Chapter 174 - Long Slumber
Lu Chen’s heart stopped beating for a moment. He sat frozen staring at the woman in his arms and her hand that fell on the ground.
His mind blanked out momentarily then he was quickly filled with dread as Xiu Mei laid motionless in his embrace.
"Xiu Mei?" His voice cracked as he uttered her name yet he didn’t any response from her. Lu Chen immediately held her wrist and continued calling out her name trying to wake her up.
"Xiu Mei! Wife!"
He placed his fingers on her neck to check her pulse. He sighed and let out the breath he had been holding for a while as soon as he felt the steady pulse underneath the skin.
She’s still alive. Thank god. It looks like she just fainted.
For a second, he thought she was already...
Lu Chen couldn’t stop himself from burying his head on her shoulders. His shoulders shook as he took a deep breath to inhale that familiar scent again.
Maybe because he was constantly involved with death, he thought that he was already numbed about it when every time he kills every person who tried to harm him. But when faced with the possibility of Lu Qiang and Xiu Mei dying, his body felt cold and crazy thoughts started to sprout in his mind.
If that happens, then he won’t be merciful anymore.
His grip on her tightened as if just by doing this he could assure himself that she was alive.
"Boss." Lee In’s voice sounded from behind him.
Lu Chen pulled away from hugging Xiu Mei and accepted the oxygen mask she was handing over to him. While Lee In turned on the device that will immediately release the oxygen to help Xiu Mei breathe properly.
The other men following behind them laid out a stretched beside him. Lu Chen immediately carried Xiu Mei and moved her to lie down on the stretcher. He firmly held her right hand as he immediately ordered a helicopter to land somewhere near the area. He immediately transferred Xiu Mei into a hospital to get prompt treatment.
While waiting for them to finish Xiu Mei’s treatment and results, Lu Chen waited outside the room. Xiu Mei’s been in treatment inside for more than an hour when Lu Shao reported back to Lu Chen that the trail they’ve been following were suddenly cleaned up after they got ambushed.
Lu Chen’s face darkened.
He recalled the report that Lee In gave to him as soon as he arrived in City S.
Xiu Su Yi declared that he was just a pawn. And the note that he left behind in the scene. He should’ve realized that it was weird.
Why did Xiu Su Yi or the person behind this suddenly appear before them so boldly?
It’s because they are starting now. And kidnapping Xiu Mei was just the start.
While waiting for Xiu Mei to come out, Lu Chen has been monitoring the stock market and the news. And just like as he expected, Xiu Mei’s kidnapping was a distraction. At first glance, the stock market seems normal like usual but for Lu Chen who had been playing in this industry for years and conquered the business industry like a storm, he won’t miss any small ripples happening in the market.
Some new companies that had entered the stock market suddenly fell. It would’ve been normal on different days but for more than a hundred companies’ stocks to drop like that was very unusual. And it was all relevant to the industry the Lu Corporation are currently eyeing for entrance too.
And then there’s the news of two politicians suddenly dying from their illnesses. Recalling their names, Lu Chen remembered that those politicians had previous dealings with his father-in-law and second brother-in-law before years back.
Lu Chen took a deep breath.
It seems like the person who planned all this is going for an all-out war. And to think that they are targeting both the Lu’s and the Xiu’s.
He fell silent for a moment, thinking about the connection between them. Aside from Xiu Mei, Lu Chen couldn’t think of anything that would be a common link between them.
Hmm...
After giving instructions to Lu Shao and his other subordinates, Lu Chen waited patiently for Xiu Mei’s to be finished.
Xiu Mei was immediately moved to the VIP ward. After settling her papers personally, Lu Chen finally arrived at the entrance of her room. He saw two people waiting by the door and five other men scattered along the hallway for security.
He immediately recognized those men as Xiu Mo Ruo’s.
His brows creased as he remembered how they kidnapped Xiu Mei under their noses. And to think it even slipped from two different securities.
He pursed his lips as if he thought about something. It seems like he had to increase Xiu Mei’s and Lu Qiang’s security. The person they’re dealing with was seriously keen on harming anyone at the moment.
As soon as he entered the room, Lu Chen smelled the intense scent of disinfectant and medicine in the air. It must’ve been the stuff they applied on Xiu Mei’s wounds.
While they were in the helicopter, Lu Chen finally realized terrible her situation was. Aside from the wounds and scratches, her clothes were tattered and he could see some bruises as if she had hit something or someone had hit her.
His fists tightened.
Thinking about how bad was Xiu Mei’s situation a moment ago, Lu Chen felt like something was pressing something heavy on his chest again.
He walked over to the person slumbering in the middle of the room. Her expression seemed a little bit better right now than it was before but seeing those gauzes and band-aid on her face, it made her look more pitiful.
He stood there silently watching her. Patiently waiting for her to wake up.
Lu Chen didn’t know what she went through, but her loud cries to him before she lost consciousness was enough to shatter his heart into pieces.
He was afraid that because of this matter, she was going back to her old self again just like what he read on her case report.
That’s why Lu Chen decided to stay. This time, he won’t repeat his mistake. When he left her for a moment, she got kidnapped. This time, he’ll watch over her closely and make sure that she’s safe.
Unfortunately, Xiu Mei never woke up that day.
A week later, Xiu Mei was quickly transferred back to the city and confined to the military hospital where she was given treatment back when she was younger. Aside from Lu Chen, her family took turns in watching over her the entire them she was sleeping.
They had to undergo Xiu Mei to multiple tests to see why she wouldn’t wake up but everything turned out normal. So Dr.Lee could only come up with one diagnosis why Xiu Mei hadn’t waken up after so long.
Because Xiu Mei had endured another kidnapping again, which was also the things she was intensely emotionally traumatized with, her body and mind were subconsciously closing herself from the world. Like a defense mechanism that suddenly activated to stop Xiu Mei from completely breaking down.
And so, Xiu Mei’s family had no choice but to wait for her to wake up on her own. Lu Qiang who would always stay in his mom’s room would always talk to her just like what they always do every time. On the side, Lu Chen would help Xiu Mei rub her body with a towel and give kisses from time to time just like the usual times.
It was very heartbreaking for Lu Chen to watch Lu Qiang cling to Xiu Mei’s body every time. He would repeatedly call her Mom but the kid never received any response. Even though the little guy tried to hide his expression, his small movements never missed his eyes.
Lu Chen could only tap his son’s back and hug him in Xiu Mei’s place. Then he would bring him to the next-door room to sleep while telling stories.
Throughout the time that Xiu Mei was asleep, Lu Chen rarely ever left her side. He would do his work and conference meetings in this room. He would send Lu Shao and Xiu Mei’s secretary for business trips in his place. Unless it was really necessary, he would go but he would immediately return within the day.
Lu Qiang dropped some of his classes to attend to his mother. He would meet with his tutor thrice a week in a separate room from his mother’s but aside from that, the kid rarely left his mother’s side just like his Dad.
That was how the father and son duo lived for two months.
Physically, Xiu Mei already recovered from the wounds and bruises she got from the kidnapping incident. If it wasn’t because she hasn’t woke up yet, she would’ve have been at home already.
Until one day, after Lu Chen tucked Lu Qiang to bed in the other room. As soon as he returned to Xiu Mei’s room, he paused in his tracks when he saw that person’s figure sitting upright on the bed, dazed.
"Xiu... Mei?"
Lu Chen couldn’t believe his eyes.
His wife is finally awake!