Xiong Zhi ran downstairs.
Once she was out of VIP floor and reached the waiting area, she let out a sigh of relief.
She sat on one of the chairs in the waiting area. Her heart was beating so fast.
She felt nervous and excited at the same time. These feelings were all strange for her but she liked it.
She experienced many things today—she sneaked in, ran, was pursued, had been part of a suicide drama, and in the end, she realized she had a talent in acting! Well, except she still had her frigid face on. She was thankful that whenever she was bored, which was almost all the time, she spent time watching shows. That 'someone called I should go' escape route was derived from those dramas. She just applied it to escape from that man's inquiries.
Xiong Zhi would definitely engrave what she just experienced in her memories. Today is one of the most exciting days she ever had.
She calmed herself and rested. After a few moments, she returned to her usual composure, still with that cold look and indifferent face. Her "do not approach me" mode was turned on.
It seemed like the events earlier were all an illusion. She threw the fact that she had just witnessed a suicide drama at the back of her mind.
She patiently waited for Dr. Beiquing while she stared at her notes. A few things were listed there.
Xiao Mei.
Guangdong Hospital—Mrs. Xiao Ping.
Zongyang Law firm—Ms. Bivia Chang.
Quangfayan Police.
Her goal was to finish an arrangement with the doctor by today. Yet, it was already afternoon and the doctor was still not here.
Xiong Zhi continued looking around and observed her surroundings. Soon after, she heard footsteps from a large group of people.
She finally saw the group of head doctors who came from the VIP area. The nurses quickly approached the group and talked to some of the doctors.
The group scattered with the nurses and went to different directions.
Xiong Zhi saw the nurse called Mi approach the youngest doctor. It seemed like the nurses who had approached earlier were all assistants to these doctors.
Guessing that the young doctor whom Nurse Mi approached was Dr. Beiquing, she blocked their way and greeted them.
"Excuse me, are you Dr. Beiquing? I'm a relative of Mrs. Xiao Ping, the patient on Room 462, Bed C."
"Ah, I'm glad you're here. Mrs. Xiao's illness is getting worse as time passes. Can we go to my office and discuss things there? I want you to see something," Dr. Beiquing said.
"Yes, thank you." Xiong Zhi followed them until they reached a certain room with a plaque hanging on the door.
Dr. Gregory Beiquing.
They entered the room and Dr. Beiquing gestured for Xiong Zhi to sit.
After Xiong Zhi settled on the couch, Nurse Mi came with the tea cups. The aroma of green tea tickled her nostrils.
She did not even glance at the served tea but went directly to business.
"Dr. Beiquing, thank you for caring for my grandmother in the past few days. I want to know her current condition."
"Surely, Ms. Xiao. Mrs. Xiao Ping was unconscious when she was brought here. Actually, I had been worried because no one visited her. We cannot conduct some tests and procedures without the patient's or her family's permission. But I really was becoming more worried since she was showing symptoms of COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," the doctor explained. "So I have done some tests even without your knowing, which, I do not regret. I'm actually thankful, because if I was a little late, her illness will only be considered as exhaustion and stress piled up attributed to her aged body. But after I have done the tests, the data here indeed confirms that Mrs. Xiao Ping has COPD."
The doctor proceeded to turn on the computer. After he typed Xiao Ping, an X-Ray of lungs could be seen.
"This is the result of her scan. As you can see, on her left lung, the air tubes and alveoli, or those air sacs where gas exchange take place, lose their elasticity and are unable to stretch when she breathes. The walls that lie between the alveoli deteriorates. The lining of the air tubes becomes thick and inflamed. The air tubes secrete more mucus than they should, causing them to clog. COPD has different types and Mrs. Xiao has chronic bronchitis. Her airways are chronically inflamed, resulting in scarring and thickening. This process also frequently causes an increased production of mucus, which then fills the airways, further obstructing her breathing." Dr. Bequing said while tapping and pointing at the screen. He clicked on his mouse and another picture appeared.
"Airflow limitation in COPD is progressive, meaning, it generally worsens over time. COPD is often asymptomatic until significant damage to the lungs has already occurred. May I know how long Mrs. Xiao Ping had been showing symptoms like coughing and if there is yellow or green phleghm? Or when her nails started showing a tinge of blue?" Dr. Beiquing asked.
Xiong Zhi was suddenly speechless. How could she know? It was a life at risk, so she could not just lie and make up the details of what he was asking about.
"Actually, I did not live that long in grandma's house. It has only been about three days," Xiong Zhi made up an excuse, crossing her fingers behind her back.
"Is that so? Well, Ms. Xiao, my guess is that Mrs. Xiao Ping has gotten this illness for a very long time now. She was already in severe stages of COPD. I'm sorry to say but this illness has no cure at this stage. But, with proper treatment, it can be controlled. She needs constant medication though. Also, she needs lung surgery, as soon as possible."
He clicked his mouse and zoomed in on the picture. He pointed his pen at it while saying.
"We need to remove her damaged tissues. If the damaged tissues continue to stay in her body, it will spread to the other tissues making her breathing more difficult and painful. That's why I'm telling you this, Ms. Xiao, because it is a very important matter. She really needs to have a surgery done as soon as possible. Within this month I suggest. It will be difficult to remove the damaged tissues and may cost her life if it is delayed," Dr. Beiquing solemnly explained.
Xiong Zhi fell in deep thoughts. She remembered that within this month on the previous lifetime, the old woman would pass away. Now she knew why.
"Yes, I understand. I thank Dr. Beiquing for his guidance. Unfortunately, my cousin was her guardian. I will tell this news to her. Probably within this week, we can give you our response. For sure, we will let our grandmother undergo surgery. We will just discuss the date and other details then," Xiong Zhi said.
Even if she agreed to let the old woman have a surgery, she truly did not have a say in this matter. She needed to talk to the person involved.
"Just please do anything you could do for my grandmother's health. Money is not an issue," Xiong Zhi added.
Dr. Beiquing and Xiong Zhi talked a little bit more.
After a while, Xiong Zhi stepped out of the room and went to the cashier to settle the old woman's unpaid bills.
She looked around and spotted some cameras. She remembered the suspicious look the man had given her earlier at the rooftop. For sure, they would investigate her. She just did not know whose family or group they belong to, or even the name of the silver-haired boy.
Xiong Zhi went out of the hospital. She looked back at the building and her eyes roamed to the top floor—the VIP area. She remembered the scenes from earlier.
She remembered what the boy had said while shouting at the sky, and the pin symbol in the guard's suit.
'L'.
Whose family is it? To actually be so ruthless to a child.
(A/N : yup, Xiong Zhi thinks the teens around her current age are children. Except Linfeng. Well, her soul is 23 yrs. old already.)
'Boy, I hope you survive well. I cannot help you this time for I am nothing right now. Maybe in the future, we might meet again.'
Then, she strode off.
-------------------------------------------------
On the VIP floor, behind the glass door. A boy with the silvery hair was sitting on a bed. His check-up was done. He was currently staring outside the window. Then, he sighed.
'I didn't even get her name. My friend's name.'
Thinking he had finally gotten his first friend, the corner of his pale lips curled up slightly. It was his first sincere smile after ten years.
Then he heard the door open. His smile and dazed eyes quickly vanished, replaced by blank eyes and expressionless face. His entire aura returned to a dark and gloomy atmosphere.
The head guard came in. He walked towards the boy and even sat on his bed.
"Well, Young Master, how is your health? It keeps deteriorating. You should focus on your health first. "
Then the man stood up and walked closer to him. He bent down and whispered maliciously to his ear.
"You should not be playing around with some girl on the rooftop."
His disgusting fingers traced the silver-haired boy's beautiful and smooth jaw.
"We know your every move. Do you think if that person discovers that you met a suspicious person, he will spare the girl? I don't think so. Maybe you had forgotten what happened to your nanny and maids."
The silver-haired boy slapped the roaming hands of the man away.
He looked at him with cold eyes.
"Do what you want," he said in an icy tone.
The boy then stood up and walked towards the restroom. Before opening the door, he said.
"And don't you touch me."
He closed the door with a bang without looking back.
The man who stood by the bed chuckled.
Did he not truly care? Or was he just acting? Did he really meet the girl at the roof top by coincidence? He did not know her at all?
The man weighed his thoughts. He had observed every action of the boy for the whole day. Nothing was amiss. He then concluded that it was a likely a coincidence. If that boy really knew the girl, why meet just now? He even threatened the brat but the brat seemed indifferent to it. He seemed to not care at all if the girl died.
He then just shrugged it off. He would wait first for the result of their investigation.
His phone rang. He answered the call.
"Mr. Wei, the girl you were talking about just left. I checked first why she came here. By the looks of the CCTV cameras and her log-in record, she came here to check on her grandmother's condition. She went to the rooftop while she was waiting for one of the doctors."
"Did you check the doctor?"
"Yes. He is clean. I also hacked their hidden cameras, and they purely talked about the patient. I checked the record. It was the first time that the girl had visited here," the woman's voice said.
The man was silent and was pondering over something.
"That's my initial investigation. Do you want me continue? I need a day to know her background and more," the woman added.
"No need. I got what I wanted to know. And you are still busy. Did you finish protecting the file?"
"Yes, I just finished today," a yawn could be heard from the other line.
"Hahaha, it seems you haven't slept yet. Thanks for the help, you should rest."
"Yeah, I'm planning to. I have still another job to do, you know. I still need to locate the other evidences. You should let the brat talk and not add burden to my work. For god's sake, I'm a computer programmer, not a detective!" the woman complained.
The man chuckled.
"Then, tell that to the boss if you have the guts to do so. He hired many detectives already and he can't find anyone better than you in hacking. Besides, although you are forced to do so, aren't you given plenty of money?"
"Yeah~ I have plenty of money. But they are all from dirty work. I really don't want to work for that ruthless man and his evil father. Even towards his brother, he—"
"Stop that. He is our boss," the man growled dangerously.
He was loyal to that man.
The other line was silent. After a moment, the voice said sadly.
"You really changed, Kang'ge. "
"I told you to call me Mr. Wei."
The man named Wei said with a hard and icy voice. The funny tone he used earlier was completely gone. Now, the devil who talked to the boy earlier came out.
"Yeah, right. Bye," the woman said with a sarcastically.
The call ended.
The man looked with a dark expression at his phone. In his ears, the words that he had always heard from his companions and friends rang in his mind repeatedly.
"You have really changed."
He punched the wall and walked out of the room.
________________________________
Meanwhile, the moment the boy had entered the restroom, his shaking legs gave in and he slumped on to the floor. He leaned against the door. He hugged his legs, his knees touching his chest. He was shivering hard. His eyes were wide an unfocused. His pale lips trembled and his face that was already pale to begin with became completely white, like a sheet of paper.
When the horrible man reminded him of what had happened to his nanny and his maids, he saw black.
He suppressed his trembling body and acted indifferently.
Inside, his world was crumbling down.
All he could see right now was the scene that was engraved painfully in his mind.
He was only six at that time. An innocent, joyful, and playful child.
But that innocence was shattered overnight.
Screams, pleas, tears, guns, and blood. He remembered it all.
He would never forget that nightmare.
He could still see his father killing every maid who had worked under her mother and was loyal to her.
He hugged his trembling body tighter. Since that night, he suffered from nightmare and insomnia. The worst, he was traumatized. Whenever he thought of those memories, his whole body would shiver.
It would pass. Wait just a little bit more.
He kept mumbling it to himself.
After the trembling was gone, he stood up shakily and took a hot bath.
While the warm water was sprinkled all over his pale body, his mind was turning fast. He really needed to get out from his father's and brother's clutches. He must contact his maternal family as soon as possible. He could not stay here anymore. He needed to find a way to get to his grandfather.
He clenched his hands. The joy of having his first friend was quickly dissipated by the nightmare. He did not want his first friend to be harmed.
He needed to live and be free.
He suddenly stopped. Only the sound of flowing water could be heard—even his breathing was faint.
The boy's eyes that were blank and empty gradually shone. His gloomy aura turned to chilling sharpness.
His lips curled up in an almost devilish smile.
He found a reason to live on.
'I need to be free.'
________________________________
[1] 'ge - an endearment to older brother. Not necessary to be relative but used by close person who are a little older than you. In ancient times in China, sometimes it was used to address in intimate way to a man.
Source: from me and novels