Outside, Zhen and Qiyan were still struggling to restrain Mei Wei, shouting at her uncontrollably. At the same time, the police were escorting the attacker out of the terminal. The entire airport had descended into emergency lockdown.
A police officer shouted at the top of his lungs,
"An attack has occurred inside! Clear the way immediately!"
Zhen and Qiyan's expressions collapsed. The color drained from their faces. For a fleeting second, they feared that Huan Jing might have been attacked—but deep within Zhen's heart, a nameless terror settled in.
What if… it was Aanya?
Without listening to anyone, Zhen shoved the security personnel aside and charged inside like a madman. His heart thundered violently in his chest, each beat echoing like a death knell.
At that moment, two women nearby began whispering to each other.
First Woman:
"What a horrifying sight! That girl's head slammed straight into the pillar. There was blood everywhere."
Second Woman:
"Yes, I saw it too. That white muffler was completely soaked red. The way the blood was flowing… I don't think she'll survive. She was so young…"
The instant Zhen heard the words white muffler, the ground seemed to vanish beneath his feet.
That muffler—
the one he had personally wrapped around Aanya's neck—
had turned a deep, horrifying crimson.
Qiyan's face went deathly pale as well. He grabbed Zhen by the shoulder—he himself was trembling, yet still trying to steady Zhen.
"Zhen! Get a grip. Nothing has been confirmed yet… Zhen!"
But Zhen couldn't hear a single word.
He pushed through the crowd like a man possessed.
The moment he stepped into the security cordon, he froze.
His feet felt glued to the floor—completely numb.
The sight before him was beyond terrifying.
Huan Jing was sitting on the floor, her clothes drenched in blood. Aanya lay unconscious in her lap. The face that had been trembling in fear and apology just moments ago was now deathly pale.
The muffler—
the one Zhen had tied with his own hands—
was now soaked through, heavy with blood.
A scream tore out of Qiyan's throat.
Huan Jing's voice broke as she cried out,
"Boss Qiyan! Look at what happened to her… she did this for me… she risked her life for me!"
The cold air of the airport grew unbearably heavy. The voices of the surrounding crowd pierced Zhen's ears like sharp blades.
"So much blood… survival seems impossible."
"She put her life on the line just to save her friend… poor girl…"
The words poor girl exploded inside Zhen's mind.
The man who once ruled the world with a single gesture now stood utterly helpless before the whispers of strangers.
Zhen's Helplessness — The Desperate Rush to the Hospital
Zhen grabbed Aanya's wrist.
It was turning cold.
Her pulse was so faint it was nearly impossible to feel.
Zhen screamed like a madman,
"Be quiet! All of you—be quiet! Nothing will happen to her! If anyone says another word, I swear I—"
His voice shattered mid-sentence.
He watched as the paramedics pressed hard against Aanya's head wound to stop the bleeding—yet the crimson flow refused to slow.
The hand Zhen was gripping slowly slipped downward.
Zhen's Reaction
Without hesitation, Zhen scooped Aanya into his arms and ran toward the ambulance, not even waiting for a stretcher. Her blood stained his clothes—his hands—his face.
He didn't notice any of it.
Zhen's thoughts roared inside his mind:
Aanya… you can't leave me like this.
You haven't even forgiven me yet… you have to wake up.
Didn't you want to see that stone-hearted emperor lose?
Look, Aanya—I've lost.
Just open your eyes…
Qiyan and Huan Jing's Shock
Behind them, Qiyan helped Huan Jing up from the floor. She was completely numb, staring blankly at her hands—hands stained with Aanya's blood.
"We need to get to the hospital, Huan," Qiyan said hoarsely.
"Don't lose hope."
Meanwhile, Mei Wei stood behind the crowd, watching everything unfold. The arrogance that once filled her face had vanished—replaced entirely by fear.
She had never imagined the attack would become this deadly.
As Zhen rushed away, he cast a blood-chilling glare at the police.
That single look clearly said—
If anything happens to Aanya, the attacker will not survive.
Arrival at the Hospital — The Doctor's Warning
The blaring siren tore through the silence of the night. Inside the ambulance, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Zhen sat on the floor beside Aanya, gripping her hand tightly. His shirt, his hands—even his face—were splattered with her blood.
A paramedic quickly fitted an oxygen mask over Aanya's face while maintaining pressure on her wound.
Zhen spoke in a trembling whisper,
"Her eyes aren't opening… why is she turning so cold? Do something! Why are you just standing there?"
The paramedic replied gravely,
"Sir, please calm down. Her blood pressure is dropping rapidly. The head injury from the pillar is severe. We can only hope there isn't extensive internal bleeding."
Zhen looked at Aanya's face.
The white muffler had become heavy—completely soaked through.
He gently touched her forehead.
"Aanya… you said you were stubborn, didn't you?
Then don't lose that stubbornness today."
"You have to come back for me.
You still need to fight with me… scold me…"
"But don't leave me."
At the hospital entrance, Dr. Li Wenhao examined Aanya's pupils. His expression tightened instantly.
"The patient has suffered massive blood loss," Dr. Li Wenhao said grimly.
"The head trauma is critical."
"We must take her into surgery immediately—
otherwise, we won't be able to save her."
The moment Dr. Li Wenhao mentioned surgery, Zhen lunged forward like a madman and grabbed the doctor's apron.
The terror in his eyes was something never before seen on the face of the world's most powerful man.
Zhen spoke through a choked throat,
"Doctor… listen to me carefully."
"I don't know what you need to do—how many machines, how much blood—
I don't care."
"Just save my wife."
"If anything happens to her, then no doctor in this hospital—
no one in this city—
will ever sleep in peace again."
Seeing Zhen's condition, the doctor said nothing more. He only nodded.
Aanya was rushed into the Operation Theatre.
The red light above the door turned on.
SURGERY IN PROGRESSThe hospital corridor was filled with the metallic scent of Aanya's blood and a suffocating silence.
At that moment, Mei Wei arrived with hurried steps. She had draped herself in a mask of false sorrow. Walking up to Zhen, she began to put on a show of tears.
Mei Wei:
"Zhen! What has happened? I didn't even know that Aanya was your wife… poor Aanya, fighting for her life inside, and I remained unaware. I feel terrible…"
Zhen's white shirt was stained red with Aanya's dried blood. He did not utter a single word, yet the way he sat carried a terrifying stillness—an eerie calm before a storm.
The moment Mei Wei called Aanya "poor", Zhen slowly stood up. His eyes had turned bloodshot.
Zhen's Terrifying Presence (Expressions & Movement)
Without saying a word, Zhen advanced toward Mei Wei. His footsteps were like those of a predator. Mei Wei recoiled in fear, retreating until her back hit the wall.
Zhen raised his hand into the air—his fist clenched so tightly that the veins on his arm looked ready to burst. He was just about to strike her when he suddenly stopped.
Perhaps he remembered Aanya's gentleness—the softness that had always restrained him from violence.
Zhen (in a whisper far more dangerous than a roar):
"You knew everything… and still pretended to be ignorant?
If anything happens to Aanya, I will bury you alive."
Qiyan's Evidence and the Police Entry
Just then, Qiyan arrived holding a tablet in his hand. There was nothing but hatred for Mei Wei on his face.
Qiyan:
"Zhen, the attacker has confessed everything. He took your name, Mei Wei."
Qiyan played the police interrogation video. In it, the attacker clearly stated that Mei Wei had paid him money.
Mei Wei's face turned pale—her cunning collapsed instantly.
At the same time, the sound of police boots echoed through the corridor. Officers stepped forward to arrest her.
Huan Jing's Rage and Regret
Just as the police were about to seize Mei Wei, Huan Jing lunged forward like lightning. Her clothes were also stained with Aanya's blood. Gathering all her strength, she slapped Mei Wei hard across the face.
"SMACK!"
The sound echoed through the entire corridor. Mei Wei fell to the ground.
Huan Jing (screaming):
"This slap is for driving a wedge between me and Aanya's friendship!
And this is for the life you put in danger!
You are not worthy of being called human!"
The police dragged Mei Wei away. She kept screaming, but not a single person turned back to look at her.
Qiyan and Jing's Bond (Emotional Moment)
Once Mei Wei was gone, Huan Jing's composure shattered. Her body began to tremble.
She remembered how Aanya had stepped in front of the blow to save her life.
Looking at her blood-soaked hands, she broke down completely.
Without a second thought, Qiyan stepped forward and pulled Jing into his arms. Jing leaned on him, burying her head against his chest and crying uncontrollably.
Qiyan rested his hand on her head, steadying her—while his own eyes were moist with grief for Aanya.
Zhen, still wearing the blood-stained shirt of his wife, stood like a stone statue, staring at the doors of the operation theater—
where his peace, his entire world, was fighting a battle against death.