This time, it was President Zhou who arrived, accompanied by a man in his late twenties.
Seeing the other man carrying a can of malted milk powder and seven or eight Guoguang apples, Fang Wenjun spoke lightly.
"Xiao Wu, you didn’t have to bring so many things just to visit."
Hearing this, Jiang Si immediately sized him up with a knowing glance.
The man looked refined, dressed in a faded Zhongshan suit, with thick glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.
No wonder the Fang family had such a good impression of him.
At first glance, aside from the word "honest," Jiang Si couldn’t think of any other way to describe him.
And Wu Donglai played the role of an honest man to perfection.
After setting the gifts down, he shyly adjusted his glasses.
"You two go ahead and chat. I’ll fetch some hot water."
With that, he picked up the half-empty thermos and walked out of the room without hesitation.
The whole sequence was smooth and effortless—his sense of propriety was impeccable.
President Zhou couldn’t help but admire this.
Besides being old colleagues, he and Fang Wenjun were longtime friends, so he didn’t beat around the bush.
After inquiring about Fang Wenjun’s health, he got straight to the point.
Even if President Zhou hadn’t said it, Fang Wenjun already knew.
In her current condition, she couldn’t possibly complete the remaining work.
President Zhou said, "Your top priority now is to rest and recover. Don’t worry about the rest."
"The team and I discussed it, and we think the mural coloring work should be handed over to—"
Before he could say "Wu Donglai," Fang Wenjun cut him off.
"Let’s not rush the decision on the candidate. Give me a couple of days to finalize things."
"Oh? Do you have someone more suitable in mind?"
Fang Wenjun didn’t elaborate, merely nodding.
Seeing her preoccupied expression, President Zhou didn’t press further.
"If you have a better candidate, then we’ll wait a few more days. But you’ll need to confirm it soon."
Thanks to Jiang Si completing her work on time and with quality, the coloring team had an extra five days.
Otherwise, President Zhou wouldn’t be this calm about it.
Still, now that he thought about it, assigning this task to Jiang Si might not be a bad idea either.
Just then, Wu Donglai returned with the thermos.
Jiang Si subtly observed him.
Though he hid it well, there was a flicker of malice in his eyes when he glanced at her mentor’s wife.
President Zhou didn’t stay much longer. After some small talk, he stood up to leave.
Once outside the hospital, he patted Wu Donglai’s shoulder. "You’re still young. There’ll be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Wu Donglai kept his head down, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Fang Wenjun shared her plan with Jiang Si.
"Xiao Jiang, I actually want you to take over the mural coloring work."
"Me?"
Fang Wenjun smiled. "Don’t tell me you can’t do it. I’ve heard from my husband, Professor Yu, that you’re a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to painting—there’s nothing you can’t handle."
Jiang Si didn’t downplay her skills. "I can do it, but it’s been a while since I’ve practiced color mixing. I’m worried the shades might not be accurate."
Fang Wenjun didn’t see this as a major issue.
Though her hands were immobile, she could still guide Jiang Si on color adjustments.
Not wanting Jiang Si to feel burdened, Fang Wenjun laid it out plainly.
"I didn’t choose him because he lacks the skill. This has nothing to do with you, so don’t overthink it."
"Also, I didn’t mention it earlier because I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to take it on, and I didn’t want him targeting you."
"Just pretend you don’t know about this. We’ll discuss it further once the police make progress."
Jiang Si nodded. She understood her mentor’s wife was concerned for her safety.
At that moment, Huo Tingzhou arrived after finishing his business at the military district to pick her up. Fang Wenjun took the opportunity to remind him.
"Xiao Huo, I’ll have to trouble you for the next few days. Make sure you keep a close eye on your wife."
"Understood. I’ll protect her."
Huo Tingzhou didn’t yet know his wife had accepted the mural coloring job.
Jiang Si told him on their way to the police station.
His expression darkened instantly.
Especially after learning the suspect had just been at the hospital, his brows furrowed deeply.
Seeing his worry, Jiang Si felt uneasy.
She had her space—self-defense wasn’t an issue.
But that was her last resort, something she couldn’t and wouldn’t reveal.
She softened her voice to reassure him. "Don’t worry. The police already have leads. By the time he realizes, he’ll probably be behind bars."
Huo Tingzhou shot her a look.
The message was clear: "How could I not worry?"
Jiang Si understood his gaze and reminded him to focus on driving.
She added stubbornly, "It’s only because you’re here with me that I agreed! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken it!"
"..." Huo Tingzhou was both exasperated and amused.
Still, he was grateful he wasn’t on a mission—otherwise, he’d never be at ease.
"When I’m not around, you must be extra careful. Nothing matters more than your safety."
Jiang Si nodded.
Then she brought up Wu Donglai again.
"After all his scheming, he still didn’t get what he wanted."
"The way he looked at our mentor’s wife when he left didn’t sit right with me. At the police station, I’ll suggest they assign a couple of officers to keep watch."
Even though the hospital was busy, if someone was determined to harm another, they’d find a way.
Huo Tingzhou hadn’t planned to mention it, but seeing her concern, he said in a low voice,
"Don’t worry about our mentor’s wife. She’s safe in the hospital."
"Did you notice something?"
Jiang Si knew his temperament—he wouldn’t sound so certain unless he had reason to be.
Huo Tingzhou nodded. "Yesterday, when I arrived, I sensed something off about the two people staying across the hall. I kept an eye on them."
"Off how?"
"They’re trained fighters."
People with martial arts training had distinct footsteps and breathing patterns—something Huo Tingzhou recognized immediately.
Jiang Si wasn’t well-versed in this, but Huo Tingzhou was an expert.
If he said so, it must be true.
Seeing the admiration in his wife’s eyes, Huo Tingzhou’s expression softened slightly.
"Those two are cautious, and they don’t seem ill."
Recalling Fang Wenjun’s words—"Your mentor is fine, but he can’t contact us yet"—Huo Tingzhou had a hunch.
If he was right, Professor Yu was likely on a special assignment, and those two were sent to protect Fang Wenjun.
This wasn’t uncommon in military circles.
Two years prior, the Second Machinery Ministry had secretly dispatched twelve industrial artists to Qinghai’s Factory 221.
Huo Tingzhou had some knowledge of the matter due to his involvement in the escort mission.
Upon learning that these two individuals were here to protect the professor's wife, Jiang Si fell silent for a moment.
She had always assumed they were after the mural.
But now, hearing Huo Tingzhou's explanation, Jiang Si suddenly felt the situation wasn't as straightforward as she thought.
It was likely that this Wu Donglai wasn’t the true "mastermind" either.
The real "mastermind" must be someone else!
As they spoke, the car pulled into the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Jiang Si relayed all the information she had gathered to the officers.
"There might be someone else behind Wu Donglai. You must proceed with caution during the investigation—avoid alerting them prematurely."
The officers took this very seriously.
That same day, they assembled a specialized task force of seasoned officers and set up an airtight surveillance net around the Wu residence.
However, after two full days passed, Wu Donglai showed no signs of activity—in fact, he rarely even stepped outside.
Just as the officers were discussing whether to devise a plan to draw him out,
early one morning, as dawn barely broke, movement was detected in the hallway of the rundown apartment building where Wu lived.
The officer on lookout glanced over and, seeing a woman emerge, initially dismissed it.
But something felt off.
A second later, he snapped his head up and kicked his drowsy colleagues awake.
"Stop sleeping! Follow that person ahead—now!"
[It’s that time of year again—the national college entrance exams! Wishing all the students taking the gaokao: may you answer every question right, guess every answer correctly, have your brains perform beyond expectations, and be blessed with endless luck! Go get ’em!]
