A Chan – CH 088

Chapter 88: Third Rewrite (3)

Li Yunmo watched her push open the fire door and walk step by step towards the ward. Thinking that this girl was about to be swapped with Zhang Jingchan and might become a vegetable, not knowing when she would wake up, he wondered if she was even sure she would wake up in 2022. Li Yunmo felt a sharp pain in his heart, like a knife twisting in his chest. He wiped away his tears, revealing a rare resolute expression, and turned to run down the stairs.

He decided to go to the Zhang family villa now and wait for Zhang Moyun. He would hand over the recording pen to him immediately.

No one, nothing, could stop the boy’s courage and determination to fulfill the two people’s entrustment.

Zhang Jingchan’s intensive care unit was on the top floor of the inpatient department; Li Yunmo had to go down five flights of stairs. Soon, for a boy with long arms and legs, it would only take a few minutes.

Reaching the third floor, Li Yunmo heard a door open slightly. Ignoring it, he continued rushing down.

Second floor.

The stairwell was dimly lit. As Li Yunmo grabbed the handrail and leaped down the stairs, the fire door slammed open. Li Yunmo turned sharply; two masked men rushed in.

Li Yunmo froze, then sped down even faster, hopping down the twenty-odd steps in two strides. Just as his toes touched the ground, a third man rushed up from below.

Now Li Yunmo’s path was blocked. He had to take a step back, leaning against the narrow corner of the stairs, and yelled, “Who are you? Get out of the way!” He instinctively reached into his pocket and gripped the recording pen.

But the three men didn’t bother to answer. They swarmed him, easily pinning the slender boy against the wall. Li Yunmo struggled desperately, but he was no match for three strong, grown men. Like a trapped dog, his head and body were pinned against the wall, his mouth filled with ash. Only his hands could carve bloody marks into the wall.

Two men restrained him, while one began to search him.

Li Yunmo began to pant heavily. When the man’s hand reached into his pocket and took the recording pen, Li Yunmo desperately turned his head away from the man’s grasp, screaming hysterically, “Don’t take this! I can’t give this to you! Help! Someone help me!”

Someone grabbed his head and slammed it against the wall with a loud thud.

Li Yunmo was dazed and disoriented. Several more punches landed heavily on the boy’s soft abdomen. Li Yunmo struggled to resist, but he was no match for them. He was beaten severely again and thrown to the ground, this time unable to get up.

Someone then took his phone, throwing it down the stairs with a “thud,” where it smashed against the wall.

They abandoned him and were about to leave. Li Yunmo grabbed one of them by the foot, his voice weak and feeble, “The recording pen… leave it… whatever money you want, Zhang Moyun will give it to you… It’s what Brother Chan… risked his life for; he wants to save his father. Please, I promise… to my sister-in-law…”

Someone kicked him in the head, and the three disappeared rapidly into the darkness.

Li Yunmo stood there for a moment, then glanced at his watch: 11:58 p.m. Tears streamed down his face again, overwhelming self-reproach and guilt almost consuming him. But he still gripped the railing, enduring the excruciating pain, and slowly, very slowly, stood up. His whole body trembled as he slowly, bit by bit, opened the fire door that was usually so easy for him.

The sight of the blood-covered, bruised-faced boy in the corridor left the nurses and patients speechless. A nurse rushed over to help him. Li Yunmo’s eyes were swollen shut, and through his blood-blurred vision, he grabbed the nurse’s arm and said, “Help me to the elevator… the 5th floor!”

No matter how the nurse tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t listen. The severely injured boy barely moved an inch until he reached the elevator.

Fortunately, the elevator was just stopping.

The boy stepped inside but tripped and fell to the ground.

Everyone in the elevator stared silently at the frail, disheveled boy lying on the floor.

Li Yunmo whispered, “The 5th floor… thank you.”

Someone quickly pressed the 5th floor button for him.

Li Yunmo closed his eyes and silently counted in his mind: 23, 22, 21… Hurry up, hurry up.

—

After parting ways with Li Yunmo, Li Weiyi glanced at the time; there were still 4 minutes left.

She had wanted to see Zhang Jingchan one last time, even ruefully thinking that if she were to unfortunately become a vegetable, this might be the last time she saw him in the next eight years.

Or perhaps even longer.

She wondered if she should say a few words to her parents and sister, but then realized she didn’t know where to begin.

Besides, her family’s problems were all resolved, so it seemed she had no regrets.

Passing the nurses’ station, she paused, borrowed paper and pen from a nurse, and sat there, lost in thought for a while, writing two notes, neatly folding them, and clutching them in her palm.

Li Weiyi walked outside the intensive care unit. Her family and Zhong Yi were there.

“Brother Zhong Yi, Sister.”

The two looked up.

“Could you come with me for a moment?”

The three walked into an empty corridor. Li Xiaoyi’s face was still pale. She glanced at Li Weiyi, then looked to the side, her expression a mixture of resentment and an inability to truly feel hatred. Zhong Yi kept his arm around her shoulder, his gaze fixed intently on Li Weiyi.

Li Weiyi sniffed and said, “I want to ask you for a favor.” She pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to them: “If the person in the ICU doesn’t wake up tonight, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of her from now on. Whenever she wakes up, please give her this note. Please make sure you give it to her.”

Li Xiaoyi said irritably, “What other message do you want to leave for my sister?”

Li Weiyi’s tears welled up, and she said, “Please, it’s very, very important.”

Li Xiaoyi couldn’t utter another word of reproach. She turned to the side and cried too. Zhong Yi reached out and took the note, saying, “I promise you.”

Li Weiyi smiled and bowed deeply, “Thank you.”

Then she turned and hurried towards the intensive care unit; she wanted to see him one last time. At the same time, she clutched another note in her pocket, a note for this body—19-year-old Zhang Jingchan.

Only four words:

“Ah Chan, wait for me.”

Holding the note, Li Weiyi felt a sense of relief. She didn’t know how much time she had left—maybe a few seconds, maybe tens of seconds? She reached the ward, but the nurse wouldn’t let her in. She said, “I just want to see him, just one more time…” The nurse still wouldn’t let her, but seeing the tears in the handsome young man’s eyes, she froze. Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, Li Weiyi rushed inside.

“Ding—” The elevator arrived.

Li Yunmo practically crawled out of the elevator. He stared groggily at the road ahead, mentally counting down: 10, 9, 8, 7… He couldn’t go any further. It was too late; he couldn’t get help.