Chapter 63 Xu Zhi Awakens

The city's central hospital.

Yuan Jianhua, carrying a fruit basket, arrived at Xu Zhi's hospital room. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Xu Zhi sitting on the edge of the bed, his head wrapped in a white bandage, looking down at his phone.

He watched it with exceptional focus.

So much so that he didn't even notice Yuan Jianhua pushing the door open and coming in.

Yuan Jianhua walked quickly to Xu Zhi's bedside, placed the fruit basket on the bedside table, walked behind him, and curiously peered over, only to see a video of animal cruelty playing on Xu Zhi's phone.

"The case is closed, why are you still looking at the evidence?"

A sound suddenly rang out.

This startled Xu Zhi greatly.

When he saw that it was his boss, Yuan Jianhua, he calmly turned off the video and said, "Just watching for fun."

Yuan Jianhua looked him up and down and asked with concern, "How are you? Are you feeling any better?"

Xu Zhi nodded: "It's alright, it's just that my head hurts a little."

"How could it not hurt if your head was split open? You're lucky to be alive," Yuan Jianhua joked.

"Am I seriously injured?" Xu Zhi looked at Yuan Jianhua with a confused expression.

"What do you think? A linear skull fracture; just two millimeters off course and it would have compressed the motor center. Your pupils were dilated during the emergency treatment; the doctors said it was a medical miracle." Yuan Jianhua tried to keep his tone light and not sound so heavy.

"What exactly happened that day? I feel like I can't remember a lot of things," Xu Zhi said, frowning in thought.

"I'll tell you slowly after you're discharged from the hospital. Right now, your most important task is to focus on recovering." Yuan Jianhua felt a little sad and patted Xu Zhi's shoulder to comfort him.

Xu Zhi looked at Yuan Jianhua's expression.

He knew the other person was deliberately hiding something, but he couldn't press the matter further, so he could only agree and nod in agreement.

Yuan Jianhua didn't disturb him, but quietly sat beside him.

A little while later, he received a call from the bureau.

He gave Xu Zhi a few instructions and then hurriedly left the ward.

When Bai Xiao was around, he basically didn't get involved in the bureau's affairs. He was only consulted on major decisions. Now that Bai Xiao is gone, he has to handle these matters personally.

As Yuan Jianhua passed by the hospital lobby, he happened to run into Xu Zhi's attending physician. He quickly hung up the phone and inquired about Xu Zhi's condition.

"Are you a family member of the patient?" the attending physician asked.

"No, I'm his colleague, and I want to ask about his situation."

The doctor nodded and said, "The patient's injuries are quite serious, mainly involving damage to the prefrontal cortex. As you know, the prefrontal cortex is a very important part of the brain, closely related to functions such as memory and emotion. After recovery, there may be some aftereffects."

"What kind of aftereffects?" Yuan Jianhua asked anxiously.

The doctor sighed and said, "It's hard to say. It depends on the recovery. At best, he might lose his memory; at worst, he might lose his emotional function. But right now, the most important thing is for him to rest well and actively cooperate with the treatment."

"Okay, I understand." Yuan Jianhua glanced back at Xu Zhi's hospital room, considering whether or not to tell Xu Zhi.

Finally, he sighed and left the hospital.

...

In the evening.

Several more colleagues arrived one after another.

Xu Zhi seems to have gotten used to it these past few days, but no one mentions his injury. Instead, they chat and laugh about the targets and performance evaluations for the second half of the year.

Xu Zhi sat in the corner, listening silently to his colleagues chatting. Even when they talked about his past, he listened detachedly, as if he were listening to a stranger's story.

This feeling left him feeling very disconnected.

It was like a mirror in front of him.

The mirror reflected a lively scene, with people chatting and laughing.

He watched from the sidelines.

Occasionally, when you reach out to touch it, you only touch the cold, mirrored surface.

My colleagues came and went quickly.

As they left, they all looked at him with sympathy and advised him to take good care of his injuries.

I don't know why.

He didn't like that kind of look.

I really dislike it.

The hospital corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and occasionally the hurried footsteps of nurses and the soft ticking of medical equipment could be heard.

Xu Zhi stood by the window, motionless.

He stared at the pale face reflected in the glass, expressionless, like a wax figure stripped of its soul.

"Hello, I'm from the next ward. Have you seen a cat run over here?"

The soft, sweet female voice pressed against his eardrums, instantly pulling him back from the abyss.

Xu Zhi turned his head to look.

A short-haired woman, around 25 years old, was standing at the door. She was petite and wearing a hospital gown. There was a ring on her left ring finger that was slightly lighter than her skin tone, but for some reason, it had been removed long ago.

She was accompanied by a man of similar age.

However, the boy's expression revealed his impatience.

When the word "cat" was mentioned, a moist light appeared in the woman's eyes.

Xu Zhi's gaze swept over the two of them.

In just a few seconds, he came to four conclusions.

The woman was married.

The man next to her is probably her husband.

The family was not harmonious.

Cats were her only source of emotional support.

"I didn't see it."

Xu Zhi responded calmly.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you."

The woman nodded slightly in apology and then left with the man beside her.

He walked quickly toward the next ward.

The room fell silent once more.

Xu Zhi withdrew his gaze.

He looked down at his arm.

There were several claw marks there.

The bloodstains were still wet.

A moment later, the sound of a woman breaking down in tears could be heard from outside the window.

...

The next morning.

Yu Qing, with a soy milk straw in her mouth, saw Yuan Xiu standing at the school gate from afar, carrying an exquisitely packaged bag, acting suspiciously as if she was waiting for someone.

At that moment, a black Mercedes stopped on the side of the road.

Lin Yueyue got off the bus with her schoolbag on her back.

After the case was solved, Lin Yueyue originally wanted to stay at Wang Meili's house until graduation, but Yu Qing told her that the more familiar you are with someone, the more you should keep your distance, something called the hedgehog theory.

Lin Yueyue thought there was some truth to it.

So she went back to her place yesterday.

Upon seeing this, Yuanxiu immediately rushed forward and handed the bag in her hand to Lin Yueyue: "Yueyue, you're graduating soon, and I didn't know what to give you. This is bread I made for you myself. Try it and see how it tastes."

Lin Yueyue paused, her brow furrowing slightly: "No need, thank you."

"Try a bite, I got up at five o'clock."

As he spoke, he pushed the bag in his hand forward a little further.

Lin Yueyue hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and gently took the bag.

She knew that if she rejected Yuanxiu, he would cling to her like a leech, and she didn't like becoming the focus of gossip.

When Yuanxiu saw that Lin Yueyue had finally accepted his lovingly prepared breakfast, he was so happy that he was like a fox that had gone crazy, his smile stretching to the back of his ears.

She skipped and hopped away, carrying her little schoolbag.

After Yuanxiu left, Lin Yueyue glanced at the bread in her hand. The packaging was barely considered exquisite, but the bread itself was no different from the bread sold outside for two yuan.

Her gaze quickly swept to the trash can not far away, and she raised her hand to throw it away.

Yu Qing ran over quickly from the side and grabbed the bag: "Hey, don't throw it away!"

"What?" Lin Yueyue asked, frowning.

Yu Qing smiled obsequiously: "Since you don't want it, then give it to me. I'm still hungry."

"Suit yourself, I don't care if Yuanxiu sees you!"

Lin Yueyue didn't pay any attention and handed him the bag directly.

After what happened last time, their relationship has finally eased up. At least she doesn't dislike Yu Qing as much anymore. If it were in the past, she would rather throw the bag away than give it to Yu Qing.