Chapter 123: What Right Do You Have to Want to Die? Is Your Life Even Yours?
Su Tao’s gunshot completely overturned Lei Xing’s impression of her.
“…Boss Su, you’re a true heroine. I misjudged you before.”
Su Tao glanced at him. “How did you see me before?”
Lei Xing admitted frankly, “I judged you by your appearance. I had some gender bias. You’re young, good-looking—I didn’t expect you to be this tough. No wonder you’ve managed to run Taoyang so well.”
Su Tao shook her head. “It’s not just me. Taoyang has many outstanding women. The manager I just introduced to you, Zhuang Wan—without her, Taoyang wouldn’t be as organized as it is now. And Manager Qian, who runs the plantation—she’s the reason you all get to eat fresh vegetables. Even Rong Rong, the youngest among us, is a financial genius.”
Then, half-jokingly, she added, “Captain Lei, don’t underestimate women. Even our head of housekeeping is a natural leader. Without her, Taoyang wouldn’t be this clean and comfortable, and the other cleaning staff wouldn’t be so dedicated.”
For the first time, Lei Xing saw a kind of light in her—something even many strong men lacked. It was a sense of inclusiveness, generosity, and an almost magnetic charisma.
He grinned, showing his sharp canines. “Boss Su, we’d like to stay for a month—seven double rooms. Is that okay?”
“Come to Taoyang tomorrow and talk to Zhuang Wan about your stay. Oh, and have Fire Snake go to the clinic at 8 p.m. to see Doctor Zhong.”
Fire Snake was so excited he could barely speak.
The rest of the team laughed and thanked Su Tao before rushing off to the fountain to play in the water like a bunch of kids.
Watching them run off, Zhuang Wan turned to Su Tao and said, “Chen Yang told me this morning that he wants to become a free mercenary. I asked him why, and he said, ‘So I can ride a really cool motorcycle.’ I rolled my eyes at him on the spot.”
Just as Su Tao finished speaking, she saw Chen Yang excitedly run over and blend in with Lei Xing’s group, playing together like old friends.
Zhuang Wan rubbed her forehead. “Forget it. The Leopard Path team seems like decent people. Maybe they can teach Chen Yang how to be a real man.”
Su Tao asked, “What about Chen Xi? Did she go to Dr. Zhong again?”
Zhuang Wan smiled. “Yeah, she’s been sticking to Dr. Zhong like a little assistant. She just learned how to use a blood pressure monitor. When patients came in this morning, she could already guess what was wrong. Dr. Zhong even guided her through prescribing medicine.”
Su Tao was surprised but then laughed. “Chen Xi is really talented! No wonder Dr. Zhong likes her so much. She’s going to be our little miracle doctor in Taoyang.”
Zhuang Wan shook her head modestly. “That’s too much. I just hope she can help the tenants with small illnesses and keep the clinic running smoothly when Dr. Zhong isn’t around.”
Su Tao was full of expectations. “Chen Xi has a bright future ahead. Dr. Zhong is truly a great teacher.”
Zhuang Wan nodded. “And a great father and husband. He had a wife and child before, but they died from illness. There was no medicine, and he could only watch them slip away. Even after more than ten years, he still hasn’t forgotten.”
Su Tao froze.
That must have been unbearable.
He had studied medicine and even had an incredible ability to regenerate limbs. But in a world without medicine, if it was an illness beyond his powers, the helplessness and despair… Only Zhong Gaoyi himself could truly understand.
As they were talking, Liu Panpan suddenly ran over, looking troubled.
“Boss Su, Wu Zhen tried to kill himself again. We just saved him—this is the third time… Mr. Mei is so stressed he nearly fainted. He hasn’t been eating or sleeping well these past two days. He’s completely exhausted, and his spirit is visibly fading. I’m really worried, so I came to talk to you without asking him first. Can you convince him to stop worrying about Wu Zhen…?”
“If—if I’m out of line, I’m sorry, but seeing Mr. Mei like this breaks my heart. He was finally getting better thanks to Dr. Zhong, and now…”
Su Tao frowned. “Even after talking to Mr. Mei, Wu Zhen still doesn’t want to live?”
Liu Panpan nodded anxiously. “It’s like he’s lost his soul. He doesn’t even hear Mr. Mei. He just keeps mumbling to himself.”
Zhuang Wan sighed. “Another poor man who lost his wife and child. But this is taking too much of a toll on Mr. Mei. Maybe we should give Wu Zhen a separate room and have someone watch over him?”
Su Tao thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Take me to him first.”
As soon as she entered the room, Su Tao saw Wu Zhen tied to the sofa, soaking wet, his head lolling to one side. It was unclear if he had fainted or something worse.
Mr. Mei sat in his wheelchair by the open window, also drenched. His exhaustion was painfully obvious—his face was sunken, and his eyes were hollow.
Zhuang Wan was shocked by his appearance.
Liu Panpan, feeling guilty for not taking better care of Mr. Mei, spoke hesitantly. “Wu Zhen tried to drown himself in the bathtub while pretending to use the restroom. By the time I found him, he was barely breathing—I was scared to death. If it weren’t for the neighbors helping with first aid, he’d be gone. Now he’s just unconscious. I tied him up so he wouldn’t try again when he wakes up.”
Su Tao turned to Lin Fangzhi. “Get me a basin of water.”
Lin Fangzhi quickly brought back a large basin of water.
Su Tao ordered coldly, “Splash him awake.”
Mr. Mei tried to stop her. “Wait, Tao girl, he just choked on water—”
Su Tao interrupted, “You care about him, but he doesn’t even care about his own life. Why should you? Fangzhi, do it. Keep splashing until he wakes up.”
Lin Fangzhi didn’t hesitate. She dumped the entire basin over Wu Zhen’s head.
Wu Zhen choked and coughed violently, his eyes slowly opening. When he saw Su Tao, he froze in surprise.
Su Tao stared at him. “What? Don’t recognize me?”
“Miss Su… cough, cough…”
Su Tao sneered. “Oh, so you do remember me. Still want to die?”
Wu Zhen lowered his head, his face filled with despair, as if his very soul had left him.
Su Tao suddenly grew furious and kicked him hard in the knee. Wu Zhen flinched at the pain but showed little reaction otherwise.
Grabbing him by the collar, she forced him to meet her gaze and asked coldly, “What right do you have to want to die? Is your life even yours? Have you forgotten the promise you made to me in Shou An?”
“Miss Su, if I make it to Taoyang alive, I will dedicate my life to serving it.”
Wu Zhen’s expression wavered slightly, his voice hoarse. “Miss Su… I’m sorry.”
“‘Sorry’ means nothing! Do you know how much effort I spent getting you out of there? Do you know how Mr. Mei has been losing sleep over you, treating you like his own son? He’s old—he can’t handle this kind of stress! And you? You don’t care! You have no heart!”
She turned to Liu Panpan. “Untie him. If he wants to die so badly, let him.”
Liu Panpan hesitated, glancing at Su Tao, then at Mr. Mei, who was shaking his head in pain. Finally, she gritted her teeth and obeyed.
She untied Wu Zhen and even brought out all the objects he had used in his previous suicide attempts—a fruit knife, shattered mirror shards—and left the bathroom door open, where the bathtub was still filled with the water he had tried to drown himself in.
Everything was ready.
But Wu Zhen didn’t move.
Su Tao’s voice was icy. “Go ahead. I’ll just consider all my efforts wasted. Taoyang doesn’t need someone who chooses death so easily. Clearly, to you, gratitude and dreams mean nothing compared to your suffering.”
