Chapter 157: The Flood Recedes

In Jianghuai City, the floodwaters were gradually subsiding. After the typhoon passed, the sky was completely cloudless, and the scorching sun beat down relentlessly on the earth. The turbid waters began to recede, and firefighters along with sanitation crews cleared the blocked sewers. Once the floods finally retreated from the entire city, everyone realized just how thoroughly the city had been soaked. Vast numbers of cars were left stranded where they were, unable to move and waiting for rescue. The submerged roads revealed their true appearance, covered in layers of grimy stains. Street-sweeping trucks began to scrub the pavement, and large contingents of armed police officers, armed with brooms, set to work sweeping the ground.

Jianghuai City Central Hospital.

Ye Chen had been lying unconscious for three days and two nights. The streets outside had returned to peace, as if nothing had ever happened. Yet, who knew about Ye Chen lying there in the hospital? News of his condition was known to only a very small circle of people. Upon hearing the news, Liu Momo rushed anxiously to the hospital. The flood had destroyed her family's single-story brick home, and she had taken special leave to sort things out at home. When she received word that Ye Chen had lapsed into a coma, she immediately dropped what she was doing and hurried frantically toward the Central Hospital.

"Brother Chen!" Liu Momo rushed forward impetuously. Looking at Ye Chen lying at the head of the bed, she suddenly felt as though she had lost her spiritual pillar. In her heart, Ye Chen existed almost like her fiancé, and she had long since decided to marry him immediately after graduating from college. Yet now, Ye Chen had unexpectedly fallen into a coma, with even the possibility of becoming a vegetative state. This filled Liu Momo's heart with profound sorrow. Throwing herself over Ye Chen's body and clutching his hand, she cried mournfully, "Brother Chen, wake up quickly! Wake up and look at Momo! Do you not like Momo anymore? How can you bear to let Momo cry and grieve like this?"

Seeing Liu Momo in such deep sorrow, Li Ruo hurried over to comfort her, saying, "Momo, don't cry. Ye Chen will be fine!"

"Sister Li Ruo!" Liu Momo immediately embraced Li Ruo. The two women clung to each other, a picture of striking elegance as they wept together. At that moment, Feng Zhixiao and the others walked in one after another, carrying fruit baskets, while Xiao Er held a bouquet of fresh flowers. They had all come to visit Ye Chen. Knowing that he was in a coma, these fellows had been utterly dispirited all day, lacking even the strength to work. The Tianxian Gang had managed to secure a foothold with great difficulty; if they lost Ye Chen as their backbone, they were certain to be crushed underfoot by others before long.

"Brother Chen, wake up soon. The brothers are all waiting for you!" Feng Zhixiao stood before Ye Chen and gave him a slight bow.

"Brother Chen, hurry up and wake up! I promise you, I'll never talk nonsense again!" Xiao Er looked earnestly at Ye Chen, reached out to grip his arm, and continued, "I also guarantee that I won't chase girls anymore from now on, or if I do, I'll definitely wear protection—"

Smack...

Feng Zhixiao delivered a sharp slap to the back of Xiao Er's head, shouting angrily, "Asshole, what kind of nonsense are you spouting in front of Brother Chen?"

"Ah?!" Xiao Er was momentarily stunned, hurriedly rubbing his head and not daring to utter another sound.

"President Li, Momo, we'll be leaving first. There are still matters to attend to at the casino!" Having finished his visit, Feng Zhixiao took his leave. Li Ruo and Liu Momo both nodded. As he departed, Feng Zhixiao added, "If there are any changes in Brother Chen's condition, be sure to call me!"

"Alright, I definitely will!" Li Ruo nodded.

Once Feng Zhixiao left, only Li Ruo and Liu Momo remained in the room, lingering in an awkward silence. Li Ruo, being well-traveled and accustomed to major occasions, quickly thought of a way to break the ice. She initiated the conversation, "Momo, are you... studying at Jianghuai University?"

"Yes!" Liu Momo nodded.

"Then... are you really Ye Chen's younger sister?" Li Ruo asked curiously.

"I... am not a blood-related sister. Brother Chen has always just treated me like a sister!" Liu Momo blushed, though inwardly she chided herself for being so shameless. Brother Chen had always regarded her merely as a younger sister, but what about her? She had stubbornly and shamelessly wanted to marry him all along.

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Ruo's expression instantly relaxed as she seemed to piece certain things together. Out of curiosity, she asked, "Then... how did you and Ye Chen meet?"

"Actually, we met ten months ago..." Liu Momo told the truth. Once the two women opened up to each other, they found an endless stream of shared topics. They say three women make a market, and two women were equally capable of talking endlessly. Seated in the hospital room, they recounted everything they knew about Ye Chen. From Liu Momo's words, Li Ruo could clearly perceive how deeply the girl loved him.

Before long, evening arrived. The streetlights flickered on one by one as night fell. Three days after the flood, everything in Jianghuai City had returned to normal. At present, the most thriving industry was undoubtedly auto repair, with massive numbers of water-damaged vehicles parked at repair shops awaiting service.

On the streets, throngs of people dressed in cool summer clothes strolled leisurely.

"Momo, you should go home first. You still need to help your mother set up her stall today!" Li Ruo took Liu Momo's small hand and said, "If there are any developments with Ye Chen, I'll call you!"

"Okay!" Liu Momo nodded. She had stayed by Ye Chen's side all day, yet she had seen no sign of improvement in his condition.

Shortly after, Liu Momo left the ward with lingering reluctance. She now had a general understanding of Ye Chen's condition; if he could not wake up by tomorrow, surgery would likely be necessary. The success rate of the operation was around sixty percent, carrying a relatively high risk. Liu Momo resolved to come back and watch over Ye Chen personally the next day. After her departure, only Li Ruo remained in the hospital room.

Lin Ziwen stood outside the doorway. For the past few days, he had been the one taking care of Li Ruo. Had it not been for Lin Ziwen attending to her meals and daily needs, this delicate woman would undoubtedly have collapsed long ago. Ye Chen's coma had caused Li Ruo to forget everything else, her eyes seemingly holding only him. She guarded the hospital day and night, keeping him company.

"President Li, you should eat something!" Lin Ziwen hurried in carrying an insulated food box.

"Sigh, Ziwen, I have no appetite!" Li Ruo shook her head.

"President Li, appetite or not, you need to eat a little!" Lin Ziwen continued his earnest persuasion, saying, "If Ye Chen wakes up and sees you looking so haggard, he'll be very heartbroken!"

"Really?" Li Ruo paused, asking, "Will Ye Chen be heartbroken because I look haggard?"

"Of course!" Lin Ziwen nodded, adding, "Besides, I know Ye Chen cares very much about you."

"Is that so?" Li Ruo lowered her gaze slightly, a blush already blooming across her cheeks. Ye Chen's confession at that critical moment had deeply stirred her heart; no other confession could have moved her so profoundly. In all of Jianghuai City, the men pursuing Li Ruo were countless, including many successful individuals and even elite men from abroad. Yet their pursuits only ever filled her with disgust. Conversely, Ye Chen's declaration of feelings at the very moment danger struck had made her maiden heart flutter.

"Of course it's true!" Lin Ziwen nodded and said, "I believe everything Ye Chen did was because he loves you."

"Sigh..." Li Ruo sighed softly, saying, "But I don't know how to face this relationship. I have dissociative identity disorder, I have autism, and I have far too many psychological issues. I'm afraid... I'm afraid I'll end up hurting him!"

"President Li, loving someone is never wrong. No matter the mindset or the psychological condition, I believe that people destined for each other will eventually find happiness together in this world." Lin Ziwen hurried to soothe Li Ruo's emotions. On the surface, she was a brilliantly dazzling figure, but who knew the trauma she had suffered in America—being ruthlessly abandoned by men, having her self-respect trampled upon... For any woman, these were undoubtedly crushing blows.

"I... I don't know how to express my emotions!" Li Ruo sighed, then said helplessly, "Perhaps some people in this world simply aren't meant to find a harbor. Nor are they worthy of being loved by others—especially a man as exceptional as Ye Chen. I believe he is by no means an ordinary man; there must be some earth-shattering identity hidden beneath his surface!"

This intuition of Li Ruo's was both vivid and vague. In any case, another instinct within her told her that Ye Chen's identity was absolutely extraordinary.

Under Lin Ziwen's persuasion, Li Ruo finally managed to eat a little food. Though forced and meager, it still counted as a meal. Lin Ziwen tidied up briefly before picking up the insulated lunchbox and heading out. Li Ruo leaned back against the head of the bed, tightly gripping Ye Chen's hand as she murmured, "Ye Chen, if you truly love me, then give me some time. Once I've convinced myself, I believe I will appear before you as a completely new person!"

As she spoke, tears welled up and fell, dropping onto Ye Chen's face and striking deep within his heart.