His Addiction - Chapter 41
When Liang Mushi received the call and rushed back, several ski resort staff were carrying Chen Jing away on a stretcher.
Xu Zhi had already taken off her skis and was following them.
Liang Mushi quickly removed his skis and ran after them, checking on Chen Jing first.
Chen Jing was conscious, lying on the stretcher, her face pale, tears streaming down her face. She cradled her left wrist with her right hand. Seeing Liang Mushi, she cried out, “Mu Zhi… It hurts so much…”
“It’s okay. There’s a medical center here. We’ll have the doctor take a look,” Liang Mushi comforted her. “Where does it hurt?”
“My arm… and my back… It hurts so much…” Chen Jing sobbed, her forehead covered in cold sweat. “I think my bones are broken…”
The stretcher was loaded onto the resort’s vehicle. Liang Mushi got in, holding Chen Jing’s right hand, his eyes filled with concern. “It’s okay. We’ll be there soon… Just bear with it.”
His tone was gentle, as if he were soothing a child. He touched her forehead with his other hand.
There wasn’t much space in the vehicle. Xu Zhi saw that there was no room for her.
No one asked her if she was okay, no one paid her any attention. Everyone was focused on Chen Jing, including Liang Mushi, who hadn’t even glanced at her.
As the vehicle drove towards the medical center, Xu Zhi stood there, her mind still in a daze, Chen Jing’s last words echoing in her ears, but she couldn’t process them.
She had never experienced anything like this before. The people she had met, whether good or bad, had always been straightforward with her. Chen Jing was different.
The medical center was indeed nearby, just across from the hotel. Xu Zhi walked over.
The doctor took X-rays and examined Chen Jing. The diagnosis: a fractured humerus with slight displacement, a bruised left scapula with a high risk of infection due to extensive bruising, and some superficial scrapes and bruises. Fortunately, there were no internal injuries.
A closed reduction was required. As Xu Zhi was about to enter the treatment room, she heard Chen Jing’s piercing screams.
Liang Mushi was comforting her. “It’s okay, baby. Just bear with it. It’ll be over soon.”
Xu Zhi stopped at the door, her face pale.
Chen Jing was crying and whimpering.
Xu Zhi retreated from the treatment room and stood outside.
After a while, Chen Jing’s fractured humerus was set and bandaged. She was transferred to a hospital bed and put on an IV drip.
After the nurse left, Xu Zhi stood at the doorway of the room, not going in. She heard Liang Mushi and Chen Jing talking.
Liang Mushi: “Does it still hurt?”
“Yes,” Chen Jing’s voice was weak, still tinged with tears. “I thought I was going to die… I’m so glad you’re here.”
Liang Mushi held Chen Jing’s uninjured right hand. “The doctor prescribed painkillers. They’re in your IV. The pain will subside soon.”
Chen Jing nodded tearfully, looking meek and obedient.
Liang Mushi finally remembered to ask, “I told you to practice standing and walking on level ground. What happened? How did you end up hitting that tree at the bottom of the slope?”
“I…” Chen Jing looked away. “You know Xu Zhi doesn’t like me. She seemed to hate me touching her. Like that time in the car, I was just holding her arm, and she snapped at me to let go… But I couldn’t keep my balance. I was scared. I might have been holding on too tight. I didn’t realize she hated me touching her so much…”
She paused, observing Liang Mushi’s expression.
Liang Mushi’s face darkened, his lips pressed into a thin line. “So, she pushed your hand away?”
Chen Jing bit her lip. “It’s not entirely her fault. I panicked, and I lost my grip on my ski poles. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have fallen.”
Liang Mushi frowned. “I understand. Just rest now.”
Soon, perhaps due to the medication, Chen Jing fell asleep.
Liang Mushi stayed by her side until evening. When he left the room, he walked towards the nurses’ station.
Xu Zhi was sitting on a bench in the corridor. Seeing him emerge, she stood up.
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Liang Mushi walked past her without a glance, as if he hadn’t seen her.
Xu Zhi froze, her hands clenching at her sides.
Liang Mushi went to the nurses’ station to arrange for private nursing care for Chen Jing.
Chen Jing’s injuries didn’t warrant such special treatment, but Liang Mushi insisted.
The nurses’ station quickly assigned a nurse to Chen Jing’s room.
Liang Mushi returned to Chen Jing’s room, watched her for a moment, then turned and walked towards Xu Zhi, finally addressing her. “Xu Zhi.”
Xu Zhi’s heart sank.
His tone was serious, addressing her formally by her full name, something he had never done before.
He stared at her for a few seconds before saying, “Let’s talk outside.”
He strode out of the medical center, and Xu Zhi followed, her heart pounding with anxiety.
She had overheard his conversation with Chen Jing at the doorway of the room.
Perhaps she should have confronted Chen Jing right then and there, but her mind had been blank. She couldn’t even think.
She didn’t understand why Chen Jing had said those things. But after sitting there for a while, she finally understood the meaning of Chen Jing’s words, “Don’t blame me.”
It had all been part of Chen Jing’s plan.
The realization sent a chill down Xu Zhi’s spine.
Chen Jing must have seen her as a threat and had deliberately tried to drive a wedge between her and Liang Mushi.
This was the first time she had encountered such a situation. She didn’t know how to handle it. But…
She looked at Liang Mushi’s tall figure ahead of her. They had known each other for over twenty years. Didn’t he know what kind of person she was?
Even if she didn’t like Chen Jing, she would never push someone who couldn’t ski down a slope. She had always been restrained, even when she disliked someone. She rarely argued with people, let alone intentionally hurt them.
They walked in silence until they reached a secluded spot in the greenbelt beside the medical center. Liang Mushi stopped.
He turned to face Xu Zhi and asked, “How did Chen Jing fall down the slope?”
Xu Zhi pursed her lips, taking a deep breath before answering. “She was holding a ski pole in one hand and my arm with the other. When we reached that spot, she stopped and said a few things…”
She hesitated slightly, but in the end, she repeated Chen Jing’s words to Liang Mushi. “After she said ‘Don’t blame me,’ she suddenly let go and fell backwards, then slid down the slope.”
Liang Mushi lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought. After a long moment, he asked, “So, I asked you to look after her, but you didn’t hold her hand and support her, did you?”
Xu Zhi froze. After a few seconds, she lowered her head, her voice soft. “Yes.”
“And you didn’t try to grab her when she fell.”
“I didn’t react in time!” Xu Zhi couldn’t help but raise her voice, her emotions getting the better of her. “I was startled! I didn’t expect her to do that!”
Liang Mushi looked at her. “I didn’t expect it either. Do you know how much Chen Jing hates pain? She’s even afraid of needles. Would she deliberately fall down a slope? Didn’t she know she would get hurt?”
Xu Zhi understood the implication, and her heart turned cold. “What are you trying to say?”