Xiao Qiang collapsed.
He had intended to call out to the medical staff for help, and some had indeed noticed him. Unfortunately, because he happened to be wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, the blood pouring from his wound was not immediately visible.
Furthermore, Qin Zhaoyue was so anxious to save her foster brother that she failed to notice anything unusual about Xiao Qiang. Thus, even with medical professionals right in front of them, Xiao Qiang, the person in most urgent need of treatment, was left behind without a second thought.
As he fell, Xiao Qiang felt his life slipping away rapidly. But even more painful than that was seeing his woman accompany her foster brother into the ambulance. The look of frantic worry in Qin Zhaoyue’s eyes was clear to him—a worry that, however, was not for him.
How pathetic he was!
Forget it. It was better to die; at least he would no longer have to endure this torment. It was only a pity that the mystery of his origins would now never be solved. Where were his biological parents? Why had they sent him to an orphanage the moment he was born?
Were they even still alive?
In those final moments, many thoughts flashed through Xiao Qiang’s mind.
"Quick! Someone help!" The older man who had been watching Xiao Qiang earlier had noticed something wrong, but since Xiao Qiang’s girlfriend had insisted he was fine, he hadn't pressed the issue.
Prompted by the old man’s call, several concerned bystanders immediately ran to where Xiao Qiang had collapsed.
"Good heavens! This young man has a puncture wound to his chest, his lungs are pierced, and he’s lost too much blood. His respiratory system is severely compromised. We must get him to a hospital immediately!"
As it turned out, the old man was a retired surgeon, and he had identified the severity of the situation at once.
"Call 120, quickly!"
It was fifteen minutes before the ambulance returned. As the paramedic stepped out, he grumbled, "Didn’t our hospital just send a vehicle to Renmin Park? Why didn't they bring all the casualties back at once?"
The old man nearby spoke up indignantly, "You can blame that boy's girlfriend. She was so focused on saving her brother that she didn't even realize her boyfriend was more seriously injured. They missed the golden window for treatment because of her... Sigh, I wonder if this lad can even be saved."
Soon, Xiao Qiang was rushed to Haizhou First People's Hospital.
At the Emergency Department of Haizhou First People's Hospital:
"Sister, it hurts so much. I’ve lost so much blood. Sister, am I going to die?"
Qin Zhaoyue was in a state of utter turmoil. Chen Zihao had been stabbed trying to stop the thug from stealing her bag. If anything happened to him, she would never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.
Before Qin Zhaoyue could speak, the attending physician intervened, "Young man, the blade only went in a centimeter. It didn’t touch your internal organs; it’s a superficial wound at best. You're fine! Don't go talking about death."
"But Doctor, it really hurts!" Chen Zihao complained aggrievedly.
"Of course it hurts. You’d feel pain if you cut your finger while chopping vegetables, too..."
Seeing that the doctor confirmed he was fine, the weight finally lifted from Qin Zhaoyue’s heart.
"Doctor, please admit my brother to the hospital. Give him more thorough treatment, and he can be discharged once the wound improves," Qin Zhaoyue requested, insisting that Chen Zihao be kept under observation.
"Very well..."
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the emergency room. "Notify the surgical experts, the cardiopulmonary specialists, and the blood bank immediately! Get them to the ICU for a joint consultation, now! The patient has a penetrating lung injury and massive blood loss; he is in a deep coma and his life is in critical danger. Also, urgently notify the family. The bystanders at Renmin Park said his girlfriend is at our hospital..."
Hearing this, Qin Zhaoyue’s heart skipped a beat. A sudden, overwhelming panic washed over her.
"Zihao, wait here. I need to go see what’s happening!"
"Sister, I’m coming with you."
Qin Zhaoyue didn't pay him any mind. She rushed out of the emergency room and grabbed the doctor who had just spoken. "Doctor, what is the situation with the patient in a deep coma that you just mentioned?"
The doctor shook his head, "I'm sorry, I must get to the ICU for the emergency consultation!" With that, he hurried away.
Qin Zhaoyue immediately found a nurse. "Nurse, what is the situation with the coma patient from Renmin Park?" Although she tried her best to remain composed, her voice trembled noticeably.
The nurse said with a look of disdain, "Let me tell you, according to several witnesses, there were two men and one woman at the scene. Both men were stabbed—one was the woman’s brother, the other her boyfriend. The hateful thing is that the woman didn’t even realize her boyfriend was stabbed. When the first ambulance arrived, they didn't bring the boyfriend—the one now fighting for his life in the ICU—back with them. The preliminary diagnosis is lung failure and severe blood loss. I’m afraid... even the gods couldn't save him. If he’d been brought here immediately, there would have been at least an 80 percent chance of recovery. What a pity for this boy, to have such a girlfriend..."
"Hey? Miss, are you alright?" The nurse asked, noticing Qin Zhaoyue’s vacant, devastated expression. "Anyway, I can't talk anymore; I have to contact the family. The poor boy only had his girlfriend’s number in his phone. Her name is quite pretty—Qin Zhaoyue. But this person... she’s just awful... completely heartless..."
Tears finally spilled from Qin Zhaoyue’s eyes. "You don't need to contact his girlfriend anymore. I... I am his girlfriend, Qin Zhaoyue..."
The nurse was clearly shocked, covering her mouth with her hand. "You... you are Qin Zhaoyue?"
"Yes, I am. I am that heartless woman..."
At that moment, Qin Zhaoyue felt as if her soul had been ripped away, her every movement that of a walking corpse.
"Then come with me. The patient needs surgery immediately. You need to sign the critical condition notice." Seeing that the beautiful woman before her was the very person she had just been disparaging, the nurse felt a wave of awkwardness and quickly adopted a professional tone.
Beside her, Chen Zihao heard the news of Xiao Qiang’s critical condition with a surge of secret joy. *So much for you being so tough, "ex-husband,"* he thought.
"Sister, I’ll go with you."
He needed to be certain this man was actually dead before he could feel at ease.
Qin Zhaoyue did not respond to him; she simply followed the nurse toward the ICU.
With trembling hands, Qin Zhaoyue signed Xiao Qiang’s critical condition notice. Seeing several senior doctors approaching the ICU entrance, she knelt before one of them.
"Doctor, please, you must save my boyfriend! He’s only twenty-four..."
In that instant, all of Qin Zhaoyue’s emotions exploded—the crushing guilt, the regret, the unbearable agony.