Lin Wan led them to the scene. Chen Jin was still lying on the shore in the same position she had left him, and from a distance, his posture added a touch of desolation and helplessness. It was hard to tell whether he was alive or dead. The group quickly got out of the cars and gathered around to check on him. Lin Wan watched as Xiang Yang leaned in to check his breathing, pressing his pressure points. He then muttered, "It's still just a reflex fainting, but this time it's been too long. Hopefully, he'll be okay."
Everyone's face was grave with concern, some standing, some crouching. Only Chen Jin remained lying there, his face pale and still. Lin Wan, her legs trembling, stood there and looked at him. For the first time, she had an overpowering sense of looking down at him. He looked so fragile, so vulnerable. A single gentle press on his chest could end his life.
Lin Wan silently took a step back, scared—scared that she might not be able to resist going up to him and striking him with a punch or a kick. She wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of situation. He had always been so strong, like granite, impenetrable from the inside out. She had been crushed under his dominance for so long, and it had even warped her psychology. She longed for a chance to return everything she had suffered at his hands—doubled. But now, her eyes were sore, her heart aching with contradiction. She realized how strange the world was. Humans were weak, and yet so foolishly crazy. She was actually feeling pity for her enemy.
Soon, the ambulance arrived. Two nurses crouched down beside Chen Jin to check his blood pressure and heart rate. The doctor listened to the data they reported, then flipped open Chen Jin's eyelids, furrowing his brow and saying, "His heart rate is too slow, blood pressure is low, and his pupils are dilated. He needs oxygen." The nurses quickly retrieved a portable oxygen tank from the car, adjusted the flow, and inserted the nasal cannula into Chen Jin's nostrils.
The doctor asked, "Does the patient have any brain or heart conditions?"
Xiang Yang replied, "No, he has no medical history. He just fainted from the water."
Someone asked, "Is there any danger to his life?"
The doctor, his face unreadable, said, "Fainting can vary in severity. Most people wake up on their own, but his situation is special. He refuses to regain consciousness. He's in a comatose state now."
Xiang Yang added, "He's treating himself like he's already dead. How can he wake up? Do you know acupuncture? He only wakes up when his acupoints are stimulated."
The doctor thought for a moment and said, "Looks like we'll need acupuncture. We'll probably need to administer some medication too. He can't stay like that, we need to move him to a treatment area nearby."
The group carefully lifted Chen Jin into the ambulance and headed back to the hotel.
The makeshift hospital room was set up in a large, well-ventilated room on the second floor. The doctor began inserting needles into several of Chen Jin's acupoints. The nurses stood by with the necessary equipment, while Xiang Yang, Fang Zheng, and the others anxiously waited, either sitting or standing around.
Lin Wan leaned against the windowsill in the corridor, staring at the extinguished cigarette butt in the trash can, lost in thought. She was feeling a little drained, and a bit drowsy. Not far away, two men who appeared to be leaders were discussing something anxiously. One of them had a long ash on his cigarette. She almost wished she could light a cigarette to wake herself up. It wouldn't matter—every habit has to start somewhere.
At that moment, the sound of slippers shuffling echoed down the corridor. Lin Wan turned to see Chen Xi, dressed in pajamas, jogging toward her. Chen Xi nodded at Lin Wan before entering the room. After a while, she came back out, sighed, and said, "Lin Wan, don't just stand here. Go change your clothes before you catch a cold. Don't worry, San Ge's condition is an old problem. It's just that he's been unconscious for longer than usual this time."
"What old problem?"
"Sigh... It's..." Chen Xi was about to explain when the door behind her opened. Xiang Yang walked out with a dark expression and said to Lin Wan, "Come with me. I need to talk to you."
Lin Wan followed him downstairs and all the way to the flower bed in the courtyard. Xiang Yang finally stopped and asked, "Do you know that A Jin is afraid of water?"
"I've heard about it."
"Lin Wan, I really underestimated you."
"What do you mean?"
Xiang Yang scoffed, "I don't know what your relationship with Ah Jin is, but you've gone too far. The last time you danced that suggestive dance in front of so many people, you humiliated him publicly. That was bad enough, but you even conspired with others to make him look bad. What's that called? Betrayal. And now this time, you went even further—directly threatening his life."
Lin Wan quietly listened to his outburst, then calmly replied, "So, are you here to teach the woman who wronged your friend a lesson?"
Xiang Yang froze for a moment before sneering. "I don't have the time for that. A Jin has so many women, and I'd be exhausted if I tried to teach each of them a lesson. I'm not his harem manager. But since we've known each other, I'll give you a reminder today. Those who play with fire will get burned."
"Xiang Yang," another voice suddenly interrupted from nearby. Both of them turned around to see Fang Zheng standing in the doorway, shouting, "Come here. I need to talk to you."
Xiang Yang glanced at Fang Zheng, then at Lin Wan, his expression darkening. He coldly said, "Lin Wan, take care of yourself. If you're smart, you'll stay away from Ah Jin and stay away from us." He then turned and walked toward Fang Zheng.