Without Tong Tong's words, he might still feel there was hope. But now, he understood what Tong Tong meant.
Tong Tong's statement about it being too late if they arrived late must have meant that Mother Song arrived early enough to see Song Yi Cheng one last time, but Song Yi Cheng was likely already in grave danger.
Thinking of this, his heart grew incredibly heavy.
He also understood why Tong Tong hadn't come along. He probably already knew Song Yi Cheng's fate, but he couldn't change history, so he chose to escape. Otherwise, witnessing Song Yi Cheng jump from the building would have been unbearable for him.
The operating room doors remained closed. In just an hour, Father Song looked much older and more weathered. He deeply regretted not intervening when he first realized his wife's problematic approach to education, allowing things to escalate to such a severe point.
If he had known, he should have accompanied Yi Cheng to record the program. Such a tragedy would have been avoided.
"Father Song, please don't worry too much. Yi Cheng is a strong and good child. He'll surely pull through," Liu Yifeng said, walking over to offer comfort.
"Thank you. I hope you're right!" Father Song replied, his eyes red.
Just then, Mother Song stumbled over, shouting, "Yi Cheng, Yi Cheng, you must hold on!"
Blood was still flowing from the back of her hand; she had clearly pulled out the IV drip after waking up and rushed over.
Seeing his wife, Father Song angrily approached her, gritting his teeth. "What did I tell you when we came? I told you not to pressure our son too much, not to focus solely on his grades, that the process was most important.
But you didn't listen. Instead, you pushed our child to the brink of jumping off a building. How can there be such a malicious mother in the world?"
Facing her husband's accusations, Mother Song was full of remorse. "Honey, I've clearly realized my mistake. As long as Yi Cheng is alright, I promise I won't force him to do anything anymore. Please don't blame me anymore. I'm also not feeling well after this incident."
Father Song offered a sarcastic smile. "You realize your mistake now? What were you doing before? You'd better pray our son is alright, or I'll divorce you and let you face this alone."
Upon hearing that her husband wanted a divorce, Mother Song was terrified. "Honey, I don't want a divorce! I want you and our son!"
As she spoke, she burst into tears.
At that moment, the operating room doors opened. Father Song ignored Mother Song and rushed over, asking, "Doctor, how is my son? Is he alright?"
Even as he asked, he still felt that Yi Cheng had a good chance of surviving, given the rescue cushion below.
Mother Song also believed Yi Cheng would be saved and just needed good care.
However, the doctor's next words caused Mother Song to collapse to the ground.
The doctor removed his mask, his face full of regret. "We did our best, but the patient's injuries were too severe. The ribs in his chest fractured and pierced his heart, preventing it from functioning properly. We administered a series of emergency measures, but it was all in vain. Parents, please go in to see your child one last time!"
With that, the doctor sighed and left. The medical team also felt remorse for not being able to save the patient.
But they were just doctors, not deities. Not everyone could be snatched back from the clutches of death by them.
Mother Song listened, her face a mask of disbelief. "This... how is this possible? When my son jumped, there was a cushion below. How could he have been so badly injured?"
Liu Yifeng and Su Wanru exchanged glances, both filled with sorrow. Such a good child was gone.
Father Song immediately rushed into the emergency room, followed closely by Mother Song.
Then, Mother Song's heart-wrenching screams echoed from the emergency room: "Ah, my son, wake up quickly! Don't scare your mother!"
Liu Yifeng did not go in. It was better to let the family have their last moments together. There would be no more chances.
Yet, Song Yi Cheng's death was still hard for him to accept. How fragile life could be, to just die when one no longer wished to live.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Tong Tong was absentminded while doing his jigsaw puzzle, lost in thought.
Xia Qianqian noticed Tong Tong's unusual behavior and asked with concern, "Tong Tong, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No... no, I was just wondering when Daddy would be back!" Tong Tong did not mention that Song Yi Cheng had already died.
The thought of a vibrant life extinguished so suddenly saddened him.
He even regretted learning fortune-telling. What was the use of learning it if he couldn't change fate? It only brought him more trouble.
Xia Qianqian checked the time and realized it was already eleven o'clock. They had been out for a long time, and she wondered about the situation over there.
Looking at the circumstances, it seemed unlikely to be good, or they would have returned by now.
As she was contemplating whether to call and inquire about the situation, Liu Yifeng returned.
Seeing Liu Yifeng alone, Xia Qianqian asked curiously, "Yifeng, where is Miss Su?"
"I took her back to her hotel and came back," Liu Yifeng replied, walking into the room looking exhausted.
Seeing his state, Xia Qianqian knew something had happened. "Did Song Yi Cheng have an accident?"
Liu Yifeng sighed and nodded. "Yes, he had an accident!"
Xia Qianqian's expression turned grave. "Did he really jump?"
"He did, from the hospital building. Without a moment's hesitation. This child truly had no desire to live," Liu Yifeng said.
Hearing this, Xia Qianqian's heart ached. "Jumping from such a height, he's likely in critical condition. Is he in the emergency room for treatment?"
Liu Yifeng looked pained. "He was being treated, but they couldn't save him!"
"What do you mean they couldn't save him? Song Yi Cheng is... dead?" Xia Qianqian's eyes widened in disbelief.
Liu Yifeng nodded. "Yes, he has passed away. His father also rushed over, and the family of three saw him for the last time."
After hearing Liu Yifeng's words, Xia Qianqian found it hard to accept. A person who was alive that afternoon, participating in a competition, was now separated by death in the blink of an eye. It was too dramatic, too unreal.
"Are Song Yi Cheng's parents still at the hospital?"
"They are. They need to handle Song Yi Cheng's funeral arrangements before they can leave C City," Liu Yifeng said.
Xia Qianqian looked distressed. "A perfectly healthy person is gone just like that. Why was he so disheartened? I thought Mother Song truly realized her mistake!"
"Her realizing her mistake is one thing, and Song Yi Cheng's despair is another. He had lost all hope in life. Whether Mother Song truly changed or not, it meant little to him. He only wanted complete release, otherwise, he wouldn't have jumped so resolutely," Liu Yifeng understood Song Yi Cheng's feelings.
But what use was understanding now? Song Yi Cheng wouldn't come back to life.
"Alas, life is truly unpredictable. We were putting up missing person posters tonight, and now he's gone. Life is so dramatic," Xia Qianqian said with a heavy heart.