Chapter 996: Change of plan

Lu Tian cautiously led his wife toward a nearby bench, where they waited for any update on Ji Jingxu’s condition.

Just as a nurse approached with paperwork to fill out, hurried footsteps caught everyone nearby.

"Ah Ling!"

Grandfather Ji didn’t slow down until he reached his granddaughter.

He immediately placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a gentle shake, careful not to hurt her.

"Where is Jingxu? Are you waiting for him here?"

His eyes darted around the hallway as though his grandson might suddenly appear from behind one of the doors.

When Yue Ling didn’t answer, he looked toward the others before turning his attention back to her.

Seeing the dazed expression on her face, his brows furrowed.

He crouched down in front of her, bringing himself to her eye level.

"What is it? Why are you sitting here?"

His voice grew increasingly concerned.

"Is Jingxu not here yet?"

Yue Ling slowly lifted her head.

The pain in her bluish-green eyes was impossible to hide. She pressed her lips tightly together, desperately trying to keep the sob threatening to escape.

"Yeye... Jingxu..."

Her voice broke.

Aware of how distraught she was, Lu Tian gently squeezed her arm, then stood.

"Grandfather Ji, let’s talk over there."

Grandfather Ji remained still for a moment, his gaze lingering on Yue Ling. Then he looked toward Qi Li and Gui Tian Lan, as though searching their faces for an answer they weren’t giving him.

Finally, he followed Lu Tian around the corner.

The moment they were out of Yue Ling’s sight, Grandfather Ji stopped.

He didn’t wait for Lu Tian to speak.

"What is going on?"

His voice was strained.

"Why is my granddaughter behaving like that?"

Ever since he had received word that his grandson was on his way to the hospital, he had been waiting with his assistant.

Minutes had turned into hours.

His patience had eventually run thin, and he had come to check on things himself.

It wasn’t until he stepped out of the elevator that he saw Yue Ling and the others sitting in the hallway.

Lu Tian looked at the old man and sighed inwardly.

He had no idea how to break the news.

But he knew he had to.

Yue Ling was in no condition to do it herself.

"Something happened on the way. Jingxu is in surgery."

The words struck Grandfather Ji like a physical blow.

He froze.

For several seconds, he stared at Lu Tian as though he hadn’t understood what he had just heard.

Then his head slowly began to shake.

"No..."

A disbelieving laugh escaped him.

"No..."

He shook his head again, almost as if refusing to accept the words could somehow make them untrue.

"I know he isn’t in the greatest condition considering what he went through," he murmured. "But I was told he was fine."

His voice trembled.

"How..."

He swallowed hard, struggling to force the next words out.

"How did this happen?"

Grandfather Ji couldn’t finish his words when he felt a light pat on his shoulder.

He turned his head and found himself face-to-face with his granddaughter.

"Ah Ling..."

His voice trembled.

"Tell me it isn’t true. Jingxu... he’s not..."

Yue Ling stared at her grandfather with a heavy heart.

She knew exactly what he was feeling because she was feeling the same pain. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering what little strength she had left before slowly nodding.

"It’s true. Jingxu was fine when we found him, but something happened on the way here. By the time I arrived, he was already being wheeled into the operating room."

Her voice faltered.

"We’ve been waiting since."

The words had barely left her mouth when the strength suddenly left Grandfather Ji’s body.

His knees buckled.

"Yeye!"

Yue Ling lunged forward, catching him before he could hit the floor. Lu Tian was just as quick, grabbing the old man from the other side and helping to keep him upright.

Grandfather Ji’s breathing became uneven as he stared ahead, his face drained of color.

"No..."

His lips trembled.

"No, no..."

He shook his head, but his body refused to cooperate. His legs nearly gave out again, forcing Yue Ling and Lu Tian to tighten their grip around him.

"Jingxu..."

His voice cracked.

"My boy..."

Yue Ling’s heart clenched.

She knew her grandfather was trying to hold himself together, but the fear was already written across his face.

She gently squeezed his arm.

"Doctor Dong is with him."

Her own voice threatened to break, but she forced the words out.

"He’ll be okay."

She had to believe it.

Her brother was inside that operating room.

He was being treated.

He was in the hands of one of the best doctors they knew.

He would be fine.

He had to be.

But just as Yue Ling clung to that thought, the doors to the operating room suddenly slid open.

Everyone turned.

Doctor Dong stepped out. He glanced down the hallway before his eyes settled on them. A weary sigh escaped him.

Grandfather Ji seemed to hear it despite the distance.

His head lifted.

"Old Dong..."

He pushed himself away from Yue Ling and Lu Tian, forcing his trembling legs to move.

"How is he?"

He stumbled forward.

"How is my boy?"

Yue Ling and Lu Tian immediately followed, with Qi Li and Gui Tian Lan close behind.

Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the old doctor.

Waiting.

Doctor Dong looked at Grandfather Ji before shifting his gaze toward Yue Ling.

He released another breath and slowly nodded.

"He was severely malnourished and has several bruises that will take time to heal. Both of his wrists are broken, and he suffered five fractured ribs."

Yue Ling’s fingers curled tightly at her sides.

Doctor Dong continued.

"One of the fractures was jagged enough to tear several blood vessels inside his chest. Blood began filling spaces where it shouldn’t have, which caused him to cough up blood and eventually lose consciousness."

Grandfather Ji’s face tightened with pain.

Doctor Dong placed a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder and gave it a faint squeeze.

"Your boy is strong. He held on for as long as he could until his body simply couldn’t take anymore."

He paused.

"But he’s out of danger now."

For several seconds, Grandfather Ji could only stare at him.

Then his knees nearly gave out again.

This time, it wasn’t from fear.

It was relief.

His grandson was alive.

He was safe.

The relief came tangled with heartbreak, because Jingxu had survived—but at a terrible cost.

Grandfather Ji lowered his head, swallowing past the ache in his throat.

Still, there was one thing he knew.

His grandson was strong.

And he would get through this.

Especially now that he was no longer alone.

Grandfather Ji took a shaky breath and looked at Doctor Dong.

"When can we see him?"

Doctor Dong gave the old man a small smile. He knew Old Ji wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw his grandson with his own eyes.

"He’s being transferred to a private room now. Once he’s settled, I’ll have a nurse take you to him."

He gave Grandfather Ji a pointed look.

"But until then, you’ll need to fill out some forms."

Grandfather Ji nodded weakly.

"All right."

He turned toward Yue Ling and the others.

"Wait here."

With that, he followed his old friend down the hallway, refusing to let the weakness in his legs stop him from seeing his grandson.

Yue Ling remained where she stood. She did not interrupt the two elderly men, choosing instead to listen in silence.

Despite the good news, her thoughts lingered on the suffering her brother had endured while in captivity.

She could still remember the relief on Ji Jingxu’s face when he saw her. Even though he was barely hanging on, he still managed to smile at her.

Because he was so good at hiding his pain, she had assumed he was fine.

If she had known how grave his condition was, she wouldn’t have proceeded with the plan.

She would have ordered Qi Li and Gui Tian Lan to get him out of there right away.

Her fists tightened at her sides, her body trembling faintly with restrained rage and regret. Her gaze stayed fixed on the closed doors of the operating room even though her brother was no longer in there.

"Qi Li. Gui Tian Lan."

The two men had never left her side. They had heard everything, and their anger matched hers. At the sound of their names, both immediately straightened, alertness flashing through their eyes.

"Yes, Boss."

Yue Ling did not look at them, her attention still locked on the operating room doors.

"Tell Liu Shan. There’s been a change of plan."

Qi Li and Gui Tian Lan exchanged a brief glance. Neither spoke further. They waited for her next command.

"Bring Hung Woo to Fate. Once I see my brother, I will follow."

Her head tilted slightly to the side, bringing a cold and detached air around her as her words continued.

"And collect the fate of Red Militant."

At her words, a shift passed through both men. A dangerous smirk tugged at the corner of Qi Li’s mouth, while Gui Tian Lan cracked his knuckles slowly.

Gui Tian Lan: "With pleasure."

Qi Li: "Understood."

Without waiting for anything more, they turned and walked toward the hospital exit.

Lu Tian didn’t look at the men walking away. His eyes remained fixed on his wife.

He knew exactly what she intended to do simply from her words.

He stepped forward and gently took her hand.

"You know you can ask me. I’d be more than willing to do it for you."

Yue Ling finally tore her gaze away from the operating room. Her bluish-green eyes met his, unnervingly calm.

She slowly shook her head.

"Hung Woo thought it was wise to play with my brother’s fate," she said, her voice quiet. Almost gentle.

"So I’ll give him the fate he wanted."

At first, she had planned to turn Hung Woo in to Chief Ren. That had been the reasonable choice.

But after hearing what her brother had suffered, prison no longer seemed like punishment.

It seemed too merciful.

"Only..."

Her fingers curled slightly around Lu Tian’s hand.

"I’ll return it a hundredfold."

There was no anger in her voice.

That was what made it frightening.

She wasn’t speaking from rage. She had already made her decision.

Hung Woo wanted to play with fate.

Now, he would learn what happened when fate played back.

She would show him exactly why the name Mami was feared throughout the underworld. She would make him regret the day he decided it was wise to stand beside Ji Chu Hua and lay a hand on her brother.

And she wouldn’t simply take his life.

That would be too easy.

Too merciful.

When the sun rose, the underworld would wake to one undeniable truth—Red Militant was no more.

They would hear that Fate had come for them.

And they would remember the lesson.

Never touch what belongs to Mami.

Lu Tian knew his wife wasn’t bluffing.

After all, she was the leader of Fate for a reason. Even before he had met her, he had heard countless stories about the leader who stood at the helm of one of the most feared organizations in the underworld.

Yet the woman beside him now was far more frightening than any story he had ever heard.

He gave her hand a small squeeze, silently letting her know he was on her side.

If things became too messy, he would be there to clean up the aftermath.

And if she decided she didn’t want to get her own hands dirty, he would gladly dirty his for her.

For her.

And only her.