Chapter 56: Snowfall

"What?! Didn’t you say it was just an aphrodisiac candy? How could there be marijuana in it?" He Wei asked in shocked disbelief. Meimei flinched at his outburst. She had mingled in the clubs for so many years, seeing all kinds of wild people, and knew how to please them. But she didn’t expect this "candy offering" would bring such trouble. She clearly told He Wei last night that this stuff is addictive, one piece is enough to hook someone, let alone a whole box, six pieces! She didn’t anticipate that He Wei, tipsy at the time, would completely ignore what she said afterward. Complaints were secondary now; the urgent matter was getting Zhou Xue to the hospital. He Wei immediately called Mingsheng, saying he had an urgent matter to attend to and couldn’t go on the business trip. Mingsheng didn’t ask for details; he was uninterested in He Wei’s affairs, assuming it was just another woman entanglement. With the trip resolved, He Wei called a friend working at a hospital, giving a rough outline of the situation. On the other end, the friend expected the usual—a lover of He Wei caught in trouble again—not anticipating this would involve drugs. After hanging up, the hospital staff made careful arrangements, as this involved drugs; any mishap could land someone in jail. He Wei and Meimei tidied Zhou Xue up a bit, dressed her, and drove to the hospital. Zhou Xue showed no reaction aside from breathing. Both their hearts sank deeper; trouble had indeed struck this time. After bringing Zhou Xue to the emergency room, He Wei contacted Zhou Xue’s manager. The manager rushed back from a nearby city upon receiving word. He knew Zhou Xue had accompanied He Wei to a gathering yesterday. In fact, since Zhou Xue’s initial drugging, he was well aware of the proceedings. Without his assistance, He Wei wouldn’t have succeeded so easily. From the onset, the manager believed in Zhou Xue’s potential for stardom, which proved right, but with success came unwanted capital attention. Initially, he helped Zhou Xue avoid many of such matters, but this time he couldn’t refuse, for it was He Wei—a man in Mingsheng who could cover the sky with one hand, second to none. Thus, he aided in arranging that birthday party. Subsequently, he helped He Wei lure Zhou Xue out, and cover up any scandalous news. Yesterday, he received He Wei’s notice stating Zhou Xue would accompany him to an event, and no further contact was needed afterward. He thought it was a good thing! Zhou Xue no longer needed to "entertain," she obtained resources, it’s a good deal! So after getting the message yesterday, he took another artist to a nearby city for a photoshoot, not expecting anything would happen in a month, and then it happened at the very end. By the time he arrived at the hospital, Zhou Xue was still in the emergency room. The doctor came out once, informing them the patient remained unconscious. Zhou Xue had been given gastric lavage, but the drug taken last night worked extremely fast, beyond the point lavage could resolve. Zhou Xue was now burning with a high fever, likely developing into pneumonia. At that time, the effects of pneumonia combined with drug overdose, could lead to kidney failure, which, if severe, could be fatal. Hearing these words repeated by Meimei, the manager staggered back a few steps, slumping against the hospital wall. "Impossible! How long has it been since she rose to fame, she can’t die, she can’t die, she can’t die!" Even now, the manager thought only of the huge profits Zhou Xue’s death would rob him of, not about how much his remaining artists needed her exposure; Zhou Xue must not fall! He turned to He Wei, "Mr. He, what exactly happened? I entrusted her to you, and this is how you treat her?!" However, He Wei ignored the manager, merely lowering his eyes, contemplating the next steps. At this moment, the emergency room door opened once more, and Zhou Xue was wheeled out. "The patient has yet to awaken. If by this time tomorrow she’s still not awake, we regret to inform you she might never regain consciousness. Even if she does wake, there could be sequelae, from mild confusion and occasional hallucinations to severe dementia and cognitive decline." The three had approached the bed, but their steps halted suddenly—none had anticipated this outcome. "Brother Wei, I’m leaving; the club has some issues," Meimei was first to speak, looking to depart. He Wei chuckled sardonically, "They say whores are heartless, and indeed, that’s true." After speaking, Meimei lowered her head, offering no retort to his mockery. She was indeed a "whore," He Wei spoke truths, so she cannot be blamed for being heartless; she struggled to reach her current position, and dared not bear the fallout. Without further stay or words, Meimei left the hospital with her handbag. Left in the room were He Wei, the manager, and Zhou Xue, comatose and uncertain to awaken. "Mr. He, what should we do next?" The manager finally asked after a moment of silence. He Wei didn’t respond, merely stood beside the hospital bed, gazing out the window. "Do say something! What now? What do we tell the company? She has endorsements and show invitations; how do we handle this?" Even at this point, his thoughts remained fixated on profits, never considering that Zhou Xue was a young woman in her early twenties, in her prime, and if she remained in this state indefinitely, what would become of her family? "What else can be done! Let’s see if she regains consciousness by tomorrow. Otherwise, it’s manageable, but if she wakes up..." He Wei left his words unfinished, but the manager quickly grasped his implication, "Let her never wake up again," stating not as a question, but a certainty. Their eyes met in silent understanding, needing no further elaboration; casually deciding a woman’s fate. Zhou Xue lay quietly on the bed, much like Sleeping Beauty in a fairytale. But no prince was there to awaken her, only the predetermined destiny set by villains awaited her. Early the next morning, snowflakes fell outside, the chilly weather bustling the hospital with people. These folks, hurrying about, either worrying for themselves or loved ones—some wear exhaustion and despair on their faces. Zhou Xue stared quietly out the window. Indeed, she had awoken just at dawn, with no one around her. Upon awakening, she lay in bed a long time before managing to move her frail, ragged body. Enduring the pain, she climbed out of bed. Zhou Xue didn’t alert the medical staff. Supporting herself against the hospital’s white walls, she slowly walked to the window. It snowed again; she despised it—the fragile purity of snowflakes. No longer watching the flakes fall, Zhou Xue slowly moved toward the corridor outside the ward. At this early hour, the corridors of the upscale ward were silent. She moved slowly, aiming for the roof. Pushing open the iron door of the rooftop, nearly tossed by the cold wind, yet her steps remained unfaltered as she approached the railing. In her vision were her mom and dad, smiling and calling her over. Stretching out to grasp her mother’s hand, Zhou Xue saw her mom step back, luring her step by step to the railing. "Mom, Dad, you finally came to get me..." "Xuexue missed you so much..." "Xuexue is so tired..." "Bang!" "Ahh!" "Someone jumped! Quick, call a doctor!" Zhou Xue lay in a pool of blood, gazing at the continuing snowfall, the chaotic noise around, forming a relieved smile. "Mom, Dad, Xuexue is free now, she’s coming to you." Snow falls on the dusty world, with only two fates: one, assimilated; the other, dissolved.