Chapter 104 – That’s true love (Translated and edited by Xing)
When Tang Xue saw Li Yubing suddenly fell, her heart skipped a beat and she leapt to her feet.
The live audience was confused as well. The large display screen replayed the scene, showing that Li Yubing did not receive any attacks.
It couldn’t possibly be that he pretended to fall, could he?
However, Li Yubing did not get up again after falling down. His body slumped on the ice. When the medics came over to lift him away, Li Yubing did not react at all, allowing them to shift him as they please.
Tang Xue left the place hurriedly and headed out. She must make sure that he was fine—right now, right away!
Out of the spectators’ stand, she gave Manager Wu a call.
Manager Wu was now as good as Li Yubing’s agent. Over the phone, he said, “Tang Xue, we’re rushing towards the hospital now. The closest hospital is Yun City General Hospital. Come over by yourself.”
Tang Xue’s voice shook when she replied. “Okay.”
After hanging up, numerous frightening thoughts flashed across her mind chaotically. However, she forced herself to not think about it.
She did not dare to entertain those thoughts in case they become real.
She forcefully cleared all thoughts in her mind and went on her way. Her face was wooden as she hailed a cab and rushed to the hospital.
At the hospital, Tang Xue did not manage to find Manager Wu. Several reporters recognized her and crowded around, overwhelming her with questions.
Tang Xue looked at them with reddened eyes. “Does nothing else matter besides the news? Don’t you have any compassion?”
The reporters startled. Tang Xue pushed them away and dialled Manager Wu’s number as she walked off. Two reporters followed her with their phones relentlessly. When Tang Xue looked back and saw them, she grabbed one of the phones in a fit of anger and dashed it on the ground.
Bang!
The phone shattered into pieces under heavy impact.
The reporter was furious. “What are you doing?!”
Tang Xue looked at him frostily. “Follow me again and the next to shatter will be your head. I’ll definitely do what I said.” After saying this, she turned and continued to walk forward while on the phone with Manager Wu.
The reporter raged. “I’ll expose you!”
Tang Xue turned and glanced at him. She gave a mocking smile. “Do you know who my grandfather is?”
The reporter opened his mouth but did not speak. Indeed, there had been online rumours that this girl was someone with a background…
After putting on a show, Tang Xue finally managed to lose those people and find Manager Wu.
Manager Wu and the rest had just reached themselves. Currently, he was accompanying Li Yubing for a check-up. Besides him, the ice hockey team leader, coach and training assistant were there as well. They bustled around and answered numerous calls. Tang Xue was silent as she guarded by Li Yubing’s side. She stared at Li Yubing’s pale face as he lay completely still on the bed, tears rolling softly off her cheeks. In that instant, she felt like she had been abandoned by the world.
As it was a sudden fall without any warning. Li Yubing went through a heart and brain assessment first.
After the EEG test results and the CT scan was out, he was transferred to the Department of Neurosurgery.
The neurosurgical doctor scrutinized the scans for a moment. He asked, “Has the patient injured his head recently?”
They shook their heads in unison. The training assistant elaborated, “He hasn’t suffered from any recent injuries. The athletes will wear protective gear during both training and competitions.”
“Are you sure? Try harder to recall.”
Tang Xue suddenly remembered something. “Doctor, a puck hit his head a while back.”
When she said this, the coach and training assistant both recalled it as well. Then, they shook their heads. “That was in September.”
The doctor probed, “What’s the exact date?”
“10th. I remember it clearly as it was the opening competition of the Silk Road League.”
“Where was he hit?”
Tang Xue touched a spot at the back of her own head. “Here.”
“He’s lucky to be alive,” the doctor sighed when he knew the exact spot.
Tang Xue started tearing again. “Doctor, just what’s wrong with him…”
The doctor was unable to give an immediate answer either. After investigating that injury in detail, he summoned all experienced doctors in the consultation room for a meeting. Everyone took turns to look at the scans before discussing it.
Tang Xue remained in the ward to guard Li Yubing and wait for the diagnosis. She felt like she had waited for at least a thousand years.
When the doctors finished their discussions and were ready to announce the diagnosis, Manager Wu called Tang Xue along.
“The preliminary diagnosis is an acceleration brain injury caused by delayed intracranial hematoma,” the doctor concluded.
Tang Xue did not understand. “What does it mean? Is his injury accelerating?”
“No… Acceleration brain injury describes the type of injury, such as an originally still head being knocked askew by a flying object,” the doctor explained. “It was caused by the puck that hit him.”
“But there was nothing wrong with him when he went for a check-up. My mom even made me brought him to another check-up a week later. He was fine then as well.”
“It’s a delayed reaction. This means that it was not diagnosed previously as the blood vessels might have been damaged but no clotting appeared at that time. The symptoms only appeared afterwards.”
Tang Xue opened her mouth. A thought flashed across her mind. “He said that his reaction became slower.” Her face turned ghastly pale. “I thought that was because he was facing too much stress. I should have guessed it earlier… I should have guessed it earlier!”
Manager Wu patted her shoulders. “Tang Xue, it’s not your fault.”
“I should have guessed it earlier…” Tang Xue covered her face and wept.
The doctor consoled her. “It’s extremely rare for such injuries to be delayed for four months. Even if you managed to guess it, we might not necessarily be able to detect the problem.”
The training assistant asked the doctor, “Doctor, what should we do now?”
“You can choose conservative management. However, we will recommend you to carry out surgery as soon as possible.”
“What sort of surgery?”
“A craniotomy.”
Tang Xue was shocked by the two words and her legs softened into jelly. It was only due to Manager Wu’s support that she did not fall. This chapter is a labour of love that should not be found outside of teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
——
Tang Xue sat in a daze outside the ward. A person who was still bickering animatedly with her the day before was now in an unconscious state and needed brain surgery? No, this could not possibly be real. It was too ludicrous and she must surely be dreaming. Everything would be fine when she woke.
Manager Wu called Li Yubing’s parents and reported to them the latest update. Then, he passed the phone to Tang Xue. “Tang Xue, Li Yubing’s mother wants to speak to you.”
Tang Xue took the phone. “Hello, auntie.” As she spoke, her tears started falling again.
“Tang Xue.” Mama Li’s voice was choked as well. “Auntie has heard the details.”
“Auntie, it’s my fault. I didn’t take good care of him.”
“No, you can’t be blamed. Tang Xue, you’ve already done very well. Listen to auntie, I’ve already let people contact the best neurosurgeon in Yun City. Right now, your uncle and I are rushing to the airport. The fastest flight over departs at 6 pm. However, the weather at Lake City right now is bad and there might be delays. We’re not sure when we will reach either.”
“Auntie…”
“If we can’t reach on time, you need to help sign the papers for Li Yubing’s surgery. You’re his family as well. Tang Xue, Li Yubing told me previously that he wants to marry you.”
This sentence completely opened the floodgate to Tang Xue’s tears.
When Manager Wu saw how Tang Xue was crying as if she was made of tears, his heart ached for her as well. She was only a young girl and yet she needed to face head-on something that was a matter of life and death.
After taking Mama Li’s call, Tang Xue called her own mother, once again crying as she did so. She was about to exhaust her entire life’s worth of tears in this single day.
Manager Wu bought some food but Tang Xue did not have the appetite. Manager Wu urged, “At least take a few bites. Don’t you have a competition tomorrow?”
“He said that he was going to cheer me on tomorrow.” Tang Xue looked at the ward door. “Liar.”
Manager Wu sighed. “Eat something. You still have to compete. You’re representing China tomorrow. Li Yubing would definitely want to see you fighting to make our country proud.”
Tang Xue forcefully stuffed some food into her mouth and ate dinner with difficulty. She received Coach Chu’s call. Coach Chu comforted her and gently reminded that she needed to return to the hotel that night as the competition was tomorrow.
But she was unable to spare a thought for the competition at all.
At 10 pm, Li Yubing had been in a coma for over six hours. Tang Xue walked into the hospital administration office and listened to the other party’s explanation of the surgery risks and complications.
The resident doctor was a gentle and amiable middle-aged lady. She told Tang Xue that after undergoing the surgery, Li Yubing could become paralyzed, brain-damaged, go into a vegetative state or even die…
Every time the doctor raised a possibility, Tang Xue would cry once. She cried and cried. Finally, she tugged the doctor’s sleeves helplessly and in a pleading voice, said, “Doctor, my boyfriend is extremely fit. Everything you just said won’t happen, right?”
The resident doctor was unable to nod. Words of reassurance might be viewed by the patient’s family members to be a promise and the doctor did not dare to make any guarantees. Seeing how pitiful she was, the resident doctor said, “Actually, if he wasn’t fit, he wouldn’t have survived till now. The death rate of heavy impact against the back of the head is high. In television, it’s often showed how people would make someone unconscious by hitting the back of their heads. Those scenes aren’t factual. Hitting someone in the back of their heads could easily cause death.”
Her reverse explanation had the intended effect of reassurance. Though still extremely scared, Tang Xue was somewhat thankful that Li Yubing was at least still alive.
Afterward, she signed on the surgical consent form. While signing, her hand kept trembling. After she was done, the doctor said, “The surgery is arranged to take place tomorrow in the afternoon, at 1 pm.”
Tang Xue did not want to leave after signing the surgical form. She sat in a daze at the hospital corridor. The team leader, coach and training assistant had already left, leaving only Manager Wu.
Now that such a major incident had happened, Manager Wu was extremely busy as well. He kept tapping away on his phone, replying to queries of people from various places. The club had yet to release an official statement regarding Li Yubing’s condition. However, many people had already heard the news and spread it around, causing a huge stir online.
Online opinions began to turn massively. Numerous people started organizing prayers of their own accord. The number of discussions on this was shockingly high.
Then, someone pointed out: Everyone who once scolded Li Yubing, you owe him an apology.
Manager Wu did not cry when Li Yubing was injured. However, his nose soured when he saw the change in public opinion. Li Yubing had been scolded for so long, his name dragged through the mud and at the mercy of malicious rumours and public humiliation… As he was a public figure, everyone could step on him with wild abandon to validate their own selves.
Now, life had finally given him justice but it was in such a manner.
——
The Li parents reached the hospital around 11.30 pm at night. They even had a secretary following them. After they met and shared the details, Mama Li immediately had her secretary send Tang Xue back to the hotel.
“You still have a competition tomorrow. Your uncle and I will be staying guard here.”
Tang Xue was beside herself as she returned to the hotel. She entered the room quietly and saw that Zhang Yuewei was still awake. For some odd reason, though Zhang Yuewei was always bickering with her in the team, Coach Chu would arrange them to stay in the same room every time they were out for a competition.
Presently, Tang Xue looked at Zhang Yuewei with swollen eyes. She realized that Zhang Yuewei wasn’t doing any better than her. Her eyes were red and swollen as well. One could tell that she had also cried.
“What’s wrong with you?” Tang Xue asked.
“None of your business.”
“You like Li Yubing.”
“I…” Zhang Yuewei wanted to deny it. However, looking at Tang Xue’s convinced face, she twisted her face away in guilt. She whispered, “Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Tang Xue walked over and sat beside her bed. “Everyone who sees that dog loves him. There’s nothing tough to understand about that… But next time, you’re not allowed to talk to him too much.”
“I never talked much with him in the first place.” Zhang Yuewei was innocent. She added, “How is he now?”
Tang Xue told her everything that happened in the hospital that day. After telling her, she hugged Zhang Yuewei and cried. She had never been so frail.
Zhang Yuewei’s sorrow paled in comparison to Tang Xue’s anguish. She began comforting Tang Xue. After both of them talked for a while, Zhang Yuewei said, “Sleep. We still have to compete tomorrow.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“How will you compete if you don’t sleep?”
Zhang Yuewei did not know what was wrong with herself. Probably because Tang Xue was too pitiful or arising from a sense of responsibility to take good care of Li Yubing’s girlfriend, she actually hugged Tang Xue to help her sleep. The two of them squeezed in one bed and she patted Tang Xue’s back like how her mother used to coax her to sleep.
Tang Xue was actually patted to sleep just like this. Although it was not a completely restful sleep, she still felt much better the next day. In the morning, she freshened up after waking and immediately rushed out to find Li Yubing.
Behind her, Zhang Yuewei reminded, “Coach Chu said that you must reach and report at the ice skating stadium before 9 am or you will be heavily marked.”
“Got it!”
Zhang Yuewei stood at the door and watched the empty corridor. She muttered to herself, “I won’t like you anymore.”
Tang Xue who had already disappeared around the corner suddenly dashed back with noisy steps. She gave Zhang Yuewei a hug. “Thanks, Zhang Yuewei.”
Zhang Yuewei was caught off-guard. She rolled her eyes. “Lunatic, leave quickly.”
……
Tang Xue thought of many things on her way. She thought of humans’ struggle with their lives from life to death, and to sickness and old age. Yesterday, her state of mind was completely devastated. Today, she was finally able to consider things rationally. It felt like she was alive again.
Mm, despite so, she still felt terribly down.
When she reached the hospital, she encountered yesterday’s resident doctor who was still on shift. The doctor said, “I heard that you have a competition today. All the best for it.”
“Thank you. How… how is he?”
“The surgery will be carried out this afternoon. The doctor is already here. You can go take a look at him. You guys actually managed to engage Doctor Qi.”
“Who is Doctor Qi?”
“A doctor who has never failed any surgery.”
Tang Xue finally welcomed a positive piece of news from yesterday until now.
She entered the ward with light steps. Li Yubing still appeared to be in a deep sleep. She sat down by his bed and held his hand.
Li Yubing’s palm was still burning hot, like how it always was the countless times they held hands. Feeling the familiar warmth, Tang Xue’s eyes reddened and her tears nearly started falling again. She inhaled and muttered to herself, “Said I won’t cry today.”
“Li Yubing, when you’re in surgery, I’ll be competing.” Tang Xue used both hands to clasp his hand. “Both of us will do our best, okay?”
Li Yubing did not reply. Like Sleeping Beauty, he lay there silently as if he was a character from a fairy tale. This chapter is a labour of love that should not be found outside of teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
“You know what? I’ve thought about this before.” As Tang Xue watched his fast asleep features, her tears finally started rolling down. “How did I end up liking you? You’re really not my type… Afterwards, I finally realized the reason. For Bian Cheng and Yu Yan, I only liked them for their looks. It’s only you that I like you for your soul. That’s what true love is.”
“Sometimes, I do have regrets. Regrets that we missed each other for so many years. I often think—if we didn’t part at that time, how things would be like now… But then, at the same time, I’m really grateful towards life. I’m grateful that it brought you away, allowing you to become a better you. I’m grateful that it brought this better you back to me. You’re completely different from when we were young. The present you have a strong spirit that holds confidence, courage and determination…”
“From yesterday till now, I’ve prayed so many times. I’ve prayed to various deities from both China and other countries. But now, I feel that as long as I believe in you, it’s enough. Li Yubing, I believe that you can make it through. Don’t forget our promise. I’m still waiting for you to join the Beijing Winter Olympics with me. Then, you know what, I’ve thought about it. I’ll become a champion at the Winter Olympics and you’ll propose to me on the spot.” Here, Tang Xue smiled, her face still wet with tears. She continued, “After that, we’ll get married and have two kids. The older one will be called Eggy while the younger one will be called Eggy Number 2. When summer comes, we’ll go hiking as a family to watch the stars…”
She rambled on about numerous thoughts on their future. Finally, she said, “I need to go. I believe in you so you need to believe in me as well. Don’t worry, when you wake up, we shall have another gold medal to our name… That’s a promise that neither of us can break.” After saying this, she lowered her head and kissed his palm. “I’ll be waiting for you at the finishing line.”
When she kissed his palm, the nurse happened to enter the room and see this sight. It was a beautiful scene that deeply touched the nurse. After Tang Xue left, the nurse snipped away and shaved Li Yubing bald.
The legendary Doctor Qi arrived at the hospital in the morning to meet the patient’s family. Doctor Qi was around 43 years old. Due to excellent skincare, he only looked to be in his thirties. Papa Li did not read his portfolio and was a little uneasy when he saw him. Based on Doctor Qi’s appearance, he felt that this doctor seemed too young. No matter how outstanding a young doctor was, he was still lacking in experience.
Worried about his son, Papa Li asked Doctor Qi about his past experience tentatively.
It turned out that Doctor Qi was someone with a temper. He barked, “I’ve opened more heads than the soybean puddings that you’ve eaten.”
Papa Li startled. He replied patiently, “I don’t eat soybean pudding.”
After Doctor Qi left, Mama Li told her husband, “He’s a great doctor with outstanding skills. He has quite the reputation in his profession. However, with his temper, I’m rather surprised that he hasn’t yet been whacked by any of his patient’s family members. His luck is pretty good.” This was said with a sigh.
The nurse brought Li Yubing for a pre-operative assessment. He was scanned for a second time and the results were delivered to Doctor Qi. A surgery involved many people. Everyone would first meet to discuss the surgery process, the possibilities of what might happen, the things they had to look out for and so on and so forth.
After receiving Li Yubing’s medical report, Doctor Qi compared the two scans and checked the intracranial pressure values and other figures. Suddenly, he gasped with genuine surprise. “What the actual fuck?”
Everyone was shocked. They asked, “What’s wrong, Doctor Qi?”
“Look. The blood is starting to be reabsorbed.”
“Gosh, that’s really the case… Doctor Qi, should we still proceed with the surgery?”
“What surgery… Push him back. We’ll follow up with medicinal treatment.” Doctor Qi clasped his hands behind his back and left the room. As he did so, he gave a crude but envious utterance.
“It’s so bloody good to be young.”
Chapter 104 – That’s true love (Translated and edited by Xing)
When Tang Xue saw Li Yubing suddenly fell, her heart skipped a beat and she leapt to her feet.
The live audience was confused as well. The large display screen replayed the scene, showing that Li Yubing did not receive any attacks.
It couldn’t possibly be that he pretended to fall, could he?
However, Li Yubing did not get up again after falling down. His body slumped on the ice. When the medics came over to lift him away, Li Yubing did not react at all, allowing them to shift him as they please.
Tang Xue left the place hurriedly and headed out. She must make sure that he was fine—right now, right away!
Out of the spectators’ stand, she gave Manager Wu a call.
Manager Wu was now as good as Li Yubing’s agent. Over the phone, he said, “Tang Xue, we’re rushing towards the hospital now. The closest hospital is Yun City General Hospital. Come over by yourself.”
Tang Xue’s voice shook when she replied. “Okay.”
After hanging up, numerous frightening thoughts flashed across her mind chaotically. However, she forced herself to not think about it.
She did not dare to entertain those thoughts in case they become real.
She forcefully cleared all thoughts in her mind and went on her way. Her face was wooden as she hailed a cab and rushed to the hospital.
At the hospital, Tang Xue did not manage to find Manager Wu. Several reporters recognized her and crowded around, overwhelming her with questions.
Tang Xue looked at them with reddened eyes. “Does nothing else matter besides the news? Don’t you have any compassion?”
The reporters startled. Tang Xue pushed them away and dialled Manager Wu’s number as she walked off. Two reporters followed her with their phones relentlessly. When Tang Xue looked back and saw them, she grabbed one of the phones in a fit of anger and dashed it on the ground.
Bang!
The phone shattered into pieces under heavy impact.
The reporter was furious. “What are you doing?!”
Tang Xue looked at him frostily. “Follow me again and the next to shatter will be your head. I’ll definitely do what I said.” After saying this, she turned and continued to walk forward while on the phone with Manager Wu.
The reporter raged. “I’ll expose you!”
Tang Xue turned and glanced at him. She gave a mocking smile. “Do you know who my grandfather is?”
The reporter opened his mouth but did not speak. Indeed, there had been online rumours that this girl was someone with a background…
After putting on a show, Tang Xue finally managed to lose those people and find Manager Wu.
Manager Wu and the rest had just reached themselves. Currently, he was accompanying Li Yubing for a check-up. Besides him, the ice hockey team leader, coach and training assistant were there as well. They bustled around and answered numerous calls. Tang Xue was silent as she guarded by Li Yubing’s side. She stared at Li Yubing’s pale face as he lay completely still on the bed, tears rolling softly off her cheeks. In that instant, she felt like she had been abandoned by the world.
As it was a sudden fall without any warning. Li Yubing went through a heart and brain assessment first.
After the EEG test results and the CT scan was out, he was transferred to the Department of Neurosurgery.
The neurosurgical doctor scrutinized the scans for a moment. He asked, “Has the patient injured his head recently?”
They shook their heads in unison. The training assistant elaborated, “He hasn’t suffered from any recent injuries. The athletes will wear protective gear during both training and competitions.”
“Are you sure? Try harder to recall.”
Tang Xue suddenly remembered something. “Doctor, a puck hit his head a while back.”
When she said this, the coach and training assistant both recalled it as well. Then, they shook their heads. “That was in September.”
The doctor probed, “What’s the exact date?”
“10th. I remember it clearly as it was the opening competition of the Silk Road League.”
“Where was he hit?”
Tang Xue touched a spot at the back of her own head. “Here.”
“He’s lucky to be alive,” the doctor sighed when he knew the exact spot.
Tang Xue started tearing again. “Doctor, just what’s wrong with him…”
The doctor was unable to give an immediate answer either. After investigating that injury in detail, he summoned all experienced doctors in the consultation room for a meeting. Everyone took turns to look at the scans before discussing it.
Tang Xue remained in the ward to guard Li Yubing and wait for the diagnosis. She felt like she had waited for at least a thousand years.
When the doctors finished their discussions and were ready to announce the diagnosis, Manager Wu called Tang Xue along.
“The preliminary diagnosis is an acceleration brain injury caused by delayed intracranial hematoma,” the doctor concluded.
Tang Xue did not understand. “What does it mean? Is his injury accelerating?”
“No… Acceleration brain injury describes the type of injury, such as an originally still head being knocked askew by a flying object,” the doctor explained. “It was caused by the puck that hit him.”
“But there was nothing wrong with him when he went for a check-up. My mom even made me brought him to another check-up a week later. He was fine then as well.”
“It’s a delayed reaction. This means that it was not diagnosed previously as the blood vessels might have been damaged but no clotting appeared at that time. The symptoms only appeared afterwards.”
Tang Xue opened her mouth. A thought flashed across her mind. “He said that his reaction became slower.” Her face turned ghastly pale. “I thought that was because he was facing too much stress. I should have guessed it earlier… I should have guessed it earlier!”
Manager Wu patted her shoulders. “Tang Xue, it’s not your fault.”
“I should have guessed it earlier…” Tang Xue covered her face and wept.
The doctor consoled her. “It’s extremely rare for such injuries to be delayed for four months. Even if you managed to guess it, we might not necessarily be able to detect the problem.”
The training assistant asked the doctor, “Doctor, what should we do now?”
“You can choose conservative management. However, we will recommend you to carry out surgery as soon as possible.”
“What sort of surgery?”
“A craniotomy.”
Tang Xue was shocked by the two words and her legs softened into jelly. It was only due to Manager Wu’s support that she did not fall. This chapter is a labour of love that should not be found outside of teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
——
Tang Xue sat in a daze outside the ward. A person who was still bickering animatedly with her the day before was now in an unconscious state and needed brain surgery? No, this could not possibly be real. It was too ludicrous and she must surely be dreaming. Everything would be fine when she woke.
Manager Wu called Li Yubing’s parents and reported to them the latest update. Then, he passed the phone to Tang Xue. “Tang Xue, Li Yubing’s mother wants to speak to you.”
Tang Xue took the phone. “Hello, auntie.” As she spoke, her tears started falling again.
“Tang Xue.” Mama Li’s voice was choked as well. “Auntie has heard the details.”
“Auntie, it’s my fault. I didn’t take good care of him.”
“No, you can’t be blamed. Tang Xue, you’ve already done very well. Listen to auntie, I’ve already let people contact the best neurosurgeon in Yun City. Right now, your uncle and I are rushing to the airport. The fastest flight over departs at 6 pm. However, the weather at Lake City right now is bad and there might be delays. We’re not sure when we will reach either.”
“Auntie…”
“If we can’t reach on time, you need to help sign the papers for Li Yubing’s surgery. You’re his family as well. Tang Xue, Li Yubing told me previously that he wants to marry you.”
This sentence completely opened the floodgate to Tang Xue’s tears.
When Manager Wu saw how Tang Xue was crying as if she was made of tears, his heart ached for her as well. She was only a young girl and yet she needed to face head-on something that was a matter of life and death.
After taking Mama Li’s call, Tang Xue called her own mother, once again crying as she did so. She was about to exhaust her entire life’s worth of tears in this single day.
Manager Wu bought some food but Tang Xue did not have the appetite. Manager Wu urged, “At least take a few bites. Don’t you have a competition tomorrow?”
“He said that he was going to cheer me on tomorrow.” Tang Xue looked at the ward door. “Liar.”
Manager Wu sighed. “Eat something. You still have to compete. You’re representing China tomorrow. Li Yubing would definitely want to see you fighting to make our country proud.”
Tang Xue forcefully stuffed some food into her mouth and ate dinner with difficulty. She received Coach Chu’s call. Coach Chu comforted her and gently reminded that she needed to return to the hotel that night as the competition was tomorrow.
But she was unable to spare a thought for the competition at all.
At 10 pm, Li Yubing had been in a coma for over six hours. Tang Xue walked into the hospital administration office and listened to the other party’s explanation of the surgery risks and complications.
The resident doctor was a gentle and amiable middle-aged lady. She told Tang Xue that after undergoing the surgery, Li Yubing could become paralyzed, brain-damaged, go into a vegetative state or even die…
Every time the doctor raised a possibility, Tang Xue would cry once. She cried and cried. Finally, she tugged the doctor’s sleeves helplessly and in a pleading voice, said, “Doctor, my boyfriend is extremely fit. Everything you just said won’t happen, right?”
The resident doctor was unable to nod. Words of reassurance might be viewed by the patient’s family members to be a promise and the doctor did not dare to make any guarantees. Seeing how pitiful she was, the resident doctor said, “Actually, if he wasn’t fit, he wouldn’t have survived till now. The death rate of heavy impact against the back of the head is high. In television, it’s often showed how people would make someone unconscious by hitting the back of their heads. Those scenes aren’t factual. Hitting someone in the back of their heads could easily cause death.”
Her reverse explanation had the intended effect of reassurance. Though still extremely scared, Tang Xue was somewhat thankful that Li Yubing was at least still alive.
Afterward, she signed on the surgical consent form. While signing, her hand kept trembling. After she was done, the doctor said, “The surgery is arranged to take place tomorrow in the afternoon, at 1 pm.”
Tang Xue did not want to leave after signing the surgical form. She sat in a daze at the hospital corridor. The team leader, coach and training assistant had already left, leaving only Manager Wu.
Now that such a major incident had happened, Manager Wu was extremely busy as well. He kept tapping away on his phone, replying to queries of people from various places. The club had yet to release an official statement regarding Li Yubing’s condition. However, many people had already heard the news and spread it around, causing a huge stir online.
Online opinions began to turn massively. Numerous people started organizing prayers of their own accord. The number of discussions on this was shockingly high.
Then, someone pointed out: Everyone who once scolded Li Yubing, you owe him an apology.
Manager Wu did not cry when Li Yubing was injured. However, his nose soured when he saw the change in public opinion. Li Yubing had been scolded for so long, his name dragged through the mud and at the mercy of malicious rumours and public humiliation… As he was a public figure, everyone could step on him with wild abandon to validate their own selves.
Now, life had finally given him justice but it was in such a manner.
——
The Li parents reached the hospital around 11.30 pm at night. They even had a secretary following them. After they met and shared the details, Mama Li immediately had her secretary send Tang Xue back to the hotel.
“You still have a competition tomorrow. Your uncle and I will be staying guard here.”
Tang Xue was beside herself as she returned to the hotel. She entered the room quietly and saw that Zhang Yuewei was still awake. For some odd reason, though Zhang Yuewei was always bickering with her in the team, Coach Chu would arrange them to stay in the same room every time they were out for a competition.
Presently, Tang Xue looked at Zhang Yuewei with swollen eyes. She realized that Zhang Yuewei wasn’t doing any better than her. Her eyes were red and swollen as well. One could tell that she had also cried.
“What’s wrong with you?” Tang Xue asked.
“None of your business.”
“You like Li Yubing.”
“I…” Zhang Yuewei wanted to deny it. However, looking at Tang Xue’s convinced face, she twisted her face away in guilt. She whispered, “Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Tang Xue walked over and sat beside her bed. “Everyone who sees that dog loves him. There’s nothing tough to understand about that… But next time, you’re not allowed to talk to him too much.”
“I never talked much with him in the first place.” Zhang Yuewei was innocent. She added, “How is he now?”
Tang Xue told her everything that happened in the hospital that day. After telling her, she hugged Zhang Yuewei and cried. She had never been so frail.
Zhang Yuewei’s sorrow paled in comparison to Tang Xue’s anguish. She began comforting Tang Xue. After both of them talked for a while, Zhang Yuewei said, “Sleep. We still have to compete tomorrow.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“How will you compete if you don’t sleep?”
Zhang Yuewei did not know what was wrong with herself. Probably because Tang Xue was too pitiful or arising from a sense of responsibility to take good care of Li Yubing’s girlfriend, she actually hugged Tang Xue to help her sleep. The two of them squeezed in one bed and she patted Tang Xue’s back like how her mother used to coax her to sleep.
Tang Xue was actually patted to sleep just like this. Although it was not a completely restful sleep, she still felt much better the next day. In the morning, she freshened up after waking and immediately rushed out to find Li Yubing.
Behind her, Zhang Yuewei reminded, “Coach Chu said that you must reach and report at the ice skating stadium before 9 am or you will be heavily marked.”
“Got it!”
Zhang Yuewei stood at the door and watched the empty corridor. She muttered to herself, “I won’t like you anymore.”
Tang Xue who had already disappeared around the corner suddenly dashed back with noisy steps. She gave Zhang Yuewei a hug. “Thanks, Zhang Yuewei.”
Zhang Yuewei was caught off-guard. She rolled her eyes. “Lunatic, leave quickly.”
……
Tang Xue thought of many things on her way. She thought of humans’ struggle with their lives from life to death, and to sickness and old age. Yesterday, her state of mind was completely devastated. Today, she was finally able to consider things rationally. It felt like she was alive again.
Mm, despite so, she still felt terribly down.
When she reached the hospital, she encountered yesterday’s resident doctor who was still on shift. The doctor said, “I heard that you have a competition today. All the best for it.”
“Thank you. How… how is he?”
“The surgery will be carried out this afternoon. The doctor is already here. You can go take a look at him. You guys actually managed to engage Doctor Qi.”
“Who is Doctor Qi?”
“A doctor who has never failed any surgery.”
Tang Xue finally welcomed a positive piece of news from yesterday until now.
She entered the ward with light steps. Li Yubing still appeared to be in a deep sleep. She sat down by his bed and held his hand.
Li Yubing’s palm was still burning hot, like how it always was the countless times they held hands. Feeling the familiar warmth, Tang Xue’s eyes reddened and her tears nearly started falling again. She inhaled and muttered to herself, “Said I won’t cry today.”
“Li Yubing, when you’re in surgery, I’ll be competing.” Tang Xue used both hands to clasp his hand. “Both of us will do our best, okay?”
Li Yubing did not reply. Like Sleeping Beauty, he lay there silently as if he was a character from a fairy tale. This chapter is a labour of love that should not be found outside of teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
“You know what? I’ve thought about this before.” As Tang Xue watched his fast asleep features, her tears finally started rolling down. “How did I end up liking you? You’re really not my type… Afterwards, I finally realized the reason. For Bian Cheng and Yu Yan, I only liked them for their looks. It’s only you that I like you for your soul. That’s what true love is.”
“Sometimes, I do have regrets. Regrets that we missed each other for so many years. I often think—if we didn’t part at that time, how things would be like now… But then, at the same time, I’m really grateful towards life. I’m grateful that it brought you away, allowing you to become a better you. I’m grateful that it brought this better you back to me. You’re completely different from when we were young. The present you have a strong spirit that holds confidence, courage and determination…”
“From yesterday till now, I’ve prayed so many times. I’ve prayed to various deities from both China and other countries. But now, I feel that as long as I believe in you, it’s enough. Li Yubing, I believe that you can make it through. Don’t forget our promise. I’m still waiting for you to join the Beijing Winter Olympics with me. Then, you know what, I’ve thought about it. I’ll become a champion at the Winter Olympics and you’ll propose to me on the spot.” Here, Tang Xue smiled, her face still wet with tears. She continued, “After that, we’ll get married and have two kids. The older one will be called Eggy while the younger one will be called Eggy Number 2. When summer comes, we’ll go hiking as a family to watch the stars…”
She rambled on about numerous thoughts on their future. Finally, she said, “I need to go. I believe in you so you need to believe in me as well. Don’t worry, when you wake up, we shall have another gold medal to our name… That’s a promise that neither of us can break.” After saying this, she lowered her head and kissed his palm. “I’ll be waiting for you at the finishing line.”
When she kissed his palm, the nurse happened to enter the room and see this sight. It was a beautiful scene that deeply touched the nurse. After Tang Xue left, the nurse snipped away and shaved Li Yubing bald.
The legendary Doctor Qi arrived at the hospital in the morning to meet the patient’s family. Doctor Qi was around 43 years old. Due to excellent skincare, he only looked to be in his thirties. Papa Li did not read his portfolio and was a little uneasy when he saw him. Based on Doctor Qi’s appearance, he felt that this doctor seemed too young. No matter how outstanding a young doctor was, he was still lacking in experience.
Worried about his son, Papa Li asked Doctor Qi about his past experience tentatively.
It turned out that Doctor Qi was someone with a temper. He barked, “I’ve opened more heads than the soybean puddings that you’ve eaten.”
Papa Li startled. He replied patiently, “I don’t eat soybean pudding.”
After Doctor Qi left, Mama Li told her husband, “He’s a great doctor with outstanding skills. He has quite the reputation in his profession. However, with his temper, I’m rather surprised that he hasn’t yet been whacked by any of his patient’s family members. His luck is pretty good.” This was said with a sigh.
The nurse brought Li Yubing for a pre-operative assessment. He was scanned for a second time and the results were delivered to Doctor Qi. A surgery involved many people. Everyone would first meet to discuss the surgery process, the possibilities of what might happen, the things they had to look out for and so on and so forth.
After receiving Li Yubing’s medical report, Doctor Qi compared the two scans and checked the intracranial pressure values and other figures. Suddenly, he gasped with genuine surprise. “What the actual fuck?”
Everyone was shocked. They asked, “What’s wrong, Doctor Qi?”
“Look. The blood is starting to be reabsorbed.”
“Gosh, that’s really the case… Doctor Qi, should we still proceed with the surgery?”
“What surgery… Push him back. We’ll follow up with medicinal treatment.” Doctor Qi clasped his hands behind his back and left the room. As he did so, he gave a crude but envious utterance.
“It’s so bloody good to be young.”
