CHAPTER 999: CHAPTER 999: COME HERE, I CAN’T WALK...

Yun Lih had never thought he would one day say such words in front of Li Qiao.

If it had been a few months ago, he probably wouldn’t have been so generous.

He Chen understands Shang Shaoyan, and Yun Lih equally understands Li Qiao.

She has pushed herself to this point for the sole reason that she can’t harden her heart against Shang Yu.

Li Qiao is Shang Yu’s redemption, and Shang Yu is equally Li Qiao’s bottom line.

"Who... died..."

A barely audible voice echoed with extreme difficulty from the bed.

Yun Lih’s breath caught, and he abruptly lifted his eyelids, meeting the sight of Li Qiao with half-closed eyes, her lips trembling.

Shang Lu sprang up from the floor, trembling with nerves as he leaned close to the bedside, craning his neck to confirm, "Sister-in-law... you’ve woken up?"

After speaking, he turned and dashed out the door, "Someone, quickly call my dad, hurry, sister-in-law is awake..."

The emotions Yun Lih had carefully built up were scattered by Shang Lu’s abrupt actions.

He wiped his face, leaned closer to the bedside, and forced a smile, "Really awake?"

Li Qiao had slept for too long, and both her mind and spirit were in a hazy state. She struggled to open her eyelids, her voice as faint as a mosquito, "Shaoyan..."

It seemed like she had dreamt; she dreamt that Shaoyan was dying.

Yun Lih wanted to comfort her, but the words stuck in his throat.

His gaze was gloomy, and he remained silent for a long time.

In just those few seconds, Li Qiao’s eyelids drooped, showing signs of slipping into sleep again.

Yun Lih clenched his fists tightly and said word by word, "Master Yan’s condition is very bad; if you sleep again, he will die."

Li Qiao’s eyelids kept trembling, her breathing became rapid, yet with astounding willpower, she still opened her eyes, "Get... up..."

She could only manage to spit out one word at a time.

No matter how much Yun Lih couldn’t bear it, he had to harden his heart. He cautiously helped Li Qiao up and propped a pillow behind her head.

As soon as he finished, a group of people suddenly rushed in from outside the door.

Leading them, Shang Zonghai strode to the bedside, first checking the IV needle on Li Qiao’s hand, then placing his warm palm on her head, "Girl, finally awake."

Actually, Li Qiao was still drowsy, and even while leaning against the headboard, she kept dozing off.

She always wanted to sleep, unable to wake fully.

The memories lingering in her mind were of solitary days and nights.

...

An hour later, Li Qiao sat in a wheelchair, gazing at the arch bridge of the private courtyard, her eyes blank and lost.

She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, only that her entire body felt weak, unable to stand.

She didn’t even have the strength to speak, overwhelmed with weariness.

"Madam." As Luoyu noticed Li Qiao’s tendency to close her eyes, she quickly called out by her ear.

Li Qiao abruptly opened her eyes, forced to wake up, yet remained silent.

In the living room of the mansion behind her, Shang Zonghai stood by the window, watching Li Qiao’s back with deep, abyss-like eyes.

He Chen stood by his side, equally solemn.

The psychologist had just conducted an implicit psychological assessment of Li Qiao, and the conclusion was not optimistic.

Li Qiao showed signs of prenatal depression with suicidal tendencies, and her hypersomnia greatly affected her. If left uncontrolled, once she fell asleep again, whether she would wake up next time was uncertain.

"After all this time, have you thought of any solutions?" He Chen asked vaguely while lighting a cigarette and opening the window.

Shang Zonghai stood with his hands behind his back, his thumb rapidly flicking the Buddha beads. After a long pause, he stopped, seeming to come to an important decision, and slowly walked out of the living room.

He Chen took a drag of his cigarette and followed closely.

Outside the garden, Li Qiao occasionally dozed off with drowsiness, several times forcing her eyes open. Clearly, the process of fighting sleepiness was not pleasant.

A moment later, darkness fell before her eyes, and Li Qiao slowly raised her head, meeting Shang Zonghai’s profound gaze.

"Girl, don’t be stubborn. Dad will send someone to take you back to the South Sea. Once settled, Dad will handle the divorce procedures for you."

"Cough cough cough—" He Chen choked on the smoke and coughed it into his trachea, "Old man, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Divorce proceedings?

Wouldn’t that mean taking Shaoyan’s life?!

Shang Zonghai’s gaze was gentle and kind; he patted Li Qiao’s head, showing the most benevolent face, "Shaoyan was wrong, and Dad knows you did your best."

Li Qiao’s bloodshot eyes flickered slightly, and she opened her mouth with difficulty, "Why divorce?"

Shang Zonghai curled his lips, his smile gentle, "Because Dad doesn’t want him to ruin your entire life."

Making this decision came after much thought.

Shang Zonghai’s love for Li Qiao was unreservedly without regard for consequences. Although he sympathized with Shaoyan, he couldn’t allow his son to ruin Li Qiao.

At this moment, Li Qiao laboriously pulled out a smile and softly said, "No, not divorcing."

Shang Zonghai abruptly closed his eyes, his breathing also becoming heavier, "Girl, you..."

"Where’s Shaoyan?" Possibly triggered by the word divorce, Li Qiao looked around in confusion but didn’t see the man’s figure.

Luoyu secretly wiped away tears, "Boss is... in the hospital."

Li Qiao frowned, her response delayed by several beats, "What’s wrong with him?"

Luoyu couldn’t find the words to speak.

Li Qiao looked into the distance, seemingly awake, yet as if her soul was still asleep.

She didn’t know what had happened to Shang Yu and had no energy to think about it. In the next few hours, she focused wholeheartedly on fighting the effects of drowsiness.

By ten at night, Li Qiao sat in the living room of the mansion, clutching an ice pack in her hand.

Whenever drowsiness struck, she applied the ice pack to her face; the cold helped keep her awake.

Fast-paced music played in the corner speakers of the living room.

The noise and clamor helped dispel sleepiness.

Luoyu stayed by her side the whole time, and in the past few hours since awakening, Li Qiao had only managed to drink a bowl of porridge and could eat nothing else.

As seconds and minutes passed, there was a vague noise outside the mansion.

Li Qiao applied the ice pack to her face and turned to Luoyu, signaling her to go and check.

The more waking time she had, the clearer her mind recovered.

Luoyu placed a cup of tea within Li Qiao’s reach, told her to wait a moment, and hurried out the door.

Yet after waiting, Luoyu did not return for a long time.

Looking around, Li Qiao moved her legs, exercising her arms, and slowly stood up from the wheelchair, moving step by step towards the door.

She couldn’t walk fast, her actions were slow, and even with just a few steps, she began to sweat profusely.

Li Qiao took a deep breath, holding onto the doorframe, gently pushed the door open, and lights from the living room spilled clear light over the ground. Looking further, a person stood on the distant arch bridge.

Li Qiao leaned against the door, her gaze colliding with the man’s from across the night.

She pressed her lips together, taking a step back, as a subconscious voice warned her not to let Shaoyan see her like this.

But to the man’s eyes, her retreat seemed to suggest she was avoiding him.

Shang Yu’s eyes turned red, a faint glistening at the corners.

Beneath the vast sky of night, the man closed his eyes in full desolation and despair.

Seconds later, figures moved in front of the door, and Li Qiao strove to step forward towards him.

The man heard footsteps, and his eyes snapped open.

Amidst the silver radiance all over the ground, Li Qiao extended her hand towards him, her brows knit with a hint of grievance, "Come here, I can’t walk..."