Everyone waited anxiously. At that moment, a whimpering sound, low and full of sorrow, was heard.
Yao Ze glanced at the black dog before walking up to it with his long strides and ruffling its head. He then looked at the doctor and asked, "Is she alright?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses and slowly stated his examination and judgment of the black dog: "There's no major problem. She'll recover in a while."
After the doctor left, the big black dog's spirits remained low. Its attention had been entirely focused on its young master. If it had been a little quicker, it would have saved its young master...
"Don't be sad. Your young master will be fine." Knowing that Baroque was blaming itself, Yao Ze gently comforted it.
His words, however, only made Baroque recall the lifeless appearance of its young master when it woke up. Tears began to stream down its face...
"Buzzzz~"
The phone rang in the quiet corridor...
Yao Cheng took out his phone from his pocket, glanced down, and saw it was his mother calling. He looked at the operating room and walked to the side.
"Temporarily, don't tell them about Duoduo. Also, keep this place quiet."
A hoarse and weak voice came from behind him. Yao Cheng paused but did not turn around. "Okay."
"A Cheng, where are you? Why aren't you back yet?"
As soon as he answered, a visibly anxious female voice came from the other end.
Yao Cheng's expression remained unchanged. He looked at the rising sun outside and said, "We ran into some trouble and can't return for now. We'll be back once things are settled."
If she were just an ordinary person, it would have been easy. But this was Duoduo. Ah Qian and the others would likely not be returning.
After a long wait, the operating room light finally went out, and the doctor emerged first.
"How is it? How is my daughter, doctor?"
Normanis had remained silent since the doctor came out. Yao Qianya's eyes were red with anxiety.
The doctor's expression showed no relief. After a major surgery, the doctor was also quite exhausted. He slowly removed his mask.
His demeanor was precisely why Normanis dared not speak.
"The bullet's trajectory was very close to the heart, and it directly penetrated the patient's body. We've done our utmost. We can only hope she makes it through the next few hours."
With that, the doctor left. Yao Qianya, unable to stand, collapsed onto the ground. For the first time, Normanis did not catch her...
It was Yao Cheng who stepped forward and helped her up. However, she felt as though she had lost all her bones, unable to stand on her own.
Just then, Jian You was wheeled out. She had a respirator on, and her face beneath the mask was as pale as a sheet, devoid of any color...
"Duoduo, Duoduo... Don't go... Can you hear your mother calling you?!"
Yao Qianya followed the gurney, crying hysterically, but was held back by a nurse, not allowed to get close. By the time she could no longer see it, Yao Qianya could no longer hold on. The string of hope that had been taut in her heart snapped immediately, and she slowly collapsed...
This time, Normanis caught her, but the trembling of his arms revealed that he too was barely holding himself together.
Seeing her family so distressed, and her sister's fate uncertain, Nuo Mann Ziyue suddenly thought of someone: Mu Jingxuan from City S!
"Dad, Doctor Mu is very skilled. Have him come and take a look at my sister. He can definitely save her!"
This statement seemed to bring hope to Normanis. He turned his head excitedly and looked at Nuo Mann Ziyue, "Then hurry and call him!"
Yao Cheng, however, interrupted their conversation. He very calmly offered his opinion: "Duoduo doesn't have time. I'll have someone go invite Elder Jian now!"
Right, Elder Jian!
Normanis immediately took out his phone and brought it to his ear with such speed it was a blur. He could barely stand straight.
Nuo Mann Ziyue watched this scene with a heavy heart. Her father had to support the entire family alone, and he still made time to accompany them. Now that her sister was in trouble, he looked as though he had aged years in an instant...
Nuo Mann Ziyue silently wiped away her tears and took out her phone to dial the number she had missed for so long...
However... no one answered until the call ended...
Meanwhile, on the other side, Qi Jiayou had just finished a video conference and saw the screen of the phone on the bedside table light up and then go dark. He walked over and saw it was an unknown number, so he tossed it aside.
Looking at the sun outside, he thought of her again...
In a dilapidated neighborhood on the other side, Xuan Mohan was still living there with the three children. While other residents were filled with festive cheer, their home was very desolate. Later, he found the red decorations outside to be an eyesore and had Li An remove them...
The three children stayed there obediently. They should have been sensible and returned, but they also wanted to be willful for once. They missed their mommy...
"Clang~"
Lan Hanyu had been playing with Lan Tongtong, but the sound from behind him made him immediately turn his head.
"Le Xuan?"
Lan Lexuan stared blankly at the broken cup on the ground. A sharp pain had suddenly pierced his chest...
Xuan Mohan also rushed over upon hearing the sound. "What's wrong?"
Lan Lexuan lowered his head and said nothing, then silently picked up the shattered pieces from the ground. Seeing this, Xuan Mohan returned to Lan Qianqian's room. Soon, Li An walked in.
Looking at everything in the room, he sighed inwardly. Nothing could capture his young master's attention anymore. As long as the young masters were not in major trouble, he wouldn't interfere with anything...
Or perhaps... he had also followed the young madam to the afterlife...
In a remote mountain village in City A, Elder Jian was packing herbs when the phone on the table suddenly rang. He walked over slowly.
"Elder Jian, can you save my daughter..."
As soon as he picked it up, a sorrowful voice came from within. He was immediately puzzled, "Did that girl Ziyue get into trouble?"
"No, it's my daughter Duoduo, also known as Jian You. She... was shot. The bullet is very close to her heart. Please come and save her quickly..."
Jian You is this kid's daughter? That's quite a coincidence.
However...
"It's fine, this old man won't be going. You can decide whether to send her away in the next couple of days or bring her here to me?"
Normanis choked. He took the phone down in disbelief. When had Elder Jian's character become so degenerate? He knew someone's life was in danger but acted as if he hadn't seen it? And it was his own daughter?
"Elder Jian, what do you mean? Are you refusing to help?!"
Normanis was extremely angry, so he roared directly. Every moment of delay was wasting Duoduo's life.
Meanwhile, Elder Jian on the other side chuckled, "It's rare to see you lose control, kid. Jian You is a granddaughter I recognize quite well."
Before Normanis could speak again, he finally stopped joking. His recent test had indeed been quite satisfactory; Normanis loved his daughter enough.
If he had been wary before, knowing Jian You was his daughter now had greatly relieved him, and he could also shed the burden he carried.