Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Under the watchful gaze of Zhou Xuanyu, Zhou Xuan Yong calmed himself for a moment.
"Since you already found out, why ask me?"
"So you admit it?"
"Yes. It was me." Zhou Xuan Yong closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
Back in the day, the land in Qingcheng Yongzhou was a sure win for Hengfu Group as long as Wen Wei let slip even a hint of information. But Wen Wei was fair and impartial; no matter how much Zhou Xuan Yong tried to curry favor, he insisted on a fair bidding process...
"Elder brother!" Zhou Xuanyu cried out in anguish.
He had prepared himself, yet at that moment, his legs felt weak and could barely support his body.
"It was me... Wen Wei was stubborn; he refused to seize the lucrative opportunity despite my repeated pleas for help. Since he wouldn’t assist me, I couldn’t let him become an obstacle... It was I who framed him."
Zhou Xuan Yong murmured to himself, making it hard to tell whether it was remorse or mere statement.
Zhou Xuanyu was so shocked that he couldn't utter a word. He couldn't imagine that his respected elder brother had done something so terrible to Junxi's parents.
"This matter happened so many years ago; why bring it up now?"
"It may be over for you, but for the Wen Family, it is far from over. Director Wen and his wife are still trapped in their predicament. After five years of wrongful imprisonment, doesn't a shred of guilt ever cross your mind, Brother?"
"What does guilt matter? What does it matter if I feel guilty or not? Xuan Yu, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trivialities..."
"Trivialities? You have ruined someone else's entire life, and you dare to call that trivial?" Zhou Xuanyu stepped forward, pressing down on his brother's shoulder with a hint of anger.
"What... what do you want?"
Seeing the terrifying look in Zhou Xuanyu's eyes, Zhou Xuan Yong finally showed a flicker of panic.
"I want you to turn yourself in."
"Turn myself in? After five years, you want me to turn myself in? Am I crazy?"
"Brother, no matter how many years have passed, you must admit to the wrongs you've done."
"You don't need to say so much; I won't go!"
"You must go!" Zhou Xuanyu grabbed Zhou Xuan Yong by the collar, almost lifting him off the ground in that instant.
"Xuan Yu, Xuan Yu!" Zhou Xuan Yong grasped Zhou Xuanyu's hand tightly. "You are my brother; you should know how much I love you. For you... for you..."
Suddenly, Zhou Xuan Yong began to cough violently. He leaned against the desk, struggling to catch his breath as if he might suffocate at any moment.
He was having another episode!
"Big Brother!" Zhou Xuanyu exclaimed as he rushed to his brother's side, shouting, "Butler, call the doctor! Hurry, call the doctor!"
The butler dashed in, and upon seeing Zhou Xuan Yong's pale face, he immediately ran back out.
"Second Master, the master's medicine is in the second drawer on the left side of his desk. Quickly, give him one!" the butler shouted as he hurried away.
Zhou Xuanyu pressed one hand against his brother while pulling open the second drawer with the other.
Sure enough, there was medicine inside. He took out a pill and rushed to the water dispenser to pour a glass of water for his brother to drink. The effects of the medicine did not take hold quickly; Zhou Xuan Yong leaned against Zhou Xuanyu, making him feel that his brother's life force was fading.
Zhou Xuanyu suddenly felt a surge of fear.
"Big Brother."
"Xuan Yu... if anything happens to me... take good care of Zhou Ziyan for me..."
"Big Brother, don't talk." His hand trembled uncontrollably as it ran along Zhou Xuan Yong's back.
"I don't want Zhou Ziyan to hate me... I don't want him to hate me..."
Zhou Xuan Yong murmured, gradually losing consciousness...
"Big Brother!"
The phone rang repeatedly in her ear.
Junxi opened her eyes from the dream, instinctively pressing the button, thinking it was an alarm. After a moment of confusion, she finally answered.
On the other end was a woman with a somewhat familiar voice, but she couldn't immediately recall who it was. The woman shouted, "Jun Xuan's sister, hurry to the hospital! Hurry to the hospital!"
Junxi jolted awake, all drowsiness gone.
She recognized the voice; it was Jun Xuan's Homeroom Teacher.
"Teacher, what happened to Jun Xuan?" Junxi asked as she quickly jumped out of bed, searching for clothes to put on.
"Yes, Jun Xuan collapsed at school."
"…"
Collapsed?
Junxi felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.
She reached out to steady herself against the wall, unable to make a sound for a long while. Then she heard her homeroom teacher call from the other end, "Jun Xuan, are you okay? Don't panic, just come to the hospital first."
"…"
Junxi hung up the phone, hurried downstairs, and caught a taxi to the hospital.
Jun Xuan was already awake, his face pale and looking extremely haggard.
"Doctor, what happened to my brother?" Junxi grabbed hold of a doctor in a white coat.
The doctor waved his hand at Junxi. "Let's step outside to talk."
Junxi glanced at her brother and walked over to gently pat his head. "Just lie down for now; I'll be right back."
Jun Xuan nodded at her.
The corridor was quiet, with only an occasional passerby.
Junxi couldn't hide her anxiety and kept asking, "What happened? What’s wrong?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses and slowly uttered three words: "Uremia."
"Uremia?"
Junxi's mind went blank.
"How could this happen... What should he do? What can be done?" She stumbled as she leaned against the chairs in the corridor.
The doctor supported Junxi, helping her to sit down, and patiently explained the condition of uremia to her.
"Will my brother be in danger?"
"Not at the moment, but uremia is a complex disease; it is not an isolated issue. If treatment is delayed, it can affect the entire body's function. So you need to pursue treatment actively, or else..."
"We will cooperate with the treatment. Doctor, you must save him; he is still so young..." Junxi held back her tears, looking earnestly at the doctor.
The doctor nodded.
"Our hospital will certainly do everything we can."
Junxi saw the doctor off and sat alone in the corridor for a while to calm herself before returning to the ward.
Jun Xuan had his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Junxi walked to the bedside and gently sat on the edge of the bed.
Even in sleep, Jun Xuan's face was contorted in pain. Just looking at her brother made tears well up in her eyes.
She quietly took hold of his arm.
He had always been so thin, but he was usually full of life. How could her healthy brother have fallen ill like this? How had she failed to notice that he was suffering from such a serious condition?
How would she explain this to their grandmother? How would she tell their parents in prison?
Tears streamed down Junxi's face as she leaned down, resting her cheek against her brother's hand.
"Jie," Jun Xuan suddenly woke up and called out to her.
Junxi was startled. Taking advantage of her position, she quickly wiped away her tears, only lifting her head once she was sure her face was dry.
"You’re awake. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired..." She felt a bit flustered.
Jun Xuan gently grasped Junxi's hand in return.
"Not hungry, not thirsty, not tired..."
"Oh, then..."
"Have you been crying?"
Jun Xuan looked at Junxi, her red-rimmed eyes impossible to ignore.
"No, I just didn't sleep well last night, so my eyes are red today." Junxi casually wiped her eyes and smiled at her brother. "You know I often have trouble sleeping."
Her brother remained noncommittal and simply asked, "Why didn't you sleep well? Haven't you and Uncle Xuan Yu made up yet?"
The sudden mention of Zhou Xuanyu made Junxi feel even worse.
"Stop overthinking it. All you need to do right now is rest and recover; you don't have to worry about anything else." Junxi averted her gaze and tucked the blanket around Jun Xuan.
Jun Xuan pressed his lips together, contemplating for a moment before quietly asking, "Sister, am I seriously ill?"
Junxi instinctively shook her head.
"How could that be? You're a young man; how could you possibly be seriously ill? Don't think like that."
"Since it's not serious, let's get discharged," Jun Xuan said.
"You just got here; you still need to get IV fluids. How can you leave now?"
"I'm fine." Jun Xuan glanced around the hospital room. "Hospital beds are expensive, right? How much does it cost to stay for a night? Just take me back to school. Or I can go home with you."
Junxi's nose felt sore, so sore that she could barely hold back her emotions.
Jun Xuan noticed his sister's distress, as if she was on the verge of tears again. He quickly reassured her, "I just can't get used to the hospital bed. This soft mattress is nowhere near as comfortable as the hard bed at school or the floor at home."
Junxi struggled to suppress the turmoil inside her and forced a smile at Jun Xuan.
"Alright, you rest first. I'll go ask the doctor if we can discharge you."
After saying this, she didn't wait for her brother's reaction and quickly stood up, rushing out of the room.
As soon as the door to the ward closed behind her, she could no longer hold back her tears. They flowed like pearls from a broken string, more and more with each wipe.
Her slender body curled up tightly, trembling violently.
Her parents were wrongfully imprisoned, her brother was suddenly ill... Why did fate have to be so cruel to her?
What was she supposed to do? What could she do?
How could she possibly afford the exorbitant dialysis fees?
"What’s wrong?" A familiar voice suddenly reached her ears.
Comment 0 Comment Count