Jiang Ye was gravely injured, on the brink of death.
I carried Jiang Ye and ran swiftly towards the shore.
Our phones were both soaked, rendering them useless for calls.
We had to find a way to flag down a car on the main road and head to the hospital.
Old Mo and I moved quickly, reaching the roadside highway in no time.
However, it was already very late, and the road along the river was pitch black.
Not a single car could be seen, let alone a soul.
I glanced around with Jiang Ye on my back, finally choosing a direction and then started running.
"Jiang Ye, hold on," I said, my voice strained as I carried him.
Despite his severe external injuries and profuse bleeding,
Jiang Ye was tough. Leaning against my back, he managed to stammer,
"I... I won't die.
Xiao Xitian told me my fortune, said I'd live a long life..."
Jiang Ye spoke weakly, clinging to life.
Neither Old Mo nor I knew who Xiao Xitian was.
But one thing was clear: if Jiang Ye's condition worsened, he would indeed be heading to the Western Heaven.
The only sounds along the riverside road were our footsteps and ragged breaths.
We ran for a considerable distance, but no cars passed by.
Several cars were parked sporadically by the roadside.
There was no choice but to keep running forward.
Just then, however, a beam of headlights appeared behind us.
Old Mo and I instinctively turned our heads.
As we looked, we saw a car approaching not far from the riverside road.
Seeing the car, I quickly said to Old Mo,
"Old Mo, quickly flag down that car."
Old Mo grunted in agreement and didn't hesitate.
He stood directly in the middle of the road and began waving,
"Driver, stop! Driver, stop!"
The car soon reached us and came to a steady halt.
Before Old Mo and I could step forward to ask for help,
a head emerged from the driver's window.
It was a young woman, but obscured by the strong headlights, neither Old Mo nor I could see her clearly.
We only heard the woman say,
"Get in!"
Upon hearing that voice, Old Mo and I both felt a jolt.
The voice was so familiar.
It sounded like Chu Yue?
"Chu Yue?" I asked, confused, and hurried forward a few steps, moving out of the headlight's glare.
Upon closer inspection, I was greatly surprised.
It was indeed Zhang Chu Yue.
"Chu Yue. What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice filled with surprise.
"That's great, it's Chu Yue," Old Mo exclaimed excitedly, rushing forward to open the car door for me.
Chu Yue then explained,
"Didn't we plan to watch a movie today?
You said you were busy, so I went by myself.
After the movie, I didn't go home. I thought you were handling business over here,
so I drove over to take a look.
Who would have thought I'd run into you both."
It was truly fortunate. I never imagined a casual remark from the daytime would lead Chu Yue to drive this way.
Her arrival was timely; she could now give us a ride.
"Chu Yue, quickly drive to the hospital," I urged, carefully helping Jiang Ye into the car.
Jiang Ye's blood had stained me,
and his face was extremely pale.
Chu Yue saw this and didn't hesitate.
She stepped on the accelerator and drove directly towards the hospital.
"Qin Ze, how did he get such serious injuries? Was it the strange entities?" Chu Yue asked as she drove.
I nodded,
"Yes, it was the river spirits that injured him."
"Then... were the river spirits dealt with?" Chu Yue inquired further.
Before I could answer, Old Mo interjected,
"They were, but it was a close call.
We almost died in the river too..."
Chu Yue listened, her heart pounding, glancing at Old Mo and me in the rearview mirror.
As she drove, she asked a few more questions.
Chu Yue knew what we did,
so Old Mo and I didn't hold back much, giving her a general account of what happened.
Chu Yue listened, her face paling with shock.
She hadn't expected Old Mo and me to endure another life-and-death battle in the river.
However, she was also relieved that Old Mo and I were unharmed.
As we spoke, we had already arrived at the hospital entrance.
Carrying Jiang Ye on my back, I went straight into the hospital.
Given Jiang Ye's condition, he was immediately taken to the emergency room.
The doctor was aghast upon seeing him,
stating that surgery and a blood transfusion were urgently needed.
He also asked how Jiang Ye was injured.
Old Mo, with his quick tongue, instinctively replied that he was injured by a ghost.
The doctor looked at us strangely.
Although it was the truth, it was clearly not something we could say.
Finally, we made up an excuse, saying he accidentally fell into the water while repairing a paddle, and was injured by the paddle's metal edges and rotten wood in the river.
The doctor seemed skeptical but didn't press further.
He simply asked us to register, fill out forms, and pay the surgical fees.
Old Mo and I hadn't brought our cards, and our phones were unusable.
We had no money to pay at that moment.
It was Chu Yue who rushed over and paid for everything.
Without payment, they wouldn't perform the surgery.
But with the surgical fees covered, Jiang Ye was quickly wheeled into the operating room.
Seeing my worried expression, Chu Yue comforted me,
"Qin Ze, don't worry. This uncle will be alright."
"I hope so," I replied wearily, leaning back in the chair.
Although I had only known Jiang Ye for a single day,
we were both in the same line of work and had faced a life-and-death struggle together.
Jiang Ye had guarded the river for decades, protecting countless lives,
and had even saved my life before.
A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.
Seeing Jiang Ye so gravely injured, I couldn't just stand by and watch him die.
Chu Yue patted my shoulder and said nothing more.
After about two hours,
the doctor emerged.
Seeing the doctor appear, Old Mo and I immediately crowded around, asking about Jiang Ye's condition.
The doctor calmly replied,
"Family members, please do not worry. The surgery was very successful.
The patient's vital signs are stable.
Although the wounds are large, no arteries were damaged. They have been completely sutured.
He is currently receiving a blood transfusion.
Once the transfusion is complete, the patient can be moved out.
As long as there are no infections later on, there will be no major danger..."
The doctor spoke professionally, providing us with updates on Jiang Ye.
Only then did Old Mo and I breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, if Jiang Ye hadn't held back that malevolent spirit during the sinking of the boat tonight,
Old Mo and I would never have had the chance to reach the shore.
We would have died in the river long ago.
In other words, Jiang Ye had saved both our lives.
Hearing that the surgery was successful and his vital signs were stable, Old Mo and I were naturally overjoyed.
We both exhaled long sighs of relief.
Chu Yue also smiled,
"Now you two can rest assured, right?
You must be tired. I've booked rooms for you at the hotel next door, so you can go and rest.
I'll stay here!"
Upon hearing this, I shook my head repeatedly,
"How can we do that?
Jiang Ye's situation has already troubled you enough."
"Yes. Old Qin and I can manage.
Chu Yue, you should go back first.
We'll pay you back for the advance you paid for the medical fees.
And cancel the booked rooms so you don't waste the money," Old Mo added.
Chu Yue tilted her head,
"Can you really manage?"
I nodded seriously,
"Yes, you should go back first. I'll ask you out again later."
Chu Yue paused for a moment, then nodded,
"Alright, I'll wait for your call."
I smiled and hummed in response.
Then, Chu Yue made a gesture of calling me,
and with her Lv small leather bag on her shoulder, she turned and left the hospital.
Watching Chu Yue's retreating back, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Chu Yue was truly wonderful.
Beautiful and kind-hearted, diligent in her work, and from a wealthy family.
As I was contemplating this,
Old Mo waved his hand in front of my eyes,
"What are you doing?
She's already far away, still looking?
Are you, boy, falling for her?"