Yan Shouyi had once heard a saying: Train stations witness more sincere kisses than wedding venues, and hospitals listen to more prayers than churches.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi felt the truth of that statement deeply.
The hospital was filled with busy family members of patients, their faces weary. They numbly paid bills, queued up, and hoped for a continuation of life.
As for the patients lying in their beds, the light had vanished from their eyes. They were merely lingering on, lacking even the strength to struggle.
Yan Shouyi was grateful that when his grandfather passed away, the grandfather and grandson had returned to their old house in Chenjia Village, and his grandfather had passed away peacefully, without suffering too much.
"Chen Dawei's ward is just ahead," Huang Hai said, leading the way and pointing towards the turn.
However, before they reached the corner, the three of them heard a commotion.
"I told you I have money, I just need some time. My master's condition is such that if he leaves the ICU, he'll die. Aren't you doctors meant to save lives? How can you stand by and do nothing?!"
"The hospital has its rules. You've already owed three days of hospital fees. You know his condition well. We are truly unable to help. Rather than dragging this out, why not give the bed to someone who needs it?"
"Don't put it so nicely. Don't think I don't know what you're doing – you want to kick us out and give the bed to that celebrity named Dong Xi. He just scraped his skin, does that warrant an ICU stay?!"
As Yan Shouyi and the other two rounded the corner, they saw a young man confronting doctors and nurses outside Chen Dawei's ward.
Besides these two groups, a cluster of stylishly dressed young people stood in the corridor. One of them had green-dyed hair and what seemed like layers of foundation on his face. The others surrounded him as if he were a precious jewel, as if afraid he might catch a cold from a gentle breeze.
To Yan Shouyi's surprise, the young man confronting the doctors was someone he recognized.
It was Long Feicheng, his fellow unfortunate soul from last night!
Long Feicheng stood guard by the sickbed, refusing to let the doctors move it, much to their helplessness.
"Brat, if you can't pay, don't linger here. Poor ghost who can't afford treatment, go home and wait for death!"
Beside the green-haired young man, a man dressed like an agent, wearing sunglasses, stepped forward. He kicked Long Feicheng to the ground and said coldly, "Our Dong Xi is a popular star, very precious. One of his fingers is worth more than a common person's life!"
The green-haired young man, named Dong Xi, was a trending celebrity. Although only sixteen or seventeen, he had already captured the hearts of many fangirls.
He was recently filming in Rongcheng and accidentally scraped his skin on a prop. The film crew rushed him to the hospital, demanding an ICU admission. The PR team seized the opportunity to promote Dong Xi's professionalism and dedication.
However, the hospital beds were full. Only Long Feicheng was behind on payments. So, Dong Xi's agent spent a little money to bribe the hospital director, who then ordered Long Feicheng and his group to be evicted.
And thus, the current scene unfolded.
Knocked to the ground, Long Feicheng, enraged, spat curses, "You scoundrel, you dare to kick me? I'll fight you!"
"This is a society governed by law. If you dare to lay a hand on me, believe it or not, I'll hire a lawyer to sue you, and you'll end up in jail for life!" the agent sneered coldly.
The furious Long Feicheng suddenly calmed down. If he acted impulsively now and was arrested, who would take care of his master?
He forced himself to suppress his anger and got back up, gritting his teeth. "It's just money, I'll get it. I won't owe you a single cent, but as long as I'm here today, no one will get my master out of this room!"
With that, Long Feicheng blocked the ward door with his body, guarding the sickbed tightly, preventing anyone from approaching.
The green-haired youngster, Dong Xi, showed impatience on his face. "Hurry up and kick them out. My wound will heal by the time you finish. If I can't take a picture then, how will my fans feel sorry for me?"
Upon hearing this, the agent gave a firm order: "Get them out of here!"
The film crew members surged forward, attempting to force their way into the ward. But Long Feicheng's thin frame, at this moment, seemed like a sturdy wall, blocking them all.
Just as Long Feicheng was about to be overwhelmed, Yan Shouyi appeared. He grabbed one of the men and, without a word, tossed him backward. The film crew members were all tall and strong, but in front of Yan Shouyi, they were as easy to handle as lifting little chicks.
"The ward should be occupied by those who need it. We will cover whatever money is owed. But if you intend to force your way, don't blame me for being impolite!" Yan Shouyi's voice was cold.
The film crew members who were thrown to the ground looked at each other, wondering who this burly, rustic fellow was who spoke with such arrogance.
Long Feicheng looked up, recognized Yan Shouyi, and exclaimed with surprise, "Brother! What are you doing here?!"
Yan Shouyi asked without turning his head, "The fortune teller you mentioned last night, who taught you your skills, is his name Chen Dawei?"
"Yes! How did you know? Did you divine it?" Long Feicheng asked, puzzled.
"We'll talk about that later."
Yan Shouyi looked at the green-haired youngster, Dong Xi, and said, "If you're not sick, you should spend less time in hospitals. Hospitals are places where life and death cycle. The yin energy is very heavy. You are already yin-dominant and yang-deficient. Coming to the hospital again will cause you to fall ill even if you're not. Moreover, those unclean things love to cling to people like you with weak yang energy."
Dong Xi was immediately enraged. He put his hands on his hips and yelled, "Who are you calling yin-dominant and yang-deficient?!"
"I'm talking about you, you effeminate person, with a rotten backside!" Long Feicheng added for good measure.
This infuriated Dong Xi. Although I like to wear makeup, choose pretty clothes, and speak in a feminine way, I am definitely not a sissy!
As they spoke, both sides were on the verge of a physical confrontation. Huang Hai and Zhou Yuquan quickly stepped in as mediators.
"Stop arguing, stop arguing. For our sake, let's just let this matter go!"
Dong Xi cast them a disdainful look and said sarcastically, "Who do you two think you are to expect me to give you face?"
A flicker of anger flashed in Huang Hai's and Zhou Yuquan's eyes. They thought to themselves that this Dong Xi was really ignorant.
Then, Zhou Yuquan said slowly, "You are a celebrity, so you should know Mr. Tong. Mr. Tong is our senior disciple."
"Mr. Tong?"
Dong Xi was startled, then seemed to recall something, and took a step back in fear.
He quickly said, "So you are fellow disciples of Mr. Tong. I misjudged. I won't pursue this matter today. We'll be leaving now, we're leaving..."
The film crew looked bewildered, not understanding who this Mr. Tong was that could make someone as arrogant as Dong Xi instantly back down.
Only Dong Xi's agent knew the full story, and his reaction was identical to Dong Xi's.
Mr. Tong was a well-known figure in Rongcheng's entertainment industry!
After all, people in the entertainment industry were even more superstitious than those in engineering.
If you don't believe it, look at their opening ceremonies for movies and TV shows – don't they always choose auspicious dates to burn incense and worship Buddha, and give red envelopes to the crew to ward off evil?
In the entertainment industry, celebrities were particularly superstitious. Many celebrities consulted masters for their fortunes, and some even traveled to Southeast Asia to find sorcerers for amulets and to raise ghostly companions!
Mr. Tong was one such practitioner. Not only were his methods remarkable, but his connections within the entertainment industry were also powerful.
If provoked, a small fry like Dong Xi could be completely ruined overnight.
That's why Dong Xi and his entourage quickly surrendered, packing their bags and leaving without another word. Before leaving, they didn't forget to settle Chen Dawei's outstanding bills and even added an extra ten thousand yuan.
Seeing their reaction, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but say, "What evil deeds has your senior disciple committed that even these thugs are so afraid of him?"
Huang Hai and the other two were stunned and chuckled. "Young brother Yan, you jest. Our senior disciple is a legitimate Taoist priest who is simply benevolent and well-known."
Yan Shouyi obviously didn't believe their words. Judging by the reaction of Dong Xi and his group, it was far more than simple benevolence.
However, he wasn't concerned about Dong Xi and his gang. Finding Chen Dawei was the most important thing. The unexpected bonus was that Long Feicheng was Chen Dawei's disciple.
Long Feicheng also had his own questions. "Brother, how did you end up here?"
"I came to find him," Yan Shouyi said, pointing to the unconscious Chen Dawei on the bed.
He looked at Chen Dawei. Compared to the Uncle Chen he remembered, Chen Dawei had changed little, perhaps just a bit darker and with a few more wrinkles on his face.
Chen Dawei lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, his face pale, and various tubes inserted into him. It would not be an exaggeration to say he was on his last breath.
"You know my master?" Long Feicheng asked.
Yan Shouyi nodded. "He was a good friend of my father..."
"That's great!" Long Feicheng clapped his hands. "My master and your father are good friends, which means we are destined to be good brothers! We've even been to jail together, which in ancient times would be a life-and-death bond. From now on, you are the elder brother, and I will be the younger brother. We don't ask to be born on the same year, month, and day, but we ask to die on the same year, month, and day! Brother, please accept your second brother's bow!"
Yan Shouyi said softly, "You probably wouldn't want to die on the same year, month, and day as me, because I don't have long to live."
Because Yan Shouyi deliberately lowered his voice, Long Feicheng and Huang Hai and Zhou Yuquan didn't hear him very clearly.
Yan Shouyi walked around Chen Dawei's bed, frowning, and asked, "What happened to him?"
Mentioning this, Long Feicheng couldn't help but show sadness. "He fell from the fourth floor while working. After being sent to the hospital, he's been in a coma."
"Was that a work-related injury?" Huang Hai interjected.
Zhou Yuquan was surprised. "Fortune tellers have employers? I've never heard of fortune telling being this dangerous."
Long Feicheng scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. "No one believes in fortune telling anymore, so my master took a job as a security guard at a school. He fell off the building while patrolling at night..."
Everyone was speechless.
But then again, with the popularization of nine-year compulsory education, ordinary people truly no longer believed in feudal superstitions. Instead, it was some people in high society who knew the secrets and remained steadfastly convinced.
Furthermore, it was also because, in the past fifty years, the world had become a chaotic mix of fish and dragons, with countless charlatans and swindlers tarnishing the reputation of fortune telling, leading it to its current state.
Suddenly, Yan Shouyi took out the wooden bird, held it to his ear, and listened for a moment. Then, his brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice,
"The reason Uncle Chen is in a coma is not because of his injuries, but because he has—lost his soul!"