CHAPTER 403: CHAPTER 403: TURNED INTO A CRIPPLE

Most people are fascinated by their romantic relationship, saying that their love story feels perfect for adapting into a movie.

Even editors have reached out to her for contributions.

Yun Shifei: "..."

Although she did think this could be a good opportunity, she had no intention of focusing on these things right now. All she cared about was finding Cheng Lie as soon as possible.

However, as she filtered through the messages one by one, she still found no trace of Cheng Lie’s whereabouts.

Yun Shifei suddenly felt deeply disappointed.

Could it be that there simply weren’t enough people online now, or that no one was paying attention to the news?

Day by day passed like this, with no sign of Cheng Lie—no clues, not even a shred of information. Even though he might still be alive, Yun Shifei was sinking into despair.

If he truly was alive and had been saved, wouldn’t he have contacted her?

Could it be that he really...

Yun Shifei dared not think further.

Meanwhile, in Beijing.

Wen Lin had also taken note of the online post. She clicked on the webpage and browsed through it, realizing Yun Shifei’s writing was genuinely good. Reading through their story felt like watching an idol drama.

No wonder the post had gone viral.

Everyone loves a good story, especially when it’s real—featuring a stunning couple and an impending tragic ending.

Would tragedy be inevitable?

Wen Lin lowered her gaze. It seemed highly likely.

She closed her computer and said to her assistant, "Take me to the hospital."

Beijing’s finest hospital, VIP ward.

As soon as Wen Lin entered the room, she saw a nurse finishing up with the medication.

The man was sitting on the bed, his eyes covered with gauze, his face pale, carrying a fragile sort of beauty.

Wen Lin called out softly, "Cheng Lie."

At the sound of her voice, Cheng Lie turned his head toward Wen Lin.

But Wen Lin knew Cheng Lie couldn’t see her at the moment.

His eyes had been injured during that explosion. Though he had survived, the injury to his eyes had resulted in a near-complete loss of vision.

The doctor said recovery would depend entirely on time, but no one could predict how long it might take.

After hearing Wen Lin’s voice, Cheng Lie paused for a while before saying, "Miss Wen."

Wen Lin felt disheartened by his choice of address. Throughout the recovery period, which had lasted over a week now, Cheng Lie had continually referred to her as Miss Wen.

Such a distant and formal term—she didn’t like it one bit.

Thinking about Yun Shifei’s online post, a missing persons plea full of urgency, Wen Lin briefly considered bringing it up to Cheng Lie.

But in the end, she chose to stay silent.

Forget it. Right now, Cheng Lie needed to focus on recovering from his injuries. Everything else could wait a while longer.

Recalling the day she found Cheng Lie, Wen Lin couldn’t suppress a shudder.

Back then, she had traveled to West City for sightseeing, while also scouting the area for potential tourism development opportunities.

Wen Lin had always adhered to the principle of maximizing resource utilization.

Places like Beijing and the suburbs of Beijing were already fully developed, leaving little room for further expansion. The only option was to explore far beyond.

Currently, West City’s economy was extremely underdeveloped, and transportation in the area was inconvenient. However, the scenery was breathtaking—a place of eternal spring, adorned with picturesque mountain ranges and rivers, distinctly different from the landscapes they were accustomed to seeing.

And it held profound historical significance.

After much deliberation, Wen Lin made the decision to visit West City in person.

Who could have foreseen the twist of fate—finding Cheng Lie unconscious by a riverside?

At the time, she couldn’t believe she’d encountered Cheng Lie in such a place, even less so in that dire state.

Acting immediately, she arranged for Cheng Lie to be transported to a hospital. Due to limited medical resources in the area, Wen Lin chartered a flight back to Beijing that evening, bringing Cheng Lie along and securing the best possible medical care for him.

Replaying the perilous moments in her mind, Wen Lin couldn’t help but let out a long sigh as she turned to glance at Cheng Lie.

He couldn’t see her now.

When she asked what had happened to him that day, Cheng Lie had avoided giving a direct answer, merely stating that he’d accidentally fallen into the river.

Such an absurd lie.

How could he just "accidentally" fall into a river and end up injuring his eyes like this?

Moreover, what had he been doing in such a place?

After all, he’d mentioned previously that he was returning to South City to live blissfully with Yun Shifei. And yet, in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly in West City—completely baffling.

Clearly, he was still withholding something from her.

Wen Lin understood the boundaries of their relationship, so she didn’t press him for more answers.

She watched Cheng Lie quietly for a while before walking out of the room to return with some food.

Opening a container of congee, Wen Lin asked, "I brought you congee."

She removed the lid and handed it to Cheng Lie. Earlier, she had considered feeding him, but Cheng Lie had refused, and Wen Lin didn’t push the matter.

She thought to herself that one day, she would win his heart.

But when that day would come, she couldn’t say.

After eating breakfast, Cheng Lie lay quietly on the bed.

The room was so silent you could even hear footsteps in the hallway.

Wen Lin sat for a moment before suggesting, "Shall I help you go for a walk?"

"No need."

Feeling Cheng Lie’s aloofness, Wen Lin refrained from saying more. She sat for a while longer before leaving.

After she left, Cheng Lie pulled out his phone.

Given his current condition, even holding the phone inches away from himself wouldn’t allow him to read its text.

Now, his eyes could only sense light and darkness, and faint outlines of people entering the room.

But to focus and see clearly—that was impossible.

Had he truly become useless now?

The thought made him laugh coldly.

He fought to suppress his anger.

He had never imagined being deliberately harmed in such a place. Who had bribed those two people?

He would find out.

As the thought crossed his mind, he stared at his phone again.

Thinking about Yun Shifei.

Did she know he was missing? Had Zhao Pan survived?

His previous phone had fallen into the river, leaving him with a new one now.

He considered calling Zhao Pan, but hesitated.

Could Zhao Pan be trusted?

Calling Yun Shifei...?

As the idea came to him, he instinctively began to dial that familiar number.

Even with his failing eyesight, his fingers naturally guided him to the numbers as if he could do it with his eyes closed.

Back in West City, Yun Shifei had been there for over a week and still hadn’t found any trace of Cheng Lie.

During that time, Yun Tiancheng had made several calls, asking where she was traveling.

At times, poor signal reception made Yun Tiancheng increasingly worried. He feared that something might happen to his sister, alone in an unfamiliar place.

Yun Shifei evaded his questions, claiming she was enjoying herself in a scenic locale.

Back when she had decided to leave on her own, Yun Tiancheng had strongly opposed the idea, only agreeing reluctantly after significant persuasion.

But he insisted she call home daily to confirm her safety.

Now, over a week had passed, and Yun Shifei could understand Yun Tiancheng’s concern.

Yet, until she found Cheng Lie, she had no intention of leaving West City.