C19 A Woman's War

"Lin Hao, what's the meaning of this? You send me a video and then you just..."

"Who the hell do you think you are, you jerk? How dare you try to take my man?"

Lee Ruolan's furious voice cut off Qin Sisi mid-sentence.

Lin Hao felt his head start to throb at the scene unfolding before him, a sense of gloom setting in.

"Give me back my phone!" Lin Hao demanded, his voice laced with anger.

Lee Ruolan was relentless, chasing Lin Hao around the dining table while hurling a nonstop barrage of insults.

On the other end of the line, Qin Sisi was bewildered, having been berated without cause. It took her a moment to gather her wits.

"Hey, who the heck are you?" Qin Sisi retorted furiously, "I haven't wronged you, nor have I stolen your man. What's with the unprovoked insults?"

"Oh, playing innocent now, are we?" Lee Ruolan scoffed. "He's mine. Sure, we hit a little snag, but he definitely has feelings for me. Would he have left me high and dry if you hadn't come along to tempt him?"

"Let me make myself clear: stop chasing after him, or I swear I won't let you off the hook!"

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots!" Qin Sisi shot back, her anger peaking. "Go ahead, don't spare me. I enjoy tempting him, I relish our time in bed, and I adore pestering him into the wee hours!"

"What's the matter, did he dump you? Serves you right. A shrew like you would be scorned even in the streets. Any man who falls for you is bound to infuriate his ancestors to the point of rising from their graves!"

"You think I won't have someone break your legs?" Lee Ruolan threatened, her voice seething with rage.

Unbeknownst to her, Lin Hao had already closed in. He swiftly grabbed the phone from her and spoke to Qin Sisi on the line, "I'll explain everything later."

With that, Lin Hao ended the call.

A fuming Lee Ruolan latched onto Lin Hao's arm, "You scoundrel, how could you betray me? You..."

"Smack!"

The sound of a sharp slap echoed.

Lin Hao was reluctant to strike a woman, but she had crossed the line.

The slap, though not forceful, caused Lee Ruolan's head to snap to the side.

She clutched her face, turning back to glare at Lin Hao with tear-filled eyes. "You, you actually hit me, you..."

"Leave now, or I'm calling the police this instant!" Lin Hao's voice was icy.

"You promised to love me forever. And now, for her, you treat me like this?" Lee Ruolan was relentless, her words edged with bitterness.

"Heh, she's just a friend. I owe you no lengthy explanations. Deep down, you know who truly betrayed whom."

"I'm done talking. Leave, now!"

With that, Lin Hao grabbed a lady's coat from the couch and tossed it to Lee Ruolan. A quick shove later, she was out the door.

Ignoring Lee Ruolan's shouts from outside, he slammed the door shut. Only after the banging ceased did Lin Hao breathe a sigh of relief.

He felt on the verge of collapse, exhaustion creeping over him.

Yet the ordeal wasn't over. He considered calling Qin Sisi but ultimately resisted, even shutting off his phone. He then collapsed onto the sofa to rest.

After a night's rest, Lin Hao awoke and checked his phone to find over thirty missed calls—more than ten from both Qin Sisi and Lee Ruolan, plus several from unknown landlines.

He decided to return the landline calls.

"Hello, Linhai People's Hospital!"

The hospital's response crackled through the phone.

"This is Lin Hao. What was the reason for your call half an hour ago?" he inquired.

"Oh, you're Lin Hao?" The voice on the line was urgent. "Pei Xiu is your relative, right? You need to get to the hospital immediately!"

"What's wrong with her?" Lin Hao sat up sharply.

"Her condition has worsened, and she's currently unconscious. We need a family member's signature to proceed with surgery, and no one has come in to sign."

Panic set in, and Lin Hao responded quickly, "I'm on my way!"

He ended the call, snatched his coat, and dashed out the door.

He hadn't forgotten his promise to meet Ouyang Derong at the designated spot tonight.

That meant he had to resolve the issues with Pei Xiu and Lee Guangrui today.

Racing against time, he called Qin Sisi. She was already waiting by the car, glaring at Lin Hao with fury.

"Jerk, I thought you were dead!" Qin Sisi yelled.

Lin Hao, taken aback, managed a weak smile. "What are you saying? Without me, you'd be so lonely, right?"

"Cut the crap!" Qin Sisi snapped. "Explain the video you sent me last night!"

Lin Hao swung the car door open and hopped out.

He shrugged. "The video speaks for itself, as do I."

"I warned you about her, that woman is bad news. You believe me now, don't you?"

Qin Sisi struggled with the revelation, her voice quivering. "No, it can't be true!"

"Explain it to me, clearly! I need to understand!"

Lin Hao felt a wave of frustration. Why do women refuse to accept the obvious? The truth was staring her in the face, yet she was in denial.

"Here's some advice," he said. "Instead of wasting time, go tell Uncle Lee the truth. He doesn't have much time left."

"And that woman will probably be at the hospital. Pick the right moment to talk, or she won't let you get a word in."

"And you?" Qin Sisi demanded. "Aren't you coming with me?"

Lin Hao shook his head. "I've got more pressing matters. Handle this on your own; I can't afford to get sidetracked."

With that, he dashed off towards the hospital.

Qin Sisi spun around, seizing Lin Hao's arm. "No, you have to come with me!"

"This... It's too much, too big for me to handle alone!"

Tears welled up in Qin Sisi's eyes.

But for Lin Hao, Pei Xiu's critical condition outweighed Lee Guangrui's importance. He knew where his priorities lay.

"I really don't have time for this!"

"Go ahead. I'll come over after I finish up!"

With those words, Lin Hao wrenched his hand from Qin Sisi's grasp and dashed out.

Qin Sisi gave chase, but ultimately, she could only stand by as Lin Hao slipped into the elevator, the doors closing just before she could reach them.

"Jerk, you... you're such a jerk!"

Fuming, Qin Sisi stamped her foot in frustration, feeling utterly powerless. After a moment's indecision, she made up her mind and hurried to Lee Guangrui's hospital room.

But shortly after Qin Sisi had gone, Zhou Ya emerged from around the corner, her gaze fixed on Qin Sisi's retreating figure. She pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Boss Bao, I need a favor. I'm going to send you a photo—stop this person for me!"