TIMO - Chapter 81
Chapter 81
The surrounding space transformed rapidly.
The silent, dim wooden cabin instantly faded away.
Her vision opened up. The sky was dark, and a scorching wind howled past her ears. The heat rushed and collided, charging straight for her face, just like that early summer on Nanke Island.
Shi Nan abruptly snapped back to her senses from her daze.
Before her were lush green trees lining both sides of the road and a bustling crowd gathering around. The expression on everyone's face was one of panic and bewilderment.
Her hearing began to return. The clamor of voices, carried by the hot wind, poured into her eardrums.
The heat made her entire body feel feverish.
"Ma'am, excuse me... do you need help?"
"This Omega lady, what... what happened? Oh god, is... is she okay?"
Words like these entered her ears, feeling as if they came from another lifetime. As if waking from a dream, she lowered her head. Her vision was filled with red-a shocking sight of mottled stains dripping onto the ground.
The person in her arms had her eyes tightly shut. Inky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, falling onto pale skin stained with a large patch of blood. The sharp knife was still embedded in her chest. Her body, hands, and face were all covered in blood, making her already fair skin appear even paler-a sickly white from excessive blood loss.
But unlike in her memory, there was no fresh blood continuously welling up from her throat.
Fu Zhao was just lying there with her eyes closed, as if she were merely asleep.
The warmth from her arms and the faint rise and fall of the chest of the person in her embrace reminded her.
Her Fu Zhao was still alive.
Safe and sound, lying in her arms.
Shi Nan held Fu Zhao tightly, her palm gently resting on Fu Zhao's wrist. At first, there was silence, but as she calmed down to feel, she could sense a faint pulse beating from deep beneath the skin. It was weak.
But it pulsed with infinite vitality.
Her Fu Zhao was still alive.
Shi Nan realized this once again. Her head drooped. Those past memories she couldn't grasp now replayed in her mind, yet it felt as if it had all happened in an instant. The tears on her face hadn't dried; they continued to stream down, carrying a searing heat as they fell from her cheeks to the ground below.
An unstoppable sob escaped her throat.
She had returned to the starting point.
Returned to the moment of her greatest regret.
But, thankfully, she had succeeded this time.
She could confirm that her Fu Zhao had truly come back.
Full of life, brimming with vitality, she had returned to her side.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Shi Nan's mind was in a trance as she watched the ambulance arrive, watched the paramedics get out, and watched them hurriedly lift Fu Zhao from her arms onto a stretcher.
Dazed, she followed the ambulance to the hospital.
Staring at the red light of the "Surgery in Progress" sign, her fingertips turned white from clenching. She stared straight ahead, her lips pressed into a tight line.
It was like waking from a long dream, and her fingertips were still trembling.
Her whole body felt weak, devoid of any strength.
Shi Nan watched for a while, then covered her face with her still-shaking hands. Scalding tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down through the gaps between her fingers.
She cried silently.
Yet it was as if she was crying more fiercely than anyone else.
When Fu Wanqing rushed over, this was the Shi Nan she saw-hands covering her face, her slender back trembling faintly. Long hair fell over her shoulders, soaked and stained with blood.
The white dress she wore was also almost half-dyed red with blood.
It was a shocking sight.
Fu Wanqing even felt that perhaps this wasn't Fu Zhao's blood, but Shi Nan's own.
Otherwise, why would Shi Nan look so tormented?
So much so that Fu Wanqing, who had come with the intention of having a complete falling out with the Shi family, found the anger in her heart suddenly dissipating upon seeing Shi Nan in this state.
It seemed the situation wasn't as she had imagined.
Nor was it just as she had heard on Nanke Island.
Fu Wanqing's steps were heavy. In the end, she could only let out a soft sigh and sit down next to Shi Nan. Suppressing her anger, she tried to speak as calmly as possible.
"Fu Zhao... how is she?"
The familiar, gentle voice entered her ears, but it carried an uncharacteristic coldness and displeasure.
Shi Nan's fingers trembled abruptly before falling limply onto her knees. For her, this had happened eight or nine times-a constant repetition and experience, a constant cycle of gaining and then losing.
But for Fu Wanqing, who was still at this point in time, only a few hours had passed.
Except for her and Fu Zhao, everyone else was still in this moment.
One could even say that Fu Zhao was also still in this moment.
She didn't dare to face this version of Fu Wanqing.
"The doctor said..." Shi Nan stared straight ahead, trying her best to calm down. She wiped away a tear, but her eyes were still brimming with them, and her shoulders couldn't stop shaking. "It's nothing serious. The wound isn't in a dangerous location and didn't damage any vital organs. After the surgery to stitch it up, she'll recover after a period of rest."
Even after finishing her sentence, she didn't dare to look at Fu Wanqing.
After all, however Fu Wanqing treated her now would be justified.
She was the one who had harmed Fu Zhao.
Fu Wanqing said nothing more.
Shi Nan lowered her head, letting her hair fall and stick to her cheeks, still carrying the thick scent of blood.
This was Fu Zhao's blood.
Realizing this, her eyelids began to burn uncontrollably again.
Dizziness washed over her, and a dry, burning pain spread through her throat and chest.
Though it was early summer, her limbs felt as heavy and stiff as if she had lain in the snow all night.
Her vision started to blur.
The feeling of being unable to breathe assaulted her once more.
Then, a "thump" came from the seat beside her, as if Fu Wanqing had finally let out a breath of relief and leaned back.
A warm palm pressed against her back, patting her gently, one stroke after another, in time with her incredibly rapid breathing.
"The doctor already said she's fine..." The gentle voice softened considerably, as if to comfort her. "Why are you still so sad... so sad it's as if Fu Zhao is about to die?"
"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"
"No!!" Shi Nan blurted out a denial subconsciously. She turned to look at Fu Wanqing, only to meet an expression that could be described as placid.
With just one glance, she knew that Fu Wanqing wasn't blaming her for anything.
She could even be said to be comforting her.
Once Shi Nan understood this, the heat in her eyes intensified, and soon her vision was blurred by tears.
She took a moment to steady her breathing. Her throat was painfully dry, making it difficult to speak.
"She won't die. I didn't... I didn't lie to you."
"I won't... I won't lose her again. Absolutely not this time, I promise."
She spoke word by word, her eyes filled with sincerity.
Fu Wanqing's calm expression wavered slightly. Her gaze fell on Shi Nan's face, which was a mess from crying, and she couldn't help but sigh softly. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from Shi Nan's body.
On the face, ears, and hands of the person before her.
It was all Fu Zhao's blood. The blood of her Zhaozhao, whom she had watched grow from a frail child into a mature young adult.
She did blame Shi Nan.
Why was it her Zhaozhao inside, and not Shi Nan sitting out here?
Fu Wanqing had thought this, but seeing Shi Nan in such a state, she could only say that Shi Nan was hardly unscathed. She was suddenly reminded of Gu Shubai...
Perhaps, at this very moment, the person sitting outside...
...was in no more comfort than the person lying inside.
The anger in Fu Wanqing's heart subsided significantly, and her voice softened. She only asked, "We'll talk about everything after Zhaozhao wakes up. As for whether you'll break off the engagement, I think... perhaps the situation has changed in some way I'm not aware of."
"I will have a proper discussion with your mother again."
"We'll wait until Zhaozhao wakes up."
Shi Nan listened blankly as Fu Wanqing said this. She felt a light touch on her hand as the clean handkerchief wiped away some of the dried blood. Her stiff fingers seemed to regain some ability to move.
More than blame and anger, what she couldn't bear right now was Fu Wanqing's magnanimity.
Tears streamed from her eyes, falling down her cheeks.
She could no longer hold back. Hugging her knees, she broke down into heart-wrenching sobs.
She cried as if something was tearing her chest apart.
It hurt so, so much.
Then, a soft sigh sounded by her ear, followed by a soft, warm embrace enveloping her. A gentle pressure on her back patted her rhythmically.
"I'm covered... in blood..." she choked out between sobs.
Fu Wanqing was silent for a long time before speaking. "It's my Zhaozhao's blood. I don't mind."
Shi Nan froze, no longer able to control her trembling body. The pain made her very heart shudder. "I... I'd rather this was my own blood."
"I know." Fu Wanqing's tone softened greatly, as if she were murmuring, or perhaps speaking to her. "Every time I go to the cemetery to see Shubai, I wish I were the one lying down there."
"But I also know that living on with this guilt and regret is the most important thing I should be doing right now."
"You too."
"What's more, Zhaozhao will wake up in a few days. She's fine. No matter what you two went through before, having the chance to make up for those regrets now is the luckiest thing of all."
Fu Wanqing whispered in her ear, as if consoling her, and also as if consoling herself.
It was the simplest of truths.
Shi Nan understood this clearly.
She couldn't help but hug Fu Wanqing, trying to find some sense of security in her embrace, and also trying to offer some comfort to the guilt-ridden Fu Wanqing.
After all, regaining what was lost was not a common occurrence.
And she was fortunate enough to have achieved this recovery after repeated losses.
This was truly the greatest luck.
Fu Zhao's surgery was very successful, with almost no delays.
But due to excessive blood loss, she had fallen into a coma, which would likely last for two or three days.
Even after getting this answer from the doctor, Shi Nan couldn't completely relax.
So, for the few days Fu Zhao was in a coma, she watched over her almost without leaving her side.
She didn't close her eyes, nor could she eat anything.
Even when Shi Xinglan and Fu Wanqing took turns trying to persuade her, she never left Fu Zhao's hospital room, insisting on waiting until Fu Zhao woke up.
She had to know this fact the very first moment Fu Zhao woke up.
And the first person Fu Zhao saw upon opening her eyes had to be her.
If Fu Zhao, like her, still remembered the things that had happened before, that would be the best-case scenario.
If Fu Zhao didn't remember, then she would create new memories with her again, memories that would belong exclusively to their future.
None of that mattered.
As long as Fu Zhao was safe and sound, and alive, from now on, that was all that mattered.
She could work hard for everything else.
"Creaak-"
The door behind her opened, and the sound of steady, firm footsteps interrupted Shi Nan's thoughts.
Then came the sound of a lunchbox being placed on the table.
Followed by a sigh so soft it was almost inaudible.
"Why haven't you eaten much again?"
Shi Nan didn't turn her head. She stared intently at the pale, deeply sleeping person on the hospital bed and said softly, "I can't eat."
"Just because you can't eat, you won't?"
Shi Xinglan walked in front of her, her brows tightly furrowed as she glanced at Fu Zhao on the bed, then shifted her gaze to Shi Nan's haggard face. She moved her lips. "The doctor said she'll be fine, and she's recovering well. If it's just because of guilt, there's no need for you to torture yourself like this-"
"It's not."
Shi Nan quickly cut Shi Xinglan off. She finally raised her eyes to look at her mother, her tone serious. "It's not because of guilt. You know that if it were just guilt, I wouldn't be like this."
"I didn't understand before, but I do now. The reason I'm like this is because of fear-the fear of losing her."
"Because I love her. More than I ever imagined."
She said those three words without hesitation. Shi Xinglan was stunned for a few seconds, unable to process it. She didn't quite understand how Shi Nan, who had been talking about breaking off the engagement just a few days ago, was now so desperately in love.
But... that's how love is. Saying one thing but feeling another, slow to realize.
Being unaware of one's own love has always been the norm at the beginning of love.
At least, all the love she had seen was like this.
Her feelings were complicated, and she couldn't help but remark, "I remember at the very beginning, you held a knife to your own neck, saying you'd rather die than fulfill the marriage contract. And now you're acting like you'll live or die for love?"
Shi Nan silently turned her head halfway, her gaze returning to Fu Zhao's face. She reached out and gently smoothed the sleeping girl's hair, her voice very soft.
"That was a very long time ago."
"I've thought it through now, so I will absolutely not break off the engagement."
Shi Xinglan looked at Shi Nan for a moment, then at Fu Zhao on the bed, and said with a straight face, "But what if she wants to break it off? Maybe after this incident, she's become disheartened with you. What will you do if she insists on breaking the engagement?"
Shi Nan was silent for a moment. She adjusted Fu Zhao's blanket and said nonchalantly,
"Then I'll win her back. I'll pester her relentlessly. In short, I won't give up."
"Besides... I believe she won't."
Her Fu Zhao, who had been through so, so much with her, who had watched the sunrise with her, who had driven by the sea with her so many times, who had said she would always love her more than she loved back-how could she possibly forget all those things?
Shi Xinglan seemed taken aback for a moment. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"It seems you've really made up your mind this time?"
"Yes," Shi Nan replied softly. Suddenly remembering something, her gaze returned to Shi Xinglan, and she smoothly proposed her idea. "Mother, there are a few things... I'd like to ask for your help with."
"What is it?"
Shi Xinglan was stunned for a few seconds. After Ah Yan's death, Shi Nan had seemingly never spoken to her in this tone. She would just state what she was going to do, never willing to discuss it. But now, she was "asking" for help with something.
It seemed to be because of the person lying in the hospital bed.
She stroked Shi Nan's head and softened her tone. "Whatever it is, just say it."
Shi Nan lowered her eyelashes, her voice calm as she spoke. "Help me gather evidence on Lu Jingmo's illegal pheromone research, and on Shen Caiwei's illegal persecution of an Alpha."
"And Sheng Yun, please investigate him for me too. See if he's committed any crimes that could get him arrested."
"There's also a robber and murderer named Li Qiang."
Shi Xinglan paused, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. She looked at Shi Nan and narrowed her eyes. "As far as I know, the first three are your pursuers, and they're all prominent figures across the stars. It might be a bit difficult..."
"I know."
Shi Nan looked up at Shi Xinglan, her gaze trembling slightly. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath to calm herself. "After Fu Zhao wakes up... I will handle these things myself."
"But right now... I need to be here, waiting for Fu Zhao to wake up."
"So I can only ask you to start the investigation first. There's a lot to do, and it will definitely take some time. I will search for the relevant evidence myself later."
"You'll investigate it yourself?" A flicker of surprise crossed Shi Xinglan's eyes as she stared at Shi Nan's face. "Didn't you say you'd rather die than return to the company, that you wanted to be a volunteer at some Omega Rescue Center?"
"Just like Ah Yan."
Shi Nan shook her head gently, her lips pressed tight. "That's another thing I wanted to tell you. I won't be an ordinary volunteer at the Omega Rescue Center anymore. Instead, I plan to use the power of the Shi Corporation to launch the 'Qixing Project,' in collaboration with the Omega Rescue Center, to help Omegas across the stars from legal, media, and medical perspectives."
"Qixing Project?" Shi Xinglan was even more surprised, repeating the words. "How do you know about the company's latest project?"
So it was true.
Everything that had happened in her memories was a reflection of what would happen in reality.
So this time, she had truly saved everything.
Then she had to prepare in advance, even if Shen Caiwei and Lu Jingmo hadn't done anything yet.
Only then would she be worthy of the warning that person had given them.
Understanding this, Shi Nan's eyes flickered before she regained her composure. "I heard about it before, so I'd like to apply to be the head of this project. Is that possible?"
Shi Xinglan nodded in gratification. "Yes."
"I was originally planning to persuade you to come back to the company. It seems I don't need to now."
"Should I..." She paused for a moment, looked at Fu Zhao on the bed, and smiled faintly. "Should I be thanking the Fu family's daughter? It feels like her getting injured has changed many of your ideas."
"But it's a change for the better. I'm very pleased."
"Nannan, you've finally realized that you can use the power in your hands to do the things you want to do."
Shi Nan was quiet for a moment. Looking at Fu Zhao on the bed, her voice dropped. "It's a simple truth. Is it a bit too late for me to understand it now?"
"It's not too late."
Shi Xinglan stroked Shi Nan's head, her tone gentle. "At least from this moment on, nothing is too late."
"That includes you and Fu Zhao. You're very lucky. Everything is still just right."
Shi Nan knew she was lucky, but with Fu Zhao still unconscious, she couldn't rest easy. She managed a faint smile for Shi Xinglan. "Mm, I know."
"If you know, then eat something while you wait for Fu Zhao to wake up."
Shi Xinglan raised her wrist to check the time, then looked at Shi Nan with a sigh. "I understand how you feel, but you also know you have so much to do. Don't ruin your own health."
"Eat your meal properly in a bit. I'm going to go arrange the things you just mentioned."
"The next time I come, I don't want to see these lunchboxes still full of food."
Shi Xinglan left with those words, and the hospital room instantly felt empty again.
Shi Nan sighed softly, her gaze fixed on Fu Zhao on the bed.
Thick, dark hair was spread softly over the white pillow. Her tall, slender body was curled up in the oversized hospital gown, exuding a quiet and gentle aura.
Some color had returned to her fair skin, not as frighteningly pale as before, but she still looked somewhat frail.
Her sleeping features were much softer, quiet, lacking the vibrant energy she had when she was active.
Her chest rose and fell faintly, a sign of her owner's steady vitality.
Fu Zhao just lay there on the bed, silent.
With just a glance, a dense wave of pain welled up from the bottom of Shi Nan's heart.
She closed her eyes and opened them again, feeling as if her chest was being constricted. Every breath she took was filled with heartache.
She knew she should eat, should keep her body in the calmest state possible, so that when her Fu Zhao woke up, she would see the best version of her.
She should.
But in the end, her emotions won out.
She couldn't bear to leave Fu Zhao, not even for a second.
Even if she ate, she would just throw it up.
Unable to swallow food, unable to sleep at night.
Perhaps she was sick, a sickness that could only be cured when Fu Zhao woke up.
Shi Nan picked up Fu Zhao's wrist, her palm resting gently on it. Her fingertips caressed it lightly, feeling the pulse that surged up from deep beneath the skin.
Thump, thump.
Slow and strong.
It was a familiar rhythm and frequency.
Shi Nan lowered her eyes and spoke softly, "Why aren't you awake yet?"
"Didn't you hear me? If you don't wake up..." she murmured to herself, her voice a little hoarse, "I can't eat a single thing."
"Don't you feel bad for me at all?"
She had been talking to Fu Zhao constantly these past few days, hoping that Fu Zhao would suddenly respond and give her the biggest surprise.
But Fu Zhao never responded.
It was the same this time.
No response at all. Fu Zhao just lay on the bed, sleeping.
Her eyes started to burn again.
Shi Nan lowered her eyes to hide the heat in them and continued, "If... if you blame me, can you at least wait until you wake up to blame me?"
"As long as you wake up, that's all that matters," her voice grew more muffled, tinged with a nasal tone.
Still no response.
Shi Nan sniffled, holding back the tears that were about to fall again. She lowered her eyelids, her fingertips gently stroking Fu Zhao's wrist, unable to say anything else.
The only sounds in the air were her faint sobs.
And another steady, quiet breath.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Suddenly, the other breathing sound grew much louder.
Rapid, quick.
Then it abruptly returned to a gentle rhythm.
The wrist held in her palm moved suddenly, as if trying to pull away.
Shi Nan froze. When she came to her senses and looked up, an infinite panic spread through her heart. She was a little afraid to face it.
Until their gazes finally met.
The newly opened amber eyes still held a trace of confusion. They were misty, watching her without blinking.
Shi Nan's breath caught. She didn't know what to say, or rather, she didn't dare to face the answer.
Until Fu Zhao's eyelashes trembled, and her gaze cleared. A gentle voice, tinged with a bit of dryness, sounded.
"Shi Nan?"
It was a question.
Shi Nan couldn't get the answer she most wanted from that question-did the Fu Zhao before her remember the things they had experienced together?
The way Fu Zhao looked at her seemed a little unfamiliar.
Although she had prepared for this, completely accepting this reality was much harder than she had imagined.
She couldn't accept this fact all at once:
That there were now many more things in this world that only she remembered.
Her chest ached, her vision began to blur, and her eyes instantly filled with tears. But she tried hard not to let them fall, taking a deep breath to calm herself before nodding.
"Yes, I'm Shi Nan."
After saying this, she stared intently at Fu Zhao, waiting for her next answer.
Fu Zhao stared at her for a good while before seeming to snap out of a daze. Her eyes curved into a gentle smile, and she squeezed Shi Nan's palm.
"I had a dream."
"In the dream, there were so, so many Kongming Lanterns falling from the sky... they all floated to my side."
Her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes grew moist. Feeling her wrist suddenly being gripped tightly, she met Shi Nan's nervous gaze and said with a smile,
"So I went to look, and it turned out my name was written on all of them. In Ancient Nanke Language. The handwriting wasn't very good, all crooked and shaky."
"I suddenly remembered... there was something we agreed on that I seem to have forgotten."
Fu Zhao applied a little pressure with her wrist, grasping Shi Nan's palm and lacing their fingers together. Her voice softened.
"I still haven't taught you how to write my name in the Ancient Nanke Language."
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