Lu Yunzhou froze. His mind raced, a whirlwind of fragmented thoughts cutting through his composure.

“Brother Yunzhou, what’s wrong?” Song Xu approached, noticing Lu Yunzhou hesitating to sign the surgical consent form.

“Xiao Xu, do you know what Lin Xi’s blood type is?” Lu Yunzhou asked.

Song Xu nodded. He had taken Lin Xi to the hospital for testing back when she was drugged. “Xixi has a rather rare blood type; she’s an O-type Rh-negative—a ‘Panda blood’ type.”

Lu Yunzhou’s hand trembled as he clutched the pen, eventually signing his name on Lu Yunqi’s blood transfusion authorization.

The nurse snatched the form and rushed back into the emergency room. Lu Yunzhou sank into a chair, closing his eyes to suppress the strange, roiling emotions within him.

—

The emergency room doors opened again. Lin Xi stepped out, her expression cold and hollow.

“Xixi!” Song Xu rushed to her, checking her over anxiously. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Lin Xi gave a slight shake of her head. “Song Xu, let’s break up.”

Panic flickered across Song Xu’s eyes. He pulled her into a tight embrace. “Xixi, what are you saying? Don’t talk nonsense.”

“I don’t want to drag you down,” Lin Xi said, her body stiffening. “Did I… did I kill Lu Yunqi?”

She remembered seeing a pool of blood on the floor—Lu Yunqi’s blood—before she blacked out. If Lu Yunqi were dead, the Lu family would never let her off. Even if Song Xu wanted to protect her, the cost would be far too high. He had already done so much; she couldn’t allow the entire Song family to be dragged into this mess.

“Xixi, what kind of person do you take me for?” Song Xu held her firmly. “Don’t worry, Lu Yunqi isn’t dead. She just has a head injury; it’s not as serious as you think. I’ll handle everything.”

“She didn’t die?” Lin Xi’s eyes flickered.

“No, she’s in there being treated,” Song Xu assured her. “Didn’t you see her?”

Lin Xi shook her head. She had woken up on a hospital bed, and when the doctor asked if she felt any discomfort, she simply said she suffered from hemophobia—the fear of blood—and was discharged.

“Let’s sit for a moment,” Song Xu said, guiding her to a seat next to Lu Yunzhou.

Upon seeing Lu Yunzhou, Lin Xi’s body tensed. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. “Brother Yunzhou,” she muttered softly.

She wouldn’t offer an apology. She had fully intended to kill Lu Yunqi; in her eyes, Lu Yunqi deserved it.

Lu Yunzhou looked at Lin Xi with a complex expression. His tone, however, remained calm. “Why did you and Xiao Qi fight?”

He had been too preoccupied with the revelation about Lu Yunqi’s blood type to ask about the cause of the altercation.

“Lu Yunqi was abusing my grandmother, who’s been in a coma!” Lin Xi’s hands balled into fists, her entire body trembling at the memory. “She is my only living relative. She’s already unconscious, yet Lu Yunqi still had to lay a hand on her.”

“I could endure whatever Lu Yunqi did to me, but she shouldn’t have touched my grandmother. I wanted to kill her.”

“Xixi, calm down,” Song Xu said, sensing her agitation and trying to soothe her.

“Brother Yunzhou, I’ll send you the surveillance footage in a moment,” Song Xu said, turning to Lu Yunzhou. “Lu Yunqi went too far today. Xixi just reacted under extreme stress. Grandma Lin is incredibly important to her.”

With that, Song Xu sent the file.

—

Lu Yunzhou watched the video at high speed, his brows knitting tightly. He could easily guess what Lu Yunqi had been planning. She would have come to him later, begging him to delete this footage and frame the caregiver instead.

She just never expected Lin Xi to show up and catch her in the act. And as for Lin Xi’s reaction… she truly had intended to throttle Lu Yunqi. She hadn’t held back.

Lin Xi suddenly stood up. “I don’t want to wait here. I need to see my grandmother.”

Whether Lu Yunqi lived or died was no longer her concern. If she had to pay with her life, so be it. She had to check on her grandmother and apply her medication.

Song Xu, naturally, wouldn’t let her go alone. He looked at Lu Yunzhou. “Brother Yunzhou, I’ll take Xixi there first. We can discuss the rest… later.”

No matter what happened, he was determined to protect Lin Xi.

Lu Yunzhou remained eerily calm. He simply nodded. “Go ahead.”

Song Xu left with Lin Xi.

Lu Yunzhou’s expression darkened. He didn’t care about Lu Yunqi’s life or death now, because he realized she wasn’t his sister at all.

Whose child was she? Where was his real sister? Was his mother truly mentally ill, or was there more to it?

Questions piled up, making his head feel like it was about to explode. He felt like he had stumbled into a massive trap. Had it not been for today’s accident, he might have been kept in the dark forever.

Did his dear father know about Lu Yunqi’s identity?

He must have. Lu Yunzhou recalled that Lu Yunqi had visited the hospital after birth, but his father had always taken her personally, never burdening him with it. Perhaps he was afraid Lu Yunzhou would discover the blood type discrepancy.

Suddenly, a message from Song Xu popped up: [Brother Yunzhou, any news on the accomplice I asked you to track down?]

Lu Yunzhou hesitated, unsure how to reply. Another message followed immediately: [I just heard from the police that the guy named Xiao Yang has been released on bail. They claim he has a medical diagnosis for mental illness. Xixi is severely traumatized today; I don’t know how to tell her.]

Lu Yunzhou narrowed his eyes at the screen. Was this the “method” that Chang Gui had mentioned? A masterstroke, indeed.

He knew why Song Xu sent this: he was afraid the Lu family would target Lin Xi. But the truth was, Lu Yunzhou had no desire to make things difficult for her. If not for Lin Xi, he might never have uncovered the truth.

He wouldn’t hold Lin Xi accountable, but that didn’t mean his father wouldn’t. How he would answer to his father was an entirely different problem.

As he pondered, the emergency room doors opened. Lu Yunqi was wheeled out, her eyes tightly shut.

Lu Yunzhou walked over, took one look, and asked the doctor, “Doctor, how is she?”

“The patient suffered a severe blow to the head, resulting in brainstem damage,” the doctor replied apologetically. “She may remain in a coma. Even if she wakes up, there’s a possibility she will lose certain memories. The family needs to be prepared.”

Comatose? Lu Yunzhou looked at her again. Not waking up might be for the best. Otherwise, this situation would be truly impossible to resolve.

He had no intention of falling out with the Song family over a common imposter.

With that thought, he pulled out his phone and replied to Song Xu: [Forget about Xiao Yang for now—the monk might run, but the temple remains. You get someone to destroy the hospital room surveillance, and I’ll handle the doctors and nurses here. We’ll report that Xiao Qi had an accidental fall and injured her brain.]

Song Xu read the message several times, stunned, before typing back: [But Xiao Qi will tell them herself.]

Everything else was manageable, but who could silence Lu Yunqi?

Lu Yunzhou replied quickly: [She will likely remain in a coma. Do as I say—we just need to buy some time.]

Song Xu arched a brow. Is this really the doting brother Lu Yunzhou I know?