Xia Wan stood in the middle of the room, her posture upright but unable to hide her tension. Her expression was as solemn as a volcano about to erupt, and she exuded a repressive aura.
Her breathing was rapid and heavy, her chest heaving violently. Each breath seemed to be a final struggle against the fear and unease in her heart, an attempt to expel all the anxiety and fear that had been building up inside her.
She knew perfectly well that this unbelievable thing could no longer be hidden. Just like a raging fire, it could not hide its intense light no matter what. The truth would surface sooner or later.
After a brief silence, she took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, and gently cleared her throat.
The voice was slightly hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing, yet it was exceptionally clear in the almost deathly quiet ward. Every word seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight, crashing heavily into everyone's hearts.
She began to recount her story, starting with the subtle unusual behavior when Zhou Jing first appeared beside her aunt, mentioning the seemingly ordinary yet subtly meaningful eye contact, the unintentional little gestures, and later Xia Shuhua's sudden change in temperament—all these abnormalities were mentioned one by one.
From the heart-stopping moment when she discovered the truth about Zhou Jing's possession, every detail and every moment of her heart racing was clearly described without any omission.
The group sat around the bed in various postures. Xia Tao sat on a chair by the bed, leaning forward so far that he was almost touching Xia Wan, his eyes wide open, intently listening to every word she spoke.
Xia Jianguo leaned his wheelchair against the wall, his hands unconsciously gripping the hem of his clothes, his fingertips turning white from the force. His relaxed and carefree expression froze instantly, as if time had stood still, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
Xia Shuyu sat by Xia Shuhua's bedside, holding her sister's hands tightly, unwilling to let go for even a moment, her fingers gently caressing her, as if trying to transfer all the warmth in her body to her through this method.
Xia Tao was the first to be unable to contain his shock and exclaimed in astonishment. His voice rose several octaves and echoed sharply between the walls of the ward, making everyone's ears ring: "This is too bizarre! It's just like those strange things written in books! It's unbelievable that something like this actually happened right here in our neighborhood!"
As he spoke, he unconsciously shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the deep shock from his mind, but the expression of shock remained firmly etched on his face.
Xia Jianguo sat to the side, his brows furrowed tightly into a knot, as if he couldn't untangle it no matter how hard he tried.
His face was covered with lines of doubt, as if countless question marks were etched into those wrinkles.
He had always known that his daughter possessed a mysterious and unpredictable system, but even with this mental preparation, he never imagined that things would become so terrifyingly serious.
He asked, his voice tinged with barely concealed anxiety, like an ant on a hot pan: "Why would Zhou Jing do this? What deep-seated grudge does she have against your aunt? Could it be some blood feud that compels her to resort to such extreme and terrifying methods?"
His gaze was fixed on Xia Wan, his eyes filled with a searching desire, as if he wanted to find a clue in her answer that could make the matter seem reasonable, even if it was just the slightest hint.
Xia Shuyu sat by Xia Shuhua's bedside, holding her sister's hands tightly, her fingers gently caressing them, as if trying to transfer all the warmth in her body to her sister in this way.
Her eyes welled up with tears of heartache, as red as the sunset after a fire had burned across the sky. Her voice trembled slightly, as if she were shivering in the cold wind: "What kind of suffering have you gone through? It breaks my heart just thinking about it. You must have suffered a lot these days. You must never have to go through anything like this again."
Her voice was full of tenderness and love for her younger sister. As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, like beads from a broken string, and almost rolled down her cheeks. She quickly raised her hand to wipe them away, afraid that her sister would see her vulnerability.
Xia Wan turned her gaze to Xia Shuhua, her expression concerned, her eyes filled with worry and heartache.
She leaned forward slightly and said softly, "If Aunt has any memories of that time, she should know how Zhou Jing possessed the body and what she's been doing these past few days. Perhaps she can find some key clues to untangle this mess. After all, only by understanding the whole picture can we know what to do next and completely resolve this problem."
Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness, as if she were encouraging her aunt and family.
Xia Shuhua's brows furrowed tightly, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand. That memory was like a lingering nightmare, every fragment bearing the marks of pain and humiliation, making it unbearable for her to recall.
She closed her eyes, trying to banish those images from her mind, but Zhao Guodong's every expression and every word kept replaying in her mind, like a movie on a loop.
Her heart was filled with mixed feelings, like a spilled spice jar, a jumble of flavors. She didn't know if Zhou Jing was truly unaware of Zhao Guodong's true nature and was foolishly cooperating with him, but from Zhao Guodong's actions these past few days, she sensed something peculiar and unsettling.
Those seemingly ordinary actions, in retrospect, were full of calculation and conspiracy, and every detail revealed a dangerous signal. She couldn't help but shudder.
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