanding that Chu Yunrong had misunderstood.

Chu Yunrong was stunned. "Qinglan is okay?"

Wen Xiyao nodded vigorously, "Yes, Qinglan is okay. Jun Yu just called and said Qinglan is out of danger and will wake up soon."

Chu Yunrong’s tears fell again. "If she’s okay, that’s all that matters, my Qinglan is okay."

Seeing Chu Yunrong both crying and laughing, Wen Xiyao felt a sourness in her heart. During this period, Chu Yunrong’s hair had turned notably grayer, and even the wrinkles around her eyes had deepened.

"Quick, go tell your grandfather that Qinglan is okay," Chu Yunrong pushed Wen Xiyao, her legs too weak to stand.

"Okay, I’ll go right now. Mom, are you okay?"

"I’m fine, go tell your grandfather first, and don’t let him worry," Chu Yunrong urged. Wen Xiyao stood up and went upstairs.

When Old Sir Shen learned that Shen Qinglan was out of danger, he remained very calm, "Alright, I know now. Xiyao, you can go out. I need to rest for a while."

"Grandpa, are you alright?" Wen Xiyao was somewhat worried. It was really too calm of the old man, which was not normal.

"Grandpa is fine, I’m just a bit tired and want to rest," Old Sir Shen said softly.

Seeing that Old Sir Shen was indeed fine, Wen Xiyao left, "Then, Grandpa, get some good rest. I will ask Sister-in-law Song to stew some soup for you, and you can drink it when you wake up." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Okay, your thoughtfulness is appreciated."

After Wen Xiyao left, Old Sir Shen struggled to get up from bed and walked to Granny Shen’s portrait, "Old partner, Qinglan is alright now, thank you." As he finished speaking, tears streamed down his face.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon knowing that Shen Qinglan was no longer in danger. The recent period could be described as fraught with alarm, their breaths held in suspense. Now that they knew everything was fine, they were truly relieved.

**

In the hospital, Fu Hengyi still stayed by Shen Qinglan’s side, holding her hand. The effect of the new medication was very evident; the red spots on Shen Qinglan’s body had begun to fade, and he believed it wouldn’t be long before they disappeared completely.

In the ward, where only Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan were present and no outsiders were around, Fu Hengyi’s emotions suddenly poured out. For a moment, he truly thought he was going to lose her. The apocalyptic feeling that persisted was enough to make Fu Hengyi’s heart shudder still.

"Qinglan, never get sick again, it scares me," Fu Hengyi whispered, burying his head in Shen Qinglan’s palm, feeling the real warmth of her hand, his heart gradually settling down.

"Okay," Shen Qinglan softly replied, opening her eyes.

Fu Hengyi suddenly looked up to meet her eyes. Her eyes were gently luminous as water, her lips curling with a post-calamity smile, "Fu Hengyi, I’m back." Having walked a round at death’s door, Shen Qinglan’s heart was anything but calm at this moment. For the first time, she felt that being alive was so beautiful, so fortunate.

Fu Hengyi smiled, "Welcome back, and for the rest of my life, I won’t let you go again."

"Okay."

"Once you are well, I’ll punish you by keeping you at my side, and you won’t be allowed to go anywhere."

"Okay."

"Qinglan, I really thought I was going to lose you."

Shen Qinglan looked at the man’s reddened eyes and gently touched his eyelids, "Fu Hengyi, how could I bear to leave you?"

In another ward, Doug’s mood was not so good. Ya Xi was still in a coma; although her face was no longer pale, she had yet to wake up.

"Eden, did you just say that Ya Xi might be lucid when she wakes up?" Doug asked in a deep voice.

Eden hummed in acknowledgment, "That’s one possibility, but there is also the chance that the virus has completely destroyed her brain’s nervous system, turning her... like a child," he said in a tactful manner.

Doug’s face looked terrible. Eden tried to console him, "Doug, you need to be psychologically prepared."

Doug looked at Ya Xi’s face; after a long time, he finally spoke, "Eden, I once saw Ya Xi when her hysteria relapsed. I had prepared myself to accept that it might be like this for the rest of her life. I even thought it was better this way, forever immersed in her own world, never feeling pain. So, later on, I made no attempt to treat her and simply took her traveling everywhere. But now you tell me that she might remember that terrible past. Eden, I suddenly don’t know what to do."

"Doug, don’t be like this," Eden said with a heavy heart. At this moment, he even regretted ever allowing Doug to treat Ya Xi. If he had never encountered Ya Xi, perhaps Doug wouldn’t be feeling so lost now.

He suddenly thought of Qin Yan, the woman who could be said to have changed the fate of all of them. At this moment, he really wanted to know if she had any regrets about seeking revenge on the wrong person? Alas, Qin Yan was already dead and he was destined never to get an answer.

"Eden, I’m fine, I was just feeling a little emotional just now. I’ll adjust my mood soon. No matter what Ya Xi looks like when she wakes up, I will stay by her side."

"Doug, try to take it easy," Eden said, not knowing how to comfort him, he could only offer these dry words.

"I know," said Doug softly.

Eden sighed and left the hospital room. He had done what he could, but there was nothing more he could do. Ya Xi’s condition was of a psychological nature, and Doug was more adept at this than he was.

Yu Xi woke up when Doug happened to be out. Her eyes were vacant and hollow, resembling a soulless doll. She lay quietly, staring at the ceiling, without any reaction.

Doug had stepped out for a while, and upon returning, he saw that Ya Xi was awake. "Ya Xi," he called out her name with joy, but Ya Xi didn’t respond.

His heart sank. He approached Ya Xi and spoke gently, "Ya Xi, I’m Doug, do you remember me?" His tone was careful and guarded.

Ya Xi still had no reaction, but her eyes shifted slightly, suggesting that she was responsive to the outside world. Doug noticed this and felt a little relieved. He sat next to her and took her hand.

The moment his hand touched Ya Xi’s, he could clearly feel her body tense up. Doug understood in an instant; it seemed things were developing in the direction he feared most.

"Ya Xi, I know you can hear me and you remember me. Seeing you safe, you don’t know how relieved I am. I was truly afraid that you had gone. Without you, I would be all alone in this world."

Ya Xi’s hand flinched as if trying to pull away from Doug’s grasp, but he held on tight, "Ya Xi, you remember everything, don’t you?" It was a probe, but Ya Xi’s increasingly tense body confirmed Doug’s suspicion.

Doug chuckled, "Ya Xi, it’s alright, even if you remember it doesn’t matter. It’s just an experience in life, an unpleasant one. Everything is in the past now; that woman is dead."

"Dead?" Ya Xi finally spoke her first words, her voice was extremely hoarse. Her memory stopped at the point where Qin Yan took her away to watch the video; she had no idea what had happened after that.

"Yes, she’s dead. She died on the day Shen Qinglan rescued you," Doug said gently.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha," Ya Xi suddenly burst into laughter, "Ha ha ha, dead, ha ha ha, good riddance!" There was astonishing hatred in her eyes. If Qin Yan were not dead, Ya Xi might have killed her with her own hands.

As she laughed, tears flowed out. That woman had destroyed her family, ruined her life, and now she was gone, just like that. How unfair.

Suddenly, Ya Xi sat up and pulled out the IV needle from her arm, "Dead, she’s dead, why am I still alive, why should I live, why did you save me!"

She screamed, and Doug was startled, immediately holding Ya Xi tightly in his arms, "Ya Xi, calm down, don’t be agitated, Ya Xi."

Ya Xi was very emotional, and she couldn’t calm down. Everything she had experienced after being kidnapped by King played in slow motion in her mind, over and over, making life unbearable.

"Ah, let me go, let me go!" Ya Xi struggled violently, but having been asleep for too long, she had no strength and could not overpower Doug.

Gradually, Ya Xi ran out of energy and became still. Doug dared not let her go, just kept calling her name softly. The commotion had already drawn the medical staff. Eden arrived with a sedative and quickly injected it into Ya Xi. Before long, Ya Xi slipped into unconsciousness.

"Doug, it seems Ya Xi has recovered," Eden said, "I need to take her for a comprehensive checkup to see if there are any other health issues."

Shen Qinglan has already been checked, now it’s only Ya Xi left. Doug nodded, following Eden to take Ya Xi for the examination.

"Doug," Eden said, looking at Ya Xi being wheeled in for an examination, "you’ll probably need to provide some psychological counseling when she wakes up." Ya Xi had regained consciousness three whole days after Qinglan, and she woke up in this state. Eden was even a bit worried that Doug might not be able to cope.

Doug had a grave look on his face. Upon hearing Eden’s words, he understood his meaning, "Eden, I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Is An okay?"

"An is out of danger now," Eden replied. "All of her bodily functions are recovering well, and she should be able to go home to recuperate after a while." After all, having gone through a matter of life and death, Qinglan’s body still needed a good period of recuperation.

"That’s good to hear." At least there was some good news, "I’ve notified Ya Xi’s brother to come."

Eden glanced sideways, and Doug explained, "Ya Xi has only those two close relatives. She’s been very close to her brother since they were kids. With her brother here, I think her emotions can stabilize a bit." More importantly, right now, Ya Xi probably least wanted to see him.

Physically, Ya Xi was not seriously harmed, but her psychological trauma was something that couldn’t be healed in a short time; it required long-term treatment.

It was only upon arriving in Beijing that Yan Shengyu learned his sister had faced a life-and-death experience, and he was suddenly reminded of the past, feeling a whirlwind of complex emotions.

"Now that Ya Xi doesn’t want to see me, I need your help." Doug stated his intention outright. Yan Shengyu just gazed at him somberly, "Why didn’t you tell me until now? What if my sister hadn’t made it? Did you ever think how I would feel? She’s my own sister!"

Doug lowered his head, "I’m sorry." He indeed owed Yan Shengyu an explanation. If Ya Xi had passed away, then Yan Shengyu wouldn’t have even gotten the chance to see her one last time; it was natural for him to be angry.

Yan Shengyu had always seen Doug’s affection for Ya Xi, so when he saw the apology, the anger in his heart dissipated. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Doug, I hope this is the last time."

"I promise."

Yan Shengyu looked at the closed door of the hospital room, gently opened it, and walked in.

"Get out!" A pillow came flying towards him, along with Ya Xi’s roar. Yan Shengyu caught the pillow, "Ya Xi, it’s me, it’s your brother."

Ya Xi was sitting on the bed, looking at Yan Shengyu with cold and defensive eyes, "Get out!"

Yan Shengyu’s heart ached. Such a look in Ya Xi’s eyes made him feel nothing but pain and bitterness, yet he didn’t know who to direct this bitterness towards. Qin Yan’s revenge had been misplaced, and as a result, the Yan Family had been brought to ruin, and the real culprit was already dead.

As Yan Shengyu approached Ya Xi, it triggered a vehement resistance from her. Pillows, teacups, hot water kettles—everything was hurled at Yan Shengyu, "Go away!"

Yan Shengyu stepped forward and embraced Ya Xi, "Ya Xi, it’s me, your brother."

"Get out!" Ya Xi’s fists pounded heavily on Yan Shengyu. He grunted but did not let go of Ya Xi, repeating the same words, "Ya Xi, it’s me, your brother."

Ya Xi stopped and went still, showing no further response.

"Ya Xi, your brother knows you’re in a lot of pain right now, but can you be strong for me? You’re the only family I have left in this world. I don’t want to see you like this, it hurts me."

Ya Xi said nothing, her expression blank, in stark contrast to her earlier agitation.

No matter what Yan Shengyu said to Ya Xi, from start to finish, she showed no reaction. Finally, even Yan Shengyu felt helpless. As soon as he left the hospital room, Ya Xi would bolt to the bathroom and turn on the shower for an intense rinse.

"How did it go?"

Yan Shengyu shook his head; Ya Xi was also very repulsed by him.

"Why are you standing here?" Qinglan’s voice came from behind them. She had recovered quite a bit, and only then did Hengyi allow her to come see Ya Xi.

Doug’s eyes lit up. That’s right, Qinglan was someone Ya Xi cared deeply about. Maybe Qinglan’s presence could make Ya Xi less resistant.

"An, please do me a favor. Ya Xi is now very scared and rejects us. Whenever Sheng Yu and I get close to her, she becomes emotional. Can you..."

Qinglan immediately understood. It was from Doctor Eden that she had learned about Ya Xi’s condition, which led her to beg Hengyi to let her come and see Ya Xi.

Yan Shengyu had also just learned that Qinglan, like Ya Xi, had just returned from the brink of death. Seeing her pale face, he said with concern, "Are you alright?"

Qinglan shook her head, "I’m fine. Where is Ya Xi?"

Doug pointed towards the ward. Qinglan pushed the door open and walked straight in. The room was a mess, and Ya Xi was nowhere to be seen, but the sound of water could be heard coming from the bathroom.

Qinglan’s expression changed slightly as she quickly walked over. Fortunately, the door wasn’t locked by Ya Xi. Qinglan burst in to find Ya Xi sitting under the showerhead, letting the icy water pour over her.

Qinglan’s face changed color as she quickly turned off the water. But Ya Xi suddenly stood up, attempting to turn the water back on, only to be held down by Qinglan, "Ya Xi, have you lost your mind?"

"I’m so dirty, I need a shower, I must wash," Ya Xi chattered through her chattering teeth. Qinglan’s heart clenched as she embraced Ya Xi, "Ya Xi, you’re not dirty, not at all dirty."

When someone hugged her, Ya Xi first stiffened and then began to struggle, "Let go of me, don’t touch me."

Seeing her in distress, Qinglan let her go, only to see Ya Xi trying again to turn on the water despite her lips already turning purple, but still insisting on taking a shower.

"Slap."

A slap landed harshly on Ya Xi’s face, "Ya Xi, have you caused enough trouble? I know you’ve woken up and remembered everything. You feel pain, you think we shouldn’t have saved you, that you should have died at Qin Yan’s hands, right?"

Ya Xi hung her head, silent.

"Ya Xi, if you’re in pain, do you think the rest of us are any better off? Your mother died because of you. Your brother still refuses to forgive your father, blaming himself every day for not protecting you. And Doug, for you, he gave up the freedom of his own life to stay by your side every day, doing everything possible to make you happy. With so many people around you who care about you, love you, why would you give up on yourself so easily?"

"You haven’t experienced what I have, how could you understand my pain!" Ya Xi suddenly shouted at Qinglan.

Qinglan’s gaze was deep as she calmly looked at Ya Xi, "Yes, I haven’t experienced exactly what you have, but the pain I’ve been through is something you could never imagine. No matter what we’ve been through, at least you are still alive."

"But I feel worse than dead!" Ya Xi said in agony.

"Ya Xi, there’s nothing in this world more precious than life. Some people live in a hundred times more pain than you but still try desperately to survive, even if it’s just for one more day. And you, you can live well, so why don’t you want to? Why do you torment yourself and those who care about you?"

Ya Xi suddenly began to sob uncontrollably. Since waking up, she had not shed a single tear, either being hysterical or silent.

Qinglan sighed and pulled Ya Xi into her embrace, gently patting her back.

"Sister, I feel so much pain. My mind is full of those images, and every minute tortures me. Sister, I really can’t go on any longer." Ya Xi’s emotions had collapsed.

Qinglan felt a twinge at the tip of her nose, "Ya Xi, there’s no one in this world without pain. Everyone has their own sufferings, many much worse than yours. You have to be a little stronger, even if just for the people who love you. We put so much effort into snatching you back from the Grim Reaper’s hands. Can you really bear to let our efforts be in vain?"

"I really don’t want to live anymore. I’d rather die."

"Then how about living for three more years, just three years. If after those three years, you still feel life is torture, I won’t stop you from doing what you wish, and I won’t let anyone else stop you either, okay?"

Ya Xi gradually quieted down.

Shen Qinglan continued, "Ya Xi, you are only in your twenties. For the decades of life that lie ahead of you, three years is quite a lot, and in the blink of an eye, they will pass. Promise me, just hold on for three more years."

"Does it even matter?"

"It does. In these three years, try hard to fight the thoughts of wanting to die. Don’t dwell on the things that cause you pain. Live happily like a normal person. If after trying for three years you still can’t do it, then if you want to die, I won’t stop you."

It was a long while before Ya Xi slowly nodded. Shen Qinglan pulled her up from the ground, "Go take a hot bath now, change into a set of clean clothes, I’ll wait for you outside."

Shen Qinglan turned on the shower head, ensured it was running hot water, then left.

It was a long time before Ya Xi came out, dressed in a bathrobe prepared by Shen Qinglan. The exposed skin bore purplish-red marks – clearly self-inflicted. Shen Qinglan pretended not to notice.

The sickroom had already been cleaned up. Doug and Yan Shengyu were standing outside and did not come in. Shen Qinglan held a bowl of porridge in her hands, "Come and eat something."

Ya Xi sat down beside Shen Qinglan but didn’t touch her chopsticks. Shen Qinglan sighed, "Ya Xi, What did you just promise me?"

Ya Xi picked up the spoon and began to sip the porridge. Shen Qinglan watched her quietly until she finished, then set the bowl aside, "Do you want to see your brother and Doug now?"

Ya Xi’s eyes flickered and she shook her head.

So Shen Qinglan just sat with her on the sofa, while Ya Xi stared blankly out the window.

Shen Qinglan said no more; what had to be said was already said. From this point on, Ya Xi would need to come to her own understanding. If she couldn’t reason through it herself, no one else’s words would make a difference.

**

Over the ocean. As soon as Su Qing set foot on the isolated island, she was told that the big boss was looking for her.

What was bound to come, would come, Su Qing thought, and followed the person with a calm expression.

"Snap." A bullet exploded near her feet. Su Qing’s expression remained unchanged as the man sitting at the head of the room coldly watched her, "You know to come back?"

"I’ve come back to report to you," Su Qing spoke blandly.

"What this mission meant, don’t tell me you don’t know."

"I know."

"Good, true to Su Qing’s nature. So tell me, knowing how important the mission was, why did you leave halfway? If you can’t provide me with a convincing reason, you know the consequences." There was no trace of human emotion in the man’s eyes.

Su Qing naturally was aware of the man’s methods and spoke lightly, "No reason."

"Bang." The sound of a gunshot. Su Qing fell to the ground and grunted.

Her hand propped on the ground, fresh blood soaked into her leg.

"I’ll give you another chance," the man said coldly.

"No reason," Su Qing clenched her teeth.

"Bang," another gunshot, Su Qing grunted again as blood splattered from her arm.

"Su Qing, don’t test my limits," the man’s voice was filled with cruelty.

Su Qing lifted her head to meet his gaze, "You can kill me."

The man suddenly laughed, "Kill you, Su Qing, how could I bear to?" His expression changed as he ordered someone nearby, "Drag her out, fifty military lashes."

Upon hearing this, not even Su Qing’s gaze stirred; she was taken away without resistance.

In the room, Su Qing lay on the bed, holding a dagger heated over an alcohol lamp, then cut into her leg. Sweat filled her forehead as she bit on a piece of cloth, quickly digging out the bullet, then grabbed the alcohol on the side to rinse the wound.

Stimulated by the alcohol, her body trembled slightly. She gritted her teeth and bandaged the wound. As she prepared to do the same for the wound on her arm, the door was knocked and a man’s voice rang out, "Su Qing, may I come in?"

It was her comrade, Bruce.

"Come in."

Bruce entered and was immediately hit by a strong smell of blood. Spotting the dagger in Su Qing’s hand, he took it over, "Let me do this."

Su Qing nodded, "Thank you."

Bruce quickly removed the bullet from her arm and bandaged the wound. He was clearly much gentler compared to Su Qing’s rough approach.

"Su Qing, why didn’t you explain?" Bruce didn’t understand, the big boss actually valued Su Qing. As long as she provided a reasonable explanation, she wouldn’t be able to evade punishment, but it certainly wouldn’t be like now.

Su Qing appeared indifferent, "There’s nothing to explain. A failure is a failure. Anyway, how are you doing?" The mission had been hers and Bruce’s. If the mission failed, Bruce couldn’t escape either.

Bruce waved his hand, "I’m fine, just took a few lashes."

"I’m sorry for dragging you into this," that was the only thing Su Qing felt sorry for.

"Don’t talk like that, I’m a man, I can handle it. You need to treat the wound on your back; should I help you?"

"No need, you can leave the medicine here, I’ll apply it myself later," Su Qing said.

Bruce didn’t insist, nodded and looked at Su Qing, "Su Qing, is it worth it?"

"What?" Su Qing did not catch on immediately.

"For that important person you speak of, is it worth it?"

Su Qing’s eyes darkened, "It’s worth it. Bruce, you wouldn’t understand. In this world, there are always some people who bring you a hint of warmth, and to people like us, that hint is invaluable."

I understand. Bruce wanted to say that, but seeing the tenderness in Su Qing’s eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue couldn’t be spoken, "Get some rest."

Su Qing nodded, and after Bruce left, she took off her clothes, looked at the scar-laden back in the mirror, forced a grin, then poured the wound medicine on herself.