Thousands Of People Thought Of Him - Chapter 23

Do you not have a mouth?

The bluish-purple petals fluttered down, sticking all over Ying Fusang. A few landed right on his shoulder, and one even slipped inside his collar. After hearing that sentence, Qi Xingwen, still in that posture, naturally reached in and picked it out.

It was as if he didn’t notice at all that this action was inappropriate.

Ying Fusang stayed quiet for a moment, not immediately responding to his question. Then, he slowly moved his hands to Qi Xingwen’s back, as if to embrace him.

Qi Xingwen, caught off guard by the sudden hug, smiled knowingly.

As expected, the next second, the cold muzzle of a gun pressed firmly—but not too hard—against his back.

“Let go.” The owner of the gun said without mercy.

Qi Xingwen, understanding the hint, straightened up and took half a step back, his smile never fading. “No sword this time?”

Ying Fusang used to feel that after so long using cold weapons, it was convenient and he was too lazy to keep up with the times and use so-called firearms. But after this ordeal, he admitted that humans’ current preference for guns made some sense.

“You took the initiative again?” Ying Fusang pressed the gun against Qi Xingwen’s heart.

Not only did he act on his own, but he also dared to use memory erasure magic on him—such madness.

The wind swept the sea waves against the rocks, stirring his bangs and revealing calm, indifferent eyes.

“Sorry.” Qi Xingwen apologized insincerely again, clearly daring to do it again next time.

“So,” Ying Fusang lowered his gaze, his hand stroking the gun barrel, looking straight into Ying Fusang’s eyes, “Are you going to kill me this time, Sang Sang?”

Ying Fusang: “……”

To use a popular phrase among humans nowadays: the Ying family bunch were all pretenders—one slap to the face, very pretentious, two slaps even more so. The former in front of him was the biggest poser, deserving the Dragon Subduing Palm technique.

He seriously doubted what classes Qi Xingwen had attended during these five hundred years to cultivate such thick skin.

The cursed red rope on his wrist glowed faintly warm. Ying Fusang withdrew the gun and mocked, “In this situation, what’s the difference between killing you and committing suicide?”

He deliberately avoided digging into or asking why the other party did this. Whatever the reason, good or bad, their relationship wouldn’t change.

If so, the reason no longer mattered.

“How do you want me to take responsibility for you?” Ying Fusang suddenly brought the topic back to the beginning. When he said this, there was no hint of romance or teasing—more like…

“We’re now, let’s say, partners sharing weal and woe in a… business relationship,” Qi Xingwen quickly corrected himself before Ying Fusang’s expression changed, casually continuing, “You keep that half of the soul for me, that counts as taking responsibility.”

Like two businessmen negotiating.

“…Since you say it’s cooperation, what do you want?” Ying Fusang asked in a businesslike tone.

Qi Xingwen pretended to ponder, “Something I want?” After a subtle pause, he said, “No rush, I’ll ask for it after this is all over.”

Then he handed back the bouquet of flowers he hadn’t given away earlier, smiling lightly to indicate.

“…”

Ying Fusang reluctantly took the flowers.

Cooperation agreement reached.

…

The rescue team was numerous, blue and red flashing police lights mixed with flashlight beams, making the abandoned dock brightly lit late into the night.

Time slowly passed, and the temperature by the sea gradually dropped.

Qin Muci had already sent her daughter home safely, but she insisted on waiting here for the rescue results.

“Madam, it’s been so long, even if they’re found, it’ll probably just be…” The Qin family tried to persuade her to leave.

They assumed the worst: only a body would be pulled up. Instead of waiting and having the media spin rumors, it’d be better to return and think about dealing with the Ying family.

Qin Muci ignored them, her eyes still fixed firmly on the sea.

“Found!!”

A shout broke the silence, and the rescuers quickly ran over. Her heart jolted, and her gaze was drawn tightly to the scene.

Alive? Is he alive?

“Cough cough…”

By the time Qin Muci arrived, she saw Ying Fusang, soaked through, sitting on the ground coughing. His face was pale, and his fingers were wrinkled from soaking.

The rescuers were stunned—very surprised. This young man had been underwater so long, yet regained consciousness on his own before any emergency treatment.

Ying Fusang frowned and kept coughing, pretending weakness. In truth, he was internally praising himself for his quick reflexes, almost needing to experience what humans call mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

But waking up like this seemed off.

Before Qin Muci could recover from her shock at his survival, tightly clutching her face as if about to cry,

Ying Fusang suddenly swayed and fainted.

“!”

The shift from joy to panic was instantaneous. She didn’t dare hesitate, only shouting frantically, “Where’s the ambulance? Ambulance!!”

So Ying Fusang was rushed onto a stretcher and sped to the hospital.

“The patient’s wound on his back is deep, and prolonged immersion in seawater caused infection. The debridement was complicated. We’ve finished the treatment, and he’s currently under general anesthesia. Once he wakes, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

Lying there so long, Ying Fusang felt like he was marinated in disinfectant.

Normally, his heart condition would have been detected in preoperative checks, but Qi Xingwen, his temporary partner, had slipped him some info.

For example, Jiang Tan’s examination showed that Ying Fusang’s ultimate fate this time would be death from heart disease.

Knowing this, Ying Fusang faked it for now, keeping the illness hidden to prevent any butterfly effect causing unexpected variables.

He lay on the hospital bed, seriously closing his eyes to rest.

Outside the room, Qin Muci, who had waited a long time, finally heard the doctor’s words and felt as if a huge weight had lifted.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” The heavy stone in her heart finally dropped.

The doctor left, and just as she was preparing to see Ying Fusang, the phone rang.

“Elena, do you want to end this marriage?”

The husband’s cold and detached voice came through the receiver, freezing her in place.

“I…” Qin Muci’s voice was hoarse, “No.”

“I think you should explain to me in person. By the way, I’ve arrived in China. Flora is asleep. I’m waiting for you in the study.”

Flora was Qin Yiyao’s name abroad.

Peering through the door’s window at the figure on the bed, Qin Muci felt her whole heart tighten into a knot.

Her feelings told her to firmly choose Ying Fusang this time, but reality kept pulling her back little by little.

Sensing her hesitation, the voice on the phone grew colder, “Elena, this is the last chance I can give you.”

“…”

Pushing open the ward door lightly, Qin Muci walked slowly to Ying Fusang’s bedside.

Silence spread.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Sang. Can you… forgive me?”

At this moment, all words seemed pale. Her lips quivered, but only one phrase finally came out: an apology. As for the answer, she already knew deep down there was no hope.

At this point, what else could she do?

Qin Muci lowered her head, put her sunglasses back on, gritted her teeth, and was about to leave.

But just as she took a step, a familiar voice clearly reached her ear—

“I understand you.”

Qin Muci turned sharply!

Her eyes widened in disbelief, locking gaze with Ying Fusang, who had somehow already sat up.

How did this kid wake up now?

No, no—that wasn’t important.

“You mean, you’re willing to forgive mom?” Qin Muci’s mood was complicated; hearing his words filled her with hidden hope and surprise.

Did this child hold no resentment toward her?

At that moment, she had already mentally rehearsed all ways to make amends. Maybe she could give Ying Fusang a better life? Whatever he wanted, she’d try to fulfill it.

“It’s not like that, because you’re not my mother.” Ying Fusang still had a headache and replied instinctively.

Those words landed like a bombshell, freezing Qin Muci’s smile and even causing Ying Fusang to pause for two seconds.

“…”

Well, it was true in a certain sense, but he suddenly forgot about his current human identity.

Her expression darkened. Just as Ying Fusang was thinking about how to soften the blow, hurried footsteps sounded outside the ward, rapidly approaching.

Qin Muci heard it too, so she forced a bitter smile, muttered “I’ll leave first,” and quickly left.

Unfortunately, the quiet didn’t last a minute.

After she left, the footsteps stopped right outside Ying Fusang’s door. Without manners, the person pushed the door open abruptly—

Looking at Ying Fusang, sitting calmly on the bed peeling an apple with a fruit knife in his left hand and the apple in his right, they locked eyes.

“Ying Fusang!”

Seeing the person at the door panting and looking displeased, Ying Fusang narrowed his eyes and searched his knowledge base for info on the visitor.

Trouble number one arrived quickly.

Before Ying Chenglang could launch his annoying speech, Ying Fusang leisurely continued peeling the apple, ignoring the other completely.

This useless guy dares to ignore me?!

Ying Chenglang was furious. He had taken leave specially to see the fun, yet this guy was moving freely, full of life—not at all the dying weakling he expected.

“Heh, you still have the appetite to eat apples here? Good stomach,” he sneered, eyeing the peeled apple.

“Yes,” Ying Fusang calmly observed the coils of apple peel, then asked, “And you?”

Ying Chenglang didn’t understand what he meant, frowning, “What do you mean?”

“Is it because you don’t have a mouth, so you can’t eat apples?”