Chapter 342: The Decision Has Been Made
Chapter 342: The Decision Has Been Made
When Luo Feifan carries Dr. Zhao’s wheelchair up the stairs and places it on the second floor, Zhao Ru is already standing in front of An Ran. In the dim lighting—only the candlelight from the hall downstairs flickering—her long hair is neatly combed and braided behind her head.
She looks at An Ran and smiles. “Long time no see, An Ran.”
“You two know each other?” Zhan Lian frowns. He stands beside An Ran, watching her closely, his expression never relaxing for a moment.
An Ran nods, as if answering Zhan Lian, then looks at Zhao Ru. Her expression is calm, but her eyes carry a trace of vigilance as she asks, “Miss Zhao and Dr. Zhao are close?”
“Of course. She’s my aunt,” Zhao Ru replies with a gentle smile, as carefree as if she hasn’t noticed the caution in An Ran’s gaze. She brushes past An Ran’s shoulder and walks over to push Dr. Zhao’s wheelchair.
Standing on the stairs, An Ran turns to look at Zhao Ru and Zhao Qianrong. Her brows furrow deeply, but Zhao Qianrong’s aged face remains composed. She asks, “How has Doll been these past two days?”
“Not bad,” An Ran replies, nodding. After thinking for a moment, she adds, “No abnormalities detected.”
“That’s good. I’ll rest for now. Bring her over tomorrow morning—I’ll examine her again.”
Zhao Qianrong’s straightforward manner in seeking medical treatment, with no hint of scheming, puts An Ran slightly at ease.
Luo Feifan, attentive as ever, steps forward to help find a ward for the two of them, but Zhao Qianrong waves him off. In the darkness, her weathered face shows a deep fatigue as she says:
“I spent over ten years in this hospital when I was young. I know my way around.”
“Aunt, you’re still young,” Zhao Ru replies lightly as she pushes Zhao Qianrong’s wheelchair, her tone easygoing even in the dark. The two move forward together—not like survivors at the end of the world, but like old friends revisiting a familiar place.
An Ran remains standing, turning her head to glance at Zhan Lian. He looks back at her, and then both turn their eyes to Luo Feifan.
Luo Feifan shrugs. “I asked—Lei Jiang was the one who released them. The surgeon is Zhao Ru. She’s famous, graduated from a foreign obstetrics and gynecology school, and worked in a maternity hospital in Beijing for several years. No one here is more qualified for this operation.”
Despite the many uncertainties—such as why Lei Jiang releases Zhao Ru and Zhao Qianrong, and the strange ease and mystery surrounding Zhao Ru—there is no denying that in this hospital, she is currently the only viable option. Luo Feifan isn’t lying, though he himself feels something is off.
“Restore the power first,” Zhan Lian says, frowning. “We’ll observe things for a few more days.” He then looks to An Ran, waiting for her decision.
An Ran nods.
She returns to the ward where Doll and Little Mint are sleeping. Yun Tao and Hengheng are sleeping in the room next door. Doll and Little Mint are also fast asleep. An Ran sits on the edge of the bed and rests for a bit.
The next morning, just before dawn, An Ran is awakened by the cries of zombies outside the window. She sits up from the narrow hospital bed, runs to the window, and looks out.
Down below, outside the five-story maternal and child health hospital, quite a few zombies are gathering in groups.
Not a massive horde—but not a small number either.