Shen Qingqing walked out of the ward with her water cup, seeing nurses and doctors rushing past with gurneys. Having seen such scenes countless times in the hospital, she was used to it.
Another unfortunate soul, she presumed.
She casually glanced over, only to freeze.
It was Ms. Zhao.
Shen Qingqing, still holding her water cup, hurried after her. At the entrance to the emergency room, she was stopped by a nurse. "Who are you? Are you a family member of the patient?"
"No, but I know her. What happened?"
"Trauma, she hit her head. She needs emergency treatment now. If you know her, quickly contact her family. We'll need someone to sign for the subsequent surgery."
After speaking, the nurse rushed into the emergency room.
Shen Qingqing's hands tightened. Footsteps sounded from behind; it was Fu Jingshu.
Seeing that she had been gone for a long time, he had come to find her.
"What's wrong?"
"Ms. Zhao is in an accident," Shen Qingqing said, her eyes filled with deep self-reproach.
Fu Jingshu said nothing, only held her in his arms and gently patted her back, offering comfort.
"It's my fault," Shen Qingqing lowered her eyes, her voice dejected.
"No," Fu Jingshu refuted. "This was her own request. If anyone is to blame, it's Director Liu. I shouldn't have let it happen."
In any case, it wasn't her fault.
Shen Qingqing, who had been immersed in guilt, couldn't help but glare at him. "I'm not joking!"
"Neither am I," Fu Jingshu said seriously. "This isn't your fault."
Shen Qingqing closed her eyes and buried her head in his embrace.
"Try to contact her family. See if she has any relatives."
"Okay."
He gently stroked the back of her head, offering a strong sense of reassurance.
Amidst anxious waiting, the doctor pushed the gurney out. Ms. Zhao lay on the bed, her head bandaged. Doctors and nurses surrounded her, and Shen Qingqing couldn't get close.
The results of contacting Ms. Zhao's relatives also came back. No family could be found. It turned out Ms. Zhao had no relatives left; her only family was Yuanyuan.
Shen Qingqing thus took on the responsibility of signing. She then accompanied Ms. Zhao to a ward. Unexpectedly, she ran into Yuanyuan right outside.
She immediately closed the door. "Yuanyuan, why are you out here?"
"Is Mommy inside?"
Shen Qingqing pursed her lips, ultimately choosing not to hide the truth. "Yes, Mommy is injured and needs to rest. Please don't disturb her, okay?"
"I'm worried about Mommy!" Yuanyuan clutched her hand, her small face pleading. "I promise I won't cry, just let me see Mommy for a moment."
Seeing the little one beg so earnestly, Shen Qingqing couldn't bear it. She hugged her and cooed, "Good girl. Mommy needs to rest. You be good, and when Mommy wakes up, I'll bring you to see her right away."
However, these words clearly didn't comfort Yuanyuan. In her young mind, not being able to see her mother meant her mother was in a very bad condition.
These grown-ups always tried to hide things from them, always saying they were too young to be involved in such matters. But even though she was young, she understood everything.
"Then when will Mommy get better?"
This question stumped Shen Qingqing. Although she possessed medical skills, she also understood that birth, aging, sickness, and death were natural parts of life, and beyond one's control.
"Auntie will do her best to help Mommy recover quickly..."
Suddenly, the door behind them opened. Shen Qingqing turned to look at Fu Jingshu. "What is it?"
"She's awake."
"So soon?"
Shen Qingqing had expected her to remain unconscious for a while.
Fu Jingshu's lips curved upwards as he glanced at Yuanyuan. "Take her in to see her."
"Okay."
Shen Qingqing agreed, unable to refuse the little girl's expectant gaze.
Ms. Zhao leaned against the headboard, her face pale. But upon seeing Yuanyuan, she immediately reached out to her. Yuanyuan, however, didn't rush into her embrace. Instead, she cautiously took her mother's hand.
"Mommy, are you okay?"
"Mommy is fine," Ms. Zhao comforted her well-behaved daughter. "Don't worry, Mommy just had a little fall. Don't worry!"
Yuanyuan nodded obediently.
Her fear began to dissipate bit by bit as her mother held her.
Shen Qingqing watched from the side, feeling relieved.
It was good that Ms. Zhao was alright; otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to explain it to this child.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Director Liu stood at the doorway with a smile. "Ms. Zhao, how are you feeling? Not too serious, is it?"
His concern lacked any genuine sincerity, sounding more like a casual inquiry.
Ms. Zhao flinched.
Shen Qingqing stepped in front of her. "Thank you for your concern, Director Liu. She is fine now. If you have nothing else, please leave. The patient needs to rest."
"Of course, I have something to discuss," Director Liu said with a chuckle. "I didn't want to inform you at this time, but I happened to hear about your injury and came to see you. While I'm here, I'll tell you: your daughter's medical expenses are insufficient. You'd better deposit some money quickly, or she'll be discharged."
Ms. Zhao's face instantly turned ashen.
"Director Liu, didn't you say you would speak with the hospital administration? Why is that no longer effective now?"
Shen Qingqing stared at him.
"How do you know?" Director Liu asked, though his face showed no surprise, likely having guessed their relationship long ago. "It seems Ms. Zhao told you. Since you know, I won't hide it from you. I helped her delay things before because I saw Ms. Zhao was alone with her daughter, and I was willing to put my reputation on the line.
"But now that she herself is hospitalized, I'm afraid even if she gets the money, it won't be enough to cover the medical costs for both her and her daughter."
Director Liu clasped his hands behind his back and said leisurely, "So today is my final notice. Pay the hospital fees quickly, or you'll be discharged."
After speaking, he didn't bother to see the expressions on their faces and turned to leave at a leisurely pace.
Ms. Zhao gave a wry smile. "I knew he wouldn't let me off easily."
"What exactly happened?" Shen Qingqing asked.
"I don't know," Ms. Zhao recalled. "After I left Director Liu's office, as I was walking to the staircase, I felt someone push me from behind, and I fell down."
Shen Qingqing immediately looked at Fu Jingshu. "Check the surveillance footage in the micro-learning area."
Fu Jingshu shook his head. "There is no surveillance."
Shen Qingqing was startled, her eyes filled with doubt. "How did you know about that area..."
"Don't you trust me yet?"
Fu Jingshu gently stroked her long hair.
Shen Qingqing didn't ask further. It was likely Fu Jingshu had sent people to investigate the incident earlier. However, this was not surprising. Since someone dared to act, they must have had full confidence.
Evidence like surveillance footage would not be left behind.
"Why were you taking the stairs?" Shen Qingqing suddenly thought of something.
"There was a sign by the stairs saying 'Under Maintenance'," Ms. Zhao explained. She had been surprised at the time, as the elevator had been working when she came up.
In the span of a few words, the elevator had malfunctioned.