Outside the Operation Theater, the entire family had gathered.
Aanya's mother, Lu Feng, and Zhen's mother, Shuyan, were holding each other's hands, sobbing uncontrollably. On this day, the difference between wealth and poverty had completely vanished. They were no longer the wives of powerful families—only two mothers praying desperately for the safety of their daughter and daughter-in-law.
Zhen was sitting on the cold floor, his head lowered.
At that moment, Aanya's brother, Lu Wei, arrived.
The instant he saw his sister in such a condition, the rage he had been suppressing exploded. He grabbed Zhen by the collar and yanked him up.
Lu Wei shouted,
"This is because of you! My sister is lying between life and death because of you! You promised you would keep her happy—but all you ever gave her was pain!"
Fengning, Zhen's sister, rushed forward in panic.
"Please, Lu Wei! Calm down! Zhen is already broken—don't destroy him completely!"
Zhen's mother, Shuyan, pulled her son into her arms.
Zhen's father, Zhanyu, had never seen his son like this before. The man who had always been as unyielding as stone was now trembling like a helpless child.
Zhanyu said firmly,
"Zhen, get up. You have to be strong—for her."
Chapter 41: A Brother's Blood and the Last Hope
The doctor came out and announced gravely,
"The patient has lost too much blood. We urgently need AB Negative blood, but our blood bank has run out."
Lu Wei wiped his tears and stepped forward without hesitation.
"Take my blood. I'm her brother. We share the same blood."
Lu Wei was taken to the blood donation room.
As his blood flowed into the bag meant for his sister, tears streamed down his face. He remembered the little girl who used to laugh and chatter around the house—now fighting for her life on a hospital bed.
When the red light above the Operation Theater finally turned off, everyone in the corridor held their breath.
The past two hours had felt like centuries.
Zhen stood motionless, dried blood stains still clinging to his clothes.
The doctors walked out slowly. The exhaustion and gravity on their faces said everything before they even spoke. Aanya's mother and Zhen's mother tightened their grip on each other's hands and stepped forward.
The doctor took a deep breath.
"We've managed to stop the bleeding and stitch the wound, but the injury was extremely deep. There was severe pressure on Aanya's brain."
Zhen couldn't speak. His eyes alone asked the question.
The doctor continued,
"The next 72 hours—three days—are critical. If she doesn't regain consciousness within this time, she may fall into a coma… or worse, organ failure may occur."
"We've placed her on a ventilator and under strict observation."
Zhen's Inner Monologue
Coma? No…
Aanya, you can't punish me with this silence.
I can accept the hatred in your eyes—but not this quiet.
If your breathing stops, then Zhen Yan's existence will be buried within these hospital walls.
The moment these words were spoken, Lu Feng felt the ground slip from beneath her feet. She collapsed onto a bench.
The blood Lu Wei had given to save his sister now turned into hatred for Zhen, flowing from his eyes as tears.
Lu Wei began gathering Aanya's belongings. His anger was no longer something that could be calmed. His hands trembled violently.
"Mom," Lu Wei said harshly,
"Say whatever you want—I will not leave my sister here to die! In this so-called 'emperor's palace,' she received nothing but blood and tears. The moment she opens her eyes, I'll take her far away from this city."
Lu Feng cried,
"Son… look at her condition. She can't even be moved."
Lu Wei pointed at Zhen.
"His presence itself is killing her! Can't you see that?"
Fengning stepped forward and clasped Lu Wei's trembling hands in hers. He tried to pull away, but his weakness—and the tears filling Fengning's eyes—stopped him.
"Wei… please," Fengning pleaded softly.
"Look at my brother. He's already a living corpse. If you take Aanya away from him now, she might lose the will to fight as well."
Lu Wei clenched his fists and leaned his forehead against the wall. His sobs were muffled, but his entire body was shaking. Fengning gently rested her head on his shoulder, slowly calming his rage.
Lu Wei said bitterly,
"Calm down? Fengning, for your brother this was just a 'relationship' he controlled at his fingertips. For me—she's my life."
Zhen remained silent.
He didn't deny a single word, because he knew Lu Wei was right.
He stood there, staring through the glass at Aanya, as if his prayers alone could pull her back from the jaws of death.
The glass wall outside the ward had become the final barrier between them.
Inside, Aanya lay surrounded by machines—the same Aanya who had fought fiercely for her freedom just yesterday, now dependent on machines for every breath.
Zhen placed his palm against the glass.
He remembered every moment he had hurt her.
He remembered how, at the airport, instead of stopping her, he had stood at a distance and watched like a spectator.
Zhen thought bitterly,
"You gave your life for your friend, Aanya… and what did I do? I stood safely behind my security cordon."
"Qiyan was right. I'm a coward who only knows how to give orders."
"If your eyes don't open in these three days, I will never forgive myself."
The hospital corridor was bathed in white light, yet the silence was as heavy as a crematorium.
Zhen's eyes were bloodshot.
Suddenly, he turned toward Mei Wei.
Before he even reached her, his steps grew heavier, his breathing uneven. Rage rolled off him like a storm barely held back.
Zhen's voice was low, shaking with restrained fury:
"Mei Wei… you won't survive."
As he advanced, two police constables rushed forward to stop him.
"Mr. Zhen! Don't take the law into your own hands! Step back!"
"Law?" Zhen roared.
In one violent motion, he shook off the officer's grip and slammed Mei Wei against the wall, his hand locking around her throat. The glass frame on the wall shattered instantly.
Grinding his teeth, Zhen hissed,
"I will make you pay for every single gasp Aanya took in pain."
"If anything happens to her, I won't wait for the law, Mei Wei. I'll bury you where your conspiracies began."
"Get out of my sight—before I forget that you're a woman."
It took several officers to drag Zhen back.
He shoved Mei Wei away and staggered toward Aanya's ICU.
Mei Wei collapsed onto the floor, clutching her wrist and gasping for breath. There was no fear on her face—only a venomous smile.
She pulled out her phone and sent a message.
Within five minutes, a lawyer and an influential official arrived.
The same police officers who had been lecturing Zhen fell silent.
Papers were signed. Bribes exchanged hands.
Mei Wei was released due to "lack of evidence."
A Death Message from the Darkness
Mei Wei walked out of the corridor, reveling in her victory.
Suddenly, the lights near the parking area flickered—and went out.
Before she could react, a shadow lunged from the darkness with lightning speed.
A powerful hand grabbed her hair from behind and dragged her into the shadows behind the garbage dumpsters.
"Let me go! Who are you?! Police—help—!"
Her scream was cut short.
SMACK!
The slap echoed like an explosion.
She was flung to the ground, her lips split open, blood dripping onto the concrete.
The man crouched over her like a predator, his shadow swallowing her whole. His iron-like fingers clamped around her jaw.
In a slow, cold, terrifying voice, he said,
"You had the audacity?"
"I told you to keep an eye on things—not to take Aanya's life. How dare you touch her?"
Mei Wei groaned in pain,
"I—I thought removing her was best… she's Zhen's weakness…"
The man lifted her by the neck and smashed her into the wall again.
Her scream died in her throat.
"Listen carefully," he said.
"If even a single breath of Aanya stops, you'll beg for death—but I won't even grant you that."
"That girl isn't just Zhen's weakness…"
He stopped abruptly.
Mad concern burned in his eyes—an obsession darker and more dangerous than Zhen's love.
He flung Mei Wei aside like trash and disappeared into the darkness.