The sudden knock on the door left both of them a bit stunned.
Xu Zixi immediately got out of bed and went to open the door. Outside, Yan Haikun stood there, pale as a sheet. When he saw Xu Zixi's face, his body swayed slightly, and he almost fell.
Xu Zixi quickly reached out to support him and asked, "Uncle Yan, what's wrong?"
She could feel Yan Haikun's hand trembling.
"Yan Zhen... Yan Zhen has... had an accident."
Behind Xu Zixi, Yan Yincheng also came out. His steady voice was like a shot in the arm for Yan Haikun.
"Don't panic yet. Where is he now? We'll go there right away. On the way, please tell us exactly what happened."
Yan Haikun said, "Right! Hurry up and get ready. Let's go to the hospital now!"
Ten minutes later, the specially modified Maybach drove out of the Yan family's mansion and sped towards the Tenth Hospital of Fengcheng. On the way, Xu Zixi and Yan Yincheng finally learned what had happened.
Since he was going to take up his post in Country L, after leaving the court and returning home, Yan Zhen started packing the luggage he would need for his trip to Country L. He didn't have many things to take, so he finished packing in no time.
After packing, he found that it was still early. Thinking that he would be leaving in two days and wouldn't be able to come back for several years, he went out again and drove alone to a cemetery on the outskirts of Fengcheng.
He bought a bunch of daisies and brought a box of pastries. Then, he followed the steps and came to the tombstone he had set up for Yuan Xi.
By now, it was almost evening, and the sun was slowly setting. The slanting sunlight shone on the cemetery, dispelling the chill in his body. He placed the daisies and pastries in front of the tombstone and then sat down in front of it.
"Xiaoxi, I'm sorry." He apologized first.
"I'm really useless. I've already sent the culprit who killed you to court, but now, because she's pregnant, not only is her prison term not as long as expected, but she's also getting out on parole."
"How could I let her get pregnant?" He covered his face with one hand and said with a painful smile, "How could I... "
"Is that why you've never come to my dreams? You're blaming me, aren't you? Blaming me for liking her, marrying her, and even touching her. I was wrong. I was completely wrong."
"Xiaoxi, Uncle gave me a chance to prove myself. I'm leaving for Country L the day after tomorrow to be the manager of the trans - national branch. Uncle said that as long as I can increase the market share of the Yan Group in Country L to over 80%, I can come back to Fengcheng and return to the Yan Group."
He gently stroked the tombstone. "So, I won't be able to come and see you for a long time. But don't worry. I'll ask Liang Zuo to come here regularly to offer you flowers and incense."
"I won't recognize the child in Yuan Ya'er's belly. Xiaoxi, don't be angry, okay? Can you come and see me just once before I leave Fengcheng?"
It was deathly quiet all around, with only the occasional sound of the wind.
He just sat there, waiting until twilight fell and the cemetery attendant came out to shoo people away. Then, he got up and walked out of the cemetery on his frozen legs.
It was already late, and the cemetery was in a very remote location, far from any villages or towns. To be honest, ordinary people wouldn't dare to come here. The people who came here were all here to pay their respects to their deceased relatives and friends.
When Yan Zhen walked out of the cemetery, he saw a woman being dragged into the shadows by a man with his hand over her mouth.
The woman struggled fiercely, emitting broken cries for help.
Yan Zhen's pupils constricted. This scene triggered a distant memory, and for a moment, he thought he was seeing Yuan Xi from four years ago. She was still wearing the long dress he had given her...
No! No! No!
Xiaoxi!
By the time he came to his senses, he had already rushed forward and rescued the woman from the man, and he had even chased the man away.
He showed a smile and was just about to turn around and say something to the woman when he felt something draining from his body. He looked down and saw blood gushing out of the wounds on his body.
He found that he had no strength left. His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.
It turned out that the man wasn't chased away by him. He had run away because he had stabbed Yan Zhen and was scared by the amount of blood on him.
The woman was saying something in his ear, but he couldn't hear it anymore. He just felt so sleepy, so eager to fall asleep...
The woman he had rescued found his phone on him and called the number in his recent calls that was marked as "Grandpa" by Yan Zhen.
...
The light from the street lamps flashed alternately on Yan Haikun's face. Xu Zixi saw tears in the old man's eyes.
She held Yan Haikun's hand and comforted him, "Uncle Yan, he'll be okay."
Yan Haikun's hand was as cold as an ice cube.
The driver drove the car as fast as possible. Finally, the Yan family's car and the ambulance arrived at the hospital at the same time.
When Yan Haikun got out of the car, he almost fell because he was in such a hurry. After Xu Zixi supported him from behind, the group rushed towards the ambulance.
On the stretcher, the figure's blood had soaked through the white sheet covering Yan Zhen and was still dripping.
Although Yan Yincheng couldn't see, he could smell the blood in the air and knew that the situation might not be good.
"Make way! The patient has lost too much blood and needs emergency treatment. Hurry up and clear the way!"
Yan Haikun followed the stretcher closely, calling out to the unconscious Yan Zhen on it, "Yan Zhen, wake up. Grandpa's here! Don't be afraid. We'll start the rescue right away. You'll be okay!"
But Yan Zhen kept his eyes tightly closed and didn't respond at all.
Then Yan Haikun turned to Xu Zixi for help. "Zixi, you... call him! Tell him not to sleep!"
The old man's hand was digging into his wrist. Xu Zixi called out, "Yan Zhen?"
She paused and changed the form of address. "Brother Yan Zhen?"
Hearing this address, the person on the stretcher's eyelashes fluttered. As if guided by something, he forced open his heavy eyelids. Xu Zixi was overjoyed and was just about to call out a few more times, but the doctor had already wheeled him into the emergency room and closed the door tightly, blocking them outside.
Yan Haikun murmured, "He's still responsive. He'll be okay."
Yan Yincheng stepped forward and hugged Xu Zixi. "He'll be okay."
Unfortunately, things weren't as optimistic as they had hoped.
Yan Zhen had six stab wounds on his body, one of which had hit a vital organ. Despite all the doctor's efforts, they still couldn't save his life.
No one knew that after being awakened by that long - awaited "Brother Yan Zhen", Yan Zhen had been conscious all along.
He was consciously watching the doctors resuscitate him, transfuse blood into him, clean his abdominal cavity, and stop the bleeding...
But he could also feel his life slipping away bit by bit, like the wind he couldn't hold and the sand slipping through his fingers.
The only regret was that he didn't have the strength to ask the doctors to stop these futile efforts. He really wanted to see Grandpa one last time before he left. He wanted to ask him if he was now worthy of being his grandson after saving a girl who was almost harmed.
His gaze passed over the busy doctors, through the door of the emergency room, and landed on the woman in Uncle's arms.
That face was extremely strange to him, nothing like the Yuan Xi in his memory.
You're really not her...
With this secret, he finally closed his eyes and officially said goodbye to this world.