Chapter 199: My Wound Hurts
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the dim light of the evening, Chi Ming’s gaze swept across the parking lot until he finally spotted Shen Qingyue’s car. A smile played at the corners of his eyes as he briskly walked over, rapping lightly on her window. The door clicked open at his touch, and he pulled it open, sliding into the seat without hesitation.
Shen Qingyue feigned disdain, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Why aren’t you driving your own car? Did your family go bankrupt, leaving you without one?”
Chi Ming fastened his seatbelt, grinning broadly. “Aren’t you waiting for me? It’s been half a day. If you were planning to leave, you could have gone long ago. I know you were waiting for me.”
Ignoring his comment, Shen Qingyue raised an eyebrow and stepped on the gas pedal. “Need a ride home?”
Chi Ming nodded, still wearing his satisfied grin. “Sure.”
Soon, silence settled inside the car. It was a familiar quietness, yet something felt different today. No words were exchanged, but in the air, there hung an inexplicable tension, unspoken words lingering.
“Qingyue,” Chi Ming suddenly called out her name.
Shen Qingyue jumped, nearly swerving the steering wheel. Her face remained calm though. “I’m driving, can it wait?”
“Could you take me to the hospital first?” Chi Ming’s voice was calm but carried a hint of restrained pain. His face was slightly pale. “Maybe, let’s not go to my place immediately. The wound in my abdomen feels like it’s tearing apart; it hurts. ”
At his words, Shen Qingyue grew frantic. “Why didn’t you say so earlier!” She hurriedly drove him to the nearest hospital.
Once at the hospital, Chi Ming stood before the doctor, removing his outer garment to prepare for treatment.
Naturally, Shen Qingyue stayed close, her brows furrowing at the sight of the bloody wound on his waist. “Didn’t you say your injury was healing before you left the country? The doctors said you could be discharged. How did it become so severe?”
The doctor was disinfecting Chi Ming with alcohol, the white cotton swab moving over the gruesome wound. Just looking at it made one’s scalp tingle, eliciting grimaces and shudders.
Chi Ming had a few beads of cold sweat on his forehead, but his tone remained calm. “It really was fine at the time.”
“Fine?” Shen Qingyue retorted. “Is this fine to you? Are you sure it’s not just scabbed over? Or did you get hurt again in the gambling city? This doesn’t look fine at all!”
Shen Qingyue remembered that Chi Ming was able to move around shortly after being hospitalized for a few days. He looked just like any other normal person back then. She thought he was recovering quickly, but now it seemed he was just enduring the pain.
Chi Ming glanced at her carefully and chose to be honest. “I didn’t get injured again. It was just that the wound had scabbed over. For me, that meant it was healed.”
Hearing this, Shen Qingyue couldn’t help but scold him. “Do you know how dangerous this is? Chi Ming, you’re an adult. Do I really have to tell you this? How can you call it healed when it’s just scabbed over? What if the wound splits open during the flight? You…” She suddenly realized something. Chi Ming hadn’t made any significant movements since he appeared earlier. So, the wound had already split open before he even arrived at the hotel? She asked,
“When did your wound split open?”
“Three hours ago.” He had encountered an accident when he got off the plane. If he hadn’t been prepared, he probably wouldn’t have made it to the hotel in time. He didn’t want Shen Qingyue to worry, that’s why he didn’t tell her earlier. He was afraid he might collapse in her car, which would have made her even more anxious.
Shen Qingyue couldn’t believe he had endured such pain for three hours. She was angry and worried. “Why didn’t you go to the hospital first? You didn’t have to endure the pain for so long…”
Chi Ming said lightly, “I just wanted to see you first.”
Shen Qingyue’s brows furrowed tighter. She was so frustrated that she wanted to hit him. “Are you trying to say that this is romantic? And you wanted me to feel sorry for you?”
“It’s not like that. I didn’t want you to worry.” Chi Ming looked up at her. “I just wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
He realized at the moment he got off the plane that the punishment wasn’t for Shen Qingyue; it was for himself. After all, he wasn’t as important to Shen Qingyue as she was to him.
Shen Qingyue was stunned. Her tone softened, and she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. “Then why didn’t you call me? I could have come to you. You didn’t have to…”
“I did call, but no one answered,” Chi Ming said, looking helpless.
Shen Qingyue finally remembered the chaotic situation back then and how she had missed his call. Considering his serious injury, she didn’t want to blame him anymore. She just said, “Don’t do this in the future. I had anticipated and prepared for what happened today. Nothing will happen, I promise..”