Volume One, Chapter Fifteen: Mr. Fu Is My Uncle

When Fu Yancheng received the news from Muli, it was already five in the afternoon.

“Gu Li just finished surgery and is still unconscious,” Muli was informed right after Gu Li’s operation, as the director had told her.

Muli was certain that no one from the Gu family would come. Now that Gu Li was married to Fu Yancheng and he treated her relatively well, only someone like Fu Yancheng could get to the bottom of this sudden incident.

Fu Yancheng stood in the hospital room, looking at her frail body lying on the bed, her face as pale as paper. When he brought her in this afternoon, she had been fine.

In just three hours, she had become so weak and lifeless, confined to the hospital bed.

How had she allowed herself to fall to such a state?

“It was a medical dispute. They said Li Li spoiled the patient’s condition, so the patient caused a scene. Li Li said she never treated that patient. Then the patient stabbed her abdomen with a knife and severed her finger and the back of her hand. When I arrived at the office, there was blood all over the floor. I can’t imagine how much pain Li Li must have endured,” Muli said, tears welling up as she spoke. Sitting by the bedside, she wiped her eyes and looked at Gu Li with a heart full of pity. “None of the Gu family have come to see her. They’re all worthless.”

Fu Yancheng’s expression darkened, a chilling aura enveloping him like a specter. His cold, dangerous eyes were like the grim reaper’s.

Clenching his fists, his voice was icy and sharp. “How is she?”

Muli replied, “The surgeons said they took an X-ray—no bones or vital organs were damaged, but it was close. Li Li’s hand could have been permanently disabled.”

Fu Yancheng nodded, crushed out his cigarette, remained silent, and then turned to leave.

Leaning against the corridor wall, his eyes deep and brooding, he lit another cigarette and took a harsh drag. As he exhaled the smoke, his phone rang. He picked it up. “Found them?”

“On the rooftop of the Chinese Medicine Hospital!”

Wang Ye approached Fu Yancheng with respect. “We caught her. It’s the woman. But she refuses to say who ordered her.”

Fu Yancheng, still smoking, walked step by step toward the woman. Looking at her face and hands, they were unmarked—no sign of injury.

“Not talking?” Fu Yancheng inhaled smoke, exhaling a thin wisp, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Wang Ye felt a chill of fear. He had been by Fu’s side for nearly twenty years; when Fu was angry, even he found it terrifying.

The woman, knowing who Fu Yancheng was, still dared to boldly say, “No one sent me. This is Han Jing. If you kill me, you won’t get away with it.”

“Is that so?” Fu Yancheng said lightly, his voice betraying no emotion.

Fu Yancheng took the dagger Wang Ye handed him, its blade gleaming sharply in the sunlight, causing the woman to shut her eyes briefly.

“Ah!”

Her hand was pinned to the table, the dagger stabbing through the back of her hand, blood gushing out. She screamed in pain, trembling and struggling on her knees, eyes wide with terror as she looked at him.

Wang Ye passed another dagger to Fu Yancheng, who took it and, watching her agony, raised an eyebrow. “Still not talking?”

The woman’s forehead bulged with veins as pain coursed through her. Her hand was nailed down; she couldn’t escape. Seeing the man’s ruthless demeanor, she was frightened.

“I’m her patient. I just wanted to teach her a lesson. I didn’t mean to kill her.”

Fu Yancheng no longer wished to waste time looking at her. He turned and handed the dagger back to Wang Ye, his expression cold and his voice icy. “If she’s this despicable, let her hands and body bear a few more holes.”

“Get some people to watch over Gu Li.”

Wang Ye nodded, surprised at how much Fu cared about his wife.

Downstairs at Gu Li’s hospital room, they found Pei Jinghong standing inside, speaking to her.

“Still in pain?” Pei Jinghong stood beside her, worry and tension evident as he tucked the blanket around her.

Gu Li nodded, her eyes red. “Very painful,” she said, voice hoarse and tinged with tears, evoking a desire in anyone who heard to cradle her gently.

Pei Jinghong sighed and tried to comfort her. “Medical disputes happen often these days. Once you recover, go home and rest. You’re not short of money now, so why push yourself so hard?”

“Who says I’m not short of money? I still…” Gu Li was surprised to see a man enter. “Why are you here?”

Fu Yancheng held a water bottle, which seemed out of place with his lofty status. He set the bottle down, glanced at the roses on the bedside table, and frowned. “Doesn’t the person who sent these know you’re allergic to pollen?”

“I’m not—ah!”

Before Gu Li could finish, Fu Yancheng took the flowers and tossed them into the hallway trash bin.

Pei Jinghong was speechless.

Fu Yancheng entered, hands in his pockets, his expression stern as he asked Gu Li, “Want something to eat?”

“You probably don’t know, but after surgery, you can’t eat. If you’re hungry, you have to endure until tomorrow,” Pei Jinghong smiled faintly at Fu Yancheng.

Fu Yancheng was silent.

Gu Li felt awkward, sandwiched between the two men as Fu’s expression darkened.

“When will I get better?”

Just as Gu Li was about to speak, Pei Jinghong interrupted. “She just had surgery. It will be at least a week before she can leave the hospital. If you need to see her, please wait a week. Or you can talk to me instead.”

Fu Yancheng said nothing, his eyes fixed on Gu Li. His warm hand gently squeezed her blanket. He sat on a nearby stool, not caring about its height or hardness.

Pei Jinghong noticed him sitting down and casually touching Gu Li’s hand. Frowning, he looked at Gu Li. “Who’s this person with no sense of boundaries?”

Fu Yancheng had been waiting for that question, a slight smile tugging at his eyes. Just as he was about to answer, Gu Li interrupted.

“He’s my maternal uncle.” She gritted her teeth, unwilling to reveal that Fu Yancheng, the richest man in Han Jing, was her husband—after all, they would divorce soon.

Fu Yancheng was speechless.

Hearing “maternal uncle,” Pei Jinghong relaxed and suddenly smiled. “So it’s your uncle. No wonder you often mentioned him. Looks like he treats you well.”

Gu Li’s lips twitched as she watched Fu Yancheng’s expression darken.

“Get out!” Fu Yancheng said sharply. That smile grated on him.

Pei Jinghong nodded, tucked the blanket around Gu Li again, and said, “You rest well. I won’t disturb you. Your uncle might want to talk to you. I’ll leave now.”

Gu Li nodded silently, feeling the air grow thin and cold.

“Uncle, I’m leaving. Please take good care of Li Li,” Pei Jinghong said before turning to leave.

The door closed behind him. Fu Yancheng’s gaze darkened as he stared at the person lying on the bed.