Free Web NovelChapter 335: Chapter 335: A Knife in the Heart
’If being with Wu Sheng means Su Li still has to suffer this kind of ordeal, this kind of devastating disaster, then how can I give her up?’
’If being with Wu Sheng isn’t any better—and might even be more dangerous—then how can I possibly let her go?’
Amid the grief and agony in Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes, a flicker of determination gradually emerged.
Not daring to move Su Li rashly, Tang Yuanxiao checked her condition with trembling hands.
He found both of Su Li’s shoulders were dislocated. Tang Yuanxiao took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and calmed himself. Taking advantage of her unconsciousness, he steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and popped them back into place.
They weren’t doctors, but they were professionals when it came to treating external injuries, especially fractures and dislocations.
Tang Yuanxiao had performed this kind of task with practiced ease.
But this time, resetting the joints left him drenched in a cold sweat.
He knew that the pain of both the dislocation and the resetting was something no one could understand without experiencing it firsthand.
Even in her unconscious state, Su Li’s body trembled reflexively from the pain.
"It’s okay, it’s okay, Su Li. It’s done. The pain is gone."
His face beaded with cold sweat, Tang Yuanxiao used strips of his own clothing to immobilize Su Li’s newly-reset arms. He leaned close to her ear, murmuring gently to soothe her, stroking her hair before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
Once Su Li’s trembling subsided, Tang Yuanxiao wiped the sweat from his brow, let out a shaky breath, and gently lifted her into his arms.
"I’m taking you to the hospital. Don’t be afraid, Su Li. I’ll protect you..."
Tang Yuanxiao took Su Li to the hospital, reporting the crime on the way.
Evidence was collected from Su Li’s home, and the group of homeless men from under the bridge was rounded up and arrested.
By the time Wu Sheng rushed to the hospital and found Tang Yuanxiao, all of Su Li’s necessary surgeries and treatments were complete.
A doctor was explaining the situation to Tang Yuanxiao. "We’ve treated all the cuts and bruises on her body. The wounds on her legs have been stitched up, and her arms have been immobilized."
The doctor paused. "I examined her myself. Although she’s covered in injuries, thankfully she wasn’t... violated."
Wu Sheng arrived just in time to hear the doctor’s words. With every sentence, his heart twisted in agony.
’It was a pain like a knife to the heart.’
Tang Yuanxiao glanced at Wu Sheng, then turned back to thank the doctor. "Thank you, doctor."
The doctor shook her head, casting a curious glance at Wu Sheng before continuing. "She also sustained blows to the head, so when she wakes up, she may experience headaches, dizziness, and nausea."
Tang Yuanxiao had suffered concussions before; he knew the feeling.
He nodded, struggling to find his voice. "When I found her, something was wrong. Her whole body was rigid..."
Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t forget the hollow despair and terror in Su Li’s eyes.
The doctor sighed. "That’s to be expected. After an ordeal like this, the patient’s psychological trauma..."
This female doctor had taken over Su Li’s case partway through. The first doctor to see her had been a man, but Su Li had reacted badly whenever he approached.
The doctor considered this for a moment. "We’ll have to wait until she wakes up to be sure, but you should be prepared. This incident will likely have lasting psychological effects."
She asked Tang Yuanxiao, "What is your relationship to the patient?"
"Her husband," Tang Yuanxiao blurted out.
Hearing the words "her husband," Wu Sheng could no longer hold back and stepped forward. "Doctor, *I’m* Su Li’s fiancé."
Tang Yuanxiao’s and Wu Sheng’s eyes met. Wu Sheng’s jaw was clenched tight, and a vein throbbed on Tang Yuanxiao’s forehead. The tension in the air was palpable.
But in the end, they both forcibly suppressed their anger and looked away.
This wasn’t the time to argue about it.
The doctor looked from Tang Yuanxiao to Wu Sheng, her brow furrowed. In the end, she addressed Tang Yuanxiao, the one who had brought Su Li in.
"If possible, it would be best for a woman to care for her. Preferably someone she’s close to."
Tang Yuanxiao nodded quickly. "Understood."
Wu Sheng’s hands were clenched into tight fists. He gritted his teeth and nodded as well.
Soon, Su Li was wheeled out.
She had been cleaned up, her wounds treated, and she was now in a hospital gown.
The moment Wu Sheng saw Su Li lying there, silent and still, his legs gave out and he nearly collapsed.
In his entire life, Wu Sheng had never felt such hatred.
’Su Li... my Su Li... The woman who left me smiling... reduced to this in the blink of an eye.’
He couldn’t bear to look at her face. He couldn’t bear to look at her arms. He couldn’t bear to look at her at all.
A single glance sent a stabbing pain through his heart, an agony so intense he wished he were dead.
The police officers who had come with Wu Sheng shook their heads, their faces filled with pity when they saw Su Li’s condition.
But no matter how they felt, there was still a job to do.
Su Li was under anesthesia, and given her condition, she wouldn’t be waking up for several hours.
After Su Li was taken to her room, a guard was posted to ensure her safety.
The lead investigator on the case, Mr. Zhang, found the family members to ask about the events preceding the attack and to brief them on the investigation’s findings.
In a borrowed office, Mr. Zhang looked at the two men sitting before him and rubbed the corners of his eyes.
"So, which one of you is the family?"
"I am. I’m her fiancé."
"I am. I’m her husband."
Wu Sheng and Tang Yuanxiao spoke at the same time.
Mr. Zhang stared at them, saying nothing.
Tang Yuanxiao closed his eyes and clarified, "I’m her ex-husband. The father of her child."
Wu Sheng pointed to the ring on his finger. "I’m the fiancé. This is our engagement ring. The child this ’ex-husband’ mentioned is currently with my mother."
Mr. Zhang said, "...One at a time. Before the incident, which of you was with Su Li?"
"I was. I was with her," Wu Sheng answered immediately.
"Tang Yuanxiao, please step out for a moment. We need to get some information from Wu Sheng first."
Mr. Zhang had already checked their IDs and confirmed their identities. After speaking with them separately, he realized neither man was going to leave and that both were involved parties, so he didn’t insist on speaking to just one of them.
He called both men back in. Mr. Zhang then concisely summarized the results of their initial investigation.
"After we received the report, we split into two teams. One went to the underpass, the other to Su Li’s home."
"Based on your statements and our findings, this is a rough timeline of what happened..."
The investigators’ reconstruction of the crime matched Su Li’s ordeal. "...The homeless men are now in custody. We’ve collected their statements, and they are receiving necessary medical treatment."
"Based on the leads from them, as well as the information you provided, our target is now the suspect in the white car."
"This suspect is the perpetrator who assaulted the victim and then drove her to the underpass, leaving her with the homeless men."
Mr. Zhang looked at Wu Sheng. "We’ve already sent officers to investigate the person of interest you mentioned earlier."
Even though it was the middle of the night, the investigation was proceeding without delay.
The veins stood out on the back of Wu Sheng’s hands. He gave a stiff nod.
"Now, all we can do is wait for the victim to regain consciousness. Her testimony will be crucial."
Mr. Zhang concluded.
A few hours later, just before the break of dawn, Su Li began to stir.
However, it was less a gentle awakening and more being violently jolted from a nightmare.
