Ding ng pounded on the door with a thunderous noise, but there was no response from inside the room.
She made a swift decision and instructed Xiao Hu, "Open the door."
Xiao Hu pulled a wire from who knows where, inserted it into the keyhole, and within seconds, the door was open.
Shocked, Ding ng looked at him and said, "You know how to do this?"
What she ant by breaking open the door was to call property managent or a professional locksmith, but instead, Xiao Hu had demonstrated a skillful trick.
Was he professionally trained as a thief before working as a security specialist?
Xiao Hu coughed lightly. "Knowing more skills doesn’t hurt.
Ding ng didn’t have ti to argue with him. She pushed the door open and rushed inside.
The room was dark, the lights turned off, and visibility was near zero.
"Rong Xianning?" she shouted.
Xiao Hu felt for the light switch, and with a "click," the room lit up.
Ding ng’s eyes imdiately fixated on the thin figure curled up on the sofa. She sprinted over, "Rong Xianning? Don’t scare ."
The teenager on the sofa remained motionless. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his face was flushed red, as if he were enduring so form of pain.
Ding ng was terrified.
Xiao Hu approached calmly and touched the teenager’s forehead.
"He has a fever."
With that, he pulled out his phone, preparing to call 120.
Ding ng murmured, "How could he suddenly fall ill?"
She dashed into the bathroom to grab a towel, then took so ice cubes from the fridge, wrapped them in the towel, and placed them on the teenager’s forehead for physical cooling.
Suddenly, the unconscious teenager started waving his hands in the air, as if trying to ward off sothing, his hoarse voice sharp and filled with fear.
"Don’t co near ...."
"Don’t...."
In his dreams, it seed as though so ferocious monster was chasing him. His flushed little face twisted into an expression of terror.
In the chaos, the teenager’s hand struck Ding ng’s face. She clutched her face in pain, but upon seeing the boy’s condition, all her anger evaporated.
She sighed deeply. "What a pitiful child."
Rong Yuhe’s debt collection calls had even reached her. Could he not stop harassing his biological son?
With parents like these, this child truly had a tragic life.
She rembered visiting the Rong family, eting Rong Xianning’s parents and informing them about her plans to take Rong Xianning and groom him into a superstar. The couple’s reaction instantly exposed their greedy and cruel nature.
Without a mont’s hesitation, they nad a price of five million to sell off Rong Xianning’s entire life.
She wondered if Rong Xianning was even their biological child. Though the couple looked decent, their petty deanor and heavy commoner traits made them appear entirely unrelated to Rong Xianning’s refined appearance.
She hesitated back then. These parasitic parents would undoubtedly beco the largest obstacle in Rong Xianning’s journey to stardom and would inevitably cause trouble.
She considered finding a more convenient child from a stable family to train instead.
But Rong Xianning’s exceptional appearance and personality were captivating. After asking around at school, she learned that this child was also extraordinarily diligent in his studies and had never dropped from the top spot.
If he remained stuck in this family, his future would surely be ruined.
She was a pragmatic businesswoman, never engaging in ventures that wouldn’t yield profit, but at that mont, seeing the boy’s clear and deep black eyes, she couldn’t bear to say no.
Just like in investnts, high risks co with high rewards. Rong Xianning was undoubtedly a high-performing stock. To unlock his maximum potential, she had to shoulder the accompanying risks.
Thus, she handed over five million to the couple, signed a contract, and took Rong Xianning away.
She knew the contract wouldn’t bind these shaless parents. Once Rong Xianning beca famous, they would only demand more aggressively.
Yet, she didn’t expect them to act so quickly.
The five million was squandered within less than a year. As expected, they were a pair of degenerate gamblers.
Throughout the years, Ding ng had grood countless teenage idols, developing a heart of stone. But this mont, seeing the collapsed boy on the sofa trapped in his nightmares, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartbreak.
Over the years, the outside world demonized her, ridiculing her as an old cougar without sha, preying on every young contract star in her company.
Ding ng had long grown accustod to it and didn’t bother explaining.
What kind of improper thoughts could she possibly have for these young talents, most of whom could have been her sons?
She was a businesswoman driven by profit; whoever could make her money was treated well.
But when it ca to Rong Xianning, watching his progress every step of the way, she genuinely felt a motherly sort of heartache.
The ambulance arrived quickly. Ding ng and Xiao Hu helped get Rong Xianning onboard. Thankfully, they acted in ti—waiting until morning might have been too late.
With fluids administered, Rong Xianning drifted into a peaceful sleep. His furrowed brows finally relaxed sowhat.
Ding ng sat beside his hospital bed, tucking in the corners of his blanket, and sighed deeply.
"President Ding, you should head back. I’ll stay here to keep watch," Xiao Hu said.
"Alright, I have a eting to lead at the company in the morning and a lunch appointnt with an advertiser. If anything happens, make sure to let know imdiately."
Ding ng fussed over him like a worried mother.
After receiving Xiao Hu’s firm assurance, Ding ng reluctantly left.
It was already two in the morning. The VIP hospital room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Xiao Hu glanced at the sleeping Rong Xianning, yawned, and prepared to lay down on the sofa for a nap.
Just as he settled down, the teenager on the hospital bed opened his eyes.
Xiao Hu instinctively looked up and t the boy’s gaze. He sat upright, asking, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Rong Xianning shook his head.
"Thirsty?"
Rong Xianning shook his head again.
"Can’t fall asleep?"
Rong Xianning stared blankly at the night sky outside the window, his eyes full of emptiness. "Why did you save ?"
The sorrow in his tone sent a shiver through Xiao Hu’s heart.
Xiao Hu frowned slightly, gazing deeply at him. "If I let you die, my conscience wouldn’t be able to bear it."
The boy smiled faintly. On his pallid face, the smile ca across as self-mocking.
"I understand why you’re upset. Words of comfort will always sound hollow. I’m not you and haven’t lived your life, so I have no right to console you. But rember, you still have your youth, your bright future, and millions of loyal fans who love and follow you. Even if just for them, you must find the strength to keep going."
The boy remained silent, his eyelids drooping, concealing his emotions.
Awkward silence filled the hospital room.
Xiao Hu picked up the remote control. "If you can’t sleep, why not watch so TV?"
He turned on the TV and began flipping through stations. After switching through a few channels, he stopped on the sports channel. Xiao Hu often enjoyed competitive sports—they got the blood pumping with their energy. Watching sothing like this seed fitting for Rong Xianning’s lancholic state.
The sports channel was broadcasting nightti news: "Yesterday at the Chunzhou youth swimming championships, a young athlete from Qingzhou won the gold dal in the won’s 100-ter freestyle with a record-breaking ti of 52.15 seconds, surpassing Zhang Fangyu’s 52.65 seconds from last year’s world championships and setting a new record...."
The news anchor’s narration was matched with footage of a girl triumphantly breaking the record at the swim et—an electrifying scene.
Xiao Hu stared wide-eyed at the TV, trying to see more clearly.
But the cara remained distant, and even zood in, it only showed the girl’s silhouette.
Yet her radiant, glowing skin and her perfect shoulder-to-neck proportions were striking. After her victory, the venue erupted into cheers, but she remained composed. The mont she burst out of the water reminded one of an ageless poetic line:
"A lotus rising from clear waters, naturally enchanting without embellishnt."
For a fleeting mont, the cara caught her profile. Her hazy side view was breathtaking enough to leave a deep impression.
"Clatter." The remote control in Xiao Hu’s hand fell to the floor.
He turned his head to find Rong Xianning, who had looked half-dead earlier, now sitting upright, his eyes locked onto the TV screen. In his previously lifeless gaze, sparks seed to ignite.
The news quickly transitioned to another sports event, but the pair remained frozen in their sense of awe.
"Doesn’t she look familiar?" Xiao Hu asked.
Soone like Shen You’an—how many could there possibly be in this world?
Without her glasses, the resemblance was undeniable. Though it was just a blurry profile view, Xiao Hu’s sharp eye for detail could recognize faces with precision.
That face was ingrained in Rong Xianning’s heart; there was no chance he’d mistake it.
Rong Xianning murmured, "It’s her."
His tone was resolute.
Xiao Hu marveled, "Breaking the won’s swimming record—that’s no small feat. She may seem low-key, but clearly she’s been achieving great things quietly."
This type of swimming event wasn’t prominent enough to garner public interest. Anyone familiar with Shen You’an wouldn’t likely follow such competitions, so it’s probable that very few people even knew.
Still, Xiao Hu couldn’t stop himself from praising her. "She’s truly remarkable."
He looked toward Rong Xianning, who now seed completely revitalized. The heavy cloud of gloom around him had vanished. His eyes sparked with renewed energy, burning steadily.
Xiao Hu smirked—just as expected.
Youth is wonderful.
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