Jiang Xiaochuan couldn’t finish watching the Military Region’s condolences performance.

He left early.

Yue Qingci stared at the empty seat in the stands opposite that day, his eyes blank, not knowing what he was thinking.

On the table in front of that seat was the nameplate of Deputy Mayor Jiang Xiaochuan, but unfortunately, there was no one there.

It was 10:40 when Jiang Xiaochuan rushed to the hospital. When he reached the door of the emergency room desperately, he saw the doctors had come out. The doctor in charge of the rescue asked, “The patient’s family?”

Jiang Xiaochuan’s heartbeat was completely chaotic. He almost pinched his palms to bleed, not even noticing Xue Yan standing next to him. He just asked, “How is he…”

“The rescue is successful. It still needs to be observed for a while. The patient’s family members go over there and sign,” the emergency doctor said simply, wiping sweat from his forehead with a sterilized handkerchief provided by a nurse.

At that moment, Jiang Xiaochuan almost collapsed. If Xue Yan hadn’t supported him smoothly, he would have sat on the ground directly. He glanced at Xue Yan in confusion, as if he didn’t recognize him, and had a splitting headache.

He forced himself to break away from Xue Yan’s hand, and Jiang Xiaochuan stood holding the wall for a while before he realized that the man who had just supported him was Xue Yan. He turned around and took a look, then suddenly smiled bitterly: “Thank you.”

Time flew by and the roles were reversed. A long time ago, he was standing here, looking at Xue Yan’s pain, but in the blink of an eye, Xue Yan was standing here, looking at his pain. Some things could turn around in just a blink of an eye.

After not seeing each other for a long time, Xue Yan had become much calmer. The temperament he had gained through his experience in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection made him look outstanding. Even standing here alone without comparison, people could still see his outstanding temperament. He looked like a finely polished instrument, but Jiang Xiaochuan knew it as soon as he saw his eyes – this man was not stained by the officialdom; his eyes were still sharp, he was like carefully sharpened swords.

As for where this sword would ultimately point, Xue Yan himself knew very well. Seeing Jiang Xiaochuan like this, Xue Yan felt very complicated. He knew that feeling. Since receiving the news, Jiang Xiaochuan’s mood had gone up and down twice, and now he might not be able to recover.

Xue Yan, an insider, was very aware of Jiang Xiaochuan’s current situation. The more he secretly paid attention to it, the more complicated he felt. Jiang Xiaochuan had to bear too much pressure alone, and he had no idea how he could reach this point without changing his expression.

“Mayor Jiang, Uncle Jiang is fine. Old people have their own destiny, don’t worry too much.”

At this point, although such words wouldn’t have any substantive effect, they could help Jiang Xiaochuan get out of that confused state as quickly as possible.

Jiang Xiaochuan closed his eyes and glanced at the door of the operating room. The nurse pushed Jiang Encheng out of the emergency room and then into the ward. Jiang Xiaochuan walked over and stood at the door of the ward to watch.

Jiang Encheng looked pale, half-sitting on the hospital bed, wearing a mask and ventilator. The hospital didn’t dare to remove it yet.

Jiang Encheng was suffering from acute heart failure.

.

He went to the window to sign and returned. Sitting next to Jiang Encheng’s hospital bed, he reached out to hold Jiang Encheng’s hand, feeling terrified for a while.

Jiang Encheng’s eyelids moved and slowly opened. He looked at Jiang Xiaochuan and weakly smiled behind the oxygen mask.

At that moment, Jiang Xiaochuan felt so bitter that he almost shed tears. Holding Jiang Encheng’s hand, he was speechless.

He sat in the ward until dark, until the moon set and the stars faded.

Looking at Jiang Encheng, who finally fell asleep, he tried his best to cover his face, raised his head, and left the ward. Sitting on the bench outside, his legs stretched straight, drooping toward the corridor. He took off his large suit, as if he was shedding his armor, heavy restraints, and false disguises. His shoulders swayed in the night, and against his shirt, he looked a little too thin.

Even on summer nights, it felt bone-chilling.

Outside, the rain began to patter, and lightning pierced the night sky from time to time. The rain in Chengzhou always started to fall all at once.

A can of hot cocoa suddenly appeared in front of him. Jiang Xiaochuan turned around and saw Xue Yan standing under the lamp in the corridor, his expression hidden in the shadows.

“You haven’t left yet?”

“No,” Xue Yan replied lightly.

Jiang Xiaochuan retracted his legs, leaned on the back of the chair, and said calmly, “Sit down too.”

He still didn’t know what had happened.

“Uncle Jiang suffered a sudden heart failure while participating in the show. The diagnosis was that he was too emotional,” Xue Yan’s account was very brief. He had paid attention to the matter while watching TV. As soon as the incident happened, he called Jiang Xiaochuan. Apart from this time, they hadn’t contacted each other for a long time.

If he had known that this would happen when Jiang Encheng went to the TV station for an interview, Jiang Xiaochuan would never have let Jiang Encheng go.

Looking at the hot cocoa straw in his hand, Jiang Xiaochuan took a sip and felt his stomach was empty, but even though he was hungry, he had no appetite.

Xue Yan still had a job. He didn’t want him to stay here for too long, so he persuaded him: “You can go back first.” After all, this was Jiang Xiaochuan’s own business, and after today, more and more people would come. Jiang Xiaochuan was the deputy mayor, and Jiang Encheng was a veteran. It was normal for all sorts of people to show up.

Xue Yan nodded and said before leaving: “Dou Chang, Secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, supports you.”

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent.

Jiang Xiaochuan was the only one left in the corridor again.