From morning until now, Lin Fan was so hungry she could eat a cow. Qin Feng served her some soup. "Did you come from a refugee camp?"
Lin Fan swallowed her rice and looked up at Qin Feng, smiling brightly. "I'm just really hungry."
Qin Feng placed the soup in front of her. "Did she say anything?"
"Who?"
"Chen Lei's wife."
Lin Fan shook her head. Thinking about her made Lin Fan's mood heavy. "She didn't say anything. She's probably scared. After all, she still has a child to raise."
Qin Feng nodded. Chen Lei's wife surely knew something, but if she didn't speak up, no one could do anything about it. The Baidu Baike entry must have been edited by someone close to Chen Lei because it was quickly deleted, leaving no trace. Who else would go to such lengths to clear Chen Lei's name?
After they finished eating, Qin Feng accompanied Lin Fan to the mall to buy baby formula. As they walked, Lin Fan searched for reliable formula brands on her phone. The prices were exorbitant, and she couldn't afford much with the money she had.
At the formula section, Qin Feng asked, "Which brand should we buy?"
Lin Fan examined each brand and then asked the sales associate.
"How old is the baby?"
"Newborn."
"This brand is pretty good." Qin Feng took a look and said, "Let's get a case of it."
Lin Fan was astonished and turned to look at Qin Feng. He followed the sales associate to get the formula. Lin Fan didn't dare to fight over the bill; she was out of money. Qin Feng carried the formula as they took a taxi to the hospital. On the way, Qin Feng received a call: Ding Hao had confessed.
They soon arrived at the hospital. Qin Feng carried the formula and followed Lin Fan to the inpatient department. Lin Fan kept glancing at him. Qin Feng raised his eyebrows. "What are you looking at?"
"Do you have something to do? If you do, you should go. I can carry this."
"I'll see you inside and then go," Qin Feng said. "We've identified the person from last night's bloodstains. Solving the case isn't far off."
"That's good. Chen Lei deserves to have his name cleared."
At the door of the hospital room, Qin Feng stopped and handed the formula to Lin Fan. "I'll wait here."
"Okay."
The two police officers on duty stood up and walked over. "What's going on?"
Qin Feng was wearing a police uniform, though it had a Jiangcheng badge.
"Nothing, just delivering some things. I've already informed your team leader, Liu."
They shook hands with Qin Feng.
Lin Fan pushed the door open and entered. The woman was standing by the window, holding the baby. Lin Fan put down the formula. The woman turned when she heard the noise and frowned. "Why are you here again?"
"My friend bought this formula and asked me to bring it over," Lin Fan explained. "Do you need any help?"
"No."
Lin Fan stood there awkwardly. "I really don't mean anything else. I'm just worried you might be overwhelmed alone. My grandma always said that postpartum recovery is very important. Overexertion can lead to illnesses."
"What's your name?"
"Lin Fan."
The woman placed the baby down and sat on the bed, wearing thin clothes. Lin Fan said, "Wouldn't you like to wear more clothes? I noticed that women in our area dress warmly after giving birth."
"Where are you from?"
"Jiangcheng."
"Then we’re from the same place." The woman's tone was indifferent, her eyes still lifeless.
Lin Fan went over to close the door and nervously sat down. "Where are your parents?"
"They didn't agree with me marrying Chen Lei and refused to come see me."
Lin Fan clenched her fingers. "What about his parents?"
"I don't want to see them. It's better for everyone that way."
Lin Fan hung her head. "So you'll be raising the child alone?"
"Yes." The woman raised her head, staring blankly out the window. Lin Fan, not being eloquent, couldn’t find the right words, so she just sat there.
"Thank your friend for me. Formula is expensive."
"I will."
The woman seemed a bit dizzy and swayed before sitting steadily. "If you have nothing else to do, you can leave. There's really nothing here that needs looking after."
As she spoke, the door opened, and a masked doctor walked in. He seemed surprised to see Lin Fan but quickly looked away and walked towards the baby stroller. "Routine checkup."
Lin Fan stood up and said to the woman, "I'll be going then."
Her gaze swept over the doctor, and she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her hand touching the steel pipe on her keychain. The doctor picked up the baby and started to walk out. Lin Fan shouted, "Stop."
The doctor stopped, and the woman looked over. Lin Fan stepped forward and blocked the doctor's path. "Where's your ID?"
She smelled blood on this person, his fingers were rough, and his knuckles large – the hands of a martial artist. His way of holding the baby was also unprofessional. He was probably not a doctor. The man's expression darkened as he looked at Lin Fan. "Why do you need an ID? I'll get it for you—" Before he could finish his sentence, he drew a knife from his waistband and stabbed at Lin Fan. Lin Fan shouted for help, dodged sideways, and drew the steel pipe to strike at his head. The man, caught off guard, was hit in the face, his expression changing instantly.
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"You're courting death." He wiped his face and stabbed at Lin Fan again. "Get out of the way!"
The man was too fast. Lin Fan could only block, retreating to the door. She shouted out, "Someone is trying to steal the baby!" The police outside should hear and come rushing in!
The man's knife slammed into the door, embedding deeply. Lin Fan kicked at his groin. He recoiled in pain, trying to slap her, but Lin Fan swiftly dodged, slipped under his arm, and jabbed with the steel pipe. The pipe's sharp, thin tip, made from an unknown tough material, was extremely durable.
The man, now furious, turned and attacked Lin Fan with a flurry of blows. His attacks were fierce and powerful, and soon Lin Fan was at a disadvantage. He swept a leg at her, and unable to dodge, she was kicked into a corner, feeling her insides twist in pain. The man tried to leave. Lin Fan scrambled up, grabbed a chair, and jumped to smash it over his head. The chair broke apart, and the man's expression turned murderous. The baby wailed, and the man threw the child aside, lunging at Lin Fan.
"My baby!" The woman screamed and tried to rush over. Lin Fan, being small, rolled to the baby, picked him up, and tried to open the door. The man slashed at her with the knife, and she kicked at his arm.
Holding the baby made it hard for Lin Fan to fight effectively. The next moment, the knife slashed her shoulder. Forced back into the room, she handed the baby to Chen's wife and grabbed a hot water bottle to smash at the man.
The man didn't expect Lin Fan to be so resilient. She wiped blood from her mouth and drew the steel pipe again. Her eyes were red. "Come on! Let’s see who dies today!"
There were police outside. Normally, they would have come in by now. Something must have happened!
The man stopped fighting Lin Fan and suddenly turned to grab Chen's wife. She screamed, and Lin Fan, finding unexpected courage, quickly leaped over the bed, pushed the woman into a corner, and struck the man on the neck with the steel pipe.
Too fast for him to react, blood spurted out.
The door burst open, and the police rushed in. "Police! Don't move!"
The man grabbed a table and hurled it at the police, then smashed the window and jumped out. On the third floor, he quickly disappeared by climbing down an air conditioner.
Lin Fan stood in front of the woman, gripping the steel pipe tightly, her eyes fixed ahead.
"Chase him! Don't let him escape."
"Miss, are you alright? You're bleeding!"
Lin Fan swayed, then collapsed to the floor. With a thud, her eyes closed.
"Doctor! Call a doctor!"
Qin Feng had just gotten into a taxi when he received a call from Liu Yi, who urgently said, "Your girl is in trouble."
Qin Feng felt a buzz in his head. "What?"
"Someone tried to steal Qian Fang's baby. Lin Fan fought them off."
Qin Feng gripped his phone tightly, took a moment to regain his senses, and shouted, "Stop the car!"
The taxi stopped, and Qin Feng rushed out of the car.
Lin Fan had never fought for her life before. Even when she was harmed, she rarely fought back, remembering her grandmother’s words. No matter what others said, Lin Fan had her own standards and way of living.
When she opened her eyes, the sudden bright light made her squint. Her vision gradually cleared. The white fluorescent light illuminated the room, and Qin Feng was sitting in a chair by the bedside, arms crossed, asleep. Lin Fan looked at him. His eyelashes were long and thick, casting shadows. Lin Fan licked her dry lips and turned to look out the window. It was already dark. The pain surged into her brain, and she took a deep breath, lying flat. Qin Feng opened his eyes, and their gazes met. He stood up, rubbing his brow. “You’re awake? Hungry?”
Lin Fan shook her head.
Qin Feng walked to the bedside, bent over, and his hand brushed against her dry lips and then her neck. “Lin Fan, you only have one life.”
At this close distance, Lin Fan could smell the cold scent on him. His eyes were deep black, seemingly able to swallow everything. Lin Fan stared at him unblinkingly.
Qin Feng sighed, realizing he might have gone too far. He got up to pour her some water. He was holding back his anger, now understanding how others felt about him before, wanting to scold Lin Fan.
He adjusted the bedhead and fed her water, his face sullen and silent.
Lin Fan took a sip of water and glanced at his face. Qin Feng felt exhausted.
“Are you angry?” Qin Feng said nothing, bringing the water to her lips. Lin Fan’s shoulder hurt. “How is Mrs. Chen? Is she alright? And the baby?”
Qin Feng remained silent, finished feeding her the water, and then got up to leave. Lin Fan called him, “Brother Qin!”
Qin Feng turned around. “What?”
Lin Fan spoke awkwardly, “Are you angry?”
“I’m going out to get you some food. Don’t move.”
Lin Fan couldn’t help but smile. She nodded. The ward door closed, and she stared at the door, feeling a bit happy. Despite the pain, Lin Fan still felt happy.
Half an hour later, Qin Feng returned. There wasn’t much to eat nearby at this hour, so he bought porridge from KFC.
Lin Fan’s collapse had no symptoms. Although there was a fight, it wasn’t fatal. She passed out for no apparent reason. Qin Feng placed the porridge in front of her. Lin Fan said, “I can eat by myself.”
Qin Feng didn’t force her and sat nearby to eat. Lin Fan’s left shoulder was injured, which didn’t affect her eating.
“Did they catch the guy?”
“No.”
Lin Fan felt a bit regretful and swallowed some bread. “That guy was quite strong. What happened to the police outside at that time?”
“They were changing shifts, leaving a few minutes of gap.” Qin Feng finished his porridge and stared at Lin Fan. “Who taught you to fight?”
“My grandmother.” Lin Fan was still not giving up. “Any leads?”
“Yes, he was caught on surveillance. He knocked out a doctor in the office, changed into his clothes, and pretended to be a doctor. Another crucial evidence is that he was injured by you, leaving a blood sample. Finding him won’t be difficult; he will be caught soon.” Qin Feng gestured. “Finish your porridge.”
Lin Fan finished her porridge, and Qin Feng cleaned up the containers. “Don’t risk your life in such situations in the future.”
“Okay.” Lin Fan agreed, but not sincerely, which made Qin Feng feel frustrated. Why was she so disobedient?
It was nearly midnight. Qin Feng didn’t return to the hotel but sat down beside her. “Chen Lei’s case is complicated. I’ll send you back to Jiangcheng tomorrow.”
Lin Fan didn’t want to leave since Chen Lei’s case wasn’t solved yet. “What’s so complicated?”
“It involves many people’s interests. I’m afraid you might get hurt.”
Lin Fan’s eyes rolled around, finally thinking of a solution. “Can I go back after I recover?”
Qin Feng gave her a cold look. “You need to go back to handle your enrollment procedures. I’ve sent your files. If you don’t want to study, you can stay here.”
Lin Fan was hit at her weak spot. “I’ll go back tomorrow.”
She lay on the bed silently. Her body was in pain. She stared at the ceiling for a while, then turned to look at Qin Feng. “Aren’t you going back to the hotel?”
“Just a few hours left.” Qin Feng said, “I’ll sit here and review the evidence.”
Lin Fan glanced at the small hospital bed. “How about… you sleep here?”
Qin Feng frowned. “Lin Fan, do you really think I’m your father?”
Lin Fan opened her mouth, and Qin Feng moved his chair closer to her, lifting her chin. “I’m a man! Get that clear.”
Lin Fan’s face turned red. His fingers were rough, scraping her chin, making her face feel like it was on fire. She swallowed and pressed her lips together.
Qin Feng let go of her. “Go to sleep. I’m going out for a smoke.”
As he walked to the door, Lin Fan felt a bit panicked. “Brother Qin.”
Qin Feng stopped but didn’t answer. “What?”
Lin Fan clenched her fingers, her head buzzing. She didn’t dare to speak.
“Hm?” Qin Feng turned back, his sharp gaze piercing. “What do you want to say?”
Lin Fan’s nails dug into her palm. She stared at Qin Feng, shaking her head vigorously. “Nothing.”
Qin Feng looked at her from a distance. After a long silence, he seemed to have something to say but didn’t. “Sleep well. Get some rest. I’ll book your flight for tomorrow afternoon.”
Lin Fan nodded. “Okay.”
Qin Feng walked out. The door closed, and Lin Fan’s body sank until only her head was visible. She covered her face with her hands, the movement causing her wound to hurt, making her grimace in pain.
Half asleep, half awake, Lin Fan felt Qin Feng come back in, tuck her in, and sit by her side. She wanted to tell him to sleep but was too tired and drifted off again.
Qin Feng leaned back in his chair, scrolling through the case details on his phone. Ding Hao confessed that he and three friends wanted some money. When they entered Chen Lei’s house, he had just come back. Afraid Chen Lei would call the police, they chased him. Chen Lei, panicking, ran to the rooftop and accidentally fell to his death.
The rooftop railing was 1.6 meters high, while Chen Lei was 1.75 meters tall. How could he accidentally fall? There were no shoe prints on the edge but fibers from Chen Lei’s pants. How did his pants get to that position?
The room was ransacked, but the money was left untouched in a drawer. How could it be a theft? Qin Feng rubbed his temples. The case itself wasn’t complicated, but the matters surrounding it were.