Song Ci frowned. "Let me go over to look."
"Let's go together." Yan Jiang put on his cap and followed Song Ci across the road.
As Song Ci approached them, she could hear Mu Qiu's friend worriedly asking, "Qiu-er, are you still feeling very ill? Bear with it a little longer. We have already called the ambulance."
Hearing that, Song Ci's heart froze. She hurried over to Mu Qiu's side.
"What happened to Qiu-er?"
Mu Qiu's friend recognized Song Ci. The moment she saw her, it was as if she saw her savior. She hastily handed Mu Qiu over to Song Ci and anxiously said, "Sister Song Ci, Mu Qiu suddenly said that her chest hurt and couldn't even stand up straight. She is sweating profusely from the pain."
Before Song Ci could properly catch Mu Qiu in her arms, Mu Qiu slid unconscious to the ground.
"Qiu-er!"
"Qiu-er!"
Panic ensued.
"Make way, let me look." Yan Jiang shoved his dissection book into Song Ci's arms before he quickly squatted to check on Mu Qiu's condition.
"She suffered a heart attack!" Yan Jiang hollered. "Hurry and dial for an ambulance. She needs immediate medical attention." With that, Yan Jiang performed CPR on Mu Qiu.
Song Ci hugged that book as she stared at Mu Qiu lying prone on the floor, her life in grave danger. Song Ci's eyes went dazed, and her mind was a complete blank.
After a long while, Song Ci finally heard crowd mutterings surrounding them and even the sounds of traffic.
Mu Qiu's heart attack happened!
It was the same as in her dream. On the night of their summer vacation of the year 2020, Mu Qiu's illness got triggered.
Only when she was seated in the ambulance and rushed to the hospital did Song Ci finally regained her senses. She looked at Yan Jiang sitting beside her. "What's the matter with Mu Qiu?"
Yan Jiang furrowed his brows slightly. His tone was grim. "There is probably something wrong with your sister's heart."
Song Ci's breathing became labored. The dark scenes from her dreams enveloped her, and Song Ci felt a chill as all warmth left her body.
Arriving at the hospital, they pushed Mu Qiu into the emergency room. Since there were many people at the hospital, Yan Jiang discreetly left after Mu Mian and his wife arrived. He didn't want to attract unwanted attention.
After an emergency rescue, Mu Qiu was temporarily out of danger.
After making sure her health stats were already stable, the doctor told Mu Mian that Mu Qiu was only alive because someone had performed CPR on her.
Hearing that, Du Tingting grasped Song Ci's hand and said, "Song Song, we must invite Yan Jiang to our house for dinner one day. We must show our deepest gratitude to him."
Mu Mian also spoke, "Yes, Qiu-er would have died if not for Yan Jiang. Since the day she was born, we've known that Mu Qiu had a heart defect. But it had never been triggered until today."
Having grown up safe and sound to the age of twenty, Mu Mian and the rest all thought she had recovered naturally. But today's incident proved otherwise.
If not for Song Ci and Yan Jiang at the scene, Mu Qiu would have died.
Du Tingting and Mu Mian were truly grateful toward Yan Jiang.
"We'll see." Song Ci quietly drew her hand out of Du Tingting's palm. Her tone was icy, but Mu Mian and his wife didn't notice, for their focus was on Mu Qiu.
That night, Mu Qiu was subjected to numerous tests while Mu Mian and his wife stayed up all night waiting for the results. Song Ci also didn't sleep, but she was awake not because she was worried about Mu Qiu, but because of Song Fei.
The test results all came out the next afternoon. Song Ci, Mu Mian, and his wife immediately went to seek Mu Qiu's attending doctor.
The doctor had already studied Mu Qiu's medical report and his expression was grave. "Your daughter's heart condition took a turn for the worse. Her heart is deteriorating quickly. We performed some tests on her last night and found that she also has a ventricular aneurysm."
The doctor observed Mu Mian and his wife's reaction.
He saw that Du Tingting's eyes had turned red. The doctor sighed before he grimly continued, "The present outlook for your daughter is not good. If she doesn't receive immediate treatment, she will suffer another heart attack. It can happen any time, just like last night. But she will not be so lucky to have someone with professional medical skills at hand to help every single time."
Hearing that, even the typically steady Mu Mian grew anxious. "Doctor, how do we treat her? We have the money. Please use all necessary medical treatment to save Qiu-er!"
The doctor gave the couple an intense look. "The best course of action is to perform a heart transplant."
Du Tingting's face turned ashen. "Is that the only way? Are there no other treatment?" She rambled on, "Qiu-er has a rare blood type. Where will we find a suitable heart for her?!"
The doctor was helpless. He comforted Du Tingting, "Try your best to find one. The sooner the better. With Mu Qiu's rate of deterioration, she has at most three to four months left."
Du Tingting's body swayed as she nearly fainted.
Mu Mian quickly held onto her. His expression was grim.
Behind them, Song Ci was like a fish nailed upon a wooden board, completely unable to move.
Everything was happening exactly like it was in her dream! Song Ci could finally confirm that it was not just a dream. It was an experience of her previous wretched life!
…
Mu Qiu regained consciousness and was informed of her condition. Either the shock of it was too great or she was overly upset, but she kept silent and just stared out of the window in a daze.
Grief welled up in Du Tingting when she saw her daughter in this state. She rushed out of the ward to cry alone.
Mu Mian suppressed his pain and comforted Mu Qiu. "Qiu-er, father will think of a way. I will find a suitable heart for you."
Since Mu Qiu was still young, she was afraid of dying. After she heard Mu Mian's words, she covered her face and cried so bitterly that her entire body shook.
She was crying, but outside, Du Tingting was wailing even more fiercely.
Mu Mian's heart nearly broke seeing the situation. As Mu Mian hugged Mu Qiu by the shoulders, he choked out the words, "Qiu-er, don't cry and be a good girl. I already said I will save you and I will keep my word."
Mu Qiu burrowed her head into Mu Mian's arms.
"Father!" Mu Qiu wept. "Father, I don't want to die. Father, you will find a suitable heart for me. I will live on, right?"
Mu Mian cradled Mu Qiu's head with his right hand. "I will."
Song Ci stood there silently, taking in the whole heartbreaking scene. Her eyes were red. From an outsider's point of view, she looked like she was grieving for Mu Qiu. But only Song Ci herself knew just how much hatred and anger she bore in her heart at that scene.
She desperately wished to tear that father-daughter duo apart in front of her and to offer their blood in memory of the Song Fei and Song Ci in her previous life, both of whom died so wretchedly!
It would not be a straightforward task to find a suitable heart for Mu Qiu within just a few short months.
Moreover, there was a long waiting list of patients waiting for organ donations. With so many patients in need of transplants across the entire country, there might be other patients waiting for a rare blood type heart too.
Even if there was an available heart, they would have to prioritize those who were first on the waiting list.
Who knew how many months or years would pass before it was finally Mu Qiu's turn?
To save Mu Qiu, someone must be willing to donate their heart.
Who would donate their own heart to Mu Qiu?
Du Tingting?
Du Tingting was the apple of Mu Mian's eye. He couldn't even bear to raise his voice at her. There was no way he would let Du Tingting sacrifice her life.