Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 776 Do You Still Love Me (Part One)

When thrown against a corner, with no other options within sight, love as an unpredictable variable can make us do things we never thought was possible. Out of love, we can choose to give up on a person we never dream of leaving, and out of love, we replace strength, become fearless with our actions. Love it comes in many forms. Whether as a soft nudge or a blatant shove, such an ineffable feeling can push us forward into the unknown that we are trained to fear.

*

"Following the attack, we have our correspondent reporting from the Kylin District: With the Children's Art Training School hijacked by vicious men working for a drug lord named Culpeo, some of its students and faculty members have been detained as hostages. Presently, the kidnappers are negotiating for the release of their leader in exchange for the lives of the civilians," reported a local television station of A City.

According to their video footage, the police were evacuating the crowd, and the land cruisers which boasted the logo of the army appeared to be retreating from the scene. Although the situation looked orderly, the anxious looks on everyone's faces were too visible to be ignored, particularly the parents whose kids were students of the Children's Art Training School. Many of them wept openly, with both hands against their mouth.

"With the help of the police and army, the kidnappers have all been subdued. All of the children who were held as hostages have been rescued. Moreover, military bomb squads and disposal experts from the Criminal Police Department have also arrived at the scene to defuse a bomb strapped to a teacher."

Considering the explosive force of the bomb might hurt people on the spot, the police have evacuated all civilians from the Children's Art Training School within two kilometers.

"Huh, that woman looks a lot like Miss Xia," the gaffer of The Summer Breeze remarked, absorbed by the news airing on the television. Catching a glimpse of a figure that resembled Molly, he continued to watch in confusion.

On a regular day, the bakery played soft and elegant music in the background. But ever since the big riot happened in A City, the citizens were so concerned about the hostage takeover and wanted to stay on top of it. At the request of the guests, the bakery agreed to change the channel to the news.

"Which Miss Xia?"

"You have not met her," he answered, casting a glanced at the part-time worker. Continuing, he said, "She used to work for the Sasha Music Troupe. Also, she was a frequent visitor here."

"Um..." began the part-timer with uncertainty.

"Here's a short video recording from the road monitoring system. From the available footage, we can see that the kidnappers arrived at the art training school two hours ago. A young kid shared with our reporter that they had helped a friend named Mark put on a show today. The teacher was commenting on the student's performance when suddenly, the kidnappers came and took control of the room."

Abruptly, a man stood in front of the television. So close he was to the screen, that he appeared as though he wanted to jump into it to get to the scene at once. The surveillance video showed Molly and Mark getting out of a car, securing a dog inside, and then finally, walking to the Art Training School.

"Boss, are you okay?" The part-timer asked, noting the nervous expression on Spark's face. His behavior was beginning to make him feel uneasy.

Upon hearing the part-timer's concerned tone, the gaffer turned to check on Spark as well. Puzzled, he called out, "Boss?"

"What's the latest update?" Spark asked seriously, his eyes staying glued to the television. Due to political reasons, the surveillance footage after Molly and Mark entered the school was not aired. The censorship, instead of giving the audience their peace of mind, only made them more curious.

"All the hostages have made it out safely. Except for one teacher who was still strapped to a bomb,"

As soon as the gaffer had finished his sentence, Spark did not waste another second. Taking off his apron, he dashed outside without another word. His employees could only gaze after him with their mouths half-open.

"The reporter on site dispatched another update regarding the bomb situation. The disposal personnel of the army and the police force have successfully disarmed the explosive device. In a few moments, they will be taking it out of the city to detonate it at a secure area. This vicious incident, which caught everyone's attention across the nation, has finally been resolved. It would not have been solved without the prompt actions and robust cooperation between the police and the army..."

In an eloquent manner, the news anchor continued to praise the police and army for their successful operation, assuring its audience that the situation was now under control.

When Spark arrived at the scene, beads of sweat dripped down his temple. An ambulance stopped by the school entrance, ready to take the traumatized teacher to the nearest hospital. As the situation continued to simmer down, people began to evacuate the area, though some stayed to discuss the incident. With his head down, he kept an ear open for any updates regarding the hostages. Walking around, he heard some passers-by talking about how there were two hostages who did not get mentioned in the news. Spark stopped on his heels, and paid close attention. Apparently, there were two cars which entered the premises and left as soon as possible during the lock down.

His heart skipped a beat. Clenching his hands into fists, Spark looked at the school building, his amber eyes filled with anxiety. The voices of the passers-by became incoherent as soon as thousands of thoughts crossed his mind. Quickly, he ran back to his car. Based on nothing else but a hunch, he just knew: he had to go to the Dragon Empire Group Private Hospital.

'Molly, was it really you?' he pondered, gripping the steering wheel tightly. 'You and Mark. I have waited for so long. Did you two really come back?'

*

It was another typical day in the Dragon Empire Group Private Hospital. Except that at the moment, they were treating a VIP who had arrived from the infamous hostage takeover at the school.

While people went to hospitals for a checkup due to an illness or disease, Molly was a bit of a different case. The woman frequented the place, not out of an illness, but because of her tendency to get injured in unexpected ways.

"Mommy, does it hurt?" As Mark inquired his mother, his bright eyes glistened with worry. With lips tightly shut, he examined his mother's strong facade crumble whilst the pain doubled in every move she made.

"Argh... It does hurt," murmured Molly glumly. Recalling what happened on the way to the hospital, she felt beyond ridiculous for overdoing it earlier. When Brian was about to give her his word, why did she have to black out at that crucial moment? As she had longed for it to happen ever since she returned, it was simply frustrating to lose an opportunity due to fainting. Of course, it was not a performance as she truly was in a lot of pain. At best, it might have been a bit of an exaggeration.

While she continued to brood over what happened, Molly stole a glimpse at Brian who was standing by the window. Her mouth twitched, unable to hold back a moan. Despite the pain, she maintained a nonchalant look and said, "Don't worry, Mark. I'm fine,"

"You look like you are in a lot of pain though," persisted the boy in his childish yet sweet voice. "Also, Golden Flower No. 5 told me that when you were in England, you would try to endure the pain and never let the others know whenever you were hurt. That you only shed tears of pain when you were alone. Out of sight." The boy sighed reproachfully. "Mommy," he continued firmly, "if you're feeling pain right now, just cry. I will not laugh at you." Seeing the child upset by her condition, Molly could not help but feel touched by his affectionate gesture.

After the initial warmth had settled in her heart, she wondered how Brian would react to their son's words. Out of curiosity, she turned with difficulty to look at him. But as soon as she shifted her body, she let out another cry of pain. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐