Zhou Xiaoling was practically dragged by Lin Xiaoxiao to the classroom. She sat through the lesson in a daze, then was pulled into a small grove behind the building.

There, Lin Xiaoxiao carefully explained that Zhou Xiaocheng might still be alive.

Zhou Xiaoling's eyes went wide with shock, her voice trembling. "You're saying... my second brother is alive?"

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "We've already found the watch engraved with Zhou Xiaocheng's name.

But we still can't locate him. Are you sure he gave the watch to Xiao Ran?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Zhou Xiaoling insisted. "I was there when he gave it to her. I even joked that he was playing favorites—giving it to her and not me."

Lin Xiaoxiao frowned, puzzled. "Then why was the watch on Zhou Xiaocheng? What happened to Xiao Ran's watch? Your brother said we can't let anyone know Zhou Xiaocheng might be alive. Do you think you could ask Xiao Ran about the watch without raising suspicion?"

The mystery was getting deeper.

Zhou Xiaoling took a moment to process the news that her brother might be alive. Suddenly, she hugged Lin Xiaoxiao, nearly jumping with excitement. "He's alive, isn't he? There's a real chance he's alive, right?"

Lin Xiaoxiao patted her shoulder, trying to calm her. "It's very possible. The person who died in the explosion three years ago wasn't him."

Zhou Xiaoling wasn't worried about that anymore. "I'm going to call Xiao Ran right now."

"Wait," Lin Xiaoxiao stopped her. "You have to stay calm. Don't be impulsive. We can't let anyone suspect anything. What if Zhou Xiaoming had accomplices? Your brother could be in danger."

Zhou Xiaoling nodded repeatedly. "I understand. I know what to do. I'll calm down before I call, I promise."

Then she asked, "You said someone in your dorm found out? Who was it? I want to see them."

Seeing Zhou Xiaoling rolling up her sleeves ready for a fight, Lin Xiaoxiao quickly held her back. "Forget it. She has a child to care for, and it happened so long ago. There's not much we can do now."

Zhou Xiaoling snorted. "If we can't do anything else, we can at least give her a beating! Someone who leaves a person to die doesn't deserve sympathy. Can you imagine her as a doctor? If she sees a patient wearing gold and jewelry, would she ignore them and just take their things?"

Lin Xiaoxiao considered herself impulsive too, but she was still a bit more level-headed than Zhou Xiaoling. "There will be time for that later. But fighting won't solve anything. If you start something now, you'll be the one in the wrong."

Zhou Xiaoling was still fuming. "Fine, but she better watch out. I'll deal with her sooner or later."

Lin Xiaoxiao urged her to make the call first and find out about the watch.

After Zhou Xiaoling stormed off, Lin Xiaoxiao slowly made her way back to the classroom. It was a practical session focused on intramuscular injections.

Since there were no practice dummies, they had borrowed a piece of skin-on pork from the cafeteria. It had to be returned after use so it could still be cooked.

Lin Xiaoxiao was already skilled at injections, so she stood by An Xiuyu and Li Guiling, observing.

An Xiuyu had worked as a village medic for a few years. She knew how to give injections but paid no attention to nerve zones—she just went ahead and stuck the needle wherever.

This was dangerously irresponsible and risked causing nerve damage, possibly even leaving a patient disabled.

Lin Xiaoxiao listened as An Xiuyu confidently instructed Li Guiling: "You just have to be bold. The first time I held a needle, my hands were shaking. But after some practice, it becomes easy. Find the fleshiest part of the buttock, pinch the skin to relax the muscle, and stick the needle in."

Li Guiling looked at her with admiration. "That's a great method. It makes me feel less nervous."

Hearing such careless advice, Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't stay silent. "That's not right. There are major nerves in the hip. If you accidentally hit one, the patient could end up with leg pain or even permanent disability. Can you take that responsibility?"

An Xiuyu felt targeted. She knew she'd wronged the Zhou family before, but it hadn't been intentional. Now Lin Xiaoxiao was embarrassing her in front of everyone.

Among the trainees, Lin Xiaoxiao was the top student—skilled in every area and always praised by the instructors.

An Xiuyu had also heard that the hospital was recruiting local doctors. Those who performed well could even get official positions.

She wanted to stay in the city. After experiencing urban life, she had no desire to return to the village.

So she seized every chance to stand out, hoping the instructors would notice her too.

She hadn't expected Lin Xiaoxiao to openly challenge her. Muttering, she said, "I have two years of experience. I've never had any issues."

Lin Xiaoxiao stared back. "Just because you haven't had an accident doesn't mean your method is correct. What you described is wrong. You need to learn where the nerves are and which areas to avoid before choosing an injection site. You can't just aim for a fleshy spot."

An Xiuyu's face turned red. "What did I ever do to you? Why are you picking on me? Ask around—many village doctors give injections this way."

"Then they're being irresponsible too!" Lin Xiaoxiao shot back. "As medical workers, we have to be precise. We can't go with what's 'roughly okay.' Patients trust us with their lives—we're not here to experiment."

"Two years without a mistake is nothing to boast about. Is that really something to be proud of?"

An Xiuyu was furious but couldn't win the argument.

A crowd had gathered to watch, and she felt humiliated. Gritting her teeth, she challenged Lin Xiaoxiao: "Why don't we have a contest?"

Lin Xiaoxiao almost couldn't believe An Xiuyu would suggest something so disadvantageous to herself. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

An Xiuyu thought hard. "Suturing. Let's see who's better at suturing."

Lin Xiaoxiao almost felt sorry for her. She could suture better blindfolded than An Xiuyu on her best day.

She'd never demonstrated it in class, though. Apparently, An Xiuyu had some training and thought she could win this way.

When Lin Xiaoxiao didn't respond immediately, An Xiuyu gained confidence. "If you don't want to, we can choose something else."

She implied she was flexible and wouldn't take advantage.

Lin Xiaoxiao waved a hand. "That won't be necessary. But since it's a contest, there should be a bet. What are we wagering?"

An Xiuyu had heard rumors about Lin Xiaoxiao—that she'd been an ordinary city girl who knew nothing until she married Zhou Huai'an and got into the training program.

People said she only performed well because she was close to Lu Yuanda.

Encouraged by this, An Xiuyu straightened her back. "Whoever loses drops out of the training program."