Chapter Twenty-Two: Xia Cheng

Xia Cheng hid in a corner, gasping for breath. As a doctor, he knew all too well that his body wouldn't last much longer. He thought of that heartless woman, and a self-deprecating smile touched his lips...

He had originally traveled to City B for an inspection, but fate led him to her, and from that moment on, he could never escape. Before this, he had never believed in love at first sight, but with her, he had fallen so deeply—unable to run, unable to hide...

Little Mengmeng, do you know your husband is about to leave you? Little Mengmeng, I miss you... I miss you so much... Xia Cheng watched the figure bouncing toward him in the distance and suddenly smiled.

Little Mengmeng, to see you before leaving this world—how fortunate...

Meanwhile, Qin Yu and her companions, after a bumpy journey, finally arrived at a small town. Having been cooped up in the car, Zhao Meng grew restless and suggested they stretch their legs and gather some food. Years later, Zhao Meng would still thank herself for her spontaneous idea at that moment.

"Yu, why aren’t there any zombies? My fireballs are impatient to be unleashed..." Zhao Meng lazily draped herself over Qin Yu, unaware that the zombies had already been dealt with by Xia Cheng...

Qin Yu found herself speechless more and more often with Zhao Meng. Shouldn’t a normal person be relieved? But this tone of regret... it was truly baffling!

"Hey? There’s someone over there—I’ll go take a look!" With that, she bounded off towards a corner.

As Zhao Meng drew closer, she recognized that familiar face at once. But he was in a terrible state—his clothes were torn, blood still seeping out, his complexion unnaturally pale, yet he wore a faint smile. Compared to the Xia Cheng in her memory, he seemed so fragile now...

Zhao Meng's nose stung, tears threatening to spill. There was no time to think—she hurriedly called Qin Yu, knowing with certainty that Qin Yu would have a way to save him, she must!

Qin Yu saw Zhao Meng’s reddened eyes and said nothing, immediately administering emergency treatment to Xia Cheng. But his injuries were severe... Though the bleeding had stopped, his wounds were inflamed.

Seeing Zhao Meng's worried face, Qin Yu turned to Wang Bing and said, "Go see if there's a pharmacy in town and bring back some medicine." Then she looked to Zhao Meng, "Mengmeng, go with him."

"But... Yu..." Zhao Meng began, but seeing the seriousness in Qin Yu’s expression, she swallowed her words and simply replied, "Alright."

Once Zhao Meng and the others had left, Qin Yu summoned the little Poison Mist and spoke to it, "I know you can absorb toxins. Now, go and draw the poison from this man's body..."

The Poison Mist, which had been nuzzling Qin Yu, immediately darted to Xia Cheng, circling him. Qin Yu watched as a visible dark aura seeped from Xia Cheng, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly took anti-inflammatory medicine from her spatial storage and gave it to Xia Cheng with water. Having done all she could, Qin Yu waited for Zhao Meng’s return.

After absorbing Xia Cheng’s toxins, the Poison Mist gave Qin Yu a slight shake before disappearing into the spatial realm. Qin Yu was surprised by this sequence, but clever as she was, she guessed that the Poison Mist might be about to evolve...

About half an hour later, Qin Yu saw Zhao Meng return, lugging two huge bags. Qin Yu rubbed her brow; as expected, with Mengmeng’s temperament, she had cleaned out the entire pharmacy.

"Yu, Yu, take a look! Which medicines do you need? If it's not enough, I'll go back for more..." Zhao Meng rushed up to Qin Yu, speaking hurriedly.

"Mengmeng, that's enough. Rest for a moment..." Qin Yu gazed at Zhao Meng's reddened eyes with a touch of tenderness.

"I... I... don’t want to rest, I want to look after him..." Zhao Meng choked up. She realized her feelings for Xia Cheng weren't as simple as she had once thought. She... did not want him to leave her.

She remembered how Xia Cheng shamelessly followed her around, calling her "wife." She remembered how, during Qin Yu’s period of unconsciousness, Xia Cheng stayed by her side, caring for her. She remembered how he would bring her meals and insist she eat when she refused. She remembered...

At this moment, Zhao Meng's mind was filled with memories of Xia Cheng. Their time together had been so brief, yet she had fallen so unexpectedly and deeply...

Qin Yu, watching Zhao Meng’s careful attention to Xia Cheng, turned to Wang Bing and said, "Go ask Zhang Kuang to bring a car in. We’ll take Xia Cheng with us."

Wang Bing looked at Zhao Meng with a sigh, thinking, "Every person has their nemesis. This man is surely Zhao Meng’s."

Once Xia Cheng was loaded into the car, the already cramped space became even tighter, but no one complained. Zhao Meng had always cared for them, and now they understood her feelings—after all, they too had loved.

That night, as everyone slept, the night watch sat cleaning their weapons nearby, unaware that a faint light emanated from Xia Cheng’s body. The wound, once deep enough to expose bone, was gradually healing...