Shen Chaoyi’s hand, resting on the mouse, trembled. Her pupils dilated as she stared in disbelief at the frozen image on the screen.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, witnessing it with her own eyes still hit her hard.
Especially that last second—Yi Qingzhuo’s eyes. It felt like they pierced through the screen and dealt a heavy blow to Shen Chaoyi.
How could this be?
She knew about what happened ten years ago, but given Yi Qingzhuo’s current condition…
Shen Chaoyi realized she might not understand Yi Qingzhuo at all.
From their few brief interactions, Yi Qingzhuo had been quiet and unwilling to communicate with anyone.
Shen Chaoyi had felt a bit intimidated by her at first, so she never thought to ask why Yi Qingzhuo was always injured.
A woman rumored to be a cold-blooded murderer—every time Shen Chaoyi saw her, she was covered in wounds.
And this time, she nearly died.
Yi Qingzhuo’s life was dangerous yet carried a story that was impossible not to want to uncover.
Shaking off her shock, Shen Chaoyi refocused on the text accompanying the photo.
Suspected family dispute.
Neighbors say this has happened more than once.
Yi Qingzhuo keeps to herself.
Shen Chaoyi picked out several key phrases.
Family dispute? Was it because of what happened ten years ago?
Before she could finish reading, someone knocked on the office door.
She turned around. Two officers in uniform stood there.
“Hello, are you Dr. Shen Chaoyi?” one of them asked.
Shen Chaoyi stood up. “I’m Shen Chaoyi.”
“Hello, I’m Officer Chen from Ningchuan Police Station. I’m here specifically regarding Yi Qingzhuo’s case.” Chen Yao extended his hand to Shen Chaoyi.
“I’m Officer Wang.” The other officer also offered his hand.
Shen Chaoyi smiled and nodded, shaking each of their hands briefly. “Hello.”
After the greetings, Chen Yao got straight to the point. “We’re now in charge of investigating the Yi Qingzhuo assault case. We heard you were present throughout her emergency treatment and were her attending surgeon. We’d like to ask about her current physical condition. It’s crucial to the case’s progress.”
Shen Chaoyi gestured for them to sit. “Please, have a seat.”
“Nurse Liu, please get two cups of tea for the officers.”
With that, Shen Chaoyi pulled out a file folder from beside the computer. “This contains the patient’s post-surgery physical data.”
“The patient just regained consciousness and is still under observation in the ICU.” She paused, pursed her lips, and squeezed the pen in her hand. The smile on her face faltered slightly as she glanced at Chen Yao’s pen and notebook. “The patient went into hemorrhagic shock on the way to the hospital and suffered cardiac arrest. After emergency resuscitation, a faint heartbeat was restored. Upon arrival at the hospital, her heart stopped again and her blood pressure dropped. After further resuscitation, she met the criteria for surgery and was taken to the operating room.”
Just describing Yi Qingzhuo’s condition made a thin layer of sweat break out on Shen Chaoyi’s forehead.
Connecting the Yi Qingzhuo in the video to the one in the ICU stirred a storm inside her.
She unconsciously furrowed her brows, not realizing that the pen tip had stained her fingertips black.
She took a silent deep breath. “The patient has countless external injuries all over her body.”
“She’s… very weak now. At least until she’s transferred to the general ward, she won’t be able to cooperate with police questioning.”
After speaking, Shen Chaoyi forced a faint smile, but her usually warm eyes were furrowed.
Chen Yao noticed her movement and stopped writing. He pointed at her hand. “Dr. Shen?”
Though he was barely thirty, his experience as a police officer told him something was off with Dr. Shen’s emotions.
Reminded by Chen Yao, Shen Chaoyi looked down and saw that both her index finger and thumb were stained black against the pale back of her hand.
It stood out starkly.
Realizing she had lost her composure, she quickly grabbed a tissue and gave a calm smile. “Sorry, don’t mind me. Let’s continue.”
Chen Yao narrowed his eyes, discreetly studying Shen Chaoyi.
Polite, composed, warm and gentle—that was his impression from the brief ten minutes.
“So that means she’s out of life-threatening danger?” Chen Yao didn’t dwell on her lapse.
The tissue was crumpled into a ball in Shen Chaoyi’s palm. She shook her head slightly. “Not exactly. Since she experienced hemorrhagic shock and another sudden drop in blood pressure during surgery, she’s still in danger until she leaves the ICU.”
Hearing this, Chen Yao’s brow immediately knit together.
He had sharp, chiseled features that naturally exuded integrity. Now, with a frown and a grim expression, he looked quite imposing.
Shen Chaoyi looked down. She was just stating the medical facts.
Chen Yao closed his notebook and quickly adjusted his expression.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shen Chaoyi’s computer screen and raised an eyebrow. “Dr. Shen follows the trending news too?”
“Just browsing casually,” Shen Chaoyi said softly.
She turned off the computer and calmly looked at Chen Yao.
Chen Yao smiled, glanced at the black stain on Shen Chaoyi’s fingertips that marred the beauty of her hand, and pulled a business card from his notebook.
He handed it to Shen Chaoyi. “This is my card. Please contact me as soon as Yi Qingzhuo’s condition improves or if there’s any unexpected development.”
Shen Chaoyi took the card with both hands. “Okay.”
Chen Yao waited a few seconds, but Shen Chaoyi simply held the card in her hand without any further action.
Helpless, he said, “If you could also give me a card or a way to contact you, Dr. Shen, we’ll need you to cooperate with us for subsequent tasks like injury assessment. That way we can reach you easily.”
Shen Chaoyi paused, her eyes flickering. She pulled a card from her drawer. “Sorry, I forgot.”
“No problem. We won’t bother you unless it’s necessary.” Chen Yao took the card between two fingers and looked at it.
It was a white card with no flashy colors, only the hospital name, her title, and her name and phone number. A few simple black lines added a touch of elegance.
Minimal, like a Post-it note.
Chen Yao put the card away. “Then we won’t disturb you anymore, Dr. Shen.”
Shen Chaoyi nodded slightly. “Take care.”
In the ICU at that moment.
Yi Qingzhuo opened her eyes. Within her field of vision, all she could see was the nameplate hanging on the bedside table.
Patient: Yi Qingzhuo. Age: 29.
Ah, so she was already twenty-nine.
But the last time she had truly interacted with society was when she was eighteen, and she hadn’t learned much about it then.
It was only at twenty-nine that she was truly encountering the world.
During countless dull, repetitive days, she had sometimes wondered what the world outside the prison walls was like, how she would blend back in.
After her release, Yi Changhuan had spent nearly all her savings to set up an internet cafe for her.
Compared to the semi-military life in prison, this simple two-point routine felt much freer.
Of course, that was when people weren’t coming to pick fights.
She and Yi Changhuan had been living a quiet, happy life.
Her gaze fixed on the nameplate. Below her own name was another line.
Attending Physician: Shen Chaoyi.
Thoughts of that warm, gentle face made Yi Qingzhuo’s eyes flicker, a mist forming in them.
Her name was like her—like a spring breeze.
But it was precisely that kind of person Yi Qingzhuo didn’t want to get close to.
They were polar opposites. It was better to have no entanglements at all, so she could stay safely in her own solitary world.
Just as she was thinking, a bell rang.
The TV on the wall connected to the outside feed.
Yi Changhuan took one look at her daughter lying frail and dying on the bed, then immediately lowered her head and covered her face, sobbing.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Seeing Yi Qingzhuo lying motionless, Yi Changhuan felt a tearing pain in her heart.
How had her daughter ended up like this?
On the screen, Yi Qingzhuo’s face was drained of all color, as pale as paper, so weak she seemed to be holding on by a thread.
Yi Qingzhuo heard her mother’s cries and lifted her fingers slightly.
I cannot wipe away my weeping mother’s tears.
What a powerless and painful feeling.
Yi Qingzhuo stared intently at the screen. She hadn’t cried in many years.
A single crystal tear slid from the corner of her eye—clear, pure.
She had almost forgotten when she last shed a tear. Maybe ten years ago?
She had even thought she had forgotten how to cry.
No matter the malice directed at her, no matter the physical pain, she remained expressionless, as if she felt nothing. And she never cried.
But she was human after all, with seven emotions and six desires. Seeing her mother cry until she could barely stand made her tears fall.
Yi Qingzhuo closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight of her mother’s fragile, lonely weeping.
“Auntie, wipe your tears.” A soft, gentle voice came through the microphone. Yi Qingzhuo’s eyes snapped open.
Shen Chaoyi handed her a tissue, then bent down to help Yi Changhuan back into a chair.
Her eyes were deep as she looked at Yi Qingzhuo on the bed, and her voice was clear. “Don’t worry. She has a strong constitution. As long as she makes it through tonight, she’ll be fine.”
Yi Changhuan turned to look at the gently smiling Shen Chaoyi.
She wiped away her tears and quickly said, “Thank you, Dr. Shen. Thank you so much.”
Then she started to stand to bow to Shen Chaoyi.
“It’s my duty, Auntie. Please don’t be too upset. If you’re sad out here, Yi Qingzhuo will see it, and it won’t do her any good.” Shen Chaoyi immediately supported her, stopping the gesture. “Please, Auntie, no need to be so polite.”
