"Beep... beep..."
The sound of medical equipment echoed in the hospital room. Through the window of the intensive care unit, Li Mucheng gazed at the hospital bed surrounded by a group of doctors in white coats, her face filled with worry.
After witnessing Ye Feng collapse unconscious before her eyes, Li Mucheng had nearly broken down. If it hadn’t been for Li Jing, who arrived in time and told her that Ye Feng still had vital signs and needed to be rushed to the hospital, she might have fainted on the spot.
"Mucheng, you have to trust modern medical technology. Ye Feng will be fine. Please, you’re injured too. Go back and rest, okay?"
Li Jing, standing beside Li Mucheng, tried to comfort her.
Li Mucheng didn’t respond. Instead, she placed her hand on the glass window, quietly watching Ye Feng. Her silence made it clear that she had already made up her mind.
"Sigh..."
Li Jing let out a deep sigh. At the same time, Su Wanli hurriedly approached from the hallway.
"Old Li, the manor has been cleared, but surprisingly..."
Su Wanli paused halfway, glancing at Li Mucheng by the window. Li Jing immediately waved his hand.
"It’s fine, go ahead."
"Alright. The surprising thing is that everyone inside was taken out, but before Ye Feng entered, none of them had been harmed."
"Are you saying Ye Feng single-handedly took down all those mercenaries...?"
"That’s unclear, but I have a feeling this guy isn’t ordinary."
Li Jing looked back at Li Mucheng, who was staring blankly. In truth, when Li Jing had learned that Li Mucheng was in danger, he couldn’t sit still. He couldn’t possibly remain calm in his study while his daughter was in peril.
Li Jing had even prepared for the worst, organizing all the information about his company to use as leverage to exchange for his daughter’s safety. What he hadn’t anticipated was that Ye Feng would willingly risk his life to save her. After all, he had only offered Ye Feng a contract as a tutor and bodyguard. Logically, Ye Feng didn’t need to take such a risk.
Was Ye Feng captivated by his daughter’s beauty? That was impossible. According to Ah Fu’s surveillance, his usually cold daughter had even taken the initiative to express her feelings toward Ye Feng, yet Ye Feng had maintained a gentlemanly demeanor. This was one of the reasons Li Jing had taken a liking to him.
Or was Ye Feng after his wealth? That was even more unlikely. The previous point already debunked that idea. What else could it be? Was someone threatening Ye Feng’s life to force him to save his daughter? That would be absurd.
"Ye Feng, this kid... ahem, Ye Feng is quite remarkable. For him to go this far for Mucheng, I naturally won’t let him down. I’ll spare no expense to ensure he recovers."
Li Jing coughed mid-sentence and quickly corrected himself.
"Indeed. Let’s just hope Ye Feng can pull through..."
......
As time passed, Li Mucheng remained by the window, never once looking away. This made it difficult for Li Jing to leave, so he simply stood quietly in the hallway, watching his daughter. Meanwhile, Su Wanli handled the aftermath. Fortunately, they had captured a few mercenaries who had sustained minor injuries during the initial attack on the manor. At least they had survived.
"Beep."
After what felt like an eternity, Li Mucheng’s legs had gone numb from standing. Finally, she saw the doctors surrounding Ye Feng walk toward the door with solemn expressions. Her eyes widened as she focused on Ye Feng lying on the hospital bed.
Ye Feng’s face was pale, and the heart rate monitor showed a rhythm slower than normal. His condition looked critical, as if his life hung by a thread. Panic surged in Li Mucheng’s heart, and she stumbled toward the door. Luckily, Li Jing caught her just in time to prevent her from falling.
"Mucheng, maybe you should go rest..."
"No! I need to see my teacher!"
Li Mucheng’s disheveled hair made her look somewhat disheveled, but from her agitated demeanor, Li Jing knew his daughter was deeply invested. He wouldn’t stop her, so he supported her as she limped to the door.
As the door opened, a silver-haired doctor stepped out first. Upon seeing Li Jing, his stern expression softened into a more amiable one.
"Mr. Li, I apologize for making you and your daughter wait so long. I deeply regret..."
"Doctor, please, can you tell me how my teacher is doing? Is his condition serious?"
Li Mucheng, too anxious to wait for the doctor’s formalities, cut straight to the point. This left the doctor momentarily speechless, though he dared not show any displeasure given her status—even though he was the city’s top physician.
"Well... the patient’s condition is quite complicated. After our examination, we found that his heart rate is dangerously low. Without the machine’s assistance, we might not even detect signs of life. There are no visible wounds on his body, but it’s as if his heart has been overworked and can no longer meet the demands of normal functioning."
The doctor paused, taking a deep breath. In all his years of practice, he had never encountered such a case.
"Based on my assessment, the patient needs a long recovery period. If there’s even the slightest lapse in care, it could be... life-threatening."
"Life-threatening... You mean my teacher could..."
Li Mucheng’s voice trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She pushed past the doctors at the door and stumbled toward Ye Feng’s bed. Seeing him lying there with his eyes closed and a breathing tube in place, her heart felt as though it were being torn apart.
"Teacher... please... don’t leave me, okay? We still have so many lessons to finish. There are so many things I want to tell you, so many feelings I haven’t even expressed..."
Li Mucheng reached out with her delicate hand, gently grasping Ye Feng’s. Only when she felt the faint warmth of his skin did she feel a little more at ease.
"Teacher... you’ve always protected me from the beginning. Now it’s my turn to protect you. I’ll stay by your side, always, until the day you wake up."
Li Mucheng lifted Ye Feng’s hand and pressed it against her cheek. As she looked at his face, a faint smile appeared.
"Teacher’s hand is still so warm..."