Lin Xiaoxiao had always been a free spirit—acting on impulse, never denying her own desires, and openly embracing her feelings.

She lived by her own rules, caring little about others' opinions as long as she was happy.

Breakfast passed in a pleasant atmosphere. Afterward, Lin Xiaoxiao gathered the bowls and chopsticks to wash. Zhou Huaian also stood up and followed—he was recovering remarkably well. Even Lin Xiaoxiao admired his tolerance and healing ability, especially since there were no pain pumps or IV antibiotics available in those days.

She glanced at him walking beside her and couldn't help reminding him, "Even though you're healing well, you should still be careful. Don't pull your stitches."

Zhou Huaian responded with a faint "Mm," not seeming too concerned. "I'm going for a walk toward the morgue."

Lin Xiaoxiao's interest was instantly piqued. "Are you going to look for clues? Can I come with you?"

Seeing the curious gleam in her eyes, Zhou Huaian knew she was overthinking things again. He nodded. "Alright. We're just going to look around."

Lin Xiaoxiao hurried to the kitchen, left the pot to soak in water, and rushed back to join Zhou Huaian.

The morgue was located in the northwest corner of the hospital, surrounded by somber pine and cypress trees that gave the area a chilly atmosphere.

Noticing Zhou Huaian strolling as casually as if he were in a park, Lin Xiaoxiao whispered cautiously, "Do you think the person behind all this could work in the morgue?"

Zhou Huaian looked down at her wary expression and couldn't help a faint smile. He played along, nodding seriously. "Good point. We should be careful."

Taking his cue, Lin Xiaoxiao grew even more vigilant, scanning the area as if expecting someone to jump out at any moment.

But Zhou Huaian simply circled the area once. They didn't see anyone; the morgue was locked.

As they started walking back, Lin Xiaoxiao frowned in confusion. "That's it? Did you find anything?"

Zhou Huaian shook his head. "No. But the hospital wall needs repairs. Otherwise, when autumn comes, kids from around will sneak in again to steal dates."

Feeling like her intelligence had been insulted, Lin Xiaoxiao tugged at his sleeve irritably. "Are you still doubting what I heard?"

Her eyes sparkled with frustration, making her look even more alive.

Zhou Huaian shook his head again. "No. I think the person who met with Li Keda isn't staff here—not from the hospital or the morgue. They probably just wanted to mislead us, or send a message: someone is trying to harm me."

Lin Xiaoxiao still didn't fully understand. "But why?"

Zhou Huaian wasn't sure either. "I've asked Lü Zhigang to look into it. We should know soon."

She looked up at him, suddenly realizing how tall he was—even with her original height of 1.65 meters, she only came up to his shoulders.

Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Could it be revenge? From family of someone you... fought before?"

Zhou Huaian wasn't sure where she came up with these ideas. "No, that's not possible."

His unit was combat-oriented. There were no personal grudges involved, and he wasn't a target for revenge.

"Oh," Lin Xiaoxiao said. Maybe she really was overthinking it.

Zhou Huaian glanced at her again. His eyes were repeatedly drawn to her expressive face. He swallowed and looked away. "I'm being discharged tomorrow. We'll stop by the residential compound first, then go to Zhou Village. Is that alright?"

Lin Xiaoxiao had no objections. "That depends on whether the doctor agrees. If your wound is healing well, it should be fine."

What worried her was that although patients could be discharged after five days, they were supposed to rest at home—not travel around like Zhou Huaian planned.

As they stepped out from the path near the morgue, Lin Xiaoxiao noticed Zhou Huaian speeding up slightly, putting nearly two meters between them. She glanced at the occasional passersby and almost laughed.

Zhou Huaian was maintaining a "safe distance" between men and women.

In this place, at this time, even married couples rarely walked side-by-side in public.

Lin Xiaoxiao went to the canteen to wash the dishes and told Zhou Huaian to go back to the ward first.

When Zhou Huaian returned, Lü Zhigang was already there, sitting on the edge of the bed and reading the book Zhou Huaian had been looking at the night before.

When he saw Zhou Huaian come in, he pointed to the notes in the book. "Your English has improved a lot. These translations are very accurate. No wonder the teachers all praised you back in school."

Zhou Huaian grabbed Lü Zhigang's arm and pulled him up. "Sit in the chair."

Lü Zhigang snorted. "What's your problem? It's not like I'm covered in germs."

But he grumbled and obediently moved to the chair. It was only when Zhou Huaian bent down to smooth out the bedsheet that Lü Zhigang realized—the bed he'd been sitting on was the one Lin Xiaoxiao used at night.

He grinned teasingly at Zhou Huaian, who ignored him.

"Any progress with the investigation?" Zhou Huaian asked.

Lü Zhigang tapped the table. "Found a few things, but it's strange—not sure how it connects to you. Li Keda has an older sister who married someone in Beijing. Recently, she and her husband came back to visit and haven't left yet."

"Li Keda's brother-in-law's surname is Kang. He works at the Natural Resources Bureau in Beijing. He's in his forties. You shouldn't have any connection to him; probably don't even know him."

Having known Zhou Huaian for twelve years, Lü Zhigang was very familiar with his social circle.Zhou Huaian frowned. He really didn't know anyone in Beijing. "Other than that, nothing unusual?"

"No," Lü Zhigang shook his head. "Li Keda is quite skilled and has a good reputation locally. But in the past, he refused to take sides and never got promoted. He's known as a straightforward person. Someone like that shouldn't have misdiagnosed you, let alone put on an act."

Zhou Huaian also found it puzzling. "I didn't know Li Keda before either. Help me look into his brother-in-law's background."

"No problem," Lü Zhigang agreed readily. "I'll ask my eldest brother for help. Sometimes the most unlikely possibility turns out to be the one. Be careful yourself."

Zhou Huaian nodded. "I will. I'm being discharged tomorrow. The day after, I'll go back to Zhou Village."

Lü Zhigang seemed to hesitate, but eventually couldn't hold back. "Finally going back? If you ask me, you've been too good to them. Otherwise, you and Luo Caixia might have worked out. She waited for you for so many years."

Zhou Huaian frowned and was about to respond when Lin Xiaoxiao walked in with the lunchbox. Suddenly feeling uneasy, he pressed his lips together and stayed silent.

Lü Zhigang stood up and greeted her with a smile. "Hello, sister-in-law."

He felt a little guilty too—unsure if she had overheard. After all, it wasn't appropriate to talk about another woman when the two of them were already married.