“At most, it was only about two minutes.”
She remembered it clearly—she had run out to call for help, and it had only taken two minutes.
Yuan Zheng withdrew his gaze and looked sternly at Gu Qingya, his voice cold and heavy. “Two minutes? Where’s the evidence? Or do you think that in two minutes, someone in her condition could have cleaned everything up?”
Gu Qingya was frightened by her uncle’s severe and icy expression and instinctively stepped back. She wanted to say that Nan Zhu must have destroyed the evidence.
But when she left, Nan Zhu was the only one in the room, and when she returned, Nan Zhu was still alone. Who could have helped her destroy the evidence in such a short time?
Even if someone had come in to help sweep away the broken glass, the floor couldn’t have been cleaned so thoroughly. There should still have been traces of water.
Yet the floor was so clean, without even a drop of water, that she began to wonder if everything that had happened was just her imagination.
But the burning pain on her stomach was real—it couldn’t be her imagination.
“Uncle, believe me, she really scalded me.”
Yuan Zheng pointed at Nan Zhu, who was still trembling. Her face was deathly pale, drenched in sweat, and she looked as haggard as a corpse that had just crawled out of a morgue.
“Are you saying that a patient who just had a miscarriage and is covered in internal injuries managed to scald you, a perfectly healthy person?”
“Qingya, don’t take everyone for fools. In her condition, she probably couldn’t even hold a piece of paper steady, let alone lift a thermos to attack you.”
Gu Qingya was furious. She reached out to push Nan Jin, angrily saying, “Uncle, don’t be fooled by this bitch. She’s just pretending.”
Nan Jin was already unsteady on her feet. Pushed by Gu Qingya, she collapsed onto the bed, letting out a muffled groan. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly, and her expression was one of agony.
Yuan Zheng grabbed Gu Qingya and pushed her away, his entire demeanor exuding a chilling pressure. “Enough, Qingya. How have you become so unreasonable? Your parents have spoiled you rotten.”
“Leave now, immediately. Otherwise, I’ll have you arrested for intentional assault.”
Gu Qingya’s face changed. She pointed at herself in disbelief, her voice shrill. “Uncle, you’d send me to jail? Are you my uncle or that bitch’s uncle?”
Yuan Zheng looked at her coldly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “If you continue to act like this.”
Gu Qingya never expected her uncle to speak to her so harshly. His words were full of protection for Nan Zhu, and he even threatened to lock her up. Overwhelmed with anger, she burst into tears.
“Uncle, I hate you!”
With that, she covered her face and ran out of the room.
Liang Yourou was slowly piecing together what had happened. She stepped forward cautiously, afraid of stepping on any broken glass on the floor.
But soon, she noticed something unusual.
The floor, which had been covered in broken glass and water stains just moments ago, was now completely clean, as if nothing had happened.
No wonder Qingya’s uncle wasn’t siding with her and was instead defending that bitch Nan Zhu.
But how did this happen? Who helped her? And who could have cleared all the evidence and restored the room to its original state in just two minutes?
While she was still lost in thought, Gu Qingya bumped into her as she ran out, snapping her back to reality.
Lifting her head, she met Yuan Zheng’s probing gaze. Her face paled, and she quickly said, “I—I’ll go check on Qingya.”
With that, she hurried out of the room.
Yuan Zheng’s chilling aura receded slightly as he addressed the female doctor standing nearby. “Doctor, could you please check on her condition?”
The doctor and a nurse approached, helping Nan Jin lie down properly. They asked Yuan Zheng to step out so they could conduct a thorough examination.
A short while later, the female doctor emerged and spoke to the tall man waiting outside. “She took another fall and injured her tailbone. She’ll need some time to recover.”
“Moreover, she just had a miscarriage and was already physically weak. The fall has increased her bleeding. If she doesn’t receive proper nourishment to regain her strength, she may remain frail in the future.”
Yuan Zheng nodded with a grim expression, then turned and strode toward the doctor’s duty room. His tone was polite as he said, “May I borrow your phone to make a call?”
He dialed the Gu residence, and Yuan Limei, who had just returned home and was still fuming, answered the phone.
“Who is it?” Her tone was sharp.
“Elder Sister, it’s me,” Yuan Zheng replied calmly. “Where is Shao Xuan?”
“Xiao Zheng? Why are you looking for Shao Xuan?”
“Tell him to come to the hospital. I need to speak with him.”
At the mention of the hospital, Yuan Limei felt a twinge of guilt, but her words showed no sign of it as she launched into a tirade.
“Xiao Zheng, when did you arrive in Leshi? Why haven’t you come to see me? Why are you at the hospital? That little wretch couldn’t even protect her own child—why are you bothering to visit her?”
Hearing the harsh words from his elder sister’s mouth, a flicker of disapproval crossed Yuan Zheng’s cold eyes.
“Elder Sister, I don’t know what exactly has happened between you all, but Nan Zhu is in a very bad state. Qing Ya even came to the hospital to hit her. Are you trying to stir up a manslaughter case?”
An icy aura radiated from him, and his voice carried authority. “Shao Xuan’s school is preparing for professional title evaluations, isn’t it? And your husband is up for a promotion to a senior position, right? Shao Ping is in the military and has hopes for advancement too.”
“Elder Sister, are you sure you want to risk a manslaughter case at this time and jeopardize the futures of the men in the family?”
Yuan Limei turned pale at his blunt words, her voice unconsciously softening.
“How could Qing Ya possibly hit her? It was Nan Zhu who disobeyed first—she hit Yu Rou and nearly caused her to miscarry.”
Yuan Zheng’s thick eyebrows furrowed tightly, his voice growing deeper. “Who is Yu Rou?”
“Yu Rou is a girl who grew up with Shao Xuan. She’s four months pregnant now. Shao Xuan wants a divorce to give her a proper status, but Nan Zhu refused and caused a scene, even hitting Yu Rou.”
Yuan Zheng’s voice suddenly rose, carrying even greater authority. “Are you saying Shao Xuan got another woman pregnant?”
Yuan Limei’s ears rang from his sudden outburst, and she quickly moved the phone away.
She was about to say something when she suddenly realized the implications.
Gu Shao Xuan was, after all, a university lecturer. If this matter were confirmed, it would reflect poorly on his character. Not only would his future evaluations be affected, but even his current position as a lecturer could be jeopardized.
She hurriedly retorted, “Xiao Zheng, what do you mean by that? Interrogating me? Don’t forget, I’m your elder sister.”
Yuan Zheng rubbed his temples, sensing that she was still hiding something.
“Tell Shao Xuan to come to the hospital immediately.”
With that, he hung up, handed two yuan to the doctor, and turned to leave.
“Comrade, that patient is severely injured and very weak. It would be best for her to receive two IV drips. Please discuss this with her family.”
The doctor, not wanting to see the patient suffer, offered this kind reminder.
The current IV fluids are quite expensive—each bottle costs several yuan, and two bottles would amount to over ten yuan. Most patients can’t bear the expense.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zheng responded, “Arrange it for her right away.”
After speaking, he left the doctor’s office and strode toward Nan Jin’s ward.
The nurse had already finished cleaning up for Nan Jin and took two steps back upon seeing him enter.
“The patient is very weak. It’s best to let her rest quietly and ensure no one disturbs her,” she said.
With those words, she picked up the trash bag and walked out.