The public security officer who had come along was someone Xia Canglan recognized. He quickly briefed her on Xia Zhaodi’s condition.
“Comrade Xia, here’s the situation. Xia Zhaodi cut her wrist inside. None of us noticed she had any such intention before this. Just yesterday, she even said she was meeting her sister-in-law. That very night, she suddenly slit her wrist.”
“When our patrol realized something was wrong, we gave her basic first aid and rushed her to the hospital. We’ll have to trouble you and the doctors.”
As he spoke, his eyes were filled with regret. If he had been more vigilant, perhaps…
Xia Canglan said nothing. She followed the other nurses pushing the patient into the operating room.
Because of her rapid “progress” and the unanimous recognition of her abilities, she had already gained the qualification to assist inside the operating room.
Sneaking a glance at Xia Zhaodi’s wrist, she saw the wound was so deep it exposed bone—whoever had done it had been utterly ruthless.
Xia Canglan sighed inwardly. As expected of the novel’s female lead—such decisiveness. With that kind of resolve, she could have succeeded at anything.
And yet, she chose to walk a crooked path, obsessively targeting her family’s possessions.
An hour and a half later, the operating room doors opened.
“Doctor, how is the patient?” the officer asked.
“She was brought in just in time. The wound has been sutured. For now, she must avoid any emotional stimulation. She’ll need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days. One of you can go with the nurse to handle the admission procedures.”
Xia Canglan immediately volunteered to take them.
Along the way, she had something she needed to clarify.
“Officer, do you remember the name of the ‘sister-in-law’ Xia Zhaodi met yesterday?”
“Yes. She registered under the name Kong Miaomiao. She also brought a child with her. That child cried and made a fuss the entire time—it was quite disruptive. Strangely, Kong Miaomiao didn’t respond at all. We all found it odd.”
A shadow passed through Xia Canglan’s eyes. The corner of her lips lifted slightly, her tone calm.
“That is strange. Right after meeting Kong Miaomiao, Xia Zhaodi attempted suicide that same night.”
“Which raises another question—where did she get the tool to cut her wrist?”
Watching the officer fall into thought, Xia Canglan pressed further.
“And one more thing. When that child was crying, didn’t the officers on duty all go over to calm the child? No one would’ve been paying attention to what Kong Miaomiao and Xia Zhaodi were doing at that moment, right?”
The officer was experienced. The moment he heard this, his pupils contracted sharply.
Thinking back to yesterday’s visitation, the more he replayed it in his mind, the more it all felt like too much of a coincidence.
And there was also Kong Miaomiao’s behavior—keeping her head down the entire time, avoiding eye contact.
At first, he had assumed she was just shy. Now it was clear—it wasn’t shyness, but guilt.
Taking a deep breath, the officer immediately thanked Xia Canglan.
He turned and assigned one person to accompany her to handle the admission procedures, ordered two others to guard Xia Zhaodi’s hospital room, and led the rest back urgently to reopen the investigation.
Watching their hurried retreating figures, Xia Canglan allowed a faint smile to curl at her lips.
Xia Zhaodi, your plan to use this injury to turn things around… is probably going to fall apart.
Ah, the weather today is truly wonderful. It puts one in a good mood.
At noon, during the lunch break—
Xia Canglan had just finished eating and stepped out, planning to find a place to rest for a while, when she suddenly heard a very familiar voice shouting angrily.
“…Why won’t you let me in? I told you, I heard my younger sister-in-law slit her wrist. What’s wrong with me, as her sister-in-law, coming to see her?”
Kong Miaomiao was practically furious at these unyielding officers. No matter what she said—soft or harsh—they ignored her, standing there like immovable pillars.
She had tried to force her way in, only to be stopped and warned back.
Just as she was considering making Xia Panbao cry to distract them, a chilling voice came from behind her.
“Oh? I had no idea you had such a close ‘younger sister,’ Kong Miaomiao.”
Kong Miaomiao stiffly turned around. The moment she saw Xia Canglan—that lunatic—her heart nearly collapsed.
Why? Why did it have to be her? She would’ve preferred running into Xia’s father over Xia Canglan—this woman who was capable of anything.
Seeing that Kong Miaomiao remained silent, Xia Canglan didn’t rush. She slowly stepped closer.
The moment she moved, Kong Miaomiao reacted like a mouse spotting a cat, recoiling again and again. The child beside her, Xia Panbao, also shrank back in fear, hiding behind her mother.
Their terrified expressions immediately drew attention. Passersby and patients watching the scene began whispering.
“Is… is she some kind of violent person? Look at that—even the child is terrified. Just how fierce must that nurse be?”
“My goodness, someone that violent is actually a nurse? Would she hit patients? I wouldn’t dare let her take care of me.”
“Same here. I’m going to find out who this nurse is later.”
“…”
The voices weren’t loud, but in the narrow corridor, every word was crystal clear.
A malicious glint flashed through Kong Miaomiao’s eyes. She lowered her head further, shrinking into herself, putting on an even more frightened act.
Of course Xia Canglan heard it—but she didn’t care.
Instead, she stepped closer, glanced at the thermos container in Kong Miaomiao’s hands, and smiled.
“My dear ‘sister-in-law,’ after marrying into our family for so many years, I’ve never once seen you cook. If your mother-in-law was even a little late with meals, you’d practically point at her nose and scold her.”
“And yet today, you’ve brought food to visit a distant cousin several branches removed? And not just anyone—but someone arrested for immoral conduct with a group of hooligans? As her aunt, I must say, I’ve truly witnessed something remarkable today.”
“Hiss—!”
The surrounding onlookers sucked in sharp breaths, nearly overwhelmed by the explosive gossip.
“You’re talking nonsense! Zhaodi isn’t like that. She said herself she was set up—she’s not that kind of person!”
Kong Miaomiao tried to explain in a panic, not realizing that in the eyes of the gossip-hungry crowd, explanations only looked like attempts to cover things up.
As the speculation around her grew more outrageous, fear finally crept into Kong Miaomiao’s heart. She regretted coming today. If only Xia Canglan hadn’t been here—
Suddenly, she looked up at Xia Canglan.
Their eyes met—and she saw the unmistakable amusement in Xia Canglan’s gaze.
A chill ran through her. Despite the summer heat, she couldn’t stop herself from shivering.
“You…” Was this all intentional?
Xia Canglan leaned in close to her ear and whispered, her voice audible only to the two of them.
“Kong Miaomiao, do you really think the authorities won’t uncover your plan with Xia Zhaodi?”
“Think about it—if Xia Zhaodi’s plan had truly succeeded, why would there be so many officers guarding her hospital room?”
“Go on, guess. Think harder. You might just arrive at a very surprising answer.”