Zhou Huaian frowned. "How is that possible?"

Lin Xiaoxiao put on a stern face and nodded seriously. "It's true. You've been poisoned—the kind that makes you miss me after just one day apart."

She couldn't help but laugh at her own cheesy pick-up line, even though it made her cringe. "But seriously, if it's just a fracture, why did you lose consciousness? Were you drugged beforehand?"

Zhou Huaian reflected on what happened. "Right before the accident, Wang Meng started hallucinating and suddenly lost strength in his limbs. I dragged him out of the vehicle just in time to avoid disaster."

Lin Xiaoxiao's heart clenched. "If you hadn't reacted quickly, you would have gone into the river with the car?"

Zhou Huaian nodded. "Yes."

It was clearly a deliberate attempt at murder—and a loud one at that.

Without hesitation, Lin Xiaoxiao exclaimed, "It's Zhou Xiaoming. It has to be him! My God, is there some imperial throne in the Zhou family he's afraid you'll claim? What could you going back possibly take from him? Is it really worth all this?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Was he out of his mind? Not only did he steal someone else's life, but now he wants to end it too?

Zhou Huaian, however, felt there was more to it. Zhou Xiaoming's desperation wasn't just about killing him—he was likely trying to bury a truth even Zhou Huaian wasn't aware of.

If Zhou Xiaoming was smart, he would stop now before things went too far.

After venting her frustration, Lin Xiaoxiao's mood lightened again. "Maybe it's a good thing you're injured. You can come with me to the city to recover. We can rent a place near the hospital—you'll heal, I'll go to class. No more being apart."

Zhou Huaian's throat moved slightly. He wasn't quite used to how quickly her thoughts jumped, but he did need to go to the city. If Zhou Xiaoming was this reckless, he needed to find out what he was hiding....Zhou Xiaoling wandered the streets with her parents. The county town was small, with just one main street and a modest farmers market selling a bit of everything.

Li Yunlan wanted to buy everything she saw for Zhou Huaian, but Zhou Zhennan gently stopped her. "Let's hold off for now. We should ask Huaian what he needs first."

Li Yunlan quickly agreed. "You're right, we'll ask him later."

Zhou Xiaoling was unusually quiet throughout, still processing what Lin Xiaoxiao had told her.

She wanted to find the right moment to talk to her father.

After walking around, they booked a room at a guesthouse. Zhou Xiaoling bought some steamed buns, and the three sat in the room eating them with hot water.

Li Yunlan finally began to feel tired, and Zhou Zhennan gently persuaded her to lie down and rest.

Once she was asleep, Zhou Zhennan turned to Zhou Xiaoling. "Let's go outside and talk."

Zhou Xiaoling followed her father downstairs, took a deep breath, and repeated everything Lin Xiaoxiao had told her.

Zhou Zhennan listened calmly, his hands behind his back. "What do you think about all this?"

Zhou Xiaoling pressed her lips together. "As much as I don't want to believe it, Lin Xiaoxiao wouldn't lie—and neither would Lü Zhigang. Zhou Xiaoming really did come to Longbei."

Zhou Zhennan felt a sense of pride. His youngest daughter had always been mischievous and often in trouble, but when it came to serious matters, she could stay clear-headed.

He nodded. "I understand. I'll look into it."

Zhou Xiaoling hesitated. "Dad... if it really was him, what will we do?"

After more than twenty years of affection, she still didn't want to believe Zhou Xiaoming could do something like this.

Zhou Zhennan was silent for a moment. "If he has crossed the line, he will have to face the consequences."

Tears welled in Zhou Xiaoling's eyes. "It just makes me sad, Dad. I don't want him to make such mistakes. But our brother suffered so much growing up, and now he's hurt again... How could Zhou Xiaoming do this?"

Did they raise a human being—or a hungry wolf that would eventually turn on their own family?

Zhou Zhennan patted her head. "You've grown up. What matters is that you can tell right from wrong. Everyone must be responsible for their actions. I only hope he realizes his mistake before it's too late."

Zhou Xiaoling wiped her eyes. "Will you and Mom stay here? My brother—Zhou Huaian—is a good man. He doesn't talk much and can seem distant, but he's really kind. He never gets mad no matter how much I bother him."

She wanted to give examples of how Zhou Huaian had been good to her, but nothing specific came to mind.

Zhou Zhennan smiled faintly at his daughter's thoughtful expression. "It's alright, I understand.

Your mother and I won't overstay our welcome. We won't be upset if your brother needs space. After all, we're still strangers to him. These things take time."

Zhou Xiaoling felt relieved and nodded vigorously. "Yes, he's a good person. Everyone at his unit respects him. It used to be only my second brother who received that kind of praise."

She already felt a sense of pride. In the past, when people praised Zhou Xiaocheng, she would happily chime in: "That's my second brother! He's amazing!"

Now, she imagined herself saying with equal pride: "You're talking about my big brother—he's incredible."...Zhou Huaian agreed to recover in the city, which made Lin Xiaoxiao happier than anything. They wouldn't have to be apart.

She fetched water to help him wash his face and hands. Noticing his slight embarrassment, she teased, "Why are you so shy? It's not like there's any part of you I haven't seen before."

Her gaze drifted somewhere less than appropriate—she'd not only seen it but held it, and she knew exactly how it measured up when aroused.

Her thoughts began wandering into decidedly risterritory.

Zhou Huaian followed her gaze, remembering her boldness from before, and his ears began to burn red.

Just as Lin Xiaoxiao was lost in her naughty thoughts, her stomach growled loudly. She realized she'd only had a bowl of congee in the morning and hadn't eaten since.

She hurriedly finished wiping his hands. "Are you hungry? I'll go get some food."

Zhou Huaian shook his head. "You should eat. Don't worry about me. I'm not hungry yet."

Lin Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. "I think I can wait a little longer. Your birth mother will probably bring food soon. Are you really not planning to acknowledge them? Your mother... she's kind of pitiful. She was deceived for thirty years."

Zhou Huaian moistened his dry lips. "Now is not the right time."

He understood Li Yunlan's situation, but with Zhou Xiaoming still at large and capable of who knows what, finding evidence was the priority.

Just as Lin Xiaoxiao predicted, Li Yunlan and Zhou Zhennan returned with five aluminum lunchboxes filled with food.

Li Yunlan laid them out on the bedside table and opened them one by one. "There weren't many options in town, so I borrowed the guesthouse kitchen to cook. I hope it suits your taste."

There were two full boxes of rice, two boxes of braised pork, and one box of dumplings.

Lin Xiaoxiao knew that given the time constraints and simple conditions, this was an exceptionally kind gesture—a meal prepared with great care and love.

She helped Zhou Huaian sit up. "Weren't you saying you were hungry? Eat up. This braised pork looks amazing—way better than anything your canteen makes."