Chapter 67: Injury
Translator: Tim Editor: Tehrn
Ning Qingxue usually woke up later than Xu Wei. This morning, however, as she began her routine, she noticed Xu Wei was still at home. "Xu Wei, aren't you working today?" she asked.
"It's a rest day, Qingxue," Xu Wei replied, her tone warmer than usual. "Don't you get bored tending the flowers all day?" A week of cohabitation had eased the initial coldness between them.
Ning Qingxue shook her head. "No, I love watching them grow." Xu Wei was taken aback. Even Ye Mo, the flowers' previous caretaker, hadn't shown such dedication. He'd tended them, but mostly focused on other things.
Before Xu Wei could respond, a loud bang shattered the quiet. The door flew open, and she dropped the tub she was holding in fright.
Two menacing men burst in, surprised to find Xu Wei home. Their surprise was fleeting, however, and they quickly ignored her.
"Bitch! You cheated us, stole our money, and now you're hiding here! Come with us!" One man lunged toward Ning Qingxue, who tried to evade him. He then pulled out a wooden stick, aiming it at a flower pot. "You stole my money and hid here to grow flowers? I'll smash them all!" he yelled.
"No!" Seeing the stick aimed at her precious plants—a blow that would shatter even a metal pot—Ning Qingxue instinctively shielded them with her body. "Puff!" The stick struck her unprotected back.
Ning Qingxue coughed up blood, then fainted. Xu Wei screamed and immediately called the police. The men, intending only to retrieve Ning Qingxue, hadn't anticipated her reaction. They had swung the stick with full force, unaware of the devastating consequences of striking a person.
Realizing they'd gone too far, the men fled. When the police arrived, along with Li Mumei and Su Jingwen, Ning Qingxue remained unconscious.
The specialists at Ning Hai's best hospital delivered a grim prognosis: fractured spine, 60% rib fracture, severe damage to the heart and lungs. Even with aggressive treatment, she had at most three years to live, mostly bedridden. Without treatment, she had less than a month.
"Even if I go bankrupt, I'll make them pay!" Ning Zhongfei raged. Ning Qingxue was his only daughter; he'd even defied his father and brothers for her. Now, she lay beaten.
A woman in her thirties, Ning Qingxue's mother, Lan Yu, wept, clutching her daughter's hand.
"Qingxue, I won't let this stand!" After a period of grieving, Lan Yu stood, wiping her eyes. "I'll contact Su Su and get revenge for Qingxue. Even if the Song family is more powerful than heaven, I won't let this go!"
Normally, Ning Zhongfei would dissuade his wife from involving Su Su, a member of a powerful, secretive faction. This time, however, he simply nodded grimly. "No matter the cost, we won't let Qingxue suffer like this."
"Mom" Ning Qingxue opened her eyes, the stark white of the hospital room triggering a wave of agonizing pain.
"Qingxue, you're awake!" Lan Yu rushed to her side.
"It hurts so much" Sweat beaded on Ning Qingxue's forehead.
Lan Yu's heart ached, knowing her daughter's suffering was both physical and emotional. Wishing she could take her daughter's place, she could only offer comfort: "Qingxue, don't be afraid, Mom will make you better."
Ning Qingxue shook her head weakly. "I want to go home, Mom. Take me to the yard. I don't want treatment."
She knew her injuries—even if healed—would leave her bedridden. She yearned for death, to avoid a life of confinement. Most of all, she regretted not being able to apologize to Ye Mo.
"Qingxue, don't be impulsive. Stay in the hospital; the doctors will help you. I'll stay with you," Lan Yu pleaded, her heart breaking.
Ning Qingxue tried to shake her head, a fresh wave of pain washing over her. She gritted her teeth. "Mom, let me die without regrets. Take me back to that house I beg you."
Gasping for breath, she whispered, "Mom, get the little case" She closed her eyes, the pain silencing her, and she fainted again.
Lan Yu stood, wiping her tears. "Zhong Fei, why has Qingxue been so insistent on returning to that house? What happened between her and Ye Mo?"
Ning Zhongfei shook his head. "It's our daughter's last wish. Since the hospital can't fully cure her, let's take her home. We'll find the best doctors. As long as there's a sliver of hope, we won't give up. Put that case by her bed."
Lan Yu agreed.
Ye Mo didn't immediately go to Luo Cang, as Chi Wanqing suggested. He wanted to try finding a job himself; if not, he'd go to his cousin's company. First, however, he needed to retrieve his medical case and some soil from the flower pots in Ning Hai.
He planned to analyze the soil, hoping a lab could determine its unique properties that allowed the Silver Heart Grass to thrive, unlike the soil in Flowing Snake. Assuming Xu Wei would be at work, he sneaked into the house.
Near the flower pots, he found a horrifying sight: a large, almost dried bloodstain. The recentness of the stain was unmistakable. Why was there so much blood?