Chapter 37: He Must Not Become a Cripple
Inside the operating room, cold machines hummed and whirred frantically. The rhythmic beep-beep-beep sounded like a death sentence, sending a chill through the marrow of anyone who heard it.
Under the shadowless surgical lamps, the scalpel cut mercilessly into the softest, most fragile, and most vital parts of the body.
The white sheets and surgical covers were dappled with blood. The doctors and nurses wore grim expressions, their eyes bloodshot from the strain.
Thump… thump… thump…
Jian Anâs heart gave another slow, heavy beat.
But it wasn’t as strong as before. The fluctuations on the electrocardiogram began to grow weaker and weaker…
Beepâ!
The line suddenly went flat.
The doctor stared at the faint readings on the monitor, his brow furrowing deeply. “Quick! Prepare the defibrillator!”
But the person on the bed showed no reaction. Only the heart rate on the monitor could be seen slowly dropping.
At this moment, the hope of survival was exceptionally slimâlike a lone spring in a vast desert, liable to be evaporated by the scorching sun at any moment.
Outside the operating room.
Ji Songting stood behind a wall where no one would notice. His cold gaze was fixed on the red “In Surgery” sign not far away, a flash of desolation crossing his face.
Has the blood from the blood station… arrived?
The question popped into his mind suddenly, and he felt a strange sense of astonishment mixed with an irrepressible unease.
Could this spontaneous spark of unease be called worry?
Why would he worry about whether Jian An lived or died?
Clearly, he had wished for this man to die soonerâto go to the underworld and atone for his mother’s death. Yet now that Jian An had truly been sent into the emergency room, his fate unknown, Ji Songting found that he couldn’t feel even a shred of joy.
The corners of Ji Songting’s mouth twitched slightly. His heart was filled with a sense of bitterness; it turned out he truly couldn’t smile.
Perhaps it was his intense hatred and paranoia at work, making him unable to stand the thought of such a quick, easy revenge.
Looking to the side, he saw Shen Yunheng sitting on a long bench. The man looked restless, pacing back and forth every few seconds in front of the operating room, his heart consumed with anxiety.
Seeing this, Ji Songting couldn’t help but let out a cold, mocking sneer. He was filled with a burning, resentful anger.
These two were truly deep in love, weren’t they? Loyal unto death. It was almost moving.
But the person lying inside was his legal partner. What did it have to do with Shen Yunheng? If anyone should be anxious or worried, it should be him. Why was Shen Yunheng joining the fray?
Did he like married men that much?!
Ji Songtingâs cold eyes narrowed. His fingers, resting lightly against the wall, unconsciously dug into the surface, leaving several marks. Yet even this wasn’t enough to dispel his fury and jealousy.
Suddenly, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate incessantly with an incoming call.
Startled, he instinctively glanced toward Shen Yunheng, but the other man clearly hadn’t noticed him.
Ji Songting shielded his phone and walked some distance away before sliding to answer, his voice lowered:
“Xiao Yan, whatâs wrong?”
The person on the other end spoke coquettishly. “I want some water. A-Ting, where are you? I started missing you the moment you were gone!”
Usually, if he heard Shen Chuyan acting spoiled like this, Ji Songting would feel his heart soften. He would be happy and find all sorts of ways to coax him.
But now, his heart felt no ripple at all.
In fact… a surge of irritation welled up.
Ji Songting frowned impatiently, gave a perfunctory “Okay,” and quickly hung up the phone.
His fingers trembled slightly. He pressed his hand hard against his temple, trying to suppress the agitation.
After waiting for a minute, he glanced back at the emergency room and hurried away, knowing deep down that he shouldn’t have been so dismissive toward Shen Chuyan.
After eight agonizing hours of emergency surgery, Jian An finally escaped immediate danger. However, he had not yet cleared the critical period and faced the possibility of a second surgery at any time.
The mist on the oxygen mask appeared and disappeared fitfully. The values on the monitor, which had plummeted, finally stabilized.
It was as if he had stepped both feet into the gates of hell, only to be forcibly dragged back at the last moment.
After the surgery, Jian An was moved into the ICU. There was still no sign of him waking up.
Shen Yunheng stood by the bed, exhaling a heavy, pained breath. Just last night, this person had told him he wanted to eat roasted chestnuts; now, he lay in the ICU, unrecognizable.
The eight-hour ordeal outside the operating room had left his face gaunt and haggard. His hair was a mess from his frantic pacing, making him look several years older.
His fingers curled. His palms were covered in a fine, cold sweat, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Finally, Shen Yunheng could no longer hold himself up and stumbled back. He raised a hand to stop a nurse who tried to steady him, leaning one hand against the foot of the bed. His voice was hoarse as he asked:
“How is he now? When will he wake up? Is it because the blood transfusion was delayed that he won’t wake…?”
The attending physician nodded, then used a ballpoint pen to point at the X-ray on the screen. He looked down at the medical record in his hand and spoke solemnly:
“He has multiple comminuted fractures. The injuries to his back are the most severe; the shattered vertebrae pierced his muscle tissue. One of his ribs was only a centimeter away from puncturing his heart.”
Hearing these words was like being struck by lightning. Shen Yunheng felt his head thumping. He closed his eyes tightly, then snapped them open, forcing himself to calm down.
He couldn’t panic. He couldn’t lose his head.
He knew that now, Jian An had no one else to rely on but him. There was absolutely no hope of Ji Songting or Zhou Manxiang caring.
The more tense a situation became, the more one had to remain rational. He couldn’t let his guard down.
However, just looking at the man’s tears made his heart ache beyond control, let alone facing the news that Jian An might become a vegetable.
He truly couldn’t understand why Ji Songting could be so heartless. He would rather protect his healthy, lively sweetheart than give the only bag of plasma to Jian An.
Did he really hate him that much?
Hate him enough to disregard three whole years of living under the same roof? To be as cold as a stranger? Even a passerby would have lent a hand, wouldn’t they?
Taking several deep breaths, Shen Yunheng tried his best to suppress his frantic heart. He looked up, gazing at the youth on the bed who was wrapped tightly in white gauze.
The doctor continued: “His injuries are very severe. Not only was there trauma to the brain, but his body also suffered massive damage. It would be a miracle if he wakes up; thereâs a possibility he may never wake. It depends on the patient’s willpower. Even if the surgery was a success, there is an 80% chance he will be a cripple for the rest of his life.”
The man’s brow was deeply furrowed, his jaw covered in stubble. His voice trembled as he spoke with forced composure:
“Doctor, use the best medical equipment and professional techniques from abroad. Do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. He must not become a cripple.”
If Jian An were lucky enough to wake up, only to find that he could only lie in a hospital bed foreverâunable to walk, unable to go anywhere, unable to pick up his paintbrush or paint the things he lovedâhow much despair would he feel?
He truly couldn’t imagine what kind of terrible thing Jian An would do to himself if faced with such a half-dead existence.
The man had already lived such a bitter life these past years, yet he still couldn’t escape misfortune. Fate shouldn’t mistreat him like this.
“Mr. Shen, there are far too many cases of severe paralysis and permanent comas caused by car accidents. You must prepare for the worst, though we will do our best.”
The voice of the doctor beside him pulled him back from his painful thoughts.
Shen Yunheng wiped his face to force himself awake. His dry, parched throat squeezed out a raspy question:
“Is there no other way?”
The doctor replied: “There is one way that might wake him from a vegetative state, but the hope is slim.”
Shen Yunheng didn’t care about the odds. As long as it was beneficial to Jian Anâs condition, he would do it without reservationâeven if it meant he was the one lying on that bed instead.
“What is the way? As long as there is a shred of hope to save Xiao An, Iâll try it!”
Seeing such a determined, sincere gaze and such desperate pleading, the doctorâwho had worked in the hospital for many yearsâcouldn’t help but be a little moved. He answered truthfully:
“Is there anything or anyone the patient cares about most? Having them stay by the bed and talk to him can be a great help in waking him up.”
Hearing this, Shen Yunheng fell silent.
The one Jian An cared about… wasn’t it Ji Songting?
That bastard surnamed Ji wouldn’t even give him a chance at life; how could he possibly come here to stay by his side until he woke…?
For a moment, Shen Yunheng hated himself for not working harder over the years, for not being braver. If he had, maybe Jian An would have fallen in love with him instead of that cold, heartless statue.
After a long, long time, he gave the doctor a wooden nod. He then slowly crouched by the bed and said sorrowfully:
“Xiao An, do you know what the doctor said? He said you might never wake up. Youâre someone whoâs so afraid of the dark; how could you sleep for so long…?”
Shen Yunheng gently stroked his forehead. His eyes swept over the half of his body covered in bandages. His lips pressed together, but he still couldn’t stop a sob from escaping.
Such injuries must hurt so much…
The rough gauze made his own hand start to ache inexplicablyâa pain that traveled all the way to his heart. Even breathing hurt. His voice trembled, stained with tears:
“Xiao An, can you hear me…? Wake up quickly. Don’t you love painting? When youâre healthy again, weâll go to many places. How about Jiangnan? Weâll go to Jiangnan to sketch, to paint many beautiful things. You said before you wanted to go there; Iâve always remembered.”
In the deathly silent ward, his many wordsâsomewhere between tears and forced smilesâechoed softly, mixing with the cold beep of the machines. It was a sight to break one’s heart.
But no matter what he said or for how long, the person on the bed, hooked to the ventilator, remained motionless.
“Xiao An… don’t sleep anymore…”
Shen Yunhengâs voice grew lower and lower until it was barely audible, leaving only a low, raspy sound of breathing.
He wasn’t the person Jian An cared about. Even if he stayed by the bed until the end of time, the man wouldn’t wake.
Recommended Reads
![Does A Broken Mirror Reunion Exist in Esports? [Esports]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/esports-225x300.png)