Silent Testimony - Chapter 102

The next day, the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Cheng Yingqiu’s surgery was scheduled as the first operation of the morning. Elders from both the Cheng and Li families filled the ward, and Qiu Wan had specifically adjusted her shift to wait outside the doors.

Around 8:00 AM, Shang Lan completed her rounds in order and spotted Qiu Wan sitting on a bench in the hallway.

“Not going in?”

Qiu Wan looked composed, though she felt a bit dejected inside. “Mm. Her family is all in there.”

“Come on, come with me.” Shang Lan led two other doctors into the ward before Qiu Wan could respond. After a moment’s hesitation, Qiu Wan stood up and followed.

For the first two days, Cheng Yingqiu had hidden her condition from the elders; she only told them the truth once they returned from Muyang.

Knowing Shang Lan was the lead surgeon, Cheng Zhijiao greeted her with a smile: “Hello, Director Shang.”

Shang Lan took a brief look at the elegantly dressed woman and smiled back. “Hello.” She moved to the bedside and asked Cheng Yingqiu softly, “How are you? Not nervous, are you?”

Cheng Yingqiu looked up, her eyes meeting Qiu Wan’s behind Shang Lan. Her smile widened. “Not nervous at all.”

“Good. Get ready; the nurse will wheel you to the operating room in thirty minutes.” Shang Lan turned and patiently explained the procedure to Cheng Zhijiao. “I will use a combined choledochoscopy and laparoscopy to remove the stones through Xiao Qiu’s navel. She will be under general anesthesia, and there won’t be any scarring on her abdomen.”

Cheng Zhijiao couldn’t grasp the technical jargon but nodded vigorously. “Good, that’s good.” The pre-operative consent forms had been signed yesterday. As Qiu Wan prepared to follow Shang Lan out, Cheng Yingqiu called out to her.

“Sister Qiu.”

“Oh, so you’re the Officer Qiu she talks about?” Cheng Zhijiao, having heard the name frequently, exchanged pleasantries. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to see her.”

Qiu Wan responded gracefully, “You’re welcome, Auntie. It’s only right.”

Cheng Yingqiu struck while the iron was hot: “Today is a workday, and she specifically took time off!”

“Time off? Won’t they dock your pay?”

“No.”

Having finished her “task,” Shang Lan didn’t linger. Cheng Zhijiao gestured for Qiu Wan to sit in the guest chair. “Have you had breakfast? I’ll have her father go buy some.”

Fearing Qiu Wan might feel awkward, Cheng Yingqiu interjected, “She already ate!”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Auntie, thank you, I’ve eaten.” Qiu Wan’s smile was polite; without the edge of her work, her features were exceptionally soft.

“See!” Cheng Yingqiu said, eager to show off. She lowered her voice and added, “Also, I forgot to tell you—Director Shang is actually her mother. She added this surgery to her schedule today just for me.”

Cheng Zhijiao turned to glare at her daughter. “Is that so? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“It’s not too late to know now.” Cheng Yingqiu was determined to build up as much goodwill as possible before eventually coming out to her family.

As Cheng Zhijiao began calculating whether to give a red envelope or buy a gift, she chatted idly with them until a nurse arrived to begin preparations. The surgery lasted an hour and a half. Thanks to the minimally invasive technique, Cheng Yingqiu was discharged two days later to recover at home.

It happened to be Qiu Wan’s 33rd birthday soon after. Since she was stuck at work, she could only send messages to soothe the ache of being apart.

【Are you off work yet? Remember to pick up your package!】

【What are you eating tonight?】

【I’m having steamed eggs, meat broth noodles, and broccoli.】 (During the recovery period after gallbladder surgery, the diet must be light and easy to digest.)

As Qiu Wan walked through the carport and out the back gate of the Public Security Bureau, the sky was already dark. She unlocked her phone, her fingers dancing across the screen: 【Just got off.】

Cheng Yingqiu sent a voice note: 【The package! The package!】

【Mm, I asked the courier to leave it at the convenience store counter.】 Hearing the girl’s cheerful voice, Qiu Wan’s exhaustion vanished. Her lips curled upward. 【Thank you.】

【Huh?】

【She is cooking tonight; we’re having a small gathering at home.】

Cheng Yingqiu knew exactly who “she” was (Li Hewei). Not knowing how to respond, she sent an emoji instead: 【Happy cat.】

Qiu Wan stepped into the shop, walked straight to the counter, and picked up the cardboard box. She took a photo and sent it: 【Unboxing right now.】

【Is there an unboxing video?】

【Okay.】 Qiu Wan set her phone up, aimed the camera at the box, and used a blade to slice the tape. The box fell away to reveal a light-colored record shimmering under the shop lights. It was a rare, out-of-print Whitney Houston album released in 2009. Qiu Wan had asked friends to look for it abroad many times to no avail. Her breath hitched. She couldn’t imagine how much Cheng Yingqiu had spent or how hard she had searched to find this.

【Did you open it?】 Cheng Yingqiu’s voice note popped up. 【I got lucky. When I went to my cousin’s house on the third day of the New Year, I saw it in the corner of her bookshelf. It took a lot of begging for her to agree to part with it.】

Knowing that the girl was always thinking of her preferences brought a warm tide to Qiu Wan’s heart. Before she could reply, the video recording was interrupted by an incoming video call.

She accepted. On the screen, Cheng Yingqiu was wrapped in a down duvet, her face still looking a bit pale from surgery, but her smile was radiant. “Officer Qiu, there’s more.”

Qiu Wan pulled out the record to find a wax-sealed letter at the bottom of the box. She touched the ginkgo-leaf-shaped seal; it almost felt as if it still held warmth. She looked at the camera, waiting for the girl to speak.

“I’ll hang up now; you go ahead and open it.”

“Xiao Qiu,” Qiu Wan blurted out, “I want you to watch me open it.”

“Hmm?”

Since the case began, they had spent very little time together. Between Cheng Yingqiu’s hospitalization and Qiu Wan’s heavy workload, they had rarely seen each other. Qiu Wan expressed her feelings directly: “Actually… I just want to see you.”

The joy in Cheng Yingqiu’s eyes deepened. “Okay!”

As Qiu Wan opened the letter, Cheng Yingqiu explained: “When I was away on business, every time I saw something interesting, I wished you were there. So, I took a lot of photos.”

“See? That little bear is you. I taped a photo of you to its head so we could take ‘couples’ photos together.”

Qiu Wan flipped through the photos one by one. Feeling the heat of that earnest love, her eyes began to sting. She was eight years older than Cheng Yingqiu; though she longed for forever, she rarely expressed those deep hopes, choosing instead to simply give all the love she had in the moment.

“Do you like it?” Cheng Yingqiu’s boisterous voice pulled her back to reality.

“I love it,” Qiu Wan whispered, her voice as soft as melting snow in early spring.

“I don’t want a gift for my birthday. I just want to see you dance!”

“Who asks for a gift like that?” Though she teased, Qiu Wan immediately added, “But… I’ve remembered it.”

Qiu Wan’s birthday was the last day of Aquarius; Cheng Yingqiu’s was the first day of Aries.

By March 20, the Spring Equinox, everything was coming back to life. Cheng Yingqiu had fully recovered and returned to work at the end of February.

On the night of her birthday, Qiu Wan had a heart-to-heart with Shang Lan, and the mother and daughter finally reconciled. Qiu Wan had gone to Shujiang for a weekend meeting and returned this afternoon. Because Cheng Yingqiu had stayed over at Diyuan International last night, she was sleeping in. By the time she woke up, Tao Ling had already prepared breakfast.

“Morning!”

Tao Ling was setting the table. “Morning.”

“Where’s Sister?” Cheng Yingqiu gestured with her eyes. “In the study?”

“Yes.”

Li Hewei had been investigating Chu Xiaoyi’s case. With her mind constantly racing, she hadn’t slept well for a month.

Cheng Yingqiu peeled an egg. “Sigh, it’s a shame Su Lu went to Yancheng for two months of training. There was no way around it.”

“Mm. Every time Sister Wei calls her, she says nothing.” Li Hewei’s secret investigation had been fraught with obstacles; only a few scattered clues suggested He Tian’s death was suspicious. Tao Ling watched her suffer from insomnia and even a recurrence of anxiety, but she could do nothing but offer silent support.

Tao Ling didn’t know that on March 8, Li Hewei had communicated with the consciousness of the “original” owner. The other woman had hinted that the system task was inextricably linked to Chu Xiaoyi’s case—and if the task failed, Tao Ling’s fate would revert to its original, tragic trajectory.

“Perhaps she truly doesn’t know?”

“Unlikely,” Tao Ling said. “I’ve heard the recordings of Sister Wei’s calls. Su Lu is clearly hiding something.”

Cheng Yingqiu finished peeling the egg and stood up. “Regardless of what she’s hiding, she has to eat.” She charged into the study and ran straight into Li Hewei.

“Careful there, you’re always so restless.” Li Hewei grabbed a light jacket from the back of the chair and put it on. “I need to go to Wangjiang International.”

“What for?”

“Today is Su Lu’s grandmother’s birthday. She came back from Yancheng specifically for it.” Li Hewei went to the entryway to find her car keys.

“How do you know?”

“She posted it on WeChat. My classmate sent me a screenshot.” Li Hewei turned around with her keys, only for her hand to be caught by Tao Ling. She looked into the girl’s worried face.

“Eat first, alright?” Tao Ling’s voice was firm. She urged her, “After you eat, I’ll go with you.”