Surrounded by the Billionaire's Deep Doting-Chapter 617 - 480: Don’t Leave Me

At this moment, the Royal Church was ablaze, the raging flames seemed determined to reduce the pitch-black night to ashes.

Sirens wailed as one ambulance and fire truck after another arrived, the flashing red and blue lights reflecting the wails and sorrows of the hostage families.

The massive cries of grief made the night seem even longer and even more despairing.

There were survivors, yes, but more had tragically perished in the incident.

Data was still being tallied, but the tears and deep sorrow of the people were difficult to measure with mere numbers.

Those bewildered and helpless faces, blue eyes, brown eyes, black eyes, all streaked with bloodshot veins and muddied tears.

Bodies kept being carried out, constantly surrounded by people lifting white sheets to reveal corpses burned beyond recognition...

There were some who identified loved ones based on faint clues...

But that was not luck, it was the greatest misfortune, a breakdown beyond the heart’s capacity.

"Mom... Mom... woo..."

A rescued child lay beside his burned mother, hoarsely and shrilly calling to the mother who sacrificed herself to ensure his safety.

Disasters always come so unexpectedly.

It is precisely because of their unexpectedness that makes them harder to accept.

They easily erase a person’s existence, regardless of what they have done in their life, what achievements they had, who they loved, or what ideals they held...

Gone, just like that, gone...

The only traces left behind remain in the memories of the living.

Shan Mingxu clutched his shoulder, dragging heavy steps as he walked bit by bit.

Three years, he had failed to accomplish so many things, and the people weeping in front of him were not a rare sight.

The heart in his left chest, blood surging, unable to feel numb.

"Don’t leave me..."

He saw a man kneeling on the ground, almost collapsing into the mud, head resting on that corpse-covered white cloth, mumbling in a low, painful, desperate voice...

It was the deepest, most hopeless prayer from his heart.

He tightly gripped a hand burned to black charcoal, a ring prominently on its middle finger.

The diamond on the ring still shone, but the light in the man’s heart was gone.

The terrorists on a whim could so easily take away everything from others...

Shan Mingxu’s tired eyes blankly watched these people kneeling and howling on the ground, their voices seemed magnified a thousand times, directly striking at his heart.

If it weren’t for someone recklessly cutting off communication with him, if it weren’t for someone taking matters into their own hands advancing the attack actions angering the terrorists, if it weren’t for someone averse to change engaging in a firefight with the terrorists, if...

There are no ifs in this world.

Shan Mingxu’s heart hatred had nowhere to vent.

Even if the criminals were dismembered, quartered, it wouldn’t save any innocent life...

The only slight comfort he found was that he managed to rescue Shuangshuang and Huanghuang.

Shan Mingxu wasn’t able to personally meet the aunt and was a bit unsettled, not seeing her come out safely.

But he trusted Wu Ye’s capabilities.

Closing his weary calculating eyes, he started moving towards the ambulances, just then, he caught sight of Yin Shixiu’s figure rushing past him!

"Uncle!"

Shan Mingxu urgently shouted.

Luckily, Shan Mingxu’s sharp shout stopped Yin Shixiu in his hasty steps.

Yin Shixiu also wore a weary face with undeniable worry but carried more of some urgent relief...

Because Wu Ye had said that Su Xiaomeng was already in the ambulance, her injuries not serious...

Compared to the scorched corpses scattered around, the fact that his beloved was still alive was his greatest relief.

He was eager to see her!

Shan Mingxu jogged over, "Did Aunt get out?"

"Yes, they said she was in the ambulance ahead, I’m heading to the hospital now, were you shot in the shoulder?"

Yin Shixiu didn’t ignore the blood dripping from Ming Xu’s hand as it hung down.

Shan Mingxu at this point couldn’t respond to Shixiu’s concern, he was already half-distraught when Shixiu mentioned the first part of his sentence,

"How is it possible!"

"What?"

Yin Shixiu was puzzled, looking at his shoulder, "Wasn’t the shoulder—"

"How could Aunt possibly be on the first ambulance! When I got Shuangshuang and Huanghuang out, she hadn’t climbed up! How could she be ahead of me!!"

Shan Mingxu exclaimed in horror, turning around, finding nothing but towering flames in his sight.

Yin Shixiu’s strength seemed to be half drained, his legs immediately went weak...

"What... did you say?"

"Who?! Who told you that!"

Shan Mingxu hastily asked, "Is it Mr. Wu?"

"Wu Ye."

Yin Shixiu confirmed, recognizing Wu Ye, a favored man by the current general, occasionally visiting the elder with the general!

Because he knew this person, he trusted what Wu Ye said without hesitation.

"He... he should be the one to assist Aunt, how could he say such a thing to you?!"

Shan Mingxu’s thoughts were utterly confused.

Ming Xiu was still young, but Yin Shixiu almost instantly grasped the key—Wu Ye was one of Yin Shiqing’s men.

Yin Shixiu and Shan Mingxu looked at the roaring flames before them...

Nobody knew what was reflected in their eyes, was it despair? Was it the same despair seen in the eyes of those around?

No, it was something deeper, something more intense than the raging fire!

Shan Mingxu ignored his injured shoulder, grabbing hold of a retreating soldier,

"Where is Wu Ye?!"

"Mr. Wu, he’s in the back."

Shan Mingxu squinted, catching sight of Wu Ye leisurely walking from the rear, his own appearance in disarray as well.

He hurried forward and grabbed Wu Ye’s military uniform collar,

"Where is Su Xiaomeng!"

"..."

Wu Ye, in his early thirties, already held a high position, a leading military figure.

He looked at Shan Mingxu, his expression unflinching, calmly saying,

"The spiral stairs leading inside the church were broken in the middle; the last one up was Princess Sherry. She said Su Xiaomeng’s foot was injured and told to let her come up first."

"..."

"If the stairs hadn’t broken, I would have found a way to save her, but Ming Xu, you know yourself that once the stairs break, even jumping in would be no different from jumping straight into flames."

Wu Ye calmly analyzed the scene for Shan Mingxu.

Shan Mingxu trembled all over in rage, witnessing such a tragic event unfold before him, what he could do was pitifully little.

The overwhelming atmosphere of sorrow made it almost impossible for him to breathe, the last shreds of comfort were his ability to safely rescue his family.

Now, even that little comfort was gone.

"Ming Xu, I know you’re upset, as a soldier, you are aware of the catastrophic outcomes of a terrorist attack."

"Aware! If you were afraid of dying, you should have stopped me from rescuing!"

"You are the old commander’s grandson, do you think I would let you recklessly jump into the fire?!"

"Then why deceive me?"

Yin Shixiu asked, with eyes like a hawk, shrouded in heavy shadow.

"You are the old commander’s son, if I hadn’t said that, would you not have found a way to rush in?"

Wu Ye spoke with righteousness, making it sound like he was doing it for their sake...

Heh...

Shan Mingxu’s teeth ground with a harsh sound, this big, still somewhat immature but spirited young man, his eyes burned with fire, from which emerged Shan Mingxu’s tears of regret and guilt!

Nobody knew.

In his heart, protecting Su Xiaomeng was more than just for his uncle, more than because she had become part of his family...

It was also to make up for the mistake he made back then.

He wanted redemption, to show Su Xiaomeng through his actions that the brat who once bullied her... the reckless, ignorant boy had grown up.

He regarded her as family, a friend, and also as an elder.

This grown-up boy not only wouldn’t bully her anymore but would protect her. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Ah—!"

Shan Mingxu despairingly knelt down on the ground with a howl, pounding the grass with force!

Yin Shixiu’s deep eyes reflected peacefully as his gaze fell on the fervent blazing fire...

Nobody knew what he was thinking.