It had just grown dark when Lu Wenchuan arrived in the neighboring city.
The psychiatric care facility stood on the outskirts, with a large sign outside and two rows of plants flanking the entrance. At first glance, it looked clean and well managed, almost like an ordinary nursing home.
Lu Wenchuan sat in the car, watching the security cameras by the entrance, and gave a short laugh.
The team member beside him asked, "Captain, what's wrong?"
Lu Wenchuan rolled up the window. "The cleaner a place looks, the more afraid it is of its dirty secrets getting out."
A chill ran down the team member's back. "There's something wrong with this place too?"
"We'll find out once we go inside."
Lu Wenchuan got out and headed inside with two team members.
The nurse at reception greeted them with a practiced smile. "Who are you looking for?"
Lu Wenchuan showed his credentials. "Special Investigation Bureau. We're here for He Xiaoyun."
The nurse's expression shifted slightly, then quickly recovered. "I'm sorry, we don't have anyone by that name here."
Lu Wenchuan glanced at her. "Are you sure?"
Her smile grew strained. "All our patients' information is registered in the system. I don't recall the name you mentioned."
Lu Wenchuan smiled too. "Then look it up."
The nurse hesitated. "Patient privacy is involved. We can't just..."
Lu Wenchuan pushed his credentials a little closer, his tone still languid. "You can check now, or wait until we bring people in to lock down your system. Your choice."
The nurse could no longer smile.
Ten minutes later, the facility's director hurried over.
His surname was Huang. He was in his fifties, wore glasses, and looked dependable. As soon as he entered, he politely offered Lu Wenchuan a handshake.
Lu Wenchuan did not offer his hand.
Director Huang's hand hung in midair before he smoothly withdrew it.
"Captain Lu, I've heard much about you. He Xiaoyun is indeed here, but her condition is very unstable. She can't receive visitors indiscriminately."
Lu Wenchuan asked, "Why is she here?"
"She has long-standing psychiatric issues. Her family entrusted her to our care."
"Which family member?"
Director Huang paused. "That involves private information."
Lu Wenchuan nodded. "So, Zhou Qiliang."
Director Huang's expression changed.
Lu Wenchuan watched him. "Looks like I guessed right."
The team member beside him almost laughed aloud, but held it in.
Director Huang finally grew serious. "Captain Lu, He Xiaoyun is a special patient. She can't handle distress. If you approach her recklessly and something happens, who will take responsibility?"
Lu Wenchuan's voice cooled. "First, explain why a woman registered as mentally ill has no publicly accessible treatment records for the past fifteen years. Also, her mother, He Guilan, died twelve years ago, and she herself disappeared afterward. How did she end up entrusted to your care by Zhou Qiliang?"
Director Huang did not answer.
None of those questions was easy to answer.
Lu Wenchuan glanced down the corridor.
The facility was quiet.
Too quiet.
He disliked places like this.
Xu Zhihan disliked noise; sometimes, Lu Wenchuan disliked silence. Places that were too quiet often stayed that way because someone had silenced everyone who wasn't supposed to speak.
His phone vibrated.
Xu Zhihan had sent a message.
[Got her?]
Lu Wenchuan glanced at it and replied.
[Not yet. They won't let us see her.]
Xu Zhihan quickly replied.
[Aren't you pretty good at climbing through windows?]
Lu Wenchuan stared at the message for two seconds, then laughed.
The team member asked quietly, "Captain, Mr. Xu?"
Lu Wenchuan put his phone away. "Yeah. Chasing me up."
Then he turned to Director Huang, the smile fading from his face.
"Lead the way."
Director Huang still tried to stall. "Captain Lu..."
"I'm not here to negotiate."
Lu Wenchuan's tone was mild, but his gaze bore down on him.
That look sent a chill through Director Huang, who finally had no choice but to lead them.
He Xiaoyun stayed in the innermost room on the third floor.
There was no name on the door, only a number.
Before opening it, Director Huang continued to warn them. "She's emotionally unstable and may attack people. You'd better not get too close."
The door opened.
The room was dim.
A woman sat on the edge of the bed, her hair cropped short, her face pale, old scars on her wrists. At the sound of the door opening, she abruptly shrank back, as though hiding were an ingrained reflex.
Director Huang immediately softened his voice. "Xiao Yun, someone's here to see you."
The woman did not look up.
She tucked her hands into her sleeves and spoke very quietly. "I won't see anyone from the Zhou Family."
Lu Wenchuan stood in the doorway without entering.
"I'm not from the Zhou Family."
The woman went rigid.
Lu Wenchuan softened his voice a little. "I'm Lu Wenchuan, from the Special Investigation Bureau. Someone asked me to bring you back."
He Xiaoyun finally raised her head.
Her eyes were somewhat vacant, but she was not truly mad. That vacancy looked more like the result of being confined somewhere for so long that she no longer dared believe anyone outside would come for her.
She watched Lu Wenchuan for a long time, then asked hoarsely, "Who?"
Lu Wenchuan said, "Xu Zhihan."
The moment she heard that name, He Xiaoyun's expression changed.
She stood, but her legs buckled, and she nearly fell. A team member instinctively moved to support her, but Lu Wenchuan stopped him.
He Xiaoyun clutched the edge of the bed, her voice trembling. "He's still alive?"
Something shifted in Lu Wenchuan's eyes. "You know him?"
He Xiaoyun smiled, but tears spilled down her face.
"Of course he's still alive."
She murmured, "Aunt Lin said he had to stay alive."
Director Huang's expression changed at once. "He Xiaoyun, don't talk nonsense."
At the sound of his voice, He Xiaoyun immediately trembled.
Lu Wenchuan turned to Director Huang, every trace of his smile gone.
"Get out."
Director Huang tried to hold his ground. "She's our patient."
Lu Wenchuan stepped forward. "She's now a witness under the Special Investigation Bureau's protection."
Director Huang tried to speak again, but a team member had already stepped forward to escort him out.
Only after the door closed did He Xiaoyun seem to breathe easier.
Lu Wenchuan did not press her with questions. He only asked, "Are you willing to come with us?"
He Xiaoyun looked at him, her lips trembling.
"Does Zhou Man know?"
"Not yet."
At that name, profound fear surfaced in her eyes.
"Don't let her know I'm still alive."
Lu Wenchuan looked at her. "She'll find out sooner or later."
He Xiaoyun went pale.
Lu Wenchuan continued, "But this time, she can't touch you."
He Xiaoyun froze.
It seemed she had not heard words like those in a very long time.
After a long silence, she asked quietly, "Where is Xu Zhihan?"
"In the Special Investigation Bureau's medical room," Lu Wenchuan said. "He's not in good health, but he's awake."
He Xiaoyun's tears fell again.
"He was sickly even as a child."
For some reason, those words made Lu Wenchuan's heart sink a little.
Xu Zhihan's impassive face flashed through his mind.
The Xu Zhihan of today had a sharp tongue, hated trouble, and disliked noise, as though no one could get the better of him.
But long ago, he had been nothing more than a sickly child.
A child the Xu Family had dragged into illness, little by little.
Lu Wenchuan set those feelings aside and asked, "Can you walk?"
He Xiaoyun nodded. "Yes."
She stood and pulled a small object wrapped in old cloth from beneath her pillow, carefully clasping it in her hand.
Lu Wenchuan saw it, but did not ask.
As they left the facility, Director Huang tried to stop them again.
Lu Wenchuan simply ordered his team members to secure the facility's system and relevant records. Zhou Qiliang's name, He Xiaoyun's admission records, and the annual transfer records were all copied and taken away.
Director Huang was deathly pale, but dared not say another word.
Once in the car, He Xiaoyun sat in the back, still clutching the old cloth bundle.
Lu Wenchuan sent Xu Zhihan a message.
[Got her.]
Xu Zhihan replied very quickly.
[How is she?]
Lu Wenchuan glanced at the rearview mirror.
He Xiaoyun had her head bowed, her shoulders tense.
[Afraid of Zhou Man.]
This time, Xu Zhihan took a while to reply.
[Bring her back.]
Lu Wenchuan replied.
[Already on the road.]
A few seconds later, Xu Zhihan sent another message.
[Don't drive too fast.]
Lu Wenchuan looked at those words and smiled.
[Worried about her?]
Xu Zhihan replied.
[Worried you can't drive.]
Lu Wenchuan: "..."
He put his phone away and laughed softly.
Fine.
Xu Zhihan was still Xu Zhihan.
Hearing his laugh from the back seat, He Xiaoyun asked quietly, "Xu Zhihan... what kind of person is he now?"
Lu Wenchuan thought for a moment.
"Bad temper, sharp tongue, not much for saying nice things."
He Xiaoyun looked momentarily stunned.
Lu Wenchuan added, "But you don't need to be afraid of him."
He Xiaoyun looked out the window, her voice soft.
"I'm not afraid of him."
She tightened her grip on the old cloth bundle.
"I'm afraid he'll find out that his medicine was switched back then because my mother went to see Zhou Man."
Lu Wenchuan's hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
The car fell silent.
After a moment, he asked, "Tell him about this yourself when we get there."
He Xiaoyun was pale, but she nodded.
"I will."