Chairman Husband, Too Boorish - 150
Chapter 150 : Who says tears are salty? They're clearly bitter!
Yan Liang had never slept for such a long, hazy period before. She knew she hadn't been feeling well; the sudden dizziness, weakness in her limbs, and persistent high fever had kept her consciousness hazy. However, she occasionally heard voices around her. There were unfamiliar voices, and familiar voices … but the familiar voices always seemed to carry a hint of repression and pain.
Was she dreaming?
Or had something really happened?
When she woke up, Yan Liang felt as if she had been reborn. She opened her eyes and found her whole body aching and weak. Even moving was difficult. She propped herself up and looked around. She was still in the hospital room, but the room was unusually quiet. She could almost hear her own rapid breathing.
She reached up to press her temples, only to realize with a slight movement that an IV drip was still in the back of her hand.
Yan Liang frowned, feeling utterly weak. She struggled to sit up, but the slightest movement triggered a violent, uncontrollable cough. Each cough felt like she couldn't breathe, her head spun, and her muscles ached ... What was wrong with her?
Although her head was foggy, she wasn't completely oblivious. She stared blankly at the IV bag above her head. Suddenly, a buzzing sound filled her mind, and a sense of foreboding instantly cleared her head. Struggling to sit up, half-sitting on the bed, she squinted, struggling to decipher the words written on the IV bag.
She didn't really understand these medications, but she roughly understood they were antibiotics. But ... wasn't she pregnant, three months along? Antibiotics ... why were they giving her these?
She felt uneasy, an unease that was like a vine, winding around her entire body, filling her with terror, fear, and a feeling of being unable to breathe ...
She moved her fingers, intending to make a call, but turning around, she found the bedside table completely empty, as if someone had deliberately tidied it up; it was spotless.
Remembering that she had asked Guan Jiu to stay in the room before she went to sleep, Yan Liang opened her mouth to call for someone, but when she spoke, she found her voice so hoarse it sounded unlike her own, "... Guan Jiu, Assistant Guan ..."
"Cough ... cough ..." After calling twice, she started coughing. Yan Liang pressed her chest, remaining quiet. No one responded, but soon the room door was pushed open, and a fully armed man entered—a man Yan Liang didn't recognize.
Seeing him wearing what looked like protective clothing and a thick mask covering his face, revealing only his eyes, Yan Liang's unease intensified.
"Miss Bai, you're awake. How are you feeling?" It was probably a doctor, approaching Yan Liang with a thermometer. "Don't move around too much, let me take your temperature."
Yan Liang looked at the thermometer being held up to her and opened her mouth to ask, "... Are you ... a doctor? What's wrong with me? Why ... do I feel so weak, and my whole body aches? Doctor ... what's wrong with me?"
The thermometer beeped in her ear. The doctor took it, glanced at it, and shook his head. "It's still 398, Miss Bai. You still have a high fever. Rest well and don't talk too much. Don't worry, we will cure you."
A persistent high fever?
What happened? Why did she suddenly become like this?
Yan Liang struggled to support herself, pressing, "... At least tell me what's wrong with me? Do I ... have a cold?"
She thought that the persistent high fever was probably caused by a cold or similar illness. Remembering the needle in her hand, she asked anxiously, "Why are you giving me an IV? Doctor, I'm pregnant. Won't this medication have any effects on pregnant women?"
"Miss Bai ..."
The doctor caring for Yan Liang was the hospital director. Given her current condition, he couldn't delegate her care and had to intervene personally. However, her question now made him realize how cruel the answer would be for this woman.
He knew some things weren't his responsibility to say, regarding the child … He thought it would be most appropriate for Liang Xi Cheng to tell her, but given her situation, Liang Xi Cheng couldn't come in. From a doctor's perspective, he knew she had the right to know about her condition. Moreover, her current wild speculations weren't beneficial; knowing the situation would allow her to cooperate with the doctors.
The dean pondered for a long time before finally saying, "...Miss Bai, I am the dean of the hospital, my surname is Wu, and I have some connection with the Liang family, so Xi Cheng is someone I've watched grow up. He's always called me uncle, so I treat his affairs as my own family's affairs. Originally, I felt it would be most appropriate for Xi Cheng to say these things to you personally. But now, your situation is very special, and he cannot come to see you, so I hope you can understand his predicament, Miss Bai."
Yan Liang was completely confused and almost angry. Frowning, she said with difficulty, "... What exactly does that mean? Dean Wu is ... What? What did you just say? Why can't Xi Cheng ... why can't he come in to see me? ... Cough, cough cough ..."
She coughed uncontrollably whenever she became emotional. Seeing this, Dean Wu quickly gestured for her to take a deep breath. "Don't worry, Miss Bai. You're a patient, and as doctors, we won't hide anything from you. But before I say anything more, I hope you—must be mentally prepared."
Yan Liang gripped the bedsheet tightly. "—Go ahead."
Dean Wu looked at her slightly yellowish face, which showed a hint of stubbornness. He wondered if she would be able to accept this outcome in a moment. He slowly slipped his hands into the pockets of his white coat, finding a thick envelope. He pursed his lips, finally saying, "Ms. Bai, I'm so sorry, you contracted SARS in our hospital. I believe you are well aware of SARS. It was truly a last resort, so your baby … had to be terminated. You are currently in isolation. My initial assessment is that, if all goes well, you should recover in about a week. I hope you can relax and cooperate with my work. I will definitely make you healthy."
—SARS …
—You should be well aware of SARS. It was truly a last resort, so your baby … had to be terminated …
—You are currently in isolation …
The whole world seemed to fall silent abruptly. Everything around her vanished, leaving only the sound of her own breathing and heartbeat, so clear, thumping in her ears, one beat after another.
Yan Liang's hands, gripping the sheets weakly, loosened, then unconsciously tightened again, repeating this several times. Slowly, she felt herself petrified, a coldness seeping into her entire body, from the inside out, leaving her completely numb.
This isn't real!
This can't be real!
She couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe it at all. How could it be? SARS … Of course she knew what SARS was, but why … why did this disease infect her? She had been in this hospital the whole time, hadn't been in contact with anyone, so why did she get SARS?
She refused to believe it. It couldn't be real, it had to be a nightmare. She was just having a nightmare. She believed that once she woke up, everything would be over. She would still be Bai Yan Liang, with a loving husband and a three-month-old baby … She was healthy; she couldn't possibly have contracted that damned SARS!
Yes, that's it!
She reached out and pulled the blanket over herself, repeatedly telling herself—wake up, she had to wake up. This was a nightmare, Bai Yan Liang, please wake up! It was just a nightmare …
Seeing her like this, Dean Wu knew she was running away, refusing to accept reality. But that was understandable; not everyone could accept such a situation.
He thought about what else to say, but what could he say? Only a few words came to his throat. As an outsider, as a doctor, he had said everything he could say, everything he could say. The rest … he'd leave to the people involved.
Dean Wu took the envelope out of his pocket and gently placed it on the bedside table before saying to Yan Liang, who was covered by the blanket, "... Miss Bai, I know you can't accept this fact all at once, but ... I hope you can be strong and get through this. There is a letter here, which Xi Cheng asked me to bring to you. Given your special circumstances, he can't come to see you right now. I think he must have a lot to say to you, and it's all in this envelope."
"... You rest well, I'm leaving now. Once the fever goes down, you'll be fine." The door clicked shut, and Yan Liang's eyes widened in terror, but she instinctively covered her ears.
Why ... why is everything so vivid in my dreams?
The words of that Dean Wu, the sound of his footsteps, the sound of him closing the door ... everything was so clear. Was it really a dream?
Even her breathing, her heartbeat, were so clear. Could this all really be a nightmare?
... A voice inside her screamed, "Bai Yan Liang, you know very well, you are awake now. This isn't a dream. You really lost your baby. You're in isolation now. You've been infected with that terrible SARS. You could die at any moment ..."
Her heart pounded violently, a numb pain slowly torturing her already shattered heart, unable to stop. She felt excruciating pain, her whole body aching. A part of her body had been forcibly ripped away. Only she knew what she had lost. But no matter how much pain and suffering she endured, she had no strength to stop this terrible ordeal …
Who will save her …
Who will help her through this terrifying darkness? She couldn't bear it alone. She had only closed her eyes briefly, but when she opened them again, she felt as if the whole world had abandoned her …
The blanket had been covering her for so long that she slowly began to have difficulty breathing. Her body was already weak, and the blanket made it even worse. Her body's instinct made her throw off the blanket and struggle to sit up. Only then did she see a white envelope on the bedside table. She remembered what Dean Wu had said earlier.
—A letter from Liang Xi Cheng?
A hazy, unsettling feeling washed over her. Liang Xi Cheng would write to her? What was written inside? Was it something he wanted to say to her?
Yan Liang thought with a hint of resentment, but what could she do even if she read it?
Everything could never be the same again. Her mother was still in the ICU, her life hanging in the balance, and she, now, had lost the most important thing in her life and contracted SARS. Perhaps there were many people in the world more miserable than her, but she was truly ... unable to control her emotions; she felt the whole world was dark.
In the empty hospital room, she sat alone on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the IV bag above her head. Tears finally streamed down her face, blurring her vision and her entire world. Then, with a violent cough, she ripped the IV bag off, gritting her teeth as she pulled the needle from the back of her hand. The movement was so forceful that it drew blood, but she felt no pain. She threw the IV on the floor, then stood up unsteadily, stomping heavily on it, as if only in this way could she find some breathing space.
However, her physical strength was too weak. Even the slightest movement made her feel like she was about to collapse. Yan Liang swayed, reaching out to grab something, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries and fell against the sofa. She sat dejectedly on the cold floor, clutching her head, and finally burst into tears.
"... Baby, Mommy is so sorry ... so sorry, Mommy couldn't protect you ... while Mommy was asleep, they took you away ... I'm so sorry ... baby ..."
Tears fell like broken pearls, pattering down her face, landing on the back of her hand. Large, silent, colorless drops, yet they stung her deeply, as if burned. Her hand trembled, and she tilted her head back, letting the tears slide down her cheeks, melting into her hair. Some reached her lips; she licked them, a bitter smile playing on her lips—
Who says tears are salty? They are clearly bitter.
***
Liang Xi Cheng rolled over, panting as he got out of bed. He rubbed his throbbing temples and frowned when he saw Guan Jiu standing silently in the entryway. "When did you arrive?"
"Just now, less than half an hour ago. I saw you were resting, Chairman Liang, so I didn't want to wake you."
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Several hours, probably." Guan Jiu stepped forward and handed Liang Xi Cheng several documents. Without wasting time, he explained, "These are the documents you asked me to investigate. Li Miao Man is confirmed to have an ambiguous relationship with Zhang Zi Yue. Zhang Zi Yue used to be Ye Sheng Ming's private doctor. Although Ye Sheng Ming has changed doctors over the years, Zhang Zi Yue's current success is all thanks to Ye Sheng Ming's efforts. This is his financial situation."
Guan Jiu pointed to one of the red folders. "Zhang Zi Yue has a Swiss bank account. I've already sent someone to investigate it. A few days ago, a huge sum of 8 million yuan was indeed transferred to his account. However, he was clever enough to use an account opened by his mother back in his hometown. It's just a coincidence that when we were investigating, we also investigated his relatives. It's such a coincidence that this over-70-year-old man had an account abroad, which is what struck me as odd. After investigating, that's probably what happened.”
Liang Xi Cheng's eyes darkened, his thin lips pressed tightly together, sharp as a blade. “Who gave Li Miao Man the money?”
“Not Zhang Zi Yue. He probably didn't know. Li Miao Man has a close friend. I sent someone to find her before. That girl was short of money, so I gave her some. She then told me everything. Li Miao Man doesn't seem to know that someone transferred 2 million yuan to her. It means that as long as she obeys and helps Zhang Zi Yue, Zhang Zi Yue will divorce his wife and marry her.”
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