"Is he very seriously injured, disabled, missing an arm or a leg? None of that matters, as long as he's alive, as long as he's alive..."
Xiao Anjing took a photograph from a hidden compartment in the car and handed it to her. "His limbs are intact, it's just that... his facial and body skin were most severely injured in the explosion."
Susu looked at the photograph in her hand. Tianyi sat on the hospital bed, his body wrapped in bandages, one side of his face covered with white medicinal paste. If not for his slightly open eyes, she would barely have recognized him.
She stared at the photograph motionlessly, her face growing paler and paler, her heart aching.
What immense suffering Tianyi must have endured!
"Why didn't you let me see him back then?"
"If you had gone to see him and taken care of him, Lu Yuanhong would have known he wasn't dead. Do you think Lu Yuanhong would have let it go at that time?" Xiao Anjing said softly again. "This was also Tianyi's own wish."
"So, even if the injuries on his face could heal, he didn't get treatment, but instead became Kang Xi's informant, looking unrecognizable?" Susu pieced together some of the earlier events and guessed the general situation.
Xiao Anjing did not answer her, which was tantamount to an admission. He had secretly taken this photograph with his phone when Tianyi was first sent to the private hospital and his condition was still precarious.
He was afraid that if Tianyi didn't make it, he would at least have a photograph to account for to Susu in the future.
Tears welled up in Susu's eyes. She pushed open the car door, got out, and walked briskly out of the parking lot.
Xiao Anjing hurried out of the car, chasing after her and asking, "Aren't you going back to the group? Where are you going? You..."
Susu turned and smiled at him, saying, "Don't worry, Tianyi is still alive, so why would I do anything foolish? I just want to be alone for a while. Don't follow me, go take care of your own business."
Xiao Anjing didn't chase after her anymore. Having revealed so much to her at once, he was afraid she would find it difficult to accept. He wondered if he had done the right thing by telling her.
Watching her lonely retreating figure, Xiao Anjing felt that by letting her know Tianyi was alive, at least she wouldn't have to worry about his life or death anymore.
After leaving the parking lot, Susu walked aimlessly on the street for a while. Knowing that Tianyi was alive had put her mind at ease.
But as she mingled with the crowd, her tears fell unconsciously. Knowing that Tianyi had sacrificed so much for her and the children made her feel incredibly happy, yet also deeply pained and distressed.
No matter where he was now, she had to find him. She just wanted to tell him that no matter if his appearance could be restored to its former state or not, her love for him would not change. She loved him for who he was, and his external beauty or ugliness was not important at all.
She arrived at Su Kangxi's residence and rang the doorbell for a while, but no one opened the door. It seemed Su Kangxi hadn't returned yet, so she waited in the hallway.
She didn't call Su Kangxi. There were some things she wanted to ask him in person, so he couldn't avoid her.
She waited until late at night, when the hallway lights were all on. She found a flyer and sat down in the hallway, sending messages to Chen Ma and Ya Nan, saying she would be back very late tonight due to some matters.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when she suddenly heard footsteps. She thought it was Kang Xi returning, but the footsteps stopped at the corner of the hallway.
Could it be a neighbor living on the same floor as Kang Xi? She got up to get a better look, but only saw the elevator door ding and close immediately, then descend.
Did someone accidentally go to the wrong floor? But in the moment the elevator door closed, she caught a glimpse of a single person with their back facing outwards and their front facing inwards. That figure, that figure distinctly resembled Tianyi. Could it be Tianyi?
She frantically pressed the down button outside the elevator. Just then, another elevator arrived and stopped on this floor. When the door opened, Su Kangxi stepped out.
He saw Susu at the elevator entrance and wasn't too surprised. "Sister Susu, let's talk about whatever it is at my place."
He had received a text message from Xiao Anjing earlier that day, saying he had told Susu everything he knew.
He hadn't replied, nor did he blame Xiao Anjing, knowing that this matter couldn't be kept from Sister Susu for too long.
Susu, however, grabbed his sleeve and said anxiously, "I think I just saw Tianyi. He took this elevator down when you came up. Hurry and chase him!"
"Okay." Su Kangxi pulled her into the elevator without a word and they went down to the first floor together.
As soon as Susu got out of the elevator, she ran towards the main entrance, feeling that Tianyi might have left upon seeing her, deliberately avoiding her.
Just as she reached the main entrance, she saw that familiar back again. She quickly ran over and patted the person's back, asking, "Tianyi, it's me. Why are you hiding from me?"
The person slowly turned around and looked at Susu, asking, "Madam, I don't understand what you're saying."
Susu looked up at the person and realized it wasn't Tianyi, but a complete stranger.
Su Kangxi, who was following behind her, also saw the person and stepped forward to greet him. "Hello, excuse me. My friend has mistaken you for someone else."
"It's alright, Officer Su." The person had a square face and looked quite energetic. He recognized Su Kangxi and said, "You're getting off work early today."
Su Kangxi smiled and said, "Yes, the bureau is quite relaxed today. Nothing else, you carry on. Sorry to bother you."
As he spoke, he pulled Susu a few steps away and explained to her, "You've mistaken him for someone else. This is the property manager of our building. He usually takes the elevator up and down every floor to check on things and see how the residents are doing."
Susu let out a soft "Oh," thinking she had been mistaken.
Perhaps knowing that Tianyi was alive had intensified her longing for him, causing her to misidentify someone.
Su Kangxi led Susu back to his place and warmed a cup of milk for her. He asked, "Have you had dinner? Shall we order takeout? I haven't eaten either."
Susu nodded, her mind filled with unspoken words, unsure where to begin.
"What would you like to eat?" Su Kangxi asked, scrolling through the food delivery app on his phone.
"Anything, whatever you want," Susu said absentmindedly.
Su Kangxi probably knew her usual taste in food and didn't ask her again, making the decision himself and ordering everything.
Seeing him put down his phone, Susu finally spoke, "Where is Tianyi? Is it because Jia Nanfang's and Lu Yuanhong's accomplices abroad haven't been caught yet, and you've sent him abroad as an informant again?"
"Matters abroad are not handled by our Lancheng Public Security Bureau. I didn't send President Qin abroad, really."
"Then where is he now? I want to see him, I miss him so much..."
"Sister Susu, I don't know where President Qin is right now either," Su Kangxi said. "I understand how you feel. The reason I didn't tell you the truth back then was because I was afraid you would worry too much. What President Qin was doing was too dangerous."
Susu looked at him and asked, "What about now? If Xiao Anjing hadn't told me, were you planning to keep it from me forever?"
"No, I would definitely find an appropriate time to tell you, or wait for President Qin to tell you himself."