Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

Chapter 130 The Darkest Hour

Outside Nice.

Safe house.

December 31st. 5:00 AM.

Gu Xidong lay on the bed. His left leg was so swollen that the blanket couldn't cover it, and the wound was oozing pus and blood, soaking through three layers of bandages.

His body temperature was 42 degrees Celsius. He stared at the ceiling with his eyes open.

Ling Wuwen sat on the edge of the bed.

She held his hand.

His hands were burning hot. His fingertips were trembling. His lips were dry and cracked, and each breath he took was a heavy, labored gasp.

She looked down at him.

"Operation."

He shook his head.

"I'm not going."

She gripped his hand tightly.

"You're infected. You'll die."

He turned to look at her.

There was light in his eyes. The light from a high fever.

"I'm going to save her."

She froze for a moment.

"Who?"

He looked at her face.

three seconds.

"Ling Wuwen".

She didn't say anything.

Tears streamed down my face.

He didn't recognize her.

The raven pushed open the door and came in.

He was holding a syringe.

He looked at Gu Xidong.

"Surgery is necessary."

Gu Xidong looked at him.

"Where is she?"

The ravens remained silent.

Gu Xidong struggled to sit up. His left leg moved, and he screamed in pain. He collapsed back onto the bed.

Ling Wuwen held him down.

"Gu Xidong, I'm here."

He looked at her.

The eyes gradually focus.

"Ling Wuwen?"

She nodded.

He reached out and touched her face.

It's cold.

He smiled.

"You are alive."

She nodded.

"I am alive."

He closed his eyes.

The raven stepped forward.

The syringe was plunged into his arm.

The medicine was pushed in.

His breathing gradually became steady.

Fell asleep.

operating room.

Nice General Hospital.

Nine o'clock in the morning.

Ling Wuwen stood outside the operating room door.

She leaned against the wall, her face pale. Her own rejection reaction was intensifying; her hands trembled so much she couldn't hold the cup.

A raven came over.

I handed her a cup of hot coffee.

She took it.

Hold it in both hands.

He stared at the tightly closed door.

Four hours.

She nodded.

I took a sip of coffee.

It's bitter.

She swallowed it.

One o'clock in the afternoon.

The operating room door opened.

The doctor came out. He was in his fifties, with gray hair, and tired eyes behind his glasses.

He looked at Ling Wuwen.

"Complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the left knee. Grade III tear of the medial collateral ligament. Meniscus tear. Severe joint infection."

She listened.

"We cleaned, repaired, and reconstructed the wound. The surgery went smoothly."

She nodded.

The doctor paused.

"But he can no longer perform a quadruple jump."

She stood still.

Didn't move.

long time.

She spoke.

Does he know?

The doctor looked at her.

"I'll tell him after he wakes up from the anesthesia."

She nodded.

The doctor left.

She leaned against the wall.

Close your eyes.

Ward.

3 PM.

Gu Xidong opened his eyes.

His left leg was in a cast. From his thigh to his ankle, the white cast immobilized him. The anesthesia hadn't completely worn off, so he couldn't feel any pain.

He turned his head.

Ling Wuwen sat on the edge of the bed.

She held his hand.

He looked at her.

"Is the surgery over?"

She nodded.

He smiled.

"That's good."

What she wanted to say.

He didn't say it.

Women's eyesight.

three seconds.

"Anything else?"

She didn't say anything.

He looked at the cast on his left leg.

long time.

"Can you still jump?"

She shook her head.

He stared at the ceiling.

long time.

He suddenly sat up.

He screamed in agony as he moved his left leg. He fell back onto the bed.

Ling Wuwen held him down.

"Don't move."

He pushed her away.

Remove the IV needle from your hand.

Blood splattered out.

He struggled to get out of bed.

She hugged him.

"Gu Xidong! Listen to me!"

He broke free.

He fell the moment his left leg touched the ground.

Lie down on the ground.

He braced himself against the ground with his hands.

I want to get up.

I can't get up.

He slammed his fist on the floor.

Once. Twice. Three times.

My knuckles are cut. Blood is seeping out.

She squatted down.

Hug him.

He buried his face in her shoulder.

There was no sound.

But she could feel him trembling.

My whole body was shaking.

long time.

He stopped moving.

She helped him up.

Help them back to bed.

He leaned against the headboard.

Looking out the window.

The sky outside the window is that of Nice. It's greyish-white. The clouds are thick.

She sat on the edge of the bed.

She held his hand.

He did not respond.

I was just looking out the window.

The door opened.

The raven came in.

He was holding a tablet.

He looked at Gu Xidong.

"I have something to show you."

Gu Xidong didn't move.

Raven placed the tablet on the bedside table.

Open a video file.

"This was recorded by Ling Wuwen before she entered the Volkov Manor. She told me that if anything happened, I should show it to you."

Gu Xidong turned his head.

Looking at the screen.

The screen lit up.

Ling Wuwen sat by the window. The backdrop was the Monaco night view: the golden dome of the casino, the lights of the yacht marina, and the dark Mediterranean Sea in the distance.

She was wearing a black evening gown. Her hair was styled in an updo. Her face was pale.

She looked at the camera.

Open up.

"Gu Xidong".

His fingers tightened.

"If you see this, it means my worst fears have come true."

She paused.

"Don't cry."

His eyes reddened.

She smiled.

It's very light.

Do you remember that kiss in the downpour?

He looked at her face.

"You said that dancing is for yourself."

She paused.

"At that moment, I was neither Ling Wufeng nor Ling Wuwen."

She looked at him.

Through a screen.

"I'm just someone who fell in love with you."

She lowered her head.

Three seconds of silence.

look up.

"If salvation requires sacrifice, let me make that choice."

He held her hand tightly.

The hand on the bed.

A hand that is still alive.

She continued speaking on the screen.

"What you need to do is return to the ice with all the truth—"

She paused.

"To finish that dance that we never got to complete."

He looked at the screen.

Tears streamed down my face.

"I probably won't be in the audience."

she laughs.

"But I'm definitely watching from somewhere."

She paused.

"So...jump nicely."

The screen went black.

The ward was quiet.

He sat on the bed.

Tears are still flowing.

But there was no sound.

Ling Wuwen sat on the edge of the bed.

She held his hand.

A raven stood at the doorway.

Look at him.

long time.

He spoke.

"She thought she was going to die when she recorded this."

The raven nodded.

"right."

He looked out the window.

It's getting dark outside the window. The twilight in Nice is a greyish-blue.

He turned to look at Ling Wuwen.

She is still alive.

Right beside him.

He reached out and touched her face.

It's cold.

She grabbed his hand.

Stick it on your face.

Women's eyesight.

What were you thinking when you recorded this?

She froze for a moment.

"What?"

He pointed at the screen.

"Um. When you were recording..."

She looked at him.

three seconds.

I'm thinking of you.

A raven came over.

He was holding a letter.

Red envelope. Gold lettering. International Skating Union (ISU) logo.

He handed it to Gu Xidong.

Gu Xidong accepted it.

open.

Draw a card.

It says on it:

"Under global pressure, the International Skating Union is hosting a special exhibition match titled 'Truth and Reconciliation.' Location: Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing. Date: January 30th. We have invited Mr. Gu Xidong to perform a show for all the victims, without judges or scoring."

He looked at those few lines of text.

long time.

Look up at the ravens.

"One month later."

The raven nodded.

He looked at the cast on his left leg.

"Like this."

The raven didn't speak.

He looked out the window.

It was completely dark outside the window.

Night in Nice. Lights are scattered.

He spoke.

"it is good."