70: Surgery ended

Jiang Chuan looked at the traffic jam ahead that wasn't moving an inch and said calmly, "I'll check right away. Keep an eye on your phone; I'll have them call you."

"Okay, then hurry up!"

He hung up and, without a second thought, called the most appropriate person. As soon as the call connected, before the other party could speak, he commanded:

"Old Sun, I'm giving you one minute. Give me the contact information for Zhang Linlin's parents."

"Alright!"

Sun Zhenfeng's influence in Sunset was unquestionable. In just over ten seconds, he sent over Zhang Linlin's mother's phone number without even asking why.

Jiang Chuan dialed the number immediately. Perhaps the elderly woman went to bed early, as it rang for quite a while before being answered.

"Hello, Auntie. This is Jiang Chuan."

"Ah, Xiao Chuan, what's wrong? Is Linlin throwing another tantrum?"

A very gentle woman's voice came through the receiver; she clearly didn't know the two had already broken up.

"It's like this: Linlin has appendicitis and needs surgery now. The doctor said that although it's a minor operation, a family member must sign for it. I'm sorry to trouble you."

Mother Zhang had grown up in the countryside, so she was more accepting of a minor ailment like appendicitis.

Hearing this, she said readily, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you to take good care of Linlin, Xiao Chuan. Auntie will treat you to a meal next time I go to Falling City."

"Okay, Auntie. I'll send you the doctor's phone number. Just follow his instructions."

After saying that, he hung up and sent Little Green Tea's phone number to her.

Hearing Little Green Tea's trembling voice earlier, it was clear she was quite badly injured. Not knowing how much longer the traffic jam would last, he sent a message and his location to Uncle Li, telling him to drive the car home.

He pushed open the car door and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, tossed his watch and glasses onto the seat without using the system.

He ran straight toward the hospital. Zhang Linlin had indeed helped him a lot with the matters regarding Sunset; whether her help was ultimately useful or not, he had to repay the favor.

It didn't matter if he lost his watch or glasses; people were what mattered most. Aside from Xiao Jing, there was no favor he owed that he wouldn't repay!

First Hospital

Feng Qiqi received the message from Jiang Chuan, and her clever little head understood what to do.

She sent over the electronic version of the surgical informed consent form, added her on wechat, and taught her how to operate it step-by-step.

Mother Zhang was older, after all. Her smartphone had been bought by her daughter, and she usually only used it for video calls with her; she didn't know how to use any other functions.

Fortunately, Little Green Tea was patient enough. She finally sent the signed consent form to the doctor and then ran to pay the surgery fees, until she could no longer stand.

Her earlier anxiety had suppressed the pain, but now that everything was settled, she finally felt it.

Supporting herself against a chair, she sat down and took off her shoes. Blood had already seeped through the bandages. Gritting her teeth, she peeled them off, took a band-aid from her bag, stuck it on the wound, put her shoes back on, and ignored it.

She sat on the chair waiting anxiously, feeling as if she had returned to the time when her parents passed away. It was just like then—she was all alone, sitting on a cold chair, waiting in silence.

She didn't know how long she waited, perhaps an hour, before the light above the operating room slowly went out.

Enduring the pain in her foot, she stood up and waited for the doctor to emerge from the operating room.

Soon, the doctor took off his mask and walked out, saying calmly, "The surgery was very successful. The patient's abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava were not damaged, and the blood loss was minimal. She'll wake up once the anesthesia wears off."

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much for your hard work."

Feng Qiqi wiped away the tears falling down her face, held the doctor's hand, and spoke gratefully.

Years ago, she had desperately wanted to hear a doctor come out and say those words, but every time had been filled with despair. Hearing that it went smoothly now, she felt as if she were in a dream.

"The patient has a mild concussion and superficial injuries; she appears to have been beaten. It's best to report this to the police."

"Thank you, Doctor. I understand!"

Feng Qiqi looked at the pale girl being wheeled out, still in a deep sleep. Holding her cold little hand, she followed her all the way to the inpatient ward.

The nurse gave some instructions and then left the room.

Feng Qiqi saw the nurse out and then returned to sit on the chair by the hospital bed, having completely forgotten about notifying Jiang Chuan.

Before long, the anesthesia wore off, and Zhang Linlin gradually opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the older sister who had helped her, sitting by her side and still holding her hand.

She opened her mouth, but lacked the strength to speak a coherent sentence, so she could only squeeze the other's hand firmly.

Feng Qiqi wrapped both her hands around the girl's and said with a smile, "It's okay. The surgery was very successful. After a period of observation, you can be discharged. Get some good rest."

Zhang Linlin nodded. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she saw a very familiar face through the glass of the ward door.

"Jiang... Jiang Chuan..."

Only then did Feng Qiqi remember she hadn't told him the surgery was over. Looking back, she saw him standing outside the door, even waving at her.

"I'll go tell him first. Wait for me like a good girl."

After saying that, she endured the pain and walked out of the room. She looked at Jiang Chuan, who was covered in sweat, his white shirt soaked through, gasping for breath and looking quite disheveled.

It was the first time she had seen him like this. Usually, he was the type who remained unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, or he was just being a dense guy who specialized in annoying people.

Jiang Chuan had just seen that Zhang Linlin was awake, so much of his worry had dissipated. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

Luxury Residential Area was in the city center, while First Hospital was on the outskirts. Fortunately, he had hailed a taxi halfway there; otherwise, he wouldn't have made it even by this time tomorrow.

"Call... call her mother. Tell her she's safe."

"Oh, right!"

Feng Qiqi took out her special pink handkerchief and wiped his sweat. Hearing his request, she took her phone into the restroom to tell the auntie that she was safe.

Jiang Chuan felt like his head was about to explode. There was a continuous stabbing pain and his fingers were numb; clearly, he had run too fast, and his heart was struggling to cope.

He sat on a chair and breathed steadily. It took a long while before he felt his pounding heart calm down.

Looking at Little Green Tea standing before him as well-behaved as a kindergartner, he smiled and said, "Why so quiet? Thank you for this. Sit down and tell me about it."

Feng Qiqi cautiously perched on the edge of the chair next to him. Seeing that he didn't look repulsed, she finally sat down properly and reported in a low voice:

"She had internal abdominal bleeding. The surgery was successful, and she's currently getting a blood transfusion. She's out of danger now, but she has a mild concussion and some superficial injuries, so she'll probably be hospitalized for a while."

Jiang Chuan nodded and asked with a frown, "You said she was beaten? Who would be so heavy-handed?"

"I was looking after the shop for my sister from another mother at the time when I saw people fighting. I don't know the man's name, but he's still in my shop. Should we call the police?"

"We must call the police! This is too vicious! A little longer and she would have been beaten to death!"

Feng Qiqi took out her phone and was about to call Da Zhuang when she thought for a moment and said, "Should we ask for the girl inside's opinion?"