kvmb Chapter 332
Chapter 332
The car ride was smooth and steady, stopping at the entrance of the Ji family villa.“Shh.” Rong Yu made a gesture for silence. “Get a few people to carry Grandfather back to his room to rest.”
Butler Yu called over four servants, who carefully lifted the old man and carried him to his room.
It was only four in the afternoon.
Rong Yu turned on some soft music, picked up a book, and sat in the living room to read.
As she read, her heart suddenly began to flutter with an inexplicable unease, as if she had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
She jerked her head toward the master bedroom on the first floor and dashed in without hesitation.
Old Master Ji lay quietly on the bed, his brows relaxed and his expression peaceful—nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But Yingbao had never needed to take such long naps before…
“Yingbao!”
“Yingbao!”
“Ji Shunying!”
There was no response from the person on the bed.
Rong Yu grabbed his hand and shouted, “Ji Shunying, wake up! It’s me, your mother! Open your eyes!”
“Great-grandma, what’s wrong!”
Ji Mohan heard the commotion and rushed in.
He quickly checked Old Master Ji’s breathing and heartbeat, then let out a sigh of relief. “Great-grandma, the old man is fine. He’s just asleep.”
“A person who’s asleep can be woken up!” Rong Yu took a deep breath. “Call the hospital for an ambulance. Right now. Immediately!”
Ten minutes later, they were at the hospital.
After a series of tests, the doctor gave his conclusion: “We’ve run a full check—ECG, brain CT, blood panel… everything is normal. The old man probably stayed up for a few nights and has fallen into a deep sleep.”
Rong Yu pressed her lips together. “If he’s just asleep, after all these tests, he should have woken up by now.”
“That’s what the current tests show,” the attending physician said, also sensing something off. “Let’s admit him for observation. Monitor his vitals every hour. If anything changes, the hospital can handle it in time…”
This was already one of the top hospitals in the capital.
Rong Yu had her doubts, but for now, there was no other option.
Because of Old Master Ji’s hospitalization, every member of the Ji family rushed over as soon as they could.
Ji Zhiyuan came with Duoduo, Ji Yanting paused his company’s operations, Ji Mohan handed off his data to his assistant, Ji Jingchuan set aside his studies, and Ji Zhouping put his startup on hold.
Ji Zhiyuan said, “Before Great-grandma returned, the old man had fallen into a coma that lasted three months. All his bodily functions were normal. He just woke up when the time was right.”
Ji Yanting added, “That’s right. Back then, the old man would slip into long comas after being triggered by car accidents. It was a psychological condition.”
Ji Mohan said, “Great-grandma, don’t worry. He’ll get better.”
Ji Jingchuan wondered, “But the old man’s psychological condition stemmed from Great-grandma leaving. Now that she’s right here, how could he still be triggered into a coma? Did he eat something wrong at lunch?”
Ji Zhouping countered, “But the doctors thoroughly checked—no sign of food poisoning.”
Rong Yu spoke up. “Don’t rush. Wait until the twelve-hour continuous blood report comes out. Then we’ll see what’s going on.”
Night gradually fell.
Rong Yu reached out to brush aside a wisp of white hair on the old man’s forehead and sighed softly. She knew Yingbao’s character too well. Even in sleep, he maintained a basic alertness. There was no way he would lie there like this—like an empty shell with its soul taken away.
Was it an old, lingering illness?
Or had something new happened?
“Yingbao, you promised to live at least another twenty years. Don’t break your word…”
She sighed gently again.
Just then, footsteps echoed outside the ward.
Rong Yu looked up as the door softly opened, revealing a tall figure standing in the doorway. The hallway’s overhead light cast a long shadow behind him, outlining his figure with a cold, hard edge.
It was Sheng Qingyan.
In his memory, Rong Yu had always been so composed and unflappable. Even during a surprise attack at the base, the most she did was slightly furrow her brow—always graceful.
But now—
Her face was haggard, and her eyes, always clear and bright like winter stars, were now clouded with anxiety and worry.
Sheng Qingyan turned his gaze to the person lying in the bed.
Old Master Ji looked no different from usual, but he was too still—lying there without a trace of life.
He found himself missing that old man who always rolled his eyes at him, always found fault with him, always wanted to see him mess up… that vibrant, energetic elder, who had somehow become someone he cared about.
He spoke softly, “Ayu, can I take a look at the test results?”
Rong Yu nodded and handed them over.
Sheng Qingyan took the thick stack of reports. His slender fingers quickly flipped through the pages, his eyes carefully scanning each piece of data. Where anyone else would have seen perfectly normal numbers, his brows only furrowed deeper.
“Blood oxygen saturation 98%, heart rate 62 beats per minute, blood pressure 120/80…” he murmured, his voice growing colder. “Too perfect.”
Rong Yu’s head shot up. “What do you mean?”
Sheng Qingyan spread several reports flat on the bedside table and pointed at a few key data points. “The human body’s vital signs fluctuate naturally with the circadian rhythm. It’s impossible for them to remain at textbook-standard values for hours on end. This looks like… deliberately engineered numbers.”
Rong Yu’s fingertips trembled. “Are you saying… someone tampered with the test results?”
“No.” Sheng Qingyan’s eyes turned terrifyingly dark. “It’s a toxin that mimics normal human metabolism.”
Rong Yu took a deep breath. “Sheng Qingyan, are you sure? Since when did you know so much about medicine?”
“Three months ago, when the military’s Minister Zhao fell into a coma, his early reports showed these same perfect values. This kind of toxin interferes with diagnostic equipment, so ordinary hospitals can’t detect it.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “After Minister Zhao died, the military found trace amounts of a convallatoxin derivative in his cerebrospinal fluid. This poison attacks the brain, its concentration rising gradually while always staying within normal range—until death…”
Rong Yu’s head felt heavy.
“The military hospital has already developed a neutralizing antidote. Transfer him now.” Sheng Qingyan dialed a number, gave quick instructions, then looked at Rong Yu and said gently, “Don’t worry. I’ve arranged everything.”
Rong Yu nodded.
If not for this precedent, no one would have imagined that such a poison even existed in this world.
In less than ten minutes, hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway. Three medical staff in dark uniforms pushed in a specialized transfer bed. The lead doctor nodded to Sheng Qingyan. “Captain Sheng, the vehicle is ready.”
Sheng Qingyan stepped forward, bent down, and carefully lifted the unconscious Old Master Ji into his arms—as if holding a baby—before gently laying him onto the transfer bed…