Chapter 3: Gastric Hemorrhage

Chapter 3: Gastric Hemorrhage

When she saw Fan Xiaoyao drinking recklessly, Liangzi had wanted to intervene, but Fan Xiaoyao’s stubbornness was infamous—mule-headed, some might say. At the time, Liangzi truly had no way to stop her.

He shook his head, his gaze falling on the more than twenty empty liquor bottles scattered across the coffee table. Recalling the moment Fan Xiaoyao had collapsed in a faint, an inexplicable anxiety welled up within him.

Nearby, the private room’s attendant looked at Liangzi with a face full of guilt. “Director Liang, I’m sorry. I should have stopped Miss Fan from drinking so much…”

Liangzi waved his hand dismissively. “Say no more, I understand. This isn’t your fault. Go on, get back to work.”

After giving a few instructions at the bar, Liangzi grabbed his keys and rushed to catch up with Rong Kai’s car.

“Kai, which hospital are you at?” Liangzi’s voice was urgent over the phone.

Yang Yeye glanced at Rong Kai, who was hunched at the emergency room door, his face etched with worry. She hesitated for a moment as she glanced at Liangzi’s incoming call, but eventually answered. “Liangzi, we’re at Kangcheng Hospital. Xiaoyao’s in bad shape. They’re performing gastric lavage in the resuscitation room.”

Hearing that Fan Xiaoyao had been rushed into the ER, Liangzi slammed his fist into the steering wheel, his eyes brimming with regret. “Yeye, tell Kai not to worry. I’m coming right now!”

“Liangzi, I appreciate your concern on Kai’s behalf, but he’s furious right now. If you show up, he’s bound to…”

Liangzi sniffed, his voice hoarse. “Yeye, it’s fine. Xiaoyao’s in emergency care. If you don’t let me see her, I can’t be at peace.”

When Liangzi arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later, Fan Xiaoyao was still in the emergency room. Rong Kai sat disheveled on the floor, his back against the door.

Liangzi hurried over to help him up. “Kai, get up. The floor’s cold…”

Rong Kai, recognizing Liangzi, lashed out without warning, his fist swinging toward him. “How dare you show your face here? Xiaoyao’s always calling out for you, ‘Brother Liangzi’ this and that. And you, you just stood by while she drank herself into this state!”

Liangzi closed his eyes and didn’t dodge Rong Kai’s wild punches. His voice was thick with guilt. “Kai, if hitting me helps you feel better, then go ahead.”

Seeing Rong Kai on the verge of losing control and Liangzi’s face bloodied, Yang Yeye rushed over, wrapping her arms around Rong Kai’s waist from behind. Her voice trembled as she tried to calm him.

“Kai, calm down. Even if you beat Liangzi to death tonight, it won’t change what’s already happened to Xiaoyao.”

Rong Kai glared at Liangzi, his eyes bloodshot. He screamed hoarsely, “Get out! Get the hell out!”

Seeing the hatred in Rong Kai’s eyes, Liangzi felt a bitter ache in his heart. He ignored the outburst and found a chair around the corner, far from the emergency room, where he sat quietly.

Yang Yeye, frustrated by Rong Kai’s insistence on driving Liangzi away, clung tightly to his arm. “Kai, what are you doing? Liangzi came because he’s worried about Xiaoyao too. Why chase him away? And when Xiaoyao wakes up, if she learns you two fought over her drinking, how embarrassed would she be?”

Silence hung in the air outside the emergency room until suddenly, the doors swung open with a bang. The on-call doctor strode out. “Who’s Fan Xiaoyao’s family? I need someone to sign this!”

Rong Kai, deeply agitated, grabbed the doctor’s arm. “Doctor, how is my sister?”

The doctor shot Rong Kai an annoyed glance and gave a cold snort. “What kind of brother are you, letting her drink until she’s hemorrhaging from the stomach? Fortunately, you brought her in quickly. The bleeding is under control. If you’d been any later, not even the gods could have saved her!”

Yang Yeye, seeing Rong Kai’s face grow paler with each scathing word, quickly interceded. “Doctor, please, say no more. My husband already feels terrible.”

The doctor shook his head helplessly and handed the medical chart to Yang Yeye. “Her vital signs are stable for now. She needs to stick to a light diet—liquids only for the next two weeks until her stomach heals. Avoid spicy foods, and above all, keep her away from alcohol. It’s best for young women to steer clear of liquor altogether…”

Yang Yeye nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, doctor. We’ll be careful.”

After Rong Kai, still in a daze, signed the admission papers, the doctor took the form, patted Rong Kai’s shoulder, and spoke in a gentler tone. “Don’t blame yourself too much. Take good care of your sister. But you should know—her stomach’s been damaged, and recovery will take time.”

Rong Kai wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, gripping the doctor’s hand tightly as he choked out, “Thank you, doctor.”

Just then, a young nurse in outpatient uniform hurried over, her expression anxious. “Dr. Wang, there’s a pregnant woman who just tried to jump from a building—apparently, she’s a relative of an important official. The hospital director wants you there immediately!”

Dr. Wang glanced at Fan Xiaoyao, who lay on the bed still unconscious from anesthesia, and gave quick instructions to the inpatient nurse. “Stay with the family and see the patient to her room. I’ll go to outpatient. Make sure you check on her frequently tonight and report any changes to me at once.”

With that, Dr. Wang followed the outpatient nurse out of the emergency room.

With the help of the inpatient nurse, Rong Kai and Yang Yeye carefully wheeled Fan Xiaoyao into the ward.

In the middle of the night, Yang Yeye was the first to awaken, roused by Fan Xiaoyao’s groans. When her eyes fell on the red rash covering Fan Xiaoyao’s face, she was startled. She reached out gently and touched Xiaoyao’s forehead, only to feel a burning heat. Alarmed, she called out and shook Rong Kai, who was dozing nearby. “Kai, wake up! Xiaoyao has a fever! Get the doctor, quick!”

“What? Xiaoyao has a fever? I’ll get the doctor right away!” In his haste, Rong Kai fell awkwardly to the floor, scrambled to his feet, brushed off his pants, and rushed to the nurses’ station.

Watching Fan Xiaoyao turn crimson from head to toe, tears streamed down Yang Yeye’s cheeks. “Silly girl, why did you do this to yourself? If your second aunt found out, she’d be heartbroken…”

Before long, Rong Kai returned with the on-call doctor and a nurse.

Dr. Wang nodded a greeting at Yang Yeye. He took out his stethoscope and listened to Fan Xiaoyao’s chest, then placed a hand on her forehead. Turning to Rong Kai and Yang Yeye, he offered a reassuring explanation. “The red rash is a normal detox reaction. Her heart and lungs are fine, so I won’t prescribe any fever medicine. Use physical cooling methods and keep her hydrated with warm water. Once the fever subsides, she’ll feel better.”