On the seventh day after the case closure report was submitted, a light rain fell over North City.
The rain was gentle, spreading rings of dampness across the bluestone paving in the Headquarters courtyard. A few pots of nearly withered plants stood outside the old building. The Deputy Captain had said he would move them into the sun, but a phone call had pulled him away halfway through, leaving the pots blocking half the doorway.
Song Zhixia walked in wearing high heels and nearly tripped over a pot.
She glanced down, then raised her head and called out.
"Who did this?"
The Deputy Captain poked his head out from the other end of the corridor.
"Me."
Song Zhixia looked at him.
The Deputy Captain immediately said, "I'll move them right now."
Song Zhixia walked over with a stony expression and shoved the medical chart in her hand into his arms.
"Go to the Medical Room first and give this to Lu Wenchuan. Then tell him that if he dares go downstairs today, I'll keep him in that hospital bed until the end of the year."
The Deputy Captain clutched the chart, looking pained.
"Doctor Song, will he listen if I say it?"
Song Zhixia sneered.
"If he won't listen to you, have Xu Zhihan tell him."
The Deputy Captain immediately felt this might work and turned and ran.
The Medical Room door stood half-open.
Lu Wenchuan sat on the edge of the bed, his right wrist still bandaged, a medicated dressing on the outside of his shoulder, and a coat draped over him. His feet were already in his slippers, and he looked ready to sneak out of bed.
Xu Zhihan sat by the window, leafing through a case file.
He did not look up.
"If your feet dare touch