Big Fool...b

"When I got the call, he wasn't dead yet!" Xia Hong fought back tears, biting her lip in anguish.

"What? He wasn't dead?! Then what happened..." Li Ming knew it wasn't the best time, but he couldn't help feeling awkward. He had assumed the man died in the car accident—he hadn't expected there was more to the story.

"Then... I took a taxi straight to the hospital!"

"But... when I got there, I saw how badly injured he was. Multiple compound fractures, internal organs damaged from the impact—but that wasn't even the worst. The most severe injury was his arm, crushed by the car door during the crash. By the time the paramedics freed him, the damage was irreversible. If he'd gotten surgery in time, there might have been a chance to save it!"

"But... but all the surgeons at the hospital who could perform that operation were tied up in the OR with some VIP's family. There was no one left to do the surgery except... me..."

"I didn’t know any of this at the time. I was at the bridal shop trying on wedding dresses, completely unaware he’d been in an accident. By the time I saw the hospital’s calls, it was almost too late."

"I rushed him into surgery the moment I arrived, but the delay had been too long. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t restore his arm. The best I could do was... the most conservative treatment, just to ensure he kept his hand."

Li Ming couldn’t help interrupting.

"But that’s still good, isn’t it? He survived, his hand’s intact—just needs time to heal. How did things end up like this?"

Xia Hong shook her head, wiping her tears before letting out a bitter laugh.

"Yeah... how did it come to this? If only he’d thought like you."

"What do you mean? He cheated death, has a beautiful fiancée—what more could he want? No permanent disability, just recovery time. He’d be back to normal soon enough," Li Ming said, puzzled.

He couldn’t figure out why the man and Xia Hong had split, or what any of this had to do with her working at the prison. By all accounts, surviving such an accident should’ve been a happy ending.

"Heh... no. He didn’t see it that way. The moment he woke up in that hospital bed and saw his bandaged hand, he panicked. He demanded to see the diagnosis report."

"I wanted to keep it from him at first, but... he was a doctor at our hospital too. When I stepped out, he had a nurse bring him his file. The second he read the results, everything changed."

"Surgeons... we treasure our hands. We protect them fiercely because even a minor injury can end a career. All those years of training, all that skill—gone in an instant. For any doctor, it’s devastating. But for someone like him? A prodigy? It was unthinkable."

"When he realized the conservative treatment meant he’d never hold a scalpel again... he screamed at me. Said I’d ruined him. Blamed me for not getting there sooner, for not operating immediately!"

"But... I did everything I could! How could he think I didn’t try? It was just too late—that was the best outcome possible. Without the conservative approach, he might’ve lost all feeling in that hand! At least this way, he could still live normally! What else was I supposed to do...?"

Xia Hong clutched her hair, reliving the man’s furious shouts.

"It’s my fault... I never should’ve gone dress shopping that day! I never should’ve let him drive back alone... I should’ve heard the hospital’s calls! If I’d just picked up the phone and rushed there right away, maybe I could’ve saved his hand! It’s all my fault..."

Her composure shattered. She raked her fingers through her hair, pounding her fists against her skull.

Li Ming grabbed her wrists, stopping her.

"Xia Hong, stop! This isn’t on you! Why are you blaming yourself? He’s the one who had the accident—you saved his life! And his hand! He should’ve been grateful, not resentful! None of this is your fault!" He pulled her into an embrace, holding her tight.

"And that kind of man? Always pointing fingers, never owning his mistakes? He got what he deserved! Thank god you didn’t marry him—it would’ve destroyed you!"

"Hong-jie! You should be relieved! Someone like that isn’t worth your tears!" His gentle voice cut through her despair.

For the first time since coming to the prison, she’d shared her past. Nights spent sleepless, haunted by dreams of his accusations. Just the memory of his face made her tremble.

But today, something had pushed her to confide in Li Ming. His words soothed her.

"Li Ming... I’m okay. You were right—talking helps. It’s been years... I should’ve moved on. But I just... couldn’t let go."

"After he blamed me, I started shaking too. Every time I picked up a scalpel, I’d remember that surgery—choosing between safety and risking his hand’s function. It tormented me. That’s why I stopped operating altogether."

"I thought... if I ruined his career as a surgeon, then maybe destroying my own would balance the scales. If I could never operate again... would that mean I’d repaid him?"

She looked up at Li Ming, eyes pleading for absolution.

But he shook his head.

Ignoring her shattered hope, he cupped her face and spoke firmly.

"You’re wrong. You don’t owe him a damn thing. He’s the one who failed you! He should be paying, not you! This ‘debt’ is bullshit—he’s the debtor! From start to finish, you did nothing wrong. Hear me?"

"You. Owe. Him. Nothing. You saved his life! You saved his hand! Wake up!"

"Don’t cry for him. Don’t suffer. Be angry! Hate him for stealing the life you deserved! Hate that ungrateful bastard! Say it with me—"

"He’s a fucking asshole!"

"...A f-fucking asshole...?"