HH Chapter 36

The sound of an ambulance shattered the stillness of the alley as Guo Rui was lifted onto a stretcher, with Cheng Ye and the others following closely behind. The doctor and nurse were performing emergency measures when one of them looked up and asked, “What symptoms did she have before she fainted?”

“She was trembling all over, and her face was pale,” Pei Qinghuai replied, “It seemed like her left hand would occasionally press here.”

As he spoke, Pei Qinghuai placed his left hand on his left upper abdomen. The doctor glanced at it, quickly instructed the nurse to step aside, and lifted Guo Rui’s shirt. The thin, slightly yellowed skin revealed no unblemished areas, with bruises covering her entire abdomen. The doctor frowned, put the stethoscope in his ears, and placed it on Guo Rui’s abdomen. After a moment, his face turned grim as he looked back at the trio.

“We suspect a ruptured spleen. Are you her family?” the doctor asked.

Cheng Ye shook his head. “No, we’re contacting them now.”

The doctor acknowledged this with a nod, his expression not improving. With limited equipment on the ambulance, apart from providing oxygen, all they could do was wait.

“The patient is likely in hemorrhagic shock from external trauma. Let’s hope we have enough time,” the doctor sighed and shook his head.

Upon hearing the word “external trauma,” Cheng Ye, Pei Qinghuai, and Chen Xiaonuan exchanged glances, with Cheng Ye muttering, “Those bastards.”

When they reached the hospital, Guo Rui’s face was completely devoid of color. The doctors wasted no time, getting her into the operating room within a minute.

“Have you reached her family?” Cheng Ye asked, hands on his hips.

Chen Xiaonuan shook her head. “No, her family’s phone isn’t answering. Fang Yuan has the school trying to contact them. They live nearby, and he’s on his way there now.”

Chen Xiaonuan lowered her head, a hint of guilt on her face. “If I had noticed earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not your fault,” Cheng Ye reassured her.

Chen Xiaonuan glanced towards the operating room, remaining silent.

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Meanwhile, Fang Yuan was rushing through the residential complex, looking at his phone’s GPS. In his anxiety, he stopped a passerby. “Excuse me, can you tell me where Building 7 is?”

The passerby, startled, slowly replied, “It’s right by the entrance, left side as soon as you enter, only one unit.”

Fang Yuan frowned at his phone, thanked the person, and ran towards Building 7.

“Building 7, Unit 1, Apartment 701… Building 7, Unit 1, Apartment 701…” Fang Yuan muttered as he entered the elevator.

Upon exiting the elevator, he hesitated, then noticed a neighbor from Apartment 703 exiting their door. The neighbor rolled their eyes upon seeing the state of the hallway.

“The folks in 701 are so lazy; they haven’t cleaned up in days. The garbage is piling up,” the neighbor complained.

“Don’t even get me started. They’re waiting for that daughter of theirs to come back and clean up. It’s late; why isn’t Rui Rui home yet?”

“Who knows? If I had a mom like that, I’d run away too.”

The two neighbors chatted as they entered the elevator. Fang Yuan sidestepped the piles of garbage and knocked on the door of 701.

“Knock, knock, knock…” Fang Yuan knocked three times and, getting no response, was about to knock again when the door suddenly opened from the inside.

“Guo Rui! Why are you back so late? Get in here and clean up!” a shrill voice pierced Fang Yuan’s ears, making him frown as he looked at the woman.

“Are you Mrs. Zhang, Guo Rui’s… stepmother?” Fang Yuan asked after a pause.

Zhang Yuni raised an eyebrow, sized Fang Yuan up, and rolled her eyes. “Who are you?”

Fang Yuan glanced inside the messy apartment filled with takeout trash and clothes strewn everywhere, and the smell was overwhelming. He took a deep breath and showed his ID in Zhang Yuni’s face.

“Police.”

Zhang Yuni didn’t show much reaction, leaning against the doorframe. “Why are the police looking for me? I haven’t done anything wrong. Did Guo Rui do something?”

Fang Yuan looked at her, noticing her tight dress and perfect makeup, incongruent with the mess behind her.

“No,” Fang Yuan replied. “Where’s Guo Rui’s father?”

Zhang Yuni shrugged. “Just tell me. No need to bother him.”

Fang Yuan said, “Guo Rui is in critical condition at the hospital. We need a family member to come immediately.”

For the first time, Zhang Yuni’s expression changed. She straightened up and said, “Wait a moment; I’ll call my husband.”

Fang Yuan nodded and stepped aside. As he lifted his foot, a cockroach scurried past, making him jump back with a look of disgust at the trash piled against the wall.

After a while, Zhang Yuni emerged, her demeanor nonchalant. “Wait a bit. I’ll get ready and come with you.”

Fang Yuan waited at the door for twenty minutes before Zhang Yuni finally came out, giving him an impatient look. “Why are you in such a hurry? Which hospital?”

“Beilin City Central,” Fang Yuan replied.

Zhang Yuni glanced at him and called, “Honey, meet me at Central Hospital.”

Though reluctant, Fang Yuan had to comply as part of his duty. Halfway there, Cheng Ye called.

“Did you contact the family?”

Fang Yuan responded, “Yes, we’re on our way.”

“Good, get here quickly.”

Upon arrival at the hospital, Fang Yuan felt his worldview shatter. Zhang Yuni immediately threw herself at a man with a face full of grievance. More surprisingly, the man was Li He!

“Are you Guo Rui’s father?” Fang Yuan asked, eyes wide with surprise, looking at Li He.

Li He, equally shocked by the coincidence, avoided eye contact and muttered a confirmation.

“Do you know each other?” Zhang Yuni looked between Fang Yuan and Li He.

Fang Yuan let out a derisive snort. “No, let’s go.”

At the operating room, the same shocked expressions appeared on Cheng Ye and the others’ faces. Li He wished he could find a hole to crawl into, while Fang Yuan, standing behind them, gave Cheng Ye a thumbs-up.

“Are the family members here?” the doctor asked as he emerged from the operating room.

“Yes, what’s the situation?” Li He stepped forward, breaking the tense silence.

The doctor took the clipboard from a nurse. “This is a critical condition notice. The patient’s spleen is severely ruptured. We can’t just stop the bleeding; the spleen may need to be removed.”

“Removed?” Zhang Yuni pushed forward and grabbed the notice.