Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhou Huaian with a hint of curiosity. "Is something wrong? Or are you feeling too unwell to walk back to the ward on your own?"

After a brief silence, Zhou Huaian replied, "Let's have a meal together later."

It was a simple sentence, yet he spoke it with unusual seriousness and resolve.

Lin Xiaoxiao understood immediately—he had found out that she'd been eating coarse steamed buns the past few days. Her eyes curved into a smile. "Sure! Do you need me to help you back to the ward?"

Inside, her heart felt as if it had been dipped in honey—warm and sweet. It felt nice to be cared for.

Zhou Huaian shook his head and turned toward the inpatient building. Though he walked slowly, his steps were firm and steady—nothing like someone who had just undergone surgery.

Lin Xiaoxiao watched him walk away with a smile, then headed to the canteen with her cloth bag to borrow a basin so she could clean the fish.

Old Wang, the cook, was surprised to see the half-basin of lively little carp. "You went to the pond too? I heard it was packed— barely any space to squeeze in!"

Lin Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, then smiled. "Guess I just got lucky. I found quite a few."

Old Wang, who had some free time, helped her clean the fish. "You shouldn't eat all these in one go—such a waste. Keep half of them in a water basin. You can leave it in the storage room—I'll keep an eye on it. No one will take it. You can make more fish soup for Zhou Huaian tomorrow."

Lin Xiaoxiao thought that was a great idea. She couldn't help but wonder: What was it about Zhou Huaian that made almost everyone who knew him treat him so well? His family, of course, was another story...

Cooking oil was a precious commodity, so Lin Xiaoxiao didn't feel right using the canteen's oil to fry the fish. Instead, she threw them straight into the pot to make soup.

Noticing mud stains on her clothes and having nothing to change into, she went to the sink behind the canteen and dabbed at the spots carefully with a wet cloth.

Just as she stepped out, she caught sight of a familiar figure—it was Dr. Li Keda, the physician from City First Hospital who had misdiagnosed Zhou Huaian.

What's he doing at a military hospital? Lin Xiaoxiao wondered. Was the misdiagnosis intentional or a real mistake? The investigation shouldn't be over yet...

Seeing him walking hurriedly and anxiously, she instinctively followed.

She trailed him all the way to the morgue at the back, where he turned a corner and vanished.

Not daring to follow further, Lin Xiaoxiao pressed herself against the wall and edged closer. Faint voices reached her ears:

"Who told you to come find me?"

"I had no choice... I've been suspended pending investigation. Do you think I'll be in trouble?"

"Just stick to the story—it was a misdiagnosis. You'll be fine."

After that, their voices dropped even lower. However hard she strained her ears, Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't make out the rest. Afraid of being discovered—or worse, silenced—she carefully retreated.

Her heart was racing. So it really was intentional malpractice! But... why?

After some thought, Lin Xiaoxiao decided she had to tell Zhou Huaian. She wasn't equipped to investigate this herself—no sense risking her life.

She hurried back to the canteen to check on the fish soup, then rushed to the ward.

Zhou Huaian saw Lin Xiaoxiao return at a near-run, cautiously close the door, and look nervous. He sat up slowly. "What's going on?"

After making sure no one was outside, Lin Xiaoxiao leaned in and whispered, "I just saw that doctor from City First Hospital—the one who misdiagnosed you, Li Keda. He was meeting someone near the morgue. From what I heard, he was bribed to misdiagnose you on purpose!"

Zhou Huaian frowned, as if weighing her words.

"I heard it clearly!" she insisted. "He said he's under investigation and is scared. After that, their voices got too low for me to hear."

Zhou Huaian looked at her for a long moment. "If he were really conspiring with someone, why choose the morgue in a military hospital? It's too risky. And why would you be able to overhear them so easily?"

Lin Xiaoxiao paused. He was right—if it were a real secret, how could she have stumbled upon it so easily?

"Then why would they say those things? Was it meant for me to hear?"

"Most likely," Zhou Huaian said thoughtfully. "Their goal was for me to find out and start investigating."

As for why, he wasn't sure. He hadn't been in the city long—transferred to this unit three years ago—and hadn't taken part in any major missions. It was unlikely he had enemies.

Lin Xiaoxiao's mind immediately jumped to spy thrillers. Zhou Huaian's unit was involved in nuclear research—could that be the reason?

"Could it be dangerous?" she asked cautiously. "Like... an assassination attempt?"

Zhou Huaian almost smiled. "No. If they wanted me dead, I wouldn't have been transferred here."

Lin Xiaoxiao thought about it and relaxed a little. "Still, you should be careful. I'm going to check on the soup."

Not long after she left, Lü Zhigang entered the room carrying a bag. Seeing Zhou Huaian alone, he glanced around. "Where's your wife?"

"In the canteen."

Lü Zhigang set the bag on the bedside table." "I brought you some malted milk powder and regular milk powder to help you get some extra nutrition. I stopped by your unit yesterday afternoon. Old Zhong asked me to bring your monthly salary and food coupons. He's busy these days and can't make it."

Zhou Huaian took the money and coupons. "How long are you in town?"

"Got half a month off. Need something?"

"Look into who's been in close contact with Li Keda from City First Hospital recently. See if anything's off."

Lü Zhigang looked surprised. "So it was intentional? That Li Keda has some nerve."

"Not sure yet," Zhou Huaian said. "Just look into it."

"No problem," Lü Zhigang agreed readily. "Nothing better to do anyway."

When Lin Xiaoxiao still hadn't returned after a few minutes, he grinned. "Your wife's a good one. You should hold onto her—I'm a good judge of character."

Zhou Huaian ignored him. "If you're free, go investigate."

"So impatient," Lü Zhigang chuckled. "But listen— treasure what you have." He paused, then added, "Try for a fat baby boy next year."

Zhou Huaian stopped responding altogether, and Lü Zhigang eventually left when he got no reaction.

By then, Lin Xiaoxiao was watching the fish soup turn milky white in the pot. She asked Old Wang for a radish, sliced it thin, and added it to the soup. Then she bought several steamed buns and carried the meal back to the ward.

Since Zhou Huaian wanted to eat together, they would eat together.

Besides, the fish were free—no reason to hold back.

As she was serving the meal, Zhou Huaian slid the money and food coupons Lü Zhigang had brought over to her side of the table. "Lü Zhigang dropped these off—my salary and coupons this month. Use them to buy yourself some clothes."

Almost unconsciously, his ears turned red, and he turned to look out the window.

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at the money, then at Zhou Huaian. The sunlight fell on his profile, and she clearly saw the faint blush on his ears.

For a second, she was puzzled—then she suddenly broke into a smile. Who would have thought this serious, steady man could be so shy? Just giving a woman money for clothes was enough to make him blush.