Chapter 681 - 680: Dreaming of a Past Life (Part 1)

In Ye Xilan’s hospital room, Li Xian sensed the profound desolation and despair radiating from her, and he grew even more listless.

Meanwhile, in Su Li’s room, Wu Sheng had also been feeling listless. But as he looked at the frail, weak woman standing before him—so thin it seemed a gust of wind could blow her over—his eyes gradually began to brighten.

Wu Sheng was truly disappointed in Li Xian this time, so much so that his disappointment had turned to anger. But all that bitterness began to melt into sweetness the moment Su Li pulled him behind her, shielding him with her own frail body as she confronted Li Xian.

He watched as Su Li protected him, speaking with such eloquence that she left Li Xian speechless.

Su Li understood the pain and anger in his heart.

She understood everything.

With a treasure like her by his side, why should he feel dejected over someone like that?

The door to the hospital room closed. Su Li was just about to turn around when Wu Sheng embraced her from behind.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, holding her tight.

"Su Li, you’re wonderful,"

Wu Sheng said in a hoarse voice.

"Feeling better now?" Su Li gently stroked Wu Sheng’s hand.

"Yes, much, much better." Wu Sheng nuzzled her. He wanted to hold her longer, but then he saw her feet.

Su Li was wearing socks but no shoes, just standing right on the floor.

He knew at once that Su Li must have been in too much of a hurry to put on shoes. He felt both touched and anxious.

"Why aren’t you wearing shoes? What if you catch a cold?"

He scooped Su Li up in his arms, placed her on the bed, and pulled the covers over her. Then, he began to chafe her somewhat cold feet with his hands.

"I’m fine," Su Li said, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

But Wu Sheng insisted. As Su Li watched him chafe her feet, she thought of something. Her smile faded, and she asked in a low voice,

"Tang Yuanxiao... He hasn’t woken up yet?"

Wu Sheng’s hands paused. He looked up at Su Li and slowly shook his head.

"I don’t think so."

Su Li’s hands trembled. "Is he... is he badly hurt?"

Su Li never imagined that while she was trapped in that dark, miserable semi-basement, Tang Yuanxiao had also been injured, falling into a coma and into danger himself.

Wu Sheng nodded slightly. "Yes, it’s quite serious. From what we’ve heard, he lost a lot of blood and suffered a head injury. They got him to the hospital a bit late, which is why he hasn’t woken up."

Hearing this, Su Li’s heart seemed to clench.

"He’ll... he’ll get better, right?"

’I really, truly hope Tang Yuanxiao can live a long and healthy life, find his own happiness, and have a family of his own.’

"Of course he will," Wu Sheng said with solemn certainty, squeezing Su Li’s hand.

"I hope he wakes up soon and recovers quickly." Su Li took a deep breath. "When can he be transferred back to the Imperial City? Would the hospitals in the Imperial City be better?"

"He should be able to be transferred back soon. His condition was unstable before—he was in critical condition several times—so it wasn’t the right time for a transfer. That’s why it’s been delayed."

Wu Sheng sighed. "When I think of Old Tang, I can’t help but think of Mrs. Tang."

"That woman is just too vicious. How could... Ugh. To think that while she was torturing you, Old Tang was fighting for his life..."

Wu Sheng couldn’t continue.

Although they were former rivals, especially when their businesses were in direct competition, Wu Sheng and Tang Yuanxiao had never gotten along. But beyond that, there was no personal grudge or hatred between them.

He had always admired Tang Yuanxiao, but his mother, Mrs. Tang, was a real problem.

’I wonder what Tang Yuanxiao will think when he wakes up, finds out what his mother did, and sees her injured by my hand.’

Wu Sheng hadn’t expected that Mrs. Tang could still stir up so much trouble, even while confined to a wheelchair and unable to care for herself.

He had underestimated Mrs. Tang; otherwise, Su Li wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.

In that moment, a torrent of thoughts flashed through Wu Sheng’s mind. He didn’t voice them, but Su Li understood most of what he was feeling.

"I wonder when he’ll be able to be transferred back," Su Li said softly. "We should have Little Mo go see him." ’Tang Yuanxiao has always been so good to Tang Mo. Under the circumstances, it would only be right for Tang Mo to go and even help take care of him.’

"I’ll have someone ask about his condition. If we weren’t getting married and you weren’t still in the hospital, we should have gone to see him..." Wu Sheng felt another sigh coming on. ’Half the reason Su Li is in the hospital is because of Mrs. Tang. It’s just... This time, neither of us plan on letting Mrs. Tang off the hook. And yet, after what she did, here we are thinking about visiting Tang Yuanxiao... It’s really something... How much easier would it be if we’d never known him, or if we weren’t attached.’

"Let’s wait for Little Mo to get here and talk to him about it. We’ll see what he thinks," Su Li replied with a wry smile.

"Yes, that’s all we can do," Wu Sheng agreed.

Mrs. Tang had been sent home at first light, left to go wash up.

Speak of the devil. Su Li and Wu Sheng had just finished talking when Tang Mo arrived.

Since it was unknown when Tang Yuanxiao could be transferred back, Tang Mo was hesitant about going to see him.

Tang Yuanxiao was some distance from the Imperial City. If he went to visit, he would be back late at night. Tomorrow was Su Li’s wedding, which he couldn’t possibly miss, and Su Li was still in the hospital...

But Tang Mo’s conscience wouldn’t let him rest if he didn’t go see Tang Yuanxiao.

In the end, Tang Mo decided to go see Tang Yuanxiao. He would leave immediately and rush back as soon as he could.

Wu Sheng had Wa Wa Lian accompany Tang Mo on the trip.

Wa Wa Lian had rested all night and was full of energy. With nothing else important to do, he readily agreed.

After a reluctant and worried farewell to Su Li, Tang Mo left to visit Tang Yuanxiao.

In a county hospital two hundred kilometers outside the Imperial City, the alarm in Tang Yuanxiao’s room blared once again.

A nurse outside the room and a doctor from a nearby room got up with weary resignation and came running.

"It’s ringing again?"

"Why is it ringing again?"

The doctor and nurse conducted a thorough check, then once again breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at Tang Yuanxiao lying on the hospital bed, the doctor’s face was a mask of helplessness.

"How many times has this been in the last few days?"

The nurse beside him looked as if she’d lost the will to live. "I’ve lost count. It just keeps... and keeps... If he hadn’t been unconscious this whole time, I’d suspect he wasn’t even in a coma. His vitals, his heartbeat... it’s nothing like a comatose patient. It’s more like he’s going through some major life event."

The doctor’s face was grim as he thought, not saying a word.

The nurse paused. "Doctor, what are we going to do? He still hasn’t woken up. It’s been days. This is getting dangerous."

"I know. Let me think." The doctor raised a hand, once again carefully examining Tang Yuanxiao’s condition.

"He has a strong constitution and clearly exercises regularly. The gunshot wound is already healing, it’s just..."

The doctor’s eyes fell on Tang Yuanxiao’s hand as it suddenly twitched. "This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this. I get the feeling the patient isn’t just in a coma. It’s more like his brain is working in overdrive."

As if in response to the doctor’s words, Tang Yuanxiao’s hand twitched again.

The doctor’s words were, in fact, mostly correct.

Tang Yuanxiao’s current state was indeed no simple coma. In this brief period of unconsciousness, he was experiencing an entire lifetime of change.

A true lifetime of change.

For it was because of Su Li—and a chance remark from Qin Shanshan—that an inexplicable dream was triggered. The dream that had plagued Tang Yuanxiao for so long was finally revealing itself in full.

It was a dream, but it was also the entirety of Tang Yuanxiao’s previous life.