Couple of Mirrors – Chapter 49: Child Abduction
(cn: childbirth; gunshots; some blood)
Xu Youyi clutches Yan Wei’s hand. ‘Weiwei…’
Yan Wei scoops Xu Youyi up in her arms. ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here!’
The three of them head outside. ‘President Wang, take Youyi to the hospital first!’ Yan Wei instructs.
‘Why did she suddenly go into labour?’ asks President Wang. ‘It isn’t her due date yet!’
‘All right, all right,’ he adds, opening the rear door of his car. ‘Get her into the car!’
As Yan Wei bundles Xu Youyi into the car, she says, ‘I’m going to pack a few things. I’ll catch up with you soon.’
‘Go,’ says President Wang reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry!’
Yan Wei races back into the studio.
She rushes upstairs and rummages through the drawers of the dressing table and bedside tables, stuffing things into a bag.
What else are we missing? she wonders, looking down into the bag full of toiletries.
She rushes into the basement, where the crib is, and plucks the little string of bells from it. Then she flips the crib upside down and looks at all the guns taped to the underside.
The police have been secretly watching me, she reflects. If I bring a gun with me, there’ll definitely be trouble…
She puts two full bags into the backseat of her car and drives off. A man watches her as she does so.
At Dezi Hospital, Xu Youyi is being wheeled into a private room.
President Wang paces outside. Through the door, he hears Xu Youyi screaming, and a doctor telling her, ‘Relax! Don’t panic!’
President Wang looks up at the sound of sudden footsteps. It’s Zhou Heng, flanked by two men in suits and sunglasses.
‘Zhou Heng? How did you—’ President Wang begins, but before he can finish what he’s about to say, one of the men slips a bag over his head. ‘What are you doing?’ President Wang demands.
In response, the two men beat him up, and he slumps to the floor unconscious.
‘Tie him up and dump him in some lonely spot,’ Zhou Heng commands.
‘Yes, Young Master!’ the two men respond.
Inside, Xu Youyi is screaming in the throes of childbirth. ‘Harder!’ one of the doctors tells her.
‘Doctor, what’s going on outside?’ asks Xu Youyi.
‘Nothing you need to worry about,’ the doctor tells her. ‘The baby’s almost here. Relax! Breathe in! Push hard again!’
Yan Wei, who’s speeding through the streets, suddenly finds her way blocked by a handcart. She brings the car to a halt.
A group of men immediately surround her and begin shooting.
Yan Wei tries to open the car door, and has to duck when a bullet smashes into the windshield.
She leaps out of the car…
…grabs hold of an attacker and snatches the gun from his hand…
…then shoots him in the leg.
The other men come rushing up, shooting at her, and Yan Wei shoots right back.
Several of her attackers collapse, shot…
…but Yan Wei herself also takes a bullet to the stomach.
Back at the hospital, Zhou Heng is lurking outside Xu Youyi’s room. Inside, a doctor is exhorting her: ‘Push hard! Harder! The baby’s coming!’
Xu Youyi screams…
…and then there’s the wail of a baby. Zhou Heng perks up at the sound.
‘Let me see the baby…’ says Xu Youyi weakly.
‘Just a moment,’ a doctor tells her. ‘We need to examine the baby first.’
The doctor heads towards the door, carrying the baby. Xu Youyi tries to sit up. ‘Where’s President Wang? Let him come in.’
Another doctor tucks her back into bed. ‘He’s taking care of your hospital admissions paperwork. He’ll be back soon.’
Outside, the first doctor hands the baby over to Zhou Heng. ‘It’s a boy, Mr Zhou.’
Zhou Heng takes the baby, delighted.
Inside Xu Youyi’s room, the other doctor tips a small vial of liquid into her IV bottle.
‘What’s this?’ asks Xu Youyi. ‘Shouldn’t you add that only when the bottle is empty?’
‘Just lie down,’ the doctor tells her.
Xu Youyi tries to sit up instead. ‘President Wang? Yan Wei?’ she calls.
‘Calm down,’ says the doctor. ‘Stop shouting!’
A terrible realisation comes over Xu Youyi. Weiwei still isn’t here, and President Wang hasn’t shown up. Something must have happened to them!
***
Please view the original manhua here.
douqi 随笔 