Chapter 13
“…”
Carry on with what? Clearly, she was the one being imposed upon.
Xu Jinnan looked down. Yin Xue was clutching her shirt, her eyes filled with tears, resentment, and confusion, clearly intoxicated.
This was a relief.
If someone did this while sober, it would be far more disturbing.
Xu Jinnan pulled Yin Xue’s hands away and swung her legs off the bed, placing herself between Shen Shu and the door.
Her height gave her a natural advantage, creating a sense of pressure as she looked down at Shen Shu.
Shen Shu met her gaze without flinching.
Xu Jinnan, seeing no surprise in her eyes, paused. “No matter how messed up I am, I wouldn’t do something like this.” Invite Yin Xue for a tryst while Shen Shu was still in the room?
Then again, such behavior wouldn’t be out of character for the original Xu Jinnan. Shen Shu’s suspicion was understandable; their trust was still fragile.
Shen Shu was silent for a moment, then said calmly, “She made quite a bit of noise coming in. I didn’t see you react.”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Damn.
The past few incidents, likely due to the differentiation, had all involved Shen Shu, even leading to some rather vivid dreams. She’d been half-asleep just now and hadn’t registered Yin Xue’s entrance.
Thinking about it, she felt a twinge of guilt.
The sound of the emergency buzzer relieved the tension.
The nurse who arrived was stunned by the scene.
Xu Jinnan didn’t make things difficult for her, asking her to call the manager.
She put on her slippers and sat on the sofa. “Clearly, the Xu family’s money hasn’t been spent on security.”
The manager was sweating profusely. “Miss Xu, please don’t be angry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Someone sneaking into her room in the middle of the night, and in front of her wife, no less, was a serious matter.
Xu Jinnan ignored him.
“How would you like us to handle this? Should we call the police?”
The manager nervously looked at the woman on the bed. They usually wouldn’t involve the police, especially considering the Xu family’s stake in the hospital.
Seeing Xu Jinnan looking at her wife, he assumed she was seeking her opinion.
Xu Jinnan wasn’t seeking Shen Shu’s opinion. She was simply curious about her silence.
“Call the police? Does Xu Jinnan dare call the police? Hahaha… she wouldn’t dare!” Yin Xue suddenly spoke, her heavy makeup smudged, her curly hair disheveled. She looked up at Xu Jinnan, her eyes still unfocused.
Her laughter was unsettling.
She buried her face in the pillow again. “How could you… how could you betray me…” Her voice trembled strangely.
Her words seemed more like reflexive thoughts than coherent sentences.
Then she fell silent, as if lost in a nightmare.
Xu Jinnan narrowed her eyes. Yin Xue and the original Xu Jinnan had been close. They’d done many questionable things together. It was possible Yin Xue had something on her.
This was tricky.
As she was thinking, Shen Shu said calmly, “Something’s not right with her.”
A doctor stepped forward to examine Yin Xue.
“It seems to be a drug reaction. We’ll need to run a blood test.”
If she’d taken drugs, the police might have to be involved after all.
After the nurse took Yin Xue away, the security footage revealed a temporary nurse had admitted to accepting a bribe and letting Yin Xue in through the staff entrance. There had been a commotion in another ward at the time, and the nurses and security guards on this floor had been called away, creating an opportunity.
Xu Jinnan sensed something more to this. Yin Xue, in her current state, wouldn’t have been able to pull this off so smoothly.
She looked at the nervous manager. “If you think you can get away with blaming a nurse, you might as well fire yourself now.” Her demeanor was casual, but her voice held an unmistakable authority.
The manager, not daring to prevaricate, promised to investigate personally.
Outside, the sky was still dark; it was past 3 a.m.
“Miss Shen,” Xu Jinnan said, leaning back against the sofa, exhausted after the ordeal. She addressed Shen Shu formally, not using her given name.
Shen Shu looked at her expectantly.
“I might have these episodes again. As my… partner, I hope you can help me.”
Shen Shu looked puzzled. “Help you with what?”
“Pretend in front of others. Like… we’re a loving couple?” Xu Jinnan rested her chin on her hand, gauging Shen Shu’s reaction.
The original Xu Jinnan likely had many other lovers. If Shen Shu remained uninvolved every time, dealing with them would be a nuisance.
Shen Shu raised an eyebrow. “Is that necessary?”
“As you’ve seen, I need to minimize these… distractions.” Xu Jinnan’s voice softened. “A good public image will benefit the Shen family as well.”
This resonated with Shen Shu. The Shen family had secured several lucrative deals recently, all thanks to their connection to the Xu family.
Xu Jinnan continued, “Of course, if you find true love someday, we can discuss ending this arrangement.” She yawned and got up, then wrinkled her nose. The sheets reeked of alcohol and a faint, unfamiliar jasmine scent.
It was the first time she’d realized she preferred sweeter scents.
“Alright,” Shen Shu replied.
She watched Xu Jinnan return to the sofa, her face displeased. “But I have a condition. No matter what, you are not to involve anyone close to me.”
Xu Jinnan agreed without hesitation.
This was easy.
After having the bedding changed, Xu Jinnan finally lay down to rest.
The clean sheets still carried a faint antiseptic smell, but it was better than before.
Just before dawn, the manager entered, nervously reporting that Yin Xue’s blood test was normal, and that Song Ronghui had just picked her up.
Xu Jinnan, still half-asleep, mumbled, “Fine.”
The manager suspected Song Ronghui’s involvement. After all, the Song family was also a shareholder in the hospital. It was possible she’d orchestrated this.
Xu Jinnan didn’t think so. First, Song Ronghui had no motive. Second, she and Yin Xue were childhood friends and quite close.
Xu Jinnan couldn’t think of anyone else who would benefit from this.
What was the point of planting Yin Xue in her bed? To ruin her reputation? Her reputation was already tarnished; it couldn’t get much worse.
…
Before leaving the hospital, Xu Jinnan contacted the board of directors and had the manager transferred.
She could let this incident slide, but the Xu family’s reputation couldn’t be tarnished. If this was swept under the rug, the hospital’s credibility would be compromised.
Wei Wuqing’s driver and Zhou Pei arrived almost simultaneously. Xu Jinnan waited for Shen Shu to choose.
Shen Shu walked towards Wei Wuqing’s car. Xu Jinnan smiled and dismissed Zhou Pei, then got into the car with Shen Shu.
After a few minutes of driving, Shen Shu said, “We can check the parking lot security footage.”
Xu Jinnan opened her eyes. “She was intoxicated. She couldn’t have come here on her own.”
Xu Jinnan leaned closer to Shen Shu, her voice low. “Are you helping me?”
Shen Shu, aware of the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror, didn’t reply, but her demeanor softened slightly.
Xu Jinnan, exhausted from the sleepless night, suddenly felt a surge of energy.
Shen Shu’s occasional displays of tsundere behavior were rather endearing.
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