We Weren’t Fated, I Just Played My Cards Right - Chapter 15

Jenny’s medical examination took the entire morning. By the time they left Renyuan Private Hospital, it was already 2 p.m.

Before leaving, Liu Mumu glanced back at the hospital building and remarked, “This hospital is pretty nice—not too crowded, and the environment is good.”

“It’s alright,” Jenny said indifferently. “There’s a Renyuan Private Hospital in Shencheng too—must be a chain. My mom used to get her checkups there, and I went with her.”

Shencheng was the provincial capital of their small northern hometown, just an hour away by high-speed rail.

Liu Mumu rarely traveled and was hearing about this for the first time.

“Is that so? What a coincidence,” Liu Mumu murmured, frowning slightly before turning to Jenny with a smile. “Let’s grab lunch somewhere before heading home, okay?”

Before Jenny could respond, her phone rang.

She answered quickly, exchanged a few words, then said, “Got it. I’ll wait for you at the hospital entrance.”

Hanging up, she told Liu Mumu, “My brother’s coming to pick me up, so I won’t be joining you for lunch.”

“Alright, I’ll wait until he gets here before I leave.”

“Mm.” Jenny nodded.

In less than five minutes, Zhan Huitian’s car pulled up by the curb. Spotting Liu Mumu beside his sister, he didn’t get out, merely eyeing her through the lowered window before saying coldly to Jenny, “Get in.”

Jenny obediently opened the car door, waved goodbye to Liu Mumu, leaving only a trail of exhaust fumes behind.

Inside the car, Zhan Huitian asked Jenny irritably, “Why were you with her?”

Jenny didn’t quite understand why her brother’s attitude had suddenly changed, so she replied cautiously, “I was a little scared going for the check-up alone, so I asked her to come with me. Is there a problem?”

Zhan Huitian paused before saying, “Dad ran into her during dinner earlier. The girl was quite rude and offended one of Dad’s guests. You should keep your distance from her from now on.”

“Ah…” Jenny looked surprised but nodded. “Got it.”

After a moment, she added softly, “Liu Mumu has always been like that—not great at reading people—but I don’t think she meant any harm.”

“Hmph, children with no manners usually have parents who didn’t teach them well. I’m not stopping you from making friends, but with your status, you’ll have plenty of better options. No need to cling to this one.”

“Oh.”

“By the way, I just remembered something. When we were kids, Mom used to celebrate Dad’s birthday in October, when it was already getting chilly. Did I remember that wrong?”

Jenny shook her head with a smile. “No, you’re right. The birthday on Dad’s ID card isn’t his real one. When Grandpa went to register it, he got both the date and Dad’s age wrong. Mom said his actual birthday is the first day of the tenth lunar month.”

Zhan Huitian looked surprised. “I remember Mom’s birthday was the second day of the tenth lunar month?”

“You still remember that, Brother? Mom was born at 1 a.m. on the second day—exactly two hours after Dad. They were even born in the same hospital.”

Zhan Hongye and his ex-wife had been childhood sweethearts, so they knew each other’s families well. Jenny, having lived with her mother for years, was naturally familiar with these details.

Zhan Huitian smiled faintly. “What a coincidence.”

Jenny smiled too, but her expression soon turned somber.

What good was coincidence? After Dad got rich, he still divorced Mom, took Brother, and started a new life with someone else. Only she was left behind with Mom—now they were two separate families.

After wandering outside for most of the day, Liu Mumu finally returned home on an empty stomach.

Luckily, she had a little angel of a sister at home. Hearing she hadn’t eaten yet, the girl rushed to the kitchen to cook her some noodles.

While waiting at the dining table, Liu Mumu dialed Dong Zhenghao’s number.

Dong Zhenghao’s voice on the phone was hoarse—whether from sleepiness or illness, it was hard to tell.

“Hey, Mumu, is something wrong?” Dong Zhenghao asked nervously before quickly adding, “I haven’t found out Zhan Hongye’s birth details yet.”

“It’s not about the birthday. I want you to check something—Zhan Hongye’s ex-wife was named Zhang Xueli. She once sought treatment at our local hospital. I need to know where Zhan Hongye was two months before her medical visit.”

“That’s easy enough,” Dong Zhenghao agreed readily.

“And what do you know about Renyuan Private Hospital?”

“Only that the investor is from the capital. Beyond that, I don’t have any more details. Is there something wrong with that hospital?” Dong Zhenghao asked, puzzled.

“Nothing, just asking casually.”

She just felt something was off, though even if she uncovered anything, it wouldn’t be of much use.

Less than half an hour after hanging up, Dong Zhenghao called again.

He told Liu Mumu, “I found out. Last September, Zhang Xueli went to your city’s central hospital for a check-up. Two months before that, Zhan Hongye was reportedly abroad negotiating a project, though it seems the deal fell through. There’s been no news about it since.”

“So he really wasn’t in Qingcheng,” Liu Mumu murmured to herself. It seemed Auntie Zhang’s death was undeniably linked to Zhan Hongye.

Was this man completely unhinged?

“His ex-wife died last year. You asking me to look into this…” Dong Zhenghao shuddered involuntarily as he recalled the details of Zhan Hongye’s ex-wife’s death. “Don’t tell me he was involved in that too?”

“Quite possibly. The trouble is, even if we know he’s no good, there’s not much we can do about it.”

“Leave that to me,” Dong Zhenghao said through gritted teeth. “If he’s the one behind this, do you really think I can’t deal with him?”

He might not have any special means, but he wasn’t someone to be pushed around either—otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted this long.

Liu Mumu hadn’t planned on interfering anyway, but she quickly warned, “Just be careful. I don’t want to visit you in prison later and hear you singing the ‘Iron Window Lament.'”

“Can’t you think of something nicer?”

“Oh, fine. A slightly better scenario—you don’t sing off-key?”

Dong Zhenghao hung up with a growl.

*

Qingcheng City Public Security Bureau.

The entire fourth floor of the office building belonged to a newly established yet low-profile department that almost no one knew about: the Special Cases Investigation Division.

In the spacious office, Captain Fang Chuan was listening to his subordinates report their recent findings.

Just as one investigator mentioned Dong Zhenghao, the office door swung open. The first thing that caught everyone’s eye was a pair of polished leather shoes, followed by long, well-proportioned legs clad in custom-tailored suit pants.

Even in the sweltering summer heat, the newcomer wore a crisp suit, his shirt buttoned meticulously to the top. As he raised his hand slightly, the diamond cufflinks glinted faintly.

Fang Chuan stood up. “Consultant Yan.”

The other investigators quickly turned to greet him.

The man gave them a slight nod. When he lowered his gaze, the indifference in his eyes was swiftly concealed.

Yan Xiu stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.

Fang Chuan pulled out a chair for him, skipping the pleasantries as he said, “We’re reviewing Qin Kai’s case. I sent you the files earlier.”

Yan Xiu nodded. Crossing his legs, his slender, pale fingers resting lightly on his knee, he replied in a cool tone, “I’ve already looked through them. His condition is indeed the result of a curse.”

Fang Chuan continued, “We’ve investigated Qin Kai’s social connections and have two preliminary suspects. One is Zhan Hongye, his business competitor. The other is Dong Zhenghao, a close business partner. Dong Zhenghao and Zhan Hongye are brothers-in-law, and our current findings show their relationship is extremely strained.”

The investigator who had been about to report earlier raised his hand. “Consultant Yan, Captain, I just received word that Dong Zhenghao went to his company briefly yesterday, then suddenly returned home, swapped cars with his wife, and quickly left Qingcheng.”

“Where did he go?” Fang Chuan asked urgently.

The investigator shook his head. “Still unclear. His movements over the past two days have been erratic—constantly switching between high-speed trains without clear destinations. It seems like he’s trying to avoid someone.”

Fang Chuan turned to Yan Xiu. “Consultant Yan, should we bring him in quietly for questioning?”

Yan Xiu, deep in thought, replied, “Not necessary for now. This is actually quite interesting.”

“How so?”

“The curse that killed Qin Kai requires close proximity to take effect.” He turned, eyes glinting with interest. “Guess who he’s running from?”

“You think he’s also been cursed? But why flee? Given Qin Kai’s symptoms, wouldn’t most people go to the hospital?” Fang Chuan recalled Qin Kai’s medical records.

“Perhaps someone gave him advice.” Yan Xiu leaned back in his chair. “First investigate Zhan Hongye—check if any of his bl00d relatives have died mysteriously.”