"Alright, stop arguing. This is a hospital, and Auntie is a person of good standing. You should show her some respect."
Lu Qingxu forcefully pushed Zhou Jinbei's hand away.
"Whether or not my brother wakes up, I am utterly disappointed in you. Don't call me again, and I won't be coming back. Figure it out yourself!"
He rushed out of the corridor like a gust of wind.
Mother Lu's tears rolled down her cheeks, her lips trembling, her eyes rolling back.
Zhou Jinbei quickly went back to comfort her. After a long time, her emotions finally stabilized a little, and the emergency room door was finally opened.
Zhou Jinbei supported her and stepped forward.
The doctor said, "Fortunately, he was sent to the hospital in time, and he is out of danger now. However, the wound is very close to the heart. It is recommended to talk things out properly in the future and not to agitate the patient."
"Patients who are capable of impulsive self-harm like this generally have underlying depressive tendencies. Family members should provide more companionship and guidance, otherwise, if this continues, it will become troublesome if it develops into depression."
How ridiculous, how absurd! The most preposterous and laughable person in the world was Lu Mingzhe.
As a psychiatrist, he could save others but not himself.
He spoke eloquently about others, but only when it came to himself did he realize the profound pain.
A lost love almost cost him half his life.
Mother Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief and assured the doctor that she would not upset him again.
After a while, Lu Mingzhe was pushed out of the emergency room.
He was not wearing a shirt. From his left shoulder to his right armpit, thick layers of gauze were wrapped.
Slight bloodstains seeped through the gauze, with the bleeding occurring near his heart.
Zhou Jinbei imagined the scene at the time, and in a fit of anger, he had actually stabbed himself towards his heart.
This showed how furious Lu Mingzhe was.
It was hard to believe that such a shameless and lively person could be driven to such a state.
Alas, what a tragedy.
Mother Lu sat beside her son, looking at his pale face, and kept wiping her tears. Zhou Jinbei accompanied her.
After an unknown period, a nurse came looking for her.
Zhan Beijue had woken up and was to be transferred to a regular ward. She was asked to go and look after him.
Mother Lu finally reacted, "Weren't you here to see Ah Zhe? Ah Jue is also hospitalized? What happened?"
"Fever, pneumonia."
Little did she know that these two unfortunate brothers would meet in the ward.
Zhou Jinbei said, "Why don't we let them share a room? They can talk when they wake up, and I can stay with you."
Mother Lu agreed, and soon, Zhan Beijue was brought in.
An hour later, Zhan Beijue woke up once. Hearing Zhou Jinbei say that Lu Mingzhe was lying beside him, he wanted to see him.
However, he was delirious from the fever and lacked strength, falling asleep again after a short while.
The next time, Lu Mingzhe woke up before him.
Seeing her son finally open his eyes, Mother Lu rushed forward and clasped his hand tightly.
"Son, you're awake? Does the wound still hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? If so, you must tell your mother."
Lu Mingzhe stared at her with unfocused eyes. After a few seconds, he slowly closed his eyes and pulled his hand away from hers.
Mother Lu's heart ached, and she cried again, "Ah Zhe, Mom knows she was wrong, she really knows she was wrong."
"Those things happened before Xiang Wan left. Didn't you already know and forgive me?"
"I've been trying to make amends recently, really. I don't plan to interfere with you anymore. I really want to compensate you."
"I've been sending people to inquire about her, but unfortunately... but don't worry, I won't give up. As long as I'm alive, I'll do my best to help you find her. Don't be angry with your mother, I beg you, forgive me this once."
For the first time in her life, Zhou Jinbei saw Lu Mingzhe shed tears.
From that gaunt, emaciated, and decadent face, the tears flowing from beneath his tightly closed eyelids were truly moving.
Although her relationship with Lu Mingzhe was not deep, seeing two lines of clear tears stream down his cheeks and into his ears, she couldn't help but shed tears as well.
Lu Mingzhe finally spoke, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"Let me be quiet for a while. You can go."
Mother Lu was about to say something else, but Zhou Jinbei quickly wiped her tears and went to comfort her.
"Auntie, with me here watching him, you can rest assured that nothing will happen. He is still very weak and needs rest. Let's not disturb his emotions further."
"You are his biological mother. No matter what, your relationship cannot be broken. There's no need to rush. Go back, okay?"
"If you want to know anything, send me a message, and I promise to tell you immediately."
Mother Lu reluctantly left the ward. She continued to instruct Zhou Jinbei from a distance.
"Be sure to take good care of him. Keep this a secret, and don't let your uncle know."
Lu Mingzhe didn't want to speak, nor could he speak. Zhou Jinbei wiped the tears from his eyes and quietly retreated to a corner, acting like a transparent person.
The ward was as quiet as a mouse. The two patients took turns sleeping and waking, waking and sleeping, until it was dark.
Zhou Jinbei, feeling down with everyone else, hadn't eaten all day.
During dinner time, Chen Jiaojiao sent a message in their group chat, asking if anyone was free.
"I've been busy for several days and finally have a day off. Let's go out for a meal together."
Jiang Nan Fang had just returned from Jiang City and needed to accompany her children, so she didn't see the message immediately.
Zhou Jinbei sent her a reply from her hospital bed.
"I'd love to go, but how can I get there?"
Chen Jiaojiao zoomed in on the picture Zhou Jinbei sent, looking at it again and again.
"Who are you taking care of in the hospital? Whose bed are you by? The picture is blurry. Is Ah Zhong's father sick again?"
"Pah, pah, pah, you jinx! Can't you wish us some good fortune?"
She stood up, took a stealthy photo of Lu Mingzhe, and then another of Zhan Beijue.
"It's quite a coincidence. I'm looking after your two ex-husbands. They both fell ill at the same time and were just rescued. They're sleeping now. Isn't that sad?"
Chen Jiaojiao sent two surprised emojis in succession.
"What happened? How can so many accidents occur in just two days without us contacting you? What happened to them? Did they fight? Their blows were too severe!"
"How could such good brothers for so many years beat each other to the point of hospitalization? What's it about?"
Zhou Jinbei said, "Put away your imagination. There was no fight. One was self-harm, and the other was self-abuse."
"Alright, alright, it's not clear to explain over the phone. I'm starving after not eating all day. If you really want to know, bring dinner to the hospital and find me."
Jiang Nan Fang only had time to check her phone after she had settled the children and put them to sleep.
She couldn't help but look. Upon looking, she was as surprised as Chen Jiaojiao.
What happened? They were still talking to her fine at midnight, and now they were in the hospital for emergency treatment?
She replied to the group chat, "Are you two still in the hospital?"
The two of them didn't dare to talk in the ward. They ate dinner by the door and chatted about gossip.
Just after Chen Jiaojiao left, Zhou Jinbei replied to her.
"You finally saw the message. My second brother developed pneumonia from a fever."