A string of numbers

Yu Zou took a deep breath, picked up the health and wellness handbook from the cloth bag by the door, rolled it up, and tapped each of them on the head, saying, "It's not a real wedding. You wouldn't want to go to that kind of event. Eat, sons."

On the folding table, a health manual was torn open and used as a tablecloth. A small pot was cooking instant noodles, and the box contained peeled blue crab meat, hawthorn foie gras jelly, and black truffle and porcini mushroom baked meat.

The three sat in a row, each holding a disposable paper cup and a pair of disposable chopsticks. The projector was showing a movie called "One-Third of a Green Orange," which was currently showing the scene where the male lead confessed his feelings to the female lead, and the junior confessed to the senior in the pouring rain like a soaked wolfhound.

He Honghan concluded: "The suspension bridge effect and the Oedipus complex are also signs of a serious illness."

Yu Zou raised his hand and asked, "I'd like to ask, what does this have to do with what you said before about not being able to find a suitable secretary?"

Since Yu Zou was forced to take over Yu Long, the original company was completely handed over to another partner, Shi Nao. Originally only responsible for the technical position, he was completely unaccustomed to the change in identity. Although he barely managed to keep going with the help of the secretary left by Yu Zou, under such a boss, even the strongest secretary cannot stand alone. In the end, he asked for another secretary to share the work.

Shi Nao swallowed her instant noodles, paused the movie, and solemnly said, "Don't be surprised when I tell you this. I know it's weird, but it just happened. Actually, the male lead in this movie is my newly hired secretary."

The two men cast their eager, gossipy glances at him, and Shi Nao lowered his head uncomfortably, pushing his glasses, which had slipped down again, back up.

"You mean, your secretary was once a hugely popular Omega superstar?" He Honghan slammed a pair of disposable chopsticks into the pot, and then smashed the last egg into her bowl. "Damn it! You're just showing off, aren't you!"

"How is this possible?!"

"So? Now we know you have a celebrity secretary, so what? What other questions or concerns do you have?"

Yu asked, "Is he incompetent at his job?"

"He is very capable and tactful, and he is better at maintaining clients than I am."

"Not a good personality?" Yu Zou asked again. Assistant secretaries and similar professions often require a tolerant and gentle temperament. If someone is too strong-willed, it will unintentionally displease the boss.

“Everyone says he has a good temper, and his employees always praise him to me. I also think he’s a good person.” The last sentence seemed difficult to utter, and Shi Nao’s face instantly turned red; she covered her face in embarrassment.

"What's wrong? Can't you, a wild boar, eat fine bran?" He Honghan tilted his head back to catch the beef liver that fell from his chopsticks, chewing until his right cheek bulged out.

"I'm the boss, shouldn't everyone listen to me? Why am I the one listening to him more lately?"

Yu Zou patted him on the shoulder: "If he's right, then listen to him." After all, Shi Nao, you're really not good at socializing and maintaining relationships.

"Um...it's not just that." Shi Nao was a little embarrassed to say it. "He could have done it well, he could have done it well in front of anyone, but he deliberately made mistakes in front of me. I didn't hold it against him, but instead got angry. Why is that?"

Yu Zou and He Honghan exchanged a glance, and He Honghan said, "No, this is very wrong! He doesn't treat you like his boss."

Shi Nao's eyes lit up when she received confirmation: "Right? He really thinks he's the boss! Isn't he trying to sideline me?"

"No, no, no!" He Honghan stretched out her index finger and shook it. "He's showing weakness to you and strength to others. He treats you like his husband and protecting his company is only natural."

Seeing Shi Nao's fear and her face turn as red as a hawthorn, He Honghan laughed triumphantly. Yu Zou was also laughing, but seeing Shi Nao's seemingly genuine shaking of her head in denial, he immediately asked seriously, "What's wrong?"

He Honghan also asked, "What's wrong with him? Did he grow up to be ugly? Do you have any photos to look at?"

Shi Nao took out her phone and pulled up a photo. The person in the photo was dressed in a business suit, sitting on the sofa in the company, propping his head up with his hand, holding his frameless glasses to his mouth, and looking at the laptop in front of him with a slightly furrowed brow, looking quite troubled.

He Honghan commented: "Wow, she's pretty enough. She's the one who's at a disadvantage. What's wrong with you? Does he also have a mental illness? Why does he want to marry you? And you took this secretly, didn't you?"

"Stop with personal attacks." Yu Zou pushed He Honghan so hard he almost fell off his chair, but He Honghan retorted teasingly, "You're still protecting her."

Shi Nao was completely numb, mechanically saying, "I filmed it to use as material for human motion pictures. He knew that. I feel very dangerous; if this continues, it will definitely develop into an irreversible situation."

"Then reject him."

“But we still need him for work… Yu Zou, can you come back soon?” Shi Nao cried, holding Yu Zou’s hand.

"If you really can't stand it, then fire him. Mail the documents to Yu Long, and I'll take a look."

"Forget it, Yulong is so big, those things are enough for you to handle."

He Honghan patted Shi Nao on the shoulder: "It's time to grow up and be independent, baby Shi Nao! Yu Long is not as difficult to deal with as someone else."

Yu Zou chuckled, "How come it's back to me again?"

He Honghan sat down next to Shi Nao, right across from Yu Zou. She picked up a newspaper and pointed to one of the photos, a candid shot of Du Pianjian walking into the hospital: "Why don't you just tell the truth? This isn't the reason you called us."

Yu Zou remained silent. He Honghan rolled her eyes at him and pushed Shi Nao forward: "Shi Nao, tell me! How is he different from before?"

"Huh?" Shi Nao looked at He Honghan, then looked hard at Yu Zou, and shook her head.

"First, you avoid the topic; you rush to change the subject whenever I mention Du Pianjian. Second, you react to stress; you show micro-expressions of tension when he's mentioned, and you unconsciously glance at your IV line. And the biggest change is that you're radiating a soft glow. What happened between you two at the Fifth Hospital?"

Shi Nao was still out of the loop and couldn't quite connect Du Pianjian with Yu Zou's fiancée. His eyes darted blankly back and forth between the two of them.

Yu Zou then looked at the IV catheter on the back of her hand. She had already looked at it before she even realized it; the body wouldn't help her heart hide it.

“I did as you said, clearly defining boundaries to maintain his sense of security, and treating the marriage agreement like a contract. But he's been too devoted, coming to take care of me every day. No, that's not the point.” Yu Zou waved his hand. “Old He, has Ji Huisheng brought Lili to see the doctor?”

"How did you know? I was planning to tell you after you were discharged." He Honghan pulled up a recording from his bracelet and played it. Before playing, he added, "Medical records are a matter of patient privacy. I'm taking a risk by letting you hear it. She wouldn't talk while she was conscious, so I used some unconventional methods."

Hypnosis.

The recording played back, with He Honghan and Lili's voices alternating.

"Do you know Du Pianjian?"

"know."

How did you meet?

"We met at the St. Hele Sanatorium."

Why am I afraid of him?

Lili shook her head, fear crawling in her subconscious, already intertwined with her life. She began to sob, struggling in the depths of her soul.

He Honghan comforted her, "It's okay, I'm here, he can't hurt you."

“He didn’t hurt me, I’m not afraid of him, I’m afraid that I’ll be next, that it will be Huisheng’s turn.”

"What, it's your turn?"

"O2314, O2352, O3107..."

At one minute and thirteen seconds, the recording ends. He Honghan says, "If we ask her any more questions, we won't get anything out of her. She keeps giving out numbers starting with AO, and apart from the fact that they are all four digits and the numbers are getting bigger and bigger, there is no pattern at all. Yu Zou, if your car accident was not an accident, does Lili mean that she will also suffer the same accident?"

"It wasn't an accident." It was a move he, Zhao Junjie, and Li Kuo had discussed together, but why did Lili associate Du Pianjian with herself? Their only connection was the St. Hele Sanatorium. What exactly happened in a place he didn't know about?

Shi Nao seemed to be deep in thought, and said blankly, "I've seen a similar string of numbers before."

The two looked at him at the same time, and Shi Nao continued, "I received a package at the company. There was only one piece of paper inside, which said O1443."

Suddenly, there were two knocks on the door, which sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night. Three seconds later, there were two more knocks.

The three exchanged a glance and quickly cleaned up the mess. Yu Zou and Shi Nao hid, while He Honghan went to open the door. Du Pianjian stood outside, his breath piercing the air: "Is Yu Zou here?"

"May I ask who you are?" He Honghan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It was a person, and he was no longer afraid.

"I am his fiancée, Du Pianjian."

He Honghan's eyes lit up, and she turned her head to look into the house with ill intent. Her evil face was undisguised as she ignored Yu Zou's refusal. She turned back with enthusiasm and friendliness and said, "Oh~~ Yu Zou's fiancée, Du Pianjian, ah, of course she's here. Please come in."

"No need. He disobeyed the doctor's orders and secretly left. The nurse is very worried and is telling him to come out quickly."

"Yu Zou~ Yu~ Zou~" He Honghan called out in a low voice. Yu Zou had no choice but to come out of the house and leave with Du Pianjian. He remained unusually silent all the way until they left the Sixth Courtyard. Du Pianjian then asked, "Is that person your friend?"

Yu Zou's gaze was blank: "It's not like that anymore."

Du Pianjian added, "He's so strange."

"That's strange, that's for sure. Experience makes perfect. You should stay away from him."

Du Pianjian laughed. Yu Zou looked down and saw the thin shirt under Du Pianjian's coat. He had a sudden thought. Du Pianjian was probably called over by the nurse because of his disappearance. He had been ignoring Du Pianjian the whole way without saying a word.

"The nurse contacted you saying I couldn't find her?" Yu Zou asked.

Du Pianjian only replied, "You've caused the nurse a lot of trouble."

"Feel sorry."

"Why did you run away to see your friends?" The word "run away" was emphasized.

"The medical staff won't let me go out."

Why doesn't he come to visit you?

“I told you he’s a psychiatrist, he’s busy and doesn’t get much rest. Besides, I can get better on my own without his help. If he helps me, I’ll get better faster. I’ll have him stay with me 24/7.” Unexpectedly, Du Pianjian saw this and Yu Zou bluntly asked, “You were treated at St. Hele Sanatorium, is that true?”

"Really," Du Pianjian replied calmly.

Are you still feeling uncomfortable?

"rare."

"Teacher Ji Huisheng's partner, the one you met yesterday, also received treatment at St. Hele Sanatorium. She's currently being treated by this friend of mine, and her condition isn't very good. She said she knows you; do you really have no recollection of her at all?"

“No.” Du Pianjian remained calm, unlike Li Li who reacted strongly to mentioning the experience. “The wards in the sanatorium were partitioned. During my hospitalization, I didn’t see any other patients, only medical staff. What did she say she knew about me?”

She said she would be next after you.