Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qin Shu nearly collapsed upon hearing of Jun Liâs situation. It was almost too much to bear. First, it was her husband, and now it was her good friend. Indeed, it is as the wise sages once said: blessings do not come in pairs; misfortunes never come singly.
âI thought his condition had stabilized. How could he have spat blood and fainted?â
âTdonât know⦠Jun Li is unconscious. The doctor says he wonât live more than a few daysâ¦â Lan Qiâs voice sounded raw and choked.
âDonât worry. Iâl book the earliest available flight and have Gu Yan accompany me.â
She ended the call with Lan Qi and dialled Gu Yanâs number post-haste.
âQin Shu, is there any news of Tingyu?â Gu Yan had not stopped searching for Fu Tingyu, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find a trace of him anywhere.
Qin Shu shook her head anxiously, âNo â Jun Li suddenly vomited a lot of blood and fainted. The doctor says he wonât live for more than a few days. Could you go with me, please?â
Gu Yan had a clear grasp of Jun Liâs physical condition; there should not be any reason for him to vomit blood and lose consciousness. If anything, the attending doctorâs prognosis sounded suspect.
Although Jun Li did not have much time, it was not as if he was about to drop dead. He still had some time to go before his illness became terminal.
âTIl go with you.â
âTl meet you at the airport.â
Qin Shu put down the phone and booked the first flight she could. The best she could manage was a flight departing the next day at around eight oâclock in the morning.
There was nothing she could do now but wait with bated breath.
She had other things to worry about in the meantime.
It was ten in the evening when she finished all that needed completing, Fu Tingyan had already returned to his private villa.
Qin Shu returned to the master bedroom to pack her luggage. Xiao Jiu poked his head in from outside. When he saw his mother packing her bags, he asked, âMom, where are you going? Why do you need to pack your luggage?â
Qin Shu looked up and saw Xiao Jiu leaning against the door frame. As she packed her luggage, she said, âMom is going to Imperial City. Your Uncle Jun isnât well.â
Upon hearing this piece of news, Xiao Jiu stepped into the room and stood by his motherâs side. âIs Uncle Jun very ill? Wonât you take me with you, Mom? I want to see Uncle Jun tooâ¦â He entreated his mother earnestly.
Qin Shu stopped packing her clothes and regarded Xiao Jiu seriously. Ever since his fatherâs accident, he had been the picture of obedience. He never made a fuss or caused or scene. Even his school teachers had noticed this improvement.
Not only did she receive fewer complaints of fights between him and his peers, but he also did not skip school half as often. Xiao Jiu had matured tremendously in a short span.
Back then, when Fu Tingyu fell off the cliff, it was his cries that gave her the strength to forge ahead.
Squatting down in front of her son, she said, âOf course, you can come with me. Xiao Jiu, if you want to visit Uncle Jun, youâll need to pack your things too. Motherâll help you once sheâs packed her things.â She had been so busy with work of late that she had not had the time to interact with Xiao Jiu. It
made her feel guilty.
Xiao Jiu was very happy when he heard this. He hugged his mother and smiled brightly. âMom, Xiao Jiu will go and pack his bag now.â
âXiao Jiu is ahead of things, it seems. Mom is glad.â Her sonâs independence was gratifying, and it made her proud of him.
Qin Shu booked five plane tickets. This number included tickets for Xiao Jiu and Ye Luo.
Bringing Ye Luo along would make things easier for her if she needed someone to keep an eye on Xiao Jiu. She had a hunch that she would not be able to take care of him even if she wanted to.
At the break of dawn the very next dayâ¦
Qin Shu, Xiao Jiu, and Ye Luo rushed to the airport.
Ye Luo brought President Ba along. They had been together for five years and shared a special relationship where either one of them knew the otherâs personality like the back of their hands (or paws).
Ye Luo expressionless mask was still the same. Even while teasing President Ba, he still wore that dull, dispassionate expression.
President Ba was still as proud as ever with his head held high and nose in the air. He was the uncrowned king of the world. If Ye Luo made him unhappy, he would perch atop a wall and look down on him like a sneering monarch.
Qin Shu met Gu Yan at the airport.
Gu Yanâs assistant, Ji Fei, stood by his side. He also served Gu Yan in the capacity of a butler, taking care of Gu Yanâs daily needs. If that was not enough, he also happened to be Gu Yanâs bodyguard. He was a man of many talents, indeed.
Jun Liâs condition had always been under Gu Yanâs care. Chinese medicine was practically synonymous with Jun Li at this point.
Unfortunately, it had been some time since he took Jun Liâs pulse. Therefore, he did not know Jun Liâs present condition. He would only know what happened when he saw Jun Li in the imperial city.
It was noon when they arrived at the imperial city.
After getting off the plane, Qin Shu and the others made a beeline for Qi Manor.
Qin Shu had visited Qi Manor once. It was sometime before Xiao Jiu was born. Hence, it was her second visit.
Lan Qi was 1.77 meters tall but looked like a youth no older than 15.
Five years had passed, but Lan Qi had not changed at all. He still looked as he did back then, with no change to his height. He resembled a clean-faced youth, unsullied by worldly experience.
âThe one thing that had changed was his personality. He was not as unreasonable as he had been in the past.
When Lan Qi found out that Qin Shu was coming, he sat by the windowsill and waited. No one could persuade him otherwise.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAs soon as he saw Qin Shu get out of the car, he hopped off his makeshift seat and ran out to greet her. âJun Li is not awake yet.â
Qin Shu recovered from her momentary confusion and gave Lan Qia once over. His fair cheeks glowed red from the stinging cold. It did not take rocket science to deduce that he had been waiting out in the blistering wind for a long time.
âLetâs go and see Jun Li.â
âOkay.â
Lan Qi nodded vigorously, leading them into Qi Manor.
Jun Liâs room had not changed. It was the corner room on the second floor, overlooking the forest.
The door was open, and from the outside, Qin Shu could tell the furnishings had not changed much in the years since her last visit. Thick curtains were half-drawn, allowing light to filter through the window, adding colour to the lifeless room.
Su Ying was removing Jun Liâs IV drip when the entourage led by Lan Qi arrived. The drip contained a nutrient solution ordered by the doctor.
âMaster Lan Qi, youâ¦â Su Ying looked up and saw Qin Shu and Gu Yan following Lan Qi into the room. He quickly got to his feet. Hope blossomed in his eyes. âMiss Qin, Professor Gu, Master Jun suddenly vomited blood yesterday and is now unconscious.â
âLet me have a look.â Jun Liâs complexion had taken on an ashen hue, not unlike the tint of a dying man.
Gu Yan sat down by the bed and checked Jun Liâs pulse by placing two fingers over his wrist.
Qin Shu clutched Xiao Jiuâs hand worriedly as she stared at the man lying in bed. Those eyes, so filled with warmth, were clenched shut. He was so thin and pale it looked like he would pass on at any moment. Death was a cloak shrouding Jun Li in its cruel embrace.
Anyone who saw him in this state would feel pity.
Jun Li lay quietly on the bed. A silver quilt covered him, doing little to conceal his emaciated figure. The quilt practically engulfed him!
How long had Jun Li suffered in silence? No one wastes away in a day; it takes a considerable amount of time for a person to reach Jun Liâs deplorable state.
While Gu Yan checked his pulse, a grave expression overcame his features. He pursed his lips, not understanding how Jun Litâs condition could have deteriorated so quickly. It was almost⦠unnatural.
Gu Yan released his hold on Jun Liâs wrist, laying it gently on the quilt.
âGu Yan, how is he?â Qin Shuâs anxiety bled into her voice.
Gu Yan met Qin Shuâs tremulous gaze. He could not lie to her. Sighing, he said, âHis condition deteriorated too quickly. He doesnât have much time left.â
Qin Shu felt like a sledgehammer had struck her. Deep down inside, she knew there was a distinct possibility that Jun Li was at the end of the rope, but she hoped against hope that it would not be so. Gu Yanâs words tolled the funerary bells ringing in her mind.
Su Ying fell to his knees and pleaded with Gu Yan to do something, anything, âI beg Professor Gu to save Master Junâ¦
âTwould save him if I could, but his condition has taken a tum for the worst and so rapidly at that. Thereâs nothing I can do to stop the inevitable. His bodily functions are slowing down, and there are signs of necrosis. I may have a way with medicine, but Iâm not god. I cannot revive the dead or put flesh
onto bones. Iâm sorry.â