After Transmigrating Into A Novel, Not Only Did I Become An Omega, But I Also Provoked The Male Lead’s Mother - Chapter 31

At the hospital entrance, Ling Jixiao bought two packs of cigarettes from the small shop and led Qin Yue straight to the surveillance room.

The middle-aged man in charge lit up with a smile at the sight of the cigarettes and eagerly helped them review the footage.

Instead of checking the internal hospital cameras, Ling Jixiao focused on the footage from the main entrance. She remembered the nurse mentioning that Xiaoyun had run toward the doors.

It didn’t take long to find the clip showing Xiaoyun bolting out of the hospital. In the video, Xiaoyun looked terrified, glancing back repeatedly as if something were chasing her. The crowded hospital made it impossible to tell what she was afraid of.

After noting the direction Xiaoyun had fled, Ling Jixiao thanked the man in the surveillance room and led Qin Yue out.

“Xiaoyun is still in her hospital gown, which makes her very conspicuous. Besides, she probably can’t run fast. Let’s search in this direction,” Ling Jixiao said.

Her calm and orderly demeanor gradually calmed Qin Yue’s anxious heart. “Okay.”

Not far from the direction Xiaoyun had fled was a park. The park was densely wooded, and in summer, the lush foliage provided cool shade. But now, in winter, the trees were bare, giving the place a desolate look.

At the center of the park was a large lake, a branch of the river that flowed through City A.

As they searched, Qin Yue gave Ling Jixiao a rough overview of Xiaoyun’s situation.

Before coming to search, Ling Jixiao had contacted several bodyguards for help. Of course, knowing that Xiaoyun was afraid of strangers, she instructed them to call her first if they found her, rather than approaching her directly.

The park was quite large, divided into north and south sections by the lake.

Qin Yue suggested they split up to search, and after a moment’s hesitation, Ling Jixiao nodded.

The bodyguards Ling Jixiao had called arrived quickly and followed her instructions, searching discreetly without causing a commotion.

The winter park was deserted, with only a few elderly couples exercising and a couple of young couples lingering affectionately among the trees.

Ling Jixiao figured that, based on Qin Yue’s description of Xiaoyun’s personality, the girl would probably head for a secluded path. So she avoided the main path and took a smaller one to search.

After walking for a long time without seeing Xiaoyun, she awkwardly stumbled upon a young couple kissing passionately in a small grove.

“Damn, we were discovered!”

“Darling, I think you’re getting even more passionate…”

Ling Jixiao left with a stiff expression, the tips of her ears flushed red.

Young people these days are so open!

Not long after, her phone rang. It was one of her men reporting that they’d found traces of Xiaoyun behind a building near the lake.

She told her men to keep a close watch and hurried over, calling Qin Yue on the way.

The lake was vast, its shores lined with majestic, ancient-looking buildings that gave the entire park the feel of an imperial garden from the past.

Ling Jixiao was already fairly close to the building, so she headed straight for it. But just as she was about to reach Xiaoyun, the girl unfortunately spotted her.

Xiaoyun shrank back in fear, her wide eyes brimming with terror and helplessness. She slowly retreated, trying to escape.

If she ran off again, who knew how long it would take to find her again?

“Xiaoyun, it’s you, right? Calm down, I’m looking for you,” Ling Jixiao said softly, not daring to approach any closer. She tried to soothe the girl, hoping to calm her down. “I’m a friend of Qin Yue’s. She asked me to help her find you.”

What Ling Jixiao didn’t see was a figure hiding in the nearby woods, watching her with eyes burning with resentment and fury.

Ling Jixiao gestured for her bodyguard to keep his distance. Using her gentlest voice, she said, “I’m telling the truth. Qin Yue is really worried about you. She’ll be here any minute.” As she spoke, she pulled out her phone, intending to call Qin Yue right in front of Xiaoyun to prove her words.

But just as she raised the phone, Xiaoyun bolted like a frightened rabbit, her small frame moving with desperate, life-or-death urgency.

Ling Jixiao let out a frustrated sigh and hurried after her.

Behind the building, near the lake, there wasn’t even a proper path. Overgrown with weeds and littered with rocks and dirt, the area had clearly seen little human footfall. Ling Jixiao was relieved she hadn’t worn her high heels today.

The bodyguard received a signal and decided to flank Xiaoyun from another direction, resorting to extreme measures if necessary to apprehend her.

Xiaoyun ran along the lake’s edge. With no path to follow, the muddy ground and frost-covered grass made the footing slippery. She nearly slipped into the lake several times, sending Ling Jixiao into a panic.

Just as Xiaoyun stumbled and was about to fall again, Ling Jixiao was about to run faster and catch up when a figure suddenly charged from the side, slamming into her and sending her crashing into the lake.

As she plunged into the icy water, Ling Jixiao heard Xiaoyun’s terrified screams and Qin Yue’s muffled voice.

“Sister Jixiao!” Qin Yue exclaimed, having arrived just in time to witness a heavyset man collide with Ling Jixiao and send her plummeting into the lake.

The park’s lake was connected to the city’s main river, and with water levels rising due to recent rains, the lake was unusually deep—up to five or six meters in the deepest parts, and at least two meters along the edges.

The winter lake water was bitterly cold, its icy chill seeping into her bones. Her cotton clothes quickly absorbed water, becoming heavy and pulling her downward.

Ling Jixiao instinctively flailed in the water. Raised in luxury, her days were filled with studies and work, with occasional piano lessons and dance classes to maintain her refined demeanor. This had left her with no time to learn how to swim.

She tried to stand on tiptoe, struggling to keep her balance, but the deep, slippery mud at the bottom made it impossible. She choked on several mouthfuls of water, her legs cramping from the cold, waves of pain spreading through her limbs. Helplessly, she drifted further from the shore.

Qin Yue sprinted over, stripped off her down jacket and tossed it aside before diving into the lake.

The bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped her, shaking her violently. The icy water surged up her spine, threatening to overwhelm her.

I can’t pass out. I have to save her!

Qin Yue bit down hard on her tongue to stay awake.

Fortunately, her frantic sprint had warmed her up, leaving a sliver of heat in her body.

Struggling against the cold, she swam around behind Ling Jixiao.

She remembered reading about drowning rescues. Drowning victims, the article had warned, instinctively cling to anything nearby. Many would-be rescuers were dragged under by the desperate grip of those they tried to save.

It’s said that the best way to save someone drowning is to knock them unconscious. If you can’t do that, then grab them from behind and drag them to shore.

Qin Yue swam behind Ling Jixiao, wrapped her arms around her from under her armpits, and kicked hard with her legs, straining to drag her toward the shore.

Qin Yue’s face was pressed against the back of Ling Jixiao’s neck. She didn’t notice that the Suppressant Patch had been soaked by the water, and a faint minty scent lingered in the air.

Ling Jixiao still had a shred of consciousness. She knew Qin Yue had come to save her. She instinctively didn’t want to die, but she understood that if she moved, they might both drown.

Ling Jixiao forced herself to keep her head up, relax her body, and breathe. She resisted the urge to grab onto Qin Yue and simply let her be dragged to shore.

The bodyguard arrived belatedly. He quickly called for backup, instructing some men to continue chasing Xiaoyun. He had intended to jump in and save Ling Jixiao himself, but by the time he arrived, Qin Yue was already nearly at the shore with Ling Jixiao in tow.

The bodyguard rushed to the shore and hauled Qin Yue and Ling Jixiao out of the water.

The short distance of less than a meter left Qin Yue gasping for breath. Winter clothes are already heavy, and soaked with water, they became even heavier. If it weren’t for the water’s buoyancy, she wouldn’t have been able to drag Ling Jixiao at all.

Fortunately, someone on the shore helped pull both of them ashore. Otherwise, Qin Yue was sure she would have exhausted herself and sunk.

Ling Jixiao was even worse off than Qin Yue. While Qin Yue was simply lying there gasping for breath from exhaustion, Ling Jixiao was coughing uncontrollably from swallowing several mouthfuls of water, her mouth and nose filled with the taste of lake water mixed with rust.

It was winter, and despite their “exercise” in the lake, the two soaked girls were now freezing in the light breeze, their teeth chattering. Qin Yue sneezed several times.

The bodyguards acted quickly. Three of them rushed over, covering the two girls with blankets they’d somehow found.

Qin Yue thought to herself, People these days really act fast. She was about to thank them when one of the guards said, “Young Miss, the car is ready. You and Miss Qin should get in and warm up.”

Oh, so it wasn’t some kind passerby after all, but Ling Jixiao’s bodyguards. She’d been wondering how ordinary pedestrians could move so fast.

They got in the car. The driver turned the heat up to maximum and drove straight to the hospital.

Ling Jixiao’s throat was painfully sore from coughing. She couldn’t even speak.

The warm wind flushed Qin Yue’s cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but the bodyguard in the passenger seat quickly interjected, “Miss Qin, rest assured. Our people have already located the person you’re looking for.”

Qin Yue nodded. Before anyone could react, she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Ling Jixiao caught Qin Yue in her arms. She tried to speak, but her throat burned like fire. The moment she uttered a sound, she began coughing violently.

The bodyguard ordered the driver to speed up.

Ling Jixiao noticed Qin Yue’s unusually flushed face. She touched Qin Yue’s forehead—it was scalding hot.

It made sense. After being submerged in such icy water, it was inevitable that she would develop a fever.

At the hospital, the doctors examined both women.

Qin Yue, already frail, had fallen into a coma and remained unconscious for two days.

Ling Jixiao, however, recovered quickly due to her regular exercise regimen. Watching Qin Yue’s still-unconscious form, her heart ached. She gently stroked Qin Yue’s cheek before issuing a cold command: “Investigate.”