At the emergency department of the hospital were cops dressed in black uniforms and doctors wore blue scrubs under white lab coats.

Inspector Sun ordered his team of cops to investigate the a.s.sault in the alley way.

Inspector Sun walked into the emergency department. He didn’t know the ident.i.ty of the young man who was brought into emergency with an arm injury, and why all the doctors and nurses were excessively concerned about the young man. He noticed the young woman who was brought into emergency with an ankle injury with the young man was waiting anxiously in emergency.

Gu Jing sat on a hospital bed in emergency. She remembered on the way to the hospital Zhen Lang comforted her and he could move his injured arm. But after they arrived at emergency she didn’t see him anywhere and she panicked. She worried his arm injury was more serious than he led her to believe.

Inspector Sun asked the director of the orthopaedic department about the ident.i.ty of the young man whilst the director examined the young woman’s ankle injury.

‘Of course they would be concerned. He’s our best cardiothoracic surgeon. If his arm injury is serious then he can’t pick up a scalpel and perform another surgery for the rest of his life,’ the director said.

Gu Jing felt like someone stabbed her heart and she felt breathless but she continued to listen to the director and inspector Sun’s conversation.

‘If Doctor Zhen can’t pick up a scalpel, not only does he lose the use of his arm but many patients’ lives would be affected too,’ the director said.

‘Where is Zhen Lang? Where is he?’ Gu Jing asked in a choked voice.

The longer Gu Jing didn’t see Zhen Lang the more she worried that his arm injury was serious enough to be taken directly to the operating room.

Gu Jing jumped off the bed before the director could stop her, because she put too much pressure on her injured ankle she almost fell at the door. But a familiar arm wrapped around her waist and stopped her from falling.

‘Although I’m happy you miss me, but many people are looking at us and you’re making feel shy,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Zhen Lang…’ Gu Jing called. She looked at Zhen Lang’s right arm. ‘How is your right arm?’

Gu Jing saw Zhen Lang’s right s.h.i.+rt sleeve was stained with blood and her heart ached. It was the first time in her life that she deeply worried about someone’s health.

‘It’s a shallow injury,’ Zhen Lang said. He stroked his wife’s hair with his left hand and he whispered in her ear. ‘Didn’t I let you see it on the way here?’

‘But…’ Gu Jing said.

Gu Jing saw many doctors and nurses walked back and forth outside the door and she lowered her head.

‘They’re making a fuss over something minor. Are you worried about me?’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing didn’t say anything, but the director’s voice broke the tension.

‘Don’t be too happy too soon. Perhaps my hands put too much pressure on the little girl’s ankle so she tried to run away,’ the director said.

Zhen Lang led Gu Jing back to the bed. ‘Uncle Wan, I need to trouble you.’

The director looked at Gu Jing’s injured ankle then he looked at Zhen Lang’s injured arm. ‘Doctor Zhen do you want me to examine your right arm? The hospital chief called all the hospital departments’ directors for a meeting. But I’m exempt from the meeting and I have nothing to do. Since I’m here I may as well examine your right arm.’

‘Uncle Wan, my right arm is ok. Uncle Wan, examine her ankle first,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘I’m ok. Uncle, examine his right arm first,’ Gu Jing said.

Gu Jing felt pain in her ankle but it was an old ankle injury and wasn’t life threatening. But Zhen Lang’s right arm needed to be examined and bandaged otherwise his right arm could get an infection and his arm injury would become serious.

‘Uncle Wan can’t examine my arm injury,’ Zhen Lang said.

Zhen Lang saw his wife’s anxious face and he gently held her chin with his left hand. ‘Little fool, uncle Wan is an orthopaedic surgeon. My arm injury is shallow, of course he can’t examine my arm injury.’

‘Oh…’ Gu Jing said.

Gu Jing realised her anxiety about the seriousness of Zhen Lang’s arm injury was pointless and she glared at Zhen Lang for giving her a scare.

‘Ah!’ Gu Jing cried out.

Gu Jing’s attention was focused on Zhen Lang that she didn’t notice the director put pressure on her injured ankle to a.s.sess her injury.

Zhen Lang hugged his wife. He saw her fierce glare and he couldn’t hold back his laughter.

‘Doctor Zhen, you need an arm cast,’ a nurse said.

Zhen Lang kept his left arm wrapped around his wife’s shoulder. ‘Can I get an arm cast here?’

Gu Jing watched the nurse inject an anaesthetic into Zhen Lang’s right arm and she forgot about her ankle pain.

Zhen Lang heard his wife took a deep breath. ‘Does it hurt?’

Gu Jing shook her head and she looked at his right arm. ‘You’re hurt.’

Zhen Lang laughed. ‘I’m not hurt. The anaesthetic numbs the pain.’

‘Oh,’ Gu Jing said.

Gu Jing felt the pain in her heart lessen a bit. She knew Zhen Lang for many years, but she never seen him injured. Each time she looked at the blood on his right arm she would remember the knife that struck his right arm and her heart would ache.

Zhen Lang saw his wife bit her lips and the panic in her eyes. He silently caressed her cheek with his left hand.

Gu Jing didn’t cry out whilst the director put a cast around her injured ankle, but her hand gripped Zhen Lang’s left shoulder and wrinkled his s.h.i.+rt.

Zhen Lang gently patted his wife’s cheek. ‘I’m going to change my clothes in my office otherwise I’ll scare people in these clothes. Be good and wait here for me to come back.’

‘You…’ Gu Jing said.

Gu Jing saw Zhen Lang’s arm cast and she didn’t want him to leave her sight.

‘Don’t worry,’ Zhen Lang said. He lifted his right arm. ‘My arm cast is beautiful.’

Gu Jing forced herself to smile, but her smile was scarier than tears.

Gu Jing watched Zhen Lang leave the room then she looked at the nurse. ‘Is there anything wrong with his right arm?’

The nurse smiled politely. ‘If there is something wrong with Doctor Zhen’s right arm, do you think Doctor Sun would be so calm? Doctor Zhen’s arm injury is shallow. It’s lucky the knife didn’t puncture any of his arteries or veins. If you want Doctor Zhen’s right arm to heal faster then don’t let him use his right arm excessively for a short period. But there’ll be a scar on his right arm.’

The look in the nurse’s eyes became dreamy. ‘Doctor Zhen is so heroic. He’s handsome, good natured and protects his lover from a knife attack. If a man protected me from a knife attack I wouldn’t hesitate to marry him.’

Gu Jing’s thoughts were consumed by Zhen Lang. She felt it was her fault that Zhen Lang almost lost the use of his right arm and he almost lost his career too.

Zhen Lang returned to his wife’s hospital room and he draped a jacket around her shoulders. ‘It’s cold here, put on the jacket.’

Gu Jing finally remembered her torn dress and she put on Zhen Lang’s jacket.

The director put pressure on Gu Jing’s ankle cast and she winced. She felt a cold sweat on her forehead but she didn’t cry out.

Zhen Lang’s body tensed. ‘Uncle Wan, is her ankle injury serious?’

‘The ankle cast will help stabilize her ankle injury until it heals. But you two said that she injured the same ankle in the past so I recommend she doesn’t put any excessive pressure on her injured ankle for a period,’ the director said.

Gu Jing saw the anxiety on Zhen Lang’s face. ‘I’m ok. In the past my ankle hurts from time to time, I’m used to it.’

‘All the times your ankle caused you pain in the past, why didn’t you tell me?’ Zhen Lang asked.

‘It’s not important,’ Gu Jing said.

‘Uncle Sun is her ankle cast secure? If uncle Sun thinks she needs additional treatments then uncle Sun can tell me and I’ll bring her to the hospital,’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing thought her ankle cast looked bigger than her head.

A man dressed in a suit knocked on the door. ‘Mr Zhen. Miss Gu.’

Gu Jing looked at the door and she was surprised to see uncle Xie. ‘Uncle Xie?’

The man walked into the room. He was shocked to see Zhen Lang’s arm cast and Gu Jing’s ankle cast. ‘What happened?’

The man stood beside Zhen Lang and Zhen Lang explained to him what happened in the alley way. The man nodded his head, he took out his phone and he called the city’s superintendent.

Gu Jing silently sat on the bed and she felt restricted by her ankle cast.

‘Mr Zhen since your right arm is cast. Can you cooperate with me and answer a few questions? If everyone delayed my team’s investigation like you then no cases would be resolved,’ inspector Sun said.

The man spoke before Zhen Lang could answer. ‘Are you inspector Sun? I’m Mr Zhen’s lawyer. You can call me Xie Zhang. I’ll answer all your questions.’

Inspector Sun felt he heard Xie Zhang’s name before but he couldn’t remember why. ‘Can you explain about the situation clearly?’

Inspector Sun felt frustrated that he and his team waited a long time to interview Zhen Lang, but Zhen Lang’s lawyer showed up and said he could explain what happened to Zhen Lang.

Xie Zhang smiled politely. ‘If you think it’s wrong of me to answer your questions on behalf of Mr Zhen, do you want me to call your superintendent to get permission? Let me also ask why the cops five hundred metres from the alley way received a call but it took the cops more than half an hour to show up at the alley way?’

‘Mr Zhen needs to follow police procedures like everyone else. He needs to come to the police station and file a report. Mr Xie, you can accompany Mr Zhen to the police station,’ inspector Sun said.

The city’s superintendent walked into the room and inspector Sun panicked on the inside. ‘Superintendent.’

The superintendent glared at inspector Sun then he looked at Zhen Lang and he spoke politely. ‘Mr Zhen, I didn’t expect something like this to happen. I’ve ordered my juniors to investigate who a.s.saulted you.’

Zhen Lang shook the superintendent’s hand. ‘My lawyer Mr Xie explained to you what happened on the phone. I think you know it’s not a simple robbery case. The men who attacked us planned a kidnapping and they wanted to take revenge on someone else’s behalf. It’s likely they have triad connections. If I go to the police station then there’ll be reporters there, what should I say to the reporters?’

The superintendent turned his head around and he pointed a finger at inspector Sun. ‘Why aren’t you leaving to investigate what happened?’

‘I think if this incident is made into a big deal then it’ll hinder the investigation. I won’t go to the police station otherwise it’ll escalate the situation and cause the public to panic unnecessarily. I’ll keep a low profile and the reporters will not find out about the incident,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Mr Zhen…’ the superintendent said.

‘Superintendent, I’m ok,’ Zhen Lang said. He turned to Xie Zhang and he spoke softly. ‘Don’t let any of my family members know about what happened today.’

Xie Zhang reluctantly nodded his head.

‘Do you want me to order someone to escort you two home?’ the superintendent asked.

Zhen Lang shook his head then he held his wife’s hand. ‘Let’s go home.’

Zhen Lang helped his wife to sit on a wheelchair and he pushed the wheelchair with his left hand. ‘Little girl, why are you quiet?’

Gu Jing didn’t say anything.

‘Are you hungry? Do you want me to ask uncle Xie to order someone to deliver dinner dishes to our home?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Gu Jing had no appet.i.te for food and she shook her head.

‘Do you feel that you caused me trouble?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Gu Jing shook her head.

‘Do you feel you failed to protect me and it makes you feel useless?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Gu Jing’s body tensed but she didn’t say anything.

Gu Jing protected Zhen Lang for many years and she never lost a fight or let anyone injure Zhen Lang before. But in one day her ankle’s swollen and Zhen Lang’s right arm was injured.

‘I need your help for many things. If you don’t help me then I’ll be very pitiful,’ Zhen Lang said. He coughed softly. ‘I can’t move my right arm for a while. I don’t know how I can shower, brush my teeth or go to the toilet on my own. Apart from you there’s no else to help me. Will you help me?’

‘Um,’ Gu Jing said.

Xie Zhang ordered guards to keep a respectable distance from Zhen Lang and Gu Jing. Although Xie Zhang and the guards protected Zhen Lang and Gu Jing from a distance, they still heard Zhen Lang and Gu Jing’s conversation.

‘Then I’ll rely on you to help me with everything,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Ok, I promise I’ll help you with everything,’ Gu Jing said.

‘Ok, now will you smile?’ Zhen Lang asked.

‘I’m not going to smile. You look like a fool to death,’ Gu Jing said.

‘You look more foolish than me,’ Zhen Lang said.

End of Chapter Forty-Four