Chapter 48 - Voice of the heart

Jing Lihua had walked for almost four hours when her vision had started to go blurry. It was only worsening with time. Her face was flushed; she was having a slight fever. The wound on her leg was a big hindrance. She had torn off a piece of her shirt and tightly wrapped it around her leg to stop the bleeding. But when she exerted to move, the blood would seep out.

"Damn Hong Kong" She cursed the city a thousand times and struggled to move through the thick forest. It was already darkening. Jing Lihua had decided to enter the forest because she feard the people who tried to attack her would come after her. She was unlucky enough to get her foot entrapped in root and fall down while getting a deep cut across her calf.

She took out her phone for the tenth time. Still, there were no signals. She put back her phone and rested her last hope on Mei Xiu. Mei Xiu had already left for Hong Kong a night before Jing Lihua to arrange for her. Jing Lihua had planned to meet up with her after the meeting with that 'Devil'. She prayed that Mei Xiu had discovered her absence by now and dispatched a team to search for her.

Jing Lihua felt something chilly and moist drip on her. She looked up. A loud thunder followed the silence. Jing Lihua wanted to cry but had no tears.

Why?

Soon a heavy shower followed and completely soaked Jing Lihua.

...

Li Zhiqiang stared at the ruthless shower outside. His heart was unsettled. He was quiet as an inanimate ice block. No one could tell what was going through his head. Li Xun would glance at him from time to time while quivering in fear.

He must find his brother's wife quick. Or else he feared... ah, he didn't want to the consequences.

"Stop the car!" Li Xun noticed a car parked outside. The driver pulled the breaks and the car stopped with a squeak, splashing water everywhere. They rushed to the car and found a man knocked out. Li Xun confirmed from the number plate that it was the same car that had picked up Jing Lihua. "Get him in the van. Try to wake him up. He must know where is Jing Lihua."

A few bulky men pulled out the man and pushed him inside the van. They threw cold water at him attempting to rouse him. Li Xun was anxious. He could feel involuntary chills up his spines. And they were not because of the cold weather. They were because of his brother!

Li Zhiqiang's quiet eyes silently observed everything around and landed on a spot at the boundary between the road and the forests. Without giving anyone any explanation he entered the forest.

"Brother" Li Xun rushed after him.

"Continue your search"

He didn't know how long had he walked or to where exactly he was aimed for. For once he let his heart decide and followed the tiny voice in his head that head always been suppressed and denied. He followed the trail that would possibly lead him to nowhere. When he looked up he detected a small visage in the haze. He halted at once and stared at it.

"JingJing" He whispered and took slow, nervous steps towards her as if afraid she would disappear if he rushed. When a face cleared out of the haze, his lifeless dull eyes finally gained back some color. He quickly rushed to her side, took off his coat and put it around her. She was at the last of her strength when she fell into Li Zhiqiang arms. Her head rested against his chest; her body gave up. Her eyes were dazed. She was completely soaked; her body felt cold as ice against Li Zhiqiang's chest.

"JingJing stay with me, okay?" He grabbed her face by both hands; made her look into his eyes. "Everything's alright. I'm here"

When a comfortable hotness enveloped her face and a soothing voice called to her, her hazy eyes gained back some focus. Her body was gravely tired. Her feet wouldn't support her weight anymore. Her body rested against his chest and she couldn't stand on her own even if she wanted to.

"D-Doctor L-Li?" Her mind could recall who was him but she was too tired to think anything further.

When she had forced herself to go on, she had put all her happy moments in her mind to motivate her. Zhao Liying, Mo Liang, her grandfather. They had given her the strength to go on and never stop walking. She had pushed her body to its last limits. Now that she realized the help was finally here, her persistence wore off.

"I'm sorry JingJing. I promise, this is the last time I'll let anybody hurt you"

Jing Lihua couldn't understand what he meant but a second later she felt the ground slipping away from under her feet. She was swung in the air and held in his arms in bridal style. Her head rested on his chest. Her arms unconsciously reached out and wrapped around his neck. He hurried back while carrying her in his arms.

When Li Xun saw his brother coming there way with a woman in his arms, he didn't need to think twice it was Jing Lihua. His brother wouldn't even bother looking at any other woman. But still, a woman in his arms. The schene looked a little... startling. The bodyguards who weren't exposed to such a view before stared dumbly at their boss.

"Bring me the towel" Li Zhiqiang's strong voice brought everyone out of the trance. He put her in the back seat of the car, grabbed the towel and attempted to dry her body. He rubbed her hands attempting to warm them up.

To his dismay, she was irresponsive. The car had already sped to his nearest penthouse. A team of best doctors in Hong Kong had already been alerted by Li Xun personally before they left. But still, his heart felt unsettled. Li Zhiqiang placed his hand against her forehead. Her small body was quivering. Her body temperature had fallen to an alarming extent. Her cheeks were pale as if all the blood had been drained out of her face.

Li Zhiqiang leaned in and opened the buttons of her shirt.