Chapter 159 Chapter 159: The Beginning Of Revenge
Chapter 159: The Beginning Of Revenge
No matter how she called out, how she wept, the person resting peacefully on the hospital bed remained unresponsive.
Gently tucking in the blanket, the instruments attached to the body seemed to mock her helplessness.
The person was already gone, yet the machines continued to attempt to sustain a non-existent life.
It was ridiculous.
It was so ridiculous that Su Tao found herself compelled to hope, to wish that these cold machines could somehow bring her back to life.
Tears were useless, pleas bore no fruit.
Regret had long since consumed her heart.
Su Tao remained by Chi Xiaocheng's bedside, sitting in silence for half the day.
Motionless, like a lifeless doll.
It wasn't until past noon, 12 o'clock, that Su Tao slowly rose, gently tucking Chi Xiaocheng's small hand back under the covers.
Her desperate eyes revealed only confusion.
She had to accept reality.
Accepting the reality that Xiaocheng had died because of her.
But if she were to leave the hospital now, wouldn't she be abandoning Xiaocheng, leaving her all alone again?
Su Tao stepped out of the ward and saw Dongfang Yang, cross-legged, napping on a bench outside.
Clearly, he had been waiting there for a long time.
Hearing Su Tao's footsteps, Dongfang Yang opened his eyes, scrutinizing her. "Regained your wits, have we?"
Su Tao pursed her lips and nodded lightly. "I'm sorry."
Dongfang Yang sighed and stood up. "No need for apologies. After all, you and Chi Xiaocheng are both my friends. It's only in front of her that you'd show such a vulnerable side. Your current behavior, I suppose, is well within Professor Su's and my expectations."
"I just feel terrible."
"Even if it's hard, you must look forward. You should live on now, carrying Chi Xiaocheng's spirit, instead of languishing."
Su Tao tried to force a smile, her lips trembling, but she couldn't manage it. Instead, she asked, "When will Xiaocheng be cremated?"
He looked at her, puzzled.
Dongfang Yang cast her a strange glance.
Su Tao bit her lip. "Even though things are like this now, I... I don't want Xiaocheng to be alone. I want, at least... at least to keep her ashes with me. That way, she won't be so lonely."
And I won't be so lonely either.
What Su Tao didn't expect was that as she spoke, Dongfang Yang's expression grew even more peculiar.
She couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
Dongfang Yang thought for a moment, deciding not to share Professor Su's conjectures.
Two days had passed since Chi Xiaocheng's passing.
Normally, after death, as the body temperature gradually drops, the skin also turns pale or takes on a bluish-purple hue as blood settles in the lower parts of the body due to gravity, forming what is commonly known as 'lividity'.
Without any preservation, the body would also begin to stiffen, and internal bacteria and enzymes would start to break down tissues, leading to noticeable changes in odor.
These were just a few of the outward changes; what happened internally was even more significant.
But miraculously, Chi Xiaocheng had been dead for two days.
Except for a slight drop in body temperature, there were no other signs of "cadaverization." Despite her heart having stopped and the electrocardiogram showing a flat line, the cells within her body remained active.
It was as if some unseen force was actively repairing her broken body.
If she were indeed cremated immediately, any chance of a miracle would truly be lost.
However, this was something he and Professor Su knew. Before anything was certain, there was no need to give Su Tao extra hope.
Too much hope, if met with despair again, could lead to a collapse far more severe than her current state.
For now, letting her gradually adapt to reality was best.
Dongfang Yang cleared his throat. "While I understand your feelings, there's truly no need to rush the cremation. Chi Xiaocheng's parents are elderly and in poor health; they couldn't endure such a psychological blow."
"For now, at least, we can say that Chi Xiaocheng is simply unwell, to cover things up."
"We will temporarily keep her body here, perfectly preserved with the highest technology. Rest assured."
Dongfang Yang finished speaking, then turned to Su Tao, only to see her tears begin to flow again.
Su Tao clenched her fists and heavily punched her left shoulder. "I... I've let Uncle and Aunt down... a choked sob escaped her."
Her mind flashed back to a particular night.
She had faced an overly possessive Chi Xiaocheng, wanting to escape her obsessive nature, wanting to abandon her and leave her to her own devices.
That very night, Xiaocheng's mother had called, and after inquiring about Xiaocheng's situation, she had so trustingly left Xiaocheng in her care.
Even, in her words, she had hinted that she would have no objections even if she and Xiaocheng became romantically involved, as two girls.
Xiaocheng's mother hadn't just asked her to look after Xiaocheng during her studies in Jiuzhou City; it might have been for Xiaocheng's entire life!
A surge of emotions overwhelmed her once more. This time, there were several more people she felt she had failed.
Chi's father and mother, who had raised her, and Chi Song, her brother.
They were all her own family!
Dongfang Yang, realizing he had inadvertently twisted the knife, felt a pang of guilt. He wanted to comfort her but didn't know how to begin.
In the end, he simply led Su Tao towards the hospital balcony.
They were on the fifth floor, and the balcony offered a good view of a small park nearby.
Dongfang Yang said, "Don't dwell on it so much. For now, calm yourself and tend to your emotions and body. Leave the rest to me."
"No!"
Su Tao stared blankly at the snowy landscape, then her resolve hardened. "I still have unfinished business!"
"You said the culprit who harmed Xiaocheng is still at large. Who was it?!"
As reason returned, Su Tao already had an answer in her heart.
It was either Ye Liang or Lin Fangya!
Xiao Ming was also a possibility.
Apart from those three, no one else would target her and be able to deploy a sniper for an assassination.
Her hatred for the culprit briefly eclipsed the guilt and regret in Su Tao's heart.
The prerequisite for her to live on, carrying Xiaocheng's will, was to eliminate the culprit!
She would avenge Xiaocheng!
Dongfang Yang sighed helplessly. "In your current state, going after the culprit would be suicide, wouldn't it?"
"Then you must first tell me the culprit's name. Is it Ye Liang?"
Su Tao's eyes grew anxious.
Indeed, in her anger, she couldn't maintain her usual rationality.
"It is Ye Liang. So, how do you plan to get your revenge?" Dongfang Yang rolled his eyes at Su Tao. "Are you going to storm his hospital directly, or stake out his company? He is, after all, the legitimate young master of the Ye family."
Dongfang Yang continued, "My family has interfered in this matter, telling me not to get involved with Ye Liang. They even want me to return to the capital. If I hadn't fought hard, I probably wouldn't even have the chance to stay here with you."
"At most, I can send a team of retired bodyguards to protect you. As for how to specifically deal with Ye Liang, you'll have to discuss it with Si Chen."
"But the prerequisite is!" Dongfang Yang's voice suddenly rose. "You go home and take good care of yourself! Don't become a weakness or a burden for Ye Liang to exploit!"
"I understand."
Su Tao closed her eyes and let out a long breath.
As she forced herself to calm down, the flames of revenge raged fiercely within her heart!
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