Chapter 26

If Su Xi hadn’t promised Shi Lingling that she would still be there, watching her after waking up, she actually wanted to quietly leave.

She didn’t think it was anything remarkable; after all, anyone within their capabilities would lend a helping hand when encountering such situations, especially since she was military personnel.

It’s not like she’s a saint, but apart from exerting some effort and spending a few bucks on transportation, she didn’t really invest much.

So when faced with the solemn bow of gratitude from the Shi family’s eldest son, Su Xi agilely moved aside and said, “You’re too polite. I’m a soldier, and in situations like this, I would definitely extend a helping hand.”

“You’re a soldier?” Eldest Brother Shi looked at the little girl in front of him in surprise.

Previously, consumed with worry for his sister, he hadn’t had the chance to closely observe this young girl. Now that he had a good look, he noticed that this girl looked a bit younger, had porcelain-white skin, black hair, and red lips, and appeared clean and delicate.

She seemed to be around eighteen or nineteen, still a child. She didn’t look like a soldier at all.

Eldest Brother Shi’s question also drew the attention of the others, who hadn’t expected the person who saved his sister to be a soldier.

At this moment, people naturally had a favorable impression of the soldier; not only were they thankful for Su Xi for saving their sister, but they also felt a greater sense of affinity.

Knowing that her appearance was deceiving, Su Xi smiled and said, “Strictly speaking, I’m a student at the Military Medical Academy. My classmates and I together brought your sister to the hospital. They had other commitments, so they went back ahead of me.”

Big Brother Shi nodded knowingly, his smile becoming even warmer. “What a coincidence! My sister Lingling is also studying medicine. Indeed, soldiers are outstanding individuals. I must send a thank-you letter to your school.”

After saying these words, Eldest Brother Shi realized that his sister’s savior was still standing. He quickly turned around and called his younger brother, “Second Brother, bring a chair for Comrade Su. Fourth Brother, go find the attending doctor, inquire about my little sister’s condition, and see if she can be transferred to another hospital.”

Upon hearing their big brother’s orders, the two brothers immediately started to act.

As Second Brother Shi glanced around, he noticed that the only chair had already been claimed by their future brother-in-law.

What’s more, their brother-in-law had become a statue, staring fixedly at his sister without blinking.

Second Brother Shi couldn’t bear to disturb the young couple and turned to leave, intending to find a nurse and another chair.

Su Xi hurriedly stopped him. “No need, no need. There’s an empty bed here. I’ll sit here. By the way, I have some information about the kidnappers that I want to discuss with you.”

As soon as Su Xi spoke, the expressions of the several men instantly became serious. They almost forgot that this girl had rescued their sister from the kidnappers.

Even Yan An, who had been staring at his future wife, turned his head to look at Su Xi.

Next, Su Xi briefly described the process of encountering Shi Ling Ling and rescuing the victim.

Upon hearing about their sister being dragged with a broken leg and being slapped by the kidnappers, the faces of the men inside the room were filled with anger. They wished they could rush to the police station immediately and bring the kidnapper in for a thorough beating.

“Bang!” A sudden, loud noise interrupted the silence in the room. The tallest and burliest Third Brother of the Shi family stood up abruptly, his fist slamming into the door of the ward. His face looked fierce as if he were about to charge outside. “Damn it, I’m going to kill him.”

“Third Brother, what are you doing? Calm…”

“Brother?” A weak female voice rang out.

Although the voice was small, it successfully stopped the raging anger of Third Brother Shi. It also brought joy to the men who had been closely watching her. They all gathered around, bombarding her with inquiries.

“Little sister, how are you?”

“Sis, is your leg really hurting?”

“Yes, little sister has suffered.”

Several brothers were talking at once, and at this moment, Shi Lingling finally confirmed that her brothers had indeed found her.

There was also her fiancé. Perhaps upon seeing her relatives, tears welled up in Shi Lingling’s eyes, a mixture of grievances and fear.

She had been extremely frightened; if she didn’t come across Su Xi… speaking of Su Xi, where was she?

Shi Lingling grabbed her fiancé’s hand, who was busy wiping away her tears, and with red eyes, she turned her head anxiously, eager to see if Su Xi was still there.

However, her brothers were all tall and sturdy, blocking her view completely.

Shi Lingling tugged on her fiancé’s hand. “Where’s Su Xi? My lifesaver, where is she?”

Su Xi, who had now moved to the end of the bed, took the final step and confirmed, “You’re awake? These are your brothers and fiancé, right?”

Shi Lingling didn’t expect Su Xi to still be there. Her eyes lit up with joy. “Yes, thank you for staying with me, Su Xi.”

“You’re welcome. Now that you’re awake, I’ll go back to school.” It was getting dark, and her classmates had probably already returned to school.

Shi Lingling instructed her brothers to raise her back a bit. Then she said, “It’s dark now, and I don’t feel comfortable letting you go alone. Let my brothers take you back.”

Su Xi shook her head and smiled. “No need. You know me, I don’t need protection.”

Remembering Su Xi facing the thugs earlier, Shi Lingling also smiled and said, “True. But can you leave me your contact information? I’d like us to keep in touch in the future.” The most important thing was that she still owed Su Xi a debt of gratitude.

Su Xi didn’t refuse her request. She took out a pen and paper from her small bag, wrote down the address and the school’s phone number, and handed it to her.

Shi Lingling also had Yan An write down her contact information. When handing it to Su Xi, Yan An’s expression was very solemn as he said, “Thank you for saving my fiancée. There’s also the address and phone number of my military unit on it. After Lingling and I get married, she will follow me in the army. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to reach out to us.”

Su Xi, without showing any expression, took the note and bid farewell to Shi Lingling.

The eldest brother of the Shi family said, “Let me escort you out of the hospital.”

Su Xi initially wanted to refuse but thought for a moment. She nodded and said, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Eldest Brother Shi escorted Su Xi to the entrance of the hospital. Su Xi asked him to wait and then said, “When Shi Lingling sleeps, it’s best to have someone accompany her. She has been through quite a shock.”

“Also, I overheard from Shi Lingling that those two kidnappers were hired, and from their words, it’s leaning towards the idea that the person who hired them is a woman—a woman who doesn’t want Shi Lingling to marry Comrade Yan An. You might want to investigate in that direction.”

At this moment, the eldest brother of the Shi family didn’t know how to express his gratitude. He wanted to give money, but he was afraid that she would think the Shi family was trying to settle the debt with a bit of money.

Moreover, he felt that if he gave money, it would be an insult to the girl’s character. So, after confirming the names and classes of the classmates who had accompanied his sister here, he decided that after arranging things for his sister, he would not only write a thank-you letter but also personally go to the school to express his gratitude.

However, remembering the money, the eldest brother of the Shi family slapped his forehead and laughed in the puzzled eyes of Su Xi. “Look at my memory. Comrade Su, my little sister’s hospitalization and expenses were all covered by you, right? How much did it cost in total?”

Su Xi didn’t refuse this time; she said the amount. Then she took the money that the oldest brother Shi handed over.

After thinking about it and finding nothing forgotten, she set off for home under the grateful gaze of Eldest Brother Shi.

Su Xi’s house was quite close to the hospital, a walk of just over ten minutes.

When she turned the key and opened the door, she found the room silent and empty. Brother and the others had already left, and she wasn’t sure when.

She lingered around upstairs and downstairs, not willing to give up, but perhaps out of concern for implicating her, they left nothing behind.

Su Xi sighed lightly, feeling somewhat desolate, just like the cool night of late autumn.

… I thought I could still see them again.