Everyone's expression changed drastically. The old man hurriedly tried to get up, but couldn't catch his breath and fell backward. Luckily, Duan Yiheng reacted quickly.
"Grandpa," Lin Xi cried, her voice already trembling with anxiety.
Chen Baiwei was practically carried away by Duan Zheng. Lin Xi's gaze darted back and forth between the doorway and the old man's face.
The old man grabbed Lin Xi's hand: "Grandpa's alright, go see him."
He turned to Duan Yiheng and said, "You go too." Duan Yiheng frowned: "I'll stay here with you."
The old man scolded: "Nonsense! He's your brother, after all."
Duan Yiheng turned and called for someone: "Sister Mei, immediately have someone take Grandpa to Jinglin Hospital for a full checkup." Sister Mei quickly agreed and began making arrangements.
Duan Yiheng grasped Lin Xi's hand, tightened his grip, then loosened it, saying, "Don't worry, I'll take you to the hospital now."
Lin Xi turned to coax the old man, "Grandpa, you go to Jinglin first. I'll come to the hospital to see you after I see Mingxuan." The old man responded in a rough voice.
Lin Xi called Chen Baiwei as soon as she left, wanting to find out which hospital Duan Mingxuan was in. But Chen Baiwei didn't answer. Panicked, she asked Duan Yiheng, "What should we do? Aunt Wei isn't answering."
Duan Yiheng said, "Call Yu Lang."
"Right, right, right." Lin Xi wanted to bang her head against the wall. Yu Lang answered quickly, and Lin Xi, impatient, hurriedly asked, "Is Mingxuan with you? Which hospital is he in now?" Yu Lang gave the address, and Lin Xi immediately told Duan Yiheng, "Nanzhong Hospital."
Duan Yiheng's speed suddenly increased. Lin Xi didn't hang up the phone. Instinctively, she gripped her clothes and crumpled them, asking Yu Lang, "Is Mingxuan... alright?" Yu Lang replied, "He's fine, but... but Zhang Mo is still in the operating room trying to save him."
Lin Xi was stunned. "Zhang Mo saved Mingxuan?"
"I was surprised too," Yu Lang said, looking ashamed. "I always thought she was materialistic and vain, but Mingxuan was just playing around with her. Who knew she'd actually do it?" Lin Xi hung up.
Zhang Mo saved Duan Mingxuan? Lin Xi's heart was filled with complex emotions. After a long silence, only one thought remained: she hoped Zhang Mo was safe. Upon arriving at the hospital, Lin Xi went straight to the operating room on the sixth floor of the inpatient department.
Duan Mingxuan stood silently, head down, while Chen Baiwei pleaded earnestly beside him, "Mingxuan, aren't you trying to kill your mother? Go get checked out and see if he's alright."
Duan Mingxuan didn't speak, his hands trembling with blood, his shirt stained with dirty blood. He was clearly terrified.
"Mingxuan," Chen Baiwei called him again.
Duan Mingxuan still didn't respond. Lin Xi stopped breathing, her chest heaving. She wanted to call Duan Mingxuan's name, but her throat was too sore to speak.
The instant she heard about Duan Mingxuan's car accident, she had considered what if their last meeting ended in a cold war.
Then… Lin Xi dared not think of it.
At this moment, filled with the fear of possibly losing Duan Mingxuan, Lin Xi could only think of his good qualities.
A momentary mistake could not erase all the good he had done for her. Looking at the silent Duan Mingxuan, Lin Xi felt a subtle pain in her heart.
How could she easily let go of the boy she had liked since she was seventeen? Lin Xi took two steps forward and softly called, "Mingxuan?"
Duan Mingxuan's body trembled, and he looked up in disbelief. His eyes suddenly reddened, his expression one of utter grievance.
"Xiao Xi."
"I'm here." Lin Xi smiled at him. "Are you alright?" Duan Mingxuan stood up and hugged Lin Xi tightly.
"What should we do?" Duan Mingxuan buried his face in her shoulder. "Mo Mo is covered in blood. Her lower back was pierced by a sharp metal object, leaving a bloody hole."
Lin Xi tilted her head back to support his weight, patting his back to comfort him. "It's alright, she'll be alright."
Duan Mingxuan hugged her even tighter. "Don't leave me." Lin Xi quickly replied, "Okay, I won't leave. I'll wait with you."
Chen Baiwei breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Duan Mingxuan finally speak. She gave Lin Xi a look. "Have Mingxuan get checked out. Even if his internal organs are fine, his abrasions need to be treated."
Lin Xi agreed, patting Duan Mingxuan's back. "You're filthy. It'll get infected. I'll take you to the doctor first, okay?"
Duan Mingxuan released her and glanced back at the operating room. Lin Xi continued to coax him, "Your wound is easy to treat, we'll be up in a bit."
Duan Mingxuan finally nodded. Chen Baiwei happily followed the two. Duan Mingxuan saw Duan Yiheng and suddenly hissed, causing Lin Xi and Chen Baiwei to anxiously check on him. Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng passed each other, not even glancing at Duan Yiheng out of the corner of their eyes.
Duan Yiheng turned around and met the smug Duan Mingxuan's gaze. Duan Mingxuan's eyes seemed to say, "I won!" As Duan Yiheng left the hospital, it began to rain.
The raindrops hit his face with a slight chill, and a misty fog kissed his suit jacket shoulders, which he slapped away without hesitation.
Duan Yiheng went to Jinglin Private Hospital. Seeing Sister Mei, he asked about the old man's condition.
Sister Mei said, "The doctor recommended hospitalization for recuperation. It's the same old problem; he's getting old, and his bodily functions are declining. The old man hasn't been eating well lately."
Duan Yiheng said, "Then let him stay here for recuperation. Besides Grandpa's suite, please book another one for me. I'll stay here after get off work for the time being."
"How can that be?" Sister Mei said with concern. "You have to work during the day, and coming here after get off work won't be good for your health."
Duan Yiheng said, "It's not a problem. The doctors take turns making rounds, and the nurses provide 24-hour care. I won't be of much use; at most, I'll just talk to Grandpa for a few minutes." Sister Mei relented, "Alright, I'll go home and get you some clothes. Are you staying here tonight?"
Duan Yiheng nodded, "Go ahead." After Sister Mei left, Duan Yiheng went to the old man's ward.
"Yi Heng?" The old man saw him and quickly helped himself to sit up. "How is Ming Xuan?"
Duan Yi Heng: "He's fine. His friend saved him; he's having surgery."
The old man was still shaken. "Then you should thank them properly."
"Yes."
"Why do you look unhappy?"
Duan Yi Heng shook his head. "No, you must be mistaken."
The old man: "If you don't go see Ming Xuan, your father will definitely have something to say, and then he'll spread it among the board members, which won't be good for your position in the group—"
"Grandpa," Duan Yi Heng interrupted him, "It's not because of that."
The old man smiled. "You see, you do have something bothering you." Duan Yi Heng sighed helplessly. "I'll stay here with you tonight."
The old man smiled and let him be. After feeding the old man and talking with him for an hour, Duan Yi Heng finally returned to his suite.
Mei brought over his clothes. Duan Yiheng had no appetite and didn't eat. After showering, he sat by the window in his bathrobe, watching the rain. It was 11 PM when, just as Duan Yiheng was about to go to sleep, his phone vibrated.
He picked up his phone from the bedside table and was visibly startled when he saw the caller ID. Duan Yiheng answered the phone, and the person on the other end pleaded urgently, "Can you come down and get me? They won't let me up."
Duan Yiheng quickly went to the window: "Where are you?"
"I'm downstairs at Jinglin."
"Wait." Duan Yiheng forgot that he could simply call security to let him through and changed his clothes before going downstairs.
Raindrops swirled around him, piercing through the misty fog, and Duan Yiheng saw Lin Xi, soaked to the bone.