Though Xiao Shu and Xiao Yu disguised themselves as two cleaning attendants to evade the thick-set man with the broken nose, the two elderly women in the ward, relying on years of worldly experience, immediately sensed something amiss. After a quick consultation, they turned and headed toward the guardhouse by the hospital entrance, preparing to report these two suspicious individuals to the police.

At that very moment, Xiao Yu sat beside Hua Gu, consumed by guilt as he tidied her bedding, occasionally calling out her name. Each unanswered silence felt like a sharp blade carving deep into Xiao Yu’s heart, causing him agony beyond measure. He still remembered the first time he arrived at Miao Village; after being locked overnight in the dark room with Wang Jue, unable to eat a single bite, it was Hua Gu who brought them freshly baked flatbreads in her basket. When they returned to Wang Jue’s house from the Sea of Dead Souls, it was Hua Gu again who washed the clothes and cooked dinner for the two utterly exhausted men. A drop of kindness deserves a gushing spring in return. Xiao Yu knew he owed her a great debt, but facing the imminent final moment, he didn't even know how to begin repaying it.

A light rain began to patter outside the window. The rhythmic drumming against the glass echoed persistently in Xiao Yu's mind, suddenly jolting a thought loose.

Yes, that sound was a reminder. When Xiao Shu finished cleaning and entered the ward with his bucket and mop, Xiao Yu leaped up from the [omitted character as per instruction], yanked him out of the room, and only once they reached the rear exit of the hospital did he gasp out, "Can you get in touch with Li Xiaohao?"

Xiao Shu, pulled away without a word, was already confused, and hearing the question, his brow furrowed tightly. "What for?"

"Can he give my eyes to Hua Gu?" Xiao Yu stated his intention plainly.

This completely blindsided Xiao Shu. He had assumed that after seeing Hua Gu, Xiao Yu would flee with him to the shelter to spend those final moments with his sister. In his mind, that last moment was supposed to see his sister, Old He, and himself lovingly guarding Xiao Yu as he slowly closed his eyes and departed this world without regret. Yet, he had changed his mind, abandoning this final chance…

"I... I can't guarantee I can reach him," Xiao Shu replied slowly after a moment of hesitation. Asking one man to seek help from another man who had stolen his beloved was difficult for him to articulate. However, faced with his sworn brother's dying wish, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. Torn between two undesirable choices, Xiao Shu bit his lip, pacing restlessly by the doorway. He only snapped back to attention when a group of people hurried toward them. It was the man with the triangular eyes, accompanied by several guards, pointing at him and Xiao Yu, declaring, "It’s them! They sneaked in disguised as cleaning staff. They might be wanted criminals."

The phrase "wanted criminals" rang out with hard finality, causing passersby to stop and surround the pair menacingly. Someone even shouted loudly, "That's right, they’re the wanted ones!" "Robbing and murdering in the city, and now they come to the hospital to cause trouble?" Without another word, the crowd surged forward and began beating Xiao Shu and Xiao Yu mercilessly.

Xiao Shu, normally skilled in self-defense, refrained from harming the unknowing crowd, opting instead to squat down with his hands over his head, repeatedly yelling, "Stop hitting! Stop it, we aren't wanted criminals." Xiao Yu, however, stood stock-still, accepting the rain of fists and kicks without any reaction.