The second to be wheeled out was Xiao Yan. He had been shot, and his injuries were more severe than Tuya's. The doctor said he had been rescued under extremely dangerous circumstances. Chen Feng sighed repeatedly, then smiled and said to You Mingxu, "I told you, the wicked live a thousand years."
Upon hearing this, You Mingxu remained silent.
She also gazed at Xiao Yan's pale, thin sleeping face, her heart softening. She accompanied Chen Feng to take Xiao Yan to the ward, which was the same room as Tuya's. You Mingxu watched the two of them for a long while before returning to wait outside the operating room. The tender, aching feeling in her heart never ceased. When had these peculiar people under Yin Feng's command become companions she cared about?
The third to be wheeled out was Jing Ping. His face was frighteningly pale, and he lay utterly silent. The doctor said he had lost too much blood, and the location of the gunshot wound was critical. Fortunately, his physical constitution was exceptionally strong. He needed to be monitored overnight, and as long as no complications arose, he would pull through.
You Mingxu accompanied the nurse to wheel Jing Ping to another ward, where the unconscious Xu Mengshan was also placed. Looking at these two men, both weak and covered in wounds, yet both having survived—even in their comatose states, their profiles shared the same resolute stubbornness. You Mingxu recalled hearing earlier how these two, despite their severe injuries, had held their positions on the hill with guns, keeping watch over the criminals trying to escape.
You Mingxu stood by their beds for a long time, then lowered her head and unexpectedly couldn't help but smile. Her heart ached deeply, yet there was also a hidden sense of joy.
"Wake up quickly," she murmured as if talking to herself. "Don't make me wait too long, you two."
When she returned to the operating room entrance, she saw Chen Feng staring at it with a grave expression. Upon seeing her, he forced a relaxed smile and said, "Didn't I say it? These people are tough; they won't die."
You Mingxu also glanced at the tightly closed door of the operating room—there was still one person inside—and after a moment of silence, she said, "Yes, his life is the toughest of all."
The two sat down again but said nothing more, as if neither had the heart to speak.
Time passed minute by minute. At one point, Chen Feng got up and went to check on Xiao Yan and Tuya twice. He was growing restless, but Yin Feng had yet to be wheeled out.
"Is the doctor even competent?" Chen Feng's expression had turned gloomy. "If not, find another doctor!"
You Mingxu said, "Sit down. The doctor assigned to him is an expert transferred from Guiyang. Where do you think you can find someone better right now?"
Chen Feng's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally looked out the window and said, "It's almost dawn."
You Mingxu also noticed the grayish light of the approaching dawn, but her mind flashed back to the moment Yin Feng was attacked—the knife tip protruding from his chest, the pool of blood on the ground, and his life force seemingly draining away rapidly. The memory felt like a deep, dark hole in her heart. All night, she had struggled to control herself, refusing to let herself fall into that abyss.
But as time dragged on, even her stubborn conviction began to waver.
Chen Feng, after all, was a man of profound composure. After a brief period of panic, he quickly calmed down. Seeing You Mingxu's increasingly icy expression despite her silence, he said, "Go rest for a while. When Teacher Yin wakes up after surgery, you'll be the first person he wants to see. I'll stay here and keep watch."You Mingxu replied in a low voice, "No need." She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. Seeing her like this, Chen Feng stopped speaking as well. After a moment, he imitated her, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes.
When the morning sunlight fell on You Mingxu’s face, she faintly heard the sound of a door being pushed open. She immediately opened her eyes and saw doctors and nurses wheeling a hospital bed out.
Chen Feng also woke with a start. You Mingxu’s first glance fell on the white sheet covering the bed, which was not drawn over the person’s face. The doctor’s expression, though weary, showed no sign of regret. Her heart eased slightly, and she hurried forward.
Chen Feng’s voice trembled unusually: "Doctor, how is he?"
The doctor paused before replying, "We’ve done all we can. The bleeding has stopped, and the wounds have been stitched. But his injuries are too severe—we can’t guarantee he’ll survive. He’s being moved to the intensive care unit. His condition could worsen or improve. You need to be prepared for anything."
Chen Feng fell silent for a long moment.
You Mingxu followed them, her gaze fixed on Yin Feng’s face. He looked as if he were merely asleep, but his face was deathly pale, his lips colorless. Despite his tall stature, lying there, he suddenly seemed very small.
You Mingxu and Chen Feng followed them into the intensive care unit. At first, they could only watch from a distance. Only after the doctors and nurses had settled everything, started the IV, and connected the medical equipment were they allowed to approach.
Chen Feng looked somewhat dazed. After staring blankly for a while, he said, "I’ll call and check how soon the specialists from Xianghui Hospital will arrive. If necessary, I’ll find a way to bring in doctors from Beijing."
"Alright."
Chen Feng left the room to make the call. You Mingxu sat down by the bed and gazed at Yin Feng under the soft glow of the lights. His features were truly handsome, enough to make her heart flutter at a glance. She sat silently, as if she had lost track of time and forgotten everything else.
After a while, she lowered her head, pressed her hands to her face, and let tears fall into her palms. Then, very carefully, she gently held a few of his fingers and said, "Yin Feng, you have to survive. If you don’t pull through this, I’ll never forgive you. I’ll forget you completely—You Yingjun, Yin Feng, you’ll mean nothing to me. I’ll turn around and find a new boyfriend, someone tall, handsome, and utterly unreliable, just to piss you off so much you’d crawl out of the ground."
"Yin Feng, you have to keep your word. Love me forever, worship me. I don’t want you to... get hurt for me. I just want you to live for me."
——
By noon that day, Yin Feng still hadn’t woken up. His condition had neither improved nor worsened.
The good news was that the specialists from Xianghui Hospital had arrived. They immediately joined the previous doctors for a new consultation and began formulating a treatment plan.
Yin Feng was wheeled back into the operating room.
While You Mingxu and Chen Feng waited outside, she received a call from Ding Xiongwei: "A few leaders and I have arrived in the city. The task force has taken care of everything else. Only that person... we’re planning to hold a brief internal farewell ceremony this afternoon. You should come too."
You Mingxu put down her phone, her mind feeling somewhat empty. After a moment, she snapped back to reality and said to Chen Feng, "I’m going to the municipal bureau. I’ll come back as soon as I’m done. Call me anytime if anything happens."
Chen Feng agreed.
——You Mingxu had attended two memorial services before—one for Fan Jia, and one for Guo Xing.
This was the third.
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