Roses in Flames

Liu Qianqian recounted what happened at the birthday banquet: "Ye Yuntang publicly revealed that Chu Wei was a mistress and pregnant out of wedlock, causing Old Master Fu's impression of Chu Wei to plummet. Ye Yuntang must be jealous of Chu Wei, jealous that she stole President Fu, and jealous that she can carry on the Fu family line!"

Liu Qianqian became increasingly agitated as she spoke, even feeling wronged on Bai Chuwei's behalf. Her eyes were red with anger. "It was clearly Ye Yuntang who couldn't keep her marriage, and instead, she threw the dirty water on Chuwei. Now she even dares to harm someone's life. That kind of woman is terrifying! Xiao Lin, as Chuwei's ex-fiancé, if you're still a man, you should report Ye Yuntang to your superiors, make her lose her job, and have her punished by law..."

"Enough!" Xiao Lin interrupted Liu Qianqian sharply, his face as cold as ice. "When Bai Chuwei had her accident, Ye Yuntang never left the Fu family's sight, never went to the kitchen, and never went to the back garden. You are openly defaming and framing a public official, and you will be held legally responsible. Our police investigations are based on evidence and facts, not on your guesses!"

Xiao Lin's eyes were sharp and his aura imposing, which made Liu Qianqian take a few steps back in shock.

She seemed unwilling and resentful, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She raised her chin, forcing a calm expression as she met Xiao Lin's gaze. "Chu Wei is in such a miserable state, and you're still defending Ye Yuntang? Have you been bewitched by her seductive, cheap appearance?"

"Shut up!" Xiao Lin's eyes were cold and hard, his face more serious than ever before. "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will take you back to the police station for questioning on suspicion of obstructing official business."

Liu Qianqian turned pale with fright. Despite her extreme displeasure, she shut her mouth and dared not say anything more.

Shortly after, the operating room door opened.

Bai Chuwei was taken to the hospital in time and was saved.

Unfortunately, she lost the baby.

When Bai Chuwei was wheeled into the ward, she looked weak and pale, with bloodshot eyes and tears still wet on her face, making her look extremely haggard and pitiful.

She glanced around before her gaze fell on Xiao Lin.

Despite such a major incident, Fu Shili didn't even come to see her.

Bai Chuwei's nose tingled, and hot tears welled up in her eyes.

"Brother Lin..." Bai Chuwei's voice was filled with grievance and dependence, "I'm so scared, can you hug me?"

The air in the ward seemed to freeze for a moment.

Xiao Lin stood tall and straight, motionless. The stars on his police uniform epaulets gleamed coldly in the light. He stared at the woman on the hospital bed with dark eyes, his face as cold as frost. "Miss Bai, watch your address. I am the captain of the criminal investigation team. You should call me Captain Xiao."

Before Bai Chuwei could say anything, he adopted a businesslike demeanor, his voice as cold as ice, "We're not that close."

In short, it felt like Bai Chuwei had fallen to the bottom of a valley.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks.

She cried so sadly and pitifully that anyone who knew how to cherish a beautiful woman would have offered her a few words of comfort.

But the man remained as cold and hard as a rock, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Xiao Lin took out his notebook for taking statements, stood by the hospital bed, and asked in a cold, hard voice, "Miss Bai, please recall what happened by the pool."

Looking at the man who hadn't uttered a single word of concern and was truly only there to handle official business, Bai Chuwei felt a deep sense of loss creep into her heart.

Earlier in the operating room, she vaguely heard the doctors and nurses say that she had damaged her uterus by miscarrying and that she might never be able to conceive again.

She knew very well why Fu Shili was with her.

If she can't have any more children, Fu Shili definitely won't want her anymore.

Her affair with another man and her pregnancy out of wedlock were exposed by Ye Yuntang, ruining her reputation. What will become of her now?

With Xiao Lin's cold and aloof demeanor, would he still want her?

Bai Chuwei was filled with mixed emotions and felt extremely distressed.

"Miss Bai, please answer!"

Bai Chuwei met Xiao Lin's cold and deep eyes, and her throat tightened. "The maid brought me bird's nest. I didn't eat it at first, but later I picked it up and ate a few bites. There was no one with me at the time, so it must have been poisoned before the maid brought it."

"Not long after I finished those few bites, my stomach started to hurt violently. I stood up from the chair, wanting to find Fu Shili, but before I could take a few steps, the world spun around me and I fell into the pool."

"When I regained consciousness, I was already in the emergency room."

Xiao Lin lowered his eyes, made a note in his notebook, then looked up and asked, "Have you had any arguments or feuds with anyone recently?"

Bai Chuwei lowered her eyes. "Besides Fu Shili's ex-wife Ye Yuntang, she exposed my affair and premarital pregnancy at the birthday banquet."

Xiao Lin pursed his thin lips. "Is there anyone else?"

Bai Chuwei shook her head, "No..." After saying that, she looked at Xiao Lin with teary eyes and pleading, "You must find out who tried to harm me? I almost died, I lost my child, and I may never be able to have children again. Even if I was wrong, this price is too heavy."

Xiao Lin closed the notebook and looked calmly at Bai Chuwei. "It is my duty to find out the truth. If you remember any details that were overlooked, you can contact me."

Xiao Lin didn't look at Bai Chuwei again. He turned around and strode away.

Seeing the man's tall, cold back, devoid of any tenderness, Bai Chuwei felt an unbearable pain in her heart.

……

Forensic room.

Ye Yuntang was wearing a white protective suit and a mask on her face.

Her beautiful eyes were bright and focused as she stared intently at the microscope.

Bai Chuwei was indeed poisoned by colchicine.

She gave the data and asked Xiaowei to record it.

Xiao Wei was indignant. "Sister Yun Tang, aren't you angry? Bai Chuwei destroyed your family, and now you're still going to such lengths to help her find evidence. I have the same character 'Wei' in my name as hers, and I feel disgusted."

Ye Yuntang looked up at Xiao Wei and said calmly, "Bai Chuwei's interference in someone else's marriage is indeed immoral, but that doesn't mean we should stand idly by after she was poisoned. We are public officials and have the obligation to investigate the truth."

After a pause, he continued, "Even if this victim is not perfect."

The indignation on Xiaowei's face was instantly replaced by shame and awareness. She lowered her head and replied softly, "I understand."

Ye Yuntang nodded to Xiao Wei. She then took some residue from the bird's nest sample, placed it on a glass slide, added reagent, and put it under the microscope again.

She observed very carefully, and suddenly, she noticed something unusual.

"Xiao Wei, look what this is—"