Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaoling followed the crowd at a leisurely pace to the medical station. By the time they arrived, the old woman's foot had already been bandaged. It was said the burn was quite severe, with several blisters.

The one who had bandaged her happened to be Xiao Yan.

It had been a while since Lin Xiaoxiao had seen her—she'd almost forgotten about Xiao Yan. She looked at her coolly without saying a word.

Xiao Yan frowned, her expression reproachful. "You've been studying medicine in the city. How could you do something like this? Don't you know that burns are hard to heal in the elderly?

What if she's left with permanent complications?"

Hearing this, the old woman seized the opportunity to wipe her tears and wail that she wasn't going to make it.

Zhang Yimei also glared at Lin Xiaoxiao, looking as if she wanted to rush over and fight.

Lin Xiaoxiao clasped her hands behind her back, calmly scanning the room before her gaze settled on Xiao Yan. She let out a short, mocking laugh. "If it's a burn, why bandage it so tightly?

Seems like you don't want it to heal properly—or maybe you're just not very skilled?"

Xiao Yan's face flushed. "What nonsense are you talking? The wound is covered in blisters—of course it needs to be bandaged."

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "Why so defensive? I'm offering correct medical advice. If you bandage unbroken skin and it gets infected, that's on you—not me."

Xiao Yan turned pale with anger. She wasn't formally trained in medicine and had only followed standard first-aid procedures. She didn't know whether Lin Xiaoxiao was right or not.

In the midst of the argument, security brought in Zhou Huai'an and Zhang Yimei's husband, Wang Wenju.

Since it involved a conflict between women, they thought it best to let the husbands handle it.

Everyone worked for the same unit, after all—surely they could resolve things without too much drama.

Lin Xiaoxiao had been full of confidence earlier, but the moment Zhou Huai'an walked in, she went quiet. She lowered her head, staring at her toes, feeling both awkward and irritated.

This was the same man who had been so intimate with her just last night—now his face was cold and stern. He was clearly upset, probably because she'd caused trouble.

The thought made her heart sink with a sudden wave of self-pity. She felt wronged.

Zhou Xiaoling, seeing her older brother's dark expression, instinctively moved closer to Lin Xiaoxiao. He was serious by nature, but right now he looked especially intimidating. She had intended to stand united with Lin Xiaoxiao, but now she felt less sure.

Zhou Huai'an had been in a meeting when he heard Lin Xiaoxiao had fought with Wang Wenju's mother. It came as a shock.

He was well aware of the old woman's temper. She'd caused trouble in the residential compound before—back when he and Lin Xiaoxiao weren't yet married. She was even more unruly than Lin Xiaoxiao had been in her worst days.

Worried that Lin Xiaoxiao might have been harmed, he hurried over. When he ran into Wang Wenju on the way, he was too upset to be polite.

Now, seeing Lin Xiaoxiao standing there unharmed, he felt a wave of relief. He walked over to her, looking down at her lowered head and the pale curve of her neck, where a faint red mark still showed. His heart softened. "Are you hurt?"

Hearing the unusual gentleness in his voice, Lin Xiaoxiao realized he wasn't angry. She immediately felt better and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I was just making lunch when she threw dirty water into my wok. I know the chili smoke was bothersome—that was my fault, and I'll be more careful from now on. But who can really control how the wind blows?"

Zhou Xiaoling quickly chimed in like an echo. "Yes, yes! My sister-in-law didn't do it on purpose.

And since when is cooking with chilies against the law? She could've just asked us nicely. Why throw dirty water into our wok?"

Zhou Huai'an turned and frowned at Wang Wenju.

Wang Wenju knew his mother had a talent for causing trouble. For months, she'd been arguing with one household after another—always stirring up drama and trying to take advantage.

All he could do was apologize repeatedly. "I'm sorry, sister-in-law, really—I apologize on my mother's behalf."

The old woman was not pleased. "Wenju, why are you apologizing to her? She's the one who hurt me! She should be apologizing! Are you doing this because her husband is your boss? If that's how it is, let's take this to your superiors!"

Wang Wenju felt a headache coming on. He wished his mother would just be quiet. "Mom, what are you saying? Captain Zhou isn't like that. Besides, you were in the wrong. You could've talked to them—why throw dirty water into their wok?"

The old woman wasn't having it. "What's the big deal? She's done the same to the neighbors before. If she can do it, why can't I? Is she better than us just because she's the captain's wife?"

Lin Xiaoxiao felt a headache of her own coming on. So the problem circled back to the original Lin Xiaoxiao's past behavior.

She didn't argue—just looked innocently at Zhou Huai'an.

Zhou Huai'an's expression darkened. He stared at the old woman. "What happened before was wrong, and I personally apologized for it. That matter is over. Even if someone wanted payback, it wouldn't be your place. What you did today went too far. If you refuse to apologize, given your recent behavior in this compound, higher-ups will have a word with Wang Wenju."

"Whether you'll be allowed to stay, or whether Wang Wenju can keep his job—that will be in question."

Wang Wenju went pale. He placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Mom, I've told you—stop making trouble here. The captain is serious. If you keep this up, we'll have to move back to the village."

The old woman was speechless for a moment before muttering, "He's... he's abusing his power."

Zhou Huai'an didn't respond, only continued to look at her calmly. The message was clear: Yes, I am using my authority today.

Lin Xiaoxiao was delighted. For a moment, Zhou Huai'an seemed ten feet tall.

In the end, Zhou Huai'an didn't force the old woman to apologize. He simply left with Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaoling.

The moment the three stepped outside, the old woman started wailing again. "What's the use of having a son like you? Your own mother gets bullied, and you won't even stand up for her...!"

Wang Wenju was fed up. He turned and walked out—he knew his mother's dramatics all too well.......Zhou Huai'an walked Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaoling home. The yard was still a mess, and the wok remained where it had landed in the neighbor's yard.

Lin Xiaoxiao explained quietly, "Who knows what kind of water she used? There's no way I'm keeping that wok."

Zhou Huai'an nodded. "It's fine. I'll bring a new one when I come back this afternoon. I'll stop by the canteen now to see if there's any food left—I can bring some back for you."

Lin Xiaoxiao quickly waved her hand. "No, no, it's alright. We made rice at noon. We'll just toss together a cold salad or something." Then she added softly, "I'm sorry, Zhou Huai'an. I caused trouble for you."

Zhou Huai'an looked at her for a long moment, his tone earnest. "You did well today."