At the hospital, Xi Xiaoyan still had not woken up by the time night was about to fall.
The police station called and asked Meng Chuwu to come in when she was available.
She told Luo Pi and Luo Pa to stay with Xi Xiaoyan and to call her as soon as she woke up. Trusting that nothing else would go wrong inside the hospital, Meng Chuwu left quickly.
On the way, she called Ji Yi, who was on vacation. Ji Yi told her she was already at the station.
When Meng Chuwu arrived, Ji Yi was waiting for her at the front entrance.
As they walked into the building together, Jiang Tianyang happened to be coming out from the other side.
Their eyes met once more. No one spoke. As they passed each other, Meng Chuwu’s Alpha instincts suddenly became agitated, a reflex her body had when sensing a potential threat.
Ji Yi, also an Alpha, noticed her reaction right away. She resisted the discomfort caused by Meng Chuwu’s unsettled pheromones and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward quickly.
Just before they entered the interview room, Ji Yi quietly reminded her, “Keep your emotions in check.”
Only then did Meng Chuwu realize how tense she had become. She took a breath to calm down, then stepped into the room.
Officer Feng was already waiting. As soon as she entered, he began, “We’ve found out what caused Xi Xiaoyan’s heat. There was a synthetic pheromone stimulant, Tengyun, in her coffee.”
Tengyun was a man-made Alpha pheromone. It had no color or smell and was dangerously strong. It was a banned substance that everyone knew about.
Years ago, it had led to the harm of countless Omegas. The government had banned it completely over a decade ago. It was originally developed for military use, but some was leaked, altered by criminals, and spread into society, causing many tragedies.
Officer Feng continued, “We’ve already questioned the café owner and staff. Based on the evidence we have, they can be ruled out for now. However, since this case involves banned substances and is very serious, we’ve temporarily detained the café owner. The investigation will continue, and we’ll inform you as soon as we learn more.”
What followed was a routine round of questioning. After confirming that Meng Chuwu was not present at the time of the incident, they asked her about her relationship with Xi Xiaoyan. When the session ended, Officer Feng told her she could go.
Meng Chuwu thought about Jiang Tianyang. She must have already been questioned and found not suspicious enough to be held.
“What about Jiang Tianyang?” she asked. She still found her behavior questionable.
“Miss Jiang has a confirmed alibi. Like you, we’re doing our best to catch whoever did this. Please trust that we’ll get to the truth.”
“An alibi doesn’t mean someone wasn’t involved. The person who possessed the drug and the person who used it might not be the same. Isn’t that—”
“We understand that and are looking into it from that angle too,” Officer Feng replied. “But until we have solid evidence, we can’t label anyone as guilty.”
“I’ll wait for your findings.”
Meng Chuwu did not stay at the station any longer. She needed to return to the hospital.
Ji Yi walked her to the lobby. “You really don’t get a break, do you?”
Though her words were teasing, her tone was full of concern.
“Go take care of what you need to. Let me know as soon as there’s any news,” Meng Chuwu said, lowering her hands from where they had been resting in front of her.
“Of course.”
“I’m off.”
Meng Chuwu waved her left hand and walked toward the exit.
Outside the station, while she was waiting for Zitai to bring the car, Jiang Tianyang appeared again from somewhere nearby.
Meng Chuwu was surprised. Why was she still here?
Jiang Tianyang stopped about a meter away and said calmly, “Miss Meng, do you really think I’m that foolish?”
Meng Chuwu understood she was referring to her suspicion. “You don’t need to pretend with me.”
“You know about my relationship with Xiaoyan, don’t you?”
“It’s often people close to us who end up hurting us.”
“So, you’re convinced I did it?”
“I don’t jump to conclusions,” Meng Chuwu said quietly. She turned her head slightly and added, “I wait for the truth.”
“I hope you find it soon. I don’t like being doubted.”
After speaking, Jiang Tianyang turned and walked into the night.
Only then did Meng Chuwu realize she had stayed behind on purpose, clearly waiting to speak with her.
Who exactly was she?
When Meng Chuwu returned to the hospital, Luo Pi informed her that Xi Xiaoyan’s parents had arrived.
She knocked lightly and opened the door. The room was quiet.
Two elders were inside. One was seated beside the bed on a wooden stool, and the other stood with his hands behind his back. With Xi Xiaoyan on the hospital bed, the entire family turned to look at her at the same time.
Their expressions were heavy. Meng Chuwu could tell their anger was not only because of today.
The incident at the café was only one part of it. In their eyes, Xi Xiaoyan had made many mistakes, starting with her marriage to the scumbag Alpha. Then there had been her second differentiation, and on top of that, Luo Pi and Luo Pa had probably already reported the trouble caused by Liao Xuehui.
All of this was more than enough to keep the couple angry for a long time.
Meng Chuwu’s hand lingered on the door handle for a brief moment before she walked fully inside.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, as if there had just been a heated argument.
Xi Xiaoyan was awake. The IV had been removed, and it looked like she was out of immediate danger.
As soon as she saw Meng Chuwu, her eyes lit up. It was as if she had finally seen someone she could rely on.
“Commander Xi. Professor Guan,” Meng Chuwu greeted politely. Her voice was calm. She had done nothing wrong today and had no reason to feel guilty.
“This is what you call protecting my daughter?” Commander Xi asked. His tone was not loud, but it was full of sarcasm.
“How long have you even been together? And there hasn’t been a single day of peace,” Professor Guan added coldly. She had never liked Meng Chuwu.
In the Xi family, only Xi Xiaoyan’s older brother Guan Fanzhou supported her marriage. No one else did.
“I’m sorry for making you both worry,” Meng Chuwu said softly, lowering her head slightly. Then she turned to look at Xi Xiaoyan with genuine concern, her eyes silently asking if she was alright.
Before Meng Chuwu arrived, Commander Xi and Professor Guan had already made up their minds to take this chance to scold her and vent their anger. They wanted to make her pay, at least a little, for taking their daughter away.
But Meng Chuwu was not the same as before. She was no longer the arrogant and reckless Alpha they remembered. She didn’t argue, didn’t challenge them. Instead, she was calm and humble.
The change was so sudden that the two elders were caught off guard. Was this really the same woman who once shouted in their living room, “No one can stop me from marrying Xi Xiaoyan,” and then took her away in front of everyone?
They were so shocked that they forgot everything they had planned to say.
Even Xi Xiaoyan blinked under the covers, pressing her palm against her cheek. Was this gentle woman really her Chuwu? Was this still the bold and stubborn Alpha who once dyed her hair just to anger her father, and who had declared she would marry her no matter what?
If the earlier argument with her parents had been like light rain, she had braced herself for the storm that would come with Meng Chuwu’s return.
But the storm never came. Instead, things seemed to be heading toward a calm and peaceful conversation.
“How is Xiaoyan?” It was Meng Chuwu’s voice that brought the family back from their shock.
The two elders looked at each other, clearly unsure whether to continue with the plan they had discussed earlier to scold her and restore the family’s dignity.
Before they could answer, Xi Xiaoyan spoke up first. She looked at her father and said, “Dad, I’m fine now. You and Mom can go home.”
She really didn’t want them to start fighting in front of her in the hospital room.
“You’re still in bed and you call that fine? Always taking her side. Are you trying to give your mother and me a heart attack?”
Commander Xi scolded her daughter, but his eyes still glanced toward Meng Chuwu.
“Can’t you just let us old folks have one peaceful day?” Professor Guan said with a sigh. Her tone was softer than before.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t do well enough and made you both worry,” Meng Chuwu replied respectfully.
She had always treated the elders with humility and patience.
They had nothing left to say. Their anger had nowhere to go. It was hard to stay mad at someone who sincerely admitted their mistakes.
Earlier, they had taken their frustration out on Xi Xiaoyan because of everything that had happened in the past, mostly due to the scumbag Alpha.
The most important issue was that Xi Xiaoyan never listened to her parents. She only listened to the scumbag Alpha.
“You admit you didn’t do well, so make sure you do better next time,” Commander Xi said coldly, not even bothering to look at Meng Chuwu, as if the fiery red color of her hair was an eyesore.
In truth, Meng Chuwu’s beauty was striking and bold. She carried that fiery red hair with complete confidence. The vibrant color matched her sharp and flawless features perfectly, enhancing her natural allure.
“I will,” Meng Chuwu replied calmly.
This time, Professor Guan did not add anything.
The couple continued to talk to Xi Xiaoyan for a while longer, repeating the same things over and over.
Xi Xiaoyan began to lose patience. She knew very well that her parents were not here out of real concern for her. They had shown up today only for the sake of the family’s reputation, and because of her recent S-class differentiation.
Back in high school, they always found excuses to skip parent meetings. During her four years at university, they rarely reached out. It was only after she differentiated into an S-class Omega that they suddenly seemed to remember they had a daughter.
“Mom, just go home. I want to get some sleep,” Xi Xiaoyan said, tired of it all. She pulled the blanket up and covered herself completely.
When Meng Chuwu saw her do the exact same thing she had done earlier that afternoon, her nerves, which had been tense for so long, finally relaxed a little.
“Come on, we’re not wanted here,” Commander Xi muttered sarcastically.
He finally glanced at Meng Chuwu, but the look he gave her was full of annoyance and contempt.
How is this my fault? Meng Chuwu felt incredibly wronged.
She escorted the couple to the hospital entrance. While they waited for their driver, she briefly and clearly shared with Commander Xi what Officer Feng at the police station had told her.
Once again, her behavior caught the couple off guard.
Just before getting into the car, Commander Xi spoke up, which was rare for him. “Let the police handle it for now. If needed, I’ll assign people to assist. You go back and stay with Xiaoyan.”
When Meng Chuwu returned to the hospital room, she saw that Xi Xiaoyan was still hiding under the blanket.
She walked over and gently tugged at the edge. Her voice was soft. “Come on, take the blanket off. You’ll suffocate in there.”