A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 37

The files on the USB drive were sparse:

A digital photograph of Li Tiangui’s ID card.

A DNA test report belonging to Li Tiangui.

And one final photograph that defied immediate explanation.

The moment Lu Xiao saw the documents related to Li Tiangui, he understood why Chen Qiang had repeatedly ransacked Zhang Dalong’s home and office. These two files were the leverage held over his life.

But this photo…

It looked like a shot from a charity event. The central figure was clearly Zhang Dalong, though he stood to the right, showing only his profile. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he was handing stationery and a backpack to a young boy.

The background featured a low-rise building painted in a blue-green pattern. Artistic lettering on the wall read: “Angel Welfare Home.”

Was this a photo of Zhang Dalong doing charity work?

The child standing before him wore a simple black T-shirt and looked exceptionally neat. His hair had a slight natural curl, the strands shimmering with hints of brown and gold in the sunlight. He was smiling brightly as if saying “thank you.”

The boy possessed features that suggested a mixed heritage—perhaps a quarter foreign. His nose was sharp and straight, his eyelashes long and curled. Though he was barely in his early teens, his facial structure was already well-defined, looking more angular and striking than the typical Asian features of the Central Plains.

What was the significance of this photo?

Lu Xiao puzzled over its presence and why another organization, aside from Chen Qiang’s, was so desperate to acquire it. There had to be a fatal piece of information hidden within it that he hadn’t yet deciphered.

He stared at the image so intensely he felt he might burn holes through it. Beyond the two main subjects, Lu Xiao noticed a blurred figure in the background. To the left, by the entrance of the building, stood another young boy. He seemed to be gazing off into the distance.

That child…

Lu Xiao felt like he was losing his mind. Why did that boy’s profile look so much like Shen Zhao?

The fair skin, the steady gaze, that stubborn aura…

He didn’t know what Shen Zhao looked like as a child. Shen Zhao had no family; he likely didn’t have any childhood photos at all. As Lu Xiao repeatedly zoomed in on the details, a message from Zhang Zhen popped up:

[Forgot to send you the decrypted password for the USB. Not sure if it’s a name or what.]

wenyu

When Lu Xiao saw it, his mouth hung open. He spoke the letters aloud: “Wen… Yu? Wen Yu!!”

How was that possible? Why that name?

If he hadn’t gone to ask Li Limin today, he wouldn’t even know the name existed. Now, it had suddenly appeared before his eyes like a phantom. Shen Zhao had never mentioned the man’s name to him, so seeing this password shouldn’t have elicited such a reaction.

But now… tiny seeds of suspicion began to take root. Wen Yu, Shen Zhao… how are you two connected to all of this?

Shen Zhao had no family—so where did he live when he was in Dongxi Town? Could it be… the Angel Welfare Home?

Lu Xiao quickly typed “Angel Welfare Home” and “Dongxi Town” into his browser. A news headline surged to the top immediately:

[Fire at Angel Welfare Home: 17 Children and 3 Adults Perish in Flames]

His sixth sense urged him to draw a line connecting Shen Zhao to this facility. He held his breath as he clicked the link.

News Date: January 23, 2008

Source: Dongxi Daily Summary: A sudden fire broke out at a local welfare home, resulting in the deaths of 17 children and 3 teachers. Preliminary police investigations show signs of arson.

[Local News] Early this morning, a massive fire broke out at the Angel Welfare Home in southern Dongxi Town. The building was heavily damaged, with parts of the structure collapsing.

Local fire departments rushed to the scene, but the fire was fierce and fueled by high winds. Ultimately, 17 children and 3 teachers perished; no survivors were found.

The welfare home was a private organization that took in homeless orphans. Due to a lack of identification for the deceased children, police are facing difficulties in the aftermath. An emergency task force will be established to identify the victims.

During the scene investigation, police found clear evidence of arson, including multiple abnormal points of origin and residues of accelerants. Authorities suspect the fire was deliberate and believe the suspect may have already fled. Given the lack of surveillance in the area, police are calling for witnesses to provide leads.

The moment he finished the article, a memory flashed through Lu Xiao’s mind.

On the day they thought Wang Deng was in danger, he and Shen Zhao had rushed to Liu Tingting’s house. At the door, when Shen Zhao saw the fire inside the room, he had a bizarre reaction: his legs went weak, he was drenched in a cold sweat, and his eyes were filled with pure terror.

It was a textbook stress response to fire. The welfare home fire, Dongxi Town, wenyu…

2008 was fifteen years ago. Back then, Shen Zhao would have been… thirteen? Precisely the age he was when he first appeared in Shanghai with Wen Yu.

The influx of information made Lu Xiao’s head ache. Shen Zhao still hadn’t returned his calls. Speculation and doubt left a bitter taste in his mouth; he wanted to ask Shen Zhao face-to-face. Lu Xiao grabbed his car keys and headed out immediately.

The Military Hospital

“Is Director Shen in surgery?” Lu Xiao asked a nurse after knocking on Shen Zhao’s office for ages with no response.

“No, I haven’t seen Director Shen all afternoon.”

“Huh? Do you know where he went?”

Shen Zhao was a notorious workaholic. If he wasn’t here, where could he be?

The nurse chewed on her pen and shook her head. “No idea. Why don’t you wait here for him?”

“Alright, thanks.”

Lu Xiao sat down heavily, legs spread wide. Where did he go? Why isn’t he answering?

After mulling it over, Lu Xiao suddenly remembered Shen Zhao’s “secret laboratory.”