Chapter 54

It rained heavily that night. Ning Shu called Lu Zheng, but he didn't answer.

At first, she thought he was simply angry with her and was deliberately refusing to pick up.

However, the next morning, just as the bell rang to signal the end of the morning reading session, Gouwa hurried to Ning Shu's classroom and called her outside.

"Big Brother Lu didn't come to school today. I can't shake this uneasy feeling. My heart's been all over the place."

She knew it. There was no way Lu Zheng would obediently listen to her.

She took out her phone and called him again. This time, someone actually answered, but it wasn't Lu Zheng.

An unfamiliar woman's voice came through the receiver. She sounded slightly tired, her voice soft, gentle, and rather subdued.

"May I ask why you're calling Lu Zheng? I'm his mother."

The moment Ning Shu heard those words, she was so startled that she nearly dropped her phone.

The last person she wanted to deal with was Lu Zheng's mother, Jiang Ruxin.

Under Gouwa's eager gaze, Ning Shu nervously asked, "May I speak to Lu Zheng?"

"Something happened to Lu Zheng. He's in the hospital now."

Ning Shu immediately asked, "Which hospital is he in? What happened?"

Jiang Ruxin sounded curious. "Are you his classmate?"

"Yes."

"I hope you won't come to visit him. He needs to rest right now. We appreciate your concern. Thank you."

Having said that, she hung up coldly.

That woman really hadn't changed at all…

The previous time Ning Shu had encountered Jiang Ruxin, she had been a typical career-driven, powerful woman who handled everything swiftly and decisively. She had dealt with every girl who tried to get close to Lu Zheng, putting them all in their place.

Ning Shu was the only one who had remained by Lu Zheng's side. This had greatly displeased Jiang Ruxin, but with Lu Zheng protecting Ning Shu, there had been little she could do.

Consequently, Ning Shu didn't have a very good impression of Jiang Ruxin.

Still, thinking about it now, Ning Shu was merely Lu Zheng's classmate. Jiang Ruxin was a woman who cared about appearances. Even when dealing with a stranger, she would maintain her dignity and behave politely.

Through his classmates, Gouwa managed to piece together what had happened the previous night.

Lu Zheng hadn't gone racing with his friends after all. He had turned back halfway and headed home. Nevertheless, he had still been involved in a car accident on the way.

Gouwa also managed to find out which hospital Lu Zheng had been taken to: Jiangcheng Ninth Military Hospital.

Ning Shu didn't waste any time. She went to the hospital with Gouwa.

She had no time to consider anything else. Her heart was filled with worry, and all she wanted was to see with her own eyes whether Lu Zheng was all right.

Outside the intensive care room, Jiang Ruxin sat on a chair in the corridor, her face weary and anxious.

Lu Zheng's father and other family members were accompanying her.

"Everyone, go home. Those who need to leave should leave. There's nothing you can do to help here."

After offering a few words of comfort, the family members departed.

The corridor immediately fell silent, but one person remained.

He was a man in his forties or fifties. Ning Shu had the nagging feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. After thinking for a long time, she finally remembered.

The last time she had been in the underworld, she had passed by Lu Zheng's home and seen this man. He was probably the Yin-Yang practitioner employed exclusively by Lu Zheng's family.

The man raised his head and noticed Ning Shu too. He looked slightly startled, then leaned towards Lu Zheng's mother and whispered a few words into her ear.

Jiang Ruxin immediately looked up at Ning Shu, astonishment appearing in her eyes.

Ning Shu had no idea what was going on. Before she could figure it out, Jiang Ruxin had already risen and walked towards her.

Her voice dropped several notes, becoming remarkably gentle.

"Are you the girl who just called me?"

Ning Shu greeted her politely. "Hello, Auntie. My name is Ning Shu. I'm Lu Zheng's classmate."

"Ning Shu. I know who you are. Your mother is a friend of mine, and the Ning family and ours also have business dealings."

"Um… is Lu Zheng all right? I just came to see how he was doing."

Ning Shu had no intention of using their family connections to her advantage.

"He's out of danger now, but he hasn't regained consciousness yet."

The man walked over to Ning Shu and addressed her.

"I've heard a great deal about you, Miss Ning. My name is Lin Pingqing. You can probably tell that we're in the same line of work."

Jiang Ruxin introduced him. "He's the practitioner our family employs."

Ning Shu could guess as much. Something this serious had happened to Lu Zheng. There was no way the Yin-Yang practitioner retained by his family wouldn't come to investigate.

So she asked Lin Pingqing, "What exactly happened?"

"Someone with malicious intentions is working behind the scenes, trying to take the young master's life."

"What kind of person could he have offended to make someone use such vicious methods against a child?"

Madam Jiang Ruxin replied, "Our family's circumstances are rather complicated."

Complicated.

That single word was enough to explain everything. Ning Shu decided not to press her for further details.

After Ning Shu entered the private intensive care room to visit Lu Zheng, Lin Pingqing said something to Jiang Ruxin.

"After searching high and low without success, we've finally found what we were looking for without even trying."

Jiang Ruxin's face lit up with delight.

"Half a year ago, I had already tracked down the whereabouts of the Phoenix Tears. At the time, I found her mother, but her mother seemed unable to persuade her. Their relationship had become very strained.

"Later, I learned that this girl had enrolled at Lu Zheng's school, and that my son rather liked her. So I decided not to interfere.

"Besides, I had that much confidence in my son. What ordinary girl could possibly resist his charm?

"Now, it seems this girl really has fallen for Lu Zheng. With that, everything should fall into place naturally, and things will be much easier."

Lin Pingqing nodded in agreement.

"If we allow this girl to remain by the young master's side, she can protect him and ensure that he stays safe for the next two years.

"After those two years, she'll turn eighteen, and the young master can take her virginity. Then we'll find a way to make her shed Phoenix Tears and mix them with Qilin blood for the young master to consume.

"With that, the method of reincarnation will be free of any future complications. The young master will enjoy a life without disasters or misfortune and live to a hundred."

Jiang Ruxin watched the scene inside the hospital room and smiled.

"Exactly."

Inside the room, Lu Zheng's face looked extremely pale beneath the lights.

White bandages were wrapped around his head, and his sleeping expression was peaceful and still.

Gouwa asked Ning Shu, "Will Big Brother Lu be all right?"

Ning Shu shook her head. "He's badly injured. The living energy in his body is barely hanging on."

Gouwa asked, "Sis, can't your blood save people's lives? Give him a little."

Without hesitation, Ning Shu bit into the ring finger of her left hand and squeezed out some blood. Then she placed her finger in Lu Zheng's mouth.

His mouth still held a trace of warmth. Its warm inner surface enclosed her finger.

Ning Shu could even feel him sucking on it.

He was licking her fingertip. Although his eyes remained tightly shut, Ning Shu could tell that he was conscious and simply pretending otherwise.

She said nothing. She let him suck on her fingertip, giving him as much blood as he needed. The more, the better. Her blood could save his life.

Gradually, Lu Zheng opened his eyes.

Gouwa cried out, "This is incredible! Sis, your blood is amazing! Big Brother Lu has actually woken up!"

Lu Zheng gazed at Ning Shu, and Ning Shu looked back at him. The two stared silently at each other for a long time without saying a word.

Finally, Lu Zheng was the first to break the silence.

"I knew it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here."

Gouwa blinked a few times, showing that he knew when to make himself scarce.

"Well, um… I'm a little hungry. I'll go out and get something to eat."

After Gouwa left, Ning Shu finally spoke.

"We agreed to be friends. Don't break the rules, or I won't help you anymore."

Lu Zheng's expression darkened.

"Then leave."

Ning Shu continued, "The Lu Zheng I knew before still had an entire empire in his heart. He wouldn't throw his life away over a woman. Feelings were never particularly important to him. When he loved a woman, it was only because he wanted to possess her."

Lu Zheng looked up at her.

"So you like that version of Lu Zheng?"

Did she truly like that version of him? Or was it simply easier for her to convince herself to keep her distance when he behaved that way?

Lu Zheng spoke slowly.

"What if he wanted to change? What if he were willing to give up absolutely everything, wanting nothing except that woman? Would she be willing to stay with him?"

Ning Shu finally fell silent.

After a long while, she said, "It's impossible. The path I've chosen is a one-way street."

Lu Zheng looked at her and said firmly, "Even if that path leads to the Yellow Springs, I'd still be willing to walk it with you."

A gentle breeze stirred the curtains by the window, sending ripples through the fabric.

At last, Ning Shu stood up and left without looking back at him even once.

"Get some rest."

When she walked out of the hospital room, she saw Madam Jiang Ruxin again. The woman hadn't left. Instead, she was standing by the side of the corridor, waiting for her.

"Would you have time to join me for a cup of coffee?"

The café downstairs from the hospital was quiet and peaceful.

Jiang Ruxin told Ning Shu, "I hope you'll stay by my son's side. I know you're very capable. You've opened your Heavenly Eye and become a master practitioner. Very few people in this world possess the ability to open their Heavenly Eye, and you're one of them. You're his benefactor, someone who can protect him."

"I won't stay by anyone's side."

Jiang Ruxin thought for a moment before saying, "I can give you money. A great deal of money. All you have to do is ensure that my son remains safe and free from misfortune for these next two years."

Ning Shu sneered and asked, "How much money can you give me?"

"Whatever amount you want. Name your price."

Looking at Jiang Ruxin, Ning Shu suddenly found that she was no longer afraid of her. She simply found the whole situation ironic.

She smiled and said, "What if I didn't want anything at all? What if all I wanted was for Lu Zheng to marry me someday? Would you agree?"

Jiang Ruxin's fingers tightened around her handbag. She looked at Ning Shu for a long moment before suddenly letting out a scornful laugh.

As expected. She's still just a little girl.

Seeing Jiang Ruxin's mocking smile, Ning Shu understood exactly what she was thinking.

"Do you know how difficult it is to become a daughter-in-law in our family? Families like ours have very high standards for the women who marry into them. Your background and your family are nowhere near good enough for you to become the young mistress of the Lu family.

"It's not that I'm looking down on you. But if you don't have what it takes, you can't accomplish something like this or occupy that position. Do you understand?"

"I don't know who's plotting against him behind the scenes, but there's one thing I do know. Without me, he would definitely die."

Ning Shu looked at her and spoke in a firm, low voice.

"That hypothetical situation just now was a joke. I don't have any ulterior feelings towards your son. From beginning to end, he's the one pursuing me.

"Now, let me make this perfectly clear: I'll save Lu Zheng, but not for your money and not because I want to become the young mistress of your family."

"Then what do you want?" Jiang Ruxin had never believed in anything being free in this world. "Whatever you want, I can give it to you. Any amount of money."

At that moment, a hint of arrogance appeared in Ning Shu's eyes.

"I've opened my Heavenly Eye, awakened my immortal root, and developed a Daoist bone. I have the potential to become an immortal someday. What makes you think there's anything you possess that I would want? And what could you possibly give me?"

Ning Shu stood up and walked away without looking back.