Fighting For My Wife With Myself After Being Reborn - Chapter 31

The last rain in S City before winter was continuous and cold. Pedestrians on the streets shed their summer clothes and changed into thick coats to resist the chill of the rainy season.

Under the gloomy weather, the faces of people walking on the road were covered with a layer of lead-gray frost, moving forward expressionlessly.

Rainwater beat against the glass, blurring the scenery outside the window.

As quitting time approached, the people in the company had long been unable to suppress their desire to go home. The quiet office became restless. From time to time, colleagues could be heard complaining that if this rain continued any longer, they would soon have no clothes to change into.

Another colleague complained that if the dryer she bought overnight didn’t arrive soon, she would have no socks to wear.

Jian Yulan and Chen Miao were discussing what to eat for dinner.

The two of them lived close to each other and often ate together after work. Occasionally, when Jian Yulan was in a good mood, she would cook herself and invite Chen Miao to her house for a meal.

“This kind of weather is so suitable for hot pot. Miao Miao, let’s go eat hot pot tonight to get rid of the dampness. I feel like my bones could be wrung like a wet rag.” Jian Yulan pinched her sore shoulders, wishing she could hit them twice with a hammer—preferably shattering and reshaping them to save her from the daily shoulder pain.

Chen Miao was still working on data. With less than twenty minutes left until clock-out time, if she didn’t speed up, she would likely have to stay late and work overtime. Working overtime on such a gloomy, rainy day was simply a form of torture.

However, while her hands and brain were busy, her mouth could still speak.

While inputting formulas and data, Chen Miao said, “Sure, see which place you want to go. Let me finish first, otherwise, I’ll have to work overtime tonight.”

Jian Yulan thought for a moment and named a nearby hot pot restaurant. “Let’s go here. The ingredients are fresh, and the soup base is good.”

Chen Miao’s hands on the keyboard did not pause for a second. “Fine, just wait for me to finish this data.”

Jian Yulan clenched her fist to cheer her on. “Go for it, Chen Xiao-miao! You wouldn’t want me to be eating hot pot while you’re here working overtime, right?”

Chen Miao told her to shut up, saying her keyboard didn’t have eyes and it wasn’t impossible for it to suddenly fly into her face.

Jian Yulan made a “zipping her lips” gesture and stopped harassing Chen Miao, turning instead to harass Gu Yinghuai. “Yinghuai, do you want to come eat hot pot with us? Or is your girlfriend coming to pick you up again later?”

Lately, Shen Huaixu didn’t have to work, so she arrived downstairs at the company every day without fail to pick up Gu Yinghuai. She and Chen Miao were used to seeing the familiar black SUV parked at the company entrance before off-hours. If they didn’t see it one day, it surely meant Yinghuai’s girlfriend had gone to work and couldn’t make it.

“Um, I won’t go with you guys. Let’s the three of us go together next time when there’s a chance.” For some reason, as Gu Yinghuai gazed at the gloomy weather outside, she felt restless.

She felt as if something was about to happen.

Jian Yulan originally wanted to tease them about how they could still be so clingy after being together for so long, but when she saw that Gu Yinghuai’s face didn’t look right, she immediately retracted her teasing and asked with concern: “Yinghuai, what’s wrong? You look very pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine.” Despite saying so, Gu Yinghuai’s brow remained furrowed.

The rain outside seemed as if it wouldn’t stop, or as if it were going to submerge the city. Large drops of rain poured down accompanied by bursts of thunder and lightning.

Gu Yinghuai’s heart plummeted along with the rain.

She clutched her racing chest. “Maybe the office is a bit stuffy. I wonder how long this rain will last.”

Jian Yulan carefully studied Gu Yinghuai’s face. Seeing that she really didn’t look sick, she felt relieved. “It’ll probably last for another half month. It’s like this every year; winter only truly starts after the rain. I need to take out my winter clothes today and wash them, otherwise, I’ll have nothing to wear when the time comes.”

“You say that every year, and every year you end up with no winter clothes to wear, freezing like a fool in that thin jacket of yours.” Chen Miao, busy organizing data nearby, suddenly spoke up to debunk Jian Yulan’s claim.

“Oh, shut up Miao Miao, I will definitely prepare in advance this year—” Jian Yulan’s words were interrupted by a familiar ringtone. She looked toward the sound and saw Gu Yinghuai answering the phone with a pale face.

At first, Gu Yinghuai’s voice was relatively steady, but as time passed, Jian Yulan heard her breathing become rapid. Then, she suddenly stood up from her workstation, pushed back her chair, and ran straight out.

She didn’t even turn off her computer, and her handbag was left behind on the desk.

Jian Yulan and Chen Miao, who was startled by Gu Yinghuai’s sudden movement, looked at each other, not understanding what had happened to her.

“What’s wrong with Yinghuai? She just rushed out without even taking her things.” Chen Miao asked Jian Yulan. She had been busy just now and had no time to pay attention, so she had to ask the idle Jian Yulan.

Jian Yulan was also dazed. One moment Gu Yinghuai was fine, and the next moment she left after taking a call.

“I don’t know either. Yinghuai took a call and left. Maybe there’s an emergency at home?” Recalling Gu Yinghuai’s even paler complexion after the call, Jian Yulan had a faint, ominous premonition in her heart.

“I hope nothing bad happened…” Jian Yulan murmured softly.

Chen Miao comforted her: “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Help Yinghuai save her documents first, and if she isn’t back by the time we leave, help her turn off her computer.”

Jian Yulan nodded. “Okay. I’ll put her bag in the drawer too, so nothing gets lost.”

Chen Miao had no objection and sent a WeChat message to tell Gu Yinghuai which drawer her bag was in.

Gu Yinghuai did not reply to the message.

The rain fell harder and harder.

The sky turned completely dark. Lightning flashed from time to time, its reflection appearing on the glass of the skyscrapers.

A taxi sped along the road.

Gu Yinghuai sat in the back seat, anxiously biting her nails. The nail polish Shen Huaixu had helped her apply earlier was already peeling slightly, and her biting made it flake off even more.

The call just now was from the hospital.

Gu Yinghuai’s sanity collapsed the moment she heard the other party say that Shen Huaixu had been in a car accident and was currently undergoing emergency surgery in the operating room.

How could it be? How could this happen?

Axu always drove steadily; how could she have a car accident?

She opened her trembling hands; the lines on her palms were clearly visible.

Shen Huaixu had once teased her, saying that her life line branched out more than her split ends, and that she might have a hard fate—but fortunately, her love line was long and straight, pairing her with a “tough-lived” girlfriend like herself to protect her.

At the time, Gu Yinghuai had pinched Shen Huaixu’s waist hard, telling her she was talking nonsense and to be careful or she’d get a beating.

Didn’t you say you were resilient? Didn’t you say you would protect me?

Everything will be okay, right, Axu?

Gu Yinghuai covered her face and wept silently.

The hospital appeared before her eyes amidst a sudden brake. Gu Yinghuai paid the fare and rushed into the hospital without even grabbing an umbrella.

The operating room was on the third floor. Gu Yinghuai was in a hurry, but unfortunately, the elevator stayed on the fifth floor and wouldn’t come down. Anxious, she gave up on the elevator and climbed the stairs to the third floor in her high heels.

“Hah… ah…” After climbing three floors in one breath, even with her decent physical condition, she couldn’t help but gasp for air. Her rain-drenched hair clung to her temples. Gu Yinghuai wiped the rain from her face, tried to steady her breathing, and walked toward the operating room door with aching legs.

Jiang Rui had arrived earlier than her.

Usually meticulous in her dress and with perfectly styled hair, she was unusually disheveled, her expression pale and grim as she sat in front of the operating room making a phone call.

“How is the situation?” Gu Yinghuai didn’t care that Jiang Rui was still on the phone and interrupted her.

Jiang Rui had been irritable to death because of Shen Huaixu’s accident, and being interrupted now made her even more displeased.

She frowned, intending to scold the person for their rudeness, but when she turned and saw the pale Gu Yinghuai, she retracted the annoyance on her face and shook her head. “She hasn’t come out yet. The specific situation is still unclear.”

Hearing Jiang Rui’s words, Gu Yinghuai lost all her strength and sat in the empty seat next to her.

Jiang Rui patted her shoulder to comfort her. “Don’t worry too much. That girl has a lot of luck; nothing will happen. She just won’t be able to escape lying in a hospital bed for a few months. Given her personality, she’ll probably be bored to death.”

Gu Yinghuai managed a forced smile. “Yes, she will definitely be fine.”

The light of the operating room stayed on for an unknown amount of time. During the wait, Jiang Rui went to the hospital cafeteria and packed two meals.

Gu Yinghuai forced herself to take two bites before closing the lunch box, turning her head to look at the still-closed door of the operating room.

“Aren’t you going to eat more?” Jiang Rui looked at the food in her hand, which had barely been touched, and said with concern: “I know you’re worried, but you must know that Huaixu wouldn’t want to see you mistreating your body because of her.”

“I know.” The red light of the operating room reflected on the polished hospital floor. Gu Yinghuai sighed. “I just can’t eat.”

Axu was still in the operating room; how could she possibly eat anything?

Hearing this, Jiang Rui knew that no matter how much she persuaded her, Gu Yinghuai wouldn’t listen.

The “In Surgery” light went out.

Gu Yinghuai and Jiang Rui immediately stood up, staring tensely at the operating room door.

The door opened, and medical staff pushed a gurney out, calling out loudly: “Who is the family of Shen Huaixu?”

Gu Yinghuai stepped forward quickly. “I am her family. How is her condition now?”

“Don’t worry, the surgery was successful. She will wake up once the anesthesia wears off.” The nurse, looking weary, forced herself to answer Gu Yinghuai’s question. “Let’s move her to the ward first.”

The wheels rumbled across the smooth floor. Shen Huaixu lay haggard on the gurney, her hand covered with needles and tubes, veins slightly bulging.

Gu Yinghuai followed behind the gurney, looking at Shen Huaixu’s pale face with heartache.

How much pain Axu must be in…

The gurney was pushed into the ward. After the nurse connected the monitors and gave instructions, she didn’t stay and left directly.

Jiang Rui closed the door of the ward and said to Gu Yinghuai, who was looking after Shen Huaixu by the bed: “Yinghuai, you go home first to get some clothes and toiletries. I’ll stay here to look after Huaixu.”

Gu Yinghuai nodded, reluctantly leaving Shen Huaixu’s side. “I’ll be back soon. Sorry to trouble you.”

“No rush. The roads are slippery in the rain; it’s better to be careful.” Jiang Rui pulled up a chair and sat down. “I’m afraid the news of Huaixu’s accident won’t be hidden for long. I have to go back to the company tonight, so I can’t stay to accompany you.”

Gu Yinghuai: “Okay, thank you for your hard work. Work is important. I can handle it alone tonight.” After speaking, she pushed the door open, took the elevator back to the first-floor lobby.

The rain had lessened. Gu Yinghuai hailed a taxi and rushed home to pack the things needed for hospital accompaniment.

Before returning to the hospital, she needed to do one more thing.

Gu Yinghuai opened her phone contacts, found the number she wanted, and dialed.

“Mom, it’s me. I have something to tell you—”