With the thunderous blast of the bomb, the entire building collapsed.
Li Yanshu didn't know how much time had passed. When she finally regained consciousness, her head felt numb, and a sharp pain suddenly spread through her chest.
When she looked down, her breath hitched—an iron rod had pierced straight through her chest. Blood slowly flowed from the corner of her mouth.
Whether it was luck or misfortune, the rod had missed her heart by a small margin.
She tried to move—but couldn't.
She couldn't lift her hands. She couldn't move her fingers. The same went for her legs. Her entire body felt heavy, numb… completely unresponsive.
When she looked around, all she saw was rubble—the broken remains of the collapsed building surrounding her like a grave.
Suddenly—
Crack…
A sharp creaking sound echoed above her.
The unstable roof, barely holding together, began to collapse—straight toward her.
People always said that when facing death, your entire life flashes before your eyes.
She never believed it.
But now… she had to.
Her parents' gentle smiles appeared vividly in her mind.
"Mom… Dad… I'm sorry…"
Tears slid down her temples as she slowly closed her eyes.
But—
The crushing impact never came.
Her eyes snapped open.
Before her stood a woman she never thought she would see again.
Her mother.
Lin Anran.
The beautiful woman stood there, holding the collapsing debris above them with her bare hands. An invisible barrier formed around them, and the falling roof shattered the moment it touched it.
Even at the age of forty-nine, Lin Anran still looked like a graceful beauty. Her calm temperament never wavered—no matter the situation.
Just like now.
"Mom… I… how did you get here…?"
Lin Anran quickly crouched beside her.
"A'Yan… don't talk. Don't move. Mom will take care of everything."
Her voice was steady, but urgent.
"This rod has pierced your lung. If we wait for medical rescuers, it will be too late. I will pull it out and heal you."
She paused for a moment, her eyes softening.
"I know this sounds strange… but trust me.
Okay? You trust Mom, right?"
"…Mm."
Li Yanshu nodded weakly.
Lin Anran grasped the iron rod firmly.
"Alright… on the count of three."
"One… two… three!"
A wave of unbearable pain surged through Li Yanshu's body. Her vision blurred, but she clenched her teeth tightly, refusing to let out a scream.
The rod was pulled out.
She gasped for air, her chest burning as she struggled to breathe.
Then—
A faint, warm glow appeared.
Her mother's hand emitted a soft golden light.
She placed it gently over the wound.
A warm current spread through Li Yanshu's chest.
To her shock… the gaping hole began to close.She could feel it.
Her breathing slowly steadied.
She wanted to ask what had just happened—but before she could speak, her mother's face suddenly turned deathly pale.
Her iris shifted into a dull black like an abyss.
The next moment—
She collapsed.
Li Yanshu's heart skipped a beat.
"Mom! Are you alright? Mom—please wake up!"
But Lin Anran lay there motionless.
She was still breathing… just unconscious.
Tears welled up in Li Yanshu's eyes as she called out again and again—but there was no response.
Time passed—she didn't know how long.
Exhaustion and dizziness finally consumed her. Her vision darkened.
And she lost consciousness once more.
One Month Later
A steady beep… beep… beep…
The sound of a monitor echoed in the quiet room.
Li Yanshu slowly opened her eyes.
A white ceiling.
A faint smell of antiseptic.
She immediately realized—
She was in the hospital.
Panic rose in her chest.
Her mother—
She tried to move.
But her hands didn't respond.
Her legs didn't respond either.
They felt numb… lifeless.
A terrifying thought crept into her mind.
No… that's impossible…
Click.
The door opened.
A nurse entered the room—and upon seeing that Li Yanshu was awake, she hurriedly called the doctor.
Outside the ward, her father, Lin Xue, Chen Ye, and Old Gu were waiting anxiously.
Inside, doctors quickly gathered around her, checking her condition.
Their expressions… didn't look good.
Dr. Zhou stepped forward and examined her carefully.
"Try to move your fingers," he said gently. "Slowly. Don't stress yourself."
Li Yanshu tried.
Again.
And again.
Nothing.
"I'm trying… but they're not moving."
She looked at him, fear filling her eyes.
"Doctor… What happened to me?"
"…Please tell me the truth."
"What I'm about to say may be hard to accept, but you are my patient, and you deserve to know the truth. Due to the sudden impact, your spinal nerves were severely damaged. Because of this, the nerve signals to your four limbs have been cut off. In medical terms, this is called quadriplegia. Simply put… you are paralyzed in all four limbs."
My mind went blank.
I didn't understand what was happening.
No…
That word… what did he just say?
Quadriplegia.
No. That's not possible.
I can still feel… something… right?
If I try harder… if I focus—
Move.
Move!
Why… aren't they moving?
No… no… no… no…
This is just the aftershock. My body is in shock.
I just need time. I'll recover.
I always recover.
…I always have.
Right?
"C-can I become normal again? I mean… the medical field has advanced so much… there must be a cure for this now, right?"
"Your condition is quite… unique. I'm sorry to say this, but at present, we don't have a cure."
What about my work?
My team…
The missions…
All gone?
Mom…
Her face flashed in my mind.
That light…
She saved me.
Then she collapsed.
Where is she?
Why isn't anyone telling me anything?
The doctor then stepped outside, seemingly to discuss my condition with my father and my team members.
After some time, they all came into my room.
Their faces were filled with sadness, regret, and helplessness.
"I… I want some time alone, please."
No one spoke.
One by one, they left after checking on me.
Only my dad remained.
Li Jun.
When I looked at him, his gray hair seemed more prominent than before. His face had aged noticeably in just the past month.
He sat down quietly beside my bed.
"Dad… where is Mom?"
My voice trembled.
After everything that had happened, I couldn't bear to lose her too.
But he didn't answer immediately, as if he were contemplating whether to tell me the truth.
Silence filled the room.
Only the steady beeping of the monitors could be heard.
"Dad… where is Mom?"
"She's fine," he finally said. "Still unconscious due to exhaustion… but she's stable."
"How did she… I mean… how did she get there? At the school… after the bombing?"
"A'Yan…"
"Don't lie to me!" My voice broke. "There was a rod pierced through my chest. The ceiling collapsed on me. I thought I was going to die—but Mom suddenly appeared. She saved me… healed my chest wound. What is happening, Dad?"
His expression didn't look like someone hearing this for the first time.
It was as if… he already knew.
"Calm down," he said quietly. "I will tell you everything—but not now. You need to regain your strength first. When your condition stabilizes, I'll explain everything you want to know about her."
"Dad… I'm never going to regain my strength." My voice cracked. "Just look at me. I'm nothing but a useless person now. I'm never going to walk again…"
Tears slipped down my face without me realizing.
"Don't say that," he said firmly. "I know you're in pain, but hold on a little longer. I have a way."
He paused.
"I don't know if it will work or not… but we have to try."
Silence filled the room again.
The next day, Lin Xue and Chen Ye visited her, carrying a basket of fruits. It was clear that the past month had not been easy for them either.
After a brief silence, Li Yanshu finally asked about the case. It had been her mission—she needed to know how it ended.
"What happened to the case?"
Instead of Lin Xue, Chen Ye answered.
"As you know, both Mr. and Mrs. Wang did not survive. Out of the 50 hostages, 5 were severely injured, but they are now out of life-threatening danger. Eleven others were injured, but none critically. There were no major casualties… except for the teacher, Mr. Liang. Due to a severe head impact, he died on the spot."
He paused before continuing.
"And about the girl, Chen Xue… the police have arrested her."
"Hm… seems like everything is under control," Li Yanshu said quietly.
At last, unable to hold back, Lin Xue spoke.
"Captain… are you alright?"
Chen Ye shot him a sharp glare, clearly annoyed at such a question.
But compared to last night, Li Yanshu seemed much calmer now.
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."
They chatted for a while.
Suddenly, Lin Xue's phone rang.
He answered it briefly, then turned on the speaker and held the phone near Li Yanshu.
From the other end, Old Man Gu's voice echoed through the room.
"Lin Xue said you look better now."
"Hm. I'm fine."
There was a pause before he spoke again.
"I shouldn't have given you this mission."
"Old Man Gu," she replied calmly, "what happened was beyond anyone's control. And entering that building alone… was my own decision. No one else is to blame."
"…Hm."
A brief silence followed.
"I met your father today," he continued. "He submitted your resignation letter."
The room fell silent.
"My dad is taking me to Shanghai this week," Li Yanshu said after a moment. "Seems like… I finally have to say goodbye to you all."
"You're sure about this?"
"Yes."
"…Alright then. I will proceed with your resignation. Take care. And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to contact me."
The call ended.
"Captain…" Lin Xue said softly, his voice filled with sadness.
But deep down, he knew this was the right decision.
What she needed now… wasn't duty.
It was family.
And this… was the best choice for her.
They said their goodbyes.
Then quietly—
They left.
Suddenly, her father's words from last night echoed in her mind.
"I have a way…".
eyes trembled slightly.
Maybe… there was still hope.