Chapter 73

By the time Qi Xu had called the car, Xia Zhiming was somewhat semi-conscious. This sight scared Qi Xu half to death. The car hadn’t even stopped steadily before she supported Xia Zhiming and headed over. When she realized Xia Zhiming’s legs could barely support her, she directly picked her up and stuffed her into the car.

“Hurry, driver! To the hospital!”

Seeing Qi Xu like this, the driver didn’t hesitate any longer and floored the accelerator. Fortunately, the hospital wasn’t far from the educational district. Official policy ensured good facilities nearby—malls, community centers, hospitals, all available. They weren’t the top-tier ones, but sufficient for students.

It took only about ten minutes before the driver pulled up to the hospital entrance. But they still needed to walk a ways inside, so the driver asked if she needed help. Qi Xu hesitated for a moment, then had him assist in shifting Xia Zhiming onto her back. After that, she didn’t trouble the driver further and charged out on her own.

She wanted to run, but feared the jostling would tear open the wound on Xia Zhiming’s back, so she settled for a brisk walk. Xia Zhiming was an adult—not fat, but still over a hundred pounds. Carrying her felt heavy on Qi Xu’s back, yet she showed no sign of giving up.

Qi Xu briskly made her way, bypassing the outpatient lobby and heading straight to the emergency center nearby.

With Xia Zhiming in this state, going to outpatient registration would have been absurd. The emergency center was a bit farther, requiring several more steps. By the time Qi Xu briskly reached the emergency lobby entrance, amid the stream of people coming and going, she was already panting heavily.

Fortunately, the emergency lobby nurses were professionals. When she saw Qi Xu carrying a patient on the verge of losing consciousness, mumbling incoherently, she immediately grasped the severity. She quickly called for a gurney, helped Qi Xu transfer her onto it, asked Qi Xu what had happened to Xia Zhiming, and then sent Qi Xu off to register and pay.

Qi Xu rushed off to handle it. She didn’t have Xia Zhiming’s ID or medical insurance details, so after communicating with the staff, she opened an account using just her name and age.

When she finished and returned, Xia Zhiming had already been wheeled into a centralized ward on the first floor of the emergency center. Qi Xu paid for the bed, then sat down and looked at Xia Zhiming. Her breathing had steadied; she was asleep, with an IV drip in her right hand. She looked… rather pitiful.

Xia Zhiming rarely appeared so quiet and fragile. Qi Xu sighed and sat by the bedside, watching her steadily.

The IV ran dry twice, and Qi Xu called the nurse twice, but Xia Zhiming still didn’t wake. The nurse told Qi Xu that she’d be very thirsty when she did and suggested preparing some water. Qi Xu agreed, gave Xia Zhiming a reluctant glance, and bought two bottles of mineral water from the vending machine at the entrance.

When she returned to the room, Xia Zhiming was awake, propped up against the headboard, typing on her phone with one hand. Qi Xu hurried over, twisted open a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to her. Xia Zhiming set her phone on the blanket, took the water, and drank a few sips.

Qi Xu asked, “How are you feeling?”

But Xia Zhiming didn’t answer. Instead, she had Qi Xu pick up the phone. “Reply to the Vice Bureau Chief for me—curse her out as a big dumbass and tell her to hurry up and throw that Zhuo Zi’ang in jail. That dumbass Zhuo Zi’ang dared to ambush an official—talk about ballsy!”

Qi Xu took the phone and saw that Xia Zhiming had already typed a long message. She sent it as instructed. When she showed it back to Xia Zhiming, Qi Xu noticed the people around them staring. She had questions, but this wasn’t the time.

Xia Zhiming’s voice was loud, tossing around terms like “jail” and “official personnel”—of course it perked up ears. Everyone wanted in on the gossip.

The Vice Bureau Chief replied quickly. Xia Zhiming had Qi Xu read it. Qi Xu glanced and summarized for her: “She says come find her in person once you’re better.”

“This old lady’s fine right now!”

Qi Xu quickly held Xia Zhiming down. “Ancestor, finish this bottle of water first!”

Once the IV was done, it was already 7:30 PM. Both were starving. But they still needed to check with the doctor. Xia Zhiming wasn’t keen, but Qi Xu coaxed her to the emergency doctor’s station.

The doctor prescribed a bunch of wound-healing and blood-replenishing meds, and warned her to avoid getting the wound wet when bathing—best to skip showers for now and just wipe down. Xia Zhiming agreed in front of the doctor, but Qi Xu suspected she’d forget once home.

So Qi Xu meticulously noted the doctor’s instructions herself, planning to enforce them later.

After leaving the doctor, they paid and picked up the meds before standing at the entrance. Night had cooled things off a bit, but Xia Zhiming had a white coat draped over her, which kept her warm.

While waiting for a car, Xia Zhiming started blaming Qi Xu. “This is all your fault. If I’d driven, we wouldn’t be standing here waiting, would we?”

The old Qi Xu would have cowered, but now she stood her ground. She even retorted, “You were half-unconscious already. If you’d driven, we’d both be in an accident. Then who’d take care of you?”

Qi Xu’s logic was airtight; Xia Zhiming had nothing to say and got into the car. But as it drove off, it headed not toward Xia Zhiming’s apartment, but out to the suburbs.

Xia Zhiming grew suspicious. “Where to?”

“Food first.”

By the time they neared the place, Xia Zhiming had figured it out. She raised an eyebrow. “No need to go this far just for a meal.”

“You like their cooking.”

Qi Xu stated it matter-of-factly, silencing Xia Zhiming again.

They arrived at Little Xie Restaurant, Xia Zhiming’s go-to spot after out-of-town trips, right off the highway exit. They got out, went in, found the lady boss, got the menu, ordered, and sat down.

Little Xie Restaurant was as empty as ever. After serving the dishes, the lady boss retreated to the back kitchen, giving them a semi-private space. Far easier to talk than in the hospital. After a few bites, Qi Xu cut straight to it.

“Did you let him stab you on purpose?”

Qi Xu wasn’t imagining things. First, Xia Zhiming seemed superhuman to her—especially that over-the-shoulder throw at Vivid Red Hotel, plus her usual forget-worry management. She was straight-up superwoman.

Second, her later emphasis to Senior Zhang Ziyue and the Vice Bureau Chief for a heavy sentence on Zhuo Zi’ang showed she knew full well the consequences if he seriously injured her…

Put together, it was entirely possible Xia Zhiming had gotten hurt deliberately.

The thought made Qi Xu feel ill.

No normal person would gamble their body or life just to jail a stranger. But on Xia Zhiming? Totally plausible. She never valued her own life—Qi Xu had even seen forum posts calling her one of the Third Bureau’s infamous lunatics.

Three years ago, she’d transferred here and gained a rep as the desperate dame, utterly reckless. Not just in Xintan City—the whole province knew.

Strong, suicidal, crazy—those labels kept even ghosts away. No one on the scene dared cross her.

Qi Xu knew Xia Zhiming’s personality, but seeing her harm herself up close still made her heart ache densely. That’s why she’d brought her here: fill the belly, then ask.

Xia Zhiming was eating smashed cucumber with her chopsticks—she loved it. Hearing Qi Xu’s question, she brushed it off. “Assume that’s the case.”

Qi Xu’s good temper frayed; frustration surged to her head. Her voice rose. “Xia Zhiming! What do you mean ‘assume’? Why are you always like this? Isn’t your life your life?! Why do you never treat it as such!”

Back at school, she’d nearly jumped off a building to chase Zhuo Zi’ang, scaring Qi Xu witless. During the ghost taxi incident, Qi Xu had rushed out after seeing the group chat buzz with “Xia Zhiming’s lost it again.” And now, in no time flat, she’d done this to herself.

Qi Xu hadn’t wanted to get mad, but she couldn’t hold back her anger.

She liked Xia Zhiming. Even unrequited, she wanted her safe and sound—even if forever out of reach, at least healthy in the shadows.

But facing Qi Xu’s care and fury, Xia Zhiming set down her chopsticks, steepled her fingers, rested her head on them, and sneered at her. “What does my life have to do with you? I was like this before we met. This life’s up to fate—live if I can, die if not.”

Qi Xu pressed her lips together; they trembled.

Their argument drew the lady boss’s head out for a peek. Seeing no fisticuffs, she ducked back.

In that moment, Qi Xu’s nose stung, eyes burned. She didn’t cry—didn’t let herself—but her face might as well have. A good while passed; Xia Zhiming had resumed eating.

Finally, Qi Xu looked at her with reddened eyes. “Then Xia Zhiming, if it’s got nothing to do with me, why’d you mess with me back then? If your life’s worthless to you, why save me over and over? At the temple fair, you should’ve ditched me—instead of turning me into this half-human half-ghost freak.”

“I messed with you?”

Xia Zhiming clearly wanted to respond, but Qi Xu didn’t give her the chance. She laid it all bare. “I’m not stupid, Xia Zhiming. At the start of the temple fair, we met. With your skills, you must’ve known what the Stone Spirit was up to. It wasn’t your match.”

“You deliberately let me end up like this.”