Jiang Mi's head was buzzing. She had wanted to teach Jiang Jingxiu a lesson, but she never truly intended for him to die. Had he really... died?
After entering the elevator, her face turned ashen. She couldn't even bear to look at him. Memories of their time at the Jiang family flooded her mind. He had actually been very good to her. He thought she didn't know, but she did. She had seen him frequently slip money into her school bag, usually a few hundred yuan. He didn't know it, but that money had practically saved her life.
"Miss, which floor are you going to?" the nurse asked proactively, seeing that she hadn't pressed any buttons.
"Ten... twelve," Jiang Mi stammered out the number.
The young nurse pressed the button for her. Watching the floor numbers ascend, Jiang Mi felt as if she were being fried in hot oil. When the red number 12 lit up, the elevator doors dinged open. Trembling, Jiang Mi stepped out and looked up to see room 1203 directly across from the elevator.
Jiang Mi's mind was in a chaotic mess. She regretted her recklessness from the previous night. She shouldn't have been so impulsive and stabbed him twice. If Jiang Jingxiu died, their daughter would be heartbroken. If he died, she would have to pay with her own life, and her daughter would lose both parents' protection. How would she survive? She was so young.
A sudden urge to flee washed over Jiang Mi. If she could just take her daughter and run away, the police wouldn't be able to catch her, and she could raise her daughter.
No matter what, she wanted to see Jiang Jingxiu one last time before making any decisions. After all, if not for him back then, she might have truly perished in that man-eating abyss that was the Jiang family!
Jiang Mi felt as if she were dying from grief. She didn't know what to do next, only regret and pain filled her chest, making her steps falter.
Standing before the hospital room door, she shakily reached for the handle. Her hand trembled so much she could barely grip it. With great effort, she managed to press down the handle and push the door open. The first thing she saw was a hospital bed, where a person lay, completely covered from head to toe by a white duvet.
Jiang Mi's legs went weak, and she nearly fell. But fearing others would notice her distress, she quickly entered and closed the door. Looking at Jiang Jingxiu, the 'dead' man lying on the bed, tears suddenly streamed from Jiang Mi's eyes, and she couldn't stop sobbing. Covering her mouth, she choked out, "Jiang Jingxiu, I didn't mean to take your life. I didn't want to! I'm grateful for your past help, but no matter how much you helped me, you almost took my life, so it's even. I just want to cut all ties with you and never see you again. That would be best."
"Jiang Jingxiu, don't blame me. I will take good care of our daughter. I can't pay for your life yet; I need to keep myself alive to protect our daughter. I can't let her lose her father and then her mother as well." Jiang Mi made a swift decision. She truly couldn't afford to be in trouble now. Her daughter was still young, and she had to protect her until she was an adult, perhaps even until she married and had children. Only when she was sure her daughter wouldn't be bullied would she repay his life.
"When did I almost take your life?" Jiang Jingxiu, who had intended to sleep for a while, found the sunlight too bright through the hospital room curtains, preventing him from sleeping.
Just as he was about to drift off, he heard someone enter. He was tired and uncomfortable and hadn't planned to pay attention. He hadn't expected to hear Jiang Mi's voice, followed by that long speech.