CHAPTER 158: CHAPTER 158: I WILL SURVIVE! (3RD UPDATE)

Qing Ruyan was the first to awaken. In her snowy-white hospital room, a graceful figure stood by the bedside.

Qing Ruyan squinted slightly and said faintly, "You’ve come."

"I’m here," came a voice strikingly similar to Qing Ruyan’s.

Then the person by the bed smiled slightly, her appearance and stature exactly like Qing Ruyan’s!

"The Director-General has an important mission for you and has sent me to take your place," the Qing Ruyan by the bedside said with a hint of emotion. "Ultimately, she still trusts you more."

The Qing Ruyan in the bed responded indifferently, "If you could lose the bad habit of freezing up at the sight of a handsome guy, she would trust you just the same."

The Qing Ruyan at the bedside pouted. "Can’t a person have a hobby? With life’s pace so fast and the pressure so great, we all need an outlet."

The Qing Ruyan in the bed closed her eyes again. "If there’s nothing else, I’m going to rest. Go and coordinate the handover with the people at the sub-bureau."

The Qing Ruyan by the bedside looked at ’herself’ on the sickbed and cheekily asked, "Hey, hey, hey, how is the target hunk? Did you reveal that you’re not actually me?"

Images of herself straddling Chen Gu’s waist at the Moonship Hotel, and later, Chen Gu riding on her neck in the Yingudusi Devil’s Pit, flashed through the mind of the Qing Ruyan in the bed. Such ’contacts’... to claim they weren’t intimate, even I wouldn’t believe it. Yet, truly, there was nothing!

For a moment, she found the situation absurdly comical, yet also felt... a pang of wistful loss.

She glanced at the Qing Ruyan by the bedside and answered, "Don’t worry, I won’t blow your cover. When I first met him, I behaved just like you, then gradually started to change."

Upon hearing "behaved just like you," the Qing Ruyan by the bedside showed visible disdain, pursing her lips unhappily.

"What’s wrong with me? I love passionately and hate ardently. Like is like, dislike is dislike. Is there anything wrong with that?"

The Qing Ruyan in the bed didn’t want to argue. "Alright, I need to rest."

The Qing Ruyan by the bedside made a ’menacing’ grimace at her, then turned to leave. She pulled the door open, paused in the doorway, then looked back and said softly, "When you go back this time, try to visit home. Mom and Dad miss you a lot."

"I know," was the faint reply from the Qing Ruyan in the bed.

The Qing Ruyan in the doorway looked as if she wanted to say more, but ultimately just shook her head and left in silence.

Chen Jixian stood behind the window, arms crossed. His perpetually half-lidded eyes looked no different than usual, but only he knew how tense he was.

Marcel and Mei Lixue stood on either side behind him. Marcus was practically plastered against the glass, peering anxiously into the operating room and muttering ceaselessly, "You blockhead, I told you over and over, safety first, safety first... How did it still turn out like this?"

The third surgery ended, and the doctors emerged, their expressions still grave.

Marcus slumped into a chair, his eyes somewhat vacant. "Hang in there, kid... I still owe you merit points."

Chen Jixian left without a word, silently turning away.

Chen Gu’s most troublesome injury wasn’t from the Biological Nuclear Explosion, nor was it the backlash from attempting to forcefully terminate his skill. Instead, it was the damage caused when Qing Ruyan ultimately had to forcibly remove the super-lifeform remnant from his body.

That remnant had fused with him.

Experts from the Directorate had already concluded that forcibly removing it would be fatal.

But in that situation, the Biological Nuclear Explosion was unstoppable. If Qing Ruyan hadn’t decisively removed the remnant, Chen Gu would have died right then.

If Boluo hadn’t forgone his chance to escape and provide critical treatment, Chen Gu would also have died before the Bureau of Mystic Security’s reinforcements arrived.

Their two crucial decisions had secured Chen Gu a sliver of hope.

But this time, Great Actor Chen’s situation was truly dire. Despite three major surgeries, he still wasn’t out of danger.

The matter had even alarmed the Director-General. Though it went against her personal inclinations, she issued an impartial order: "Spare no expense! Employ the most advanced medical technology! Chen Gu must be saved!"

Chen Gu was placed in a life support chamber, his eyes shut tight, completely unconscious.

Members of Special Task Force Unit Five took turns watching over him. Marcus was first, staying for five hours before Melincha came to relieve him.

The team leader left, his worry palpable. Melincha looked at Chen Gu inside the life support chamber and sighed softly, "You foolish boy."

Gazing at him for a moment, she then smiled gently. "You’re indeed foolishly adorable."

Everyone in the Bureau with sufficient security clearance already knew what had transpired in the Yingudusi Devil’s Pit. This included the final moments when Liu Jianrong tempted Chen Gu with her fortune and beauty, forcing him to make a choice.

Who wouldn’t like such a teammate?

Suddenly, Melincha sensed someone entering and turned around in surprise. "Qing Ruyan?"

Qing Ruyan nodded at her. "I came to see how he’s doing."

She fell silent, her gaze complex as she looked at Chen Gu in the life support chamber. The surroundings were quiet, as if time itself had frozen.

Qing Ruyan’s breathing grew faint. Flashes of events from the Yingudusi Devil’s Pit crossed her mind: some moments left her unsure whether to laugh or cry, some made her silently cheer, others deeply moved her, and some filled her with a shy embarrassment.

After this, we probably won’t see each other again.

Looking at Chen Gu, she thought, You have to get better. I rarely root for anyone.

I would only deceive you for a mission’s sake.

But the ’me’ of the future... she’ll probably get along with you quite well.

For some reason, Qing Ruyan felt an uncomfortable sense of loss at that moment. She hated this feeling and, gritting her teeth, turned and left.

"Leaving already?" Melincha called out from behind. "Won’t you speak to him?"

Qing Ruyan paused but didn’t turn. "Tell him I’m very sorry."

"Hey—" Melincha began, but Qing Ruyan had already pushed open the door and departed.

"Strange," Melincha muttered. "Are all people from the Directorate like this...?"

It hurts so much...

That was Chen Gu’s only lingering impression: the sensation when Qing Ruyan unhesitatingly tore the super-lifeform remnant from his body. It was as if a piece of his own heart had been forcibly ripped out.

They didn’t even give me anesthesia! How inhumane!

After that, his consciousness drifted in a vague state. At times, he would hazily sense something happening, but he had no idea what.

After an unknown period, a startling realization struck him: I’m... not dead yet?

Why should I die?!

He didn’t need any firm conviction to support him. Merely by life’s most primal instinct, Chen Gu felt an incredibly strong desire: I’m gravely injured, but I’m not dead! I don’t want to die!

I don’t want to die! I want to live!

I haven’t won the Great Actor award yet! I still have a son who’s always testing me, waiting for fatherly love! I still have such an adorable granddaughter and an arrogant grandson!

I still have so many flamboyant strategies as a Professional that I haven’t had a chance to use yet!

For example, Charles and his ’Starwind Commander’—I have so many bold ideas for that!

Don’t rush, don’t panic. Let me think... I have to save myself. Yes, self-rescue! What can I do?

I have ’Atomic Life’!