The woman turned and looked at the boatman apologetically, "I'm sorry."
She hadn't expected the controls here to be so strict, nor had she anticipated implicating the boatman.
The boatman shook his head helplessly. He'd taken pity on her, a woman traveling with a child. If it were anywhere else, it would be fine, but this area had been unsettled recently...
He wondered how they would be treated, thinking about it with a heavy heart.
But if trouble truly arose, he would still stand up to protect them. In his eyes, the woman and child were the vulnerable party, especially after his wife had been tormented by illness and passed away.
Soon, they were led into a room where many people were already present.
Periodically, someone would be taken out. Some returned, while others were never seen again.
The three of them waited quietly. The boatman naturally hoped they would be among those who didn't disappear. He didn't want to become lamb to the slaughter again.
Soon, it was their turn.
People dressed in black, just like before, approached with expressionless faces. "A family?"
The boatman was taken aback, but the woman answered first, "We are not a family. He was just here to deliver me. Please let him go."
The man remained silent but waved his hand. Immediately, people stepped forward and led them in a particular direction.
Upon arrival, they were separated.
In a cramped space, under dim lighting, the leading man's gaze was sharp.
"Name."
"Jiang Rou."
In such an environment, people seemed to have no choice but to answer truthfully; any subtle attempts to deceive would only lead to more trouble.
"Why did you come to the dock?" Anyone arriving during this period was subjected to thorough screening.
"To find someone."
A hint of sharpness flickered in the man's eyes. "Who? What is their name?"
"Lan Qianqian."
The man's hand paused almost imperceptibly. "What is your relationship to this person?"
"She is the daughter of my husband's elder sister."
Jiang Rou knew this was a routine interrogation, so she didn't hide anything. On the contrary, she believed lying would only bring endless trouble.
His elder sister's daughter?
"What is your elder sister's name?" The man stared directly at Jiang Rou, as if trying to see through all her thoughts.
"Tong Muqing..."
The boatman was released, and Jiang Rou was moved to a new location.
...
Outside Ryan's VIP ward
Xia Han paced anxiously in the corridor, pacing so much that Lu Haoran felt dizzy.
"Little aunt, your anxiety is useless. Let's go back first."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Haoran received a death glare from his lover.
Alright, he regretted being so talkative. He shouldn't have mentioned it. The moment he did, Xia Han, without a second's delay, dragged him over.
However, after arriving, no matter what they said, his sister-in-law refused to open the door or respond in any way.
It made them wonder if something had happened to her. It was Mo's thoughtful consideration to secretly install a hidden camera outside, which allowed them to see some of what was happening inside.
At least they could determine that the person inside was unharmed. Otherwise, the complete silence was too worrying. The current disheveled state of his brother was proof of that.
He was unshaven, his eyes bloodshot, and his expression dejected.
But it wasn't surprising, considering they heard his sister-in-law hadn't eaten much for two days. How could he be alright?
Lu Haoran now truly realized the potency of the medication. Just a few days ago, Lan Qianqian would still talk to them, but now she was nowhere to be seen, not even Mo.
They could tell that even though Lan Qianqian had never treated Mo well, she still wanted him by her side. It seemed her "condition" had worsened.
"Xuan, when you examine her body today, give her some nutritional fluid."
Xuan Mo Han propped his forehead with his hand, his face etched with fatigue. He knew Xuan had plenty of good things. Since she didn't take care of herself, he had to find ways to intervene.
Without him saying it, Mu Jingxuan had the same idea. The little food she ate couldn't possibly sustain her body.
The moment she woke up, he knew the drug had failed. He had to administer the control-type medication extracted by his master. He had also informed Mo about this, and Mo had only remained silent.
He knew Mo was feeling heavy-hearted, but wasn't he feeling the same way!
Mu Jingxuan opened the door and saw Lan Qianqian sitting on the bed as usual, her expression focused, her hands moving swiftly!
Her recovery progress always amazed him, especially from the day she first returned.
Given her current state, her body should be back to normal within a month.
"How are you feeling today?" Mu Jingxuan asked Lan Qianqian with a gentle smile.
Lan Qianqian's movements paused, her train of thought interrupted. She placed the documents in her hands on the nearby table and quickly lay down on the bed.
"If Dr. Mu needs to examine me, hurry up. Also, I don't need daily check-ups."
Lan Qianqian said with some irritation. She had been frantically revising on paper for the past two days and was nearing the end. All she needed was to redraw it on the computer.
She felt perfectly fine and didn't need a doctor at all. Once her current work was finished, she would be discharged!
Mu Jingxuan said nothing further and walked closer, beginning to examine her body step by step.
During the examination, he would occasionally turn his head to look at her small, palm-sized face, seemingly captivated, but he made sure she didn't notice.
He knew her emotional state was much better now, not as irritable as two days ago, but it was far from enough.
In fact, he was somewhat puzzled. The medication he and his master developed was different.
His master's was a finished product with entirely different medicinal effects, while his and his master's powerful medication differed; a single change in one herb greatly reduced the risk but also lowered the success rate.
Therefore, this medication should have a strong inhibitory effect. However, her state the other day was quite different from what he had imagined.
But he hadn't been by her side for some time and couldn't grasp the specific situation.
After the examination, Mu Jingxuan walked to the coffee table and picked up a cup. From the innermost layer of the medical kit, he took out an exquisite box and placed the paste-like substance inside.
He poured water of a suitable temperature, stirred it well, and walked over to Lan Qianqian.
"This is medication to help your body recover. Drink it first, and I'll be leaving afterwards."
More medicine! Lan Qianqian desperately wanted to knock over the cup in front of her, but after brewing her emotions, she still took it.
Seeing Lan Qianqian drink it all, Mu Jingxuan felt a slight sense of relief.
This was something he had just had retrieved from his laboratory, specifically formulated for her current physical condition.
As soon as he walked out, Xuan Mo Han approached him, "Did she drink it?"
Mu Jingxuan looked at Xuan Mo Han with complex eyes. He believed that Lan Qianqian's condition had worsened due to his inadequate care.
"I made sure she drank it all."
Before Xuan Mo Han could speak, Mu Jingxuan walked away and took out his mobile phone from his pocket, dialing a number...