Chapter 22

Qu Ling’er leaned against the sofa in a daze, her mind slowly regaining clarity. She could feel the nurse massaging her limbs—it was very gentle and comfortable. She could also hear the nurse’s gentle voice: “Let me give you a good massage. It will help you recover faster and make you feel better. If you feel any pain, let me know, okay?”

After a while, Qu Ling’er opened her eyes.

The nurse was pleasantly surprised. “You’re awake. How do you feel now?”

Qu Ling’er’s gaze fell on the nurse’s name tag—her name was Zhang Ran.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

When Doctor Qu heard their conversation, he swiftly got up and walked over.

When Zhang Ran saw Doctor Qu coming over, she quickly stood up and moved aside so that Doctor Qu could examine her properly.

Doctor Qu looked down at Qu Ling’er and asked, “Are you still dizzy? Do you have any difficulty breathing?”

Qu Ling’er looked at Doctor Qu and shook her head.

Doctor Qu nodded and said, “Do you need to call the police?”

Qu Ling’er was astounded for a moment but shook her head.

Zhang Ran shouted from the side, “They’ve already injected you with anesthetic. Why don’t you want to call the police? If Doctor Qu hadn’t discovered that something was wrong with you, you wouldn’t be here whole now.”

Qu Ling’er bit her lip and said softly, “Will calling the police help?”

The last time, she was detained by the police at the police station for a few hours. She knew very well that for a well-connected person like Luo Xiao, her only recourse was to hit him. Any other way, especially calling the police is useless—he could easily get away through his connections—she would not get any justice.

Qu Ling’er’s tone was tinged with helplessness. Doctor Qu looked at her and felt an inexplicable heartache. How desperate must she be to have that look?

“Even if you will not call the police, I will,” Doctor Qu said. “They’re using medical grade anesthetic—this matter is related to the hospital. We have to investigate it thoroughly.”

Zhang Ran looked at Doctor Qu with admiration. “Doctor Qu, you’re really too suave! That’s right, such people should be reported to the police and be investigated properly!”

Doctor Qu looked at Qu Ling’er and asked, “Was that man just now really your father?”

Qu Ling’er did not want to admit it and could only nod. Yes, the person who wanted to destroy her life was her biological father.

Zhang Ran asked hesitantly, “So, it was your father who anesthetized you?”

“Yes,” Qu Ling’er replied softly.

“Why?” Zhang Ran asked in bafflement. “He, he…”

She suddenly did not know what to say. She had guessed that the patient in bed 08 had taken a fancy to Qu Ling’er. Now that she heard Qu Ling’er admit that the other person in the same ward was her father, it was obvious what was going on.

Zhang Ran was shocked. She could not believe that any father would treat his daughter like this!

“Perhaps, I’m just a bargaining chip to him—in exchange for benefits. As long as there are enough benefits, I can be sacrificed at any time…” Qu Ling’er lowered her head and said self-deprecatingly. She placed her hand on her knee—clenched and unclenched her fists—revealing her anxiety.

Doctor Qu noticed this little action—it was very similar to his mother’s habit…

When Zhang Ran heard Qu Ling’er’s words, her heart cringed. She really felt very sorry for this young girl. She tried her best to ask gently, “Young lady, are you of legal age?”

Qu Ling’er nodded and said, “Yes, I had my 18th birthday a few days ago.”

Zhang Ran sighed and turned to look at Doctor Qu. “Doctor Qu, can calling the police really help her? That’s her father. What if there’s insufficient evidence? The young lady will suffer even more in future. What should we do?”

Just as Zhang Ran finished speaking, another nurse suddenly pushed open the door and entered. “Doctor Qu, something bad has happened. They’re fighting!”

Zhang Ran asked, “Who’s fighting?”

The nurse said in a panic, “It’s the patient in bed 08. A group of people came just now and hit him when they saw him!”

Doctor Qu froze for a moment before he quickly walked out of the office.

In the ward, a woman in sunglasses stood beside bed 08. A few bodyguards in black were holding Luo Xiao against the wall and beating him up.

Qu Zhisheng was afraid of being beaten up and hid at the side without saying a word.

Luo Xiao screamed and yelled wildly from the beating. He kept shouting, “Stop hitting me! Why are you hitting me?!”

The woman raised her hand, and the bodyguards stopped what they were doing. The woman walked toward Luo Xiao—lowered her glare at him—and said, “Is it because I haven’t been to the hospital for the past few days, so you have the guts to commit crimes in the ward?”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything!” Luo Xiao was about to cry.

“You didn’t do anything?” The woman raised her voice and waved her delicate hands. The bodyguards started to beat Luo Xiao up again.