Are You Allergic To Romance? - Chapter 30
Chapter 30: Worrying About You Like a Madwoman
Thunder and rain poured outside the window.
This was the first rain Xie Mianzhi had encountered since returning to Linxi City, and this sudden downpour made her feel increasingly anxious and uneasy.
“You’re back in Linxi? And you’re calling me this late?”
The voice on the other end was a lazy, playful greeting, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people and footsteps. The news agency building must have been brightly lit at this hour.
Xie Mianzhi knew her friend was a night owl who worked late, especially with such major news breaking in the neighboring city.
“Yes. Now is not the time for small talk. I need to know the details of the vicious robbery in the news—tell me everything you know, right now.”
Xie Mianzhi was making the call from the car. Her hands and feet were cold, and her hair was wet from rushing out into the rain, but her voice was surprisingly calm. The scenes from the news report kept echoing in her mind, and she felt like it couldn’t be true.
Or rather, she refused to believe it was true.
“My dear Miss, are you referring to the Misu Town store robbery? That’s top secret. Even our news agency has very little information right now. I can’t tell you anything yet.” Xin Su was marking up a manuscript her staff had worked on overnight, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder while speaking to Xie Mianzhi.
Xie Mianzhi paused for a few seconds before murmuring, “So, it’s real.”
She had hoped her friend would tell her not to believe the broadcast, that it was fake news or a misunderstanding, or that the incident wasn’t that serious. That absurd hope was now shattered.
In an instant, her heart was violently stabbed, and an indescribable anxiety spread.
Her fingers trembled as she tried to light a cigarette, but the lighter flicked several times and wouldn’t catch.
The robbery took place at the convenience store where that person worked. And it was Saturday night. If that person was working the night shift…
“Of course it’s real. It’s huge news. Wait, what’s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly concerned about this incident? Are you calling me this late to play Sherlock Holmes and discuss the case?”
Xin Su scoffed. She had just received the latest faxed case files. She frowned as she looked at the footage and detailed accounts her people had somehow dug up regarding the bandits’ methods and surviving recordings from overseas.
This information couldn’t be publicly displayed without heavy editing because the crime scenes created by those guys were simply devoid of conscience.
“Were there any casualties? I mean, were the staff at that convenience store hurt!?” The question was practically blurted out. Xie Mianzhi asked Xin Su with extreme urgency.
Xin Su was puzzled. Why was Xie Mianzhi acting so strange tonight, caring about this?
Yes, she knew her friend had vacationed in Misu a few days ago, but why the insistent questioning? Xie Mianzhi was not a compassionate soul worried about the country and its people; this was completely out of character…
“Mianzhi, I find you very strange—”
“Just tell me! I need to know if anyone was hurt at that store that had the accident!!” Xie Mianzhi couldn’t help but yell. She was in no mood for her friend’s foolish banter.
Xin Su on the other end was clearly stunned by her friend’s sudden shout. She had known Xie Mianzhi for so many years and had never seen her so anxious and out of control.
Xin Su gripped the phone, finally taking the matter seriously.
She stopped questioning the reason for Xie Mianzhi’s reaction, sighed, and could only reveal the internal information she currently had: “Fine, I’ll tell you, but you have to tell me why afterward.”
After getting an affirmative answer, Xin Su signaled her secretary to leave the office, then lowered her voice and informed Xie Mianzhi: “My information is that there were indeed civilian injuries, but no fatalities have been reported.”
“What are their names? What are the names of the injured people?”
Xie Mianzhi’s frantic voice immediately came through the phone.
Xin Su frowned. She couldn’t get the specific information on the injured person right now, but, “I only know it was from that convenience store. It was a man, taken to the Lientan City First People’s Hospital for treatment. His condition is stable.”
“Is that all? Only he was hurt? What about the others?” Xie Mianzhi anxiously squeezed the cigarette box, desperate to hear her friend state definitively that there was no one else.
“I’m not sure. That’s all the information I have right now. I only know that one male employee was injured and is being treated. The scene was severely damaged, which is awful. But fortunately, not many innocent people were affected. The road repair work in Misu happened to block many tourists from passing through that area.”
Xin Su slowly analyzed, attempting to calm Xie Mianzhi’s nerves, though she couldn’t fathom what her friend meant by these questions.
Could that convenience store be related to Xie Mianzhi?
Did Xie Mianzhi invest in that shop?
“What exactly—”
“Thank you. I’ll explain later.” With a ‘toot’ sound, Xie Mianzhi hung up the phone.
Hearing the cold dial tone, Xin Su felt the sun must have risen in the west. Xie Mianzhi actually said, Thank you? Xin Su pouted. She couldn’t imagine why her friend would call late at night asking about such an incident.
Could she be possessed?
Xin Su shook her head, baffled by her friend’s madness, and returned to reviewing the critical report the frontline had just sent her.
Wait. These heinous robbers turned themselves in!?
**
Beneath the black rain,
A speeding vehicle, almost merged with the darkness, was traveling on the highway.
The person inside was frowning, her expression grave.
“How much longer until we arrive?” Xie Mianzhi looked at the rain slanting down outside the window, her heart still heavy with anxiety.
After hearing Xin Su say that only one male employee was injured in tonight’s violent incident, she didn’t relax because her friend couldn’t guarantee it. That’s why she immediately instructed Rong Cheng to drive to the hospital.
She didn’t want that person to be hurt.
She truly didn’t.
She had to confirm it to find peace, otherwise, she would definitely be sleepless tonight.
“Boss, about twenty more minutes,” Rong Cheng reported immediately, not daring to delay.
“Faster,” Xie Mianzhi commanded.
She lowered her head, looking at the person’s phone number stored on her mobile phone.
She had saved it when she borrowed the person’s phone to call Rong Cheng that one time. Staring at the empty message box, she hadn’t received any news from Jing Yuan since she left Misu Town.
Only she knew she had been waiting for Jing Yuan to contact her.
Perhaps asking for something, or allowing her to repay the kindness, something of the sort?
Xie Mianzhi rubbed her forehead, anxiously running her hand through her hair.
For Xie Mianzhi, any excuse to reestablish contact with that person would do. Instead, what she got was the news of an accident at that person’s workplace.
Xie Mianzhi turned off the screen. The cigarette in her hand had also burned out.
**
Eight minutes past midnight.
The car finally drove into the Lientan City First People’s Hospital.
The rain was still falling, even heavier than before, pouring down in columns. This had caused a nearly fifteen-minute delay on the road.
As soon as the car stopped at the emergency room entrance,
Rong Cheng immediately got out. After opening the black umbrella, he respectfully opened the rear door.
Instantly, the sound of the rain was amplified many times in Xie Mianzhi’s ears.
She wouldn’t normally go out in such heavy rain. The hem of her skirt was already soaked within seconds of stepping out of the car, but she didn’t care. She quickly steadied herself by grabbing the black-suited man next to her and hurried into the hospital.
Even in the heavy rain, the hospital entrance was still crowded with people.
Perhaps the wide umbrella edge obscured her vision, or the surrounding noise and sirens were a distraction, but Xie Mianzhi didn’t notice the person who brushed past her at the entrance.
A cold-faced, black-haired woman.
The black-haired woman held a black umbrella, looking down at the emerald necklace in her hand. She paused for a few seconds before disappearing into the rainy night.
Xie Mianzhi went straight to the second floor. Through certain special connections, she knew the injured employee from the violent incident was in Room 205 on the second floor, where police officers seemed to be stationed.
Xie Mianzhi had no choice but to walk up, only to be stopped by a uniformed officer a short distance from the door.
“Hello, may I help you?” the young officer asked politely.
Xie Mianzhi pulled off her gloves and showed respect, “Hello, I’d like to visit the patient.”
“What is your relationship with the patient?” The officer looked at the woman’s impeccable attire. Although he instinctively felt she wasn’t suspicious, it was standard procedure to check her identity. If she was family, she could visit. “Please show your ID.”
Xie Mianzhi slightly turned her head toward Rong Cheng behind her, who immediately handed over her identification for the officer to check.
“Actually, I’m not the patient’s family. I just want to know if the injured person inside is someone I know… a friend of mine. She works at that convenience store, and she’s very important to me.” Xie Mianzhi was upfront, clearly stating the purpose of her visit. After all, forcing her way in would be inappropriate.
After verifying her identity, the young officer knew Xie Mianzhi belonged to the Xie family but did not let her pass.
He could guess she had arranged a way to find out the injured person was sent to this hospital, but visiting as a non-family member was against regulations. Besides the female employee who accompanied the injured Mr. Chen earlier, they were all waiting for the arrival of the family of Chen Dong, the civilian hero who got the bandits to surrender.
“What is your friend’s name?” the officer asked the Miss Xie who personally came to visit her friend in such heavy rain.
“Her name is Jing Yuan.”
Hearing the name, the officer immediately turned to another staff member behind him to verify the identity.
While waiting, Xie Mianzhi slightly turned her head, quietly staring at the cold, white hospital door, enduring the tension.
She did not want to hear the officer confirm that name.
She hoped the officer would say: There is no such person.
“Miss Xie, the friend you mentioned left about ten minutes ago.” Because the accompanying employee’s name was listed on the record, the staff member knew the woman was referring to that person.
“She was injured!?” Xie Mianzhi’s eyes widened in disbelief at the answer, and she grabbed the man’s arm.
“No, she’s fine. She wasn’t injured. She only accompanied us to bring the injured person in. We can’t disclose any more details. If you’re worried, you can contact your friend directly. Please don’t disrupt our work,” the other staff member quickly explained. He saw how anxious Miss Xie was and worried she would lose control if he delayed his explanation.
“You said she’s not hurt, right? Are you sure?” Xie Mianzhi gripped his arm, wanting to confirm again. She didn’t want a vague answer.
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this answer, Xie Mianzhi finally let go, her anxiety and restlessness receding as she regained her composure.
Xie Mianzhi was stunned for a few seconds before speaking: “I apologize for disrupting your work. I will send you a banner of commendation on behalf of my family to express our gratitude.” With that, she politely nodded to the staff and left.
She didn’t sigh in relief until she was standing at the exit.
A burden had been half-lifted from her heart, knowing that Jing Yuan was safe.
Xie Mianzhi hadn’t expected herself to drive over a hundred kilometers to a neighboring city, unable to wait for the morning news, just to confirm that person’s safety.
“The rain seems to have eased up,” Xie Mianzhi looked up at the sky.
“Yes, Boss, the rain has eased a bit.”
Xie Mianzhi picked up an unlit cigarette. When she heard the staff tell her to contact her friend directly if she was still worried, her reason told her she couldn’t.
Because she would cross a line.
Jing Yuan. That woman had a kind of magic that would make her cross boundaries.
Just like how she acted like an obsessed madwoman, driving to Lientan City late at night to confirm the situation.
Yet, she still didn’t dare to dial that person’s number. Like a coward, she was afraid of hearing with her own ears that Jing Yuan was hurt. She only dared to seek the result from an outsider.
“I apologize for making you join my madness this late.”
“It was worth the trip to hear good news.” Rong Cheng thoughtfully opened the car door for Xie Mianzhi, then sat in the front seat. “Boss, I actually think that if you’re worried about Miss Jing Yuan, you could perhaps contact her. I have her number here. If you need it, maybe you could—”
Xie Mianzhi pursed her lips, her expression returning to its previous haughtiness. She knew that person was safe and unharmed, and that was enough.
“Don’t do anything unnecessary. I wasn’t worried. I just didn’t want anything to happen to her. She did me a kindness,” Xie Mianzhi rested her chin on her hand, looking out at the scenery outside the car.
Rong Cheng compressed his lips. He almost wanted to roll his eyes. His boss’s mouth was the hardest part of her entire body.