A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 35

The underground passage was dark and damp, mixing with the smell of mildew. Shen Zhao gathered the wide cashmere scarf, completely covering the exposed half of his neck.

He turned on his flashlight and slowly moved through the underground passage, walking into the laboratory hidden beneath the air-raid shelter. The weak, cold light of the flashlight cast long, mottled shadows on the walls.

Dongxi Town…

These three words were like a key, unlocking the Pandora’s Box of nightmarish memories for Shen Zhao.

Zhang Dalong and Li Tiangui’s hometown was also Dongxi Town…

Organ trafficking… Blood selling…

Shen Zhao took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around his body, and slowly crouched down deeply. He then hugged his knees, furrowing his brow and tightly closing his eyes.

His mind was swept by a hurricane.

Could it be related to that incident?

The stale air of the underground passage, mixed with the scent of disinfectant, filled his lungs, bringing with it the great fire from fifteen years ago. The mountain fire that burned all night long, the wailing, screaming, weeping, and pain—all sensations were consumed by the flames. The color of the fire pulsed and surged with blood, the wind howled between the mountain flames, running. Decayed souls drifted in the air…

Where are the people?

Where are the people!

Are… they all dead?

Will the decayed souls, stained by a filthy world, play a tune of ultimate sorrow for the dead amid the flames?

…

Shen Zhao’s crouching body slowly tilted, his center of gravity abruptly shifting to the right.

With a dull thud, Shen Zhao’s curled-up body fell onto the moss-covered ground.

Every day he lived was torment.

Every minute and second, every moment—even when he closed his eyes—the faces that appeared before him were ones he could not bear to look at.

Face after face screamed and roared.

“Why don’t you just die!”

“It’s all because of you!!”

—I dreamed of being a savior, but I ultimately became a demon burdened with sin.

Shen Zhao’s skull pressed against the floor, his consciousness cooled by the temperature, and his cerebral cortex quieted down.

He slowly straightened up, swaying, and walked toward a wooden box covered in years of dust. His fingertip paused before reaching the box’s lid. Taking a deep breath, he finally pulled out the deeply buried white enamel box.

Using rusty surgical scissors, he carefully pried open the seam of the enamel box along the edge. A stack of yellowed newspapers finally fell out of the gap. The edges of the paper felt almost decayed, as if they would crumble like wall paint if touched.

Shen Zhao tremblingly unfolded the newspaper in his hand.

Dongxi Daily

The headline on the front page read prominently: Fire at Angel Orphanage, Nearly Twenty Lives Lost to the Flames.

Shen Zhao gripped the corner of the damaged newspaper with one hand and held the table to steady himself with the other. His eyes fixed on the black-and-white photo printed on the paper, his pupils abruptly contracting. Seeing this photo again after so many years, he could still feel the suffocating helplessness as if he were standing at the scene but unable to do anything.

In the picture, the scorched wall looked like a pus-filled wound after being torn open. Beneath the collapsed beams, countless unrecognizable figures were crushed. Ashes, dust, remains, and scorched earth all turned into air.

As Shen Zhao’s middle finger touched the newspaper, his eyes stared intently at the image. No tears would fall, only a muffled, dark sob escaped him.

Why was he the only one who escaped?

How could he have been arrogant enough to think he could save everyone?

Ridiculous, tragic, hateful!

Noisy voices in his mind kept screaming, “Go die,” “Go die,” “Go die.”

—”Wen Yu, I don’t actually have a name. Over there, I was called Number 13.”

—”From now on, Shen Zhao is your name. I will be your family.”

The Lu Family Residence

The moment the electronic lock on the front door was opened, Ms. Tian Xiaoling’s gaze captured Lu Xiao, who proclaimed himself to be devastatingly handsome.

“Oh, my son is back! Aunt Wu, quickly add an extra set of cutlery!”

The moment she saw Lu Xiao, Ms. Tian Xiaoling immediately seemed galvanized with fighting spirit.

“I can’t believe you. You skipped coming home for the New Year just to avoid us setting you up on blind dates! You’ve certainly grown your own wings!” Tian Xiaoling grumbled, yet she continued to put food on Lu Xiao’s plate.

“Oh, Mom! I’m how old now? I can use chopsticks. These two hands aren’t just for show!” Lu Xiao, feeling the fierce love from his mother, almost forgot the purpose of his sudden return home.

“My beautiful Ms. Tian, I actually came back because I have a little favor to ask of you~~” Lu Xiao said, pouring a glass of red wine for Tian Xiaoling.

Tian Xiaoling immediately put down her chopsticks and took a step back. This child is up to something!

Her eyes darted around, and she folded her arms across her chest, adopting an interrogator’s stance.

“Lu Xiao, this demeanor immediately reminds me of when you got into trouble and a fight at school as a child and we were called in. You truly only visit when you need something. Is that really wine you poured? It’s not arsenic, is it?”

Lu Xiao couldn’t help but laugh. “Did you download anti-scam software? You’re so vigilant, even suspicious of your own son. I’m going to be very sad, Ms. Tian.” Lu Xiao put on a big bad wolf act.

Tian Xiaoling rolled her eyes. “I’ll give you a chance. Go on and speak.”

“It’s nothing major. I remember you and Dad used to have connections with the military hospital, right? I just wanted to know if you know the director of the military hospital. I have something I want to ask the director about.”

“The military hospital… Yes, I do know him. I think the director’s name is Li… Never mind. Just call him Uncle Li. What is it about?” Tian Xiaoling looked at Lu Xiao suspiciously.

“It’s about the case. I have a lead I want to ask him about. Oh, Mom~~ Don’t ask for details. Just help me with an introduction, a connection, okay~” Lu Xiao said, scrambling over to Tian Xiaoling, massaging her shoulders as he spoke.

“I know, I know. I’ll ask your dad to contact him for you when he gets back.” Tian Xiaoling glanced at him, then opened her mouth again. “You need to put your life matters on the agenda, too! Going around outside all the time, what kind of example are you setting!”

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm,” Lu Xiao said, popping another piece of sweet and sour spare rib into his mouth.