Gu Susu waited in her hospital room for news. As night fell, no one had informed her whether Xiao Xingxing had been safely rescued.
She tried calling Su Kangxi’s phone, but it either went unanswered or was switched off. Qin Tianyi’s phone was consistently off, so she couldn't reach him.
A bad premonition gnawed at her, a sense that something major had happened, and her eyelids wouldn't stop twitching.
Wei Yanan stayed with her at the hospital until visiting hours ended for the night. Wei Yanan then left, after asking someone to inquire about the situation, but no information was obtained.
After the hospital ward lights were turned off, Gu Susu tossed and turned on her bed, unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, images of Qin Tianyi and Xiao Xingxing covered in blood flashed through her mind.
She kept telling herself to think positively, that perhaps no news was the best news, and her worry was unnecessary.
She eventually fell asleep at some point during the night, but her sleep was restless, plagued by terrible dreams.
"Mom, Mom!" Hearing Xiao Xingxing call her name, she felt as if she were still dreaming, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
"Let Mom sleep a little longer, don't wake her."
Gu Susu heard Su Kangxi’s voice again. It didn't feel like a dream. She opened her eyes, disbelievingly seeing Xiao Xingxing lying by her hospital bed.
Xiao Xingxing’s eyes blinked as he looked at her and said, "Mom, you're awake."
Gu Susu immediately turned and hugged him tightly, crying, "Am I dreaming? Baby, you're okay, you're really okay."
"Mom, I miss you, I miss you so, so much..." Xiao Xingxing also started to cry.
After they hugged and cried for a while, Gu Susu was the first to stop, comforting the child, "Baby, don't cry. Let's both stop crying. It's good that you're alright."
As she spoke, she released Xiao Xingxing, wiped his tears, and looked at Su Kangxi. She still didn't see Qin Tianyi and couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Su, thank you for your hard work. Was it you and your colleagues from the police who rescued the child yesterday? Did Qin Tianyi... did he also bring people?"
"Yes, Mr. Qin brought people. One of my colleagues sacrificed his life..." Su Kangxi’s eyes reddened as he spoke, a clear look of self-blame in his eyes.
Gu Susu was shocked. "Sacrificed? Were the kidnappers that terrifying, that ferocious?"
"Those kidnappers were indeed desperate criminals, but there was another group of people even more terrifying than the kidnappers." Su Kangxi didn't elaborate on yesterday's events. "But the child was safely rescued in the end. Sister Susu, you don't have to worry anymore."
Seeing Xiao Xingxing safe and sound, Gu Susu breathed a sigh of relief. However, she felt something was amiss. Su Kangxi seemed to be hiding something from her.
"What about Qin Tianyi? Did he... did he go back?"
Su Kangxi didn't know how to answer her.
After Qin Tianyi was taken to the hospital by ambulance, he underwent surgery all night. His life was temporarily saved, but he had not yet passed the critical period.
The bullet that hit him had pierced his waist, injured the sciatic nerve, and combined with severe blood loss, it was a miracle that his life was saved for now.
"Dad... he, he was bleeding. They carried him onto a white car..." Xiao Xingxing cried. "Will Daddy go to heaven? Is he leaving us!"
Gu Susu felt her head buzz. She looked at Su Kangxi in a panic and asked, "Qin Tianyi... did he also sacrifice himself?"
"He, he's not dead, he's alive." Su Kangxi didn't meet her gaze.
Gu Susu held Xiao Xingxing's hand, tears streaming down her face. "Then where is he? Why couldn't I get through on the phone?"
Su Kangxi told her the truth, "He was shot and hasn't passed the critical period yet."
Gu Susu immediately threw off her blanket, got out of bed, and looked for her shoes as she asked, "Which ward is he in? I want to go see him."
Su Kangxi stopped her. "He's not in this hospital. Sister Susu, wait until you've recovered before going to see him. Don't go now."
"No, you have to take me now. What if something happens to him? I need to see him." Gu Susu put on her shoes and insisted on going.
Su Kangxi persuaded her, "Sister Susu, you won't be able to see him even if you go now. He's in the intensive care unit."
Gu Susu still felt weak and unsteady. She held Su Kangxi's hand tightly and said, "Please, take me. Just let me see how he is now."
Su Kangxi couldn't refuse her, so he nodded, helped her put on her coat, and took her and Xiao Xingxing to another hospital.
On the way, Gu Susu's mind was in turmoil, filled with memories of her and Qin Tianyi from their wedding onwards.
Those scenes replayed like a movie. In every shot and every segment, Qin Tianyi was incredibly confident, domineering, and strong; he was someone who would never fall.
Now, he was seriously injured protecting her child, and he didn't have to risk his life like this.
Thinking back, he was always harsh with his words and never treated her well, yet every time danger struck and she needed help the most, he would throw himself into it without hesitation.
Sometimes she was moved by his actions, but her anger at his overbearing and unreasonable behavior would quickly erase it.
Unknowingly, a place had opened up for him in her heart.
She suddenly realized this amidst her chaotic thoughts.
Arriving at the large hospital where Qin Tianyi was being treated, Su Kangxi supported her with one hand and held Xiao Xingxing with the other as they approached the intensive care unit.
To their surprise, the area outside the ICU was already crowded. There were elders from the Qin family, high-ranking executives from Aoxiang Group, and Shu Yan with her parents...
Everyone had somehow gotten the news and rushed to the ICU, each with their own agenda, wanting to know Qin Tianyi's fate.
Gu Susu stood some distance away from the crowd, unable to get close to the ICU.
"Susu, you're here." Chang Qingchuan walked towards her, noticing she was wearing a patient gown under her coat. "What's wrong? You haven't been to work these past few days, are you hospitalized?"
Gu Susu nodded. "Chief Chang, I apologize. I forgot to ask for sick leave. I thought... I thought..."
She didn't finish. She thought Qin Tianyi had already requested leave for her.
It turned out that subconsciously, she always believed Qin Tianyi would handle unresolved matters for her. But she forgot that Qin Tianyi was also human and could have things he couldn't manage.
"It's nothing." Gu Susu looked towards the ward and asked, "Why are so many people gathered here?"
"I also heard from someone that Mr. Qin had an accident. Huo Jin was accompanying Shu Yan, so I came along," Chang Qingchuan said. "The doctors aren't letting anyone into the ICU. They only say Mr. Qin hasn't passed the critical period and needs observation."
Gu Susu's heart ached. She had come all this way, yet separated by just the ICU door, she still couldn't see Qin Tianyi.