Chapter 50.1
Yu Le was half asleep, half awake, and vaguely heard Lu Yao’s voice entering his ears, “Le Le, I have an urgent matter and need to leave the mountain immediately. Rest well, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He thought he was dreaming, but the news of Lu Yao leaving was equally significant whether it was reality or a dream.
He struggled to open his eyes and, with blurred vision, saw Lu Yao. He asked for confirmation, “It’s so late, are you really leaving?”
Lu Yao touched his face, “Yes.”
Yu Le asked, “Where are you going?”
Lu Yao didn’t hide the truth, “I just got a call from home. The elder’s condition has become unstable, so I need to go back.”
Yu Le’s drowsiness receded somewhat as he finally realized this was reality, not a dream, “Is it serious? Do I need to go back with you?”
He started to get up as he spoke.
“No need, it’s fine.”
Lu Yao held his shoulder and coaxed him back to bed, “Sleep. I’ll let you know as soon as I have any updates.”
Leaving the inn, Lu Yao quickly headed to the parking lot and drove straight to Xuan City.
Fortunately, the heavy rain had cleared up by last night. Tonight, with a clear moon and starry sky, visibility was unobstructed. Plus, with almost no traffic on the night road, the drive, which would normally take nearly five hours, was cut down to just under four hours.
It was now 3 AM. By the time Lu Yao reached the hospital, the old man had already been moved out of the emergency room. In the corridor outside the observation room, a few people were either standing or sitting, their faces showing a mix of relief and exhaustion.
Lu Xingxing’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, clearly having cried heavily. When she saw him, she rushed over and hugged him, sniffling and on the verge of crying again.
“It’s okay,” Lu Yao said, not knowing the current situation but frowning deeply. He gently patted her back, “Aren’t you always saying you’re an adult?”
“I don’t want to cry, but I can’t help it.”
Lu Xingxing hiccuped through her tears, her words coming out in bursts, “I was so scared. Grandpa looked so bad. I thought, I thought… oh…”
“It’s okay, Xingxing. Don’t scare your brother.”
Lu Yao’s mother approached, informing Lu Yao of the current situation, “It was a sudden high blood pressure due to missing medication. The emergency treatment has been successful, and blood pressure has basically returned to normal. The doctor said if everything stays stable overnight, he can be transferred back to a regular ward tomorrow.”
Lu Yao breathed a silent sigh of relief, though his brow remained furrowed, “How did the medication get missed?”
Lu Yao’s mother replied, “The caregiver in charge of administering the medication said it was due to having too many patients to care for, and they mixed things up.”
Lu Yao, “Too many patients? Isn’t Grandpa’s caregiver supposed to be one-on-one?”
Lu Yao’s mother, “In the afternoon, he asked for half a day off due to family matters and asked the hospital caregiver to help out.”
Lu Yao, “Who did he ask for leave from?”
Lu Yao’s mother, “He only informed the hospital caregiver at the time and left.”
Lu Yao’s nerves, which had been tightly wound, began to relax, causing a noticeable discomfort, with a throbbing at his temples.
He rubbed his temples and said, “Fire him. I’ll find a new one tomorrow.”
Lu Yao’s mother, “He’s already been fired, but he requested that we don’t report this lapse to his company’s management. He’s willing to forgo this month’s salary as compensation.”
Lu Yao’s frown deepened.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t agree to it.” Lu Yao’s mother said, “Before he found me, I had already informed his supervisor. Fortunately, Dad is okay, or the consequences would have been beyond what he could bear.”
Lu Yao nodded.
Every job deserves respect and understanding, but those who make mistakes and then shrink from responsibility are not included in that respect.
“Are you all family members?” a middle-aged, kind-faced doctor emerged from the observation room.
Everyone quickly gathered around, “Doctor, how is the old man?”
“Don’t worry. Blood pressure has returned to normal.”
The doctor said, “The patient is resting now. There’s no need for too many people to stay here. Just leave one person to monitor the IV drip. If there are no complications, he should be transferred back to a regular ward by tomorrow morning.”
The doctor adjusted his glasses and pointed to the group surrounding him, “Decide who will stay and who will go.”
“I’ll stay,” Lu Yao said. “Everyone has been up all night, so you should go rest. I’ll take care of things here.”
The others did not insist, exchanging brief goodbyes before heading downstairs.
Only Lu Yao’s parents, still concerned about his long drive, hesitated. His father said, “How about I stay instead? You can take your mom and sister home.”
“Dad, it’s fine. I’m used to late-night missions from my time in the military.”
Lu Yao pushed Lu Xingxing forward a bit, “Xingxing, go back with Mom and Dad. Make sure to apply some eye cream before sleeping.”
With everyone gone except for Lu Yao, the doctor called him, “This way, come with me to complete the visitor registration.”
Hospitals are places where time seems the most ambiguous, especially regarding schedules.
From one end of the corridor to the other, ten out of six patient rooms had lights on, either due to uncontrollable bodily functions or pain keeping patients awake.
As Lu Yao came out of the registration room and walked back down the corridor, he witnessed the myriad of sufferings gathered here.
This wasn’t the first time Lu Yao had seen such conditions in a hospital. Perhaps before, he might have worried excessively about elderly family members suffering from illnesses, but here he realized that many people endured even more severe suffering.
Every patient battling illness is a hero. Lu Yao didn’t want to find solace in any misfortune, but he had to admit that compared to many others, they were indeed very fortunate.
The corridor lights could not be turned off. To avoid disturbing patients’ rest, all the doors and windows along the corridor had thick curtains that blocked out light.
With the old man asleep, Lu Yao checked the IV drip’s remaining volume, adjusted the blanket for the old man, and drew all the curtains in the room before gently closing the door behind him.
Returning to the corridor, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment, then pulled out his phone.
Since Lu Yao had left, Yu Le had been unable to sleep well. The wind that picked up in the early hours made the wind chimes ring, causing him anxiety.
Half-dreaming and half-worrying about the elder’s condition, the night was more exhausting than sleeping. The phone, placed beside his pillow, kept tempting him to check it.
After an indeterminate amount of time, a message suddenly popped up on the phone, casting a faint glow across the room.
Yu Le’s eyes, adjusted to the darkness, were sensitive to light, so he squinted to make out the message,
Lu Yao, 【The situation is stable and there are no major issues. Get some good sleep and don’t worry.】
The next moment, the phone was turned screen-down on the bedside, and the room returned to darkness. Yu Le hugged his blanket, turned over, and buried himself in the bed.
Finally, he could sleep.
Having left for the city in the middle of the night and spent the whole night at the hospital, Yu Le guessed that Lu Yao was either catching up on sleep or preparing to do so.
Not wanting to disturb him, Yu Le waited patiently for Lu Yao to contact him once he had finished resting, refraining from initiating contact himself.
Yan Jia arrived just as breakfast was ending, ordered a bowl of noodles, and sat down next to Yu Le.
Yu Le said, “You’re quite timely. If you had been just a minute later, you would have had to cook your own noodles.”
Yan Jia replied, “I wouldn’t have let that happen.”
Yu Le asked, “Did Wen Yuan not give you breakfast?”
Yan Jia sighed, “He said his place only provides lodging, not meals, and told me to handle it myself.”
That sounded just like Wen Yuan.
Yu Le expressed sympathy but did not laugh out loud.
Yan Jia asked, “Why are you alone? Where’s your boss Lu? I didn’t see him when I came in.”
Yu Le explained, “He had to leave last night due to family matters.”
“What’s so urgent that he had to leave in the middle of the night?”
That question seemed more rhetorical, as Yan Jia continued, “So you’re managing the inn now, little boss?”
Yu Le, “Boss is still the boss; ‘little’ is just a bit of fun. Who are you calling a little?”
Yu Le, “And that’s why Wen Yuan didn’t feed you.”
Yan Jia, “……”
“Here comes the noodles.” Aunt Zhang placed the steaming beef noodles in front of Yan Jia and, while removing her apron, said, “The vinegar is in the small jug on the table. Pour it yourself if you want some.”
Yan Jia responded with a twitch of his lips and looked at the fragrant noodles, suddenly losing his appetite due to the complex feelings stirring in him.
Shrimp and pork heart.
