Chapter 47:

On her way out of the supermarket, Lin Qiao casually grabbed a few bags of snacks—better than coming out empty-handed. She kept her head down while waiting in line to pay. When it was finally her turn, she placed her bag on the counter, took out her wallet, and handed the exact change to the cashier. That was when the unexpected happened.

“Use this.” A long, pale hand extended a card toward the cashier. The cold, mechanical voice was all too familiar. “Charge it all together.”

Lin Qiao froze in place, not turning around immediately. The cashier probably assumed the man was with her, so she accepted his card and added the charges together.

Zhao Chunjun tilted his head slightly and offered Lin Qiao a smile, one that made her skin crawl. “I’ll cover it,” he said simply. “Consider it a thank-you for keeping quiet.”

Lin Qiao expressionlessly shoved the coins she was holding into Zhao Chunjun’s hand and said flatly, “No thanks, I can’t afford it.” Then she quickly walked away, leaving the cashier thoroughly confused.

Didn’t they come together? The man looked so natural, like they were on good terms. Could they have had a fight?

Zhao Chunjun gave the cashier a slight smile and murmured an apology. He neatly placed the coins Lin Qiao had returned into his wallet, organizing them by amount and serial number as he walked. By the time he finished, he was already outside the supermarket.

Lin Qiao was the kind of girl who stood out easily. Tall and slender, with delicate and elegant features, her beauty was calm and effortless—easy to spot in a crowd with just a quick glance.

She walked quickly, weaving through people and traffic. The sunlight reflected off her fair skin, giving it a soft, milky glow. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from hurrying, adding a touch of healthy vibrance to her appearance.

Only after climbing into her car did she finally let out a breath of relief. She locked the doors and checked the rearview mirror. That’s when she saw Zhao Chunjun standing a short distance behind her car.

Persistent as a ghost—that was the only way to describe him now.

The phrase “clingy ghost” perfectly described Zhao Chunjun in Lin Qiao’s mind. His car was parked right behind hers: a white Mercedes-Benz S63, spotless and clearly washed with meticulous care, even visible from the rearview mirror.

Lin Qiao had heard rumors about doctors—especially psychiatrists—often having obsessive cleanliness issues, sometimes even bordering on mental instability. She thought the rumors were spot-on. There was definitely something wrong with Zhao Chunjun’s head.

As she drove back, she received a call from Shen Qingzhou. Since she was driving, she used her Bluetooth headset. As soon as she answered, Shen Qingzhou asked, “Where are you?”

Lin Qiao replied honestly, “On the road. Heading back.”

“Did you go shopping?” he asked softly.

Lin Qiao nodded, “I was planning to buy some vegetables for dinner, but I didn’t end up getting them. I just bought some potato chips.”

“That kind of food isn’t healthy. Don’t eat too much of it. Why didn’t you get the vegetables?” he asked.

Lin Qiao sighed, still shaken. “I ran into Zhao Chunjun. He even tried to pay for me. I gave him the money and ran out.”

There was a brief silence on Shen Qingzhou’s end before he scoffed disdainfully, “Why are you so afraid of him?”

“I don’t want to be scared either, but every time I see him, my legs go weak. I’ve got psychological trauma,” Lin Qiao complained.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t dwell on the topic. He got straight to the point of his call: “Fang Zheng has been arrested. He’s at the police station now.”

Lin Qiao slammed on the brakes, narrowly stopping before a red light. She gasped in shock and asked, “What did you say?”

“After you went missing, Fang Zheng’s father personally reported it to the police. That’s not my doing,” Shen Qingzhou said calmly. “But it might be hard to convict Fang Zheng. Zhao Chunjun definitely wouldn’t leave the hospital surveillance footage for the police to examine. The only eyewitness left is Wang Jiaqi.”

“Jiaqi? She saw it?” Lin Qiao asked, stunned.

“Yes. She was the one who called me to tell me Fang Zheng had taken you away,” Shen Qingzhou explained. “She saw him take you into the car when she was leaving the store.”

Lin Qiao said dryly, “I hope she didn’t misunderstand anything.”

Shen Qingzhou snorted. “Even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. The Wang family can’t stand up to the Fangs. Even if she testifies, she’ll back down eventually.”

Lin Qiao was silent. She glanced at the green light and resumed driving.

Suddenly, Shen Qingzhou said, “You mentioned someone to me before. Maybe he could be useful.”

Lin Qiao’s eyes lit up. “You mean Dr. Qi?”

“Who is he?” Shen Qingzhou’s voice turned slightly colder.

Lin Qiao immediately caught the hint of displeasure in his tone and hurried to explain, “He’s a doctor I met when my father was in the hospital. I only saw him three times. The last time was when I was in the psychiatric ward and I asked him for help.”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t respond, signaling her to continue. Lin Qiao went on, “I saw him visiting a patient in the room across from mine, so I waited behind the door for him to come out and ask for help. I breathed on the window to write your number and asked him to call you.”

Shen Qingzhou was quiet again before murmuring, “I didn’t know you were that clever.”

“…” Lin Qiao twitched her lips, sweatdropping.

Shen Qingzhou said lightly, “Alright, focus on driving. We’ll talk more when you get back. I won’t be home for lunch; I have work to handle at the company.”

The “company” he referred to was the Lin Group. His own company operated entirely on his schedule. No one really understood what he did, and he could do whatever he wanted, enjoying a freedom of time that Lin Qiao envied.

The reason he was so busy was entirely for the Lin Group. Although he had taken on this burden willingly, Lin Qiao still felt a bit guilty and said, “Maybe I should come help you. It must be exhausting handling such a big company alone.”

Shen Qingzhou replied, “Do you think the employees and the board of directors at the Lin Group are all deadwood?”

Lin Qiao coughed awkwardly. “I just wanted to help, you know. Why be so harsh?”

Shen Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then actually apologized, “Sorry.”

He usually never cared about such small things, so his sudden sincerity caught her off guard. After a pause, she awkwardly said, “Alright, alright. I was just kidding. You go ahead and work. I’ll drive now.”

Shen Qingzhou agreed, said goodbye, and hung up. Lin Qiao drove straight ahead but suddenly turned at an intersection, heading in the opposite direction of her home. That road led to a hospital—where Dr. Qi Zheng worked.

Although Shen Qingzhou hadn’t finished his sentence, Lin Qiao understood his meaning. Wang Jiaqi, due to family pressure, might be willing to testify but unable to follow through. The only other person who could help was Qi Zheng, the doctor who had seen her locked up in the psychiatric ward.

What puzzled Lin Qiao most was why Qi Zheng hadn’t called. From what she knew of him, he was a gentle and peaceful doctor, never raising his voice, always smiling calmly. Even though they hadn’t met many times, Lin Qiao was certain he was a good person—because people gave off different vibes.

Even if Qi Zheng wasn’t sure what was going on with her, he should have at least made that call just to check. But he hadn’t. Instead, Zhao Chunjun had made the call. That made Lin Qiao deeply suspicious.

As she parked and entered the hospital, she thought: Maybe Qi Zheng had forgotten the number? Or maybe he dialed it wrong and couldn’t get through? Or perhaps he called the wrong number and the person on the other end didn’t understand anything, so he really thought she was mentally ill…

All these possibilities were quite likely. Lin Qiao would rather believe those than think Qi Zheng had deliberately ignored her.

When she reached the floor where Qi Zheng worked, Lin Qiao found the physician’s office. Before knocking, she asked a passing nurse, “Excuse me, is Dr. Qi in this office?”

The nurse glanced at Lin Qiao, clearly curious why she was looking for Qi Zheng. After a moment, she replied, “Yes, he’s inside. Just knock and go in.”

Lin Qiao thanked the nurse and knocked. The door opened quickly, and Qi Zheng himself answered.

Seeing her, Qi Zheng looked slightly surprised and asked, “Miss Lin? Has Mr. Lin been hospitalized again?”

Lin Qiao shook her head and glanced at the other doctors in the office before lowering her voice. “Dr. Qi, do you have a moment? Would it be convenient to talk somewhere else for a bit?”

Qi Zheng glanced at the nurse still lingering outside the office, unfazed by her curiosity. He nodded and gestured for her to follow him.

They walked to the end of the corridor, where no one was around. The window was open, and a breeze blew in, lifting the hem of his white coat. He stood tall and composed, exuding reliability.

Even though they were both doctors, Qi Zheng and Zhao Chunjun gave completely different impressions—this was what Lin Qiao had always felt. Even without the unpleasant incidents, she wouldn’t have wanted to get close to someone like Zhao Chunjun. But Qi Zheng was different.

Standing by the window, Lin Qiao got straight to the point. “Dr. Qi, I know this might sound rude and presumptuous, but please forgive me. I’ve been really confused—why was it Dr. Zhao who ended up calling that number?”

Qi Zheng’s expression darkened slightly. He looked down at her, silent for a moment, as if recalling the events of that day.

The slight furrow in his brow hinted at inner unease. Lin Qiao thought maybe something in her words had triggered something in him.

After a pause, Qi Zheng’s expression softened. He looked at Lin Qiao with a gentle smile and said, “Miss Lin, I’m truly sorry for agreeing to Dr. Zhao’s suggestion without your permission. If you’re upset about it, I’m willing to apologize.”

Lin Qiao was stunned. So back then, when he left, he really had run into Zhao Chunjun. And according to his tone, Zhao had actually noticed her plea for help and had even asked Qi Zheng to call the number she had used to “seek help.” That was completely unexpected.

What exactly was Zhao Chunjun up to?

Honestly, no matter what his motives were, given the current situation, even if Fang Zheng really ended up in prison, Zhao Chunjun wouldn’t face much trouble. He had covered his tracks so perfectly that there was no legal evidence to pin anything on him. Lin Qiao didn’t even know how to describe his actions anymore—he was just too clever.