Chapter 16: The Disappearing Patient

                            

Finally, he said, "I'll go see you."

Jiaqi refused to agree: "It's too late, besides, you just fell again, you are a patient, don't run around. Or I'll go see you tomorrow night, and I'll bring you wontons."

He didn't insist any longer.

The next day, Jiaqi went to work as usual. Their group was handling an important case, and there was so much to do that she felt too embarrassed to ask for leave and add burden to her colleagues.

Her colleagues, however, were concerned about her injury—it looked frightening. During lunch, Zhou Jing'an criticized her: "You actually went to chase the robbers. Look at your injuries. Do you think your behavior should be called brave or stupid? Say you're stupid—sometimes you don’t know how many twists and turns there are in your heart. Say you're smart—and you are often hopelessly stupid."

Jiaqi replied lightly, "Xu Shifeng often says this. Hey, you and he see the same thing as a hero."

Zhou Jing'an frowned as if she had eaten ginger: "Please! Don’t mention that kind of man when I eat."

Jiaqi didn’t understand why these two people disliked each other so much. Every time she mentioned Zhou Jing'an in front of Xu Shifeng, he called her a “fanged girlfriend.” And when it came to Xu Shifeng, Zhou Jing'an said he was careful, stingy, and mean.

The three had once had a meal together, but only Jiaqi focused on her food. Xu Shifeng and Zhou Jing'an sparred incessantly, from whether lemon juice should be sweetened to debates on modern gender equality. Every word carried insinuation; every sentence hid arrows beneath cotton. By the time Jiaqi reached dessert, they were arguing fiercely about U.S. military deployment in South Korea, with the intensity of war itself.

Xu Shifeng remained calm, speaking with courtroom precision, while Zhou Jing'an impressed Jiaqi as a formidable woman capable of matching him blow for blow. Jiaqi admired her more for it, though Zhou Jing'an refused to accept her admiration, saying sharply, "What is this? I wanted to go to Singapore back then for our school debate team."

In the afternoon, Jiaqi took leave to go to the police station to identify the suspect. Zhou Jing'an was surprised: "Didn’t the news say these cases occur frequently? And the police handled it so quickly?"

Jiaqi explained, "The police said the suspect surrendered early this morning."

Zhou Jing'an was stunned. "Such a vicious suspect… and suddenly decides to surrender out of conscience?"

At the station, the officer in charge was welcoming, inviting her to sit, pouring tea, and finally presenting the evidence: "Recognize this? Is this string of Buddha beads yours?"

Jiaqi saw the scattered Bodhi beads given to her by Lao Mai, now carefully packed in a transparent evidence bag, even the broken rope intact. She whispered gratefully, "It’s mine. Thank you for being so careful and helping get it back one by one."

The officer laughed. "The suspect brought this when he surrendered. Did he really dare to retrieve each bead individually?"

Jiaqi hesitated, sensing there was more to his words.

The suspect appeared via the identification glass. Overnight, he had bandages on his ears and hands, mirroring Jiaqi’s injuries. She recognized him instantly.

The police assured her: "When the case is concluded, the Buddha beads will be returned."

Jiaqi nodded. "It doesn’t matter."

The officer chuckled again. "Don’t worry. We protect important physical evidence carefully."

Passing a large office, Jiaqi overheard an officer speaking animatedly: "Don’t underestimate these beads—they’re old golden-thread Bodhi, with four lotus ivory notes. Rare as second copies in the city. Anyone knowledgeable would know..."

Jiaqi slowed, listening in disbelief. "The suspect injured himself in the same spots and surrendered? And it’s because of Lao Mai’s instructions? Incredible…"

She left the station and tried calling Ruan Zhengdong to thank Lao Mai, but his phone was off. She even called the ward; no one answered.

Confused, she went to the supermarket to buy vegetables, made wontons, and prepared a thermos bucket for the hospital.

Arriving at the ward, it was silent. She knocked, twisted the lock—nothing. At the nurse’s station, she asked, "Did patient 1708 go for treatment?"

The nurse looked up. "He was discharged this morning. Several professors disagreed, but Dean Zhao coordinated and signed off."

Jiaqi asked, "Did he go home?"

The nurse shook her head. "We don’t know."

Carrying the heavy thermos, Jiaqi felt dazed. She raised her head, standing at the hospital gate, the dusk traffic bustling, and realized she had no clue where he had gone. His phone was off—her only way to reach him.

She called Ruan Zhengdong’s number countless times. The automated voice repeated: Please dial later. Anxiety clawed at her. She worried for his condition and couldn’t understand why he had left the hospital so abruptly.

Unable to sleep, she finally called TV station contacts to get Ruan Jiangxi’s number. He was on a business trip in Yunnan and equally surprised. After calling home and confirming, the staff had no idea where Ruan Zhengdong had gone.

Jiaqi’s heart sank. Panic and fear enveloped her.

When work ended, she hesitated, abandoning the subway for bus No. 300. The carriage was packed—crowded, air thick, white vapor fogging the windows. She felt pressed by the mass of passengers, her thoughts scattered.

Stepping off, she found herself at Yuyuantan. Cold wind pierced her through her coat. Buses departed in waves, people hurried, and she was alone, standing in the midwinter dusk.

She walked to the park gate, the caretaker eyeing her. "It’s almost closed."

Inside, she wandered along the path until she sat on a bench. She hadn’t been here for a long time; the last visit was with Meng Heping during the cherry blossom festival. Memories of laughter, shared photos, and his warm embrace floated back, bittersweet.

A rhythmic jogger passed. The cold bit at her mind. She flipped open her phone to dial Ruan Zhengdong, finger hovering over call, but hesitated. Finally, she closed the slider, unable to act.

She sat in the park until it closed. Hungry and tired, she walked out and went to Pizza Hut. She ordered a curry supreme pizza and hot chocolate. The pizza was so spicy that she sighed, but she ate most of it, feeling a small sense of bravery.

"When you are full, you will be happier," Zhou Jing'an often said.

But she was full now, and she was not happy at all.

The days passed into the weekend. Work kept her busy, dulling the edges of worry, but Ruan Zhengdong’s disappearance left a heavy emptiness, as if he had vanished without a trace. At first, she dialed his number several times a day, but it was always off. Gradually, she stopped trying. She thought about calling Jiangxi again, but decided against it.

The last time she went to the hospital to check her wound, it was lightly snowing—the first snow of the winter. Snow beads tapped against the glass windows, rustling softly.

The doctor said, "The wound has healed well, so you don’t have to come again."

In just a week, only a thin red mark remained. Her body’s recovery seemed incredibly fast.

That afternoon, Jiaqi accompanied colleagues from the company’s HR department to her alma mater to give a lecture. Because of staffing shortages, she was temporarily recruited to help. The presentation went very well. The atmosphere was lively, and their company’s reputation drew an enthusiastic response.

After the lecture, as they exited the hall, someone chased down the steps.

"That sister, please wait!"

It was a student-like figure, panting to catch up. Jiaqi thought he might have questions, but the man introduced himself with a grin:

"Sister, do you remember me? I’m Wu Baiyu."

She didn’t react at first.

He raised his hand, partially shielding his face, and looked at her through his fingers with a mischievous smile.

Then she remembered: the extremely embarrassing morning in Ruan Zhengdong’s bedroom—he had blocked her then. She hadn’t expected him to be her junior and to meet him so coincidentally.

He smiled. "Sister, treat me to a meal. I’m penniless again."

The frank, adorable boy made her laugh, and she took him to a fast food restaurant. He devoured two hamburgers and three chicken rolls in one go, nibbled on grilled wings, and drank half a glass of Coke. Jiaqi worried he would choke. "Eat slowly," she said.

He rubbed his belly and sighed, "Hey, it’s so happy."

Explaining, he said, "If I don’t go home, I can’t get my living expenses. My mother wants to force me to go back. I won’t—I’d rather be hungry than submit."

Jiaqi felt amused. "Then you can’t be so hungry. What’s so scary about your mother?"

Wu Baiyu said, "You don’t understand my mother… alas… really hard to say…"

He sighed twice mid-sentence, and Jiaqi frowned but couldn’t help smiling. He continued, "Sister, don’t laugh. My mother… even my eldest brother, even Brother Dongzi, is afraid of messing with her. That morning, when I went to my eldest brother’s apartment—actually the morning I bumped into you—I didn’t dare tell him. My mother forced me to go. You see how bad she was."

Jiaqi was stunned.

Wu Baiyu said passionately, "Let me tell you. Don’t tell my brother, or he’ll be angry. The night before, my mother saw him buying things at the supermarket. I didn’t know what, but it stimulated her. She insisted that my brother was hiding a woman at home, and forced me to investigate. I wanted to go to Nepal during summer vacation, but she forced me. When I went back that day, I kept silent—really! I had to protect my own personality. Otherwise, she would have shouted so the whole world would know. I annoy her most, but relatives listen to her. Middle-aged women are the hardest to deal with. My brother is young, yet she interferes anyway. Sister, don’t worry. I support you and my brother—I won’t betray you two."

Jiaqi first felt amused, then gradually a faint sadness spread in her chest. She thought of that day and blushed slightly. He had never bought anything for a woman in his life… just for her.

She said, "Eat quickly." She handed him a few hundred yuan. "Don’t starve yourself. Take this for now, but you should still go home. Your parents, no matter their flaws, are your important relatives. Don’t wait until you lose them to understand."

Wu Baiyu refused the money, saying, "I have work-study. Last month I helped the Electric Education Center make courseware. The money will be sent in a few days, sister. Don’t worry."

Jiaqi said, "There are still a few days left. Eat." She placed the money in his hands and told him again, "If you don’t have class, go home. Cherish them while you can."

Wu Baiyu thought for a moment and nodded.

Finally he said, "Sister, I will ask my brother to return the money to you later."

Jiaqi shook her head. "No." After a pause, she added softly, "I still owe him."

That night, Jiaqi couldn’t sleep. She dreamt of being a child, carrying her schoolbag through a dark alley in the rain. The walls were white, the tiles black. Rain fell loudly. She walked alone; other children were picked up by their parents with umbrellas. Her shoes were soaked, cold and damp. Her stomach ached so badly she squatted against the wall, twisting her straps and covering her chest. White ash from the walls rubbed onto her clothes, and she worried about getting them clean, knowing her father had trouble washing them. She broke into a cold sweat.

A distant, monotonous sound echoed like an alarm bell.

Suddenly she woke to the phone ringing. She groped for the receiver, cold sweat running down her back. Her voice hoarse, she whispered, but no one answered.

She looked at the clock—early morning.

Panicked, she grabbed the phone line carelessly, losing her balance. She fell off the bed with a thud, elbows and knees aching. She sat on the floor, inhaling deeply, grateful the phone wasn’t broken.

Finally, a hoarse voice spoke on the other end: "What’s wrong with you?"

Jiaqi, afraid he would hang up, asked cautiously, "Where are you? Where did you go?"

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