Chapter 45 Freeze Reaction
◎ Staring blankly ahead, teeth clenched ◎
A night passed and Miao Hui still did not wake up.
She lay quietly in the hospital bed, in a deep coma, relying on a ventilator to maintain her life.
Zhou Rulan and Wu Ruxin took turns to watch over the school. After Wu Jianshe calmly handled the handover of Miao Hui's work, he arranged for Zhou Rulan and Wu Ruxin to take leave and instructed his son Wu Rulie to return to school: "You are not needed here. Go back to school and study hard to prepare for the final exam."
When it was time to go to work, Wu Jianshe washed his face and told Zhou Rulan, "You and Xinxin stay here. Contact us if you have any questions."
Zhou Rulan lowered her head and asked, "Where are you going?"
Wu Jianshe's face was expressionless: "Go to work."
Zhou Rulan raised her eyes and looked at Wu Jianshe, with a flash of anger in her eyes: "Mom is like this, and you still want to go to work?"
Wu Jianshe said calmly: "Professionals should do professional things. There are doctors here."
After a sleepless night, Zhou Rulan was so exhausted that she could no longer control her emotions. She slowly stood up from her mother's bedside and walked to within a step of Wu Jianshe.
"Can a doctor replace a husband? Look at the person lying unconscious on the bed. Look at her! My mother has always been a very strong person. She was not defeated even when my biological father passed away. But last night, she jumped off the building and committed suicide! I ask you, why did she commit suicide?"
Wu Jianshe looked stern and said, "Are you questioning me?"
Zhou Rulan's chest rose and fell, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. That night, she lay on the head of her mother's bed, looking at her pale face from a close distance, her heart aching. Why on earth did her mother not want to live anymore? Why on earth did her mother leave her to die without saying a word?!
When her biological father Zhou Jiangyong died during a mission, her mother did not shed a single tear. She held her five-year-old daughter Zhou Rulan in her arms and attended the memorial service, received the hero medal, and received the martyr certificate. When faced with the leaders' concerned inquiries, she gritted her teeth, stood up straight, and said in a trembling voice, "Please rest assured, I am also a police officer. I will not embarrass Zhou Jiangyong!"
What kind of injustice did my mother suffer in this marriage? She didn't even have the will to die in such a difficult time, so why did she jump off the building last night?
Zhou Rulan was assigned to the Jinlianhu Police Station after graduation. She has been working there for four years and has her own dormitory. She usually only goes home to visit her parents on weekends. Recently, her mother seems to be worried, but she won't tell you no matter how you ask her. She just says that she is too busy at work and a little tired.
Now that I think about it, my mother must have had something on her mind for a long time, and she just regretted that I didn't ask her.
Thinking of this, Zhou Rulan clenched her fists and mustered up her courage to look at her powerful stepfather in front of her: "Yes! I am questioning you. What kind of injustice did you make my mother suffer that made her jump off the building?"
Wu Jianshe glanced at her coldly and asked, "Are you sure your mother committed suicide by jumping off the building?"
Zhou Rulan held her breath and looked at him in disbelief: "Is it not true?"
Wu Jianshe's eyes seemed to be filled with great weight: "You are also a policeman, everything depends on evidence. Before Miao Hui woke up, murder, manslaughter, accident, suicide... everything is possible."
After saying this, Wu Jianshe's eyes swept across Miao Hui's face, his brows slightly wrinkled: "Don't spread rumors, just stay with your mother." After saying this, he straightened his collar and strode away.
Zhou Rulan was young after all, and could not suppress Wu Jianshe's aura. She watched him leave without saying a word.
Zhou Rulan felt a sharp pain in her palm and lowered her head to look at her right hand. She had clenched her fist too hard and the nail of her little finger had pierced into her palm, causing blood to flow out.
When Wu Jianshe's figure completely disappeared, Wu Ruxin quietly rubbed against Zhou Rulan's side and asked timidly: "Sister, did mom really commit suicide?"
In Wu Ruxin's eyes, her mother was gentle and kind. She never spoke loudly at home. Even when facing her brother Rulie's unreasonable behavior, she could still patiently explain things to him. How could such a loving mother commit suicide?
Zhou Rulan turned to look at Wu Ruxin with a distant look in her eyes and asked, "What do you think?"
The two sisters have lived together for 19 years, and Zhou Rulan knows Wu Ruxin too well. She is selfish and petty, and she wants to take all the love and warmth of the world into her own hands. Wu Ruxin usually relies on her father's love and doesn't take her seriously. Now she is probably scared by her mother's suicide, so she depends on her so much.
Wu Ruxin was hurt by Zhou Rulan's eyes and asked cautiously: "Sister, maybe Dad is right, and Mom just fell down accidentally?"
Zhou Rulan turned to look at Miao Hui on the bed. The dissatisfaction that Wu Jianshe had just suppressed came to the fore again. She said in a cold voice: "Accidentally fell? What was your mother doing on the roof at nine o'clock in the evening? The preliminary investigation results at the scene showed that there was no third party and no signs of a fight. What does this mean? After all, you are a criminal investigation professional. Tell me, what does this mean?"
Wu Ruxin tried hard to make excuses for her father: "When the accident happened, it was already late at night, which made it difficult to investigate the scene. Maybe there was a third party? We just haven't found it yet. Maybe there were signs of a fight? They were just ignored. Anyway, I just don't believe that my mother would be so depressed. Our family is so good, why would my mother jump off the building?"
Zhou Rulan looked at Wu Ruxin as if she was a fool: "Do you think our family is good?"
Wu Ruxin was stunned for a moment: "Not good?"
Zhou Rulan turned away, too lazy to pay any more attention to Wu Ruxin.
Wu Ruxin was upset by her sister's attitude. She looked at Miao Hui, who was lying on the bed silently as if dead, and grabbed Zhou Rulan's sleeve, begging, "Sister, please don't ignore me. I'm scared. Tell me, what's wrong with our family?"
Zhou Rulan didn't say anything.
Wu Ruxin continued: "Look, my father is the deputy director and is very prestigious in the public security system. My mother has attracted the envy of many people when she goes out. Sister, you work at the police station, I was admitted to the Public Security University, and both of us are Enter the public security system according to their requirements. When my younger brother graduates from school in the future, he will definitely inherit his father's career. If the family of five is in the same system and everyone looks after each other, life will definitely get better and better. Am I right? ”
Miao Hui lives in the intensive care unit, surrounded by doctors and nurses. From time to time, someone comes to check on Miao Hui's condition, check whether the instruments are functioning normally, and record blood pressure, heart rate and other data.
Zhou Rulan didn't want to respond to Wu Ruxin's words, so she took advantage of the nurse's inspection to go around to the other side of the bed. However, Wu Ruxin followed her like a little tail, crying and shouting at her: "Sister, talk to me, don't ignore me. Mom is like this now, I'm scared."
Wu Ruxin looked a lot like Miao Hui, especially her eyes that were filled with tears, her long eyelashes fluttering and looking pitiful. Zhou Rulan looked at her eyes and her heart softened. Although this sister in front of her had many minor flaws, she was her closest blood relative besides her mother.
Zhou Rulan sighed: "Do you think Dad treats Mom well?"
Wu Ruxin tilted her head and said, "Dad is rarely at home, so Mom makes all the decisions. They never quarrel, and they always discuss everything. Many families are like this, isn't it? Isn't it good?"
Zhou Rulan laughed sarcastically, "You are just stupid enough to know nothing. Director Wu has a stern face every day and feels like he has entered an interrogation room when he returns home. Has he ever listened to what my mother said? Has he ever really cared about my mother? How can he regard my mother as his wife? He just regards her as a nanny."
Wu Jianshe's parental authority is very strong, and his children dare not resist. Wu Ruxin usually only acts coquettishly with Miao Hui, and feels at ease when her father is not at home. In her mind, her father is like a mountain, stable, strong, calm, and someone she can rely on. As for whether he is close to her mother, Wu Ruxin doesn't care.
Most families have this structure: the man works outside to pursue his career, while the woman stays at home to provide support. Could it be that she would jump off a building just because her husband wouldn't talk to her? Wu Ruxin muttered to herself, "Even if that's the case, there's no reason for my mother to commit suicide."
Zhou Rulan has a deeper relationship with Miao Hui and knows more about her mother. She whispered, "Do you know that mom is also a department-level cadre and has a career? In order to establish the Criminal Technology Center, mom ran around and finally built it. But because you had to take the college entrance examination and your brother had to take the high school entrance examination, she gave up the position of director and willingly became a behind-the-scenes hero."
Wu Ruxin was a little confused: "Oh, what does it matter whether he is the director or not? We already have a deputy director in our family, why do we need a director of the technical center? Mom has never cared about fame, she won't be upset because of such a small matter."
Zhou Rulan nodded: "Yes, it's a small matter."
She paused and continued, "Looking further ahead. When my brother graduated from elementary school, my mother said that he would go to Jinlianhu Middle School with you and walk to school. But my father said that boys should be independent and insisted on sending him to the best boarding middle school, Zhiyuan Middle School. The tuition for Zhiyuan Middle School is three thousand a year. Do you remember?"
Wu Ruxin curled her lips and said, "Of course I remember. I felt uncomfortable at the time. Why did we all go to Jinlianhu Middle School, but my brother had to spend money to go to Zhiyuan Middle School? Humph! But... this is also a small matter. My brother is a boy after all, so he can just board."
Zhou Rulan pursed her lips and said,
Yes, it’s a small matter.”
Zhou Rulan's voice gradually increased: "My younger brother is the child of my father's comrade-in-arms. He was brought back when he was only one month old. My father didn't even say hello when he brought him back. You were only three years old at the time. My mother had to take care of you and the baby at the same time. She often hid in the quilt and cried in the middle of the night. Did you know that?"
武如欣“啊”了一聲，“我，我那個時候還小，哪裏知道媽媽會哭？我倒是記得弟弟小時候總哭，沒完沒了地哭，煩死了。”
儀器時不時發出“嘀、嘀”之音。
護士與醫生離開，病房裏只剩下周如蘭與武如欣姐妹倆。
安靜的病房裏，周如蘭的聲音開始顫抖：“可能，你們還是會說，這是小事。小孩子嘛，哪有不哭的？武廳長戰友離世，留下一個稚嫩小兒，将他撫養長大，以全戰友之情，多麽偉大、高尚啊。可惜，偉大、高尚的人是武建設，辛苦、受累的人是苗慧。”
武如欣聽明白了周如蘭的意思，一顆心如墜冰窖。半天才找到自己的聲音：“一家人嘛，一榮俱榮、一損俱損，爸爸工作忙，他也沒辦法照顧孩子啊。”
周如蘭看着病床上的苗慧，眼中滿是心疼：“你不懂，媽媽為咱們這個家付出有多少。可是你看看咱爸對媽媽的态度，媽媽生死未蔔，他卻還有心工作！在他眼裏，媽媽到底算是什麽？”
武如欣一直以來被苗慧保護得很好，每天關心的是誰穿得更漂亮、誰考試成績更好、誰更受大家歡迎。周如蘭的話陡然撕開真實世界的一道面紗，武如欣胸口又酸又澀，說不出來的難受。
“姐，媽媽是個警察，是個溫柔又堅強的人。就算退一萬步來講，好，爸媽感情不好，媽媽為咱們這個家付出得更多、犧牲得更多，那，那也不至于……”
自殺二字，姐妹倆已經提到太多次，武如欣已經不願意再說。
周如蘭看一眼妹妹，第一次覺得她還有點腦子：“是，媽媽很堅強，如果不是巨大的打擊，她絕對不會……嗯。我不知道家裏到底出了什麽事，你有沒有感覺到什麽？”
武如欣連連搖頭：“沒有沒有，我什麽也不知道。”
周如蘭百思不得其解，皺眉緩緩坐下。
武如欣平時愛說酸話，但其實膽子并不大。她乖乖地坐在周如蘭身邊，一聲不吭。
坐了一會，病房壓抑的氣氛令武如欣有點坐不住，悄聲道：“姐，媽媽會不會是因為弟弟的原因才難過啊？爸這個人重男輕女，把如烈看得跟眼珠子似的，我以前和他打架，爸都是罵我。上初中也是讀寄宿，像生怕我媽虐待他一樣。對！肯定是因為這個。”
周如蘭若有所思。
武如欣見她認真傾聽，便繼續說話：“我們寝室章亞岚，姐姐你知道嗎？”
周如蘭搖頭。
武如欣提醒她：“就是我們寝室，幫助爸媽離婚的那個女生，你忘記了？”
周如蘭想起來了：“哦，對，我記起來了。你寒假的時候在家裏說過一次，她爸家暴，你們班主任、許隊，還有那個趙向晚幫助她媽，順利離婚。”
武如欣：“嗯，是，就是她。你想，如果媽媽覺得爸爸不好，覺得這個家不好，那她也可以離婚，是不是？我媽是警察，肯定知道用法律來捍衛和保護自己，怎麽可能會……對吧？所以，我還是覺得有問題，說不定是以前的仇家尋上門，或者有壞人把她約到樓頂，趁其不備把她推下去。”
周如蘭低頭沉思片刻：“媽媽雖然是文職，但并不是那種柔弱無力的女人。有仇家尋上門，她不會報警？有壞人約她上樓，她不會告訴爸爸？咱們那棟樓的樓頂女兒牆有一米二高，媽只有一米五八，想推她下去，沒有掙紮扭打痕跡幾乎不可能。”
說來說去，苗慧自殺的可能性最大。
但為什麽自殺？誰也不知道。
只能寄希望于苗慧順利醒來，謎底才可能揭曉。
武如欣眼珠子轉了轉：“我聽說啊，章亞岚他爸爸是因為沒兒子，所以一天到晚在外面鬼混，對她媽媽很不好，所以他們才會離婚。我爸不家暴，家裏有個收養的兒子姓武，媽媽有什麽想不開的？”
周如蘭橫了她一眼：“生男生女都一樣，你這腦子裏裝的都是什麽！”
武如欣讨好地笑了笑：“姐，我不是支持重男輕女，我是說現在很多男的，總覺得要有個兒子繼承香火。咱們家似乎也不存在這個問題，是不是？”
周如蘭輕嘆搖頭：“你啊，就是花花腸子太多。你是想說，如烈是收養的，不是爸親生的，所以爸爸才會對媽媽不冷不熱？”
武如欣看一眼周如蘭，咬了咬嘴唇，猶豫半天終于還是下決心把這句話說了出來：“我，我就是覺得，爸是不是對如烈太好了一點？按理說我才是他親生的，可是你不覺得爸更關心如烈嗎？有沒有，有沒有可能……可能……”
周如蘭聽她支支吾吾，不耐煩擡頭看過來。
姐妹倆視線相對，周如蘭瞳孔一縮：“不會吧？！”
武如烈是武建設的私生子？怎麽可能！
武建設為人正派、有情有義，收養戰友遺孤，并因此受到表彰，省廳上上下下誰不知道？
一想到這種可能性，周如蘭一顆心似在油鍋裏煎熬，霍地站了起來，表情嚴厲：“胡說！不可能！”
武如欣被姐姐的表情吓到，眼淚珠子不要命地往下落：“姐，你別吓我。我，我就是亂講的。”
周如蘭壓低了聲音，但語速急促：“這事，你給我爛在肚子裏，誰也不許說！”
周如蘭比武如欣年長，又在派出所歷練了四年，當然知道這件事情的嚴重性。如果武建設真的将自己的私生子抱回家，謊稱是戰友遺孤，騙取組織信任、欺騙苗慧感情，那他簡直罪不可恕！
如果武建設只是個普通人，或許還能歸類為個人作風問題，高高舉起、輕輕放下。但武建設不一樣，他是省廳副廳長，是優秀黨員，是省廳的一面旗幟，他這麽做，置烈士遺孀于何地！置公安職責于何地！
武建設不僅要丢烏紗帽，而且還要接受組織調查，極有可能永遠不能在公安系統工作，就連他的家庭、子女也會受到牽連。
武如欣越想越怕，瑟縮着脖子抱住膝蓋，嘴唇哆嗦：“我，我也是看到媽媽這個樣子，才會想到這裏。你說，媽媽是不是因為這個才會……”
周如蘭的大腦迅速運轉起來。
弟弟武如烈剛滿月就抱了過來，一直是母親在撫養。不過奇怪的是，弟弟并不很親近母親，在家不怎麽說話，不像妹妹那樣一進門就喊媽，沒事就抱着母親胳膊撒嬌。
這次母親進醫院，他的反應也很淡然。父親讓他返校，他便離開，似乎照顧母親應該是兩個姐姐的事，這一切與他無關。
周如蘭以前只覺得男孩子和女孩子不一樣，但現在看來，這是不對的。
哪怕性格再內斂，哪怕不喜歡肢體接觸，弟弟也不應該與母親這麽疏離。這次母親跳樓，難道真的是因為這個？
撫養一個陌生人的孩子長大成人，對母親而言并沒有什麽。但如果撫養長大的是丈夫的私生子呢？被丈夫欺騙、背叛的感覺，恐怕會讓母親崩潰。
武如烈今年讀高一，個子已經快趕上父親。仔細回想，他的眉眼、身材、氣質……的确很像武建設。國字臉、濃眉大眼、嘴唇有點厚、耳垂肥厚，先前只覺得養大的孩子像自家人，很正常，現在細細琢磨，也是不對的。
如果說，誰養大的像誰。那武如烈應該像苗慧才對，為什麽會像平時不怎麽在家的武建設？
紛繁複雜的想法盡數湧上來，周如蘭感覺腦袋像要炸開一樣。她悶哼一聲，頹然坐倒，一只手垂下，另一只手搭在床沿。
武如欣不知道周如蘭到底想到了什麽，不過她對旁人情緒感知敏銳，本能地覺得不對，一把抓住姐姐下垂的右手，神情焦灼地詢問：“姐，你怎麽了？”
周如蘭沉默半晌，左手緩緩從床沿擡起，豎起一根食指比在唇邊。
“噓——”那根手指在微微顫抖。
武如欣看她面色蒼白，一雙眼睛卻亮得出奇，心跳越來越快：“姐，你，你別吓我。”
周如蘭深吸一口氣，看着武如欣：“欣欣，如果，我只是說如果，如果你的猜測是對的，你怎麽辦？”
武如欣茫然不知所措：“我跟着姐姐。”
周如蘭嘆了一口氣：“我能和他劃清界限，可是你呢？”
武如欣這才察覺到問題的嚴重性。對啊，如果父親作風有問題，那很可能會丢官，那自己在公安大學讀書，前途會不會受到影響？
思考片刻，武如欣的态度明顯比周如蘭輕松：“我不怕啊，我本來就不想當警察的。等畢業了，我去文工團跳舞呗。現在又不興搞什麽連坐，該怎樣就怎樣。”
周如蘭被妹妹的輕松感染，僵硬的脊背舒展了許多：“既然你不怕，那我去查！”
武如欣到底年輕，還是有些怕，用近乎耳語的聲音說：“姐，你真查啊？怎麽查？查出來了又怎樣？”
周如蘭湊近妹妹耳邊，叮囑道：“你先別聲張，這件事交給我。等下我回家一趟，你在這裏守着，有什麽事就叫醫生。要是忙不過來，就打電話找你同學過來幫幫忙。”
說完，她認真嚴肅地盯着武如欣：“媽媽現在情況特殊，是不是自殺還不定，萬一有人看她沒死還想繼續害她呢？你千萬千萬要把她守好，一刻都不能離開你的視線。就算是困了、想打盹，也得先給我撐住！如果你要上廁所……”
說到這裏，周如蘭皺眉道：“不行，我現在還不能走。先等你叫個同學來了，我再走。”
正在此時，病房門被敲響，打斷了周如蘭的話。
武如欣擡頭一看，快速起身迎上前：“孟安南、章亞岚、趙向晚！你們怎麽來了？”
孟安南代表三個女孩送上水果：“昨晚你匆匆忙忙離校，今天正好沒課，我們就和周老師請了假，過來看看你。”
解釋完之後，孟安南往屋裏探了探腦袋，看到躺在病床上的苗慧，禮貌性地詢問：“阿姨身體怎麽樣了？”
武如欣搖了搖頭，有些黯然。
章亞岚趕緊安慰：“沒事沒事，阿姨吉人天相，肯定不會有事的。那個，需要我們幫什麽忙嗎？”
周如蘭剛才還在擔憂自己離開，武如欣一個人留在醫院，如果有點急事要離開怎麽辦。這下好了，來了三個公安大學的女生，應該可以信任。
簡單交代了幾句，周如蘭匆匆離開。
章亞岚看着周如蘭身穿制服、飒爽英姿，贊了一句：“武如欣，你姐長得真好看。”
武如欣看她一臉豔羨，哼了一聲，剛想譏諷她兩句，轉念一想她好心好意趕來探望自己母親，又願意陪着自己一直到姐姐回來，便扯了扯嘴角：“我姐本來就好看。”
【我姐長得像她親爸，所以好看。我在媽媽的舊相冊裏見過，帥得不得了。我像我媽，幸好不像我爸，不然濃眉大眼厚嘴唇，多難看。】
趙向晚看了武如欣一眼，再看看腦袋被包紮得嚴嚴實實的苗慧，暗暗點頭，果然很像。
【也不知道姐姐現在去做什麽，怎麽查？難道要給爸和如烈做親子鑒定？媽媽工作的省廳刑事技術中心今年剛剛引進設備，做倒是可以做，可是申請程序複雜，還需要兩人配合。這樣一來，豈不是搞得世人皆知？唉！不知道為什麽，我好怕。媽媽你快好起來吧，有什麽事你和我、和我姐說說嘛，為什麽要跳樓？】
趙向晚聽得眉心直跳。
讀心術就是這點不好，旁人的隐私自動鑽到耳朵裏來，逃都逃不掉。
《撫養多年竟是丈夫的私生子妻子羞憤交加跳樓自殺》這種港城小報才會有的家庭狗血劇情，趙向晚根本就不想知道。
有了室友陪伴，武如欣漸漸輕松下來，回答着章亞岚和孟安南的問題。
“你媽怎麽了？”
“我媽晚上從樓頂摔下來，受傷很嚴重。”
“怎麽會摔下樓呢？不會是有人害她吧？”
“不知道，警察正在查。”
武如欣剛才被姐姐教訓過，對苗慧可能是自殺一事只字不提。
趙向晚站在一旁，安靜傾聽着她的心聲，漸漸将來龍去脈理順。看着面如金紙一動不動的苗慧，雙拳不自覺地捏緊。
付出半生，卻是為他人做了嫁衣裳。
無論是誰，都會覺得痛苦不堪吧？
可是，趙向晚什麽也不能做，也什麽都做不了。苦主昏迷不醒，這一切都只是猜測，自己只是武如欣的大學同學，能做什麽？
苗慧一直沒有蘇醒，該用的手段，醫生都已經用上，護士只能不定期地檢查，一切都得等待她自己恢複。
有可能醒來，有可能變成植物人，也有可能撐不過去，就此離世。
武如欣守在病床邊，聽着同學們的安慰，不知道為什麽一顆心像有貓爪子在上面抓撓，又痛、又酸、又無奈。
這一刻，武如欣終于長大。
她擡眼看着趙向晚，态度誠懇：“趙向晚，你那個微表情行為學，真的能夠識破謊言？”
趙向晚還沒說話，章亞岚已經開口：“那當然！趙向晚特別厲害。我告訴你，只要是個活人會喘氣，只要你眼珠子會轉，她就能一眼看穿你的小心思。”
武如欣苦笑：“我以前，其實很看不慣你。”
趙向晚目光沉靜：“沒事。”
或許是因為病房太壓抑，或許是因為心口被那個巨大的秘密壓得喘不上氣，武如欣此刻很想傾訴，可她還是忍住了。
眼前三個女生，在一個宿舍生活了一年。孟安南是個假小子，直率坦誠；章亞岚熱情大方、真誠善良；趙向晚外冷內熱、寬容大度，她們都是值得信任的人，但是……再值得信任，這個秘密也不能說出來。
武如欣問趙向晚：“你為什麽不生氣？”
趙向晚笑而不語。
武如欣不過就是個小心眼、愛嫉妒的小孩子，想要争奪各種寵愛罷了，除了說幾句酸話、送幾個白眼，也沒幹什麽實質性的壞事，和她計較做什麽？
趙向晚的微笑如春風般和煦，吹散了武如欣內心曾經的嫉妒。
趙向晚多拿幾個獎、多受幾次表彰、被更多同學喜愛那有什麽關系？武如欣現在只想讓媽媽快點醒過來。
--
兩個小時之後，周如蘭回到醫院。
她右手拎着一個袋子，裏面裝着姐妹倆的洗漱用品、換洗衣服。她的臉色有些蒼白，笑容很勉強。
武如欣接過周如蘭手中袋子，一擡眼看到她眼中帶着慌亂，不由得心中一緊：“姐，怎麽了？”
周如蘭的聲音有些顫抖：“爸，爸在家裏收拾。”
武如欣下意識地問了一句：“爸不是上班去了嗎？”轉念一想，她瞪圓了一雙眼睛，盯着周如蘭。不是吧？從來不做家務活的武建設，怎麽會在家裏收拾？
周如蘭看了站在她身後的同學一眼，欲言又止。
【他，他竟然在家裏翻箱倒櫃！他要做什麽？媽媽生死未知，他竟然在家裏翻東西！看到我回家，他的神情有一剎那的慌亂，不過很快就遮掩過去，說特地回來找一份文件。
文件！他的文件通常都在書房裏，怎麽可能放在卧室？他恐怕沒注意，他翻的是媽媽的梳妝臺吧。難道他有什麽把柄捏在媽媽手裏？他在找什麽？媽媽沒有寫日記的習慣，應該不是日記本，那是什麽？親子鑒定證明嗎？還是別的什麽……】
武如欣走上前，抱了抱姐姐。
溫軟的手臂纏繞在肩頭，武如欣的呼吸聲在耳邊響起，第一次妹妹主動親密，送上如此溫暖的擁抱，周如蘭一時之間有些呆愣。
武如欣啞着嗓子說：“姐姐，不怕。還有我呢。”
人都說，“打仗親兄弟，上陣父子兵”，姐妹亦是一樣。周如蘭此刻無比感謝母親生下了妹妹，讓她在這個世上除了母親之外，還有一個可以依賴、信任的血緣親人。
剛才急跳的心髒慢慢平靜下來，周如蘭拉開武如欣的手，嗔怪道：“熱死了，抱這麽緊。”
武如欣本就是個沒什麽主意的人，現在母親昏迷、父親可能有私生子，這個巨大的秘密讓她惶恐不安，必須得抓住些什麽東西才有安全感。哪怕周如蘭拉開她的手，她依然順勢纏上姐姐的胳膊：“姐，讓我同學幫我們吧？”
周如蘭嚴厲地看了她一眼：“你說什麽傻話！你同學還是學生呢，他們來探望母親已經是有情有義，怎麽能麻煩他們。”
周如蘭警告地瞪着武如欣，恨自家妹妹不懂事。這麽大的秘密，她連最信任的同事都不願意告知，武如欣竟然想把同學拖下水！
如果是假的，那得罪的就是位高權重的武副廳長，将來畢業分配只需要他一句話就能打入冷宮。
如果是真的，那就要與武副廳長為敵。贏了還好，若是輸了？他們賭上的可是前程。
周如蘭沖着趙向晚三人笑了笑：“我妹妹和你們一個寝室，平時多謝你們關照，今天也謝謝你們過來。”
這是要下逐客令了？
章亞岚還想說些什麽，卻被趙向晚拉住。趙向晚誠懇地看着周如蘭：“如果遇到難處，不如尋找更強大的支撐。省廳不是還有個監察部門嗎？”
周如蘭眼睛一亮：“好。”
對啊，武建設的官再大，也得歸黨管。在他之上，還有黨紀法規呢，難道還能一手遮天不成？
回想昨晚圍繞在父親身邊的人，只有汪曉泉伯伯冷靜自持，站在一旁。汪曉泉是省廳副廳長，和父親同級，兼紀檢監察組組長。
簡單來說，汪曉泉不怕武建設，而武建設怕汪曉泉。
汪曉泉是周如蘭父親的好友，與苗慧關系良好，如果向他求助，他一定會幫忙！
想到這裏，周如蘭難掩神情間的激動，認真打量着趙向晚：“你叫什麽名字？”
When Zhao Xiangwan arrived at her home, Wu Ruxin proudly introduced her: "Sister, she is the Zhao Xiangwan who was named by the Municipal Bureau and awarded the Medal of Excellence by our school! She can recognize lies through micro-expressions."
Zhou Rulan seemed to have heard of Zhao Xiangwan's name, and asked curiously, "Can you really tell when a lie is lying?"
Zhao Xiangwan said calmly: "Micro-expressions stay on the face for a very short time. They are human instincts and cannot be faked. If you can capture these facial expressions that only last for a few tenths of a second and analyze them, theoretically, you can tell whether the other person is lying."
Zhou Rulan looked at her thoughtfully and held out her hand: "Okay, I remember you. Hello, Zhao Xiangwan, I'm Zhou Rulan."
[If I need you in the future, I may trouble you. But I will definitely protect you and will not let Wu Jianshe cause you any trouble.]
Hearing what Zhou Rulan was thinking, Zhao Xiangwan smiled and stretched out his hand to shake hers. The two equally tall and beautiful girls looked at each other with a look of mutual admiration in their eyes.
After leaving the hospital, Zhao Xiangwan, Zhang Yalan and Meng Annan felt very heavy.
Zhang Yalan sighed: "Wu Ruxin is so pitiful. Her mother is in a very serious condition now. I don't know if she can wake up."
Meng Annan also sighed: "Yes, as long as the mother is here, the family will exist. If her mother had done something, her father, who is such a big leader, would definitely remarry. Then Wu Ruxin would have a stepmother. Isn't it sung in the nursery rhyme? Little Baicai's face is yellow, and her mother died when she was only two or three years old... How tragic!"
Zhang Yalan patted Meng Annan: "What are you talking about?"
Meng Annan cried out in pain and dodged for a moment: "I just think that it is better to live with a beggar mother than a government official father. If Wu Ruxin loses her mother, her life will definitely be difficult in the future. Although I have never met her father, he is a senior official in the provincial government, so he must be very fierce!"
Zhao Xiangwan looked at the two of them fighting and shook his head.
The most pitiful thing for Wu Ruxin is not that Miao Hui is still alive or dead, but that her father may have violated the rules and had a child, which is a problem with his work style. If a cadre of a party or government agency violates the family planning policy, it is a serious violation of discipline. He will lose his official position and public office and will be dismissed.
Not to mention that he pretended that his illegitimate child was the orphan of a comrade-in-arms, deceived his wife, deceived the organization, and deceived the masses. His crime is unforgivable and he must be subject to supervision and review by the organization.
If he doesn't sit properly, this trial might lead to a lot of trouble, and it's hard to say whether he can get away with it unscathed.
Although there is no evidence at present, after listening to Zhou Rulan and Wu Ruxin's thoughts, Zhao Xiangwan already has a tendency to form an opinion - their guess is very likely to be correct.
Walking down the hospital stairs and turning right onto the bus lane, Zhang Yalan and Meng Annan, who were fighting, let out a "Hey~" at the same time.
Looking closely, they saw a bright red car parked on the side of the road, in the blind spot at the bend. Zhang Yalan and Meng Annan ran too fast and their knees hit it.
The car window rolled down, and a beautiful young woman with big wavy hair gave them an unpleasant look: "What are you doing? Can you afford to pay for wrecked my car?"
Zhang Yalan smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Meng Annan refused to apologize. He looked around, put his hands on his waist and said, "This is not a motorway. You parked the car wrongly. You caused my knee to be hit, and I haven't asked you to compensate me yet!"
The woman gritted her teeth, stopped arguing, and quickly rolled up the car window.
Through the car window, the woman put her hands on the steering wheel, holding the edge tightly. Because she used too much force, her facial muscles were a little stiff, and she looked a little weird.
Zhao Xiangwan frowned, feeling a sense of disharmony.
Zhang Yalan didn't want to cause trouble, so she pulled Meng Annan and said, "Forget it, let's go."
The three girls exchanged glances and left quickly, treating the collision as just a minor accident.
The bus is coming.
The three girls got on the bus. There were not many people on the bus, but there were plenty of empty seats. The three of them sat together. After the bus started, looking out the window at the busy traffic, Zhang Yalan sighed, "It's great to have a car."
Meng Annan smiled and joked: "You should take the driving test first, and then you can drive a police car after being assigned to the police station."
Zhang Yalan shook her head: "No, I'm talking about private cars. It's great to have your own car and drive it around wherever you want to go, regardless of wind or rain, and without having to wait for the bus."
Meng Annan saw through her little thoughts, curled his lips, and said in a long voice: "Oh - are you jealous of others driving cars? What is there to envy! I don't think that woman is a good person."
Zhang Yalan asked: "Why?"
Meng Annan put on a reasoning posture: "She parked her car in an irregular manner, randomly, which shows that she is arrogant and disrespectful of the rules. She looks to be in her thirties, and she looks good. The red car she drives is a Nissan Duke, which is a representative of Japanese luxury cars. It needs to be bought from Hong Kong and shipped here. The domestic price is 680,000."
Zhang Yalan's eyes widened: "Oh my god, 680,000? How can you be so rich!"
Meng Annan said disdainfully: "Look at that woman, she is young and arrogant, and she doesn't have the temperament of a business owner at all. Where does she get so much money? She is either a sugar daddy or a mistress. She can't get away with it!"
The terms "sugar daddy" and "mistress" had just become popular in Hong Kong. Zhang Yalan had never heard of them before, but she didn't know what good words they were when she heard them. She said, "What are you talking about!"
Meng Annan's hometown is in Xiangdong, adjacent to Guangdong Province, so she has many opportunities to come across these new terms. She rolled her eyes at Zhang Yalan and said, "Why are you spitting at me? Many people from our place are doing business in Shenzhen and Guangdong Province. Many nouveau riche people wear pagers on their waists and hold mobile phones in their hands. They are very arrogant and show off. When they have a little money, they act like the rich people in Hong Kong and keep mistresses and concubines."
Zhang Yalan blushed and asked, "My lover, I understand. What is that, honey?"
Meng Annan: "It's the kind of young woman who works as a secretary for a rich man, but in fact she's still doing ambiguous things, you know."
Zhang Yalan understood: "Oh, Xiaomi, a younger secretary."
Meng Annan explained: "Alas, in order to distinguish the profession of secretary and avoid hurting the good secretaries who really fulfill their duties, the word "mi" is replaced by "mi" in "secretary". Sweetheart, sweet honey."
Zhang Yalan felt as if a door to a new world had opened before her.
Meng Annan continued with the previous topic: "That woman is obviously not a good person at first glance."
Zhang Yalan thought of how Zhao Xiangwan had once judged that her father's lover Liu Liju was a prostitute, so she turned to look at Zhao Xiangwan and asked, "Why don't you tell me?"
Zhao Xiangwan kept frowning. When he heard Zhang Yalan's question, he thought and answered, "She sat in the car and didn't get out. Through the car window, I could see that she was dressed boldly and fashionably, with delicate makeup, exaggerated hoop earrings, and pink nail polish on her hands holding the steering wheel. She must be living a comfortable and leisurely life. If she is not a star or a singer, then she may indeed live by relying on men."
Meng Annan patted the back of Zhao Xiangwan's chair happily: "Right, right, I told you!"
Zhao Xiangwan continued, "If someone hit her car, most people would get out to check if the car was damaged, but she didn't get out. She didn't seem to mind at all. Why?"
Yes, why? Zhang Yalan and Meng Annan looked at each other and began to think about the answer to this question.
"She's probably rich enough to not care about this."
"She probably had more important things to do than to care if we wrecked her car."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded in approval: "Yes, I also think she has more important things to do. I don't know if you noticed that her hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel, her chest was close to the steering wheel, her eyes were staring blankly ahead, her teeth were clenched, she was..."
An idea suddenly came to Zhao Xiangwan's mind and his expression changed.
Zhao Xiangwan remembered that this woman's behavior and micro-expressions were a kind of "frozen reaction"!
All human subconscious reactions are the result of natural selection in the long process of evolution. When facing more ferocious animals, our ancestors would subconsciously freeze their reactions to save their lives. For example, they would hold their breath, restrain their limbs, and freeze their facial expressions.
All of the woman's reactions fit this characteristic.
Some criminals will subconsciously enter a freezing state before committing a crime, which means they are nervous and looking for support points for the next battle.
What is she going to do?
In other words, who did she want to hurt?
She sat in the car, holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands, unwilling to leave the driving seat even if the car was hit by someone. She was currently staring at the front nervously. Who was she going to hit?
Thinking of this, Zhao Xiangwan suddenly stood up from his seat.