Chapter Sixty-Seven: Zhuo Nan’s Injuries

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The scene was vivid in her mind. When the criminal switched the gun from his right hand to his left, it was not aimed at Zhuo Nan, but at her, Ziyi Dongfang. In that moment, Ziyi Dongfang understood that her fate resembled that of a bodyguard—her end would come in the line of duty.

Yet, miracles truly exist. Just as the criminal was about to pull the trigger, the boy met her gaze. Almost in the same instant as the gunshot, the boy’s left hand drove two fingers deep into the assailant’s eyes, and he threw himself across the muzzle, shielding her with his own body.

The boy’s eyes haunted Ziyi Dongfang’s thoughts—those dark, clear eyes, so pure, so free of ulterior motives as he looked at her.

The light above the operating room door flickered off with a soft chime. The doctor and nurses emerged. Wen’gang Zhuo and Liru Wang rushed over, blocking the doctor’s way. “Doctor, how is my son?”

The doctor removed his mask, exhaustion written over his face. “We’ve extracted the bullet. It missed his heart by only two centimeters—an unfortunate stroke of luck, but luck nonetheless. The patient is not out of danger yet. We’ll be transferring him to the intensive care unit for observation. Please rest assured, we will do everything in our power…”

Hearing this, Liru Wang’s legs gave out; she collapsed to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. She herself could not tell whether her tears were from joy or grief.

Wen’gang Zhuo crouched to embrace her, tears streaming down his face as he choked out, “Liru, Nannan is fortunate—he’ll pull through.”

Ziyi Dongfang, watching from a distance, could not hold back her tears. She walked over, bowed deeply, and said, “Thank you—thank you. Your son saved my life.”

Wen’gang Zhuo looked up and replied softly, “You don’t need to thank me. If he wakes up, thank him yourself.”

Ziyi Dongfang could find no words—she could only nod in silence.

Meanwhile, in another ward of the hospital, Zhenghao Lan sat anxiously by his daughter’s bedside. The doctors had already examined her and said she’d suffered psychological trauma and was in temporary shock. Zhenghao Lan was a seasoned statesman, and though he didn’t know the exact relationship between Zhuo Nan and his daughter, judging by Qian Lan’s state, it seemed to be something out of the ordinary.

Qian Lan’s eyes flew open. Her first words were, “Zhuo Nan—where is Zhuo Nan?”

“Qianqian, Qianqian, it’s Dad. How are you feeling?” Zhenghao Lan was overwhelmed with relief to see her awake.

“Dad, where’s Zhuo Nan? I want to see him…” Qian Lan ignored her own condition, her heart wholly preoccupied with Zhuo Nan.

“He’s in surgery, fighting for his life… Qianqian, what is your relationship with Zhuo Nan?” Zhenghao Lan asked gently.

“Dad, please, don’t ask. I need to see him.” She started to climb out of bed, even though an IV was still in her arm.

Qian Lan ripped the needle out herself. “Qianqian, what are you doing? The doctor said you need to rest!” Seeing his daughter so indifferent to her own health, Zhenghao Lan’s heart ached.

“I’m fine, Dad. Please, hurry—take me to him, now…” Qian Lan begged. All that mattered to her was Zhuo Nan. She realized she’d been deliberately avoiding her feelings, but at the first sign of danger to Zhuo Nan, she could only think of staying by his side. She could not lie to herself anymore—she was deeply in love with this boy seven years her junior.

Zhenghao Lan had never seen his daughter so agitated and hurried to comfort her. “Alright, alright, I’ll take you to him now—but promise you’ll take care of yourself.”

Qian Lan nodded firmly. Zhenghao Lan immediately asked the police at the door to escort them to the operating room.

When Qian Lan arrived and saw the family of three sitting on the floor, sobbing in despair, her legs nearly gave way. She steadied herself against the wall, tears streaming down her face, her heart bleeding: “Zhuo Nan, you can’t die. You can’t leave me. I don’t care that you love us both. I’m willing to share you with Xin Xin. Do you hear me, Zhuo Nan?”

“Liru…” Qian Lan called out, her voice thick with tears, halting the family’s wailing. But as Wang Liru cried out, “Qian Lan…ugh…” Qian Lan could no longer restrain herself. She rushed to Wang Liru, and the two women clung to each other, sobbing bitterly.

From behind, Zhenghao Lan, who’d never seen his daughter so heartbroken, quietly wiped his eyes. At that moment, Yuyan Dongfang noticed him, approached, and greeted him politely, “Secretary Lan, I’m Yuyan Dongfang. The old master is already on the plane.”

Zhenghao Lan was startled, but quickly regained his composure. He shook Yuyan Dongfang’s hand, then released it with an apologetic smile. “Miss Dongfang, I’m terribly sorry for what happened in Deqing City. I regret that you and your family had to suffer such a shock.”

Yuyan Dongfang’s expression was grave. “No need to blame yourself, Secretary Lan. No one wished for this. If not for that young man, my lady would not have escaped unharmed. The Dongfang family will never forget his kindness.”

Zhenghao Lan understood well the power of the Dongfang family, who wielded influence in the military, political, and business spheres alike. If they were truly grateful, and if the young man survived, his prospects would soar.

“But Secretary Lan,” Yuyan Dongfang continued, “the old master insists this matter be handled with utmost care.”

He understood the implication, and responded at once, “Miss Dongfang, rest assured—there will be no leaks about this incident.” Yuyan Dongfang nodded in satisfaction.

Upon seeing Qian Lan, Ziyi Dongfang’s first impression was that the policewoman was as beautiful as herself. Hearing her call Wang Liru “sister,” she thought, “Perhaps she’s a family friend of Zhuo Nan’s parents.”

After a while, Qian Lan asked, “Liru, how is Zhuo Nan?” Wang Liru, her voice choked with sobs, replied, “The doctor just came—he said the bullet was removed, but he hasn’t woken up yet. Qian Lan, why is Nannan’s fate so hard?”

Hearing this, Qian Lan was relieved. As long as the bullet was out, the worst had passed—at least his life was safe. She made a silent vow: “Zhuo Nan, no matter what happens to you, even if you never wake up, I’ll stay by your side…”

Just then, the measured sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Ziyi Dongfang’s bodyguards tensed, then relaxed when they saw who was coming.

“Secretary Lan, you’re here too. The National Security Bureau will now take over security here. We also need Zhuo Nan’s family to cooperate with our investigation.”

Anger flashed across Zhenghao Lan’s face. He replied curtly, “You can take over security, but why must you take away the patient’s family? The child hasn’t even woken up—aren’t you going too far?”

The man leading the group had been at the crime scene earlier. He replied indifferently, “Secretary Lan, I understand how you feel, but I’m just following orders. I hope you’ll cooperate.”

He didn’t even bother to use a polite form of address with Zhenghao Lan, clearly acting superior.

Qian Lan had already been fed up with the National Security Bureau’s arrogance at the scene. Now, seeing them throw their weight around here, she exploded with fury: “Who do you think you are? A bunch of shady thugs! The victim hasn’t even woken up and you want to take his family away—are you even human?”

To Zhenghao Lan’s surprise, he didn’t stop his daughter from venting her anger.

The National Security Bureau agents were not to be trifled with. One of them pointed at Qian Lan and barked, “What are you trying to do—interfere with our investigation? Can you bear the consequences?”

The atmosphere was electric with tension until Yuyan Dongfang stepped forward. “Director Zhou, the patient hasn’t woken yet. Why not question the family here?”

The National Security Bureau could ignore Zhenghao Lan, but they dared not offend the Dongfang family. Director Zhou seized the opportunity to back down. “In that case, we’ll ask a few questions here.”

Qian Lan snorted, helped Wang Liru up, and said, “Don’t worry, Liru. It’s just a few questions—I’m here.”

Wang Liru was no longer afraid of questioning—her only concern was Zhuo Nan’s safety.

The agents began their inquiry, tracing the Zhuo family’s history as far back as possible. Though they could easily retrieve the records, protocol required them to ask in person.

After the routine questioning, Director Zhou approached Zhenghao Lan with a more courteous tone. “Secretary Lan, we’re just doing our job—following orders. I hope you’ll understand.”

Zhenghao Lan smiled faintly. “Don’t mention it.”

Director Zhou extended his hand. “Thank you for your understanding. I’ll be leaving now and will assign several colleagues to handle security.”

“Very well, I won’t see you out,” Zhenghao Lan replied without a glance at Director Zhou.

Director Zhou awkwardly withdrew his hand, turned to his men, and said, “You four stay. The rest, come with me.”

“Yes, Director,” the four replied in unison.

As the group departed, Zhenghao Lan turned to his daughter. “Qianqian, let’s go.”

Qian Lan longed to stay by Zhuo Nan’s side, but she knew her father had questions for her. She turned to Wang Liru. “Liru, I’ll go for now—I’ll come back tonight to see Zhuo Nan.”

Wang Liru nodded and wiped her tears. “Thank you, Qian Lan.”

Qian Lan shook her head wearily. She had done nothing and could do nothing.

After father and daughter left, Yuyan Dongfang approached Ziyi Dongfang. “Miss, let’s leave as well. Waiting here won’t change anything, and the master’s plane will arrive soon.”

Ziyi Dongfang nodded, glanced at the grieving Zhuo family, and turned to go. If the Zhuo family was engulfed in sorrow, her own emotions were far more complex—a tangle of joy, grief, sorrow, and confusion.

***Highly recommend a great book: “Super Memory” by VIP Chess Piece, Book Number: 79891***