"It's okay. There must be some misunderstanding. We can sort it out later when you've recovered," Xu Tingyu consoled him.
Actually, she had come today intending to solve the problem. But seeing Yan Zhou in this state, she couldn't help but feel heart - wrenching.
After all, the situation was much more serious than she had imagined.
She even began to worry if it was because of Qi Ye's harassment that Yan Zhou had delayed his treatment, which led to his current state.
If that was really the case, she could completely understand why the agent had an issue with her.
Yan Zhou smiled. "Tingyu, I'm really happy that you came to see me. But I must look so wretched now."
"Not at all. You're still as handsome as ever," Xu Tingyu replied without hesitation.
However, upon hearing this compliment, Yan Zhou didn't seem that happy.
He even let out a bitter laugh. "It's embarrassing to admit, but I'm really scared. Scared that I'll never be able to stand up again."
During this period, he had endured not only physical but also psychological torture.
If he really couldn't stand up again, his dreams and his life would be completely ruined.
But there were still so many things he hadn't done and so many dreams he hadn't fulfilled.
Was he really going to be trapped in this situation forever just because of this accident?
Xu Tingyu stared at him for a long time and then spoke firmly.
"First of all, medical technology is highly developed nowadays. Since the doctors there allowed you to be discharged and continue your treatment back in the country, it means the situation isn't that critical."
"Secondly, even if you can never stand up again, so what? From my interactions with you, I've always thought you were a very determined person."
"The kind of person who would grit their teeth and achieve their goals. Any difficulty would be overcome in front of such a person."
"So I don't think your life will be over just because you can't stand up."
"Moreover, you won't really end up like that. You have so many people supporting and caring about you. You'll surely get better."
Actually, Xu Tingyu wasn't very good at consoling others.
When she encountered negative emotions, she would hide away and sleep for two days.
After completely emptying her mind and relaxing her spirit, she would be back to normal.
But everyone dealt with stress differently. She wasn't sure how someone like Yan Zhou, who lived under the spotlight, usually coped.
So she didn't dare to give hasty advice. She just said some words of comfort.
They weren't just empty words of comfort because she truly meant what she said.
Yan Zhou was still dejected. "But to be honest, I really can't let go of the stage."
It turned out that what he was afraid of was never being able to dance or perform on stage again.
Xu Tingyu could relate to this feeling.
She loved dancing so much. If one day, due to an accident, she could never dance again.
Her life would probably fall into complete darkness.
"Yan Zhou, do you know? I once had a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments in both knees," she suddenly said.
This was a secret to her, and hardly anyone knew about it.
Sure enough, Yan Zhou was shocked. "When did this happen? Your dancing never seems affected."
"It was when I first went abroad. It was winter, and there was a heavy snowfall. Every day, I had to go to work against the wind and snow."
"Once, I was running to catch a bus. I not only slipped and fell but also got hit by a car."
"I fainted on the spot. Later, the driver called an ambulance and took me to the hospital. When I woke up, the doctor told me that both of my anterior cruciate ligaments were ruptured."
"At that time, I was just about to start working at a large dance troupe. But because of that fall, I lost the opportunity."
Being injured and hospitalized, penniless, and alone in a foreign country. Any one of these situations could drive a person to the brink of collapse.
She had all of them.
"That was truly the lowest point of my life. There was no one around or behind me. I had to rely on myself for everything."
"Even at my most dejected, I thought that if I died in a foreign land, no one would know. I might just be disposed of directly."
"I not only had to worry about my health but also about my medical bills."
"However, I managed to get through it in the end because it wasn't a life - threatening illness."
"But life had to go on. The longer I stayed in the hospital, the more my poor wallet would cry."
"I had the surgery and also interviewed for other jobs. From barely being able to support myself to now having no financial worries, it's all because I never gave up."
"Yan Zhou, I think you're also a person who won't give up."
She rambled on and on, talking about the car accident and the injury back then.
Actually, the situation was much more serious than she described.
At that time, not only were her ligaments ruptured, but her arm was also broken. She didn't even have enough money to pay the medical bills.
So she had to put aside all her pride and ask the old man for help once.
The money he had promised had never arrived. She hadn't intended to ask for it, but she was really desperate.
At first, the old man didn't want to talk to her.
But she said that if she didn't get the money, she would return to China and go back to Qi Shifeng.
She believed that for the sake of their child, he would give her, his ex - wife, a way out.
Finally, the old man was furious. He said he didn't expect her greedy face to be revealed and that she had started to threaten people.
Xu Tingyu didn't care how he humiliated her. She only insisted on getting the money.
In the end, the old man compromised. But instead of directly transferring the money to her account, he sent someone to the hospital.
Then, that person threw a stack of money directly in her face.
She still remembered how the money fell from her face and scattered on the ground.
After recording a video, the person who threw the money looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. This is my job."
Then, without daring to look at her again, he ran away as if fleeing.
Xu Tingyu was afraid to ask others for help. She was in a not - so - good hospital with all kinds of people.
She was afraid the money would be stolen, so she had to move off the bed by herself and almost lie on the ground.
Enduring the pain in her leg and arm, as well as the psychological humiliation, she picked up the money one by one.
There was a total of 50,000 US dollars. It felt heavy in her hand.
She paid the medical bills and hid the remaining money close to her body.
It was a very cautious and painful month. After having the ligament surgery in the hospital, she managed to survive for another two months with the remaining money.
Later, before her injury was fully healed, she started looking for a job again.
When she first joined the dance studio, there were many dance moves she couldn't do, so she received the lowest salary.
Her colleagues also looked down on her.
As her body recovered, she gradually started to make progress.
However, due to the lack of proper recovery and starting high - intensity work too early, she had left behind some chronic problems.
Now, her legs would ache faintly on cloudy and rainy days, and the pain would get even worse on snowy winter days.