Fortunately, the phone call came in time. Half an hour later, she would have arrived at the West District Research Institute.
An hour and a half later, Meng Jingwei finally arrived by the Luosang River. She drove her SUV slowly along the riverside but saw no one.
After driving for another ten minutes, Meng Jingwei finally spotted two figures not far away.
She stopped the car by the roadside, braked, pushed the car door open, and stepped out. However, her footing was unsteady, and she fell directly to the ground.
Seeing this, Qing Muye rushed over, instinctively knelt on one knee, and pulled the woman who had fallen to the ground into his embrace. "Awei!"
Held tightly in his arms, Meng Jingwei also reached out and hugged him tightly. Her cheek rested against his chest, feeling his warmth, his scent filling her senses. Everything felt so real.
"Do you know... I... I thought when I saw you again, you would have forgotten me." Her voice choked with emotion, tinged with a resilient strength.
Qing Muye gently stroked her hair. "You are my wife, how could I forget..."
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Jingwei said again, "But I was more afraid, so afraid I would never see you again in this life."
As she spoke, tears uncontrollably welled up in Meng Jingwei's eyes, falling like rain. She sobbed, burying her face in Qing Muye's embrace.
Qing Muye patted her back, his gaze fixed on the nearly wrecked sedan in front of them. His heart sank deeper and deeper.
He pushed Meng Jingwei away, cupping her face in his hands. He looked at the wounds on her forehead, cheeks, chin, shoulders, and legs. She was bruised and battered all over, utterly broken.
"How did you get so injured?"
From the moment Qing Muye saw Meng Jingwei, his tightly furrowed brow had not relaxed.
"It's nothing, just minor injuries."
Meng Jingwei shook her head.
Qing Muye stood up and helped Meng Jingwei to her feet. As she straightened, she realized her entire body ached, every inch of her throbbing with pain.
Looking down, her khaki-colored clothes were stained with a lot of blood, and the fabric at her knees was torn.
She had no idea how her clothes had ripped or how much she was hurting.
Qing Muye's eyes gradually reddened, his handsome face etched with heartache and tenderness.
She was the one he cherished above all else, and seeing her so injured now, Qing Muye felt not only heartache but also a profound sense of rage.
Tang Si, standing nearby, was deeply moved by the scene.
Ever since he had known Meng Jingwei, this woman had surprised him time and again. Now, seeing her covered in wounds, driving a nearly defunct car at breakneck speed to get here, he felt nothing but admiration.
Tang Si wanted to praise Meng Jingwei but hesitated to interrupt their sweet moment, choosing instead to stand aside and watch them.
Suddenly, Tang Si began to miss Shi Ran.
From the moment he came ashore, he had been calling Shi Ran, but no one answered.
He wondered how Ran Bao'er was doing now.
A moment later, several more cars arrived. Qing Muye bent down and carried Meng Jingwei into the car. Tang Si sat in the passenger seat, and they turned back.
On the road, Qing Muye kept Meng Jingwei on his lap. Meng Jingwei felt a little embarrassed. "Put me down."
As she spoke, her peripheral vision caught sight of Tang Si and the driver in the front.
Tang Si turned around and smiled. "Oh, come on, it's not like we haven't seen you two being affectionate. What's a little more?"
"Tang Si is right."
Qing Muye held her, pressing her head against his shoulder. "Lean on me and rest for a while."
"Okay."
Meng Jingwei was indeed very tired. She leaned against Qing Muye and soon fell asleep.
Qing Muye initially thought Meng Jingwei had fallen asleep because she hadn't slept the night before and was exhausted.
However, upon arriving at Yipin Ju, he realized that Meng Jingwei wasn't just asleep; she had fainted.
He reached out and patted Meng Jingwei's cheek. "Awei? Awei? Wake up?"
Despite his repeated calls, Meng Jingwei showed no reaction.
Qing Muye immediately instructed the driver, "Head to the hospital right away, quickly!"
"Yes, boss."
The driver turned the car around and immediately sped towards the nearby East Street Hospital.