Chapter 15: A Special Sense
Shen Yiqiu followed the sound and saw Qin Qianrou standing not far away. Under the bright, albeit monotonous, lights at the hospital entrance, she was safe and sound, just like a short while ago.
The heart that had risen to her throat settled back down. Driven by instinct, Shen Yiqiu practically ran towards her.
However, there was no smile on Qin Qianrou’s face. Seeing her approach, she didn’t react, not resistant, but not welcoming either.
Shen Yiqiu stopped two steps away, her hands hanging awkwardly by her sides. She wanted to ask, “Are you okay?” but felt it would be superfluous and a bit dramatic.
Rong Fei caught up and, after glancing at their surroundings, patted Qin Qianrou’s arm, “Let’s go back to the ward first.”
Qin Qianrou nodded in agreement.
The three walked to Shen Yiqiu’s ward in silence. Only after entering the elevator did Qin Qianrou notice Shen Yiqiu was wearing slippers and her hair was still a mess.
“Why did you run out like this?”
Shen Yiqiu followed Qin Qianrou’s gaze downwards and realized her slippers were on the wrong feet; no wonder they hadn’t felt quite right earlier.
Looking up, she saw both of them staring at her and laughed awkwardly, “I was in a hurry and didn’t notice.”
Qin Qianrou’s lips moved; she had questions, but this wasn’t the place.
She suppressed her questions; everything could wait until they were back in the ward. But she still felt an inexplicable frustration, unable to pinpoint its source.
This feeling lingered until they entered the ward and she saw the phone placed on the pillow, finally understanding the cause of her frustration.
“Why didn’t you take your phone with you?” Qin Qianrou had called Shen Yiqiu on the way, but she hadn’t answered.
“Huh?” Shen Yiqiu scratched her head and admitted, “I was chatting with the nurses, and then I heard them talking about a car accident nearby. I rushed downstairs and forgot about it.”
Qin Qianrou pursed her lips, her expression still grim.
Shen Yiqiu glanced at the phone and asked tentatively, “Did you need something?”
Rong Fei had been observing silently. Seeing that Qin Qianrou didn’t want to speak, she realized it was more appropriate for her to ask.
“Xiao Qiu, how did you know my car would be in danger?”
Shen Yiqiu was first nervous, then shocked, then puzzled.
“Didn’t you promise not to drive? Was the car in the accident really a blue BMW?”
Without waiting for their answer, Shen Yiqiu anxiously looked at Qin Qianrou, only relaxing completely after confirming she was unharmed.
She had caught a glimpse of the injured person on the ambulance; it had been frightening.
She didn’t want to recall the horrific scene of her own accident, but such incidents were unfortunate for anyone involved. Thankfully, it wasn’t Qin Qianrou.
“We didn’t drive, but someone was unlucky enough to steal my car and then get hit shortly after driving off.”
Rong Fei kept her eyes on Shen Yiqiu as she spoke, trying to find any clues from her reaction.
Shen Yiqiu let out a long sigh of relief. Her evident relief made it impossible for Rong Fei to doubt the sincerity of her concern or connect it to any malicious intent.
But was this really a coincidence?
Qin Qianrou suddenly asked, “How did you know there was something wrong with the car? Or rather, why were you so insistent that we not drive?”
Qin Qianrou couldn’t ignore this question.
Now it was Shen Yiqiu’s turn to be nervous. She fidgeted with the hem of her hospital gown, subconsciously moving towards the bed.
Since Qin Qianrou and Rong Fei had returned to the hospital specifically, it presumably wasn’t just to reassure her. If she didn’t give them an explanation tonight, she wouldn’t be able to smooth things over, and future cooperation would be difficult.
However, how could she explain this? Even she couldn’t be sure if her so-called premonitions were real or if they would always come true. She had only tried to stop them because she didn’t want anything to happen to Qin Qianrou.
Now she had dug herself a hole.
But Shen Yiqiu didn’t regret it one bit.
Qin Qianrou, as before, didn’t rush or pressure her, waiting quietly for her answer.
But this time was different; Shen Yiqiu could sense from her slightly uneven breathing that Qin Qianrou was actually anxious.
She licked her lips and chose what she considered the most appropriate explanation, “If I said it was my sixth sense, would you believe me?”
Shen Yiqiu smiled wryly at them, ignoring their reactions for now.
She continued, “If you insist on an explanation, I can’t give you one. I just… whenever I see Reporter Qin, I have a special feeling. Then, I have a strong feeling, a sense of foreboding.”
At this moment, Shen Yiqiu didn’t dare to jokingly call her “Qin Auntie.”
Seeing that Qin Qianrou was still deep in thought, Rong Fei asked, “Since it’s a sixth sense, how can you be sure what kind of danger it is?”
On their way back, Qin Qianrou had briefly mentioned the elevator incident from last night.
Shen Yiqiu still shook her head, answering frankly, “When I have these premonitions, images appear in my mind. Last time it was an elevator, this time it was a car. But I don’t know the specifics; I only sense the key elements.”
Rong Fei was taken aback, momentarily speechless.
Looking at her, Shen Yiqiu added, “Like today, I actually sensed the car logo on the steering wheel, and then a fleeting glimpse of the car’s color. As for what exactly would happen to the blue BMW, I really didn’t know.”
Shen Yiqiu didn’t dare to reveal everything, but she felt she had been honest enough. She did have these premonitions, but she didn’t know where they came from.
Including tonight, it was only the second time her premonitions had been confirmed.
And it was from tonight onwards that Shen Yiqiu started to believe that her sudden premonitions weren’t just her imagination.
Qin Qianrou still had doubts about Shen Yiqiu’s explanation, “Have you always had this sixth sense?”
Shen Yiqiu denied it, “No, never before, otherwise I wouldn’t have had to study so hard before every exam.” Then she smiled wryly and said, “It only started after the accident, and it doesn’t happen often.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t ask any further questions. At least, Shen Yiqiu’s behavior hadn’t shown any signs of deception. Although she knew Shen Yiqiu wasn’t being completely truthful, Qin Qianrou was certain she didn’t harbor any malicious intent.
Rong Fei then received another call from the traffic police, urging her to come to the station to assist with the investigation.
Upon hearing this, Qin Qianrou offered to accompany her.
Shen Yiqiu saw them to the door of the ward, but Qin Qianrou stopped her.
“Just stay in the hospital and rest. Don’t run out so recklessly again. And remember to take your phone.”
**
Rong Fei had asked a trusted friend to drive them to the traffic police station. Even for them, who had seen their share of dramatic events, it was difficult to remain completely calm after such a major incident.
“Qianrou, do you believe that child’s explanation?”
Qin Qianrou looked out the window, lost in thought.
“Half and half.”
“I observed her from the moment we arrived at the hospital entrance. That child’s concern and care for you are genuine. Words can deceive, but body language and eye contact are difficult to mask. If she could conceal everything from me without revealing a single trace, then I can only say she’s a genius.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t doubt Rong Fei’s professional abilities. Even if Rong Fei hadn’t said so, she could feel it herself.
It was precisely because she sensed Shen Yiqiu’s sincerity that she had to convince herself to accept the “sixth sense” explanation.
Qin Qianrou felt tired. She used to be able to stay up for days for an investigation, but tonight, she was exceptionally exhausted.
“As for the sixth sense explanation, although it’s not very scientific, we can’t completely rule it out. There are many supernatural phenomena that can’t be explained, and that’s why we need continuous scientific research. At least, I think that child doesn’t mean you any harm.”
Rong Fei shared her observations and glanced at the quiet person beside her. She actually wanted to ask Qin Qianrou what she thought of Shen Yiqiu.
Because she had not only seen sincerity in the girl but also… dependence?
The kind of dependence that viewed Qin Qianrou as someone too precious to lose. Such care wasn’t uncommon, but was it reasonable between two people who had just met?
However, seeing Qin Qianrou’s fatigue, Rong Fei held back her question. There would be other opportunities; she would observe Shen Yiqiu further, perhaps she could find the answer.
**
After work, Li Wan was bombarded with calls from her mother and summoned home. Needless to say, it was about the blind date last night.
As expected, her father, who usually had a busy social life, was also at home. It seemed the parental tag-team pressure for marriage was about to begin again. Li Wan sometimes didn’t understand why her parents were so anxious in this day and age. She wasn’t that old.
Even if she didn’t get married, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be happy. They had argued about this several times; it was simply a generation gap.
As expected, after dinner, as they were about to have dessert, her father spoke.
“I heard from Zhuo Cheng that you left right after dinner last night. Is work very busy recently?”
“It’s alright. Qianrou and I are preparing a new special report.”
“You two aren’t young anymore. Besides work, you should also consider your personal lives. I know you’re picky and have high standards, but I don’t just introduce anyone to you. Zhuo Cheng is promising, good-looking, and even went to the same university as you. He ticks all the boxes, so why aren’t you satisfied?”
Although her father usually cared about her relationships, he was rarely this direct; it seemed he was very satisfied with Zhuo Cheng.
Li Wan didn’t want to explain; she didn’t want any further developments with Zhuo Cheng.
“Dad, feelings are subjective; there needs to be a connection. No matter how good Zhuo Cheng’s conditions are, it’s no use if I don’t feel it. And, I don’t want to date right now.”
Her father was clearly angered by her last statement.
“You!”
Just then, her mother came out of the kitchen with dessert, easing the tension.
“Alright, alright, it’s rare for you two to have dinner together; what’s there to argue about? If Xiao Wan doesn’t think Zhuo Cheng is suitable, then let’s wait. The right person will come along.”
Her father wasn’t truly angry, but he had to maintain his authority.
“Hmph, Zhuo Cheng is a top talent recruited by the city this year, a financial expert hired back from abroad by Dongsheng Group with a high salary. Dongsheng Group essentially paid for him on behalf of the city. Such a young man is highly sought after. But she, she’s not even a little bit concerned.”
Her mother still smiled gently, not feeling that it would be a pity if her daughter missed out on Zhuo Cheng.
Li Wan, however, was surprised. She asked, her spoon halfway to her mouth, “Zhuo Cheng works for Dongsheng Group?”
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