Silent Testimony - Chapter 109

The moment Tao Ling pushed open the security door, a sense of helplessness and pain wrapped around her like invisible chains.

“Sister Wei…” Tears pooled in her eyes as she stumbled forward. She knelt beside the fallen woman, her hand trembling as she touched Li Hewei’s face. The skin was slightly cool, but the breathing, though shallow, was still within a controlled range.

“It’s okay, I’m here. We’re going to the hospital.” Tao Ling pulled Li Hewei upright. When her hand brushed against the slick, wet warmth on the woman’s left shoulder, she burst into tears. Suppressing her chaotic emotions, she glanced toward Captain Chen to confirm she was contacting Qiu Wan. Tao Ling whispered softly—partly to the unconscious woman, but mostly to steady herself: “Hang on. The ambulance is waiting outside.”

Seeing the fire spiraling out of control, Hao Peng fled the scene. Zhou Qi, meanwhile, had perished from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Li Hewei’s injuries were severe; she had lost a significant amount of blood and was rushed into emergency surgery.

After the bleeding was contained and her condition stabilized, the emergency surgeon strode out of the operating room. Tao Ling and Qiu Wan immediately swarmed him.

“She is out of danger, but she has six fractured ribs accompanied by chest tissue damage. She requires surgery for internal fixation and debridement.”

Tao Ling’s eyes shimmered with relief and pain. “Thank you.”

“Where are the family members? We need a signature.”

Tao Ling said urgently, “They are on their way. Please, start the surgery first.”

“Very well. The direct superior can sign.” The doctor knew Li Hewei was injured in the line of duty and that this was a special case; he could utilize the “green channel” for emergency procedures.

Half an hour later, after the preoperative checks were completed, Li Hewei was wheeled into the operating room. Tao Ling stared at the closing sliding doors, her mind blank and her heart feeling like it had been wrung dry.

Cheng Yingqiu arrived with the close relatives. After a brief exchange to understand the situation, Li Yuqiong (Li Hewei’s mother) urged her: “Xiao Tao, you and Captain Qiu have been busy all day. Go rest for a while.”

Tao Ling pulled her gaze back, her lips pressed thin. “Auntie Qiong, I’m waiting until Sister Wei is out of surgery.”

Li Yuqiong turned to Qiu Wan. “And you, Captain Qiu? You’ve been on the phone non-stop. Is it work?”

“Yes. The arrest operation. Fortunately, the director is commanding it personally.” Just as she finished, her phone rang again. “Excuse me.”

Qiu Wan stepped aside. Director Liu and Captain Feng had apprehended the crime syndicate led by Huang Xueze. Following the money trail, they had already uncovered “Captain Jiang” and a certain Mr. Wang—a retired deputy director of the Health Commission who had originated from the Puchen Police Bureau.

“Old Wang… Captain Jiang’s former superior. He amassed over a hundred million through Huang Xueze.” “Jiang had over fifty million as well.”

The surrogacy agency’s annual turnover was roughly 100 million. Huang Xueze took 30%, Old Wang took 20%, and Jiang took 10%. The rest went to surrogate compensation, employee benefits, and small-scale bribery.

“No wonder he was so eager to close the case back then.” “Do enough evil, and you’ll eventually leave a trail.”

Director Liu asked with concern, “How is Hewei?” “In surgery. Severe rib fractures. She’ll need time to recover.” “Have her apply for sick leave. She needs more than just a couple of days.” “The doctor says at least two weeks of bed rest.”

While they spoke, the surgery concluded successfully. Li Hewei was moved to the recovery room for observation. The doctor reported: “Vital signs are stable. Once she wakes up, she can be moved to a ward.”

Li Yuqiong nodded. “Thank you so much.”

Tao Ling spoke before anyone else could: “Auntie Qiong, I’ll leave after Sister Wei wakes up.”

Li Yuqiong was moved. “Alright. Just don’t exhaust yourself.”

However, two hours passed without news from the recovery room. Li Yuqiong grew nervous and asked Tao Ling to check. Inside, the anesthesiologist looked anxious. “Her vitals are stable. Logically, she should have regained consciousness within 30 minutes. We are trying to find the cause.”

Unexplained coma. It was exactly like the incident in July. Tao Ling’s heart skipped a beat, and a mist gathered in her eyes. Could it be…?

Li Hewei was jolted awake by a strange, mechanical female voice. She opened her eyes to find herself in a world of pure white.

“Hello, dear Host. I am System 07 from the novel Confusion. Congratulations on completing your mission and changing the ending.”

“Changing the ending?” Li Hewei looked toward the sound and saw a cloud-like object that resembled a ball of cotton.

“Yes. You changed the ending, which allowed me to manifest.”

Li Hewei was stunned. The voice continued: “The ‘original’ Li Hewei in Confusion investigated the surrogacy case on her own and died in the fire. You died of gas poisoning in the real world. Your souls were swapped.”

“By chance, you and she were selected by the Main System. As long as you completed the mission, your life could be extended.”

Li Hewei was bewildered. “Main System?”

“The system that governs all ‘book-transmigration’ scenarios.”

“And then what?”

“You and the original owner both get to keep living, but you cannot return to your original bodies.”

“You mean… I have to stay in this parallel world?”

The system drifted around her. “No, no, it’s not mandatory. Unless you and she are willing to pay the price for swapping back?”

“What price?”

“Tao Ling exists because of you. If you leave, she will cease to exist.”

Li Hewei didn’t hesitate for a second. “No.”

“Hehe. The original owner also refused. But she wishes to see her family one last time.”

“I want to see my friends, too. And Mianmian.”

“My authority only allows me to help one person. Host, please understand.” The system’s “finger” pressed against Li Hewei’s brow. “Go.”

At 10:00 PM, five hours after surgery, the nurse ran out of the recovery room with a smile. “She’s awake! Li Hewei is awake!”

Li Yuqiong clasped her hands in prayer. “Thank heavens.”

“When can we see her?”

“Ten minutes. Dr. Zhang is going in for a check-up.”

Ten minutes later, the “original” owner was settled into a private room in thoracic surgery. Dr. Zhang warned them: “Don’t talk too long. The patient needs rest.”

Once the doctor left, Li Yuqiong sat down and held the patient’s right hand. “You scared me to death!”

The woman on the bed smiled slightly. “Mom, I’m fine, aren’t I?” She scanned the room. Her eyes met Tao Ling’s for a brief two seconds before she looked away. “Where’s Dad?”

“In the restroom. He promised to quit drinking after this.”

“Quit drinking? I don’t believe it.”

Li Yuqiong laughed. “I don’t believe him either!”

“Auntie Qiong, Sister Wei… I have things to do…” Tao Ling stammered.

Li Yuqiong sighed. “Weiwei, you were hurt, and Xiao Tao was so worried she didn’t even eat.”

“Auntie Qiong, Sister Wei usually takes such good care of me. It was the least I could do.”

The woman on the bed offered a polite smile. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” That one “thank you” completely shattered the wall Tao Ling had fought so hard to build. It was too formal, too distant. She managed a few more polite words and then hurried out of the ward.

Tao Ling stumbled past the nurse’s station and down the stairs, leaving the inpatient building and disappearing into the darkness. She finally gave in, squatting on the ground and burying her tear-soaked face in her knees.

She had imagined their separation countless times, but facing it was unbearable. Memories of her time with Li Hewei flashed through her mind—the warmth, the daily mundane joys. She sobbed uncontrollably.

Wrapped in endless sorrow, she gritted her teeth, trying to figure out if this was a nightmare. Would she wake up to find the real her? The her she loved so deeply?

“Li Hewei…” Tao Ling whispered the name. Her grandmother used to say that if you say what’s in your heart, it will come true. She had dreamed of high school and escaping the prison of her village, and she had made those things happen.

So, Li Hewei, where are you…?

Inside the room, the “original” owner sent the others away, leaving only Li Yuqiong.

“Mom,” she said weakly through the pain. “There’s something I’ve been hiding from you.”

“What is it? Tell me after you’re discharged.”

“No.” The original owner had once hidden her identity, even hoping the “other” Li Hewei would handle it. But now, she wanted to confess herself. “I… I like girls.”

Li Yuqiong’s mouth dropped open. She couldn’t believe what she had heard.

“I realized it in college. I have no interest in men. I’ve always liked women.”

“Then why marry Tao Yang?”

“You were pressuring me, Dad was pressuring me, and my bosses were setting me up.” In the civil service system, family background was a key metric. “I thought Tao Yang worked abroad and was easy to manage. I planned to get the certificate just to get everyone off my back.”

Li Yuqiong’s eyes turned red. “You…”

“I lied to you, and I lied to myself.”

Li Yuqiong was shocked, but as a mother, her primary feeling was heartbreak. No wonder her daughter had stopped sharing her heart—she had thought the girl had simply grown up.

“Weiwei, you shouldn’t have…” Her mind was a mess. “Usually, people who like the same sex just play around for a few years and then get married.”

“No, Mom. I love her. We are already together.”

“Her? Who is she?”

The original owner looked at the night sky outside. “She is kind and sincere. She always finds ways to make me happy. She remembers my likes, stays with me when I’m hurting, and encourages me when I’m lost.”

The talking aggravated her wounds, causing her to cough. Li Yuqiong grew frantic. “Fine, rest! We’ll talk about this later.”

“You won’t oppose it, right?”

Li Yuqiong glared at her. “You’re confessing this while you’re injured just so I can’t stay mad, aren’t you?”

“Mom, I’m not…”

【Time’s up.】 The system’s voice echoed. The original owner’s consciousness began to fade.

“Weiwei!” Li Yuqiong panicked and hit the call button.

Medical staff rushed in. After thirty minutes of chaos, “Li Hewei” finally woke up again.

As the doctors left, Li Yuqiong clutched her chest. “I’m trying to keep my blood pressure down, don’t scare me like that!” What was more important than her daughter’s life? With red eyes, she relented. “I won’t oppose it. I won’t oppose it, okay?”

In that moment, Li Hewei was back. Within the shared consciousness, she spoke for both of them: “Thank you, Mom.”

Later, Cheng Yingqiu helped lead the elders away. Tao Ling, somewhere in the dark, felt a part of her soul tearing. She desperately needed one word from Li Hewei to stitch it back together.

Then, her phone vibrated.

“Tao Tao, where are you?”