“Crouch down!”


  Little Xiang Ning pitiably extended a hand, but Xu Tingsheng had not the leisure to console her right now as he yelled this out loudly even as he reached out and pushed down on her back, getting her to crouch down closer to the ground where there would be slightly less smoke.

  Then, he rushed into the nearest private room and and found two towels. He opened a pot of herbal tea and poured it out completely on the towels.

  He immediately turned and charged back out from the room.

  “Cover your nose and mouth! Cover mine too,” Xu Tingsheng handed Little Xiang Ning the two wet towels that he had folded.

  Little Xiang Ning was still in a daze as she did not receive them. She did not know what had just happened, not knowing why Xu Tingsheng was behaving this way as she had even thought for a moment that Xu Tingsheng no longer cared about her, or had not appeared in the first place, merely being a figment of her imagination……

  “Little Xiang Ning? Don’t be scared, I’m here……come on, let’s go,” Xu Tingsheng spoke loudly as he wiped Xiang Ning’s face once with the wet towel.

  Little Xiang Ning finally regained her wits. As tears appeared in her eyes once again, she nodded towards Xu Tingsheng and took the towel from him, next covering her mouth……

  Xu Tingsheng bent down and scooped her up in his arms, running down the stairs……

  “Xu Tingsheng, are we going to die?”


  “No, I’ve still gotta marry you. Cover your mouth tightly now.”
……

  Mr and Mrs Xiang were still being tightly held down by several people and rendered unable to move. They already did not have any real strength left to struggle. They simply flailed their limbs about pointlessly as they howled tragically. At some instances, they could still be heard shouting ‘Little Ning’. At others, only incomprehensible sounds remained……

  They had plunged into the depths of endless despair.

  They just regretted it so deeply. They had clearly already come to a decision the previous day. There was no real need at all for a conversation, no need for that meal together……

  If they could choose again, they would definitely not have shooed their daughter away prior to this. They had clearly known that she had come because she felt restless, being unable to set her mind at ease. In that case, would she have left even if they had shooed her away? ……Since this matter was related to her, it was actually only reasonable for her to be allowed to listen……

  “I even broke her phone……damn me, curse me……” Sprawled out on the ground, Mrs Xiang sobbed piteously as she painfully rebuked herself over and over again.

  As she saw it, if Xiang Ning had had her phone with her, they would have been able to know that she was still inside the building a little earlier. They would have had ample time to resolve the situation then.

  Yet, it was already much too late for regrets now, however much she wept.

  From the exterior of the restaurant, flames were already visibly surging into the skies all about its base skeleton. This was even more terrifying than the actual situation in the interior, terrifying to the point of inducing utter despair.

  There was only despair that still existed within their minds now.

  The abject eyes of the couple were dull and lifeless, devoid as they were of any remaining hope.

  “Somebody……somebody’s coming out!” Someone yelled.

  “It’s true! Someone’s coming out.”


  “Hurry, somebody help him! He can’t run anymore.”


  Some people with sharp eyes noticed that Xu Tingsheng was already quickly nearing his limits.

  No one moved.

  “Boss, if anyone dies, the responsibility will be on you.”


  The boss of the restaurant dared not move.

  It was that cooking apprentice who had suffered tragic, severe burns who reacted at once, immediately scrambling up from the ground and dashing towards the entrance of the building.

  Next, hearing the voices and being released of the grips on them, Mr and Mrs Xiang who had originally already been totally devoid of strength sprang to their feet at once. The scene which immediately entered their eyes was that of Xu Tingsheng, carrying Xiang Ning in his arms……

  As he charged out from amidst the roaring sea of flames……

  Amidst the turbulent sprinting, Little Xiang Ning had been unable to properly cover Xu Tingsheng’s mouth and nose at all times as he had inhaled too much smoke as a result. A problem had already appeared for his breathing as his muscles were drained of energy and his footsteps were slowing, his consciousness too beginning to waver like a flickering candle……

  That cooking apprentice ran inside and reached them.

  Xu Tingsheng handed Little Xiang Ning over to him.

  “Get her out of here, hurry!”


  The cooking apprentice received Xiang Ning from Xu Tingsheng’s arms before glancing at him.

  “I can go on,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  The cooking apprentice turned and ran.

  “Xu Tingsheng……” Little Xiang Ning swivelled her head and looked at him.

  Xu Tingsheng was still fleeing the building. He could already no longer run……even though he was no longer carrying Little Xiang Ning, he could already run no longer. Still, all was fine, for he was conscious of the fact that Xiang Ning was already being swiftly carried to safety……

  The entrance was already in sight, almost within reach……

  He staggered towards the door……

  From the ceiling that was riddled with wounds from the fire, the blazing half of a wooden beam took a plunge, smashing down onto Xu Tingsheng’s back……

  Mrs Xiang took hold of Little Xiang Ning.

  Mr Xiang ran into the building, dragging Xu Tingsheng out.

  Outside the building, Little Xiang Ning coughed intensely as she looked at Xu Tingsheng’s lifeless, unmoving body that would already show no reaction no matter how Mr Xiang tried eliciting one, patting frantically at it……

  “Xu Tingsheng, are we going to die?”


  “No, I’ve still gotta marry you.”


  “Xu Tingsheng, you’ve still got to marry me……”


  The ambulance finally arrived at the scene. It was Xu Tingsheng himself who had called 120 for emergency services earlier, and now he was the one being wheeled away……

  Outside the ward at Yanzhou Central Hospital.

  Huang Yaming was pulling the doctor in charge of Xu Tingsheng who had just finished his treatment.

  “How is he?”


  Beside him were Fu Cheng, Tan Yao, Fang Yuqing, Lu Zhixin……as well as Wu Kun and Ye Qing of the Black Horse Club. The gazes of the seven were all fixated unblinkingly on the doctor.

  Fortunately, it was currently the holiday period. Otherwise, there would probably be even more people here……

  “It’s pretty serious. He took a heavy blow to his back, and also breathed in too much smoke……” The doctor said.

  “Is there any danger to his life?” Huang Yaming interrupted, cutting to the chase.

  He had asked this in a tone so dispassionate it sounded slightly sinister.

  “He, he should be okay,” The doctor stumbled over his words.

  “What do you mean should?”


  “He still hasn’t woken up yet. If……”


  “No ifs!” Huang Yaming tightly gripped the doctor’s coat.

  Unable to break free of his grasp, the doctor sent the others a pleading gaze.

  “Let go, Yaming……let go, this has nothing to do with the doctor,” Tan Yao persuaded him softly.

  Huang Yaming numbly released his grip, and the doctor hurriedly fled. Huang Yaming’s gaze and tone from earlier had left him involuntarily trembling all over.

  “Who did it? Who did it?” Huang Yaming spoke very softly as he knelt down on the ground, his tears pattering uncontrollably onto the ground one by one.

  Fu Cheng just stood there numbly.

  “No, nobody did anything. No one tried to harm Xu Tingsheng. I asked about it. This was really just an accident. Calm down, Yaming. It isn’t what you think.”


  While Fang Yuqing also didn’t understand much about the situation, he needed to persuade Huang Yaming and calm him down now. It could be said that Huang Yaming had killed for Xu Tingsheng before, in a way. It was he who had single-handedly induced the death of Ding Sen.

  Lu Zhixin cut a rather solitary figure as she stood there. Her nails were virtually embedded in her palm as her tears could not stop flowing.

  Still, she had to remain calm.

  “You guys can only notify those who are closest with Xu Tingsheng. Besides that, we have to seal off all news to the outside world before Xu Tingsheng wakes up. I will talk to the hospital about this,” Lu Zhixin said.

  Hucheng, Weibo, Zhicheng……

  Xu Tingsheng alone was related to so many significant, high profile organisations.

  As soon as the news was leaked, not only would discussion amongst netizens be rife, even media organisations would likely come flocking to interview them and report on this incident.

  Hucheng had just finished the distribution of shares. As soon as the news of Xu Tingsheng’s accident had been leaked, there would surely then be people setting their eyes on his fortune. Tianyi who possessed quite a bit of their shares could not be trusted, and their own employees would definitely waver to some extent too……

  Xingchen Technologies, Weibo. Hucheng was still being managed by Lu Zhixin, at least, but as for Xingchen, there was no one who could give them instructions besides Xu Tingsheng himself, no one who could effectively supervise and manage Hu Chen and He Yutan who were much too individualistic……

  As for Zhicheng, many were still drawn to and unable to forget this vastly profitable organisation. With the Black Horse Club without their almighty leader, some might just try to eat them up even with the Fang family supporting them. Most horrifying would be if……a turncoat appeared amongst their ranks.

  Xu Tingsheng’s parents and his younger sister Xu Qiuyi were already in the midst of rushing to Yanzhou with Zhong Wusheng at the wheel.

  Song Ni and Apple were rushing over too.

  When Mrs Xu had fainted earlier and Mr Xu had been busy taking care of her, not having had anyone to pour out all her pent up feelings to, Xu Qiuyi had called Wu Yuewei, “My brother……”


  “Didn’t we agree not to talk about him?”


  “He’s met with an accident.”