[October 29, 23:13, Pingju Plaza, Nanyi City]
Sheng Guoning panted heavily as he stared at the fountain. The shallow water surface rippled gently, and the blue-and-white checkered tiles at the bottom were clearly visible. There was no sign of anyone.
He let out a breath and sat down by the fountain’s edge. After all, he was getting older, and subduing the strong and youthful Lin Heyu had required all his strength. His forehead and the tip of his nose were covered in sweat, and his close-fitting thermal shirt clung to his back.
It was the right thing to do. All of this was right. No matter what others thought, it was enough for him to be at peace with his conscience.
A bottle of mineral water lay on the ground, still unopened. Sheng Guoning smiled bitterly. Lin Heyu was so guarded against him that he wouldn’t even drink a sip of water. If it were possible, Sheng Guoning didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not Lin Heyu or Yi Shi. They were family. If only the two of them could stop being so stubborn, there would be no more conflict between them.
Sheng Guoning picked up the bottle of water and got back into his car. He operated the central control screen, setting the navigation to the Provincial People’s Hospital. He pulled out his phone and, as expected, saw seven missed calls—some from Lin Zhizhi and one from an unknown number. To focus on dealing with Lin Heyu, he had told Zhizhi in advance that there was an important internal meeting tonight. Yet she still called four times, which meant something must have happened.
Sheng Guoning steadied his breathing and called her back. After more than twenty seconds, the call connected, and he quickly asked, “Zhizhi, what’s wrong?”
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before a cold, clear voice responded, “Dad, Mom’s in the hospital. Can you come over if you have time?”
It was Yi Shi.
Sheng Guoning froze. Why was Yi Shi at the Provincial People’s Hospital, and why was he with Zhizhi?
Lin Zhizhi had returned to Nanyi tonight, but as she neared home, she suffered a bout of vertigo and was taken to the hospital by a kind stranger. She spent the night there before returning home. Her vertigo had developed in recent years and was related to a cervical spine condition. As a designer, she had spent years drawing, often sitting in front of the computer all day, neglecting her health, which led to various ailments. When she was younger, her health was still decent, but after entering menopause, her minor ailments became more serious. Sheng Guoning had always been concerned about her health and would rush her to the hospital at the slightest discomfort, fearing it could lead to bigger problems.
The last time he saw so many missed calls, Sheng Guoning broke out in a cold sweat, fearing terrible news. This time, he was calmer, perhaps because he was certain that Zhizhi wasn’t in serious danger. He was even able to think about Yi Shi on the way to the hospital.
Yi Shi’s life was usually dull and uneventful. Unless it was for a case or a social obligation, he would never go out at night. The most likely scenario was that when Lin Zhizhi was taken to the hospital, and Sheng Guoning wasn’t answering his phone, Zhizhi called Yi Shi for help.
What puzzled him, though, was that last time, he didn’t see Yi Shi. The kind stranger who had taken Zhizhi to the hospital didn’t show up either. Then the explosion case happened, and Yi Shi became so busy that he hadn’t returned home for ten or fifteen days, with only a few opportunities to meet. And for such a small matter like a hospital stay due to vertigo, Lin Zhizhi hadn’t even told An’an, let alone troubled the busy Yi Shi.
This sudden unexpected event made Sheng Guoning uneasy. He had a nagging feeling that something was slowly veering off its proper course, heading in an unpredictable direction.
The Provincial People’s Hospital had a separate emergency department, distinct from the outpatient department. Sheng Guoning knew the road well and found his way there smoothly without needing to look at the signs. The door to the hospital room was slightly ajar, leaving a small gap from which faint voices could be heard.
“You have to work tomorrow. Why don’t you head home?”
“It’s fine, no rush.”
“This is an old problem of mine, nothing serious. The IV is almost done; I’ll be fine after a little rest.”
Lin Zhizhi’s face was pale, but she still forced a smile, not wanting Yi Shi to worry. Yi Shi held her hand and asked softly, “Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”
“What’s there to say? It would make me seem too fragile. People get older; it’s inevitable.”
Yi Shi had originally been near the greenbelt downstairs, waiting for Sheng Guoning and Lin Heyu to come out. The old neighborhood had dim streetlights and few pedestrians. A slender figure walked along the curved path toward the apartment building. When Yi Shi caught a glimpse of the figure under the streetlight, he was shocked to realize it was Lin Zhizhi.
What was Zhizhi doing here? Hadn’t she gone back to Haijing? Yi Shi glanced at the time—it wasn’t even 9:00 yet. In his memory, he was certain he hadn’t seen Lin Zhizhi before falling asleep. Her appearance here now meant something had prevented her from returning home.
Yi Shi’s eyes locked onto Lin Zhizhi. Just as she was about to reach the greenbelt, she suddenly stumbled and had to steady herself against a tree. She struggled to stand but wobbled and collapsed into the grass, unable to get up.
The moment she fell, Yi Shi rushed over, lifting her up and repeatedly patting her face, calling her name. Lin Zhizhi had fainted, her arms limp at her sides, and the apples she had bought rolled all over the ground. Yi Shi was frantic. He had no idea why she had fainted, and when the ER doctor asked about her medical history, he couldn’t even answer, to the point where his relationship to her was questioned.
It was at that moment he realized that all these years of distancing himself from his family weren’t punishing Sheng Yu’an; they were punishing himself. Since starting work, he had rarely paid attention to his adoptive parents, deliberately downplaying their familial bond. He only visited when Yu Xue had to nag him into it. Now he was suffering the consequences. He knew nothing about Zhizhi’s condition and had never cared about her health. From this, he could see that he truly wasn’t worthy of being called “family.”
Fortunately, Lin Zhizhi quickly regained consciousness, though the dizziness hadn’t subsided, and she couldn’t get out of bed. Yi Shi, along with a nurse, helped push her around for various tests. The doctor pieced together the cause from her intermittent descriptions and test results, prescribing two IV drips for her in a temporary hospital room.
It was already 10:00 when Yi Shi had made four unanswered calls to Sheng Guoning. Lin Zhizhi tried to comfort him, “Stop calling. Your dad’s in a meeting; he probably doesn’t have his phone with him.”
But there was no meeting. Sheng Guoning was with Lin Heyu, ignoring even Lin Zhizhi’s calls, which sharply increased the chances that something dangerous had happened to Lin Heyu. Growing more anxious about the situation on that end, Yi Shi stepped outside and used the hospital’s landline to call again—still no answer.
Seeing Yi Shi’s restlessness, Lin Zhizhi tugged on his sleeve and said, “If you’re busy, just go. I’ll be fine once the IV finishes.”
For a moment, Yi Shi was reminded of when Gardenia was sick as a child. She’d tug at his sleeve, clearly wanting her brother to stay with her, but still telling him not to worry, urging him to go with their grandfather to collect more plastic bottles. Back then, they couldn’t afford hospital care. When she had a cold or fever, they would wait for it to heal naturally under the bridge. Only when things got really bad would they use the little change they had saved in bottles to buy cheap cold medicine at the pharmacy.
For the sake of survival, Xiao Shitou had to leave his sick sister behind to keep scavenging for scraps around town. It was during one such trip that the old beggar died, and their glass bottles were stolen, leaving him without money to buy medicine for Gardenia. He would often regret it in the dead of night, wondering if staying with her that day, instead of going out with the beggar, might have changed their fate entirely.
Now, faced with a similar choice—should he stay or leave?
Yi Shi glanced at the four missed calls on his phone. Memories of his encounters with Lin Heyu on Cheng’an Mountain flashed through his mind. He sat back down and tucked the blanket around Lin Zhizhi. “It’s okay. I’ll stay here with you.”
Sure enough, Lin Zhizhi’s eyes lit up with happiness, though she seemed a bit embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Yi Shi smiled warmly and, afraid she would be bored lying there, started chatting with her to keep her company.
That night, the emergency room was unusually quiet. A doctor came in from time to time to check on Lin Zhizhi’s condition, confirming that her dizziness had somewhat improved and recommending that she stay for observation overnight. As the second IV drip neared completion, Sheng Guoning finally returned the call. Upon hearing that Lin Zhizhi was hospitalized, he rushed over in a hurry.
The door to the hospital room, which had been slightly ajar, opened as Sheng Guoning quickly made his way to the bedside. Yi Shi stood up, immediately giving up his seat. Sheng Guoning gently touched Lin Zhizhi’s forehead. His concern didn’t seem faked, but it wasn’t as urgent as Yi Shi had expected. From the phone call earlier, Yi Shi had noticed that Sheng Guoning’s emotions hadn’t fluctuated much, as if he had already been prepared for the situation.
Lin Zhizhi felt a bit more embarrassed at her husband’s fussing, so she lightly pushed his shoulder. “I’m fine now, the child’s still here.”
It was only then that Sheng Guoning seemed to notice Yi Shi. “Xiao Yi, thank you for helping out. Otherwise, this could’ve turned into something serious.”
Yi Shi smiled. “Of course. Mom said you were in a meeting and couldn’t make it. What kind of meeting was so urgent?”
“Confidential. You’ll know when the documents come out.” Sheng Guoning glanced at his watch. “It’s late. You have work tomorrow. Should I take you home?”
Lin Zhizhi chimed in, “Yes, go home. It’s getting late. If you don’t sleep well, you’ll feel awful at work tomorrow.”
Yi Shi had also been wanting to talk to Sheng Guoning privately, so he didn’t decline. Sheng Guoning asked the nurse to keep an eye on Lin Zhizhi, saying he’d be back shortly. As the two headed toward the underground parking lot, Yi Shi suddenly asked, “Dad, did Mom not tell you she was coming back from Haijing?”
“She was supposed to come back today or tomorrow. I had a meeting tonight, so I told her to return tomorrow. Who knew she’d come back tonight and pass out on the way.” Sheng Guoning glanced at Yi Shi. “How did you end up here? Did the hospital call you?”
“No, I was going home to pick something up and just happened to see Mom collapse in the greenbelt.”
“Oh, that’s quite a coincidence. You know how our old neighborhood is. Most of the residents are elderly, and our building is tucked far inside. No one really goes out for walks at night, and by the time the security guard noticed, it might’ve been too late.”
“I was a bit scared too. I couldn’t reach you by phone. If her condition had been more serious, it would’ve been a disaster.”
Their conversation was full of probing remarks, making Yi Shi feel uncomfortable. He had always trusted and respected Sheng Guoning. They had always been direct and open with each other, never having to beat around the bush. But tonight, there was an awkward tension between them, as if each word carried a hidden meaning, and Yi Shi had to strain to find the right angle to enter the conversation.
Where was Lin Heyu? What had happened to him? Yi Shi was desperate to know. The only relief he felt was that there were no signs of a violent fight on Sheng Guoning’s body, and he hadn’t changed his clothes, still wearing the same outfit from earlier in the evening. This suggested that, at the very least, Lin Heyu’s physical safety wasn’t at immediate risk.
“No traffic at this hour. Taking the tunnel would be faster, right?”
“Yeah.” Yi Shi fastened his seatbelt, catching sight of a bottle of mineral water in the cup holder of the armrest box. It wasn’t just any ordinary bottle of water—the logo and text on the bottle were inverted, as if touched by Lin Heyu.
Yi Shi abruptly picked up the bottle and stared at Sheng Guoning. “How is he? Where is he now?”
“What?”
“Lin Heyu.” Yi Shi took a deep breath. “Stop dodging. Let’s talk openly.”
