Chapter 317 Chapter 316 The Calamity Star
Chapter 316 The Calamity Star
The sun beat down, sirens wailed.
Chi Xiaocheng was lifted into the ambulance, where medical personnel immediately began assessing her condition with the available equipment, determining if immediate life-saving measures were necessary.
Su Tao knelt on the ground, strands of her long, dark hair matted with blood and plastered across half her pale face. She stared, unblinking, at the ambulance, her expression a blank slate after the initial fury.
As if all vitality had ebbed away, leaving only stillness.
Si Chen understood Su Tao's state of mind, to some extent. Like the previous attempt on Chi Xiaocheng's life, this accident had been utterly unexpected.
Su Tao had weathered Chi Xiaocheng nearly dying twice before, but this was the third time.
The second time she had lost her memories. Now he and Dongfang Yang were back, the chance to recover those memories within reach, and yet this new tragedy had struck.
What was even more devastating was that since Chi Xiaocheng's "resurrection," Su Tao had been inseparable from her, from the hospital to their discharge, and then during the Lunar New Year at home.
And now, less than half a day apart...
The girl she cherished had almost been snatched away forever.
Fear, shock, withdrawal, and hostility towards everyone – this explained why Su Tao disregarded even the doctor.
Si Chen hesitated, then extended a hand to Su Tao. "Can you get up?"
Su Tao glanced at Si Chen, gritted her teeth, and used the grass to push herself to her feet. "I can manage."
But even standing was a struggle. The dark awakening she had experienced wasn't a permanent state, and now that her senses had returned, the exhaustion hit her with full force.
Su Tao patted her legs, steadied herself, and asked Si Chen, "Why are you and Xiaocheng… here?"
Si Chen replied, "Chi Xiaocheng waited a long time for your message and when she realized you hadn't gone to the airport, she found you on location and guessed you might be in danger, so she followed you here."
"Location?"
Su Tao was taken aback, not having considered that.
Si Chen stammered, nodding. "Yeah, if close friends share a specific address, their location is visible. You didn't give WeChat permission, but Chi Xiaocheng was especially worried about you."
"That's not the point." Si Chen didn't give Su Tao time to dwell on that aspect. "The point is, after we arrived at the farm, we found traces of you and ran into Chu Lingfeng. That's how we learned that Chu Lingfeng was trying to kidnap you."
"Chi Xiaocheng was so worried she rushed off impulsively. I followed her, afraid she'd get hurt. I didn't expect Chu Lingfeng to be so ruthless, taking advantage of the fact that this is his territory to try and keep me and Chi Xiaocheng here forever."
Hearing this, Su Tao clenched her fists. "Why… why would he hurt Xiaocheng? Xiaocheng doesn't even know him!"
Si Chen glanced at Su Tao, hesitated, and then slowly said, "By capturing me, Chu Lingfeng could gain a share of the Si family's power. By capturing Chi Xiaocheng, Chu Lingfeng could use her as leverage against you."
He didn't need to say more.
From either perspective, it was enough for Su Tao to realize that Chi Xiaocheng's accident was also because of her.
That way, she would probably never dare let go of Chi Xiaocheng’s hand again, right?
Thinking back to the plan he and Chi Xiaocheng had initially devised, Si Chen wasn't sure if it had achieved what she wanted.
—To heighten Su Tao's possessiveness until she was completely fixated on her.
Because of this accident, the goal had probably been reached, more or less, right?
But this increasingly obsessive Su Tao...
That obsessive possessiveness of Chi Xiaocheng.
Including the obsessive love, was it right or wrong?
No one knew if it was right or wrong, but Su Tao's trembling shoulders indicated that she was now extremely angry.
She turned to look at the other security guards who were processing the scene.
The only one who had died, killed instantly by the fruit knife she had thrown, still lay on the ground.
Blood had pooled around him, staining the grass around his head crimson.
She had killed someone.
But Su Tao felt no regret or belated fear.
That person had hit Xiaocheng and nearly killed Xiaocheng, he deserved to die!
And Chu Lingfeng deserved to die too!
No matter the society or circumstances, from a psychological point of view, killing someone would transform a person.
Sublimate them.
The change in mentality would affect everything about a person.
At that moment, Chi Song stumbled in on a motorcycle. "I saw the ambulance rushing in! What happened? Where's my little sister?!"
Su Tao looked at her concerned older brother, opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.
Si Chen asked Chi Song, "Have you secured all the gates? Did anyone force their way in?"
"No, we even controlled some of the facilities around the edge of the farm."
Chi Song's answer made Si Chen's heart sink.
He had truly bad luck today. Si Zhenliu just happened to be vacationing in the manor, and his many bodyguards happened to save Chu Lingfeng's life.
Glancing at Su Tao, Si Chen walked over and patted Chi Song's shoulder. "Let's go over there first. I'll tell you what happened, and let Su Tao… have some peace and quiet."
...
The ambulance siren continued to blare. The sounds of the security guards clearing the scene were jarring, and Su Tao could clearly feel the fear in the occasional glances cast her way.
Even the sunlight, carrying a hint of warmth as spring approached, stirred the breeze, ruffling her blood-matted hair.
It wasn't solitude, but it felt like it.
Su Tao raised her eyes, staring directly at the blinding sun.
She didn't know what to do anymore.
Once, once, and again.
Xiaocheng had nearly left her for the third time.
If she hadn't returned to the farm because of the accident, if a mysterious power hadn't surged within her, Xiaocheng would probably have been killed by that bodyguard.
Ever since that argument during the summer, it was like entering an endless cycle.
Injury, hospitalization, discharge.
Continued injury, re-hospitalization, and then discharge.
Each time, she was re-admitted before she had fully recovered.
On that hospital bed, accompanied by pain, she would lie for a long time.
"I'm really like a jinx."
Su Tao smiled self-deprecatingly and lowered her head again.
Numbly, she walked toward the ambulance. Inside, the doctors had temporarily stabilized Chi Xiaocheng's condition with the emergency equipment they brought. Seeing Su Tao, the attending doctor asked, "The ambulance is about to return to the hospital. Would you like to come with us?"
Su Tao asked urgently, "How is Xiaocheng?"
The doctor removed her mask. "She suffered severe abdominal trauma and serious internal injuries, but her life is not in danger. Even with top-tier medical technology, it will take at least three months before she can get out of bed."
"Three months..."
Still in Si Chen's private hospital.
Su Tao muttered the time to herself, and then changed the subject. "Can we go to Datayang Hospital? It's Dongfang Yang's private hospital. There's an attending physician there who understands Xiaocheng's condition very well."
"Well... I'll go ask Young Master Si Chen."
"No need to ask him. Just go to Datayang Hospital!"
Su Tao stared directly at the doctor, her forceful words brooking no refusal.
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