Li Yunlan paused for a moment, then turned to look at Lin Xiaoxiao. "Jiang Qiong was a good friend of mine. A very, very dear friend."

Lin Xiaoxiao wondered to herself: If Zhou Xiaoling is missing, why would that make her feel sorry toward Jiang Qiong? Unless Zhou Xiaoling is actually Jiang Qiong's child!!

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became.

On their way, they happened to run into Zhou Huaian returning home.

Li Yunlan hurried over. "Huaian, where's Xiaoling? Have you found her?"

Zhou Huaian frowned. "Don't panic yet. We're doing everything we can to locate her."

Lin Xiaoxiao also rushed over, looking at Zhou Huaian anxiously. "Do you know who's behind it?"

Zhou Huaian shook his head. "It's still unclear. I was just coming back to update you—and to remind you to be careful when you go to work."

Lin Xiaoxiao hurried forward to ask. "What's going on? Are the perpetrators really that bold?

What do they want?"

Zhou Huaian couldn't share too many details. He simply reassured both Li Yunlan and Lin Xiaoxiao: "We've contacted Lin Zihao's team. We're conducting a joint search operation. We'll notify you immediately as soon as we have news."

Hearing Lin Zihao's name made Lin Xiaoxiao even more uneasy. If Lin Zihao was involved, it meant the situation was serious enough to require military intervention—far beyond a simple kidnapping case.

Li Yunlan's face grew increasingly pale. She gripped Lin Xiaoxiao's hand, her fingers icy cold, as if she had no strength left to speak.

The last time she had felt this helpless and terrified was when she learned of Zhou Xiaocheng's death.

If anything happened to Zhou Xiaoling, how could she go on living?

Noticing Li Yunlan's hand growing colder and the color draining from her face, Lin Xiaoxiao felt a jolt of alarm. "Zhou Huaian, quick—we need to get Mom to the hospital. Your unit's hospital!"

Before she finished speaking, Li Yunlan went limp and fell backward. Zhou Huaian reacted swiftly, catching her just in time.

With no time to think, Lin Xiaoxiao instructed, "Keep her body as steady as possible. Don't jostle her head. Hurry to the hospital!"

Supporting Li Yunlan's head, she matched Zhou Huaian's pace as they rushed toward his unit's medical facility.

The unit's hospital served primarily internal personnel. Boasting top-notch technology and equipment, it was equipped to care for researchers and scientists—some of whom faced long-term exposure to nuclear radiation and required specialized medical attention.

Only after Li Yunlan was wheeled into the emergency room did Lin Xiaoxiao allow herself to relax slightly. She bent over, hands on her knees, breathing heavily as she stared at the closed operating room doors, a new wave of worry washing over her.

If something happened to Li Yunlan, the person who had finally come to cherish Zhou Huaian would be gone again.

Her heart ached for Li Yunlan, and even more for Zhou Huaian.

Straightening up, she saw Zhou Huaian standing rigidly nearby, his eyes fixed on the operating room door. His gaze was deep and unreadable.

After a moment of silence, she walked over and took his hand. "She loves you very much. She wants to be good to you but doesn't know how. The tumor in her brain is extremely dangerous—it could be fatal at any moment. If she passes like this, I think she would regret not having had the chance to truly take care of you."

Zhou Huaian looked down at Lin Xiaoxiao. In his clear, bright eyes, worry and tension were plainly visible. "Can you save her?"

Without really thinking, Lin Xiaoxiao nodded slowly. "I think I can try. But..."

If she performed the surgery, how would she explain it to Zhou Huaian? How could a supposedly amateur doctor perform such a complex procedure—one even Lu Yuanda couldn't handle?

Moreover, without a medical license, how could she convince other doctors to assist her in such a difficult operation?

On one side was a human life—the life of someone deeply important to Zhou Huaian. On the other was the risk of exposing her secret as a time-traveler.

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't know what to say.

Noticing her hesitation, Zhou Huaian said firmly, "Don't worry. I'll handle everything else."

Lin Xiaoxiao was taken aback. What did he mean by "handle everything"?

Before she could ask, the operating room door opened. A doctor in a white coat emerged.

"Captain Zhou, the patient's condition is critical. She needs cranial surgery as soon as possible, but we don't have a specialist here. We recommend transferring her immediately."

Even transferring her might be too late at this point.

Zhou Huaian clenched his fists. "An expert from Beijing will arrive soon. When she gets here, can you assist her with the surgery?"

The doctor looked surprised but nodded. "That won't be a problem. When will the expert arrive?"

"This afternoon," Zhou Huaian answered with certainty.

Lin Xiaoxiao finally understood: Zhou Huaian wanted her to pose as the expert from Beijing. It was an enormous risk—what if someone saw through the deception?

And why did Zhou Huaian trust her so completely?

The doctor, preoccupied with the patient's critical condition and reassured by Zhou Huaian's confidence, didn't question how the expert could arrive so quickly. He simply nodded. "Alright.

We'll prepare the operating room and sterilize the equipment. We'll begin as soon as the expert arrives."

Zhou Huaian gripped Lin Xiaoxiao's wrist and led her quickly out of the hospital.

He didn't release her until they were outside.

Even though she had already guessed, Lin Xiaoxiao had to ask: "You want me to impersonate the expert from Beijing?"

Zhou Huaian shook his head. "Not impersonate. From now on, you are the expert. I'll take you to change."

Lin Xiaoxiao was startled. Change? Had Zhou Huaian prepared for this?

She followed Zhou Huaian to his dormitory within the unit, passing through several highly restricted zones. Her nerves grew increasingly tense. Softly, she asked him, "Your hospital seems very well-equipped. Why did you go to the city hospital when you were injured?"

Zhou Huaian explained briefly, "We belong to different departments with separate administrative structures. We avoid using their medical resources unless absolutely necessary."

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't fully understand, but her mind was on Li Yunlan's condition. "The surgery could take around ten hours. Afterward, she might experience temporary memory loss or confusion. We need to find Xiaoling as soon as possible. I'm afraid if Mom wakes up and doesn't see her, she won't cooperate with follow-up treatment."

Zhou Huaian nodded. "Lin Zihao is skilled at tracking. It shouldn't be a problem."

Besides, they had already identified preliminary targets and were waiting for the right moment to act.

Lin Xiaoxiao had another concern. "What if later..."

Zhou Huaian cut her off. "I'll take care of everything. Just focus on the surgery. I'll handle the rest."

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at him doubtfully. Why did he trust her so much? And without even asking questions!

Zhou Huaian produced a set of women's clothing from somewhere, along with a short wig and a pair of black-framed glasses. The outfit instantly made Lin Xiaoxiao look over ten years older.

Curious, she looked down at the dull gray short-sleeved shirt. Dressed like this, she really did look the part of an expert. But one question lingered: "Why do you have women's clothes here?"