Chapter 323: Chapter 297: Better a Short Pain than a Long One
Tang Tianyou looked at the small bag floating on the water’s surface and suddenly clung to the bridge railing, ready to jump down.
He couldn’t bear to watch Niannian sink into the ocean; he couldn’t forgive himself, and he wouldn’t know how to explain it to Xiao Qi.
"You’re crazy." The people beside him were startled by his rash behavior, and several kind souls immediately grabbed him tightly. Someone advised, "Is the person who fell your family member? Even if you’re anxious, you can’t just jump like this. Not only will you not save anyone, but you’ll also lose your own life. Calm down, young man, calm down."
It took all their strength to hold back Tang Tianyou, who then collapsed onto the ground, with a vacant look in his eyes.
By then, the police and ambulances had arrived, and the salvage team began its operation; North Bridge was completely blocked off.
~
In the hospital, Gu Qili was forced back into bed by a nurse for the Nth time.
"Miss Gu, Mr. Tang repeatedly stressed before he left that you must not go out."
"Let go of me, I need to find my Niannian."
Gu Qili couldn’t stay calm. Although Tang Tianyou had promised to find Niannian, she couldn’t bear to stay here for another minute; a small voice in her ears kept calling her, becoming more urgent with each cry.
Niannian must be so scared right now, he needs his mom, so she must go find him.
Once again, Gu Qili fell from the bed to the floor. Lacking the strength to stand, she began to crawl forward, dragging a long trail of blood behind her.
The nurses couldn’t stand to watch any longer, and one of them went to get a sedative. They held her down and forcibly injected her with it.
She looked at the hollow ceiling, tears streaming down her face. Gradually, everything before her eyes blurred, and awareness slowly slipped away; she mustered all her strength to shout one last word: "Niannian."
When Gu Qili woke up again, there were already many people around her bed. She blinked, and the familiar faces gradually came into focus.
"Qiqi, you’re awake?" Mickey held her hand anxiously, his eyes red.
"Now that you’re awake, everything will be alright." Mi’s mom also wiped her tears.
"The child, is he healthy?" asked Gu Qili, suddenly breaking into a smile. "How much does he weigh? Does he look like me? Can I see him?"
The crowd exchanged glances for a moment, realizing she thought she had just awakened from giving birth.
Seeing that no one spoke, Gu Qili’s expression became frantic. She grabbed Mickey’s hand and asked worriedly: "Mickey, is there a problem with the child’s health? Why isn’t anyone speaking? Tell me quickly, the doctors didn’t say anything during the check-up."
Mickey blinked, tears falling, hitting the back of her hand.
Those tears were like scorching sulfuric acid, burning hole after hole in Gu Qili’s heart. Her gaze shifted and suddenly saw Tang Tianyou standing by the window, a picture of defeat, devoid of his usual demeanor, clutching a wet object tightly in his hands—that was...
Gu Qili suddenly turned pale, her pupils dilated, fragments of moments before her fainting abruptly crowded into her mind—the sinister nurse, Niannian being taken away...
"Niannian." Gu Qili let out a heart-wrenching cry and rolled off the bed, thankfully caught swiftly by Chen Yishu.
Tang Tianyou strode over, knelt on one knee in front of her, his eyes reddened, his voice deep and hoarse, he lowered his head, raised her hand, and hit his own face with it: "Xiao Qi, I’m sorry, I couldn’t bring Niannian back. Hit me, scold me."
The slap, because Gu Qili hadn’t put much strength into it, was not loud, yet Gu Qili still shivered.
"Tianyou, you’re joking, right?" Gu Qili suddenly grabbed his arm, forcing a smile at the corners of her mouth, "Tell me you’re just joking, that Niannian has come back, that the nurse is bathing him, he’s been out for so long, he must be very dirty, he’s a neat child, he cries when he pees because he dislikes the dirtiness."
"Mickey, Mickey, please bring Niannian back, it’s so cold, don’t let him catch a cold." Gu Qili said as she tried to stand up, while everyone watched her desperate appearance, no one dared to speak.
Not until Gu Qili saw the small bag with a starfish pattern that Tang Tianyou was holding. She grabbed the damp blanket in her hand, murmuring, "Niannian, why didn’t they wrap him, he’ll be cold."
"Xiao Qi." Tang Tianyou grabbed her hands, pulling her firmly in front of him. He clenched his teeth, bracing her gaze, knowing that she’d find out sooner or later—it’s better to have a short pain than a long pain.
"Tianyou, don’t speak." As if sensing something, Gu Qili hurriedly covered Tang Tianyou’s mouth, shaking her head vigorously, "Don’t speak, don’t speak..."
"Xiao Qi." Tang Tianyou called her name again, took a deep breath, "Two hours ago, there was a car accident on North Bridge, a black sedan fell from the bridge, and Niannian... Niannian was in that car."
Hearing his words, Gu Qili stared at him for a long time, then suddenly everything before her eyes went dark, and she fainted.
She had a dream, a dream filled with Niannian’s tender little face, in the dream,
Gu Qili’s tears flowed more and more,
This time, her reaction was incredibly calm, with only her gaze lacking any focus.
Under everyone’s tense scrutiny, she suddenly spoke up, "Isn’t it that... they haven’t been found yet?"
She still couldn’t utter those two words.
Tang Tianyou clenched his fists tightly in secret; seeing her like this, he felt even more sorrowful and guilty than her.
"A hospital camera captured those three individuals taking Niannian away, and there were also witnesses on the bridge who saw these three men. It’s now confirmed that the car that fell off the bridge was the one involved in Niannian’s kidnapping. However, the recovery team hasn’t brought up a body yet. They explained that there are undercurrents beneath the sea, and the person might have been swept downstream, making the search exceedingly difficult."
"Unless I see Niannian with my own eyes, I absolutely won’t believe he would leave me like this," Gu Qili said with firm eyes, yet tears streamed down her face, "He must be waiting for me to save him. The water is so cold; he’s so small, must be afraid of the dark and the cold, so, I must go save him."
"Xiao Qi, I will continue to have people search, no matter the cost in manpower and resources, but you have to promise me, stay here obediently, and take care of your health first," Tang Tianyou leaned in, pressing down on her shoulders, sadness welling up in his dark pupils, "Niannian is a sensible boy; he doesn’t want to see you like this, even if it’s just to comfort him, Xiao Qi, you have to be good, okay?"
Tang Tianyou mentioned Niannian again, which made Gu Qili overcome with grief once more, clutching Tang Tianyou’s shoulders,
Mickey and his mother were wiping their tears; Mickey’s dad and Chen Yishu’s eyes were also red.
None of them had expected, what was supposed to be a very happy occasion to have turned out this way. Everyone clearly understood what Niannian meant for Gu Qili, but now...
Two days later, Gu Qili was discharged from the hospital. However, she was still in a daze, listlessly holding onto that thin little quilt at all times.
She had nightmares every night, unable to eat, and had significantly thinned down just within a couple of days.
The day Tang Tianyou picked her up to return to Perfume Bay, he had originally planned to avoid North Bridge, but the other route was closed due to construction, so North Bridge became the only way to go.
As the car drove across the bridge, Tang Tianyou continuously worried and kept an eye on the rear-view mirror; as they reached the middle of the bridge, Gu Qili suddenly spoke up, shouting: "Stop the car."
He sighed, obediently pulling the car over to the side of the bridge.
Gu Qili opened the car door and stepped out. It had rained today; the weather was a bit chilly. She was only wearing a thin white sweater, and the wind from the sea made her shiver from the cold.
Gu Qili stood at the edge of the bridge, touching the newly repaired railings, with the paint still fresh.
It was here that her Niannian fell down, the bridge so high, the air so cold, the water so frigid—actually, she already knew that it was impossible for him to survive, right?
But she was still stubbornly unwilling to give up that last glimmer of hope, calling the search and rescue team countless times every day, until they finally blocked her number.
"Tianyou, if I jump from here, will I be able to see Niannian?" Gu Qili said, her gaze drifting as she stared absentmindedly at the water.
Tang Tianyou held her tightly from behind, fearful she might suddenly give up.
"Xiao Qi, there’s still hope, Niannian wouldn’t leave us that easily."
Is there still hope? She never wanted to give up hope, but today, seeing this bottomless sea, a wave of despair suddenly overwhelmed her like a tide.
Her gaze fixated on the sea surface, transitioning from heartache to melancholy, then to despair, eventually filling up entirely with hatred.
She suddenly shoved Tang Tianyou behind her, snatching the car keys from his hand.
Tang Tianyou didn’t expect her sudden push; he nearly lost his balance and fell, managing to stabilize himself by grabbing the nearby railing.
In that brief moment of distraction, Gu Qili had already gotten into his car; the black Range Rover roared past him as it sped away.
"Xiao Qi." Tang Tianyou hurriedly chased after her, but how could two legs possibly outpace four wheels; he could only watch helplessly as she drove away, disappearing into the distance.
Gu Qili sped all the way and finally screeched to a halt beneath a building.
She picked up the tiny blanket, rapidly walked into the lobby; the receptionist saw her approaching, who would dare to stop her? Not only did they not stop her, but they also proactively pressed the twenty-fourth floor for her.
Gu Qili had an unobstructed route. As she passed a secretary’s desk, she saw a pair of scissors in the pen holder.
Gu Qili stared at the scissors, silently grasping them in her palm.
Turn left, the words "CEO’s Office" were starkly prominent. She did not knock; she kicked the door open.