At that moment, Xiao Yan was overwhelmed with a flood of anxious thoughts. If something really went wrong, would she lose her chance to attend university forever? And Lin Xiaoxiao—she would never let her live it down. She would cling to her relentlessly, never backing off.

Hostility flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as she glared at Lin Xiaoxiao, as if she could tear her apart with her gaze alone.

Lin Xiaoxiao stood up calmly and took a step back, putting a safe distance between them before returning Xiao Yan's stare coldly. A direct confrontation was inevitable—if Xiao Yan wanted trouble, then so be it.

At just 1.6 meters tall, Xiao Yan appeared petite and fragile next to Lin Xiaoxiao, who stood at 1.68 meters. What infuriated Xiao Yan the most was the indifferent look on Lin Xiaoxiao's face—it felt like silent mockery. The more she thought about it, the angrier she grew. Why did everything seem to revolve around Lin Xiaoxiao now? Zhou Huainan had taken an interest in her, and even the women in the old compound, who used to quarrel with her, were now speaking highly of her.

Resentment surged inside Xiao Yan. She glared at Lin Xiaoxiao and sneered, "Don't get too full of yourself. Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you're safe. Who knows if you'll even carry this baby to term? And let's not forget all your past scandals—everyone knows about them."

Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp slap struck her across the face.

Fury flashed in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes. Before Xiao Yan could react, she landed another slap—this time furious that Xiao Yan had dared to curse her unborn child. She simply wouldn't tolerate it.

Xiao Yan staggered, her vision blurring from the impact. Clutching her stinging cheek, she stared furiously at Lin Xiaoxiao. "Lin Xiaoxiao! I'm going to fight you..."

She lunged wildly at Lin Xiaoxiao, but Lin Xiaoxiao responded with a swift kick aimed at her abdomen.

Mindful of the baby she was carrying, Lin Xiaoxiao held back her strength. Still, the kick sent Xiao Yan stumbling several steps backward before she collapsed heavily to the ground.

Unwilling to accept the humiliation, Xiao Yan scrambled to her feet, determined to attack again. She refused to believe she couldn't take down a pregnant woman.

This was her own doing.

She charged straight at Lin Xiaoxiao, aiming maliciously at her belly—her intention clear: she wanted to cause harm, to destroy what Lin Xiaoxiao carried, and crush her pride.

But just as she reached her, Xiao Yan froze. Lin Xiaoxiao was holding a dagger pressed against her own abdomen, the blade pointed outward toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan was stunned. She hesitated, then slowly backed away, unable to believe that Lin Xiaoxiao was armed.

Lin Xiaoxiao looked at her with cold, dangerous eyes. "Go ahead," she challenged. "Let's see what's harder—your skull or this knife."

Xiao Yan glared back. "You're insane!"

Lin Xiaoxiao tilted the blade slightly. "Maybe. But I have to be prepared—especially with people like you around. Remember this, Xiao Yan: don't you dare harm my child. If anything happens to him, I will make sure you pay—even if it costs me my life. Test me if you dare."

Xiao Yan was terrified. The ferocity in Lin Xiaoxiao's voice and eyes drained all her courage. She muttered under her breath, "You're a lunatic. A complete madwoman."

Lin Xiaoxiao paid her no more attention. She calmly sheathed the dagger and sat back down.

She knew clashes with Xiao Yan were inevitable—she was always prepared. One reason was to keep Xiao Yan in check; the other was to protect herself during her commute. Especially now, during her pregnancy, she couldn't afford to let her guard down.

That afternoon, Zhou Xiaoling came to see Lin Xiaoxiao after work. The first thing she asked was, "How are you feeling? Any chest pain or discomfort?"

She was deeply worried about Lin Xiaoxiao, especially knowing she was often alone and vulnerable to unexpected threats.

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I'm fine. Everything's okay."

Zhou Xiaoling breathed a sigh of relief. As she turned to leave, she noticed Xiao Yan sitting not far away with a sour expression, as if someone owed her a great debt.

Curious, she asked, "What's wrong with Xiao Yan? She looks like she's sucking on a lemon."

Lin Xiaoxiao briefly summarized their morning confrontation and also mentioned Xiao Yan's insistence on administering morphine via intramuscular injection.

Zhou Xiaoling's eyes widened in outrage. "Is she trying to enable addiction? That's like speeding up a cancer patient's death! You can't do that!"

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "Exactly. It only hastens the patient's decline. Even in terminal stages, suffering doesn't justify such practices. As doctors, we have to respect every life."

Zhou Xiaoling was livid. "Why didn't you tell me earlier at the office? I'm going to have a word with her." Without waiting for a response, she stormed straight toward Xiao Yan's office, leaving Lin Xiaoxiao calling after her in vain.

The thought of Xiao Yan threatening Lin Xiaoxiao's unborn child made Zhou Xiaoling's blood boil. She kicked the door open, marched inside, grabbed Xiao Yan by the hair, and started throwing punches.

"Is this how you treat people? Do you think everyone will put up with your behavior? How dare you curse an unborn child! Do you even deserve to be called a doctor?" she shouted.

Zhou Xiaoling had always been tough—growing up climbing walls, getting into fights, and later learning martial arts in the military. She easily pinned Xiao Yan to the ground, who curled up in a ball, covering her head and begging for mercy.

Lin Xiaoxiao watched, torn between anger and concern, as Zhou Xiaoling continued kicking Xiao Yan and cursing her. "If anything happens to my sister-in-law because of you, I'm holding you responsible," Zhou snapped.

Dr. Chen, the director, arrived just in time. Seeing Xiao Yan on the floor and Zhou Xiaoling in a rage, he quickly stepped in and held her back. "Comrade Zhou, please calm down. Let's talk this through rationally."

Zhou Xiaoling, realizing she'd gone too far, quickly switched her tone like an actor changing roles. "Director Chen, you're just in time. How can our medical clinic tolerate such a poisonous person? She maliciously tried to harm my sister-in-law's baby."

"You know my brother is working away from home," Zhou continued. "I'm only here to protect his family. If she doesn't back off today, who knows what she'll do next?"

She insisted repeatedly that Xiao Yan intended to hurt Lin Xiaoxiao's child. Dr. Chen looked stunned. "Could this be a misunderstanding?"

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "There's no misunderstanding. I warned her today against giving intramuscular morphine injections. She thought I was interfering, but as a doctor, I believe she's crossed a line—she's lost her medical ethics. How can someone like her be trusted to save lives?"

Xiao Yan, aching all over and nursing her face, hurried to her feet and pleaded, "Director Chen, please listen—I didn't mean it. I spoke without thinking."

Lin Xiaoxiao fixed her with an icy stare. "Speaking without thinking is one thing, but cursing my unborn child? That's unforgivable. Do you even deserve to be called a human being?"

Zhou Xiaoling added sharply, "My brother works tirelessly far from home. How can you treat his family like this?"