Chapter 77: Is a marriage with a scumbag suitable for you?
Lin Weihua's birthday banquet was held as usual in the courtyard of the Lin family villa, with fifty-eight tables arranged neatly along the courtyard, showing off his grandeur.
Sashimi, lobster, abalone, shark fin, grouper, conch slices stewed with old chicken soup, charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef...
Lin Xili wore a well-fitting lotus-pink long dress, which made her appear even more elegant and reserved. The blue snowflake jade pendant around her neck shimmered with a warm luster under the light.
Huo Nanchen, dressed in a simple dark suit, stood tall and straight, like a steady mountain supporting her.
As Huo Nanchen looked at the delicious food, he thought of Lin Xili's birthday and how not a single relative or friend had sent her a blessing. He held her hand even tighter.
Lin Xili sensed the oppressive atmosphere around him and patted the back of his hand. "It's okay, now that you're here, let's take a seat!"
During the banquet, the atmosphere was subtle. Lin Xuenuo and Xu Yanchi happened to be sitting at the table next to the main table with Lin Xili and Huo Nanchen.
Lin Xuenuo, with her pregnant belly, sat next to Xu Yanchi, her face not looking good, and her eyes were filled with undisguised jealousy and resentment as she looked at Lin Xili.
Xu Yanchi, after being mercilessly criticized by Huo Nanchen for lacking male virtue and manners, and after being interfered with by the elders of both families, has not bothered Lin Xili again.
To avoid any eye contact with Lin Xili, he chose to eat his meal with his head down and in silence the entire time.
Having followed Lin Weihua's advice before, Song Yuan did not pressure Huo Nanchen to divorce her again.
However, Lin Xuenuo's resentment was clearly not appeased, even though she knew that it was Xu Yanchi who was harassing her sister unilaterally.
While the elders were toasting and exchanging pleasantries, she said sarcastically, "My sister is really something now, an elite in the forensic department of the Justice Bureau, a future postdoctoral fellow, she's getting more and more impressive."
"You've become quite capable, haven't you? You've even managed to bewitch your own brother-in-law. How shameless!"
These words instantly silenced a small area around them, and many eyes, some openly and some covertly, turned to them.
In the past, Lin Xili would have chosen to endure or handle the situation calmly, rather than argue with her.
But from now on, she doesn't want to put up with it anymore.
Lin Xili put down his chopsticks, raised his head, and stared directly at Lin Xuenuo with clear and sharp eyes.
“Lin Xuenuo,” she said coldly, “you spend all your time cursing others for being outstanding and speculating about their private affairs.”
"Have you ever thought about why the Xu family looks down on you?"
Why do you live with such a lack of security?
"It's not because others are so great, but because you are good for nothing except relying on your family to maintain this crumbling marriage."
"You place all your value, joys, sorrows, and happiness on others; you're just a jealous woman!"
"Why should someone who can't even find their own value expect others to value them?"
She glanced at Xu Yanchi, who was standing next to Lin Xuenuo, silently cutting Wagyu beef, and then looked at Lin Xuenuo again.
"It seems that marriage with a scumbag is indeed very suitable for you."
"you--!!!"
Lin Xuenuo never expected that Lin Xili, who always chose to be tolerant, would expose her current situation so ruthlessly in front of so many people, and say something so out of character for her.
She suddenly stood up, her finger trembling as she pointed at Lin Xili, her chest heaving violently. She wanted to say something, but suddenly her face turned pale, she clutched her stomach, and let out a painful sound.
"Ah... my stomach... it hurts so much..."
The chair beneath her tilted to one side, causing her to curl up and break out in a cold sweat.
"Snow!" Xu Yanchi was startled and quickly helped her up.
"What's wrong?"
"Call a doctor immediately!"
The banquet instantly descended into chaos.
Lin Junsheng, who was exchanging pleasantries with the Chen family, rushed over upon seeing this. Seeing his sister's pained expression, he didn't bother to explain what had happened.
She then roared at Lin Xili, "Lin Xili, look at you! As the older sister, can't you give in to your younger sister a little?"
"Did you really have to provoke her like this? If anything happens to her, can you take responsibility?"
This familiar accusation, just like every time in the past two decades, ignores right and wrong, always blaming her for being wrong.
As the eldest brother, he always protects his youngest sister.
This time, before Lin Xili could speak, Huo Nanchen stepped forward and completely shielded Lin Xili behind him.
His expression was cold and stern. "It was her own emotional outburst that caused the miscarriage to flare up. What does it have to do with Xi Li? Xi Li was merely stating the facts. As the elder brother, you shouldn't have accused Xi Li without even knowing the facts. You are unworthy of being an elder brother!"
His sudden defense and accusation left Lin Junsheng speechless for a moment.
"Alright, alright, stop talking!"
Song Yuan panicked as well. Seeing her daughter in pain, she said urgently, "She's about to give birth! Get her to the hospital quickly!"
The maid and Xu Yanchi had no choice but to quickly help the groaning Lin Xuenuo out.
A perfectly good birthday party turned into chaos in an instant.
Lin Xili turned around, no longer looking at the chaos, and took Huo Nanchen's hand, "Let's go back."
She didn't glance at Lin Weihua, who sat at the head table with a grim expression, but turned to Song Yuan, who was busy directing the transport to the hospital and looked flustered, and said:
"Mom, I will still do my part in observing the proper etiquette. I will have someone deliver the gifts for Snow and the children to the hospital later. Nan Chen and I will be leaving now."
Having said that, she had no more lingering feelings, tightly holding Huo Nanchen's hand and straightening her back.
Amidst the varied gazes of the guests, she walked out of the home that had never offered her warmth but only brought her grievances.
Life returned to normal.
Lin Xili was immersed in work and preparing for her doctoral entrance exam.
Huo Nanchen continued to travel between the hospital and his dormitory every day, cooking after get off work and picking up Lin Xili to eat together.
Lin Xili knew that Huo Nanchen's three-month exchange period at the city hospital was almost over, with only half a month left.
The thought of the impending separation fills me with a strong sense of reluctance.
She cherished the peace and quiet of being together day and night, and his silent companionship.
She said nothing, nor did she ask him if he considered staying. She knew that his heart belonged to that quiet and simple lychee-growing town.
She understands and respects his career choice, where there are patients who need him.
One day at noon, Lin Xili had just finished organizing the case files from the morning and was about to go to the cafeteria for lunch when the landline at Brother Li's seat rang.
Brother Li answered the call and replied seriously a moment later, "Received!"
After hanging up the phone, "Xili, Brother Wang, there's a mission. I just received a notification from the command center that a gas cylinder exploded in a small restaurant in the Kuihuayong residential area."
"The fire department has been dispatched. We need to go there now to collect evidence and determine whether it was an accident or intentional."
An emergency is an order.
Lin Xili: "Understood!"
Brother Wang: "Sigh, no lunch again."
Lin Xili took out a few whole-wheat walnut breads and three bottles of milk from the drawer. "Let's eat this in the car to tide us over."
Huo Nanchen had asked her to prepare some food in the office in advance, so that she could have something to eat if there was an emergency and she didn't have time to eat.
Looking at the food in her hand, Brother Wang said, "I have to say, women are much more meticulous than men when it comes to daily life."
Lin Xili smiled without saying a word and quickly picked up her survey kit from the shelf.
The three then donned the necessary protective gear, quickly left the office, and got into the Justice Bureau's official vehicle.
Meanwhile, at the city's central hospital.
Huo Nanchen had just finished seeing his last patient of the morning and was changing out of his white coat to go to the cafeteria.
As I stepped out of the clinic, I saw a patient waiting for their appointment scrolling through their phone to pass the time.
A live broadcast is playing up there; you can hear a lot of people talking and fire truck sirens blaring.
"Oh dear, what a tragedy. A gas cylinder exploded at a small restaurant in Sunflower Creek. It looked quite scary, but thankfully the fire wasn't big and no one was injured."
The patient started talking to his companion next to him.
Gas explosion?
Such accidents do occur occasionally in the catering industry.
Huo Nanchen had only overheard it by chance, but his gaze inadvertently swept over the patient's phone screen.
In the footage, firefighters are setting up water cannons and spraying water at the billowing smoke from the ruins, the white water jets mingling and colliding with the black smoke.
Everything looked like a standard emergency rescue.
However, in that instant, Huo Nanchen stopped abruptly, his usually calm expression turning into one of horrified fury.
His gaze was fixed on the color and shape of the smoke rising from the screen.
It wasn't just the blackish-gray smoke column produced by ordinary combustion; at the bottom of the billowing smoke, there was an extremely subtle and eerie pale yellowish-green hue.
The way the smoke moves also has an unusual stickiness that is not noticeable unless you are a professional.
"Let me see!" Huo Nanchen rudely snatched the phone from the patient's hand, held the screen up to his eyes, and his pupils contracted sharply.
There's no mistake, this smoke color and shape?
He shoved the phone back into the stunned patient's hand, not even having time to say thank you, before quickly pulling out his own phone.
My fingers trembled slightly with a great sense of urgency as I quickly scrolled through my contacts to find a number and dialed it.
The call was connected instantly.
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