Miss Forensics – Chapter 69.2

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After sending each of these people back home, Song Yuhang called for a designated driver to take her back to the hospital.

As soon as she got out of the car, Lin Ge’s car also arrived.

There was no way not to notice him. This man, whether in appearance or temperament, stood out in the crowd.

Lin Ge was holding some nutritional supplements, apparently also visiting a patient at the hospital.

Lin Yan had already been transferred to another hospital, so who could he be familiar with at this hospital?

Song Yuhang touched her nose and lowered her head as she walked.

Lin Ge caught up with her from behind.

“Are you feeling better? You look much better now. I’ve been busy with family matters recently, so I haven’t been able to come and see you during Lin Yan’s incident.”

Originally, she could have asked Lin Ge about Lin Yan’s whereabouts. However, upon second thought, since she had already decided to cut ties with Lin Ge from now on, there was no need to proactively contact him anymore. It wouldn’t be good to give him any lingering thoughts or to delay him by going back and forth.

After all, he was still Lin Yan’s relative, and if possible, Song Yuhang didn’t want to hurt him.

With these thoughts in mind, she spoke up, “Have you eaten? Shall we go over there and sit?”

Lin Ge’s gaze fell on a roadside stall nearby. “Sure, sure. I had a little something when I came, but we can consider it a snack.”

Song Yuhang ordered a bowl of rice noodles, while Lin Ge ordered half a portion of wontons. They sat on opposite sides of the greasy table.

Her hand had just recovered from the injury, so she still couldn’t perform delicate tasks like buttoning buttons or tying ties. Lin Ge had initially wanted to help her separate the disposable chopsticks.

However, Song Yuhang managed to do it herself by biting on them. She stirred the rice noodles and seasonings in her bowl, and Lin Ge looked at the fresh scars on the back of her hand.

“This is…”

Song Yuhang glanced at it, keeping a calm expression and steady heart. “I accidentally got it.”

It was probably from when she jumped off the windowsill and brushed against something.

Lin Ge wanted to say something, but Song Yuhang cut him off, gently and firmly rejecting him.

“The reason I haven’t actively contacted you during this period is not only because I’ve been busy. I’ve also been thinking about whether we are truly compatible. But after much consideration, you may be the most suitable marriage partner according to our parents’ standards. However, I’m not just seeking marriage…”

Lin Ge smiled and picked up the yellowed transparent water jug on the table. He poured a glass of warm water for her but didn’t touch his wontons.

“I know. My pursuit of Miss Song is not merely for finding a companion to get married…”

Song Yuhang looked up at him, her eyes devoid of any unnecessary emotions. It was as if she was looking at a friend, a colleague, an ordinary person. Her gaze was open and sincere, her expression calm and serene. Even the deliberate avoidance of eye contact to avoid suspicion was gone.

She genuinely had no interest in him.

The smile on Lin Ge’s face faded.

“If that’s the case, I believe Mr. Lin will understand me.”

Even the form of address had become the most unfamiliar.

“Have you fallen for someone?” Lin Ge held a disposable plastic cup, watching as ripples formed in the water.

Song Yuhang answered firmly, without a moment’s hesitation, “Yes.”

Lin Ge smiled bitterly. “Can I ask who it is? Don’t read too much into it; I don’t have any ulterior motives. I just want to know who could make you…”

Song Yuhang also smiled, but it was a very gentle smile. She only showed this kind of expression when she thought of that person. Her lips curved slightly, and the aura of keeping strangers at a distance dissipated. She concealed the sharpness and revealed her simplest side.

“They’re a very, very good person. Stubborn, proud, and kind-hearted, all hidden beneath a seemingly obsessive exterior.”

“They’re like a flower that blooms from the mud, deserving of my protection and love. So, I’m sorry.”

Song Yuhang took out money from her pocket to call the boss for the bill, but she never told him who that person was.

Although she and Lin Yan had already confessed their feelings to each other, Lin Yan was still unconscious. She couldn’t grasp what Lin Yan truly thought about this relationship—whether it should be public or kept secret, whether she should tell her family or keep it hidden.

Especially when they were in the bamboo forest, Lin Yan had mentioned that Lin Ge was one of the few people who treated her well. Therefore, Song Yuhang chose to tell a well-intentioned lie and keep him in the dark about who she truly liked. She allowed him to have a vague idea of someone, and then she would completely put an end to that thought.

As for the matters between her and Lin Yan, there was still plenty of time. When Lin Yan woke up, they could discuss it thoroughly.

There was still a gift from Lin Ge at her feet, but Song Yuhang had already walked away.

He stood up and chased after her, managing to slip the nutritional supplement into her hand before they entered the hospital.

“Take it. Today, I only came to visit as a friend. Even if we can’t be in a romantic relationship, Miss Song won’t cut off ties with me as a regular friend, right?”

Due to the intense running, there was a thin layer of sweat on the man’s forehead. His gaze was dim, but he still forced out a smile.

Song Yuhang declined, and he took two steps back, waving goodbye to her from the bottom of the stairs.

“After all, you are my sister’s friend. Let me thank you on her behalf for saving her life. Don’t worry, I, Lin Ge, am a sensible person. I’ll talk to my mom and aunt. I won’t bring Miss Song out as a blind date anymore.”

As he spoke, Lin Ge’s car pulled up.

“Then I’ll wish Miss Song in advance that true love will come her way.”

After finishing his words, Lin Ge got into the car without giving her another chance to speak.

Song Yuhang looked at the nutritional supplement in her hand and smiled bitterly. Lin Yan, oh Lin Yan, your dad may not be great, but you really do have a good older brother.

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Before Song Yuhang stepped into the hospital room, she heard Mother Song’s anxious voice spinning around.

“Where is she? Where did such a big person go?” The medical staff surrounded her.

“Call the police… Yes, call the police.” The elderly woman took out her phone from her pocket and began dialing the number, but someone quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

Song Yuhang laughed, “Mom, I’m right here. I took a leave from the hospital and went out to have dinner with my colleagues, that’s all.”

Mother Song scrutinized her from head to toe. “Oh my, why is your clothes so dirty again? Did you get into another fight? How can you go out like this without fully recovering from your injuries…”

“It’s okay, It’s okay, Mom, don’t worry.” Song Yuhang pulled her mother to sit by the bed, apologized to the medical staff, and asked them to leave. Then she closed the door and returned.

Mother Song looked at the nutritional supplement she brought back. “What’s this…”

Song Yuhang poured a cup of hot water from a thermos to warm her hands. “It was sent by Lin Ge. Why did you come so late at night?”

“I came to see you. I couldn’t rest at home alone without worrying. On my way here, I saw someone selling candied chestnuts, so I bought some for you.”

The elderly woman took out a paper bag from her bag and placed it on the table. She also laid a piece of tissue paper for herto peel the chestnuts.

Song Yuhang tried to take over, but she was pushed back.

“Go, go, go. Go lie down on the bed. By the way, what’s the progress between you and Lin Ge?”

After all the talking, they finally got to the point.

Song Yuhang rolled a chestnut between her fingers and popped it into her mouth. It was still warm and indeed soft and delicious, fragrant and sweet.

She blissfully narrowed her eyes. Seeing Lin Yan and resolving the matters between her and Lin Ge had put her in a good mood.

“Forget it.”

Mother Song stopped peeling chestnuts. Song Yuhang reached out to grab a chestnut to eat, but her hand was met with a chestnut shell being thrown at her head.

Mother Song was visibly angry. “You… Why did you reject him this time? It’s not easy to find a man who doesn’t mind your profession…”

Even detectives didn’t want to date detectives. They were too busy and neglectful of their families. Other people were even more reluctant once they heard about her profession. Lin Ge had already been the one she had spent the longest time with in her dating history.

Song Yuhang pulled the chestnut shell off her clothes and held her mother’s hand. She carefully considered her words. “Mom, don’t be angry for now. Look, my sister has been single for so many years, and she’s doing fine living on her own…”

“That’s different. Your sister has Xiao Wei, she has someone by her side. I wouldn’t oppose her getting married again. In fact, I hope someone can take care of the two of them. The key point is that you don’t have that.”

“If you get married and have children now, while I can still move around and take care of you for a few years, that would be great. But wait a couple of years, when I can’t move anymore, and you become an older woman, if you encounter any minor illness or mishap, there won’t even be someone by your bedside to pour you tea or water. That would be truly sad.”

Mother Song also held her hand, her eyes slightly reddened, speaking earnestly.

In the end, she was concerned that Song Yuhang would have no one to take care of her in her old age, and her future would be bleak.

Song Yuhang’s heart softened. She hugged her mother into her arms, gently patting her back to comfort her. And then, out of the blue, she uttered a sentence.

“Mom, our family doesn’t favor boys over girls, do we have a throne to inherit?”

Mother Song was so angry that she wanted to hit her. “What are you saying?! Who said we favor boys over girls?!”

Song Yuhang laughed. “Well, then that settles it. Our family doesn’t need to carry on the family line. Besides, even if we did, don’t we have Xiao Wei?”

She looked at her mother with a slightly cautious expression, as if she was giving a preemptive explanation for her relationship with Lin Yan.

“You’ve watched me grow up and know me best. You should know that I can’t handle ordinary men, and ordinary men can’t handle me either. I really have no intention of getting married. I’ll save money when I’m young, and when I’m old, I’ll go live in a nursing home. We can be together, and we’ll spend our days sunbathing and dancing in the square.”

In the first half of the conversation, Mother Song was still quite angry with her, but in the second half, she couldn’t help but be amused by her words.

“Oh, you, by then you won’t be able to dance…”

“It’s okay. If we can’t dance, we’ll stay inside and watch TV, drink tea, play chess. If you like children, I’ll go outside and adopt around seventeen or eighteen of them for you. You can choose their looks and personalities. They’ll line up every day and call you grandma to make you happy…”

Song Yuhang’s teasing left her mother unable to close her mouth. “You, you talk nonsense all day. How can I let you adopt seventeen or eighteen children? Besides, can you handle that many? I won’t help you take care of them…”

Song Yuhang looked at the white hair at her mother’s temples, the lines on her face. She was no longer young. The consecutive losses of her husband and child had aged her significantly.

She graduated from high school and worked for two years before marrying her father. Perhaps she didn’t have much education, but she always kept their family of four tidy and in order.

During those times, they were poor, and her father’s salary was only a few hundred yuan. But Song Yuhang could still wear clean school uniforms every day and have fish, shrimp, and meat on the table occasionally when she came home from school.

It wasn’t until she became independent and started working that she realized how difficult and challenging it was to balance busy work and studies while also taking care of household chores, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking delicious and satisfying meals. It was a demanding task that was not easy to sustain.

Mother Song had been doing it day after day for decades, including loving them unconditionally.

Song Yuhang held the warm chestnut in her hands and embraced her mother, resting her head on her shoulder. She felt a profound sense of relaxation and gratitude.

“Mom, thank you.”

She paused for a moment and continued, “And I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Mother Song also placed her hand on her back and gently patted her. “Silly child, Mom just wants you to live a good life. Your father passed away early, and your brother is also gone. There aren’t many people left in our family. Mom will eventually leave you too. When that time comes, Mom is afraid you’ll be lonely. Whoever it is, having someone to accompany you is a good thing.”

Song Yuhang hugged her mother tightly. “No, Mom, you will live a long life.”

Mother Song helped her up, leaning on her shoulder as she looked at her grown-up daughter. “No one lives to be a hundred years old. Everyone ages. But my greatest wish is for you to be safe and sound. That’s more important than anything else.”

Tears welled up in Song Yuhang’s eyes as she took the initiative to peel the chestnuts for her mother. “Mom, don’t just take care of me. You should eat too.”

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“Miss, miss, she’s awake!” The nurse who was responsible for monitoring her was half asleep when she suddenly saw her hand move slightly. She quickly ran out to call for help.

The doctors rushed in, bustling about, checking her eyelids and listening to her heartbeat, forcefully pulling Lin Yan out of her stupor.

In a dazed state, she heard someone say, “The lung infection is under control.”

“She has regained autonomous breathing and heartbeat.”

“Remove the ventilator, and insert a nasal feeding tube.”

The equipment was pushed away from the bedside, and the pain and discomfort caused by the removal of the endotracheal tube made her open her eyes in confusion.

The world transformed from black and white to color, from blurry to clear.

Lin Yan blinked her eyes twice and instinctively felt exhausted. Her body had never been so fatigued before. Every limb and bone ached, and her head throbbed with pain.

The doctor rolled up her sleeve and injected transparent painkillers into her.

Lin Yan frowned, a painful moan escaping between her lips. She subconsciously clenched her fist but suddenly felt something pricking her palm.

It felt cool and smooth, very rounded.

She tilted her head slightly and opened her palm, trying hard to see.

It was a button.

A button from a standard police uniform shirt.

It shimmered with a faint silver light under the lamp.

Lin Yan understood. She had been here.

For some unknown reason, when this thought emerged, she felt a sense of relief and warmth like never before.

Lin Yan clenched the button tightly in her palm, gently closed her eyes, and let the darkness and weariness engulf her.

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LP: I can’t imagine a life without my mother in it… so I’ll make sure to follow her shortly after when that time arrives!

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