Chapter 126: Will Dad Die?

Wen Zhixia’s eyes sharpened as she glared at him. "You!"

"I'm not teasing you. Our son is still here; you wouldn't want me to make a fool of myself in front of him, would you?" Gu Pingsheng was merely bluffing. Given his current status, there were certain things he could no longer do with the reckless abandon of his youth.

Wen Zhixia kept a cold expression. Coincidentally, the doctor arrived for rounds at that moment, and without a second thought, Wen Zhixia handed the matter over to him.

The elderly doctor looked suspiciously from Gu Pingsheng to Wen Zhixia. He intended to help, but Gu Pingsheng declined with a dark, stern look.

From then on, until the IV drip was finished, Gu Pingsheng didn't say another word. Once the nurse removed the needle, he brooded for a moment before heading to the restroom.

"Daddy is angry," Gu Youzhi whispered, tugging at the corner of Wen Zhixia’s shirt and covering his mouth.

"He likes being angry at himself. Don't worry about him," Wen Zhixia said, pinching his soft cheek.

The little boy was easily placated—or perhaps he simply believed everything Wen Zhixia said was right—and he nodded vigorously.

By the time they left the hospital and Wen Zhixia was preparing to part ways with them, Gu Pingsheng’s face still looked as though someone owed him eight million.

Wen Zhixia didn't pay it any mind; in any case, she no longer needed to worry about his moods. "I’ve already contacted a lawyer regarding the divorce petition. If you still refuse, Mr. Gu, we’ll have to settle this in court. However..."

Wen Zhixia paused, her peripheral vision catching several figures approaching with ill intent.

Leading them was the woman she had swindled out of examination fees earlier, flanked by three or four burly men. Wen Zhixia glanced at their surroundings; there were few people passing by.

Gu Pingsheng, who had been sulking, saw his expression plummet to the depths when she mentioned divorce again. Following her gaze, he also noticed the hostile group.

"That's her! She conspired with the doctor to cheat me out of nearly a hundred thousand!" the woman pointed at Wen Zhixia, furious.

Wen Zhixia didn't bother asking what they wanted, as the answer was obvious: they were here to settle a score.

As she contemplated a solution and wondered if money could resolve it, Gu Pingsheng, who had been gloomy and aloof just moments ago, stepped in front of her and Gu Youzhi.

"Beat her up! I’ll cover the hospital bills!" The woman was an uneducated villager who had spent her life brawling at village entrances before her husband’s sudden wealth. After being played for a fool by Wen Zhixia, she had called for backup the moment she stepped outside.

Wen Zhixia’s first instinct was to call the police, but Gu Pingsheng, already rolling up his sleeves, told her, "Call Dean Zhang. Tell him to send security."

As soon as he finished, a man swung a fist at him, and Gu Pingsheng moved to intercept.

When dealing with people who understand only leverage and self-interest, reason is useless. It is the classic case of a scholar meeting a soldier; no matter how much you talk, they won't listen—they will only resort to violence.

Gu Pingsheng had seen enough of such people in his earlier years to know that the logic of the boardroom didn't apply here.

However, he was significantly restricted in his movements. He dared not stray too far, nor could he get too close, fearing that the woman and child behind him might get hurt. Though he could fight, he was clearly hampered by the need to protect them.

Wen Zhixia didn't know the Dean’s number, but as soon as she pulled out her phone, Gu Pingsheng recited it. She dialed, but... no one answered.

"Call again," Gu Pingsheng said, wiping his lip, his voice low.

"Grab her phone!" the woman shouted upon hearing their exchange.

One of the men, having caught a glimpse of Wen Zhixia earlier, was already feeling restless. These rich women were exquisite—smooth and polished, and he could smell her fragrance even from a distance. She was damn tempting.

Hearing the woman’s command, he strode toward Wen Zhixia without hesitation.

Wen Zhixia took two steps back, holding the little boy’s hand. The call finally connected, and she hurriedly gave her name to the Dean, demanding he send security.

Gu Pingsheng, catching this from the corner of his eye, fought with even greater ferocity.

Distracted, he didn't see one of the men grab a wooden club from somewhere and smash it into the back of his head with a loud "thud."

He let out a muffled groan. Wen Zhixia turned back to see him swaying, still standing guard before her.

Her pupils constricted. Seeing him on the verge of collapse, her mind went blank.

The little boy was terrified and burst into tears.

Gu Pingsheng steadied himself, refusing to fall. He shook his head, but his vision began to blur.

"Over there!"

A woman’s voice rang out urgently. Li Yueting arrived with security guards, pointing at the fighting men.

Seeing the guards, the woman tried to flee but was quickly restrained.

Gu Pingsheng’s face was bruised, and his arm, which had just finished the IV, was numb. The medical tape on the back of his hand had been torn off, and it was bleeding.

"Are you okay?" He turned to look Wen Zhixia up and down, then checked on Gu Youzhi. In reality, his vision was shifting from double images to a complete haze, the world fading into an ethereal blur.

He felt a warmth beneath his nose and instinctively wiped it; his palm came away stained with bright red blood.

Seeing the blood on his face, Wen Zhixia felt a lump form in her throat. "You..."

Before she could finish, Gu Pingsheng’s world went black, and he collapsed with a heavy thud.

Wen Zhixia’s expression changed instantly. She reached out: "Pingsheng!"

The troublemaking woman and her relatives were taken away by the police for creating a disturbance, and Gu Pingsheng was rushed into the emergency room.

Throughout his unconscious state, Gu Pingsheng kept a tight grip on Wen Zhixia’s hand. It took the doctors considerable effort to pry it loose.

Standing outside the emergency room, Wen Zhixia looked down at her hand, which had been squeezed red, and drifted into a trance.

Gu Youzhi followed her closely, his eyes red and still teary. "Mommy, does Daddy hurt?"

Hearing this, Wen Zhixia thought of the impact of that club against his head. She thought, yes, it must hurt terribly; otherwise, a man as tough as he would never have... collapsed.

"Will Daddy die?" The little boy tugged at her hem, pressing his face against her leg as he cried.

Wen Zhixia’s voice was hoarse. She wanted to comfort him, but could not produce a sound.

Li Yueting stood to the side, watching Gu Youzhi, who remained glued to Wen Zhixia while acting as if he didn't even see her. She frowned.

She had looked after him far more often than Wen Zhixia had, and had seen him far more frequently, yet Gu Youzhi had never been this close to her.

Over an hour later, Gu Pingsheng was wheeled out.

Before Wen Zhixia could stand up, Li Yueting had already rushed over to grab the doctor’s arm. "How is he? Is he alright?"

Seeing her obvious anxiety, the doctor assumed she was family. "A concussion, accompanied by a series of autonomic nervous system disorders: palpitations, shortness of breath, pallor, sweating, cold limbs... The recovery depends on his reactions once he wakes up. It will take a few days to stabilize. When the patient wakes, he may experience retrograde amnesia, unable to recall the incident itself. This is a common symptom of brain injury; don't worry too much. It should resolve in a few hours..."

Li Yueting thanked him profusely and followed the nurses as they pushed the bed toward the ward.

Wen Zhixia, now standing, watched her actions with narrowed eyes.

Before Gu Pingsheng woke up, the police officer in charge of the case came to the ward to ask about the incident. Since Gu Pingsheng was still unconscious, Wen Zhixia was the only one left to recount the events.

According to the police, one man had managed to escape during the chaos and was currently at large. They suspected he might seek retaliation and warned them to be careful.

"We will do our best to search for him, but please remain vigilant regarding your own safety during this time."

Hearing this, Li Yueting tucked the blanket around Gu Pingsheng and stood up. "There is a security camera three hundred meters to the northeast of the scene. Haven't you checked it? He’s already in this state—are you expecting us to defend ourselves against retaliation?"

She stated the precise location of the camera. The officer recorded it. "Our colleagues are reviewing the footage. This information is crucial. If you are certain, we will focus our investigation on that camera. I believe we can find him in the shortest possible time."

Li Yueting did not hesitate. "Go check it. There is no mistake; I am absolutely certain."

She had known the layout of every surveillance camera outside the provincial hospital for three years. How else could she have known the temporary parking spots, only to "accidentally" let it slip to that idiot Zhao Fuhe?

The officer nodded and continued to ask, "The hospital security said you were the one who called them to help. How did you know a violent incident was taking place?"

"I wasn't feeling well today, so I came to see a doctor," Li Yueting replied smoothly.

She had been suffering from some gynecological issues lately—perhaps due to stress or other factors—and had been at the hospital for an appointment when she happened to witness the event.

From the moment Li Yueting had so confidently pointed out the camera's location, a flicker of suspicion had crossed Wen Zhixia’s mind. She was a secretary at the Gu-Xia Group, not a doctor at the provincial hospital; why would she be so familiar with the hospital’s surveillance system?

She had not forgotten that three years ago, in court, the video footage Zhao Fuhe had produced had left her speechless and helpless.

And that footage had come from the hospital’s internal surveillance.

Was it just a coincidence?