My Dongguan Love Story

I was stunned by the nurse's words, and it took me a while to come to my senses before I nodded emphatically.

She's right.

The person who was willing to risk everything to take that knife for me gave me their heart and life; their love was too deep and too true.

But if I ask myself honestly, can I really live up to her expectations? I have absolutely no confidence in myself.

I am surrounded by beautiful women, with too many entanglements. If Lin Guilian were to truly be with me, she might not find peace or happiness.

I genuinely didn't want to provoke her, much less waste her life. But she's gone to such lengths for me, how could I bear to ignore her?

I held her slightly cool hand tightly, my gaze fixed on her sleeping face, listening to her even breathing. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand, filled with anxiety, hoping to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

The nurse had only given Lin Guilian basic first aid; the actual surgery would have to wait until she arrived at the hospital. Whether she would pull through and whether she would survive were all unknowns at that moment.

The car sped along and finally stopped in front of the hospital. Several nurses quickly carried the stretcher and walked briskly towards the operating room. I stayed close by the stretcher, not leaving its side for a moment.

Lin Guilian's eyes were half-open, her consciousness hazy, watching the surrounding scenery rush by. Until the stretcher was pushed to the operating room door, she suddenly weakly raised her hand to stop and laboriously called me to her side.

My heart clenched, my eyes filled with undisguised worry. I bent down and grasped her slightly cool hand, my voice tinged with panic and urgency, as I gently comforted her: "Gui Lian... wife, just focus on the surgery. I'll be right outside, waiting for you."

Lin Guilian's eyes were weak and had lost their former luster; her lips were pale and bloodless. She struggled to open her mouth, looking at me with weak breath: "Dazhuang, promise me... if I come out alive, you'll be my husband, and you can't go back on your word."

She knew perfectly well that when I had softened and agreed to her request at the Dingsheng factory, it was only because I was afraid something would happen to her, and I was just saying nice things to coax her.

But now, entering the operating room felt like stepping into the gates of hell. She was filled with anxiety, hoping that if she could survive, her long-cherished wish could finally come true.

Looking at her frail and weak state, still clinging to me for a promise even in this condition, my heart sank, and I sighed heavily. To ease her anxieties and allow her to focus on the surgery, I leaned down, gazed intently at her, and nodded solemnly:

"I promise you. You have to promise me too, you have to come out alive."

"Hmm." A faint smile appeared on Lin Guilian's pale face.

Bang~

The operating room door closed, and I stared blankly at the "Operating" light. After a while, I took a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and started smoking.

My phone suddenly started vibrating in my pocket. I looked down and took it out. Tang Yan's name was flashing on the screen. My fingertip paused slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, I pressed the answer button.

Tang Yan's soft voice came from the other end of the phone: "Dazhuang, it's already past get off work hours, why aren't you home yet?"

I glanced at my phone; it was already 11 p.m. Normally, I'd be home by now, so it's no wonder she called to ask.

My subconscious thought was that I didn't want her to know about Lin Guilian's accident, afraid that she would overthink things and harbor resentment, so I vaguely said, "Yes, something urgent happened, and I'm afraid we won't be able to make it through tonight."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yan's tone noticeably darkened, carrying a hint of displeasure: "By the way, Lin Guilian didn't come home tonight either. I wonder where she went. Did she go to see you?"

She paused briefly, then continued, "I'm at the entrance of Dingsheng Factory No. 2 right now. I came here specifically to pick you up after get off work, but I haven't seen you. I just heard from the security guard that you left with the ambulance?"

I was taken aback by Tang Yan's words; I hadn't expected her to come all the way to pick me up from get off work. Well, it's also possible that she noticed Lin Guilian wasn't home and guessed she was looking for me, so she came over.

Now that things have come to this, there's no way to hide it anymore. My heart sank, and I had no choice but to tell the truth: "Lin Guilian came to Dingsheng to see me just now. When we were fighting with a thief, she took a knife for me and is currently undergoing surgery in the hospital."

"Huh?" Tang Yan's tone sharpened. "That bitch actually sneaked off to pick you up from get off work. That's outrageous!"

I was slightly taken aback by her words, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside me. Her first reaction wasn't concern for Lin Guilian's injuries, but rather a hint of jealousy. For a moment, I didn't know how to respond.

After a moment of silence, Tang Yan's tone calmed down slightly on the other end of the phone, and she said calmly, "Which hospital? I'm coming over now."

I hung up the phone, my fingertips feeling slightly heavy. I took a cigarette from the pack and lit it. The pungent smoke slowly seeped into my lungs, barely suppressing the anxiety and turmoil churning within me.

I looked up at the bright red "Operating" indicator light above the operating room, its light standing out starkly in the silent corridor. Leaning against the cold wall, amidst the swirling smoke, I fell into deep thought.

I remember the first time I met Lin Guilian; she was aloof and arrogant, someone you shouldn't approach. I remember saving her at the nightclub that night; she let her guard down, revealing a captivating and sexy side. And I remember that night when, by a twist of fate, I mistook her for Tang Yan while she was asleep, and the delicate, smooth touch of my fingertips on her skin is still vivid in my memory.

I also remembered her stubborn and headstrong way of standing up for me and taking the knife for me, enduring the pain and insisting that I call her my wife.

Just as memories of the past were flooding my mind, my phone rang urgently again. I frowned, not wanting to answer, and let it ring for a long time, but the other person still wouldn't hang up. I picked up the phone and saw that the caller ID showed Lin Huimin.

I figured she must have called because she hadn't gotten home yet. I hesitated for a moment, then pressed the answer button and whispered, "Feed?"

A soft, childlike voice came from the other end of the receiver; it was Lin Huiqing: "Hey? Brother-in-law, didn't you say you were coming over tonight? Why haven't you arrived yet?"

Lin Huimin was standing next to Lin Huiqing and winked at her, signaling her to ask Dazhuang when he would arrive.

Lin Huiqing glanced at her sister, then asked gently, "Brother-in-law, how much longer until you arrive?"

Hearing Lin Huiqing's voice, I sighed, "Brother-in-law has some things to do today, can we come see you tomorrow?"

Hearing my words, Lin Huiqing looked at her sister with a puzzled expression. Seeing Lin Huimin nod helplessly, she said, "Alright then, brother-in-law, you go ahead with your work and come find me again tomorrow."

"Um."

I hung up the phone, and a warm feeling welled up inside me.

The Lin sisters are insightful and considerate. Knowing that I was busy, they didn't pester me or ask any questions. They had a perfect sense of propriety and boundaries.

In contrast, Tang Yan always likes to get to the bottom of things, and she is stubborn and insists on getting to the bottom of things. Compared with them, she seems a bit aggressive.

As I was pondering this, I suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps in the corridor. I turned around and saw Tang Yan, dressed in a purple dress, hurrying towards me.

The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she hurried closer with small, quick steps. When she reached me, her gaze immediately fell on the operating room with its red light on. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she asked, "What happened?"

I hesitated for a moment, then picked out the key parts and told her.

I only mentioned that Lin Guilian came to deliver food to me, that we encountered a thief and tried to stop him, and that she was stabbed while protecting me. As for the ambiguous entanglements such as her forcing me to agree to be her boyfriend and call her wife, I deliberately omitted them all and didn't mention a word about them.

Upon hearing this, Tang Yan felt a surge of jealousy and gritted her teeth in anger when she learned that Lin Guilian had secretly come to deliver food to her.

But seeing my anxious and worried expression, she swallowed back the sarcastic words and complaints that were on the tip of her tongue, and dared not say another word against Lin Guilian.

About an hour later, the glaring red "Operating in Progress" light above the operating room suddenly went out.

A nurse pushed open the door and came out. My heart tightened, and I immediately rushed to meet her.

The nurse looked up at me and said calmly, "Are you a family member? The surgery was successful, and the patient is out of danger. However, he will need to stay in the hospital for a period of time to recover."

Hearing this, my heart finally settled down, my tense nerves relaxed abruptly, and I quickly thanked the nurse repeatedly.

Not long after, two nurses slowly pushed the surgical trolley out.

Lin Guilian lay quietly in the car, her eyes closed, her face pale and bloodless, her abdominal wound wrapped tightly with layers of gauze, her whole body so weak that it was heartbreaking.

As she approached me, her eyelids fluttered slightly, opening a crack in her dormant state, her vision blurry and unfocused. She seemed half-awake, murmuring, "Dazhuang, husband."

Upon hearing her muttering, Tang Yan's face darkened, and she couldn't help but mutter, "Who are you calling 'husband'?"