Chapter 25: Danger! Injured

Jiang Jingming had indeed been very busy these past few days, and Sang Yu had barely caught a glimpse of him. Although she had already warned him, Sang Yu could not help but feel a lingering sense of anxiety.

One day, while Sang Yu was on her way to the newspaper office to deliver her completed manuscripts, she spotted Song Jiajia standing right outside her front door. Upon seeing Sang Yu, Song Jiajia wore a look of gloating malice. "Sang Yu."

The visitor’s ill intent was obvious, so Sang Yu naturally offered no pleasant expression in return. "What are you here for?"

Song Jiajia chuckled. "I came to see you. I heard Jiang Jingming has gone off on a mission?"

Sang Yu watched her coldly. A flash of cruelty and madness flickered in the depths of Song Jiajia’s eyes. "Sang Yu, you’d better enjoy these last few days. Jiang Jingming is about to die, and you’ll be a widow soon enough."

Sang Yu’s expression turned icy. "How do you know that?"

"I just know." Seeing Sang Yu’s grim complexion brought Song Jiajia great joy; she shouldn't think that just because she married Jiang Jingming, she could transform into a phoenix. Sang Yu was destined to live a wretched, gasping existence.

"Once Jiang Jingming dies, you won't just be a widow; you'll be known as the woman who cursed her husband to death. Your parents were also cursed to death by you, Sang Yu. If Jiang Jingming dies too, what do you think will become of you?" Song Jiajia’s face was full of triumph. "You will become a social pariah, a harbinger of doom known to everyone."

Suddenly, Sang Yu smiled. She looked at Song Jiajia and asked, "Is that so? What a pity."

Song Jiajia paused, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it’s a shame I didn't manage to curse your entire family to death. After all, your family doesn't have much social value anyway."

Song Jiajia stammered, "You..."

"Hmph, stop being so stubborn. Just wait, Sang Yu; you’ll soon see whether what I said is true or not."

Sang Yu laughed lightly. "No need to wait. I’ll send you to the police station right now!"

Song Jiajia took two steps back, eyeing Sang Yu warily. "On what grounds would you send me to the police station?"

"On what grounds? Cursing a national hero—that’s certainly enough reason to have the police officers give you a proper education."

As soon as Sang Yu finished speaking, Song Jiajia’s face went pale, and she turned and ran. Sang Yu sneered; with such cowardice, she had the nerve to come here and threaten others. However, the fact that she had shown up meant that the danger to Jiang Jingming was drawing near.

That day, Sang Yu felt distracted at home. After all, the book had not clearly stated what exactly caused Jiang Jingming to die in the line of duty. She had no way to warn him in advance to be careful. With Song Jiajia’s provocation, her heart was filled with worry.

***

After submitting her manuscripts, Sang Yu considered going to the police station, but she wondered what good that would do. What if Jiang Jingming and his team had already left for their mission? Wouldn't she just be causing trouble? She was already of no help; adding to the chaos would be even worse.

Because she couldn't stop worrying about Jiang Jingming's safety whenever she rested, Sang Yu poured all her time and energy into her drawings over the next two days, managing to finish two to three chapters a day.

...

One day, the telephone in the living room rang. Sang Yu went downstairs to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Is this sister-in-law? This is Lin Wen. Can you come to the hospital? The Captain is injured." Lin Wen’s voice was anxious.

Sang Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Had the worst happened? "I’ll be there immediately."

She hung up the phone and, not even bothering to change her shoes, rushed to the hospital. Inside, Lin Wen stood outside the operating room. The lights were still on. Jiang Jingming had been inside for two hours. Lin Wen gripped his fists, his expression taut. When Sang Yu arrived, she saw only Lin Wen.

"Sister-in-law, you're here?" Lin Wen’s voice was hoarse.

Sang Yu glanced at the light above the operating room. "How long has he been in there?"

"Over two hours."

Sang Yu said nothing more, praying that the events from the original book would not come to pass.

"I’m sorry, sister-in-law." Lin Wen suddenly knelt before her.

"What are you doing?" Sang Yu stepped back, looking at him.

"Sister-in-law, it’s all because of me. If the Captain hadn’t tried to save me, he wouldn't have been shot." Lin Wen was filled with self-reproach. If not for his lapse in judgment, the enemy wouldn't have had the chance to fire back, and Jiang Jingming wouldn't have been hit while saving him.

"Get up first," Sang Yu said. "You don't need to blame yourself so much. You and Brother Jiang are comrades-in-arms. Since you are comrades, he couldn't just stand by and watch you get hurt. If you were in his shoes and he were in danger, would you just stand by and watch?"

"Of course not!" Lin Wen answered without hesitation.

"Then I believe Brother Jiang feels the same way. So, please, get up."

Lin Wen was deeply moved; Sang Yu did not blame him, but instead comforted him. "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Sang Yu said, "You should go back and clean up. I'll be here." Lin Wen’s clothes were dirty, clearly showing he had come straight from the mission.

"No, sister-in-law. I can't rest easy until I have news about the Captain."

Seeing this, Sang Yu didn't insist and waited with Lin Wen outside the operating room. An hour later, the doors finally opened.

"Doctor, how is our Captain?" Lin Wen rushed forward.

"The surgery was successful. We have removed the bullet. If he doesn't develop a fever tonight, he should be out of danger." The doctor didn't mention that Jiang Jingming’s will to survive was exceptionally strong, which meant his body showed no signs of rejection. It had been the easiest surgery he had performed in a long time.

"Thank you, doctor," Sang Yu said.

"You're welcome. He will be moved to a ward for observation shortly."

Because of Jiang Jingming’s special status, he was assigned a private room.

"Now, can you go back and clean up?" Sang Yu asked Lin Wen once they were in the room.

"Alright, sister-in-law. Please take care of the Captain. I’ll go back to freshen up and bring you something to eat later."

"Yes, go on."

After Lin Wen left, Sang Yu sat down on the chair by the bedside. She looked at Jiang Jingming; his face was pale from his injuries, yet he looked far from pathetic—his features remained sharp and cold.

His upper body was bare from the surgery, wrapped in white gauze that was already stained with a faint trace of fresh, bright red blood. She noticed other scars on the areas not covered by the bandages, which seemed to have been there for some time. Perhaps these were the unique medals of a man in his profession.

Thinking of his line of work, Sang Yu felt an inexplicable urge and reached out to gently touch a scar on his body. The skin was soft, and the slightly raised area was new flesh.

The man suddenly frowned. Sang Yu was startled, fearing she had hurt him, and immediately pulled her hand away. For some reason, she felt a sudden sense of guilt.

She decided it was best to just sit quietly.