Chapter 30: Heart Disease 1

The weather wasn’t good on the day of discharge.

It was overcast, everything shrouded in gray, with low atmospheric pressure that made breathing somewhat difficult.

He Qiuting sat in the back seat of the car, slightly tilting his head as he watched the scenery outside the window rapidly recede with long trailing streaks, melting into blurred, dim color blocks that followed like shadows. For a moment, He Qiuting felt as if the intangible System had been materialized.

Just following him, with no telling how long it would last.

Heart disease…

What would it feel like?

He Qiuting raised his hand and cautiously pressed against his left chest. There was no obvious pain, just a slight tightness compared to before, and his heartbeat seemed to be racing a bit faster.

He estimated it was about ten beats per minute faster than usual—still manageable.

According to the System’s rules, each illness would last at most three days. As long as he paid extra attention, avoided strenuous exercise, and minimized emotional fluctuations, he should be able to get through it.

Lu Shun was driving in front, occasionally stealing glances at He Qiuting through the rearview mirror. He saw the latter take out his phone, type a few words, and then focus intently on browsing something.

He Qiuting lowered his eyes, his lashes thick and delicate, his thin lips pressed lightly together. The cold glow of the screen outlined his face sharply and clearly. The way he frowned in deep concentration was utterly captivating.

Lu Shun’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he silently suppressed the surging desire and emotions in his eyes.

Keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead, he casually reminded He Qiuting, Studying your stocks again? Don’t get carsick.No,He Qiuting replied truthfully, his fingers slowly scrolling across the screen as he browsed the popular science information on the webpage.

It displayed: Precautions for Heart Disease Patients.

1. Do not drink alcohol

He Qiuting remembered he had a dinner appointment tomorrow. However, everyone in the circle knew he had just been discharged from the hospital due to a stomach hemorrhage. No reasonable person would force him to drink.

2. Avoid strenuous exercise

He Qiuting thought it over and decided to resume his fitness routine and morning exercises only after three days.

3. Do not stay up late working overtime

He Qiuting’s brows furrowed deeply, his fingers tightening around the phone. He felt this might also be achievable.

4. Avoid emotional excitement

He Qiuting put down his phone, confident he had no issues in this regard. After all, controlling his emotions was what he did best.

Screech—

Lu Shun suddenly slammed on the brakes, jolting the car abruptly.

The seatbelt instantly tightened across his chest, and He Qiuting’s breath hitched.

The sensation was like being thrown high into the air and then crashing down hard. An intense feeling of weightlessness spread through his body, blood rushing to his head, making his vision go black and his mind blank out instantly.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his chest. He Qiuting quickly grabbed the car door handle, hearing Lu Shun’s voice through the buzzing in his ears.

There’s a cat on the road ahead.

Lu Shun didn’t notice He Qiuting’s abnormal state, his attention fixed on the road ahead.

Leaning on the steering wheel, he squinted to observe, It’s still moving. It’s alive.

He Qiuting’s heart was beating heavily and rapidly, but the pain in his chest had eased somewhat. Adjusting his breathing, he leaned forward and saw a small, dark shadow curled up in the middle of the road not far away.

It was an injured kitten, dragging its hind legs on the rain-dampened asphalt road as if disoriented, dazedly moving toward the most dangerous part of the street, unaware that it could lose its life there in an instant.

I’ll go check.As He Qiuting unfastened his seatbelt, his fingertips trembled slightly. He lowered his head and was surprised to find a faint purple hue at the edges of his nails, but it faded as he watched.

Stay put.Lu Shun’s tone was commanding. After turning on the hazard lights, he leaned over to rummage through the glove compartment, pulling out a paper bag and an umbrella.

A light drizzle fell outside, barely qualifying as rain, yet Lu Shun solemnly opened the umbrella and walked over.

He Qiuting’s gaze followed Lu Shun’s back, watching him stop about one or two meters away from the kitten.

Lu Shun stood 187 cm tall, appearing tall and reliable. But when he tentatively reached out toward the kitten…

The startled kitten suddenly bared its teeth and hissed. Lu Shun immediately recoiled as if electrocuted.

Clearly, he was afraid of such creatures—or perhaps he found them dirty.

After much hesitant fumbling, Lu Shun still couldn’t manage it.

He Qiuting directly pushed the car door open and stepped out.

The wind carried a fine drizzle, brushing against his pale face. His damp skin gleamed with a cool, white undertone in the daylight.

He slowly crouched before the kitten and gradually extended his hand.

It was a calico cat with a broken leg. Sensing his approach, it raised its tail warily and let out a piercing cry that was startling at first.

Be careful! What if this stray has viruses?Lu Shun tensed, staring at the cat, afraid it might bite.

While keeping an eye on the cat, he also watched He Qiuting, constantly adjusting the umbrella to shield the recently discharged patient from the rain.

He Qiuting’s hand hovered near the kitten for a long while before moving closer. He avoided its teeth and gently cupped its chin before it could struggle.

Good kitty.

Don’t be afraid.

His warm palm stroked the damp fur. The injured kitten seemed to sense human kindness and gradually quieted down.

Quick, put it in the bag.Lu Shun handed over the bag, eager to cover the cat’s head immediately.

As soon as his hand approached, merely touching its head, the cat let out another startled yowl and shrank into He Qiuting’s arms, evading Lu Shun’s hand.

Don’t be so jumpy.He Qiuting glanced at Lu Shun, thinking him clumsy.

It’s the one being jumpy!

Lu Shun glared at the little creature. What are you looking at? If I hadn’t spotted you with my sharp eyes, you’d be dead by now!

The kitten fiercely hissed at him again.

Fine, you’ve got backup now, acting all fierce.Lu Shun muttered, holding the umbrella for He Qiuting while intermittently lecturing the cat.

He Qiuting felt his heart racing, the noise around him unbearably clamorous.

What kind of person argues with a cat?

He Qiuting gently stroked the kitten’s back, then lifted it, careful to avoid the injured leg, and softly placed it into the bag.

Back in the car, Lu Shun set the navigation to the nearest pet hospital.

Since the kitten’s wound was still bleeding and there were few cars on the road—a suburban highway—Lu Shun easily pushed the speed past 130 mph with a press of the accelerator.

He Qiuting sat in the back seat, his hands resting on his knees quietly clenching. Something felt wrong.

As the car picked up speed, the beating in his chest grew noticeably erratic, the discomfort from the sensation of weightlessness becoming more pronounced. It was as if an invisible hand were gripping his heart, slowly squeezing and tightening its grasp.

Each contraction brought a dull ache.

He Qiuting struggled to catch his breath. He loosened his seatbelt and slowly straightened his back, hoping to ease the pressure in his chest, but it was no use. The oppressive pain in his chest only intensified.

He raised a hand to press against his left chest, his fingertips beginning to tingle with numbness. Through his sweat-dampened shirt, he could feel the rapid, unhealthy throbbing beneath his skin.

The sound of his heartbeat filled his ears, his mind, his entire world—a heavy, relentless rhythm.

He Qiuting!?”

Lu Shun glanced in the rearview mirror and was startled by what he saw.

He Qiuting was bent over, clutching his chest, his face deathly pale, his lips dark with a faint bluish-purple tint. His whole body trembled slightly.

What’s wrong?” Lu Shun turned to look, asking anxiously, Are you feeling unwell?”

He Qiuting shook his head, his voice low and hoarse. Slow down… a little.”

I think I’m carsick.”

Lu Shun quickly reduced their speed and cracked open the passenger side window. Should I pull over for a bit?”

No need. We’re almost there.”

He Qiuting took a bottle of water from the holder beside him, took a small sip, then closed his eyes, slowly calming his racing heart.

This heart episode had come on quickly and subsided just as fast. By the time He Qiuting got out of the car holding the kitten, most of the discomfort in his chest had eased.

They stopped in front of the pet hospital, and after handing the kitten over to the vet, the two of them finally caught their breath.

While the surgery was underway, He Qiuting asked Lu Shun to wait outside, claiming he needed to make a work call. In reality, he went to a nearby pharmacy to buy a bottle of nitroglycerin tablets.

He’d read online that this medication could relieve chest pain and could be used in emergencies.

After buying the medicine, He Qiuting headed back toward the pet hospital. As he passed a cluster of drab, old-style residential buildings, he suddenly paused.

It was an open, run-down neighborhood, with a weathered stone tablet at the entrance bearing the words Tie Lin Community.”

Tie Lin Community—the residence of Lü Weihua, who had died in the accident.

Tie Lin Community, Building 3, Unit 3, 6th floor, Apartment 601.

He Qiuting had always had an excellent memory.

Before the press conference, Cloud Horizon had contacted Lü Weihua’s family. The only ones they could reach were his daughter, Lü Xiaoxiao, and his younger brother, Lü Jianghua.

Lü Xiaoxiao had autism. Although she had inherited her father’s compensation, she required guardianship from her uncle, Lü Jianghua.

He Qiuting had originally planned a home visit, but his hospitalization had delayed it, so he had to send Lin Xu and a team to check on them instead.

Remembering this, He Qiuting gave Lin Xu a call.

Lin Xu reported over the phone, Boss He, I went the day before yesterday with the team, but Lü Xiaoxiao’s uncle was extremely hostile. He accused us of causing his older brother’s death and refused to let us in.”

Is Lü Jianghua currently living with Lü Xiaoxiao?” He Qiuting asked.

Yes, that seems to be what happened,Lin Xu said. When we were arguing, Lü Xiaoxiao kept screaming inside the room. Lü Jianghua said we were scaring the child and threatened to call the police if we didn’t leave. We had no choice but to withdraw first.

After hanging up the phone, He Qiuting frowned, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Perhaps it was because he had promised during the press conference that he would take responsibility for the girl and arrange for the best doctors, but to this day, it hadn’t been fulfilled.

Even though he had been hospitalized due to his own illness, it still left him with a sense of guilt.

Unable to set his mind at ease, He Qiuting thought to himself that there was no time like the present. Since he had coincidentally ended up at their doorstep, he might as well pay a visit.

He called Lu Shun and told him to wait at the animal hospital while he conducted a home visit.

Lu Shun was stunned when he heard this.

He thought He Qiuting was truly a master of time management—encountering a stray cat, sending it to the hospital for treatment, and then squeezing in a home visit nearby.

Wait, you’re not going to Lü…Before Lu Shun could finish his sentence, the call was disconnected.

He Qiuting bought some fruit downstairs. As he entered the stairwell, he caught a musty, damp smell.

The walls were layered with advertisements and phone numbers, trash was piled in the stairwell, and the steps were worn and broken.

The old building had been standing for years. Located in a prime area, it was slated for demolition in the next year or two, which would undoubtedly bring a substantial payout. This was likely the reason Lü Weihua was holding onto the place.

The building had only six floors, and Lü Weihua lived on the top floor. There was no elevator, so He Qiuting climbed the stairs one step at a time.

Though he had just recovered from a serious illness and had little stamina, he managed to make it to the sixth floor in one go.

His stomach ached faintly, his chest felt uncomfortable, and his breathing and heartbeat were unusually rapid.

He quickly pulled out the newly purchased pills from his pocket, placed them under his tongue, and leaned against the wall to catch his breath. After regaining his composure, he went to knock on the door, only to find it slightly ajar.

He Qiuting moved closer.

Huff… huff…

The heavy breathing of a man could be heard from inside.

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