It was almost comical — Lu Shiyan had gone to visit Huang Ying, yet somehow he was the one being carried out of the ICU.
Coincidentally, my grandmother was also staying in this same hospital. The Su family was keeping her company, and as soon as they received the news, they all rushed over.
I followed Lu Shiyan into the emergency room, watching his pale, unconscious face without the slightest hint of concern.He deserved it.
A man like him — scum through and through — dying would be too kind.
No. I didn't want him to die just yet. He and Su Ning'an both deserved to suffer — to endure pain a hundred, a thousand times worse than what I went through. Only then would death be mercy.
When Lu Shiyan was finally wheeled out, my mother hurried forward, anxious. "Doctor, is my son-in-law all right?"
The way she looked — as if he were her own flesh and blood — made me want to laugh.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "Madam, don't worry. Mr. Lu is physically weak and hasn't been resting properly. He fainted because of emotional stress."
"Emotional stress?" Su Ning'an, who had just arrived, caught the key words immediately — unlike my foolishly smiling mother. "I heard he fainted while visiting a patient in the ICU, is that true?"
The doctor clearly had no intention of gossiping about unrelated matters. He pulled out a report. "I'm not sure about that. I only handled Mr. Lu's medical examination. Though his collapse was triggered by shock, the tests on his stomach and kidneys revealed something else."
"Something else?"
"There's a shadow on his stomach. We can't tell yet if it's a polyp or a tumor. I recommend a gastroscopy and a biopsy. If it's a tumor, only the biopsy can determine whether it's benign or malignant."
Su Ning'an's expression tightened with alarm. "Doctor, what do you mean?"
"Does he have a history of stomach problems?"
"He sometimes has stomach pain."
"Then it's probably not recent. It takes years to form. Also, we found early signs of kidney failure. He'll need further tests."
Her face turned ashen. "That's impossible. He—"She cut herself off halfway.
The doctor turned toward her. "You're Mr. Lu's wife?"
"I'm his sister."
"It's all the same. You and your family need to arrange a full examination for him. Make sure he eats well, rests properly, avoids overwork — and no smoking, drinking, or spicy foods."
"Yes, of course. Thank you, doctor."
My mother, seeing Su Ning'an's worried face, tried to comfort her. "The doctor can't even tell what that shadow is yet. Don't get so anxious."
Su Ning'an, in no mood to chat, replied flatly, "I'm going to check on my brother," and walked off.
Left alone, my mother muttered under her breath, "He's not even your real brother. Why are you more worried about him than your missing sister?"
Still, she followed her into the ward, her face immediately transforming into one of anxious concern."Shiyan, are you—"
Lu Shiyan's expression was twisted, his eyes wild. His neck turned stiffly as he scanned the empty air."Mother-in-law… can you see it?"
My mother froze. Seeing the seriousness on his face made her skin crawl. She and Grandma were both terribly superstitious — and hospitals, to them, were places filled with unclean things.
If not for Grandma's illness, she'd never have stepped foot in one.
Instinctively, she rubbed her arm and forced a nervous smile. "Shiyan, what are you looking at?"
Su Ning'an poured him a cup of warm water and handed it over. "Brother, the doctor said you've been overworking yourself. You need rest. You're probably just hallucinating. It's fine, just relax."
Lu Shiyan kept staring at the empty space in front of him. "No. I'm looking at Wanwan. Can't you see her?"
The cup trembled in Su Ning'an's hand, water spilling over her fingers.
She quickly composed herself, setting the cup aside and grabbing a tissue to wipe it up. "Brother, what nonsense are you saying? Sister hasn't come back." She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
My mother let out a nervous laugh. "You must miss her too much, that's all. The doctor said you should eat something light — I'll peel an apple for you."
No one took his words seriously.
Lu Shiyan's eyes lost all focus. His voice was hollow, distant — terrifying.
"Huang Ying said Su Wan died on our wedding night. She saw her body with her own eyes — blood everywhere, her waist slashed open…"
Su Ning'an's hand shook violently, the tissue slipping from her fingers. "Brother, please stop saying things like that! You're scaring me! Miss Huang was traumatized, remember?"
"Yes, Shiyan, don't—"
But Lu Shiyan didn't stop. "She was kidnapped that same night, taken onto a ship. She never made it to the police station. Then how did she know the cut on the wedding dress was at the waist?"
"That girl was delusional!" Su Ning'an snapped. "You can't possibly believe a lunatic!"
He slowly turned his head toward my mother. "But she also said that when the car hit her — she saw Su Wan."
My mother's hair stood on end. Her face went pale with fear.
"That… that's impossible. You must have heard wrong…" she stammered.
Lu Shiyan lifted a trembling hand, gesturing vaguely in the air. "She said Su Wan was right beside me. Wearing a white dress. Barefoot. Her body… glowing. Mother-in-law, tell me — is it possible Su Wan's already dead? That she's been here with us all along?"
The moment those words left his lips, my mother's hand slipped — the knife sliced into her finger, and blood spurted out.
Thud. Thud.
Both the apple and the knife clattered to the floor.
The blood-stained apple rolled to Su Ning'an's feet.
Lu Shiyan stared at it with glassy eyes, his voice eerie and hollow.
"I once had a dream," he whispered. "In it, Su Wan's body was torn apart. Ning'an, tell me… do you think her head was cut off, just like that apple?"
"Ah!!!"