Compared to the two people who had just left, Qin Yi’s voice was overly calm and low, which made Su Tong feel a faint unease.
Su Tong didn’t speak. She simply lowered her head slightly and waited silently for what came next.
Qin Yi paused for a moment, then pulled a chair over and sat down by her bed. The distance between them suddenly became much closer.
“Ma Liu has woken up,” Qin Yi said calmly.
Su Tong kept her head slightly bowed. A large bandage wrapped around her forehead, almost covering half her face. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, her complexion waxy yellow, her cheeks thin. She looked nervous—no different from an ordinary rural girl.
Qin Yi’s mind flashed with Ma Liu’s two swollen black eyes and his exaggerated account:
“That woman is terrifying. She was quiet like a little bird the whole time, then suddenly exploded. She dismantled my bomb and took my gun, and even beat me like this. It was horrifying! I can’t even believe it…”
Even Qin Yi found it hard to believe, though based on the scene, everything Ma Liu said was very likely true.
When he heard Su Tong had woken up, he came immediately to confirm. But seeing the girl in front of him still felt surreal.
Seeing that Su Tong gave no reaction, Qin Yi didn’t beat around the bush. He said word by word, “Ma Liu said—it was you who pulled the handbrake and subdued them.”
Qin Yi’s eyes locked tightly onto Su Tong’s face, not missing a single expression.
Su Tong’s mind was already in chaos. She lowered her head to hide her emotions, thinking of how to explain this away. But the moment Qin Yi said Ma Liu had already confessed, her mind suddenly became calm.
Fine. The more she feared being exposed, the more it had already happened. Since it was already known, there was nothing left to be afraid of.
In any case, she hadn’t done anything bad. She would deal with whatever came.
Right now, she was the genuine Wu Tong. She would act accordingly.
Thinking this through, she became composed. She lifted her head and met Qin Yi’s gaze directly.
“So what?”
Qin Yi froze. She—she admitted it!
This was the first time he clearly saw her face. Though she looked disheveled, her eyes were calm—composed and steady, carrying a confidence and clarity that did not match her age.
This confidence stood in stark contrast to her battered appearance, making her seem like a contradiction.
“So… what Ma Liu said is the truth?” Qin Yi asked again to confirm.
“Yes. Everyone worked hard to catch criminals. I just did what I was capable of,” Su Tong replied calmly.
After a pause, she added, “I may have acted impulsively at the time and didn’t fully consider the danger. But fortunately, luck was on my side. Those two criminals were already injured or ill, and the car broke down not long after they left. I just mustered the courage to tie them up. I was actually still shaken about it.”
Su Tong had already decided that no matter who asked, she would give only this answer—and nothing else.
Whether others believed it or not didn’t matter.
Qin Yi’s feelings were complicated.
He had already learned about her family background.
She grew up in a backward rural household, never respected, never loved.
He also knew the injury on her head was from her being forced to slam it against a pillar. He could even see old scars on her arm beneath her hospital sleeve.
Yet this girl had single-handedly captured two fugitives who had crossed three provinces over nearly two thousand kilometers…
So much for “just doing what she was capable of.”
Qin Yi’s gaze was sharp with scrutiny. Yet the girl in front of him was no longer timid. She curled her lips slightly into a faint smile.
“Comrade Qin, do you have any other questions?”
Questions?
He had nothing but questions.
Why did she know where the handbrake was?
Why did she know how to use joint locks?
Why did she know how to defuse a bomb?
Why did she know military-style restraint techniques?
Why was she so timid when being bullied, yet so fearless when catching criminals?
Her answer could fool a three-year-old at best.
He looked at her. He knew she was only nineteen. But she was thin—malnourished, sallow-faced, skin rough and cracked from long exposure to wind and sun. She had none of the vitality a girl her age should have. Anyone could tell her life had been extremely difficult.
Driving, grappling, bomb defusal—none of these seemed remotely connected to her, yet she appeared to know them all, and even execute them well under extreme conditions.
This was not something luck or reckless courage could achieve. This girl was full of mysteries.
Before he could speak again, she tilted her head slightly and countered him. He was almost certain that if he asked directly, he would get nothing meaningful in return.
After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Yi asked something completely unrelated.
“What do you usually do when you have free time?”
Su Tong searched her memory.
“Read books,” she said.
“Read books?” Qin Yi was surprised. Education in rural areas was still severely underdeveloped. In remote mountain villages, there weren’t even many students. The “books” she referred to likely weren’t textbooks.
“Do… do you even have books to read?”
“If I want to read them, I can find some,” Su Tong replied.
A man’s face flashed through her mind—the educated youth who used to lend books to the original owner, and the source of Wu Dongling’s jealousy.
Her abilities came from reading books? Could someone really self-learn to that level just from reading?
“So you learned the position of the handbrake… and even restraint techniques from books?”
“Yes… yes,” Su Tong quickly agreed. This explanation actually worked well—she hadn’t even thought of it before.
“The books… explain everything very clearly. I just didn’t expect them to be so useful.”
Qin Yi was silent for a long time. He took a deep breath, suppressing the growing number of questions, and changed the topic.
“This time you’ve made a significant contribution. Outsiders only know about you saving the child. Normally, your actions in capturing the fugitives should be reported and commended. But this case involves deeper secrets and has wider implications, and the main suspect is still at large. For your safety, we may need to keep this matter confidential for now…”
Su Tong, who had been leaning back on the hospital bed, straightened slightly.
“Not reported yet?”
Qin Yi watched her expression closely. He saw clearly—it wasn’t regret, but relief.
He continued slowly, “Ma Liu only just woke up. Right now, only Lin Li and I know about this.”
Su Tong’s eyes flickered.
Only two people know? As long as they stayed silent, her involvement could remain hidden.
Qin Yi noticed her expression change for the first time, and only then realized she had very beautiful eyes—clear and bright, like starlight, bringing life to her otherwise pale face.
Su Tong leaned forward slightly.
“Comrade Qin, I don’t want any commendation, and I don’t need this reported to higher authorities. I only have one small request. I hope you can help me fulfill it.”
Qin Yi already had a rough guess.
“What is your request?”