Dragging him into it

"He hasn't woken up yet. The damage to his spinal cord is less severe than we expected, but he still needs observation. However..." An Shi glanced at the two plainclothes officers following behind.

"I imagine he'll have to be questioned as soon as he wakes up."

Hu Mother dared not say much. It wasn't as though she didn't know how hard the Qi Family had been pressing them lately. When the doctor had come out and announced that Hu Kai's surgery was successful, Qi Sinian had rolled her eyes right in front of her.

If not for the fact that she and her husband truly had nothing to do with it, who knew what vicious things Qi Sinian might have said.

Even so, the incident had dealt a massive blow to their company's businesses. Such a major case of intentional assault had even involved the heir to City A's leading corporation.

Not to mention that Qi Sijing had a sizable online following. Once people learned what had happened, their company's social media accounts had been flooded with private messages.

They demanded that the company come forward and take responsibility.

Under pressure, the board had already asked Hu Kai's father to voluntarily resign as president. They couldn't let him damage the company any further.

The wealthy ladies had all distanced themselves from her too, mocking her both openly and behind her back. "I wouldn't dare offend you. What if your son gets upset and runs me over~?"

And she couldn't argue back.

Her eyes red, Hu Mother stepped forward with a choked sob and looked through the glass at her unconscious son. She had spent these past few days in tears, unable to understand why her son had done this.

She desperately wanted to know the reason too.

The police had investigated Hu Kai's assets, his phone, and every other aspect they could, but found no evidence of any conflict between him and Qi Sijing. Even they found it strange.

The only suspicious detail was that Hu Kai had answered a call from an Unknown Number before the race.

But when they called back, no one answered.

Hu Mother said she had no idea whether her son was dating anyone, or who that person might be.

The police later asked Qi Sijing, but he didn't recognize the number either.

"Ms. Hu, you really didn't know your son was dating someone?" An Shi brought it up seemingly offhandedly after finishing his rounds.

Hu Mother froze. Did that mean he knew something?

If they could prove that someone had instigated Hu Kai, the charges would be entirely different. Besides, she had never believed her son would do something like this.

Hu Kai might have been a spoiled playboy, but he wasn't particularly brave. Racing cars was already the most daring thing he had ever done.

"Doctor An, have you seen them together?" She hurriedly grabbed An Shi's sleeve, afraid he would leave.

An Shi patted her hand reassuringly, his tone casual. "It's hard to say. I've seen them a few times, but..."

He seemed to be struggling with something, as though he didn't think much of that person. But the aloof young master An rarely spoke ill of anyone behind their back, and seemed to find it difficult to say.

Hu Mother clung to his sleeve and began sobbing loudly. "Doctor An, please, I'm begging you. Help me!"

"You know Hu Kai too. That boy would never do something like this. Someone must have deliberately led him into it!"

An Shi's gaze darkened slightly. That certainly lets your son off the hook nicely. He showed none of it, seeming unable to resist her pleas as he nodded and led her into his office.

An Shi rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking a little tired. "Please sit down. Don't panic."

Hu Mother sat on the soft sofa with tear-filled eyes, anxiously rubbing her fingers together as she waited to hear what An Shi knew.

"At Elder Qi's birthday banquet, there was a man who stayed by Hu Kai's side the whole time. They seemed... rather intimate." An Shi spoke unhurriedly, as though recalling the scene.

A well-placed pause could make someone tense and eager to hear what came next, while also giving the impression that he was working hard to find the right words.

That person definitely wasn't a good man.

Hu Mother's expression soured. She had never imagined it would be a man, and apparently one of poor character at that.

An Shi sat down opposite her, seeming to deliberate over how best to put it. For a long while, he said nothing more.

Unable to bear it, Hu Mother urged him on. "Doctor An, please just say whatever you have to say. I know you're a man of integrity and would never stoop to gossiping behind someone's back."

"Just do me this favor and tell me the truth. You don't need to worry about making it easier to hear."

A trace of amusement flashed through An Shi's eyes before he quickly resumed his troubled expression. "Well..."

After much consideration, he shook his head helplessly. "Let me put it this way. From what I saw, their relationship was definitely more than ordinary. But later, that man was also... getting tangled up with Li Hanwen and Qi Sijing."

"You know Li Hanwen, don't you?"

Hu Mother nodded blankly.

An Shi feigned confusion. "I don't know why he was involved with Li Hanwen too. Those two even argued over him for a while, and afterward, Qi Sijing left."

"I wonder if perhaps... he had a falling-out with Qi Sijing then."

It sounded innocuous, but it was highly suggestive, quickly leading her to connect the two incidents.

Hu Mother hadn't expected that man to have been involved with Qi Sijing too, and her suspicions deepened.

"What happened afterward was even stranger. I actually saw that man yesterday. He was having dinner with Cheng Yu this time. I don't know if you've heard about it."

The incident that night had caused quite a stir. Many people had heard that An Shi had beaten Cheng Yu up over Lin Xingye.

Though the rumors had gotten a few things wrong.

The story was that someone with Cheng Yu had tried to sow discord, and Cheng Yu had nearly beaten him up.

Apparently, that person had a lot of dirt on him and had even tried to frame Qi Sinian. His name was something like...

"Qin Ke." An Shi seemed to interrupt her thoughts by chance, supplying the name she was searching for. "If I remember correctly, I think that was his name."

At that thought, Hu Mother couldn't sit still any longer. This man clearly had a serious conflict with Qi Sijing. He was extremely suspicious!

Without even stopping to thank An Shi, she hurried out.

An Shi calmly took a sip of tea, his expression unchanged, then rose to close the open door...?

Who had wedged a hand into it?

"What do you want?" He didn't even lift his eyelids as he spoke. Clearly, the person outside was far from welcome.

The owner of that broad hand was obviously stronger. He forced the door open and squeezed inside.

He nearly shoved An Shi behind the door, trapping him in the corner.

Speechless, An Shi rubbed his slightly aching wrist, then threw a punch straight at the man's stomach.

The man deftly turned sideways to dodge, making sure to pull him out as well. "Why the temper, Dr. An?"

An Shi returned to the sofa without looking back and issued an order with practiced ease. "Close the door."

Cheng Yu obediently shut the door, then squeezed in beside him with a careless air. "Are you hiding something from us, Dr. An?"

Annoyed at being crowded when there was so much room on the sofa, An Shi said, "Bo Xi sent you, didn't he?"

Cheng Yu didn't answer, tacitly admitting it.

An Shi asked, "Why didn't he come himself?"

The thought alone made Cheng Yu's chest tighten. "Why do you think? That bastard Qi Sijing is over there holding Star's hand while he's asleep. I couldn't stand watching."

"If Bo Xi can put up with it, he can stay there himself. One more look and I'll punch Qi Sijing!"

An Shi gave two cold chuckles, unwilling to make small talk. "Isn't that man supposed to be so capable? Pulling strings from behind the scenes. Now it's time he stepped into the game himself."

"Let's see how he plans to handle this."

With an obnoxious grin, Cheng Yu draped his unwashed hand over Dr. An's spotless white coat. "Exactly. If we don't fight back soon, he really will think he can walk all over us."

An Shi pinched his thigh. "He can walk all over you."

"Ow!"

"Hello? Who is this?" Qin Ke, who had been recuperating at home and sleeping well into the day, was woken by a phone call.

"Hello, this is the Qihai District Police Station in City A. You are involved in a case. We'll send officers to your home shortly to bring you to the station for questioning about the details."

"What?"