Chapter 30: Sudden Fainting-Após fingir a própria morte por câncer, o marido canalha e o filho ingrato choram como cães(O imortal busca a imortalidade)

Already suffering immensely from stomach cancer, she found this sudden onset of pain entirely unbearable. She doubled over, clutching her abdomen tightly, her brow furrowed in a display of visible agony.

Seeing this, Pei Qizhou’s face drained of color. He rushed forward to steady her swaying frame. "Yao Shan, what's wrong? Shall I call a doctor?" His tone was thick with anxiety and alarm, clearly rattled by her sudden collapse.

Yao Shan gritted her teeth; despite the excruciating pain, she struggled to remain composed. "No need," she whispered. "I’ve just been working too hard lately. A little rest will be fine." Even as her voice faltered, she attempted to mask her true condition.

Pei Qizhou, however, was not convinced. "No, this isn't working. I’m taking you to the hospital." Without further discussion, he supported her and carefully guided her toward the parking lot. Throughout the journey, beads of cold sweat covered Yao Shan’s forehead, the pain rendering her almost unable to speak.

As he drove, Pei Qizhou glanced at her with persistent concern, his heart heavy with worry. His brows were locked in a tight frown, his eyes betraying deep anxiety and unease. Yao Shan felt her condition worsening; her vision began to blur, and the pain made it impossible to focus. Finally, after a surge of intense agony, she felt the world go black and lost consciousness.

Pei Qizhou’s heart tightened; a dark premonition washed over him. He swerved to the side of the road, scrambled to open the door, and lifted Yao Shan out with the utmost care, laying her gently on the grass. His movements were frantic yet tender, as if every second were a matter of life and death. He pulled out his phone and dialed emergency services, his voice strained and rapid. "I am on XX Road. Someone has had a sudden medical emergency. Please send an ambulance immediately!" A calm voice on the other end confirmed the location and the situation.

After hanging up, Pei Qizhou knelt beside Yao Shan, patting her cheek to rouse her. "Yao Shan, stay with me. The ambulance is almost here. You have to hold on!" Minutes later, the siren approached. Pei Qizhou rushed to meet the paramedics, assisting them as they carefully transferred Yao Shan onto a stretcher. Inside the ambulance, the medical team began their examination and stabilization, while Pei Qizhou waited anxiously, consumed by self-reproach and dread. He blamed himself for failing to notice her decline sooner, terrified that her condition might have worsened irreparably.

***

Upon reaching the hospital, Yao Shan was rushed into the emergency room, and Pei Qizhou was barred from entering. He stood outside, his mind in turmoil. He paced back and forth, frequently glancing at the red light above the door, silently praying for her safety. Time seemed to crawl, each second a form of torture. He felt utterly helpless, wishing only for her to pull through this crisis.

Upon hearing the news, Chu Xun arrived with the utmost speed. He did not hesitate for a moment, rushing straight into the resuscitation room; as a top-tier physician, he possessed the clearance to do so.

"Chu Xun!" Pei Qizhou called out, questioning him urgently, "What exactly happened to Yao Shan?" He looked at Chu Xun, his eyes filled with desperation. Chu Xun’s frantic expression suggested to Pei Qizhou that her condition was dire, yet he remained in the dark about the specifics.

"I have no time to explain to you now," Chu Xun replied coldly, a flicker of exasperation in his gaze. He himself was bewildered as to why she had suddenly collapsed. In his memory, she had been fine when they were together. How could she have ended up like this after just one meeting with Pei Qizhou? "Pei Qizhou, if I had known that marrying you would lead to this, I would rather have died than let her go." With that, Chu Xun walked into the resuscitation room without a backward glance.

Pei Qizhou wanted to press further, but Chu Xun gave him no chance, vanishing behind the doors. Xu Miao, having learned the news from an unknown source, arrived in a rush. She put on a show of concern, asking, "Qizhou, what on earth happened?" Yet, despite Yao Shan’s collapse, Xu Miao felt a secret sense of triumph; this was exactly what she had hoped to see.

Pei Qizhou shook his head, indicating he didn't know. He had no heart to pay attention to Xu Miao’s display; his entire focus was fixed on Yao Shan inside. Seeing his grim expression, Xu Miao feigned worry again, testing the waters. "Do you need my help?"

Pei Qizhou merely gave her a cold, empty look and offered no answer, his eyes remaining locked on the door. Dismissed, Xu Miao stood aside, disgruntled but afraid to disturb him further.

Inside, Chu Xun was fully immersed in a desperate fight to save her. Yao Shan’s condition was far worse than he had initially anticipated; her stomach cancer had reached its final stages, and this sudden emergency had brought her to the brink of death. Despite his inner turmoil, his hands remained steady and precise, as if locked in a silent duel with the Grim Reaper.

Time slipped away, the atmosphere outside the room turning stifling, as if the very air had congealed. Finally, the doors opened slowly. Chu Xun stepped out, looking exhausted but relieved. "She is stable for now," he said briefly.

Pei Qizhou stepped forward instantly. "How is she?"

Chu Xun looked at him, his tone stern. "Pei Qizhou, do you even know the true state of her health?" Yao Shan had once made him promise not to tell Pei Qizhou about her illness. But even without being told, could he really not see it? If he had possessed even the slightest shred of genuine care for her, would he not have noticed the signs?

Pei Qizhou froze, a complex flicker of emotion crossing his face, as if he were contemplating something profound. He remained silent for a long moment before speaking softly: "I truly didn't know. She never told me." His voice was low, laced with a trace of imperceptible self-blame. And yet, it seemed he had never once thought to ask.

Chu Xun looked at him with cold, reproachful eyes. "She didn't tell you because she didn't want you to worry—and even more so, because she had already completely lost faith in you."