Lin Sui practically used every ounce of strength in his body to sprint to the edge of the steep slope. Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
His face pale, he stared at Song Lejin: “You, why did you push him?”
Song Lejin was also in shock how could it be Shen Yuqing who fell down? Trembling, he stammered, “I… I didn’t… He grabbed my hand! He was trying to push me down!”
But everyone present had seen it clearly Song Lejin was the one who did the pushing.
Meanwhile, Song Wangzhuo, whom Shen Yuqing had shoved aside, snapped out of his daze and immediately rushed down the slope, nearly stumbling in his haste. Lin Sui quickly realized now wasn’t the time for questioning.
“Go down! Go find him!” he roared.
The two lackeys and the 5A team captain also snapped to attention, following Lin Sui down the slope.
The slope wasn’t particularly long, but at its base lay scattered rocks of all sizes. Song Wangzhuo was the first to spot Shen Yuqing sprawled across the rocky ground.
He practically crawled his way over, his voice failing him as he hesitated to touch Shen Yuqing.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed a whisper: “Shen… Shen Yuqing…”
There was no response. Song Wangzhuo reached out with trembling hands to check his body no external injuries. His pulse was still there.
But why… why wasn’t he responding?
Right, he must have been knocked unconscious from the fall. Shen Yuqing had to be fine.
Just as Song Wangzhuo was about to exhale in relief and attempt to turn Shen Yuqing over, Lin Sui and the others arrived with flashlights. Under the beam of light, Song Wangzhuo saw a pool of blood.
The blood was coming from Shen Yuqing’s head.
“Shen Yuqing…” Song Wangzhuo froze.
He immediately flipped Shen Yuqing over, only to find his face smeared with blood and dirt, barely recognizable.
Lin Sui was equally horrified, while the two lackeys behind him collapsed onto the ground in terror. “D-dead… he’s dead…”
“Shut up!” Song Wangzhuo bellowed. “He’s not dead! Call a doctor! Now!”
But there was no need.
The moment Shen Yuqing was pushed down the slope, the entire scene had been broadcast live. Medical teams were stationed at every location precisely to handle student emergencies.
The nearest medics had already rushed over at top speed the second they saw Shen Yuqing fall.
With numb limbs, the group lifted Shen Yuqing onto a stretcher and carried him up from the base of the slope.
Song Lejin had already been restrained by the 5A team captain. He too seemed dazed, his face ghostly pale as he watched them bring up Shen Yuqing, his head drenched in blood.
Only one thought echoed in his mind: It’s over. Completely over.
Even if the Song family tried to protect him, they’d never stand a chance against the Shen family.
The Shens would never let him go.
Hospital
The emergency room light flickered on. Song Wangzhuo stood motionless at the door, still in shock.
Again.
He had done nothing for Shen Yuqing, yet Shen Yuqing had been hurt because of him not just once, but now with his life hanging in the balance.
He leaned against the wall, feeling as if he couldn’t breathe, his entire body going weak.
A passing nurse noticed his condition and asked with concern, “You’re injured. Do you need help?”
Song Wangzhuo replied reflexively, “No.”
Not only did he refuse, but he also reached out and pinched his injured area hard. The more critical the moment, the more he needed to stay awake and wait for Shen Yuqing to regain consciousness.
The nurse was startled by his actions, but Song Wangzhuo said, “Thank you, but you can go about your business. I won’t die.”
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from the entrance. Song Wangzhuo looked up and saw the man who had hugged Shen Yuqing earlier.
Shen Yuqing’s fiancé.
He was still wearing his home clothes and slippers, clearly having rushed over immediately after receiving the news.
Though his steps were slightly limping, it didn’t hinder his movements.
Pei Yiyan quickly approached him and asked anxiously, “Where’s Yuqing?”
Song Wangzhuo glanced toward the emergency room. “Inside.”
Pei Yiyan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the rapid rise and fall of his chest betrayed his fear.
He had planned to check on Shen Yuqing today since work wasn’t busy, only to witness him being pushed off.
Pei Yiyan fixed his gaze on Song Wangzhuo. “What exactly happened?”
His pheromones surged uncontrollably, the oppressive pressure directed entirely at Song Wangzhuo, whose expression flickered briefly. Still, he restrained his own pheromones from leaking.
This was Shen Yuqing’s fiancé, his beloved. He had every right to demand an explanation.
Song Wangzhuo said, “He saved me.”
He lifted his head. “Song Lejin was trying to push me off, but he noticed and pushed me away instead.”
Pei Yiyan clenched his fists. Just then, the emergency room light turned off.
Now wasn’t the time for reckoning. As the doctor stepped out, both men hurried over. “Doctor, how is he?”
The doctor coughed slightly from the pheromones but answered, “He’s fine.”
Those three words made them both exhale in relief. Song Wangzhuo staggered, nearly collapsing to the floor.
“However, there’s something unusual,” the doctor added.
“What is it?” Pei Yiyan snapped impatiently. “Spit it out!”
The doctor sighed. “Logically, given how much blood he lost and his unconscious state, his condition should be much worse. But during cleanup, we found only a minor scalp wound. All tests show no other injuries. It’s less like a coma and more like he’s just asleep.”
The first part of the explanation eased the tension in both alphas.
Thank goodness just a scratch.
But the latter part left them puzzled. How could he simply be sleeping?
The doctor continued, “This is indeed abnormal. We’ll keep him under observation in the ICU overnight. If nothing changes, he can be discharged tomorrow morning.”
His gaze then shifted to Song Wangzhuo. “You should get your wounds treated. You’re in worse shape than the patient inside.”
Song Wangzhuo softly expressed his thanks. He had indeed reached his limit, and after the doctor left, he couldn’t hold on any longer, taking two unsteady steps back before collapsing onto a plastic chair.
He lowered his head, having exhausted all his strength. Now, he felt a strange sense of relief, as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.
It’s fine, it’s fine, everything’s fine.
Song Wangzhuo repeated this mantra in his mind several times. Just then, another set of hurried footsteps approached. He looked up to see a vaguely familiar woman.
But as he strained to make out her face, his vision grew increasingly blurry, fading into darkness. Before losing consciousness, he heard her cry out, “Wangzhuo!”
Due to Shen Yuqing’s incident, the entire practical activity was abruptly halted. The night was chaotic, but by the next morning, things had finally begun to settle.
After a night of observation, Shen Yuqing was confirmed to be unharmed and was transferred to a regular ward early in the morning.
The Shen family and Pei Yiyan, who had spent the night anxiously waiting at the hospital, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, when they went to see Shen Yuqing, he was still asleep.
Shen Zhen stood by the bed, staring for a long while before finally speaking with a grim expression. “Yiyan, stay here with Yuqing. I need to deal with Song Lejin first.”
Song Lejin had been confined at the academy overnight, with both the Song family and the authorities keeping watch. The police were uncertain how to proceed, so they had called Shen Zhen’s assistant early that morning.
Shen Zhen should have gone earlier, but without confirmation of Shen Yuqing’s condition, he hadn’t dared to leave. Now that he knew Shen Yuqing was safe, it was time to settle the score.
Pei Yiyan, who had stayed up all night, looked weary as well. He nodded. “Alright. I’ll call you when he wakes up.”
Shen Zhen and Su Geyue left shortly after. None of them had slept well due to Shen Yuqing’s injury.
Once they were gone, Pei Yiyan immediately returned to the bedside. He had suppressed his emotions in front of Shen Zhen and Su Geyue, but now that they were gone, he longed to grasp Shen Yuqing’s hand tightly as if that alone could give him some semblance of security.
But as he reached for Shen Yuqing’s wrist, something felt off.
The scars on Shen Yuqing’s arm were gone.
Pei Yiyan froze, then checked both arms. The scars had truly vanished. How?
He knew those scars better than anyone. Even if they healed, it would take time. Yet now, there wasn’t a single trace left as if the injury had never existed.
Just then, the wrist in his grip was pulled away.
Pei Yiyan looked up at the figure lying on the bed. Their eyes met for a brief second before he took a step back, his gaze turning cold.
The Shen Yuqing on the bed chuckled softly. “Weren’t you just clinging to me like you wanted to trade places? Now that I’m awake, why are you backing away?”
Pei Yiyan studied his face. It was the same face, yet the feeling was entirely different.
His voice was icy as he demanded, “Where is he?”
The Shen Yuqing he knew the one he loved, the one he had chosen to stand by was gone.
