Chapter 267 – Chen Yu has died
The night swept in with a blanket of darkness, suggesting that something was changing in the midst of the dark.
At the Ci’en Hospital, just outside the intensive care unit.
It has been a full twenty-four hours since the rescue effort, yet Chen Yu hasn’t awakened. Through the glass of the ICU, one could see Chen Yu lying motionless on the hospital bed, tubes inserted all over, and the monitor beside the bed displaying faint fluctuations in the electrocardiogram.
Only forty-eight hours remained for Chen Yu, and if she didn’t wake up within that time, she would bid a final farewell to this world forever.
The torn critical condition notice, torn by Du Lixun, lay quietly in the corridor outside the ICU. Du Lixun’s anxious steps, as she passed by, stirred the fragments as the wind lifted them, letting the paper scraps struggle briefly in the void before helplessly falling back down.
A dying struggle.
The night grew even denser; the outside world’s clamor was blocked by the hospital’s thick walls, leaving only the audible sound of a pin drop in this space, with only the echo of one’s breath.
At this moment, Du Lixun appeared extremely disheveled, devoid of the elegance she usually carried. Her once elegantly styled hair was now messy and hanging untidily. She hadn’t slept for two days, her careful makeup had blurred due to crying, making it impossible to recognize her original appearance. If an unknowing passerby were to walk by, they might mistake her for a character in a live-action version of a horror movie.
However, Du Lixun paid no attention to her appearance. Her entire focus was on her daughter in the intensive care ward.
Chen Qing sat on a chair, head bowed, in a similarly disheveled state as Du Lixun. He had developed a stubble around his mouth, his eyes bloodshot from the sleepless nights.
His fists clenched tightly; he couldn’t comprehend how things had escalated to this point.
As if an eternity had passed, the night finally receded. The outside world welcomed the first snowfall of the winter, with tiny snowflakes melting as soon as they touched the ground.
Winter had arrived, and today, the sun had hidden itself away.
As the first rays of morning light streamed into the intensive care unit, the heart monitor beside the hospital bed emitted a sharp, piercing sound. The previously faintly undulating lines on the monitor turned into a straight line, extending towards an infinite and distant direction.
Wang Kaiji was constantly monitoring the situation in the ICU. When the sharp sound rang out, he and a group of doctors immediately appeared in the critical care ward.
Chen Qing stared fixedly at the door of the ward, while Du Lixun couldn’t stand still, needing to lean against the wall to steady herself. She dared not even glance at the ward, as if by doing so, everything might not happen.
Several minutes later, the door of the ward opened. The doctors, their faces painted with sorrow and regret, shook their heads toward Du Lixun and Chen Qing.
Wang Kaiji said, “Please accept our condolences.”
Chen Yu had died, ultimately succumbing to the call of the illness. She had passed away.
She could have survived, but she died because her attachment was too deep, causing harm to an already burdened heart. Eventually, her heart couldn’t bear it anymore.
Had Chen Yu not been so fixated on someone else’s heart and had calmly focused on recovery, under Wang Kaiji’s medical skills, she could have lived for several more years. But her attachment was too deep, rendering her beyond saving.
These were the words Wang Kaiji had said to Chen Yu and her caretaker. However, this family was gripped by an obsession to take a life for a heart.
The current outcome was, in a way, a form of retribution.
Upon learning of Chen Yu’s death, Du Lixun instantly collapsed to the ground, unable to accept this news.
How could her daughter possibly have died? Her daughter was still so young, how could she have died?
Yes, it’s all that bastard’s fault. If he had given his heart to her daughter, she wouldn’t have died!
Now that her daughter had passed away, she wanted that bastard to accompany her in death!
Du Lixun’s eyes harbored a vicious light; she wished she could dig out Chen Li’s heart right at that moment. Even if it wouldn’t bring her daughter back, she wanted her daughter to depart as a whole person!
“Mom,” Chen Qing tried to support Du Lixun, saying, “Let’s go see sister one last time.”
However, in response, Du Lixun harshly slapped Chen Qing. “You’re just as useless as your father! If you had any ability, you would have taken out Chen Li’s heart long ago, and your sister wouldn’t have died!”
Chen Qing fell silent, releasing Du Lixun and proceeding into the ward to bid Chen Yu a final farewell.
Regret washed over Du Lixun after delivering that slap. She stared at her palm for a long time before hurrying into the ward.
Chen Yu passed away while in a coma, her face exhibiting a serene expression, yet Chen Qing knew how much she harbored within.
Du Lixun was now sobbing uncontrollably, lying over Chen Yu’s body, gasping through her tears. Chen Qing stood nearby, head lowered, eyes bloodshot, tears lingering in his eye sockets.
The outpouring of grief filled the room, leaving it unusually heavy.
Half an hour later, Chen Yunsheng arrived at the hospital. There was no hint of sorrow on his face, and upon closer inspection, he seemed to carry a sense of relieved ease.
Chen Qing and Du Lixun didn’t even spare a glance at him, almost as if Chen Yunsheng was invisible.
Chen Shihuai, upon hearing of Chen Yu’s death over the phone, merely sighed and instructed Chen Yunsheng to properly bury Chen Yu, saying nothing more.
In the ward, Chen Yu had ceased to breathe. Du Lixun held her daughter’s lifeless body, sobbing inconsolably, while Chen Qing stood beside, head lowered, eyes bloodshot, tears rolling in his eye sockets.
The room was heavy with sorrow, leaving an oppressive atmosphere.
Unable to stay put, Chen Yunsheng went to the balcony to smoke. When he glanced downward, he noticed Chen Yunlan’s figure, lightly furrowing his brows.
Why was Chen Yunlan at the hospital? Was someone else admitted?
However, Chen Yunsheng didn’t dwell on it. The ward’s door was knocked open, and several individuals in police uniforms walked in. They approached Chen Qing directly, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument, “Chen Qing, please come with us. You’re suspected of murder, and we need your cooperation in the investigation.”
Police officers had already blocked the exit to prevent Chen Qing from fleeing.
Surprisingly, Chen Qing didn’t attempt to escape. He even cooperated, saying, “Okay, I’ll come with you.”
The lead officer handcuffed Chen Qing with cold hands and pushed him out.
Throughout the ordeal, neither Du Lixun nor Chen Yunsheng attempted to intervene because they knew that even if Chen Qing was indeed guilty of murder, with the Chen family’s influence, he would ultimately be acquitted.
Chen Yunsheng wasn’t concerned about that. His curiosity now centered on why Chen Yunlan was at the Ci’en Hospital.
Filled with curiosity, like feathers tickling his mind, making it hard to focus, he decided to go out and find Chen Yunlan. Despite not being able to find any faults in Chen Yunlan, he intended to teach Chen Yunlan a lesson for the last time he was severely beaten.
*
At noon, Wei Chen learned of Chen Yu’s death but displayed no emotions of compassion.
Today, Grandpa Qu visited the hospital again. Chen Li was painting when he arrived, and Grandpa Qu stood behind Chen Li, attentively observing the artwork.
Grandpa Qu liked Chen Li’s paintings. This was evident from his willingness to spend over 30 million to buy Chen Li’s art. Therefore, standing behind Chen Li at this moment, witnessing a painting coming to life from Chen Li’s hands, made Grandpa Qu feel immensely honored. Setting aside their grandfather-grandson relationship, Chen Li was a rare artist genuinely appreciated by Grandpa Qu.
Chen Yunlan came in the morning to stew a pot of soup for Chen Li. He simmered it slowly, calculating the time to take the stew from home to the hospital once it was ready.
Upon arriving at Chen Li’s ward, where Chen Li was still painting, Chen Yunlan didn’t interrupt. After setting down the soup, he stood behind Chen Li, much like Grandpa Qu.
Grandpa Qu glanced at Chen Yunlan and nodded towards him.
“Mr. Qu,” Chen Yunlan said, “Long time no see.”
The two of them sat on a nearby sofa. Grandpa Qu fondled the Buddhist beads in his hand, saying, “Indeed, it’s been a while.”
Grandpa Qu and Chen Yunlan were acquainted, having known each other for nine years.
When Grandpa Qu found Qu Ran’s tombstone, he traced it back to Chen Yunlan through the registry. From Chen Yunlan, he learned about the past events.
Grandpa Qu didn’t blame Chen Yunlan. Chen Yunlan was also a victim; he was not at fault.
However, their relationship was not deeply intertwined, with no special interactions between them. They would only meet on the anniversaries of Qu Ran or on his death anniversary. Often at these times, when Chen Yunlan left, Grandpa Qu would arrive. If their relationship could be described in one word, it would be ‘acquaintance.’
Back then, Chen Yunlan shared almost everything with Grandpa Qu, except for the fact that he had a son with Qu Ran. For one, a man having a child could be quite scandalous, and secondly, at that time, Chen Yunlan thought the child was already deceased, so there seemed to be no need to mention it.
However, neither of them anticipated meeting again outside Qu Ran’s tombstone, and the catalyst for their reunion was Chen Li, Chen Yunlan’s son and Grandpa Qu’s grandson.
Fate, as it often does, enjoys playing tricks. After circling back around, the relationship between Chen Yunlan and the Qu family ultimately remained entangled.
Chen Yunlan and Grandpa Qu sat on the sofa, engaging in a soft conversation. They didn’t discuss anything else but Chen Li. Grandpa Qu was eager to learn about Chen Li’s preferences and personality from Chen Yunlan.
Both of them didn’t notice that when they talked about Chen Li, their expressions softened. Their love and affection for Chen Li didn’t diminish despite the recent recognition; if anything, it seemed to grow stronger in the days to come.
The more Grandpa Qu listened, the more he marveled. In certain aspects, Chen Li resembled Qu Ran remarkably. They truly looked like father and son.
As Grandpa Qu and Chen Yunlan conversed, Chen Li’s painting was almost complete. He depicted the first snowfall of the year, capturing the gentle morning light amidst the falling snowflakes.
The faint light passing through the snowflakes made each one shine brightly.
Although it was snowing, symbolizing the onset of the coldest season of the year, Chen Li, through his brush strokes, portrayed a winter scene full of hope, prompting one to recall the saying: “Winter has arrived, but can spring be far behind?”
**TN
“Winter has arrived, but can spring be far behind?” This phrase reflects the idea that no matter how harsh or difficult a situation may seem, there is always hope for better times ahead.
