Luo Haofeng arched a brow with a trace of amusement, and as Wen Ran approached, he smiled and said, "I'll leave you two alone—I'm going upstairs to meet Cheng Jia first."
With that, he turned and walked toward the staircase.
Mo Xiuchen stood tall and composed in the hallway, his gentle gaze settling on the woman approaching from across the corridor. As he watched her draw nearer, a faint warmth began to stir in his chest.
"Were you waiting long?"
When she was still a few steps away, Mo Xiuchen stepped forward with a smile and asked softly.
Wen Ran stopped in front of him, shaking her head with a smile. "Not at all. I was chatting with my brother—the time passed quickly."
Mo Xiuchen chuckled softly, reaching up to gently brush away a loose strand of hair from her forehead, revealing her fair skin beneath. The rough pad of his finger grazed her skin, causing a slight tremble to ripple through her heart.
"How did you know Cheng Jia had a headache? Don't tell me… you visited her in the ward?"
His deep eyes locked onto hers, and his low, husky voice, laced with warmth, spilled across her cheek. Though they had shared far greater intimacies in private, Wen Ran's face still flushed under the gaze of others.
"I bumped into Gu Kai as I was leaving. We barely exchanged a few words before he got the call—Cheng Jia was having a headache. So I tagged along."
She answered lightly.
Mo Xiuchen withdrew his hand from her cheek and naturally intertwined his fingers with hers. "When you called, A Mu had just tracked down the worker involved in the falling brick incident. I asked him a few questions."
A flicker of surprise crossed Wen Ran's eyes, followed quickly by concern. "Did he say anything useful?"
She knew Mo Xiuchen had never believed the incident was a mere accident—after all, it was right after that workplace mishap that Xiao Wenqing had called her.
Mo Xiuchen's brows briefly knitted, then smoothed as he smiled faintly and explained, "He didn't just give us an answer—it was quite an unexpected one."
"What did he say?"
Her curiosity piqued, Wen Ran's eyes fixed intently on him.
With her hand in his, Mo Xiuchen turned and headed toward the stairs. His voice was calm as he spoke, "The worker said the person who contacted him was a young woman… surname Wen."
He turned to her with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Wen Ran's heart skipped a beat. She pointed to her own nose in disbelief. "What does that mean? Don't tell me he's accusing me of hiring someone to drop a brick on you?"
There weren't many people in G City with the surname Wen—especially young women.
Seeing her agitated reaction, Mo Xiuchen tightened his grip on her hand slightly and smiled. "Not only do I not believe it, but neither do Haofeng or A Mu. Ranran, don't be upset—someone probably misled that worker on purpose, hoping that if the truth came out, you'd be the scapegoat."
"You don't even suspect me a little?"
Her heart was touched. She blinked up at him.
Mo Xiuchen chuckled. "I'm not a fool. I know exactly how you treat me. Even if you don't love me, you don't hate me enough to want me dead."
Wen Ran laughed at that.
She scratched her head sheepishly. "Guess I'm the silly one. I was worried you might believe what that worker said. By the way, you mentioned he heard the voice—could he recognize it if he heard it again?"
Mo Xiuchen frowned slightly, thoughtful. "Hard to say. We don't have a suspect yet. Let's wait until we have more clues."
Wen Ran pursed her lips. "That's all we can do. But since we now know it wasn't an accident, you have to be extra careful, especially when you're on-site."
If Cheng Jia hadn't pushed him away that day, it might've been him lying in that hospital bed. The thought made Wen Ran's heart clench.
"I know. Don't worry. I'll get to the bottom of this."
His final words carried a deeper, resolute tone. In his dark eyes, a steadfast determination emerged.
He would never allow harm to come to himself—nor would he let anyone hurt the woman he loved.
They ascended the stairs together, fingers intertwined. Outside Cheng Jia's hospital room, they overheard Luo Haofeng's voice carrying through the door.
"…Xiuchen's a good man. Besides work, he spends all his time with his wife. He may have neglected his lifesaver—you. Tell you what, I'll be staying in G City for a few days. I'll come by and keep you company whenever I can. Just say the word if you need anything."
Compared to Liu's straightforwardness and Qin Mu's cold detachment, Luo Haofeng was charming and witty, a master at winning over women's hearts. With a devilishly handsome face, few women could resist his allure.
On the hospital bed, Cheng Jia's already pale face turned whiter. Her hand tightened beneath the blanket. She pursed her lips and said faintly, "Thank you, Mr. Luo, but I don't need company."
Luo Haofeng laughed heartily, then glanced at Gu Kai, who stood beside him watching silently, and added, "But let me share some juicy news—Xiuchen and Wen Ran might not last much longer."
Cheng Jia's expression changed. Her voice took on a note of suppressed anger. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Luo? It sounds like you're hoping they'll divorce. That's not something I would ever wish for."
Gu Kai's eyes narrowed slightly as he crossed his arms, clearly trying to gauge what Luo Haofeng was playing at.
Luo Haofeng raised his brow and said with a playful, almost provocative tone, "No need to be so shy. Liking Xiuchen isn't some unspeakable sin. But he's a married man. As long as he is, you can only keep your feelings buried. Otherwise, you'll be seen as the other woman—someone everyone despises."
Cheng Jia's face turned even paler. Though anger simmered beneath her surface, she dared not lash out.
But Luo Haofeng wasn't finished.
He continued casually, "If Xiuchen and Wen Ran really do split up, that's a different story. He'd be single again—and you could seize the opportunity. But enough of that. Let me tell you the real kicker: that brick incident? It wasn't an accident. It was a setup."
"A setup?"
Gu Kai's gaze turned sharp as he echoed the question, his eyes scanning Cheng Jia.
Cheng Jia, feigning surprise, echoed as well. "A setup?"
Luo Haofeng cleared his throat and explained slowly, "Xiuchen questioned that worker. Eventually, the man confessed. He was instructed by a young woman—surname Wen."
Cheng Jia's eyes widened in shock. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Wen? Could it be Wen Ran? Why would she want to hurt Mo Shao? Even if she still loves Mo Zixuan and only married him for her family's pharmaceutical business, she wouldn't go so far as to kill him. And after all he's done for her…"
As she spoke, her tone rose with indignation.
Just then, the door to the hospital room swung open, and a voice as soft as it was cold drifted in.
"Since when did Miss Cheng become a police officer? Just hearing the surname 'Wen' is enough for you to convict me? And unless you live in my head, how do you know who I love?"
Wen Ran stepped inside with quiet grace. A delicate smile lingered on her lips, and her fair, exquisite face seemed to bring with it a breath of fresh air.
Gu Kai's eyes flickered, glancing toward Mo Xiuchen behind her, whose expression was unreadable.
Cheng Jia hadn't expected them outside the door—let alone that they'd heard everything. Her face shifted through several shades, and though nervous, she forced herself to hold her ground.
Seeing no reaction from Mo Xiuchen, she gritted her teeth and put on a serious face. Looking at Wen Ran's faint smile, she said solemnly:
"You know exactly what you've done. If you didn't love Mo Zixuan, why date him for months? Are you the kind of woman who toys with feelings? Then again, maybe you are. After all, you married Mo Shao just to save your family's business."
A trace of chill and scorn crept into Wen Ran's smile, but she said nothing.
Cheng Jia, realizing she'd gone too far to retreat, felt emboldened by Wen Ran's silence. She glanced at Mo Xiuchen, gauging his unreadable expression, and pressed on:
"Even if you didn't love Mo Shao, you should be grateful he helped your family. How could you repay him with murder? Wen Ran, I once thought you were just vain and materialistic—I didn't expect you to be so ruthless. But don't think Mo Zixuan would choose you over Zhou Lin, even if you succeed in getting rid of Mo Shao."
Dragging Mo Zixuan into it again—her intent was clear: provoke jealousy.
She believed no man could endure his wife betraying him for another man, let alone someone like Mo Xiuchen.
Gu Kai's expression darkened, his voice cold as he said, "Miss Cheng, perhaps your head injury is affecting your reasoning. Conspiracies and slander only damage brain cells."
He emphasized the last words, his gaze toward Cheng Jia sharp and frosty.
Her heart lurched—she had known Gu Kai liked Wen Ran, but hadn't expected him to defend her so fiercely in front of Mo Xiuchen.
Her hatred for Wen Ran deepened. Vixen, she thought.
But outwardly, she retorted righteously, "Dr. Gu, I was merely analyzing the facts based on what Mr. Luo shared. Even if I'm wrong, Wen Ran should be the one to respond, not you. Unless, of course, Wen Ran has truly bewitched you."
That last remark dripped with venom, accusing Wen Ran of being fickle and seductive.
Just as Wen Ran's eyes flashed with anger, Gu Kai sneered and turned to Mo Xiuchen.
"Xiuchen, I suggest transferring her to another hospital. I can't diagnose her so-called headaches—and Kangning Hospital doesn't treat women who covet married men. We also won't let someone so scheming and venomous tarnish our hospital's name."
He offered no mercy, exposing Cheng Jia's true nature.
Her face drained of color. Even with tears in her eyes, Mo Xiuchen showed no trace of sympathy—only cold indifference.
"…Mo Shao?" she called out weakly, her voice choked with tears.
Mo Xiuchen stepped forward, his tall figure casting a shadow beside Wen Ran. In front of the others, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist, holding her close. He met Cheng Jia's eyes and said, word by word:
"Gu Kai is right. You're a patient, not an investigator. And your words just now were clearly meant to drive a wedge between us."
Cheng Jia's tears fell freely. From Gu Kai, the words stung; from Mo Xiuchen, they pierced like knives.
He had no special affection for his so-called savior. She had never dared confess her feelings—but now she couldn't believe he could be so ruthless.
"But Mo Shao, everything I said was based on fact. That worker claimed a young woman surnamed Wen gave him the order. That's rare—and Wen Ran fits the profile perfectly. Don't you suspect her at all?"
Her words implied Wen Ran's marriage was a calculated move, not born of love. Her heart belonged to Mo Zixuan—killing Mo Xiuchen would free her and aid her lover in taking over the company.
The mention of Mo Zixuan—Cheng Jia knew it was her sharpest weapon.
But Mo Xiuchen only gave a cold, mocking smile.
"If I can't trust my own woman, who can I trust? Even if the whole world turns against me, Wen Ran never will."
His words stunned not only Cheng Jia, but also Luo Haofeng and Gu Kai.
Wen Ran's heart trembled. She lifted her head and met his gaze, her heart quivering with a storm of complex emotions.