At some point, two more people had entered the hospital room. The moment Wei Chen saw them, his resentment surged, almost threatening to condense into a tangible form.
Chen Qing. Wu Zikang.
One was a person he had genuinely liked, the other his good brother, his close friend since childhood. And in the end, these two were the ones who had pushed him into the abyss.
Wei Chen's gaze was fixed intently on Chen Qing and Wu Zikang. He wished he could turn into a vengeful spirit right now, to eat their flesh and drink their blood.
"You... get out!"
Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out, jolting Wei Chen back to reality. He looked incredulously towards Chen Li, trying to confirm that the person who had just spoken was indeed him.
As if responding to Wei Chen's silent question, Chen Li spoke again, "Get out! Go... get lost!"
His face, usually devoid of expression, was now filled with anger. This was the first time Wei Chen had seen any emotion other than timidity on Chen Li's face, and the first time he had heard Chen Li speak.
So, Chen Li could express emotions too, could speak. And it was all for him.
A wave of warmth surged through Wei Chen. He drifted to Chen Li's side, gently reached out to touch his face, wanting to lift the corners of his mouth upwards, to tell him to smile, to tell him it wasn't worth it to be angry at those two animals.
"Even the dummy can talk?" Apparently, Chen Li's anger held no threat whatsoever. The mocking expressions on Chen Qing and Wu Zikang's faces widened. Chen Qing even walked up to Chen Li, patted his cheek, and taunted mercilessly.
"Get out! Get out!" But Chen Li seemed oblivious to the insult in Chen Qing's action, obsessively repeating the words "get out."
"Why bother with a fool? Don't forget why we came here." Wu Zikang let out a snicker, then slowly approached Wei Chen lying on the hospital bed.
Chen Qing clearly knew the purpose of their visit. He patted Chen Li's face again before smirking and walking over to the bedside. They were here to make sure Wei Chen died, preferably completely, leaving no trace behind.
"You... get out!" Chen Li stared at them intently, his eyes full of anger and vigilance. But when he saw Chen Qing and Wu Zikang's hands reach for Wei Chen's ventilator, Chen Li went crazy.
Yes, Chen Li went crazy. Although his face showed no emotion again at that moment, even Wei Chen, who had been lingering in this room as a spirit ever since falling into a coma, had no idea when Chen Li had hidden a knife in the ward.
It wasn't until Chen Li pulled out the knife and lunged at Chen Qing by the bedside that Wei Chen reacted. He immediately stepped forward to block Chen Li, thinking that sacrificing his life for people like Chen Qing and Wu Zikang wasn't worth it, and that he himself wasn't worth Chen Li going to such lengths.
In his panic, Wei Chen forgot he was a spirit, unable to stop Chen Li. He could only watch helplessly as Chen Li passed right through him and viciously stabbed the knife into Chen Qing's back.
Chen Qing and Wu Zikang never imagined Chen Li would be so bold. Caught off guard, Chen Qing was stabbed by Chen Li.
Wu Zikang was quick to react. He scrambled across the bed and grabbed Chen Li's hand, thinking it would be easy to subdue someone as frail as Chen Li looked.
But reality defied Wu Zikang's expectations. Even with his hand restraining Chen Li's, the knife plunged deeper into Chen Qing's flesh. Blood spurted out, splattering all over Chen Li's face.
His expressionless face now stained with blood was horrifyingly stark. A wave of fear gripped Wu Zikang's heart, and his grip involuntarily loosened. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Li pulled out the fruit knife and immediately slashed at Wu Zikang.
There was no technique in Chen Li's movements, only满腔恨意 (mǎn qiāng hèn yì - a heart full of hatred) as he swung the fruit knife wildly. Wu Zikang, terrified, wanted to escape Chen Li's frenzied attack, but Chen Li clung to him relentlessly.
"Bang!" A loud crash echoed. Chen Li's body swayed, then finally crumpled limply to the floor. Blood seeping from the back of his head quickly stained a patch of the floor tiles red.
Chen Qing, enduring the pain in his back, had channeled all his strength into that one moment. The oxygen tank he'd used fell to the floor, now stained with Chen Li's blood.
But Chen Qing couldn't vent his rage. He crouched down, picked up the fruit knife Chen Li could no longer hold, and stabbed Chen Li again and again.
"You tried to kill me? A fool like you dared to try and kill me?" Chen Qing's handsome face twisted grotesquely. The blood spattering from Chen Li's body onto his face only made him look more crazed and morbid.
Chen Li never cried out in pain. His gaze was vacant, staring at the ceiling. In the moment his consciousness faded, he seemed to see Wei Chen. He curled the corners of his mouth slightly towards him.
Chen Li smiled. In his short life of only a little over twenty years, it was the first time he had ever smiled.