Qin Si Ye went to the basement and immediately called Zhao Ze, asking him to check who had visited his father in the hospital that day.
He also arranged for two bodyguards to keep an eye on the inpatient department and monitor anyone entering or leaving his father's ward.
The storm, met with Qin Si Ye's decisive and swift response, came and went as quickly as it arrived.
All news reports were removed before 10:30 that morning, and not many people had seen them.
The next day, Shen Xi returned to work at the pharmaceutical company as usual.
After handling urgent company matters, she drove to the shop she had rented and met with the personnel from the renovation design company that Jian Fan had arranged.
She detailed her functional needs and vision to the designer.
After taking notes, the designer promised to complete the design proposal within a week.
After bidding farewell to the designer, Shen Xi glanced at her watch; it was time for lunch.
Ankang Hospital was not far from here. Shen Xi thought it would be nice to call Si Yue out for lunch together.
Just as she took out her phone to make the call, she looked up and saw Han Hao Ming, dressed in casual clothes, walking towards her with his head down.
"Han Hao Ming," Shen Xi quickly put her phone away and stepped forward, calling out to him.
"Huh? Shen Xi, what are you doing here?" Han Hao Ming looked at her with a gentle and surprised expression.
Shen Xi smiled and pointed to the shop on the side, "I rented a shop here to open a pharmacy."
"Opening a pharmacy? Aren't you still working at Ankang Hospital?" Han Hao Ming was even more puzzled.
"That's right. I've already resigned from there. And I've also started a pharmaceutical company," Shen Xi continued with a smile, "I hope Officer Han will support me in the future."
"That's a given," Han Hao Ming also smiled, "It's good that you resigned from the hospital. Being your own boss and running a business better reflects personal value, and you'll have more freedom with your time."
"Mm. That's what I thought too," Shen Xi looked him up and down, "Where did you come from and where are you going?"
"Oh, I just finished visiting a case and am heading back to the station," Han Hao Ming said, pointing to his car parked ahead, not concealing anything.
Shen Xi glanced at her watch again, "It's lunchtime too. Do I have the honor of having lunch with Officer Han?"
Hearing this, Han Hao Ming paused. He hadn't expected such a spontaneous invitation from her.
He then remembered how Qin Si Ye had been strongly displeased when they met and chatted on the road, and couldn't help but ask, "Just the two of us?"
"Of course," Shen Xi said with a playful smile, "Unless you want to invite someone else? Should I make a call and ask someone to join us?"
Han Hao Ming quickly waved his hands, "No, no. That's not what I meant."
The "someone" she mentioned to invite was certainly not Qin Si Ye, but likely Qin Si Yue.
Ankang Hospital was nearby.
Seeing his slightly nervous expression, Shen Xi couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, "Then let's go."
The two of them soon entered a uniquely decorated Chinese restaurant, found a quiet spot by the window, and after ordering, began to chat.
As for the man in front of her, Shen Xi had known him for five years.
After returning to the country, they had quickly become acquainted again due to matters concerning the children.
However, she wore a mask, and he didn't recognize her.
Therefore, their interaction had remained very superficial.
It wasn't until Qin Si Yue developed a liking for him, and Shen Xi helped facilitate their connection, that they started interacting more.
Furthermore, coupled with his mother's hospitalization a while ago, they had confided in each other a few times, leading them to become friends who addressed each other by their given names.
Thinking about it, there was no need to hide her true identity from him, but since she wore a mask, explaining it would be troublesome.
Shen Xi decided not to reveal the truth to him for the time being.
However, to obtain useful information from him, she should reveal some of her background to him as a gesture of sincerity and to break down his defenses.
"Han Hao Ming, I asked you to help me investigate a boy named Yin Zhe before. Do you remember?"
"I remember. He went missing, and there's still no news of him," Han Hao Ming replied.
"Actually, I am his cousin. I've found him," Shen Xi said with a smile.
Han Hao Ming looked surprised, "You're his cousin, so does that make you Yin Xi's cousin too?"
"You know Yin Xi?"
"Yes. When her father had his accident years ago, I was working at the traffic police team and was responsible for mediating the accident.
Miss Yin was still a naive college student at the time. The sudden family tragedy hit her hard.
Later, somehow, someone stepped in to help her resolve all the difficulties. I haven't been in contact with her since."