Qiao Yu explained Qiqi’s condition, and Ji Nanfeng’s face grew darker and darker. This was sothing none of them had expected. Everyone had assud that even though Qiqi was kidnapped, at least Qin Nianwan wouldn’t unleash her wrath on a child. But the undeniable truth before them was like a harsh slap across everyone’s face.
Qin Nianwan did, and she really went through with it. Now, Qiqi lay unconscious on the hospital bed, tortured and unresponsive.
Ji Nanfeng cursed under his breath and got up from his chair:
"Now that Qiqi is found, does that an Qin Nianwan has left a trail?"
Qiao Yu shook his head. "I’m not sure. From the mont I saw Qiqi, I’ve been here with her. I haven’t had a chance to inquire about what’s happening outside."
"I’ll go ask Shinian and see what his plan is?" Ji Nanfeng said as he moved to push open the door of the hospital room, only to be instinctively stopped by Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu looked at Ji Nanfeng and said, "Shinian isn’t inside."
Ji Nanfeng clearly hadn’t anticipated this. He stared at Qiao Yu, stunned for a few seconds:
"He’s not inside? Qiqi’s been found, and he’s not here? Where did he go?"
Ji Nanfeng’s questions made Qiao Yu instinctively think back to the call he hadn’t been able to get through earlier. He had sensed sothing was off at the ti, but had later dismissed it because of focusing on Qiqi and notifying Su Mu. Now, reminded by Ji Nanfeng, it all clicked.
The realization left his hands and feet icy cold, his face turning pale in an instant.
Ji Nanfeng noticed Qiao Yu’s abnormal reaction:
"What’s wrong with you? Where is Shinian?"
Qiao Yu snapped out of it, looking at Ji Nanfeng. "It’s highly likely that Qiqi was swapped back in exchange for sothing between Shinian and Qin Nianwan. He used himself to trade for Qiqi, and now..."
"What did you say?" Ji Nanfeng could no longer suppress his emotions, staring at Qiao Yu in disbelief. "Are you certain?"
"I..."
Before Qiao Yu could finish, a voice interrupted him. Jiang Bei stood at the restroom door, watching the two n’s troubled faces, and said softly, "I’m certain."
Both n turned to look at Jiang Bei. Jiang Bei sighed and slowly walked over to stand in front of them, laying out everything she knew in detail. Ji Nanfeng frowned even before she finished, glaring at Jiang Bei:
"Why didn’t you tell earlier? Do you know that by going alone, Shinian is likely never coming back, considering Qin Nianwan’s hatred for both Fu Shinian and Su Mu?"
Jiang Bei nodded slightly:
"I know. Fu Shinian knew, too. That’s why, when Qin Nianwan sent Su Mu a ssage to arrange a eting, he intercepted it and went himself."
"Do you know where he went?"
"Shengang Pier," Jiang Bei said. "I called the police and also notified Rong Shen. They should all be heading there now."
Ji Nanfeng said no more and bolted towards the elevator. Qiao Yu quickly followed. If Fu Shinian were to et a mishap at Shengang Pier, as a doctor, Qiao Yu could provide imdiate life-saving intervention, reducing the chances of tragedy, however slim.
Jiang Bei watched them leave, her heart sinking to the bottom. Gripping her phone tightly, she prayed that Rong Shen would call her the next mont to say everything was fine. But her unease only grew stronger.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before.
When Jiang Bei cautiously pushed open the hospital room door, Su Mu was still in the sa position as when Jiang Bei had left—carefully holding Qiqi’s hand, staring unblinkingly at her on the bed, as though only by looking could she believe her lost daughter had truly returned to her side.
Jiang Bei stood in the doorway, silently watching Su Mu, praying that Ji Nanfeng and Qiao Yu would bring back good news. Otherwise, she genuinely couldn’t be sure if Su Mu could handle a life-for-a-life trade.
Her husband was gone, her daughter returned. Such a result might not be one Su Mu could accept.
Su Mu didn’t notice Jiang Bei’s return, nor did Jiang Bei intend to disturb her. In a mont like this, any question Su Mu might ask would likely leave Jiang Bei without an answer. All Jiang Bei could do was stay by her side, even as the Fus dared not yet be inford.
When Su Shiyue arrived, she would undoubtedly ask where Fu Shinian was. Jiang Bei didn’t know how to respond, and besides, the elderly matriarch of the Fu family might not survive another shock.
If Fu Shinian could return safely, everything would be okay. But...
In the silent hospital room, only the monitor’s beeping occasionally broke through. Even the sound of breathing was subdued under the oppressive atmosphere. Jiang Bei stared blankly at Su Mu’s back, her thoughts flooded with Fu Shinian’s departure, the possible outcos he faced today, and also Qiqi’s situation...
The chaotic turmoil in her mind didn’t dull her senses. So, when a muffled bang, like an explosion, rang out from outside the window, she flinched, cold sweat instantly breaking out all over her body. She didn’t know how she reached the window, but looking outside, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual. It was as though that sound she’d just heard was nothing more than a hallucination born out of her jumbled thoughts.
Jiang Bei stood by the window for a few minutes. When she turned back, Su Mu was still unmoving. Jiang Bei wasn’t sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, but the quiet for now might be a small blessing.
Ti passed slowly. Outside, night deepened, and the room remained unlit. Jiang Bei sat on the sofa, sending multiple ssages to Ji Nanfeng and Qiao Yu, but none were answered. She couldn’t console herself, let alone bring herself any calm. Su Mu needed soone to stay, so Jiang Bei could only keep vigil where she was.
Jiang Bei switched on the light, and the action seed to jolt Su Mu from her daze. Confused, Su Mu turned to look at Jiang Bei:
"What ti is it?"
Jiang Bei glanced at the clock. "Six o’clock. Are you hungry? Should I go downstairs and get you sothing to eat?"
Su Mu shook her head:
"Not hungry."
After saying this, she seed ready to resu her previous posture. Jiang Bei had just started to feel a slight relief when Su Mu abruptly stood up. Whether it was dizziness from standing too quickly or the weight of her thoughts bearing down on her, she seed unsteady and sat back heavily. The sudden motion startled Jiang Bei, who quickly rushed over:
"Are you okay? Don’t scare . What’s wrong? I’ll call the doctor!"
As Jiang Bei reached for the call button, Su Mu grabbed her hand in a strong grip. Jiang Bei turned to look at Su Mu, whose gaze was filled with emotions Jiang Bei imdiately understood. She didn’t know what to say, let alone what kind of reason could comfort Su Mu. She could only wait for her to speak.
"Where is he?"
Jiang Bei looked at Su Mu, pressing her lips tightly together in silence.
"You know, don’t you?" Su Mu stared at Jiang Bei. "Where’s Fu Shinian? Where is he?"
"Susu..."
"Qin Nianwan took Qiqi. She wouldn’t have returned her without reason. The eting she arranged was for tomorrow; there’s no way she would’ve returned Qiqi to the hospital a day earlier. She doesn’t care about Qiqi’s life, and might even wish for Qiqi to die as atonent for her daughter. So it was Fu Shinian, wasn’t it? He hasn’t shown himself since Qiqi appeared at the hospital, not even a single word or ssage. That’s not normal. He cares so much about , about Qiqi. Even if he didn’t know Qiqi was back, he would’ve at least called to check on . But..."
"Susu..."
"You know where he is, don’t you?" Su Mu clutched Jiang Bei’s arm tightly, as though it were her last lifeline, looking at her with desperate eyes, waiting for Jiang Bei to provide an answer she could accept. "You know sothing, don’t you? Tell . I can take it. He’s injured? Like last ti? A gunshot wound? Where is he? Is he in the room next door?"
Jiang Bei remained silent, but Su Mu couldn’t endure the quiet. She strode out of the hospital room without stopping, forcing Jiang Bei to follow with difficulty:
"Susu..."
Su Mu didn’t stop. She flung open door after door in the empty hallway, only to be t with cold, unoccupied rooms.
She didn’t give up, clinging to her last shred of hope. Jiang Bei, unable to say anything or stop her, could only watch as Su Mu searched through each room one by one. There weren’t many rooms on the top floor, so Su Mu quickly worked her way to the last one, where she finally stopped, still as a statue.
Jiang Bei cautiously stepped closer, reaching out to touch her. Su Mu turned around to look at her and gave a strained smile:
"He’s not here. Does that an he’s not hurt?"
Jiang Bei’s attempts at concealnt were no match for Su Mu’s perception, though Jiang Bei desperately wanted to tell a reassuring lie. However, the ringing of a phone interrupted her. It was Ji Nanfeng.
From the mont Ji Nanfeng had left, Jiang Bei had been eagerly waiting for soone to update her. She had prayed for hours on end, but now that soone was finally calling, she found herself reluctant to pick up.
Still, she had to.
As soon as Jiang Bei hit the answer button, Su Mu snatched the phone from her hands, holding it to her ear without saying a word. Jiang Bei could only watch as Fu Shinian’s absence painted an ever-greater anguish on Su Mu’s pale face. Tears welled in Su Mu’s eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. Her fingers, clutching the phone, turned white from the force.
Jiang Bei couldn’t hear what Ji Nanfeng was saying on the other end, but whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good news. Her prayers had gone unanswered, and she quietly sighed in grief. Just as she moved to take the phone back, Su Mu—frozen until now—suddenly sprang to life, running toward the elevator. However, with the elevator currently on the ground floor, she didn’t even wait and instead dashed into the ergency stairwell. Jiang Bei, heavily pregnant, couldn’t keep up, helplessly watching Su Mu disappear from sight.
She bent down to pick up Su Mu’s discarded phone, realizing the call with Ji Nanfeng was still connected. Bringing it to her ear, she heard Ji Nanfeng’s hoarse voice on the other end:
"Xiaobei, are you listening?"
Ji Nanfeng’s voice made Jiang Bei’s heart sink even further. She replied, "Su Mu just answered the call. Whatever you said, she heard it all. She’s left now; I think she’s heading for Shengang Pier. I’m worried about her. Send soone to catch up with her—make sure nothing happens to her."
Ji Nanfeng seed montarily stunned, then cursed under his breath. A mont later, Jiang Bei heard the sound of a car door opening and an engine starting. Staying on the line, she walked slowly toward a bench and sat down:
"What about Fu Shinian? What’s the situation?"
Ji Nanfeng was silent for a few seconds. Jiang Bei didn’t pressure him, silently waiting. Deep inside, she even hoped Ji Nanfeng would keep silent forever, as though that might prevent any cruel reality from coming to pass.
After a long pause, Ji Nanfeng finally spoke:
"The ship where Shinian and Qin Nianwan were exploded. We don’t know the specifics yet, but when the explosion occurred, Shinian was trapped in the cabin—nearly the epicenter of the blast. Qin Nianwan’s body has been recovered, burned beyond recognition. As for Shinian... he hasn’t been found yet..."
Jiang Bei closed her eyes. She didn’t respond. Ji Nanfeng didn’t say anything more either, but neither hung up the call. After a while, Jiang Bei finally spoke:
"I need to stay with Qiqi and can’t leave. When Su Mu arrives, please look after her. She won’t be able to take this..."
"Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to her."
Jiang Bei ended the call and sat silently on the bench for a few minutes before standing, ready to return to Qiqi’s room. But as she rose, her exhausted body nearly gave out beneath her. A passing nurse helped steady her:
"Are you okay?"
It took Jiang Bei a mont to respond, forcing a weak smile:
"Thank you. I’m fine."
"You look unwell. Do you need to see a doctor?"
Jiang Bei shook her head, leaning against the wall as she slowly made her way back to the hospital room.
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