Ch 107: It’s All My Fault

The ambulance arrived quickly. Xiao Jianbo and his wife followed the ambulance to the hospital, while Xiao Yao and Zhuang Lingyun stayed behind to handle the funeral arrangements for their grandmother.

They transported the body to the funeral home. Due to insufficient personnel, Xiao Yao spent some money to rent a cold storage room for a temporary period. They would hold the funeral and cremation service after her mother, maternal aunt, and Xiao Qiang arrived.

After leaving the funeral home, Xiao Yao’s eyes were red and swollen. The daylight was exceptionally bright, almost glaring.

She shielded her forehead with her hand to prevent the light from stinging her eyes.

Zhuang Lingyun suddenly reached out a large hand, putting his arm around the back of her neck, allowing her to lean against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.

“Is this better?”

Xiao Yao mumbled an affirmative sound, looking up at him. “Let’s go to the hospital. I don’t know how Xiao Wenxing is doing.”

“He shouldn’t be in life-threatening danger; otherwise, your Third Uncle would have called already.”

Xiao Yao nodded, and then Zhuang Lingyun hailed a car by the roadside, and the two of them went to the hospital.

At the hospital, Xiao Yao first met Xiao Wenxing’s attending physician. She learned that although Xiao Wenxing had been stabbed four times in the abdomen, thankfully, his internal organs were unharmed, and his life was not in danger. However, due to excessive blood loss, he was very weak and needed a period of recuperation.

Xiao Yao thanked the doctor and went to the ward. After the surgery, Xiao Wenxing was still asleep under the influence of anesthesia and had not yet woken up.

Her Third Uncle and Third Aunt were sitting on a long chair in the corridor outside the ward, one looking worried and distraught, the other hunched over with their face buried in their hands.

Seeing their appearance, Xiao Yao suddenly thought of the saying, “Those who are pitiable often have something to be pitied for.” Xiao Jianbo and Xiao Yao’s father, Xiao Jianshan, although brothers, had vastly different personalities.

Xiao Jianbo was too indecisive and ineffective in his actions, leading to today’s misfortune.

Xiao Yao said, “Third Uncle, Third Aunt.”

Xiao Jianbo only noticed Xiao Yao after she had been standing in front of him for a while. He suddenly looked up. “You’re back? Are things settled with your grandmother?”

Xiao Yao nodded. “The body is at the funeral home for a few days. You called Xiao Qiang that day, right? She should be on her way.”

Xiao Jianbo shook his head. “No, I forgot. I only called you. Although I knew your grandmother’s condition was not good, I didn’t expect her to pass away so quickly…”

Xiao Yao frowned. “Okay, then I’ll call her. We’ll go for the cremation once everyone is here.”

Xiao Jianbo nodded blankly, then suddenly looked at Zhuang Lingyun. “Got a cigarette?”

Zhuang Lingyun paused slightly, took out a pack of cigarettes with more than half remaining from his pocket and handed it over. Xiao Jianbo took the cigarette and went to the hallway. He hadn’t gone a few steps when Xiao Yao suddenly called out to him.

“Third Uncle, did you call the police? Those people attacked you at your home. What are you going to do about this?”

Xiao Jianbo worriedly frowned. “This… let’s wait until Wenxing wakes up and ask him what happened.”

After saying this, fearing Xiao Yao would ask more questions, he quickly slipped into the hallway.

Xiao Yao then looked at her Third Aunt, who was lowering her head, seemingly asleep, and unresponsive.

Xiao Yao didn’t call her, but directly opened the door and entered the ward.

It was a three-bed ward. Xiao Wenxing was in the innermost bed by the window. The other two beds also had patients, a thirteen━ or fourteen-year-old girl and a young man, each with family members accompanying them.

Xiao Yao glanced briefly, politely nodded to the people in the other two beds, and came to Xiao Wenxing’s bedside.

His complexion was still pale, and his lips were bloodless.

Due to the serious abdominal injury, he couldn’t eat anything for a short period after the surgery.

Zhuang Lingyun left the ward once, and shortly afterward, some doctors and nurses arrived, put Xiao Wenxing on a stretcher, and transferred him to a high-level VIP ward, a comfortable single room like an apartment, fully equipped with all necessary facilities, and the medication was changed to imported ones.

Xiao Yao didn’t need to think twice to know that Zhuang Lingyun had arranged all this.

He always silently did so much. Xiao Yao didn’t thank him verbally; a single look conveyed their mutual understanding.

On the contrary, her Third Uncle and Third Aunt were filled with gratitude and repeatedly expressed their thanks.

After the imported medicine was administered, Xiao Wenxing finally woke up in the afternoon, his complexion showing a bit more color and not so pale.

Looking at his surroundings, Xiao Wenxing remained silent, saying nothing.

When her Third Uncle and Third Aunt were not in the ward, Xiao Yao took the opportunity to ask Xiao Wenxing what had happened after he and Zhuang Lingyun left last night. Why had those men suddenly attacked, and why had he remained silent?

Upon mentioning this topic, Xiao Wenxing’s face showed deep remorse, and his emotions became very agitated.

Xiao Yao quickly soothed him, “Don’t get excited. It’s already happened. Tell me what happened.”

Xiao Wenxing painfully closed his eyes and recounted in a hoarse voice.

It turned out that after Xiao Yao and Zhuang Lingyun left, after a short while, those men suddenly emerged from the room. Discovering the house was empty, they immediately assumed they had run away and without hesitation kicked open the door to their grandmother’s bedroom, loudly demanding that Xiao Wenxing find them.

Xiao Wenxing was angry at their thoughtlessness and tried to stop them, but the bald Zhu Ge grabbed his collar and threatened that if his parents dared to run away, he would throw him and his grandmother out and forcibly seize the house.

At that moment, their grandmother, who had been asleep, woke up. Hearing this and seeing Xiao Wenxing being grabbed, she anxiously sat up to intervene. The old woman, already barely alive, had no strength left. She fell from the bed, and there was no more movement.

Xiao Wenxing was immediately shocked and terrified. He struggled free from Zhu Ge’s grasp and rushed over to help his grandmother, only to discover she had passed away.

Xiao Wenxing was greatly stimulated and furious. He lunged at Zhu Ge to avenge his grandmother. The result was obvious; one person couldn’t fight four, especially when the other three had weapons. Xiao Wenxing was stabbed several times and fell amidst the chaos.

Zhu Ge had accidentally stabbed him, and with an old woman dead, he was also shaken and immediately took his men and fled.

Despite his serious injuries, Xiao Wenxing carried his grandmother back to bed and knelt beside the bed to call his father, informing him of the tragic news.

Xiao Yao already knew what happened next.

Xiao Wenxing finished speaking, his face full of remorse and despair. “It’s all my fault. Grandmother was worried about me, so she left so hastily.”

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