Chapter 134: Mo Qi's Bitter Weeping

Dai Yanglin, on the other end of the line, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "That means there is still hope. Go and arrange a room for him, and once his condition stabilizes, have him brought back for a comprehensive examination."

"I understand." Hanging up the phone, Guan Min finally relaxed, and the look he cast toward Mo Qi was no longer as sharp and severe as it had been moments ago.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Guan Min walked back and asked abruptly, then turned to Xiao Zhang. "Go outside and buy something to eat."

Xiao Zhang knew that Guan Min was intentionally sending him away to have a private word with Mo Qi. He cast a concerned glance at Mo Qi before nodding and leaving.

Guan Min set his briefcase down and sat beside Mo Qi. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What do you plan to do now?"

Mo Qi knew that Guan Min was asking whether she intended to leave with Shen Yijue or stay behind to continue filming.

After a brief moment of thought, Mo Qi replied, "I'll stay."

Guan Min looked at her with some surprise. Seeing the determination in her expression, he realized that, given her personality, this decision was quite expected.

"To be honest, I really don't like you." Guan Min was a man who handled social situations with finesse; he could greet even those he despised with a smile. But with Mo Qi, he had made no secret of his aversion from the very first time they met.

Mo Qi nodded. "The feeling is mutual."

Guan Min didn't get angry; instead, he laughed. "We really do share the same perspective, it seems. However, just now, my opinion of you has changed slightly."

Mo Qi turned her head to look at him.

Guan Min continued on his own, "Many people adore Yijue. Regardless of whether their affection is pure or not, they all share one ultimate goal: to rely on Yijue, to live under his protection for the rest of their lives, and to pass their days without a care. I used to think that even if Yijue was forcing things on you at the start, the outcome would be no different. But starting with your decision just now, I think things might be a little different."

Mo Qi turned her gaze away, staring at the floor for a long time before saying, "Believe it or not, I have never wanted to rely on Shen Yijue. Even if I am truly with him, I don't want it to be just him protecting me. You know better than I do how filthy this industry is. He may look infinitely glorious now, with no one daring to challenge him, but you have no idea how many people are waiting in the shadows to see him fall. I want to grow, to eventually stand at the same height as him. If he faces trouble, I want to be able to protect him too."

Guan Min was somewhat taken aback. He had assumed Mo Qi was at most a bit stronger than other women; he never expected her to have such thoughts. To protect Shen Yijue? While it sounded a bit laughable, the sentiment was still moving.

"Heh." Guan Min chuckled softly. "I think I understand now why Yijue can't let you go."

Mo Qi said nothing more. She had previously only wanted to avoid Shen Yijue, but the moment she saw him lying weak and broken on the hospital bed, the urge to "protect him" became impossible to suppress.

As time ticked by, the lights in the emergency room finally went out.

Mo Qi and Guan Min both stood up and hurried toward the door.

"Doctor, how is he?"

The doctor emerged first, removed his mask, and said, "We’ve managed to save him."

The heart that had been stuck in Mo Qi's throat finally settled back into place. *Thank goodness. Thank goodness. He isn't dead. He is still alive.*

A sudden sting hit her nose, and Mo Qi widened her eyes, forcing the tears back.

The doctor continued, "The patient hasn't regained consciousness yet. He needs to be moved to the intensive care unit for observation. If he wakes up tonight, he can be transferred to a general ward tomorrow morning. Which of you is a family member? Come with me to handle the admission procedures."

"I am," Guan Min said.

A nurse who had followed them out looked at Guan Min with curiosity and asked, "Isn't she the patient's wife? Are you a family member too?"

"I am his cousin," Guan Min explained.

"Alright."

Guan Min went off with the doctor to handle the paperwork.

Inside the emergency room, two nurses wheeled Shen Yijue out and transferred him to the ICU.

Mo Qi was required to shower and change into a sterile hospital gown before she was allowed into the ICU.

Guan Min had already returned, wearing a sterile garment over his clothes as well.

Once the nurse finished setting up the IV drip for Shen Yijue and left, Guan Min looked at Mo Qi with a half-smile. "Yijue's wife? You certainly have a lot of nerve."

"It was an expedient measure at the time."

"Do you have any idea how miserable things will be for you if Yijue's fans find out you posed as his wife?"

Mo Qi glanced at him wordlessly. "Smashed windows? Splashed acid? Thrown eggs?"

"The 'Imperial Guard' fans aren't that uncouth," Guan Min rolled his eyes. "But your Weibo will definitely be in an uproar."

"Then let them make a fuss. It’s not like making noise will cost me a pound of flesh." Mo Qi pulled up a chair to keep watch by the bedside, looking at Shen Yijue with a heart full of pity.

His complexion was still deathly pale, but his breathing had become steady.

Xiao Zhang arrived with food and held it up outside the glass window of the room.

Guan Min said, "I'll keep watch here. You go get something to eat."

"I have no appetite," Mo Qi shook her head, remaining seated by the bed.

Guan Min didn't press the matter and stepped out of the room. Hospitals were places with many eyes and loose tongues; there was a chance that a doctor or another patient might leak the news of Shen Yijue's injury and hospitalization. He had many things to handle.

Mo Qi reached under the blanket and gently took hold of Shen Yijue's hand, rubbing it back and forth.

"Shen Yijue, you need to wake up soon," Mo Qi whispered, leaning her head against their joined hands. Tears fell silently, trickling down the bridge of her nose and into their palms.

When Shen Yijue’s life was in danger, she had forced herself to stay calm. Now that he was out of danger, her tightly wound nerves relaxed, and only then did she feel the full weight of the fear.

The fear of losing him, the panic of the void between life and death where they might never see each other again.

Mo Qi had to admit that at some point, Shen Yijue had already taken root in her heart—he was more important than she had ever imagined.

A light touch suddenly brushed her face. Mo Qi looked up, startled, to see Shen Yijue with his eyes half-open, watching her quietly.

Mo Qi gazed back at him, and suddenly, her tears broke like a dam, uncontrollable and pouring down her face.

"I'm alright now." Shen Yijue raised a hand and gently touched her face, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.

Mo Qi gripped his hand and nodded, choking back a sob. "Mm, you're alright now." *It's alright, as long as you've woken up!*

Guan Min, who had been observing the situation from the hallway, quietly released the doorknob, unable to bring himself to enter and disturb the two of them.

After Mo Qi cried for a while, her tense nerves finally completely let go. Seeing the tears she had smeared all over Shen Yijue's hand, she suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Ahem, well, I'll go call the doctor."

Shen Yijue tightened his grip on her hand, finding her awkwardness rather amusing. "No need to go; Guan Min has been waiting outside the door the whole time."

"What?" Mo Qi widened her eyes and turned her head. Sure enough, she saw Guan Min opening the door at the perfect moment. Her face flushed bright red.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Mo Qi glared at Shen Yijue, thinking of how pathetic she must have looked while crying.

"He won't gossip," Shen Yijue offered, kindly trying to console her.

Mo Qi rolled her eyes at him and muttered under her breath, "Well, I've truly lost all face today."