Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Tang Qingqing stood there in shock, unable to react for a long time.

Not only Tang Qingqing, but also Wang Heizi's parents and the team leader were stunned. What was she talking about?

"Are you sure you're not talking nonsense?"

Tang Qingqing even wondered if she had misheard.

Wen Xuelan's eyes were resolute, unwavering, as if she would die defending Zhai Hongyi.

Seeing this, Tang Qingqing knew that what she had said was serious.

This was simply too ridiculous!

"Tang Qingqing, I don't want to think the worst of you. But given how Xiao Yi is now, as his only family here, I can't just leave him alone. He has already been hurt once; I won't let him be hurt again."

Wang Heizi's mother felt something was off about these words and whispered to her husband:

"These words sound so strange."

It seemed like she was blaming Tang Qingqing for potentially harming Zhai Hongyi.

How absurd! How could such a thing be blamed on Tang Qingqing?

Usually, Wen Xuelan appeared gentle and reasonable.

She shared information not only with other educated youths but also with local candidates, yet her thoughts were so peculiar.

Even Wang Heizi's father frowned but didn't say anything.

Tang Qingqing took a deep breath and tried to reason:

"Wen Xuelan, we just don't want you to miss this important exam."

"Don't talk anymore. For Xiao Yi, everything I do is worth it."

"But this isn't something only you can do. There are doctors and nurses here, as well as the team leader and Uncle and Auntie Wang. You're neither a doctor nor a nurse, and you don't have the strength of Uncle and Auntie Wang. As a woman, you can't even help Yi Ge with his needs. What can you do by staying here?

Most importantly, Yi Ge's relationship with you is just average, and he doesn't need you to do anything for him. Sacrificing your future here will only move yourself."

Auntie Heizi chimed in: "That's right. You can't do much here. Are you worried we'll harm Zhai Xueqing?"

Wen Xuelan's gaze was sharp and full of vigilance: "No matter what you say, I won't leave Xiao Yi."

Tang Qingqing's anger rose. Logically, if Wen Xuelan wanted to stay, it was her choice, and it shouldn't affect her.

But somehow, she felt that letting Wen Xuelan stay wasn't a good idea, fearing she might cause trouble.

Though she didn't know what kind of trouble, she had an uneasy feeling.

"Wen Xuelan, are you trying to save face because you know you won't pass the college entrance exam, and thus deliberately staying to blame Yi Ge later?"

Wang Heizi's voice echoed softly. His body was in pain, and he hadn't slept properly, but he could vaguely hear everyone talking.

His mind was a bit foggy, but he was angered awake.

Seeing him trying to sit up, Auntie Heizi hurried to support him.

"Heizi, are you thirsty? Mom will get you some water."

Wang Heizi shook his head, then felt dizzy and stopped moving.

"Mom, I'm fine."

Wen Xuelan turned red with anger.

"Even if you slander me, I won't back down."

Wang Heizi rolled his eyes: "As if you were close to Yi Ge. You've never been related. You've been using Yi Ge's name outside, and he hasn't bothered to argue. Now you're using this as an excuse."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

"You know exactly what I mean. Saying you grew up together—have you ever met more than twice? You're taking advantage of our ignorance. Yi Ge didn't refute it because he's kind, lending you his name as a shield. And you took it seriously?"

Wen Xuelan's eyes were red, biting her lower lip, looking aggrieved.

Unlike Tang Qingqing, Wang Heizi continued bluntly: "I know what you're up to. You just want to stay until Yi Ge wakes up. If you miss the exam, you'll use it as an excuse to get transferred with Yi Ge's family."

"I didn't! I'm just worried about Xiao Yi! If it weren't for you, Xiao Yi wouldn't have been hurt so badly. You harmed him, and now you want to drive me away. What are your intentions?"

Wang Heizi shrugged: "If you want to stay, stay. Who cares? Do you think Yi Ge will admire you for this? If his brain isn't damaged, he'll only despise you more."

Auntie Heizi saw Wen Xuelan's face turning pale and thought her son was too harsh.

Such words could drive someone to suicide.

"Heizi, say less."

Wang Heizi didn't continue arguing with Wen Xuelan. His head was injured, and speaking made him feel nauseous.

He looked at Tang Qingqing: "Don't pay attention to her. When Yi Ge's family comes, my uncle will explain everything clearly. No one should try to take advantage of Yi Ge."

"As for us harming Yi Ge, don't believe her lies. She's just trying to sow discord between us and Yi Ge."

Tang Qingqing found it both amusing and touching that Wang Heizi, despite his injuries, still wanted to stand up for Zhai Hongyi.

"Just rest well. We can talk later."

Wang Heizi couldn't hold on any longer, closing his eyes and ignoring everything outside.

The ward fell silent, the atmosphere becoming eerily tense.

Tang Qingqing didn't plan to persuade Wen Xuelan further. If she was stubborn, there was no convincing her; if she had ulterior motives, a few words wouldn't be enough to send her away.

She only said, "Wen, everyone must bear the consequences of their choices. Others won't take responsibility for you."

Wen Xuelan bit her lower lip, her face pale, looking very fragile.

The team leader shook his head, saying nothing more.

Initially, they had meant well in their advice, but the other party treated them as enemies. Saying more would be meaningless and would disturb the patients' rest.

Tang Qingqing discussed with Wang Heizi's parents, deciding they would take turns watching over him at night. This way, they wouldn't be too exhausted and could keep watch for longer.

So that evening, she didn't stay but returned to her dormitory instead.

The next morning, Tang Qingqing rushed to the Public Security Bureau, paying for Chef Li to prepare meals for the patients.

The hospital food wasn't good, while the cafeteria at the Public Security Bureau tasted much better.

Upon learning about Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi's injuries, Chef Li immediately prepared suitable meals for them without hesitation and helped Tang Qingqing find containers to carry the food.

Tang Qingqing also inquired about the details of the case, wanting to know whether it was a simple act of revenge or something more complex.

For some reason, Tang Qingqing felt uneasy.

There had always been people wanting to take revenge on them, but such an organized attack was unprecedented.

While some criminals indeed harbored strong grudges, most acted out of emotional impulse. Even when plotting, they usually did so alone or with close friends and family.

This time, however, several criminals or their families had joined forces, deliberately choosing this moment, making Tang Qingqing suspicious.

The person handling the case was Song Weiguo, who said, "After interrogation, the main planner is a man named Yan Hu. According to our investigation, he has already boarded a train heading south."

"Yan Hu? Which case was he involved in?"

Tang Qingqing had no recollection of this person.

"He was the head of the gambling den we raided when we arrested Zhou Qiang."

Tang Qingqing frowned. "How can this be blamed on me?"

"According to the statements of the arrested criminals, Yan Hu had run that gambling den for several years. When it was shut down, he felt extremely resentful and angry. Knowing you were the catalyst, he wanted to teach you a lesson."

When the gambling den was raided, the captured head wasn't the true mastermind behind it.

The arrested individual took the blame for Yan Hu, insisting on taking all the responsibility.

Due to insufficient evidence, Yan Hu was released after a short detention.

In order to teach Zhai Hongyi a lesson, Yan Hu took matters into his own hands, attacking both Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi.

This explanation made sense, but Tang Qingqing still felt uneasy.

"Was he planning to go south all along? Otherwise, leaving home for such a minor issue doesn't seem worth it."

Though shutting down the gambling den disrupted his source of income, staying locally might have allowed him to rebuild.

But leaving without proper documentation would make life difficult and inconvenient.

"The investigation is ongoing. I'll inform you if there are any updates."

Tang Qingqing returned to the hospital with many questions, carrying the food containers.

After a night's rest, Wang Heizi looked much better, his voice louder.

Seeing the food Tang Qingqing brought, Wang Heizi was delighted, eating heartily despite his injured hand.

"Chef Li's cooking is truly amazing. Even the patient meals taste so good."

Tang Qingqing glanced at Zhai Hongyi, who was still asleep. "Has Brother Yi woken up yet?"

Wang Heizi replied, "He woke up for a while last night but then fell back asleep. The doctor said his waking up means there's nothing serious. But for safety, it's best to check him thoroughly in the city."

That was why Wang Heizi could enjoy the meal; otherwise, even the best food wouldn't have appealed to him.

Tang Qingqing looked around. "Where's Wen?"

Wang Heizi grimaced. "When Brother Yi woke up yesterday, she rushed forward. If my father hadn't stopped her, she might have hurt him. Seeing her, Brother Yi told her to get lost. She tried to say something, but he vomited on her."

Wen Xuelan's clothes were stained, and feeling rejected, she ran off.

Late at night, to prevent any mishap, Wang Heizi's father escorted her back to the guesthouse, causing quite a commotion.

Thinking about the scene, Wang Heizi couldn't help but laugh.

Tang Qingqing, however, couldn't smile, knowing that Zhai Hongyi's vomiting indicated severe aftereffects from the concussion.

"Did Brother Yi say anything else?"

"No, he was only awake for a short time and seemed dazed. Wen Xuelan was being loud and annoying, making his headache worse."

Wang Heizi thought that since they managed to escape, there shouldn't be any serious issues. They were tough and would recover soon.

Yesterday, he was in excruciating pain, but today, he felt much better, believing he would be back to normal soon.

Wang Heizi firmly believed that Zhai Hongyi would recover just like him.

And since the doctor had said there was no danger to his life, there was even less to worry about.

Tang Qingqing wasn't as carefree as Wang Heizi, but with Zhai Hongyi unconscious, she could do little more than wipe his face with a warm towel and moisten his lips with a damp cotton swab.

During this time, Zhai Hongyi woke up several times, only to fall back into a deep sleep shortly after. This made even the usually carefree Wang Heizi start to worry.

Wen Xuelan came early the next morning. She hadn't gone to take the college entrance exam; her sole focus was on staying by Zhai Hongyi's side.

However, this time she wasn't as proactive. Whenever Zhai Hongyi woke up, she wouldn't get too close, clearly still shaken by the incident where he had vomited on her.

She didn't interact with anyone else either, nor did she cause any trouble. She simply stayed quietly by his side without offering any direct care.

On the second day at noon, when Tang Qingqing returned from getting food, she found Zhai Hongyi's bed empty.

Seeing her, Wang Heizi became agitated, ignoring the IV drip in his hand and making large gestures:

"Why did you take so long? Brother Yi was taken away!"

"What? Taken away? Who took him?"

Tang Qingqing's expression changed, and she quickly put down the lunch box.

"He was taken away by an ambulance sent from the city. It must have been his family who arranged it! Wen Xuelan went with him!"

Tang Qingqing remembered seeing an ambulance with out-of-town plates pass by as she entered the hospital gates.

She rushed to the window, but the road was already empty, with no sign of the ambulance.

Tang Qingqing felt a sense of loss. "Was Brother Yi taken to a city hospital? How could it happen so quickly? No one mentioned anything before."

"Wen Xuelan secretly handled the transfer procedures for Brother Yi! She transferred him while you were away."

Tang Qingqing hadn't been gone for long. If they had followed the proper procedures, she might have still caught him.

But Wen Xuelan had everything prepared beforehand, and as soon as the ambulance arrived, he was taken away without any warning.

Wang Heizi, being a patient with an IV drip and weak body, couldn't do anything despite his protests.

He was restrained by the doctors, and the needle had become crooked, causing a large swelling on his hand.

"Damn it, I'm so angry! That woman never had good intentions!"

"Did she get the referral letter? Did she just leave like that?"

Wen Xuelan had been here all these days and should not have had time to return to the brigade for a referral letter.

"With Brother Yi's family backing her, what does a referral letter matter? They could get it done in minutes."

Tang Qingqing was still in disbelief, struggling to accept that Zhai Hongyi had been taken away. She felt it might be a final farewell.

"Brother Yi's affiliation is still with our brigade. Even if he wanted to return to the city, he'd need to come back to handle the paperwork, right?"

Wang Heizi remained silent, and both their expressions were grim.

Their unease was soon confirmed. Not long after Zhai Hongyi was transferred, someone moved his affiliation out, allowing him to return to the city.

Not only that, Wen Xuelan's affiliation was also transferred, and she returned to the city with him.

Neither of them returned to Rongshan Brigade to handle these matters. They had others help pack their belongings.

Tang Qingqing and Wang Heizi had planned to visit the city hospital, but the commune hospital's doctor said that the city hospital had sent a car to transport Zhai Hongyi directly back to his home in the capital.

While traveling to the city was possible, following Zhai Hongyi to the capital was not feasible.

Wang Heizi, angered by this, delayed his discharge by two more days due to a headache.

Tang Qingqing took special leave to return to the brigade and sought out Wang Ying, who was closest to Wen Xuelan.

"Do you have Wen Xuelan's contact information?"

Wang Ying smiled. "Even if I did, why would I give it to you?"

Tang Qingqing frowned.

Wang Ying continued, "Don't think you're something special just because you have some skills. Out there, you're nothing. I've seen many country girls like you. I advise you to know your place. Some branches are beyond your reach.

Zhai Hongyi was friendly with you because the countryside is boring. He was just entertaining you like playing with cats and dogs. Now that he's back in the city, he's in a different world."

Realizing she wouldn't get any useful information, Tang Qingqing turned and left.

Wang Ying sneered, "A few compliments and you think you're invincible. You're just a frog in a well!"