Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 327: Chapter 309: Investigate the Insider

Luo Qianqian opened her eyes, the sunlight was blinding, and even though it was somewhat blocked by the gauzy curtains, it was still unbearable. She felt weak in her arms and legs, unable to shield herself, experiencing discomfort throughout her body, a stinging in her throat, and the competing scent of disinfectants wafting into her nose.

Staring at the snow-white walls, she realized she was in a hospital. She tried to speak but couldn’t make a sound and turned her head to look around at the surrounding equipment, dazed. She recalled the blood-red space from just before, which paled her complexion. Through the glass window, seeing the familiar figures standing in the corridor, Luo Qianqian burst into tears, thankful that she had come back and could see so many loved ones around her.

Li Zexi was the first to see Luo Qianqian with her eyes open and crying, he froze, ”She’s awake? Doctor, she’s awake!!!”

A group huddled together—some crying, some in anguish, some sad, some anxious—hearing this, they all pressed up against the glass window. Watching Luo Qianqian on the hospital bed with tears streaming down her face, everyone was joyously crying tears of happiness, and they didn’t forget to call the doctor for a thorough examination of her.

”You little one, all you know is how to sleep!” Qin Liang glared at Luo Qianqian, his face filled with irritation, but his eyes displayed three parts joy and seven parts comfort.

Luo Qianqian tugged at the corner of her mouth; her lips were somewhat dry and cracked, so she couldn’t speak, her throat as dry as could be.

Qin Nuan was moistening Luo Qianqian’s dry and cracked lips with a cotton swab dipped in water while looking into her eyes full of reproach, ”Don’t you know the one who goes off alone in the novels is always the first to encounter danger?”

Luo Qianqian knew Qin Nuan was just worried and gave a silly grin.

Xu Tianyi leaned over to the other side of the bed, touching Luo Qianqian’s newly injured hand, ”Don’t do anything foolish again, you’re not a Nine Lives Cat.”

Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes, about to say something, but tears uncontrollably slid down, looking at Xu Tianyi with a face full of grievance.

Xu Tianyi felt so distressed, seeing her so aggrieved, he didn’t want to scold her, but remembering how she had almost died before, he steeled his heart, ”If you don’t listen next time, I’m going to contact your brothers.”

Luo Qianqian immediately restrained her gaze, still maintaining a trace of a smile on her face.

The others still wanted to enter the room but were shooed away by the doctor, ”Everyone out, we need to observe for another day. If there’s nothing wrong, she can be moved to a regular ward tomorrow.”

Although they wanted to say more, Luo Qianqian’s weak appearance forced them to leave the room reluctantly.

Luo Qianqian was left alone for a short while and soon felt drowsy again. However, as soon as she closed her eyes, the image of a burly man being headshot and spraying her with blood surfaced, an image she couldn’t escape from.

When she woke up the next day, although she was awake, her spirit was much diminished. Yet, considering her recent recovery from a severe illness, no one thought much of it.

”Have some rice soup,” Qin Nuan held a small bowl, looking at the visibly thinner Luo Qianqian with a pang of heartache, ”You can’t eat anything heavy now, you have to take things slowly.”

Luo Qianqian nodded and obediently drank the rice soup.

Luo Xiying, Bai Yixian, and Xu Tianyi who knew Luo Qianqian well found the scene unbelievable—how had this loving mother-daughter-like scenario come about?

Qin Liang, holding a leather folder, stood aside, watching his sister feed Luo Qianqian like feeding a doll, a trace of relief crossing his eyes.

After finishing the rice soup, Luo Qianqian looked at Qin Liang, who stood aside like a background wall. After a moment, she said to Qin Nuan, ”I’d like to have an apple now.” Her hoarse voice was heart-wrenching.

Qin Nuan nodded and seeing Luo Qianqian’s eyes turned towards her brother, seeming to want to send her away, so she pulled Chang Xi along, ”Sister Xi, I don’t know how either, could you help me look for it?” Chang Xi nodded; she wasn’t good at caregiving and could only look on helplessly.

Xu Tianyi, aware of the need, consciously grabbed a water jug and left. Li Zexi mentioned needing to get some sun as an excuse to leave, and Ye Liang glanced at Luo Qianqian and nodded to him before leaving as well—even though it was fine if he heard, it was still better not to arouse suspicion.

Qin Liang then stepped forward, opened the brown paper bag, and sighed, ”Although I’ve investigated for several days, there isn’t just one suspect, and those people flatly refused to reveal who the informer was. I’ve also ruled out several individuals. First, those who were in action that day, second, the people with connections in Root Town, and lastly, those with large bank deposits.” Qin Liang spread out several pages and pointed to three of them: ”These three have been ruled out. This one, his family is in business and so they’re not short of money. His ties to the town are due to a house he bought here, where his girlfriend lives; this one, has money because of compensation after his father’s accident, and his connection to the town is about moving his elderly mother here and visiting her weekly; the reason for excluding this one is quite simple, as he is originally from here and doesn’t have much savings.”

Bai Yixian frowned, ”Having no savings doesn’t mean he has no money.”

Luo Xiying nodded, picking up the last sheet of paper, ”This one can’t be ruled out.”

Qin Liang touched his nose and smiled, ”Mainly because that day, this person was in the same car as I, and had no chance to pass on any message.”

Luo Qianqian also had this doubt, and a flicker of understanding crossed her eyes when she heard this. People she trusted, she naturally believed, but it did not mean Luo Qianqian felt that this person was without suspicion. If the messages were pre-written and then sent, they could still go through once the cell signal was available.

”Okay, okay, you’re right, he can’t be completely ruled out. We still have these four people, who also are suspicious. How do we investigate them further?” Qin Liang hurriedly changed his statement upon seeing the skeptical look in Luo Qianqian’s eyes.

”Check who among them knows the owner of that inn,” Luo Xiying suggested thoughtfully, pursing her lips. Letting such a conspicuous person stay in the inn, the owner is no ordinary person. If he isn’t an insider, then he’s someone who would do anything for money. The former may be out of timidity, afraid to refuse; the latter, however, is the making of a societal parasite.”

”These three,” Qin Liang hesitated for a moment, but still placed the information of that trusted person and two of the suspects Qin Liang doubted together.

”Just lock them up, they’ll confess if they can’t take it.” Bai Yixian decisively spoke, looking at Luo Qianqian who was still unable to get up.

”...We three, each of us will watch one, leak some information out, that should catch them,” Qin Liang trusted his own men, afraid to implicate the other two innocent ones, therefore naturally was not in agreement with what Bai Yixian said.

Luo Qianqian spoke up hoarsely, ”Don’t defend the indefensible.” Her gaze at Qin Liang was inexplicable.

Qin Liang felt a chill in his heart, Why would she say that? Could it really be that the person he trusted was the one responsible?

”She means let us monitor the person you trust, you can’t do it yourself,” Luo Xiying understood her niece’s implication.

Qin Liang nodded, looking at Luo Qianqian, ”Don’t worry, I’ll sort this out for you.”

He then left the room.

Only Luo Qianqian, Luo Xiying, and Bai Yixian were left in the room.

Luo Qianqian started to cry, muffling her mouth, ”Little Uncle, I killed someone, will I be prosecuted?”

Bai Yixian almost choked, Was this what the child had been worried about all this time?

”Is that what you’re afraid of?” Luo Xiying looked at Luo Qianqian and soothed softly, ”Don’t worry, it was self-defense, and besides, you thwarted their plot, that’s meritorious.”

”Little Uncle, you really aren’t comforting,” Luo Qianqian turned her head away, looking at Bai Yixian, ”Wuu, Little Uncle Bai.”

Bai Yixian blushed as Luo Qianqian changed the address, crouching in front of the hospital bed and soothing her softly, ”Don’t be afraid. Next time something like this happens, we can gang up, and if there’s trouble, let your Little Uncle take the fall. Even if he hadn’t died, considering what he put you through, he wouldn’t escape death, and he also made you suffer. If it were me, I’d definitely kick him to death, make him spit blood...”

Before Bai Yixian could finish, Luo Qianqian’s face changed and she turned her head to the side of the bed, started to vomit, the rice soup she had managed to swallow earlier all came back up, while Luo Xiying’s face turned extremely grim.