Chapter 75: The Car Accident
You Ruxu had been in a car accident. A passerby called the police, then answered You Ruxu’s ringing phone. Zhou Tianzui arrived at the scene just as the ambulance did, and she followed them to the hospital.
“The road was icy, the car skidded, the brakes didn’t work.” A man, his head bandaged, sat in a chair, talking to a doctor. He had undergone a basic checkup, his car’s front was damaged, but he was mostly unharmed. You Ruxu was still unconscious.
When Zhou Tianzui went to see You Ruxu, she was being taken for a CT scan. She had hit her head on the steering wheel. Zhou Tianzui’s heart sank, remembering what she and You Ruxu had talked about that morning, about the “what ifs,” filled with regret.
“Dr. Zhou.” The doctor who performed the CT scan called out to her. “What are you doing here?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Is she okay?”
“No cerebral hemorrhage, thankfully.” Just unconscious. Zhou Tianzui’s heart eased slightly. She looked towards the man in the corridor. It was the emergency room, crowded with people. After the CT scan, You Ruxu was taken to the observation room. Zhou Tianzui walked over to the man.
Captain Zhou was on the phone.
She hung up, seeing Zhou Tianzui, and asked, “Is Reporter You okay?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “She’s fine, was this Zhou Heng’s doing?”
Captain Zhou was surprised, but quickly regained her composure, “We still need to investigate.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Zhou Tianzui said, “The negotiations fell through last night, he probably wanted to teach her a lesson.”
Captain Zhou gave a strained laugh.
It was a common speculation, but they had no evidence, so she couldn’t answer. However, she looked at Zhou Tianzui, “You seem to know quite a lot about Reporter You’s affairs.”
Zhou Tianzui’s expression was calm: “We live together.”
Captain Zhou nodded. Her team member turned around and said, “Captain, we’ve questioned the people who work nearby, none of them are suspicious.”
But she still looked at the man suspiciously. It was too much of a coincidence, wasn’t it? You Ruxu reported on the car issue, and then had a car accident? Moreover, Zhou Heng’s brother, who was abroad, had also requested assistance from the domestic police regarding his own car accident case.
Captain Zhou nodded, “Let them handle it.”
She looked towards the observation room. Zhou Tianzui said, “I’ll call you when she wakes up.”
Captain Zhou smiled, “Thank you.”
Zhou Tianzui entered the observation room. A phone in a locker was ringing incessantly; it was You Ruxu’s. Zhou Tianzui took it out, the caller ID an unknown number. She hadn’t intended to answer, but the ringing persisted. After a moment of hesitation, she answered the call.
“Hello, Reporter You, are you free to meet at the TV station at noon today?” It was the manager from Fengyuan. He had contacted You Ruxu before, who only agreed to meet at the station. Public opinion had become difficult to control since last night, so he decided to go to the TV station to see her.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Hello, you’re looking for Reporter You?”
“Who is this?” The manager was surprised. Zhou Tianzui said, “Reporter You is unavailable at the moment, please contact her later.”
The manager gave a small “oh” and hung up. Just then, his assistant rushed in, handing him a tablet, “This morning’s news.”
“From Jindu TV?” The manager frowned, scrolling through the news. You Ruxu had a car accident? This morning? The manager’s forehead was covered in sweat. He asked, “Where’s Mr. Zhou?”
“He hasn’t arrived yet, I heard the negotiations with Jindu TV fell through last night.” The assistant said, “He was furious.”
No matter how furious he was, he couldn’t just act recklessly!
This was absurd!
Now, with You Ruxu’s accident, even if Fengyuan wasn’t responsible, they would still be implicated. As expected, after the news broke, various marketing accounts started speculating online: [Was it because she investigated the Fengyuan car’s brakes?]
[I heard it was You Ruxu who reported on the Fengyuan car issue.]
[What’s going on? What’s happening? Is this still a society ruled by law?]
[Scary, being a reporter is truly a high-risk profession.]
The blame was quickly shifted to Fengyuan, implying they were behind You Ruxu’s accident. The manager’s head ached, his assistant’s phone ringing non-stop. He listened to the call, then said to the manager, “Several of our stores are being swarmed with people demanding refunds.”
The situation was much worse than last time. Last time, Zhou Heng had boasted that anyone who wanted a refund for their V1 could go directly to the store. But because of the discounts and compensation offered, very few people actually returned their cars. But now, with You Ruxu’s accident, things had escalated.
The people demanding refunds were relentless, not even accepting compensation, insisting on returning their cars and getting their money back. Several reporters from newspapers were already at the scene. The assistant said, “There are also reporters waiting downstairs.”
The manager, rubbing his temples, called Zhou Heng.
He couldn’t get through. Just as he was about to give up, Zhou Heng answered, his voice hoarse, clearly just woken up. The manager said, “Mr. Zhou, we have a problem.”
Zhou Heng sat up in bed.
He turned on the TV, a news replay, and saw Jindu’s morning news reporting on You Ruxu’s car accident.
Zhou Heng’s face darkened, his brow furrowed.
Zhou Tianzui also frowned, seeing the news. As expected of the TV station, they wouldn’t let any opportunity slip by. You Ruxu was still in the hospital, not a single colleague had visited, yet the news crew was already there.
Zhou Tianzui chuckled in exasperation.
There was a knock on the door. She turned around. Chen Xiang was standing there, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Zhou Tianzui, “Dr. Zhou!”
She hurried inside.
Lowering her voice slightly, “Teacher You still hasn’t woken up?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Don’t you have any other news to cover?”
She knew Chen Xiang was referring to the TV station’s report on You Ruxu’s car accident. Chen Xiang chuckled awkwardly. Shi Qi had just had a huge argument with the leader of Team 1. The morning news team insisted they hadn’t done anything wrong, that they were just reporting on You Ruxu’s accident, nothing more.
Did they need to say more?
It was practically connecting Fengyuan to the incident. She had checked Weibo before coming here; it was a complete mess, everyone demanding that the person in charge of Fengyuan come forward and give an explanation.
They were even digging up You Ruxu’s past interviews. You Ruxu was already a public figure, so it wasn’t exactly big news, but this method of pushing their own people into the spotlight for ratings and attention.
Chen Xiang found it despicable.
And because of this, facing Zhou Tianzui now, she felt a little guilty, chuckling awkwardly, “When will Teacher You wake up?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I don’t know yet.”
Chen Xiang nodded, “Will she be transferred to a regular ward?”
Zhou Tianzui replied, “She can only be transferred after she wakes up.”
Her tone was cold and indifferent. Chen Xiang swallowed, why hadn’t she found Zhou Tianzui this intimidating before? Dr. Zhou seemed particularly cold today.
And with that coldness, her presence was even more imposing.
Chen Xiang shifted uncomfortably. She touched her hair, stood on her tiptoes, then fidgeted with her phone to alleviate the awkwardness. The trending news online had already shifted from You Ruxu’s car accident to a celebrity scandal. Chen Xiang casually scrolled through a few pages, nothing caught her interest. She put away her phone and said to Zhou Tianzui, “I’ll go buy some fruit.”
Zhou Tianzui nodded.
Just as Chen Xiang left, the person on the bed moved slightly. Zhou Tianzui looked down and immediately focused on You Ruxu’s face. Her closed eyes slowly opened. You Ruxu, seeing Zhou Tianzui, was startled, “Why are you here?”
Then she felt a sharp pain in her neck and lower back. She reached out to touch the spots, but Zhou Tianzui grabbed her hand, “Don’t move.”
You Ruxu’s mind was clear. Zhou Tianzui asked, “Do you remember what happened?”
“A car accident.” You Ruxu said, “I was hit by a car.”
She remembered the moment she woke up and looked at Zhou Tianzui, “Am I okay?”
“You’re fine.” Zhou Tianzui said, “You’ll stay here for observation today, and we’ll do another CT scan at noon. Are you feeling any discomfort anywhere?”
Her voice was unconsciously much gentler.
You Ruxu didn’t feel any particular discomfort, just the lingering pain in her neck and lower back, a dull ache, nothing serious. She shook her head.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Just lie down and rest for a bit, let me know if you feel any discomfort.”
You Ruxu nodded.
Zhou Tianzui called a colleague, who examined You Ruxu again, then wheeled her to a regular ward. Zhou Tianzui handled the paperwork. The man involved in the accident went for further checkups. You Ruxu hadn’t seen him yet, nor the police, Zhou Tianzui probably took care of it.
She suddenly felt a sense of security, of having someone to rely on.
You Ruxu smiled faintly, touching her neck. Zhou Tianzui entered the ward and said, “Didn’t I tell you not to sit up?”
“I’m fine.” You Ruxu said, “I think I can be discharged soon.”
Zhou Tianzui sat on the edge of the bed, “So you can continue investigating Fengyuan?”
You Ruxu looked at her.
After a few seconds, she smiled, “Aren’t you working today?”
“No surgeries this morning.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Don’t change the subject.”
You Ruxu said, “I’m not changing the subject, I have to continue reporting on Fengyuan.”
“I’m afraid you won’t have the chance.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Many people are watching Fengyuan closely now.”
You Ruxu sensed something in her words. Zhou Tianzui handed her her phone. She saw the news and abruptly sat up straight. Zhou Tianzui, seeing this, thought perhaps she really could be discharged.
She was still thinking.
You Ruxu gripped the phone tightly. News wasn’t just about accuracy, but also timeliness. And Team 1 had certainly achieved that, even using her as news.
The report was by the morning news anchor, Xu Jinwan, whom You Ruxu had met before, a person who was extremely punctual. Not only did she report on You Ruxu’s accident, but she also included a segment about Fengyuan at the end, clearly intending to pursue the story, to sink her teeth into it.
You Ruxu pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui said, “So just focus on resting here.”
She took the phone from You Ruxu’s hand. You Ruxu looked up at Zhou Tianzui, wanting to take it back, but knowing Zhou Tianzui was displeased, and remembering their conversation about accidents this morning, she felt a twinge of guilt, a hint of appeasement in her eyes, almost like, acting cute.
Although they didn’t speak, the ward quiet, a pink bubble of unspoken intimacy seemed to surround them.
Zhou Tianzui, meeting her gaze, felt a warmth spread through her. She wanted to take You Ruxu’s hand, when a noise came from the doorway. Chen Xiang’s cheerful voice called out, “Teacher You!”
The pink bubble instantly burst, along with the soft look in You Ruxu’s eyes. Zhou Tianzui turned around and heard You Ruxu say, “Come in.”
Chen Xiang pushed the door open and entered.
Carrying a basket of fruit.
She smiled: “Teacher You, you’re awake?”
You Ruxu nodded. Chen Xiang said, “Dr. Zhou’s still here.”
Zhou Tianzui smiled at her.
Chen Xiang’s grip on the fruit basket tightened.
She suddenly felt a chill.
Zhou Tianzui: Didn’t get to hold my wife’s hand, unhappy.
You Ruxu: …
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