Chapter 19: Witnesses.

In the laboratory of Echeng University Medical School,

A woman sat at the lab bench, her slender hand holding a pen, meticulously recording the results of this experiment.

Her glossy black hair, smooth as a waterfall, was simply gathered with an elegant wooden hairpin, tracing a gentle curve at the back of her head.

Even in a loose white lab coat, her graceful figure was hard to conceal, the striking curves seeming to sway gently with each soft breath.

Her sleek, well-defined legs were lightly wrapped in sheer black stockings, adding a touch of mystery and allure.

Perhaps in a good mood, the tips of her black high-heeled shoes swayed lightly, like lively notes in a melody, carrying an indescribable charm.

Unfortunately, her face showed little expression, her refined features calm as still water, her cold demeanor like a winter breeze, keeping others at a distance.

Suddenly, her phone lit up, the name of the caller reflected in the lenses of her silver-framed glasses.

The corners of her lips, painted with deep red lipstick, curved slightly upward.

Her unusually pale hand, from long hours out of sunlight, retrieved a Bluetooth earpiece from the drawer and pressed the answer button.

“What’s wrong, Qingxin?” a magnetic voice asked, laced with subtle affection.

“Aunt Mei…”

Yen Qingxin’s voice came through the earpiece, tinged with a hint of grievance.

Hearing this tone, the already sparse expression on Mei Zi’s face turned chillingly cold.

She paused her work, focusing entirely on the call.

“Qingxin, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Did that Lu Zhao bully you?”

Yen Qingxin, as if afraid of a misunderstanding, quickly clarified.

“No, Aunt Mei, he didn’t bully me. I just wanted to ask you something.”

Her explanation seemed to work; Mei Zi’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the icy demeanor on her face showed signs of thawing.

“Alright, go ahead and ask.”

After a pause, Yen Qingxin’s hesitant voice came through.

“Aunt Mei, do you have a student named Yun Shuiyao?”

Hearing that name from Yen Qingxin caught her off guard.

She had never mentioned her, and from what Mei Zi knew, the two had never crossed paths.

Thinking of the girl who resembled her in some ways, Mei Zi replied.

“Yes, she’s a year ahead of you, a student at our medical school.”

“Well, um…” Yen Qingxin’s voice faltered again, caught in some unexplained hesitation.

This rare behavior intrigued Mei Zi, a faint smile appearing on her face.

“Qingxin, just ask what you want. Why be shy with Aunt Mei?”

“It’s just… Lu Zhao and I came to Bincheng, and we ran into her here.”

“Oh? And then?”

“I just feel like there’s something off about that woman.”

“Off how?”

“It might not sound nice, but… does she have some kind of illness?”

That phrase could be an insult, but Mei Zi knew that for Yun Shuiyao, it wasn’t entirely wrong—she did have a condition.

Mei Zi sighed softly. “Qingxin, you’re not wrong. That girl does have some psychological issues, but they don’t affect her daily life, so she’s never sought treatment.”

“What kind of issues?” Yen Qingxin asked eagerly.

“In simple terms, she experienced trauma that dulled her emotional responses, so she often appears expressionless. But it’s not a big deal.”

“Facial paralysis?”

Mei Zi couldn’t help but chuckle. “You could put it that way.”

“Oh, I see… One last question, Aunt Mei. Does she have a boyfriend?”

Is this girl jealous of Yun Shuiyao? Mei Zi’s lips curved slightly.

“Do you want to hear that she does, or that she doesn’t?”

Caught out, Yen Qingxin grew embarrassed. “Oh, Aunt Mei, don’t tease! Does she or not?”

“Haha, our little Qingxin’s quite protective. Alright, she does. I’ve even met him.”

Hearing this, Yen Qingxin’s mood visibly lifted, her voice rising a few pitches.

“Great! Thank you, Aunt Mei! I’ll bring you a gift when I’m back!”

After hanging up, Mei Zi’s smile faded, her slender fingers rubbing her chin.

“This Lu Zhao, tsk…”

She picked up her phone, scrolling through her students’ profiles, muttering to herself.

“Looks like I need to find someone for Shuiyao, but someone better than Lu Zhao? That’s tough. Qingxin, you’re just like your mom, always wanting the best. You’re making things hard for Aunt Mei.”

Despite her words, Mei Zi began reviewing her male students’ profiles one by one.

“Senior, have you ordered?”

Lu Zhao turned to the cashier and ordered two cold drinks.

He knew exactly what Yen Qingxin liked to drink; he had her foodie tastes down pat.

“It’s been a while, Senior. What have you been up to?”

Lu Zhao sat down, casually chatting with Yun Shuiyao.

Their acquaintance was quite simple.

Lu Zhao didn’t have many male friends, and female classmates were too shy to approach him, so in high school, he spent most of his time alone.

He often went to the library, partly to study and partly out of curiosity about the world’s history.

Yun Shuiyao, perhaps also a loner, was often found reading quietly in a corner of the library.

Once, they both reached for the same book. Back then, Lu Zhao still held to his old principles—ladies first.

He politely let her have the book.

Lu Zhao’s grades weren’t great, while Yun Shuiyao’s were the opposite, so they developed a tutoring relationship.

After she graduated, they hadn’t seen each other until Lu Zhao met her again at university.

“Nothing much, just helping Professor Mei with her research. I’m preparing for grad school, hoping she’ll be my advisor,” Yun Shuiyao said, adjusting her glasses, her face expressionless as usual.

Lu Zhao was used to her demeanor. He’d asked around about it, but no one knew the details.

“That’s impressive, Senior. Already preparing for grad school?”

“It’s alright.”

Facing Lu Zhao’s smile, she slightly lowered her head, looking at the cold drink in front of her.

“When did you and her meet?” Yun Shuiyao suddenly asked.

Lu Zhao answered casually. “When I started university. Not long after, Qingxin chased me down.”

His fingers traced the rim of the glass, his eyes full of tender warmth.

“Oh… so less than a month…”

Yun Shuiyao’s soft murmur made Lu Zhao frown slightly—it sounded too familiar. Not long ago, another woman had said something similar.

“Senior, what did you say?”

“Nothing. I said there’s less than a month until school starts.”

Hearing her echo the same words as Yen Ruyue, and seeing her avoid his gaze,

Lu Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.

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In the laboratory of Echeng University Medical School,

A woman sat at the lab bench, her slender hand holding a pen, meticulously recording the results of this experiment.

Her glossy black hair, smooth as a waterfall, was simply gathered with an elegant wooden hairpin, tracing a gentle curve at the back of her head.

Even in a loose white lab coat, her graceful figure was hard to conceal, the striking curves seeming to sway gently with each soft breath.

Her sleek, well-defined legs were lightly wrapped in sheer black stockings, adding a touch of mystery and allure.

Perhaps in a good mood, the tips of her black high-heeled shoes swayed lightly, like lively notes in a melody, carrying an indescribable charm.

Unfortunately, her face showed little expression, her refined features calm as still water, her cold demeanor like a winter breeze, keeping others at a distance.

Suddenly, her phone lit up, the name of the caller reflected in the lenses of her silver-framed glasses.

The corners of her lips, painted with deep red lipstick, curved slightly upward.

Her unusually pale hand, from long hours out of sunlight, retrieved a Bluetooth earpiece from the drawer and pressed the answer button.

“What’s wrong, Qingxin?” a magnetic voice asked, laced with subtle affection.

“Aunt Mei…”

Yen Qingxin’s voice came through the earpiece, tinged with a hint of grievance.

Hearing this tone, the already sparse expression on Mei Zi’s face turned chillingly cold.

She paused her work, focusing entirely on the call.

“Qingxin, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Did that Lu Zhao bully you?”

Yen Qingxin, as if afraid of a misunderstanding, quickly clarified.

“No, Aunt Mei, he didn’t bully me. I just wanted to ask you something.”

Her explanation seemed to work; Mei Zi’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the icy demeanor on her face showed signs of thawing.

“Alright, go ahead and ask.”

After a pause, Yen Qingxin’s hesitant voice came through.

“Aunt Mei, do you have a student named Yun Shuiyao?”

Hearing that name from Yen Qingxin caught her off guard.

She had never mentioned her, and from what Mei Zi knew, the two had never crossed paths.

Thinking of the girl who resembled her in some ways, Mei Zi replied.

“Yes, she’s a year ahead of you, a student at our medical school.”

“Well, um…” Yen Qingxin’s voice faltered again, caught in some unexplained hesitation.

This rare behavior intrigued Mei Zi, a faint smile appearing on her face.

“Qingxin, just ask what you want. Why be shy with Aunt Mei?”

“It’s just… Lu Zhao and I came to Bincheng, and we ran into her here.”

“Oh? And then?”

“I just feel like there’s something off about that woman.”

“Off how?”

“It might not sound nice, but… does she have some kind of illness?”

That phrase could be an insult, but Mei Zi knew that for Yun Shuiyao, it wasn’t entirely wrong—she did have a condition.

Mei Zi sighed softly. “Qingxin, you’re not wrong. That girl does have some psychological issues, but they don’t affect her daily life, so she’s never sought treatment.”

“What kind of issues?” Yen Qingxin asked eagerly.

“In simple terms, she experienced trauma that dulled her emotional responses, so she often appears expressionless. But it’s not a big deal.”

“Facial paralysis?”

Mei Zi couldn’t help but chuckle. “You could put it that way.”

“Oh, I see… One last question, Aunt Mei. Does she have a boyfriend?”

Is this girl jealous of Yun Shuiyao? Mei Zi’s lips curved slightly.

“Do you want to hear that she does, or that she doesn’t?”

Caught out, Yen Qingxin grew embarrassed. “Oh, Aunt Mei, don’t tease! Does she or not?”

“Haha, our little Qingxin’s quite protective. Alright, she does. I’ve even met him.”

Hearing this, Yen Qingxin’s mood visibly lifted, her voice rising a few pitches.

“Great! Thank you, Aunt Mei! I’ll bring you a gift when I’m back!”

After hanging up, Mei Zi’s smile faded, her slender fingers rubbing her chin.

“This Lu Zhao, tsk…”

She picked up her phone, scrolling through her students’ profiles, muttering to herself.

“Looks like I need to find someone for Shuiyao, but someone better than Lu Zhao? That’s tough. Qingxin, you’re just like your mom, always wanting the best. You’re making things hard for Aunt Mei.”

Despite her words, Mei Zi began reviewing her male students’ profiles one by one.

“Senior, have you ordered?”

Lu Zhao turned to the cashier and ordered two cold drinks.

He knew exactly what Yen Qingxin liked to drink; he had her foodie tastes down pat.

“It’s been a while, Senior. What have you been up to?”

Lu Zhao sat down, casually chatting with Yun Shuiyao.

Their acquaintance was quite simple.

Lu Zhao didn’t have many male friends, and female classmates were too shy to approach him, so in high school, he spent most of his time alone.

He often went to the library, partly to study and partly out of curiosity about the world’s history.

Yun Shuiyao, perhaps also a loner, was often found reading quietly in a corner of the library.

Once, they both reached for the same book. Back then, Lu Zhao still held to his old principles—ladies first.

He politely let her have the book.

Lu Zhao’s grades weren’t great, while Yun Shuiyao’s were the opposite, so they developed a tutoring relationship.

After she graduated, they hadn’t seen each other until Lu Zhao met her again at university.

“Nothing much, just helping Professor Mei with her research. I’m preparing for grad school, hoping she’ll be my advisor,” Yun Shuiyao said, adjusting her glasses, her face expressionless as usual.

Lu Zhao was used to her demeanor. He’d asked around about it, but no one knew the details.

“That’s impressive, Senior. Already preparing for grad school?”

“It’s alright.”

Facing Lu Zhao’s smile, she slightly lowered her head, looking at the cold drink in front of her.

“When did you and her meet?” Yun Shuiyao suddenly asked.

Lu Zhao answered casually. “When I started university. Not long after, Qingxin chased me down.”

His fingers traced the rim of the glass, his eyes full of tender warmth.

“Oh… so less than a month…”

Yun Shuiyao’s soft murmur made Lu Zhao frown slightly—it sounded too familiar. Not long ago, another woman had said something similar.

“Senior, what did you say?”

“Nothing. I said there’s less than a month until school starts.”

Hearing her echo the same words as Yen Ruyue, and seeing her avoid his gaze,

Lu Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.

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