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墨書 Inktalez
I stopped in my tracks, realizing that to Xi's friends, I was just a stranger. I didn't want them to form any opinions or misunderstandings about me. So, I didn't rush over; instead, I casually took out my phone and pretended to be on a call.
The man looked to be a few years older than me, with a slightly youthful appearance. After closing the hospital room door, he let out a sigh and walked toward me.
Just as we were about to pass each other, his phone rang. He slowed his pace and pulled out his phone. "Hello!"
"Ah, yes, everything's going smoothly. Just got out!"
"I'm going abroad, haha!"
"Don't worry, babe. I only love you. She's just a family friend; it's nothing serious. Alright, I'll see you soon!"
He hung up and quickened his pace toward the elevator. I turned to look back; this must be Xi's boyfriend. It's true what they say: you can know someone’s face but not their heart. After Xi's incident, he seemed eager to leave.
I sighed; it seemed Xi had chosen poorly in her relationships. If she woke up again, her boyfriend's departure would indeed be a blessing.
After some thought, I decided to keep this little episode to myself. Why expose it? What if Xi never woke up?
Calming my emotions, I knocked on the hospital room door. A voice soon responded from inside, "Who is it? Come in!"
I pushed the door open and saw Xi's parents sitting beside her bed, looking heavy-hearted and worried. Glancing at Xi, she lay there peacefully as if she were merely sleeping after an exhausting day. With the breathing machine on her, she looked so serene. Her delicate face was illuminated by sunlight streaming through the window, casting a holy glow upon her. Her complexion seemed slightly paler, and her long eyelashes fluttered gently as if she might wake up at any moment.
I sighed again inwardly. Oh Xi, please be okay.
At that moment, Xi's parents stood up and looked over at me. Holding the fruit basket with a smile, I said, "Uncle and Auntie, I'm here to see Xi. I visited last time too."
They exchanged glances before her mother spoke to me, "You're very thoughtful. Please have a seat; I'll get you some water."
I quickly set down the fruit basket and asked her parents, "How is the situation now?"
Even though I already knew the circumstances, I still felt compelled to ask, holding onto a glimmer of hope in my heart.
Her father, a slightly overweight middle-aged man who looked mature and experienced, sighed and said softly, "Doctor Xi is still in a coma. We don’t know when she will wake up; all we can do is wait."
Her mother, a kind-faced woman, suddenly covered her mouth and cried out, "Xi is lucky compared to another patient in a different room. This morning, it seems her classmate's stepfather came to request the removal of life support."
Dad Xi patted her shoulder and said, "It's okay, don't cry. We still have money; we’re not afraid. We will wait for as long as it takes for Xi to wake up."
I couldn’t bear to look any longer and turned my gaze toward Xi. Oh, Xi, is your soul still here? At that moment, an idea struck me—should I call Nong to take a look? At least we would know if her spirit was still present. Yes, I could invite Old Zhou too; perhaps with both of them working together, there might be a way!
With this thought in mind, I carefully chose my words and said to Dad Xi, "Uncle, I have an idea, but I’m not sure if you would be willing to try it."
Dad Xi looked up at me and replied solemnly, "Well, at this point, we should try anything."
I continued, "I’m from the military. One of my soldiers has a great-grandfather who often does feng shui back in his hometown. Perhaps inviting him over to take a look wouldn’t hurt?"
I knew that Xi's parents were already in a state of turmoil; they were willing to try anything that offered even the slightest possibility. Sure enough, before Dad Xi could respond, her mother grabbed my hand eagerly and asked, "What? Is it true? Please invite him here; we’ll pay whatever it costs!"
As long as they were willing to accept help, things would be easier. I let out a sigh of relief and reassured them, "Don’t worry about the money; he’s just a relative of one of my soldiers visiting here for tourism. It won’t be any trouble at all. I’ll go find him right away."
Seeing the eager expressions on Xi's parents' faces filled me with pressure—the weight of carrying someone else's hopes was heavy on my heart. I didn’t want to delay any longer and turned to leave but heard Mom Xi whisper behind me, "Xi does have good friends from the military who have never asked us for anything."
I quickened my pace out of the hospital room. Standing in the corridor, I thought about how easy it would be to find Nong; I could just call Old Tang and he would write a note to get out. But where could I find Old Zhou?
I had no choice but to go to the television station again to find him. I took out my phone and briefed Old Tang, just asking him to have Nong wait for me at the entrance of the station. After arranging that, I stood by the elevator waiting.
Before long, the elevator arrived, stopping a few times on the way down. A person wearing sunglasses bumped into me as he entered but quickly walked away.
I didn’t pay much attention to it. After leaving the hospital, I took a taxi straight to the television station.
When I arrived at the entrance, I suddenly realized, What the hell! I had already submitted my work permit, so why couldn't I get in? Nong hadn’t arrived yet, and just as I was getting anxious, I noticed a familiar face among the stationed Armed Police Soldiers. Upon closer inspection, wasn’t that the same one from when I first came?
What a coincidence! I was delighted and hurried over. “Hey, do you remember me, Sergeant?”
“You’re from the nearby garrison! Didn’t you complete your mission?” he asked.
“Ah, yes, we did complete it. However, I left something inside. The staff at the television station told me to retrieve it. You see, I’ll just go in and come right back out.”
“Oh, no problem. Go ahead!” He was quite straightforward.
“Great, thank you!” I quickly expressed my gratitude and walked through the main entrance.
Where should I look for Old Zhou? I hesitated for a moment and instinctively glanced at my watch; it was almost 11:00. Then it hit me!
I knew that these public institutions usually started lunch around 11:00. Many people would head to the internal cafeteria of the television station for a meal. Since Old Zhou loved good food so much, he would definitely be there trying to snag a free meal. If I waited around this time, I should be able to find him.
With that thought in mind, after confirming the direction, I rushed toward the Cafeteria.
As expected, even though it wasn’t yet 1:00 when work ended, people were already trickling in for lunch. It seemed like the Cafeteria was already open for business.
I simply sat by the door, not believing that the Foodie wouldn’t show up!
After waiting for a while, I saw Old Zhou striding towards me, swaying slightly. My eyes lit up, and I rushed over to grab his clothes, startling him.
“Ah, it’s you!”
“Yeah, Old Zhou, I need to talk to you about something urgent!”
“Me?”
“Yes! Do you remember that girl named Xi from last time?”
“Ah, I recall. What about her? Didn’t I break the Divine Talisman and defeat the Japanese Shikigami for you? Wasn’t she saved?”
“I don’t know if she was saved or not, but she’s currently unconscious and I can’t tell if she’s been affected by the Soul Devourer! Old Zhou, since you got involved, you have to see it through!”
“Ahem, well, I can’t tell if her soul is still there.”
“You don’t need to worry about that; just come with me to take a look!”
“Ah, but it’s almost lunchtime!”
“Of course! Once we check on her, you can eat whatever you want; I’ll make sure you’re full!”
“Ah, then let’s hurry!”
As we arrived at the main entrance, we saw Nong waiting outside, his back turned to us. Upon hearing the noise, he turned around, wearing a pair of sunglasses, and approached us. "Company Commander, you need me so urgently? What's going on?"
I glanced at Old Zhou. "Come with me; we're going to see someone."
Nong nodded, seemingly confused, and looked at Old Zhou with curiosity. However, I didn't have time for introductions, so I gestured for them to follow me, and the three of us headed toward the hospital.
On the way, Old Zhou seemed particularly interested in Nong, staring at him intently, which made Nong quite uncomfortable. But since I was in the car too, he couldn't express his discomfort openly. From the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Old Zhou's expression and said to him, "This is Nong; he has some skills as well."
Old Zhou appeared surprised and scrutinized Nong closely. "Wow, you really know how to pick them. This one seems to have a rare constitution."
Perhaps feeling the presence of the driver, Old Zhou fell silent after that and closed his eyes to rest in the back seat. Both Nong and I were lost in our thoughts, not speaking.
The car soon arrived at the hospital entrance. After getting out, I paid the fare while Nong looked around curiously. Old Zhou stood inside the hospital entrance. Just as I turned to walk past him into the hospital, Old Zhou suddenly grabbed my hand. "Wait, something feels off. I sense something is watching you."
(To be continued...)
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