Speechless Heartache

Aunt Lin wept, “I heard the ICU costs are astronomical—tens of thousands a day. How will we borrow so much money?”
The Fatty said, “Auntie, please don’t worry. I’ve saved up over the years, and my father helped me set aside some as well. Ironhead’s medical expenses won’t be a problem.”
Aunt Lin was so moved she broke down in tears, sobbing with gratitude.

My mind was awash with concerns. First, I needed to settle Ironhead’s hospital bills, then address Jin Yulian’s foreign trade inventory. One was to save Ironhead’s life; the other was to keep the woman I loved. If I didn’t help Jin Yulian through her financial crisis, she’d have no choice but to marry Qian Duobao.

Aunt Lin’s daughter still needed her care, so I asked the Fatty to take Aunt Lin home on his electric scooter. As for me, I needed to find a way to raise money as quickly as possible. After all, the insurance payout required a lawsuit—it was a distant hope, not immediate relief.

Saving a life was urgent. Even the ten thousand yuan deposit wasn’t enough for a day in the ICU. I decided to return and discuss it with Jin Yulian. Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse; I could only turn to her for help in this emergency.

By now, the streets were nearly deserted, buses had stopped running, and there wasn’t a taxi in sight. So I decided to run home.

City Third Hospital used to be in downtown Mingzhou, but after Qingxi was reclassified from a county-level city to a district, the hospital relocated to Qingxi District. The distance from the hospital to Oasis Community was about three kilometers. If I ran, I’d make it in twenty minutes.

I jogged back, and after a dozen minutes, I reached the spot where Ironhead was hit. If the man had deliberately run Ironhead down at Xu Qingyun’s instigation, the car’s movements would surely betray something. There should be surveillance footage of the scene.

I looked up, searching for cameras around the area. After careful inspection, I found none. Clearly, the perpetrator had chosen the location carefully, avoiding the police’s monitored sections.

During the investigation, it was found that Huang Yongfa and Ironhead were strangers, had no prior contact, and after the accident, Huang Yongfa called the police rather than fleeing, so it was treated as a routine traffic accident.

I felt disheartened, realizing that if there were any suspicious evidence, the police would have found it by now.

As I was about to leave, I suddenly spotted a small inn by the roadside, its surveillance camera pointed toward the accident scene. The camera was partially obscured by nearby landscaping trees, so it would be easy to miss unless one looked closely.

Hope surged within me—perhaps the inn’s camera had caught something. I glanced up at the sign: “Clearwater Inn.” I climbed the steps to its entrance. It was late, the glass door was closed. I pushed gently and found it locked. I’d have to return the next day; disturbing them now would only provoke annoyance.

So I continued my jog back to Oasis Community, reached the sixteenth floor, and opened the door. Thinking it was late, I assumed Jin Yulian would be asleep, so I entered quietly, careful not to wake her.

To my surprise, the light was still on. Jin Yulian hadn’t slept. She saw me enter and said coolly, “You’re back? How’s your friend’s injury?”
I replied, “He’s out of immediate danger, but he’ll need to stay in ICU for a few more days...”
Jin Yulian nodded calmly, “Mm.”
I said, “Yulian, he needs a lot of money for the ICU. Could you lend me some?”
She paused, slightly stunned. “How much do you need?”
“Two hundred thousand. Is that possible?”
She answered briskly, “Yes. Come to my company tomorrow—I’ll have finance prepare it for you.”
I was overjoyed. “Thank you. Once the insurance pays out, I’ll repay you as soon as possible.” I moved to embrace her, intending to show my affection.

Unexpectedly, Jin Yulian pushed my arm away. “No need to thank me. You don’t have to pay the money back—consider it my parting gift to you.”
I was stunned. “Why?”

She sighed softly, “No reason. Our fate is spent. Giving you this money, I owe you nothing more.”

I couldn’t help but say, “You still owe me a mistress.”

She replied sorrowfully, “I offered myself to you. You didn’t want me, so I can’t be blamed.”

I said, “Yulian, why put yourself through this? Tonight I had no choice but to leave...”

She said, “You don’t need to explain. I won’t hold it against you. Everyone makes their own choices.” With that, she prepared to leave.

I couldn’t help but grab her hand, “Yulian, where are you going?”

She gave a bitter smile, “If things had turned out differently, all this persistence would be nothing but self-inflicted misery. In the end, it’s all empty.”

I hurried to explain, “Yulian, you misunderstand me—I truly care for you.”

She shook her head stubbornly, “There’s no point in saying that now. You need your friend. I once dreamed that if my company’s financial crisis couldn’t be resolved, I’d wander the world with you. But now I’ve given up. We’re simply not compatible.”

With that, she shoved me aside and staggered out. I chased her to the elevator, but she got in and pushed me away, leaving me with these words: “If you need the money, come find me at the company tomorrow. We’re settled.”

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47: Silent Heartache—Free to Read.