NOVEL NEXT Chapter 268: Woke Up
Gui Xiaoxu stood by the bed, staring at Yong Yan in silence. After a long moment, he finally asked, "What did the doctors say?"
"The doctor said… broken bones, internal bleeding, serious injuries to his organs, and a concussion. They don't think he will ever wake up." Ke Ting's voice was heavy, and his eyes lingered on Yong Yan with a sorrowful expression.
Hearing this, Gui Xiaoxu clenched his fists. His silence was filled with suppressed anger.
Looking at his dark expression, Ke Ting hesitated for a moment before saying, "Boss… there is a rumor about a miracle doctor who can cure anything. If we could find that person, maybe Yong Yan has a chance to wake up."
When he said that, Gui Xiaoxu slowly turned his gaze on him. "Do you really believe that?"
Ke Ting lowered his eyes. After a moment of silence, he replied, "I don't know. I just don't want to give up."
"I don't want to give up either," Gui Xiaoxu said after a pause. "But we can't let desperation lead us into traps."
Gui Xiaoxu had grown up with Ke Ting and the others. And to him, they were brothers who were closer even than his blood cousins.
Seeing Yong Yan lying there, injured and in a coma, made Gui Xiaoxu's chest burn with fury. He wanted nothing more than to tear the culprits apart. But the mastermind remained hidden, and the only one who knew the truth was Yong Yan himself.
After a long silence, Gui Xiaoxu finally said, "For now, all we can do is continue our investigation and find out who the mastermind is as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Ke Ting nodded. "Yes, Boss."
Both of them stayed for a while longer before heading toward the door. Just as Ke Ting pushed it open, a weak, hoarse voice called from behind.
"Ke Ting…"
As soon as he heard that, Ke Ting froze mid-step. In the next instant, he and Gui Xiaoxu turned around, and their eyes met those of Yong Yan.
Seeing that Yong Yan had woken up, Ke Ting's own eyes reddened as he rushed back to the bed. "Yong Yan! You are awake!"
He hugged him so tightly that Yong Yan almost couldn't breathe.
Patting Ke Ting's back, Yong Yan gasped to catch his breath, "K–Ke Ting! L–let me go… I can't… breathe!"
Startled, Ke Ting quickly let go. "Oh, oh! Sorry, bro!"
Finally, Yong Yan can breathe. He exhaled shakily, relief in his eyes.
Looking at Gui Xiaoxu, who stood by the bed, he said with guilt in his voice, "Boss… I'm sorry for failing my mission."
Gui Xiaoxu shook his head and responded with a faint smile, "What matters is that you came back alive. But tell me—what happened? With your skills, there aren't many who could do this to you."
Yong Yan's eyes grew cold as memories of the secret shelter surfaced.
After a moment of silence, he said, "I was ambushed on my mission. To protect the brothers, I had no choice but to lead the enemies away. However, there were too many of them, and I was caught."
Hearing this, Gui Xiaoxu's expression sank as he asked in a heavy tone, "Do you know who they were?"
"It was Gui Sihong." Yong Yan replied grimly.
The second his words fell, the air in the ward instantly grew heavier.
Ke Ting's face twisted with anger when he heard this. He punched the wall, gritting his teeth, and cursed, "That bastard! I knew it was him!"
Gui Xiaoxu, however, remained calm. After a pause, he said, "If they kept you alive, they must want something from you. What was it?"
"They wanted the Gui family heirloom."
"Did you tell them?" Gui Xiaoxu asked again.
"No." Yong Yan's voice was firm. "That's why they tortured me."
After he said that, Ke Ting glanced at his childhood friend's body, wrapped in layers of bandages. His brows furrowed slightly as he said, "Gui Sihong wouldn't give you a chance to escape. So, how did you get away?"
Yong Yan hesitated, then slowly said, "Someone helped me. A young lady."
"I don't know how she got into the secret shelter, but I remember a blinding golden light suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Soon after, I heard her voice. She was cursing someone, and then unlocked the chains binding me."
"When the light disappeared and I could see again, she was gone, and the guards were unconscious on the ground."
Yong Yan frowned slightly and added, "It all happened in under a minute. I tried to investigate where she was, but the noise alerted the guards, and I had no choice but to run."
When Yong Yan finished his story, Ke Ting and Gui Xiaoxu exchanged looks.
"Yong Yan," Gui Xiaoxu asked after a pause, "did you see that young lady's face?"
Yong Yan shook his head and answered with a hint of regret in his voice, "No. The light was too bright. However, I remember her voice."
Gui Xiaoxu fell silent at his answer and fell into a deep thought.
Meanwhile, Ke Ting gave Yong Yan a wry smile and commented, "You are damn lucky, you know that."
"Mhm." Yong Yan nodded in agreement. "If it weren't for that young lady, I would be dead by now. No matter what, I have to find her and repay her for saving my life."
After he said that, Gui Xiaoxu finally spoke again. "We will repay her. But first, you need to recover as soon as possible. When you are ready, you can go and find her."
Yong Yan nodded, but his expression hardened. After a brief silence, he said, "Boss, besides the heirloom, Gui Sihong also mentioned the curse. He seems to be planning to use that secret to take the Gui Clan from you."
Hearing this, Gui Xiaoxu sneered. "A concubine's son? He dares?"
When he said that, Ke Ting cleared his throat and reminded Gui Xiaoxu, "Boss, we know only the first branch has the right to inherit the clan. But outsiders don't. If Gui Sihong claims that he is your uncle, some shareholders might side with him."