Hospital.
Su Nian and Fu Chen lingered outside the operating room, both with a hint of worry on their faces.
Soon, the operating room door opened, and the doctor emerged, his expression grave. "We've examined the patient's body. There are no external injuries, but we detected a special medicinal property within her. Our hospital currently lacks data on this, making targeted treatment impossible. There are only two options now: first, find the lady's husband or partner to assist; second, transfer her to another hospital. However, the powder was mixed into alcohol and has circulated throughout her body. If we transfer her, we can't be sure if this medicine will have harmful effects on the body."
Hearing the doctor's findings, Su Nian stamped her foot in frustration. "Commander Gu is in J Province. How can he possibly rush back in such a short time? Isn't this trying to force Madam to her death?"
As she stood there at a loss, a deep voice sounded from behind her: "Go and find a hotel nearby and book a room for me. Doctor, please have the patient brought out."
Su Nian and the others turned their heads simultaneously, looking in the direction of the voice.
When she saw that it was Gu Xingdong, her eyes welled up with tears of excitement. "Commander Gu, you're finally here! I..."
Gu Xingdong interrupted with a grim expression. "We'll talk later. First, do as I say."
Considering Chen Lishu's current condition, Su Nian roughly wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve and readily agreed. "Yes... yes, right away."
Soon, Chen Lishu was pushed out by the medical staff. Her face was flushed with an unnatural redness, and her brows were tightly furrowed. She looked extremely uncomfortable.
The moment Gu Xingdong lifted her from the hospital bed, his hands trembled. Fortunately, he had heard the news and rushed over. Thinking about the situation the medical staff had described, he couldn't help but feel a pang of fear.
In less than three minutes, Su Nian sent Gu Xingdong a message, informing him of the hotel's location and room number. Gu Xingdong nodded to Fu Chen, who stood silently by, and then left the hospital without looking back.
----
The next day.
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Chen Lishu's face. Feeling the strangeness in her body and recalling what had happened before she lost consciousness, she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up abruptly from the bed.
Gu Xingdong, awakened by her movement, also sat up and pulled her into a hug, asking with concern, "What's wrong?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Lishu turned sharply to look at Gu Xingdong, her tone laced with disbelief and a hint of grievance. "Why are you here? I almost thought I would fall into Wu Lu's hands. Do you know how scared I was?"
"I'm sorry I wasn't by your side to protect you," Gu Xingdong said, resting his chin on Chen Lishu's head with tenderness and gently patting her back as a form of comfort. Her taut nerves finally relaxed, and Chen Lishu could no longer suppress her fear, weeping softly.
Just then, a phone rang. Gu Xingdong glanced at the contact and frowned before hanging up, tossing his phone aside. However, the ringing stopped only to resume shortly. A look of impatience gradually appeared on Gu Xingdong's face. As he picked up his phone to turn it off, Chen Lishu, with her sharp eyes, saw the name "Yang Zhiguo."
Chen Lishu quickly called out to stop him. "You are on duty. If he's calling, it must be important. Don't be willful; answer the phone."
Gu Xingdong shook his head. "Nothing is more important than you right now."
Feeling Gu Xingdong's steadfast devotion, Chen Lishu's heart felt as if it were filled with honey, and a smile involuntarily spread across her lips. However, her joy was tempered by the need for seriousness. Chen Lishu cleared her throat and put on a stern expression, looking at Gu Xingdong. "I'm fine now. I'm not as fragile as you think. Where is the responsible and capable Gu Xingdong I remember? I remember my man as a heroic and upright figure."
Gu Xingdong had already explained the matters concerning the military on his way, and it wouldn't affect Yang Zhiguo. It was easy to guess, even with his toes, that Yang Zhiguo was calling so early because he was feeling guilty and wanted to check on the situation. He had hung up the phone simply because he didn't want anyone to disturb his intimacy with Chen Lishu. However, seeing his wife's serious expression schooling him, he knew he couldn't refuse her request. Thus, he answered the call.
"Xiao Gu, how are things on your end? Is Comrade Chen alright?" Yang Zhiguo's heart was pounding as he asked this question. After all, to ensure Gu Xingdong stayed in the military, he had promised to have his friend take good care of Chen Lishu, only for such a major incident to occur a few days later. If Chen Lishu's condition was serious, how could he take responsibility for his words? What face would he have to face his subordinates?
Fearing Gu Xingdong's temper might lead him to offend Yang Zhiguo, Chen Lishu spoke first. "Director Yang, please rest assured. I'm mostly recovered now. Don't worry, Gu Xingdong can depart today and report to you tomorrow."
Hearing Chen Lishu's words, Gu Xingdong looked at her helplessly. "Are you that eager to send me away? Your body hasn't fully recovered. How can I rest easy? Besides, I haven't even gotten revenge on the person who bullied you!" As he spoke of revenge, a chill emanated from Gu Xingdong, causing the temperature in the room to drop abruptly.
Mentioning this matter, Chen Lishu also pursed her lips. Wu Lu deserved to die, but the person manipulating things from behind the scenes deserved it even more! She hadn't expected Yang Lili to be so cruel, disregarding their past relationship and trying to harm her to the death. She wasn't a saint who could remain indifferent when others harmed her.
So, she slowly said, "Wu Lu's actions have violated the law, and he will face imprisonment. We don't need to dirty our hands for a scumbag like him. As for the person who instigated Wu Lu's actions, we currently lack sufficient evidence to indict them. Your profession is not related to her, so revenge is likely out of the question. Therefore, I've decided to handle it myself. Return to the military with peace of mind, finish your work, and then come to Kyoto. Don't forget our original plan... I miss Yicheng and Xiaobai."
With the matter put so plainly, Gu Xingdong had no reason to object and could only compromise. "Alright, I'll do as you say. I'll go back today."