let his words trail off, the sudden pause sparking curiosity in both Bingyu and Xiaoshu. They stared at him simultaneously, as if waiting for the rest of the story to unfold.

But Li Taimei was as cunning as a fox. When he finally resumed speaking, he deftly changed the subject, bringing up an old concern: "When Xiaoyu comes out later, is there anyone specific he wants to see? If so, it would be best to contact them now."

This suggestion immediately settled the wavering heart of Xiaoshu. She quickly pulled out her phone to contact Old He, intending to ask him to call Xiaoyu's sister over. To her dismay, the mobile number that had been reachable on the road just moments ago now rang endlessly, only producing the automated message, "The number you have dialed is currently switched off." A sudden, ominous feeling flooded her chest.

"What's wrong? Can't you reach her?" Bingyu asked solicitously, noticing Xiaoshu's frown as she held the phone.

"I don't have his sister's direct contact information. I need to go through another friend, and this friend's phone isn't connecting right now," Xiaoshu murmured softly.

"Maybe the battery died, and she just switched it off? Try again later?" Bingyu suggested.

Xiaoshu's brow furrowed even tighter, and she let out a long sigh. "He should be in this building. We only transferred here from the suburban hospital after we managed to contact him. Logically, he should be waiting for us in the lobby. But, he hasn't shown up yet."

"Are you talking about Old He?" Before Xiaoshu could finish her sentence, Li Xiaohao emerged from the observation room, looking remarkably relaxed. It seemed Xing'er's procedure had been a success.

"How did you know I was talking about him? Have you seen him?" Xiaoshu asked, puzzled.

"I hadn't seen him before he entered this hospital, but I did afterward. I convinced him to donate his eyes to Xiaoyu, ensuring your friend can keep living," Li Xiaohao explained, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets, still maintaining that standard posture of shifting his body weight between his heels and toes.

Hearing that Xiaoyu could continue to live, Xiaoshu's eyes widened in astonishment. She looked at Xiaohao, completely bewildered. "What is going on?"

"This stems from an ancient prophecy," noticing that Li Xiaohao was about to reveal something he had hesitated to say earlier, Li Taimei quickly took over the narrative, volunteering to tell the story: "There are two types of people who can be resurrected by the Spring of Immortality: one, those who died due to immense, unwarranted grievance; and two, those who sacrifice themselves for a friend and whose remains are completely lost. Only these two kinds of people can receive the Life-and-Death Pact bestowed by the Spring. If a person who sacrificed themselves for a friend contributes themselves again to another before the three-day deadline arrives, as long as someone else pays the same price for them, they will not only gain an incorporeal body but also eternal freedom."

"So, as long as the surgery is successful, Xiaoyu will be fine?" Xiaoshu inquired.

"That is correct." Li Taimei nodded slyly, just about to pivot the conversation again, but he was interrupted by Bingyu, who urgently asked, "What do you mean by eternal freedom? How is that different for him and me?"

Li Taimei sighed in resignation. Taking the opportunity to stand up for a cigarette, he winked at Li Xiaohao. Li Xiaohao responded with a mischievous grin and went back to the ward to look after Xing'er on his own. However, Xiaoshu and Bingyu missed this exchange, as they were still pondering the phrase, "eternal freedom."

After a pause, seeing that Bingyu didn't press further, Li Taimei casually remarked, "Actually, there isn't much difference. It just means he won't have to kill ninety-nine people. The important thing is, you both will remain in this world."