A series of pressing footsteps can be heard coming from the aisle all of a sudden. Wang Chun was the first person to react to the sound, and he turned his head. The person who was advancing towards them was…

Xi Xiaye? Director Xi of the Fuhua Corporation, the young mistress of Glory World Corporation?

Xi Xiaye had naturally left some impression on him.

“Director Xi?” Wang Chun looked at Xi Xiaye, who was frowning anxiously, and could not help but call out to her. However, Xi Xiaye only took a glimpse at him, her gaze soon fell on Qi Lei who was in front of him. Qi Lei was standing there with his head lowered and he glanced at his own hands without looking at her.

Xi Xiaye slowed down and went to his side, looking at him condescendingly.

“Why are you here?” Qi Lei’s tone was quite calm, but in Xi Xiaye’s ears, his voice was emitting a forlorn aura.

She stared at him for quite some time, then looked up at the closed operating theatre doors. Only then did she sit down beside him and say softly, “Li Si heard about the news. Ah Chen is already dealing with matters at the banquet hall, but I’m worried about you, so I came to take a look.”

As she explained, she saw his hands and had a thought. Then, she took a glance at the bodyguard who had followed her there. Appearing to have understood her, the bodyguard nodded, turned away, and left, but after a while, he came back with a warm wet towel.

“Wipe them.” Xi Xiaye gestured to Qi Lei.

Qi Lei raised his downcast eyes for a second and accepted the towel to wipe his face. Then, he cleaned his hands. However, it was way too obvious that he was in a trance as his expression was all dazed, and all the wiping actions faded off rather quickly.

“Don’t be sad. The same tragedy won’t happen twice, so don’t you worry.” Xi Xiaye did not know how she could comfort him now, but that was the only thing she could say at that moment.

Listening to her consolation, Qi Lei stayed quiet for a long time without responding, hence Xi Xiaye refrained from saying anything and accompanied him in silence while staring in the direction of the theatre doors from time to time.

“I’m fine, and my emotions don’t bother me much right now, so there’s no need to console me. Every bullet has its billet. Whether will Father get over this isn’t my decision to make. I’ve made peace with this a long time ago,” Qi Lei said after a long period of silence.

“It’s good to hear that you’ve made peace with it. I know that you wouldn’t want him to leave just like this. Actually, I’m afraid that he’s now the only person in the world that still holds a special place in your heart. The feeling of loneliness is only true when you’re not able to see someone anymore in the rest of your life, and this has nothing to do with forgiveness.” Xi Xiaye seemed to feel the same, especially in such a moment.

Qi Lei put on a bitter smile and said, “I’ve always felt lonely. My mother never cared about me, let alone him, and when I was in school, most of the students were friends with Qi Feng. If it weren’ t for Shasha and Lingtian, I wouldn’t have had any friends. It only got better after I grew up and went abroad. Then, it felt a lot quieter.”

“You’re just like me. We think that modesty is a good thing, but we also overlook the greed of our opponents, so we have to draw a line somewhere in our lives. I don’t want to feel sorry for you, but I do hope you can persist and fight through this. Some things can’t be avoided. I’m afraid that there’s a limit to how much we can do,” Xi Xiaye spoke very faintly, but the words she uttered spoke volumes.

Taking a breath, he lowered his head and buried his face in his sheer cold palms.

Upon seeing that, Xi Xiaye stopped her advice and sat by his side silently.

It was unclear how long the procedure took. They waited until Xi Xiaye started to feel her whole body turn stiff and the sun started to set. The door of the operating room, which had been shut, was suddenly opened, as a doctor walked out and took off his face mask single-handedly.

It was a young doctor.

“Who’s the patient’s family?” The doctor’s voice slashed through the silence.

“I am!” Only then did Qi Lei snap out of the trance and greet the doctor while Xi Xiaye stood up with him.

“How is he?” Qi Lei asked.

The doctor sighed a breath of relief, and his tone was deep and serious. “We’ve tried our best, but the patient was badly injured as his brain took a heavy blow. His sternum suffered a comminuted fracture, and there are multiple traumas all over the body. As for now, although the procedure went well, his condition is still very critical. Whether he can survive this depends highly on the next 48 hours. However, the patient’s will to survive doesn’t seem to be strong, so… I’d advise some mental preparation.”

As the doctor finished his explanation, Qi Lei’s glance became still in an instant while his expression could not help but become pale…

Xi Xiaye, who was behind them, felt her heart clench, and she was worried about Qi Lei.

“Xiaye, why are you here?” Just as Xi Xiaye was feeling worried and distressed, an amiable voice was heard coming from the front. She quickly raised her head and looked in the direction where the voice came from and a white silhouette came into view.

It was a familiar face! Surprised, Xi Xiaye called out immediately, “Aunty Zhou!”

The Aunty Zhou that Xi Xiaye was referring to was a petite, elegant, and demure middle-aged woman. She had a faint, gentle smile on her delicate facial features, and all those details made her look like an extremely friendly woman.

She was Zhou Zimo’s mother, Liang Jing, the chief surgeon of the city hospital. It was said that she was an expert in andrology before this but was transferred to the surgical team later on.

Xi Xiaye and Mu Yuchen paid their visits to the Zhou family quite often. Whenever they were there, Liang Jing would entertain them earnestly. She treated Mu Yuchen and Su Chen just like her own sons. There was once when Xi Xiaye was so moved by the relationship between the Mus, the Sus, and the Zhous that she felt a little envious. Mu Yuchen and Su Chen sometimes even addressed the Zhou family couple as Daddy Zhou and Mummy Zhou.

Liang Jing checked the man beside Xi Xiaye out for a bit, seeming to recognize Qi Lei since she had heard her son talk about him before this, so she had also paid special attention to him.

“Is this the Second Master Qi?”

Qi Lei was a little shocked by her question.

“Yes, Aunty Zhou, the person in the operating theatre is President Qi of the Qi Kai Group. I rushed here when we learned the news amidst everything. Ah Chen will also come over later, but we don’t know much about President Qi’s condition.”

Liang Jing nodded and thought about it for a while, then she replied, “His condition is indeed very critical, and there are many uncertainties. He’ll be monitored closely in the intensive care unit for 48 hours. Judging from his current condition, it’s a little weak since the patient’s will to survive isn’t strong. We almost lost him a few times during the procedure, but don’t worry. He’s still in a coma. Well, Xiao Chen, please explain it to the department. I’ll handle this patient for now, at least, until the critical stage has passed.”

“But, Chief, you haven’t been getting much rest for a whole week alr—”