The attending physician nodded and said, "The patient who was shot also has old injuries. The situation is very complicated. We are afraid we can do nothing!"
Jiang Tiansheng was startled, "What old injuries?"
The doctor shook his head and said, "Let me put it this way, his internal organs have all suffered severe blows. This was not caused by the shooting today. By all logic, he should have died long ago. It's a miracle he's alive!"
Jiang Tiansheng and Tang Qingying were both shocked.
They had never seen any sign of injury in Chen Fan in their daily lives.
"Can the patient wake up?"
"Of course!" the doctor said, "The gunshot wound is not serious, but his strange old injuries might act up because of it. We'll need to observe the situation further!"
...
In the ward.
Chen Fan's eyes snapped open.
Looking at the white walls and smelling the scent of disinfectant in the air, Chen Fan turned his head to the side.
A familiar figure was slumped by the bedside, fast asleep.
It was Su Yingxue.
Looking at Su Yingxue so close, he was a little lost in thought.
He couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke Su Yingxue's hair.
This simple movement pulled at his wound, causing pain.
However, he made no sound.
Having walked through hail of bullets on the battlefield and defended the nation's borders, this gunshot wound was nothing to him; it was not life-threatening.
As long as Su Yingxue was safe, any sacrifice was worth it.
Even if he were to die because of it, he would have no regrets!
Over the years, that little girl had become a light in his heart, the support that had kept him going. He would protect her at any cost.
However, he still carefully assessed his physical condition.
A look of helplessness crossed his face.
The old injuries, which he had always easily suppressed, were now showing signs of relapse due to being shot last night.
The gentle motion of stroking her hair alerted Su Yingxue. Her head tilted slightly, and she looked up.
Their eyes met, and Su Yingxue was overjoyed, exclaiming,
"Brother Chen!"
Chen Fan smiled and said, "Axue, are you alright?"
Looking at Chen Fan's gentle face, Su Yingxue shook her head in a daze.
Chen Fan's face before her was so tender, so different from the face last night that had faced bullets and fire, stepping forward without hesitation, filled with an endless killing aura.
"Brother Chen, I'm fine."
Recalling the events of last night, Su Yingxue, unable to control herself, clasped Chen Fan's hand and said, "I'm sorry. Because of me, you were so badly injured. You were so close, so close..."
As she spoke, tears began to fall again.
Chen Fan smiled and said, "What's the big deal? I told you, I owe you too much to ever repay. For you, a little injury like this is nothing."
"Just Jiang Shaolong wanting my life? Does he think he's worthy?"
Su Yingxue's tears flowed even more freely. "Brother Chen, why are you so good to me? Why do you keep sacrificing for me? How can I ever repay your kindness?"
"Repay what?" Chen Fan laughed. "I told you, it's me who owes you."
Mentioning this again, Su Yingxue shook her head and said, "Where do you owe me anything? It's me who owes you countless things!"
From that incident at Emperor's Club, to being kicked out by the landlord, then the Crescent chain, and last night's hostage situation.
Time and again, in the most critical and dangerous moments, this man had always appeared first, rescuing her from dire straits.
Time and again, when she was most helpless, this man had always been so reliable, willing to give his all for her.
Her heart was not made of iron; how could she not feel anything, not be moved?
"What I owe you, perhaps you don't remember!"
Chen Fan said softly, "Perhaps you've forgotten. Fifteen years ago, in a dark, small room, a boy was helpless and despairing, only knowing how to cry. It was you who comforted him, led him out of that hellish place, and escaped to safety!"
He spoke with a faraway look, a sense of emotion in his heart.
Once the matters in Hangjiang were settled, it would be time for him to leave.
Despite his deep reluctance, the time to depart had indeed come.
In fact, many dangers had been brought to Su Yingxue by him. Especially this time, Jiang Shaolong had sought revenge against him, and Su Yingxue had been implicated.
He had already decided to leave, but he ultimately wanted to see what kind of "him" was in Su Yingxue's heart, which was why he had stayed.
Now that he had made up his mind, he would leave Hangjiang as soon as his injuries healed.
Who knew that as soon as he spoke, Su Yingxue's body trembled, and she looked at him in disbelief.
She clutched Chen Fan's hand tightly, so much so that she pulled at his wound, causing him to frown slightly.
"Chen... Brother Chen, you... it was you fifteen years ago?"
Looking at Chen Fan in shock, Su Yingxue stammered.
"You remember?"
Chen Fan asked, surprised.
"I remember, of course I remember... But why didn't you say anything sooner?"
Su Yingxue said with great excitement, a look of relief and ease in her beautiful eyes, the slight hesitation in her heart vanished.
"Does it make a difference whether I said it sooner or later?"
Chen Fan shook his head and said.
"You, Chen Tianjiao, you fool, you idiot..."
Su Yingxue was exasperated, and in her excitement, she began to hit Chen Fan's chest randomly.
Even through the blanket, she touched his wound, and Chen Fan let out a muffled groan.
Su Yingxue was startled, immediately stopped, and asked with concern, "I'm sorry, Brother Chen, does it hurt? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!"
Chen Fan didn't mind and said, "You still remember my name?"
...
"Don't cry anymore, eat something. What's your name?"
"Sob, my name is... Chen... Chen Tianjiao!"
"What a majestic name. Here, Chen Tianjiao, don't be afraid. We'll be alright. We'll definitely escape and return to Mom and Dad."
"But it's so dark here, I'm so scared..."
"Don't be afraid. Come, hold my hand. We'll go through this together. Chen Tianjiao, you'll help me too, right?"
"Sob... I, I don't know!"
"Then I'll take that as a yes..."
...
"Mmm!"
Su Yingxue nodded, her eyes filled with tender affection, and said, "I didn't expect you to change your name. Brother Chen, I... Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?"
Her eyes reddened, and Su Yingxue couldn't help but shed tears again.
"Waiting for me?"
Chen Fan asked, surprised, "You've been waiting for me?"
"Wuwu..." Su Yingxue nodded, unable to hold back her sobs, and said, "Brother Chen, you're such a scoundrel! You've been by my side for so long, and you never told me? You made me wait, and you even rejected me..."
"It's not..." Chen Fan sat up.
The large movement caused his wound to ache severely, but he didn't care. He looked at Su Yingxue and asked, "Haven't you been waiting for your 'him'? He's your great hero!"
"Are you still messing around?" Su Yingxue glared at Chen Fan angrily and raised her hand to hit him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She said indignantly, "My 'him' is you!"
Chen Fan came to his senses and suddenly reached out to embrace Su Yingxue.
His wound was stretched, and blood seeped through the bandaged gauze.
But he didn't care at all.
Smelling Su Yingxue's scent, Chen Fan murmured, "I'm sorry, Axue, I looked for you for a very, very long time!"
"I never thought of myself as your hero. On the contrary, in that darkness and despair back then, you were my hero, the light in my heart, the driving force that kept me going!"
"Countless times I found myself in desperate situations, with an abyss waiting just one step back, yet I gritted my teeth and pressed on!"
"I've been in mortal danger repeatedly, yet I refused to give up!"
"Because all I wanted was to find you again, to see you again, and to marry you!"
"If you had married someone else, I would have watched you from afar, protected you, and would not have allowed anyone to bully you!"
"..."
Su Yingxue sobbed, leaning into Chen Fan's embrace, tears flowing like rain.