"You murderer! Look what you've caused!" Tianwei yelled, shaking his fist at her.
"If you had just listened to me -" Xue Ning yelled back, aggrieved. "Just carry him to the bed and get him to lie down now!"
"Ge! Just do what she says!" Jingwei pleaded, terrified that his father would die the longer they spent arguing about what was the right course of action, instead of actually taking action.
"I will not!" Tianwei retorted, determined to refuse any suggestion that came from Xue Ning's mouth.
His attention was focused on blaming Xue Ning. Who knew if her aspirin suggestion was even meant in good faith? She could have purposely made him eat a medication that made things worse.
A horrifying realisation dawned on Tianwei - he might have accidentally fed his father a tablet that killed him! Everyone in the room saw him snatched the tablets straight out of Jingwei's hands and stuffed one in his father's mouth.
If his father did pass away, he'd be an accessory to murder, an accomplice to killing his father - and there were so many witnesses in this room, it would be a hassle to seal their lips!
Maybe this was Xue Ning's plan all this while, to have him help murder his own father so Jingwei could inherit the entirety of the estates and businesses.
He had really underestimated her!
"Ge!" Jingwei's panicked voice cut through his thoughts. Tianwei turned to see Jingwei holding a shaking finger to his father's nose, tears welling in his eyes.
"Father's not breathing!"
"Oh my god, you killed him," Tianwei muttered blankly as he stared at Xue Ning. A fog descended on his brain, at the thought of possibly losing his father for good. A numbing cold spread from his fingertips to the rest of his body. "I did too… I helped…"
Xue Ning, having had enough of being blamed for everything that went wrong by a group of men that refused to listen to her instructions on how to make things better, easily shoved the two shell-shocked sons aside to lie Sun Haowei flat on the floor.
Sun Haowei may have stopped breathing, but she knew how to get him to start again.
She opened his airways and checked for breathing. Just like what Jingwei said, there was no breath. She listened for his heart beat. There was none.
There was nothing for it. She would have to perform CPR.
"Xue Ning? What are you doing to my father?" Jingwei asked. He was ignored as Xue Ning began to conduct chest compressions on Sun Haowei, making sure to keep the count steady. She had no time to waste on distractions, not when saving a life was at stake!
Unfortunately, chest compressions alone aren't enough to revive him. Xue Ning steeled herself to perform the rescue breaths. She made sure Sun Haowei's mouth was clear before she tilted his head back slightly and lifted his chin.
She pinched his nose shut and placed her mouth fully over his. She could hear choking noises from the men around her. If the situation wasn't so dire, she would have rolled her eyes. Haven't they seen anyone conduct CPR before?
She took a deep breath and blew into Sun Haowei's mouth. His chest rose.
She continued alternating between the rescue breaths and compressions, despite getting steadily more tired when it still didn't yield any result. She couldn't fail now - Sun Haowei was nothing more than an arrogant bully, an utter scumbag of a father, but clearly Jingwei loved him desperately and still wished for his approval.
He would be so upset if his father died. That was enough reason for Xue Ning to keep trying.
Unbeknownst to her, her honest efforts were noticed by many in the room.
Captain Mu revised his initial opinion of her. He and his team could only watch in stunned, reverent silence as this young woman, who had every reason to not bother with Sun Haowei, continued to do her best to save him, while they, Sun Haowei's actual bodyguards, stood by helplessly.
The feeling of shame they felt was unbearable! If Sun Haowei made it out alive, Captain Mu decided that he would voluntarily mentor this young girl in the ways of being a bodyguard. Maybe she'll manage to retain the idealism that led him into this career in the first place.
It could have been hours, it could have been minutes. Time had blurred together into something incomprehensible, and Xue Ning's hands were beginning to shake from exertion.
"Xue Ning…" Jingwei watched her, half-wanting her to stop. He wanted his father to live, but he didn't want Xue Ning to tire herself out while trying to save him! She was already paler and shivering slightly. His heart ached.
Xue Ning didn't hear anyone calling for her. Her worldview had shrunk to an incredible, wondrous sight - Sun Haowei coughed, and h's chest was rising and falling automatically, without any help on her part.
He was breathing.
He was alive.
She did it. She successfully saved him!
Just to make sure, she listened for a heart beat. It was weak and erratic, but it was there, and that fact was good enough for her.
"He's alive," Jingwei choked out wondrously, staring at his father with tears in his eyes. "Xue Ning you did it! You saved him!"
He reached out to hold Xue Ning in delight, but Xue Ning only made a tired noise and waved him off.
She fell backwards on the floor, falling on her butt as she panted at the air.
After such a scare, her limbs felt as strong as limp noodles. Her body was soaked with sweat from the exertions, and it felt like she passed some of her own life force to Sun Haowei.
All in all, the relief and exhaustion made her feel like a plastic bag caught in the wheels of a car.
"When's the ambulance arriving," she murmured tiredly. She would have gone to the window to check, but she didn't feel like moving.
Besides, who knew if Sun Haowei would just choose to stop breathing? It's best to keep a close eye on him.
Jingwei, never a man to back down from rejection, came and tucked Xue Ning against his firm body, letting her tired back rest against his firm chest.
It was a testament to how tired Xue Ning was that she only grumbled wordlessly, but slumped against him anyway, even as Jingwei squeezed her, nosed at her neck, all while rubbing her clammy hands in his to warm them up.
"You did it! You're so amazing… I love you so much…Thank you for saving his life!" Jingwei cheered effusively, punctuating each break with a kiss on her cheeks.
"Don't thank me yet, wait till your father gets to the hospital first," Xue Ning said tiredly. She opened her eyes and glared at him.
"And don't kiss me here, do you want your father to get another heart attack?"