Chapter 18: Forced Leave
Qin Qianrou went to the inpatient area alone. When the young nurse returned from her rounds and saw her, she greeted her.
“Reporter Qin, are you here to see Shen Yiqiu?”
Qin Qianrou hid her injured left hand behind her back, smiled faintly, and nodded, “I was working nearby, so I came to visit.”
The nurse responded with an “oh” and walked towards the nurses’ station, then, remembering something, added, “Xiao Qiu seemed fine this morning and even asked for food. But something seemed off around noon.”
Qin Qianrou stopped, “What happened to her?”
The nurse’s tone was like she was talking about a disobedient patient, exasperated yet caring, “She didn’t eat lunch. She seemed like a different person, restless and fidgety.”
The nurse shrugged; her expression was hidden behind her mask, but the confusion in her eyes was apparent.
Qin Qianrou knocked on the ward door. Shen Yiqiu was standing by the window with her back turned, seemingly lost in thought.
On her way to the hospital, Qin Qianrou had endured the pain to send Shen Yiqiu a message, saying she was fine. Amidst the chaos afterwards, she hadn’t had time to reply to any further messages.
Having received no further replies, Shen Yiqiu couldn’t completely relax.
“Aren’t you curious how I am now?” Qin Qianrou watched her from the doorway for a while. Seeing that Shen Yiqiu was still in a daze, she spoke.
Shen Yiqiu turned abruptly, and seeing Qin Qianrou, froze, momentarily speechless.
Qin Qianrou entered the ward, closed the door with her uninjured hand, walked to the bedside, and glanced at the untouched food tray.
“Not eating?”
Qin Qianrou’s tone was stern. Shen Yiqiu looked down, like a child caught in the act.
“I ate a lot this morning, I’m not hungry now.”
Qin Qianrou knew that as a patient, even with a good appetite, her diet would be strictly controlled. No matter how much Shen Yiqiu had eaten, she couldn’t possibly still be full.
Seeing Qin Qianrou’s silence, Shen Yiqiu walked over to break the awkwardness. Only when she got closer did she see Qin Qianrou’s left hand hanging by her side, her brow furrowing instantly.
“You said you were fine, but you’re still injured!”
Shen Yiqiu wanted to touch her hand but hesitated, her hand hovering uselessly in the air before falling back to her side.
“Compared to what could have happened, this is considered fine.” Qin Qianrou raised her hand and waved it dismissively.
“Don’t be so nonchalant. You’re still injured; you can’t be careless.”
Looking at the worried girl in front of her, and recalling that life-saving phone call, Qin Qianrou softly spoke the words she had formulated on her way here, “Shen Yiqiu, thank you.”
“Huh?”
Shen Yiqiu’s attention snapped back, and she quickly understood what Qin Qianrou was thanking her for. Scratching her head sheepishly, she said, “It was nothing. As long as you’re okay.”
They both fell silent again, the atmosphere slightly awkward. Then Shen Yiqiu’s stomach growled.
With her tense nerves relaxed, hunger finally made its presence known.
“I…” Shen Yiqiu pressed her hand against her stomach, unsure what to say.
Qin Qianrou walked over to the food tray and touched the dishes; they were cold.
“I haven’t eaten lunch either. Why don’t we eat together?”
Shen Yiqiu looked at the cold hospital food hesitantly.
She certainly wanted to have lunch with Qin Qianrou, but the hospital food wasn’t very appetizing, especially after sitting in the air-conditioned room for so long.
“I’ll go buy something else.”
Qin Qianrou was efficient. Soon, the aroma of warm food filled the ward. Shen Yiqiu practically devoured her meal.
Qin Qianrou usually didn’t have a big appetite, but she was starving after working until now and experiencing the earlier incident. She wasn’t picky when she was out on assignments; a warm meal was enough.
Seeing the girl next to her eating so heartily, Qin Qianrou looked at the salt and pepper pork chop in her lunchbox and felt her appetite grow.
They focused on their meal, not exchanging a single word, yet they both finished every last bite.
After eating, Qin Qianrou took a few calls, with Shen Yiqiu quietly observing from the side. Seeing her occasionally frown, her tone sometimes serious and low, Shen Yiqiu guessed it was work-related. Is she leaving? she wondered. Qin Qianrou always seems to be in a hurry.
To her surprise, after finishing her calls, Qin Qianrou walked back over to her, seemingly wanting to chat.
As expected, Qin Qianrou sat down opposite her, but her demeanor and expression made Shen Yiqiu nervous. It felt like she was about to be interviewed. Straightening her back didn’t give her enough confidence.
“Shen Yiqiu, can you tell me more about your sixth sense?”
Once could be chance, twice could be coincidence, but this third time couldn’t be simply explained as a supernatural phenomenon. Qin Qianrou wanted to know more about Shen Yiqiu and her sixth sense.
“I only discovered it after waking up from the coma. At first, I wasn’t sure if the premonitions were real. Later, they happened more frequently, and after they were confirmed one by one, I gradually adapted.”
“Does your sixth sense occur frequently? Do you sense everything around you?”
Shen Yiqiu scratched her face lightly and recalled, “It happens very rarely, otherwise I would be in constant distress.”
“Distress?” Qin Qianrou tilted her head subconsciously, her probing gaze intensifying.
This was her habitual gesture during interviews, familiar to her regular viewers. Shen Yiqiu hadn’t watched many of her programs in her past life and didn’t have the opportunity to rewatch them now. Seeing this gesture in person, she couldn’t help but stare.
Qin Qianrou looked truly beautiful like this.
Appreciation of beauty was human nature. Before the accident, Shen Yiqiu, like other high school students, had also liked attractive people.
But seeing a real person in front of her, she realized that Qin Qianrou’s beauty wasn’t just about her striking features, but also the aura she exuded in every gesture.
A unique, indescribable feeling.
“Every time I have a premonition, I feel a sharp pain in my heart. And the more dangerous the scene I see, the more intense the pain.”
Qin Qianrou hadn’t expected this and paused, stunned.
Shen Yiqiu smiled, “My sixth sense seems to only sense danger. Things like winning the lottery, unexpected windfalls, or encountering good Samaritans, those don’t happen to me.”
Qin Qianrou’s gaze softened slightly, but she still asked, “Can you only sense danger related to me?”
Shen Yiqiu’s expression became unnatural; she even shifted uncomfortably.
“Not really, sometimes it’s about myself too.” She quickly glanced at Qin Qianrou, then lowered her gaze and mumbled, “I think the pattern is… it’s about people I care about.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t understand why Shen Yiqiu was so nervous saying this.
“My question was purely to understand the scope of your ability, don’t be nervous.”
Qin Qianrou’s explanation successfully shifted the focus of the conversation. Shen Yiqiu exhaled, unsure if she felt relieved or disappointed.
Qin Qianrou’s phone rang again; this time it was Li Wan.
“Qianrou, are you still at the hospital? You’ve been gone for so long, why aren’t you back yet?”
Qin Qianrou had received several calls since leaving the Economic Investigation Brigade, three from Li Wan alone.
“I’m with Shen Yiqiu, gathering some information.”
Li Wan was almost frantic on the other end of the line and didn’t care about this “Qiu” anymore.
“Qianrou, come back quickly! There’s an emergency meeting at the station, about you.”
The last two words were spoken with a heavy tone.
Qin Qianrou knew that the recent series of incidents couldn’t be coincidences.
Just as she was about to speak to Shen Yiqiu, she saw the girl get up.
“You need to go to work, right? Be careful with your hand. You have to take care of it, otherwise it will scar.”
Qin Qianrou felt Shen Yiqiu’s expression was different from earlier, but couldn’t pinpoint what was odd.
“Shen Yiqiu, about your sixth sense, can I ask you some more questions?”
Shen Yiqiu walked her to the door, her steps faltering. After hesitating, she reluctantly nodded.
“Yes, you can call me if you want to know anything.”
Qin Qianrou left, but as she closed the door, she clearly sensed Shen Yiqiu’s resistance and reluctance to discuss this matter further.
**
Back at the television station, Li Wan was already waiting downstairs. Seeing Qin Qianrou, she rushed over, ignoring her high heels.
She carefully held Qin Qianrou’s left hand, her eyes instantly reddening.
“I told you something felt off today! I should have stopped you from going!” Her voice was filled with regret.
Qin Qianrou pursed her lips, “Xiao Wan, it was an accident, and I’m fine.”
Li Wan immediately retorted, “Are you sure it was an accident? Hmph, it was clearly targeted at you!”
Then she stared at the injured hand with distress, wishing she could instantly replace it with a 3D-printed one. Qin Qianrou’s hands were so beautiful, even without special care, they were far more elegant than those of her peers.
She wondered if there would be scars. Such fair and smooth hands marred by scars; anyone would feel heartbroken.
“Didn’t you say there was a meeting? If you keep this up, we’ll be late. I don’t want to get scolded twice in one meeting.”
Li Wan knew that the upcoming meeting was crucial and finally composed herself. She wanted to link arms with Qin Qianrou as usual, but remembering her injury, she obediently walked beside her, leaving a gap, afraid of accidentally bumping into her.
“You’d better be prepared. The station director called the team leader in as soon as he returned. Everyone in the team is talking about your incident.”
Qin Qianrou stiffened for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
She was used to this. Every time she insisted on interviewing someone she shouldn’t, this happened.
“But this time, everyone is genuinely worried about you.”
Li Wan was distressed, but also found this rare, unanimous concern somewhat comforting.
Even Qin Qianrou was a little surprised. Usually, quite a few people secretly waited for her to fail, although they hid it well.
She knew, but she didn’t want to waste her energy on them.
As expected, at the emergency meeting that afternoon, the station director presided, and several department heads were present. After listening to the brief report, the director personally announced the decision.
“Until this matter is thoroughly investigated, Xiao Qin, you’re temporarily on leave.”
Qin Qianrou naturally refused. It had been years since she had taken a long break, and who knew how long this investigation would take.
“Director, the police are following up on this matter. My work won’t be affected. Although my hand is injured, it’s only a minor injury. I can continue working.”
Lin Shuangzhi looked at her star reporter but didn’t offer her usual staunch support.
Her silence made Qin Qianrou feel even more helpless. The director didn’t change his mind.
“Xiao Qin, we all admire your work ethic, and your courage and persistence are commendable. But as an employee of this television station, I have to ensure your safety. I can’t allow our reporters to be harmed while pursuing an investigation.”
Although the director’s words were official, Qin Qianrou sensed genuine concern.
She knew the director was also in a difficult position, but the Dongsheng Group matter couldn’t be delayed any longer.
“Director, I can temporarily refrain from fieldwork and organize information at the station. Dongsheng Group…”
The director raised his hand to stop her, his tone firm, “Don’t mention Dongsheng Group for now. We’ll discuss everything after your leave.”
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