In the roomâ¦
Gu Yan checked Jun Liâs pulse, tucking away Jun Liâs hand under the thin blanket once he was done.
Qin Shu hurriedly asked, âHow is he?â
Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, revealing her fear and anxiety for her good friend.
Gu Yan frowned. âItâs more serious than I expected. He ingested a potent curative. Though it is quick to take effect, its side effects are considerable, causing greater harm to his weakened body. It is the reason he fainted so soon after waking up the first time.â
Qin Shu regarded Jun Liâs unconscious form. He looked like he had gone for a nap rather than being in a coma. Turning to Gu Yan, she implored desperately, âIs there no way to save him?â
âThe poison has entered his lungs, and his bodyâs functions are deteriorating by the day. The potent drug he consumed is not doing much to stabilise his condition. His body is failing because his constitution is too weakâ¦â
Hesitantly, Gu Yan said, âIf I continue to adjust the prescription Iâve given him, thereâs a chance I can extend how long heâll live.â
Gu Yan shook his head helplessly and sighed, âHis time is short. Thereâs nothing much I can do but postpone the inevitable.â
Gu Yanâs words tolled the solemn sentence of Jun Liâs death.
Qin Shu sat there, numb to the world, upon hearing Gu Yanâs verdict.
It was not until Ji Fei was ready that Gu Yan began Jun Liâs acupuncture. Qin Shu had no choice but to wait outside while the procedure was taking place.
Ji Fei closed the door, isolating the room from the rest of the world.
With nowhere to go and nothing she could do, Qin Shu made her way to the living room and sat down on the sofa, her head in her hands. She ate very little for dinner. She could not muster her appetite, sick with worry that she was over Jun Liâs fate.
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She scrambled for her phone to answer the call.
Fu Tingyuâs magnetic voice sounded from the other end of the line. âBabe, have you eaten?â
âIâve already eaten. How about you?â
âDonât worry; Iâve eaten. You need to eat more⦠Not just for yourself but for our child too.â A short period of silence ensued before he asked, âHow is he?â
âJun Li is still in a coma. Gu Yan said that thereâs not much he can do.â Qin Shu could not conceal the tremor in her voice or how choked up she got when talking about Jun Liâs condition.
Fu Tingyu paused. He could hear how hoarse Qin Shuâs voice had become. âBabeâ¦â
Qin Shu tried her best to control her emotions so that Fu Tingyu would not worry. âI-Iâm fine. I just⦠I just donât know what to do. I donât know how to help himâ¦â
âBabe, leave these things to Gu Yan. Itâs pointless for you to dwell on things outside of your control. Youâve done your best; it is now up to fate whether he overcomes this ordeal.â
Fu Tingyu was not very good at comforting people. It was a pity that he was not by her side. Otherwise, he would have hugged her.
Qin Shu stared at her feet. âI know⦠Go and finish your work⦠Iâll text you later before I go to bed.â
After hanging up, Qin Shu picked up the glass of warm water on the coffee table and took a sip.
Lan Qi was sitting on another sofa close by, staring at Qin Shu. He wanted to say something but did not dare to.
Qin Shu put away her phone and met Lan Qiâs eye. Seeing that he had something to say, she inquired softly, âIs there something you would like to say to me?â
Startled out of his hesitation, Lan Qi responded with a question of his own, âHow do you know that I have something to say?â
âYouâve been staring at me for a while now with your mouth open and closing like a goldfish. What else could you have had on your mind? Thereâs something that has been bothering me⦠How did we meet before, and how do you know what I was called back then?â Qin Shu asked.
âIf you donât even remember, then it wonât mean much even if I were to say it out loud. Iâll tell you when you remember it.â Lan Qi seemed firm with his decision not to share with Qin Shu details regarding their shared history.
Qin Shu could not help but roll her eyes. âWould I need you to tell me if I remembered it?â
Ugh!
It made senseâ¦
Lan Qi eyed Qin Shu, his gaze falling on her stomach. It was a curious sight no matter how long he looked.
âTell me, were Jun Li and I acquainted in the past?â Qin Shu pressed her advantage, seeing Lan Qi falter.
Qin Shu asked for two reasons. The first was her memory loss, and the second was Lan Qiâs familiarity with Jun Li and President Ba. It all pointed to some foreknowledge she ought to have had if not for her missing memories.
Lan Qi looked away. Recalling Jun Liâs warning, there was not much he could say. âI donât know. When Jun Li wakes up, you should ask him.â
Jun Li became the unwitting target of the hot potato on Lan Qiâs lap. Whether Jun Li decided to tell Qin Shu anything was up to him; it was not any of his business.
In the past, Lan Qi often threw tantrums because of Jun Liâs calm poise. Although he, too, had been searching for Xiao Bao, he did not come close to Jun Liâs obsession. There was no doubt in his mind that Jun Li had secrets only he knew.
It was the reason he chose to leave three years ago.
Interrupting their conversation was Gu Yan, who stepped out of Jun Liâs. He took the seat opposite Qin Shu and plopped himself onto the sofa, exhausted.
He poured himself a cup of warm water and drank a few mouthfuls to moisten his throat.
When Gu Yan put down the glass in his hand, Qin Shu asked, âIs he awake?â
âIâve managed to stabilise his condition, but he is still weak. He should wake up tomorrow. Donât worry; the worse is over, for now. You should rest. Itâs getting late.â Gu Yan reassured. âYou should not sleep so late, or else Tingyu might do something rash.â
Gu Yanâs reminder was not lost on Qin Shu.
Qin Shu nodded, submitting to Gu Yanâs suggestion. âThank you for your concern. I shall do as youâve advised. I must apologise for troubling you â youâve been so busy, yet youâre still looking out for me. You should get some rest too.â
âHmm. Itâs best not to jump to conclusions. Leave the treatment to me. Iâll do my best and snatch however much of Jun Liâs life back from the jaws of death.â
Several words were left unsaid.
Once Qin Shu excused herself for the evening, Lan Qi heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at Gu Yan. âIs Jun Li very ill?â
Gu Yan studied the young man before him over his steepled fingers. The young lad was in the springtime of his youth; Two limpid orbs set into his handsome face, like jewels sparkling under the first rays of dawn.
He nodded. âYes.â
Lan Qi pursed his lips. He knew Jun Li was ill, but he had never imagined it would be this bad. Jun Li never mentioned it.
Qin Shuâs room was also on the second floor, next to Jun Liâs, and Gu Yanâs next to her.
After taking a shower, she went to bed in her pyjamas. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Fu Tingyu before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Sleep was vital but more so for pregnant women. Not only could it alleviate a pregnant womanâs fatigue, but it also promoted the healthy development of a baby.
No matter how worried or anxious, Qin Shu always tried her best to sleep as much as she could.
â
Jiangcheng, Bright Garden
Fu Tingyu stared at the message flashing on the screen of his phone. It was from Qin Shu.
[Baoâer:
Iâm going to bed with our baby. You should sleep soon too. I love you⦠]
Fu Tingyu could not keep his eyes off Qin Shuâs message, the words replaying in his mind like a broken record. On his table sat a photo of him with Qin Shu on his back.
An unbearable longing gripped him.
Abruptly, he kissed Qin Shuâs profile picture displayed on his phone. She had not been gone for long, and already, he missed her so much.
No sooner had he performed this impulsive act of love than did he shake off his trance-like state. For a man who prided himself as the master of his life, this impromptu gesture of affection shocked him. Qin Shuâs charming smile, on her profile picture, exposed her cute canines. She was a picture of angelic beauty.
â
Meanwhileâ¦
The Imperial Capital, Qi Zhuang, Jun Liâs private villaâ¦
Breakfast was a quiet affair. No one spoke at the dining table, each ruminating over Jun Liâs condition.
After breakfast, Qin Shu and Gu Yan went to Jun Liâs room to see him.
Gu Yan wanted to take the opportunity to check Jun Liâs pulse again.
They knocked on the door gently before entering, one after another.
Su Ying had personally cleaned Jun Liâs room.
As soon as they stepped over the threshold, they smelled a faint fragrance, not unlike a green apple.