CH 52

Chapter 52: First Birthday Wish

Yu Nian was drenched in the cold winter wind, walking down the long corridors of the hospital. In a trance, he felt a sense of endlessness, as if there was no end in sight. Countless memories flashed through his mind, chaotic and disordered, with no logic or sequence. Yet, there was only one person as the main character in all of them—Xie You.

Although they hadn’t spent much time together, not even a handful of meetings, at this moment, his windpipe seemed to spasm, and a suffocating feeling made his mind hazy.

“Yuan Nian!”

Hearing someone calling his name, Yuan Nian instinctively stopped in his tracks. It took him several seconds to focus his gaze. “President Qu?”

His vocal cords seemed to have lost control, and his voice came out hoarse and rough.

As if his thoughts were detached from some other state, he snapped back to reality. It was then that Yuan Nian noticed the sturdy bodyguards standing quietly in the corridor. Qu Xiaoran’s eyes were bloodshot. He stood up and walked over, handing him a piece of paper.

Yuan Nian reached out and took it, his eyes lowered. On the paper were four words: “May you be safe,” clear as ever.

His eyelashes trembled lightly as he held the note in the palm of his hand.

Qu Xiaoran put his hands back in his pockets, his body tense and unable to relax. He spoke in a calm voice, explaining to Yuan Nian, “Recently, Ding Zhaoxian has been showing some concessions, appearing weak on the surface while preparing for a counterattack behind the scenes. Xie You told me about it. So, we have remained cautious.”

Yuan Nian made a sound of agreement, his throat hurting, unable to say much more.

Qu Xiaoran took a deep breath. “Yesterday, my brother mentioned something to me. He said Xie You has been steadily advancing, and everything is almost in place. They planned to make their move soon.”

“They had a meeting in the afternoon, and Ding Zhaoxian attended. When they left, Xie You went first, with Ding Zhaoxian following shortly after. But when we checked the surveillance footage, Xie You’s car was slow, while Ding Zhaoxian’s car accelerated and caught up quickly. We don’t know exactly what happened, but suddenly Ding Zhaoxian went berserk and deliberately crashed into Xie You’s car. The scene was chaotic afterward, with several cars colliding. Xie You had two cars and a total of three people, while Ding Zhaoxian had three cars and nine people, and they all ended up in the hospital.”

Yuan Nian keenly observed the problem. “Didn’t you say that Xie You has been cautious lately? Why did he only bring two cars with three people? What about his security personnel?”

Qu Xiaoran paused. “You’re right…” His eyes lit up slightly, and his breath quickened. “Could it be—”

“It’s possible.” Yuan Nian looked towards the closed doors of the emergency room, a chilling coldness in his voice that even he didn’t notice. “How is Ding Zhaoxian’s condition?”

“That old guy is almost dead. He had broken ribs that pierced his lungs, and they’re currently trying to save him.” Qu Xiaoran recollected the events. “It seems that this time, he had a personal assistant, three secretaries, and bodyguards with him. All of them were injured to varying degrees.” The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. “Ding Zhaoxian has never personally gotten involved in such matters before. He prefers to spend money and have others do things for him. This time, he directly stepped on the gas and crashed into another car. It’s not his usual style of doing things; it’s more like he was…”

“Provoked.”

“Yes, exactly! He must have been provoked, enraged, or caught up in a burst of hot-bloodedness!”

At that moment, the sound of high heels on the floor grew closer. Qu Xiaoran looked at the approaching figure and took a few steps forward, calling out, “Aunt Ruan.” Yuan Nian also politely greeted her, suspecting that this must be Xie You’s mother, as there was a resemblance between her and Xie You.

Ruan Yun had impeccable makeup and wore a formal dark-colored suit, her slender high heels firmly supporting her commanding presence. She gave a forced smile to Qu Xiaoran and then carefully looked at Yuan Nian, speaking warmly, “I know you. You’re called Yuan Nian, right?”

Yuan Nian nodded. “Yes, I am Yuan Nian.”

“I watched one of your performances, and I praised you at that time, saying that even with a black veil covering your eyes, your features were beautiful. Xiao You replied that your singing was even more beautiful, and without looking at the competition results, he was certain that you would be the first.” Ruan Yun remembered it very clearly, her expression becoming even warmer. “To pretend to be casually watching TV with me, he slowed down the playback and peeled eight apples in a row.”

Yuan Nian suddenly remembered that Xie You had once mentioned that his mother enjoyed watching his performances and liked listening to him sing. One time, he even signed an autograph for his mother.

After carefully examining Yuan Nian, Ruan Yun turned to Qu Xiaoran, “Xiao You sent me a message before the incident.”

With their speculation confirmed, Qu Xiaoran’s heart raced, “He made arrangements, right?”

“Not exactly arrangements, but let’s just say that with Ding Zhaoxian and his subordinates lying in the hospital, things will be easier to handle and resolve more quickly.” Ruan Yun tightly gripped her handbag, restraining herself from looking in the direction of the operating room. She continued, “So, I entrust you all to take care of things here. He risked his life for this opportunity and time, and I must seize it on his behalf.”

Qu Xiaoran nodded emphatically. “Aunt Ruan, rest assured, I will stay here the entire time. As for Ding Zhaoxian, my brother is personally keeping an eye on him. Even if he wakes up, he won’t have the chance to cause trouble.”

Ruan Yun hurriedly left without staying long, taking her people with her.

Qu Xiaoran wiped his face and smiled to himself, looking down. “I knew it. Xie Xiaoyou is so smart and cautious.” After saying a few words, his voice turned hoarse. “Why is it so difficult for him?”

Yuan Nian lowered his head, leaning against the wall, his fingers loosening and clenching.

Qu Xiaoran felt chaotic inside and spoke without a clear train of thought. “When we rescued him from the car, there was a long gash on his right arm caused by broken glass. The bleeding wouldn’t stop, and I can’t imagine how painful it must have been…”

The two of them waited until dawn, and when the doors of the operating room finally opened, Xie You was lying on a hospital bed, being wheeled out.

The doctor removed his mask and said wearily, “The situation is relatively good. Due to the impact, his brain suffered from the collision, but no serious issues have been detected for now. It’s normal for him to be in a coma for a while… He has multiple injuries on his body, and the wound on his right arm is the deepest. It has been stitched up, and we have confirmed that there is no nerve damage.”

After expressing gratitude, Qu Xiaoran quickly asked, “Will the injury on his arm affect his ability to play the piano in the future?”

“It shouldn’t, but we can’t guarantee it. We’ll have to wait until the patient wakes up to determine everything.”

Once they reached the prepared ward and settled Xie You in, Qu Xiaoran immediately informed Ruan Yun of the news. Afterward, he sat down as if drained of energy. “Thank goodness there are no major issues. It truly is a blessing from above!”

Yuan Nian’s tightly wound string of tension loosened by half as he looked at Qu Xiaoran. “Should we take turns watching? Do you want to get some sleep first?”

Qu Xiaoran waved his hand. “You go first. I can hold on for a while longer. When you wake up, I’ll take over.”

Yuan Nian glanced at Xie You, lying pale on the hospital bed, and didn’t object. “Alright.”

He went to the resting room in the suite and lay down, closing his eyes and trying to sleep. But he kept having dreams and feeling restless and uneasy.

After 3 p.m., Yuan Nian got up from the bed.

The hospital room was spacious, with the heater on and a flower vase sitting on the glass table. The faint sounds of the bodyguards patrolling could be heard from outside the door.

Yuan Nian carefully took a damp cotton swab and leaned over to moisten Xie You’s dry lips. Then he sat back in the chair and stared blankly for a while. Remembering something, he sent a message to Yu Qing.

He had repaid most of the borrowed money after selling the inkstone and ancient books, but he still owed five million. He could only repay it later.

Yu Qing quickly replied with an “Okay” and then asked if Yuan Nian wanted to join the crew to celebrate the Chinese New Year together.

Yuan Nian replied with a lowered head, “I won’t be coming.”

Yu Qing responded, “Alright, the crew isn’t a great place anyway. It’s fine if you don’t come. Remember to eat well.”

Just as he finished replying, Qu Xiaoran pushed open the door of the suite and walked out. He whispered, “I just spoke to my brother on the phone. Damn, it feels so satisfying! Ding Zhaoxian hasn’t even come out of the operating room yet, and his trusted subordinates are severely injured or unconscious. Their faction is now falling apart! And you know what? Those troublemakers seem to have forgotten that Aunt Ruan isn’t someone to be messed with either!”

As he spoke, he yawned and exclaimed with excitement, “Aunt Ruan is currently holding a board meeting, and my dad is dealing with things behind the scenes as well. It shouldn’t be long before we see the results. I’m going back to sleep for a while!”

The door closed, and the hospital room returned to its quiet state. Yuan Nian closed his eyes to rest, and before long, the door to the suite opened once again.

Qu Xiaoran sat down next to Yuan Nian, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Um… my mind is all messed up, I’m exhausted but can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see Xie You covered in blood. So, if, I mean if you don’t mind me talking too much, could we chat?”

“Sure. Does Xie You… really love playing the piano?”

“Yes, he loves it; he really, really loves it!” Once he started on the topic, Qu Xiaoran couldn’t stop talking. “Xie You is incredibly talented, with perfect pitch. Without a reference note, he can identify the name and pitch of any sound. He was very shy and quiet when he was younger, not much of a talker. He would sit and practice the piano all day while I was fooling around with cats and dogs in elementary school. Later, when he was in his teens, he won several world-class awards. Then, he earned a place at the Leto Music Conservatory through his talent. I almost believed that in a few more years, he would become a pianist touring the world.”

Yuan Nian listened quietly.

“But later, he took over his brother’s position. When he was exhausted, he would occasionally indulge himself by playing the piano. But after Uncle Xie passed away, he didn’t even dare touch the keys.”

Yuan Nian noticed that it wasn’t unwillingness or lack of desire, but fear.

“At that time, I felt really sad. But later, I thought about it. We may seem glamorous and splendid on the surface, but behind the scenes, there are hidden secrets and internal strife. If Xie You didn’t stand up at that time, just based on his last name and the rightful position of the heir, there would have been a hundred ways for others to kill him.”

“I remember one time during Uncle Xie’s memorial, he said, ‘I haven’t had a chance to prove to him that I can carry on the family business, so he can retire and enjoy his vacation,’ and then he left.” Qu Xiaoran pressed his temples twice with a bitter smile on his face. “That’s why I was scared just now. I was really afraid that something would happen to his hand, and then he would have nothing left to hold onto.”

The two of them stayed together, occasionally chatting about Xie You, and time seemed to pass by much faster.

As the sky darkened, night fell. In the distance, they could hear the explosive sounds of fireworks and firecrackers on New Year’s Eve. Outside the window, who knew how many people were reuniting on this night.

Qu Xiaoran leaned against the back of the couch, overwhelmed by sleepiness, and eventually dozed off.

Yuan Nian gazed at Xie You’s pale profile and thought to himself, I’ve never celebrated my birthday before. After tonight, I’ll be twenty-two years old. In these twenty-two years, my first birthday wish is for Xie You to be safe and sound.

With a “bang,” the sound of fireworks exploding could be heard. At that moment, Yuan Nian suddenly noticed Xie You’s eyelashes trembling, and slowly, his eyes opened.

Their gazes met, and Yuan Nian felt a twinge in his nose. He smiled at Xie You.