An Xiuyu's face flushed bright red. She secretly pinched her child, making Huzi burst into loud wails. Quickly picking him up to soothe him, she turned to Lin Xiaoxiao with visible anxiety. "When we saw him, he really was dead. I don't know why, I just felt that your husband looked exactly like that man."

By now, Lin Xiaoxiao was certain An Xiuyu was lying—though she didn't yet know why. "I was just curious. My husband had a brother who looked very much like him. He went missing three years ago and still hasn't been found. It occurred to me that the man you saw might have been my brother-in-law."

An Xiuyu immediately pressed her lips together, afraid that saying another word would give her away. Lin Xiaoxiao was far too sharp.

Li Guiling looked puzzled. "What are you two talking about? I don't understand. Sister Xiuyu, when did you see Xiaoxiao's husband?"

Lin Xiaoxiao helped explain. "My husband is hospitalized here with an injury. I ran into Sister Xiuyu near the wards."

Li Guiling also found it odd. "But you said the dead man's face was swollen and unrecognizable.

How could you tell he looked like Anning's husband?"

An Xiuyu couldn't explain. Her face turned redder as she paced with her crying son. She simply stopped trying to justify herself.

Lin Xiaoxiao was now sure An Xiuyu was hiding something. Whether the man was Zhou Xiaocheng or not, one thing was clear—when An Xiuyu saw him, his face definitely wasn't swollen.

Afraid of further questions, An Xiuyu carried her child out of the room.

Li Guiling, still confused, pulled Lin Xiaoxiao aside. "What's going on with Sister Xiuyu? I really don't get it."

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "Only she knows. I'm curious too."

Since An Xiuyu wasn't willing to talk, Lin Xiaoxiao decided Zhou Huai'an would have to investigate himself. Someone could be sent to Sun Village to ask questions. She picked up the thermos to get hot water before returning to the ward.

Just as she stepped out of the boiler room, she saw An Xiuyu waiting with her child. An Xiuyu looked anxious. "Xiaoxiao, I need to talk to you."

Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't entirely surprised. An Xiuyu didn't seem malicious—just trapped. She nodded. "Let's walk ahead a bit."

An Xiuyu seemed to steel herself before speaking. "When I saw him, he wasn't in the water. I don't even know if he was dead. I was gathering wild vegetables when I noticed he had a wristwatch. I got bold and checked his pockets... There were twenty pounds of grain ration tickets inside."

Her voice trembled. "I gave in to greed and took the tickets. When I tried to take the watch, he suddenly opened his eyes. I was so scared... I pushed him into the river."

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at An Xiuyu's frame. Even growing up doing farmwork, it was unlikely she could easily push a disoriented—but conscious—man into the river. Still, she didn't challenge the detail. "What happened then?"

An Xiuyu shifted her crying child to the other arm. "I took the watch and tickets home. Two days later, someone found his body on the riverbank."

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. "I really didn't mean to... I was just scared, and those ration tickets tempted me. I didn't know he was still alive."

Lin Xiaoxiao was exasperated. "Do you realize what you've done? It's no different from intentional murder."

An Xiuyu turned pale. "I didn't mean to! I never wanted him dead."

There was no point arguing now. "Do you still have the watch?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked. It was the only clue to whether the man was Zhou Xiaocheng.

"Yes, it's at my house," An Xiuyu said quickly. "I really didn't mean to kill anyone."

"You may not have meant to kill him," Lin Xiaoxiao said coldly, "but you left him to die. How can you become a doctor with that mindset? Don't use poverty as an excuse for greed or taking what isn't yours."

An Xiuyu was filled with regret. If only she hadn't talked so carelessly in the dorm, or hadn't acted so afraid when she saw Lin Xiaoxiao's husband, none of this would have come out.

But most of all, she regretted taking the watch and the tickets. No wonder the village mystic said Huzi was haunted by a drowned ghost—it was her fault.

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't want to talk anymore. She hurried back to tell Zhou Huai'an everything. They needed someone to go to Sun Village and retrieve that watch.

When she returned to the ward, Zhong Zhiguo had already left. Zhou Huai'an was sitting on the bed reading a newspaper.

Lin Xiaoxiao took the paper from him and repeated everything she'd heard in one breath. "We need to hurry. What if Zhou Xiaoming finds out about this too?"

She'd seen enough dramas to know the villains always find the evidence first.

Zhou Huai'an looked thoughtful, though slightly surprised. "Go to Lu Yuanda's office and make a phone call. Ask the operator to connect you to the Third District Command and request a man named Lin Zihao. Tell him to come to the hospital."

Lin Xiaoxiao memorized the name. "That's a nice name. I'll go now."

She rushed to Lu Yuanda's office, borrowed the phone, and made the call as instructed. The voice that finally answered was deep and pleasant. After hanging up, she touched her ear—that low baritone was something else.

When she returned to the ward, Zhou Zhennan and Li Yunlan had arrived. They brought apples, a container of bone broth, and some steamed buns.

Li Yunlan smiled warmly. "Xiaoxiao, come have a bun. We got you some bone broth too. You're too thin—you should eat more."

Lin Xiaoxiao felt a rush of warmth and thanked them sincerely.

After dinner, Li Yunlan took Lin Xiaoxiao out for a walk.

Only Zhou Huai'an and Zhou Zhennan remained in the room. Zhou Zhennan seemed to be gathering his words.

Zhou Huai'an spoke first. "If there's evidence against Zhou Xiaoming, I will not hold back."

Zhou Zhennan sighed. "That's what I wanted to discuss. I may not be able to turn against my own family outright, but I know right from wrong. If he has gone too far, do what you must. All I can promise is that the Zhou family will not interfere."

"Do what you believe is right."

Zhou Huai'an paused. "Was Zhou Xiaoming also on the front lines three years ago?"

Zhou Zhennan nodded. "He and Xiaocheng were in the same rotation."

Zhou Huai'an frowned slightly but didn't respond.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Zhennan added, "I will return to Beijing in a couple of days. I will look into this as well."

Meanwhile, Li Yunlan chatted with Lin Xiaoxiao as they walked. "You and Huai'an have been married for months now. When are you planning to have children? I could help take care of them."

Lin Xiaoxiao was caught off guard. Was she being pushed to have kids already?

Li Yunlan suddenly sighed. "But I can't always control my emotions... I worry I might be a burden."

Lin Xiaoxiao reassured her gently. "You won't be a burden. You're doing just fine as you are.

When we have children, we'll definitely want you involved."

Li Yunlan brightened and began sharing stories about Xiaocheng, Xiaohong, and Xiaoling when they were young.

When they returned to the room, a stranger had arrived—a man slightly older than Zhou Huai'an, with the same stern demeanor but sharper, more intense features.