Life Plan

Chapter 26, Jiang Xiaonv Goes Missing

Liu Chichi maintained contact with Jiang Xiaonv via text messages and occasionally had video calls, especially when confirming the return visit time, she would communicate with her multiple times in advance.

Three days ago, she notified Jiang Xiaonv to make a follow-up visit and confirm via video. In the past two days, Jiang Xiaonv has been replying to her diary messages as usual, but she rejected the video sent by Liu Chichi and was absent from today's follow-up visit.

The phone went unanswered, and the backup contact also went unanswered.

Despite the disapproving looks from the medical staff who had stood her up, Liu Chichi kept apologizing before turning around and running back to her office. She couldn't accept that the first subject she had fully participated in had dropped out so inexplicably.

She immediately thought of Liu Nan, but Liu Nan had already moved to a new factory and was unaware of Jiang Xiaonv's current situation, so she could only ask him for help first. Liu Nan's message received a reply quickly, but she was wary and thought that Jiang Xiaonv didn't want to participate in the clinical trial and was deliberately avoiding the hospital, so she didn't say anything.

Liu Chichi found the information Jiang Xiaonv had left behind, noted down the address of the factory where she worked, and found the factory's contact information. She contacted the labor agency in charge of temporary workers through the factory's HR department, and then contacted them level by level. She made so many phone calls that her mouth was dry, as if the sand and dust blown by the autumn wind had all entered her throat.

The moment she received Jiang Xiaonv's message, she felt as if her throat was blocked, and the water she had been drinking seemed to have seeped into her ear canals, making her feel like she was hallucinating—"Oh, you mean that mute girl? She was arrested for murder."

It was as if I had heard some language I had never heard before; all I could think of was that it was a fantasy and I couldn't understand it.

The phone call ended abruptly in her silence. Just then, Shen Shuyi entered the room and tried to repeat the incident: "Jiang Xiaonv has been arrested."

Having just reported the incident, Shen Shuyi didn't immediately react and instinctively asked, "Wasn't she supposed to be making a follow-up visit today? Who arrested her?"

"police."

"Huh?" Even Shen Shuyi, who was usually quick-witted, was momentarily stunned. Her beautiful eyes widened. "Her?"

"right."

"Then hurry up and make the call!"

At 6:30 p.m., Yan Shaohai from the Ethics Committee, Dr. Li, a researcher, Shen Shuyi, and Liu Chichi met at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau.

Before Dr. Li could even take off his mask, he glanced at his watch and said, "At most an hour, I still have to go do my rounds."

"Okay, okay, we'll keep track of the time."

Liu Chichi hurriedly bowed, while glancing into the Public Security Bureau, praying in her heart that Shen Shuyi's application would go smoothly.

Shen Shuyi applied to the public security department for visitation in advance and requested relevant medical records to confirm that Jiang Xiaonv was ill and in the treatment period. They applied as members of the medical team.

Ten minutes later, after the information was verified, they entered the detention center, but only two people were allowed to visit.

Shen Shuyi glanced at her: "Did you bring your ID card?"

"I brought it."

Shen Shuyi shoved the documents into her arms: "Then you and Teacher Li go in."

The dimly lit meeting room had only one cold white light. A solemn-faced police officer stood to the side. Liu Chichi couldn't help but clench her arms, and for a moment she thought she would confess whatever she wanted.

It was like something that would happen naturally in a given situation—she hadn't even broken the law, and she didn't know what to say, but the words "I confess" were floating in her mind.

His nervousness changed rapidly the moment he saw Jiang Xiaonv; a bittersweet feeling welled up inside him.

Jiang Xiaonv was in shackles, her head bowed, and even her footsteps were almost silent, with only the crisp sound of metal clashing.

The cold, white light swept across her brow bone, failing to illuminate her calm eyes, which were unfocused and vacant. Beneath her eyes, her nose was swollen, and her lips were scabbed.

Dr. Li's voice was strong and slow. He told Jiang Xiaonv the purpose of his visit and naturally began the consultation: "Have you been taking your medication as prescribed? Have you missed any doses?"

Jiang Xiaonv nodded and then held up another finger.

Dr. Li tentatively inquired, "You didn't miss any doses, but you only took the morning dose today?"

The officer placed paper and pen in front of her, but she couldn't write most of the words and could only nod or shake her head in response to Dr. Li's questions.

In addition, several other test results were unavailable.

To facilitate better communication between researchers and subjects, a visitation window is established, which is ±2 days for Jiang Xiaonv. Today is almost over; she has three days left. If she cannot return to the hospital for a check-up, then the visitation window will have expired.

But under the watchful eyes of the surrounding police officers, Liu Chichi felt a chill in her heart. Given the current situation, she didn't even know if she could get out.

If that phone call wasn't exaggerated, then Jiang Xiaonv killed someone.

The shock she felt upon first meeting Jiang Xiaonv left her deeply disturbed, and the sight of her physical wounds made her feel sorry for her.

Before making the call, Liu Chichi thought that no matter what happened, she would make sure Jiang Xiaonv had the opportunity to receive treatment.

But what if she killed someone?

Without thinking, Liu Chichi blurted out, "Did you kill someone?"

Jiang Xiaonv paused for a moment, then nodded, while simultaneously raising her hands and quickly gesturing for the name. Faced with everyone's bewildered gazes, she opened her mouth somewhat anxiously, but only managed to make a strange hissing sound.

The only thing that everyone, including Liu Chichi, could understand was her nod.

The police officer looked at Liu Chichi with displeasure: "Is this also part of your questioning?"

Liu Chichi felt a little embarrassed and apologized with a blush.

Jiang Xiaonv quickly quieted down again, shrugging her shoulders and looking timid. Liu Chichi found it hard to associate her with the image of a "murderer".

Dr. Li was writing medical records with his head down, as calmly as if he were sitting at his own desk.

Liu Chichi suddenly realized that she was overthinking things. She was projecting her personal feelings onto everyone, making it impossible for her to treat them as simply patients.

A person's status and position cannot be superseded by their life. She cannot elevate a life because of any status, nor can she look down on it.

If today is a normal visit, what should she focus on?

Diary cards, medicine.

Oh right, it's medication. She hasn't checked the medication yet. According to the doctor's instructions, she needs to take it twice a day, and she also needs to take it again after dinner.

Liu Chichi asked the police, "She's still taking medication. Didn't you bring any medicine in for her?"

"Because it's a serious case, the situation is quite urgent, and she has difficulty communicating and is unaware of this information. If this is true, we can hand her over to our medical staff, and we will administer the medication according to their prescription."

"Since there are a lot of medications, and they should all be at her home for this period, could you please contact her family to deliver them?"

Hearing this, the police officer hesitated, "We can't contact her husband; she says he's gone out to work. Besides that, she only has a minor daughter, and she starts making a scene whenever we try to contact her daughter."

Liu Chichi asked instinctively, "What happened to her husband?"

"I'm sorry, this is a matter of personal privacy."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Dr. Li had just finished writing the record. He glanced at Liu Chichi, who was still bowing, and said to Jiang Xiaonv, "If possible, I hope you can continue taking your medication. Could you contact your family to have the medicine delivered?"

Jiang Xiaonv's eyes were complicated, as if she was struggling with something. After a long while, she waved her hand.

Her daughter, Sun Zhixiao, has been a boarding student and is unrelated to this matter; in fact, she has just entered her senior year of high school. In her view, studying is of paramount importance, and she doesn't want to influence her daughter.

My daughter's future is more important than her treatment.

However, it is Liu Chichi's responsibility to keep the experiment running smoothly. There is still no window of opportunity yet, and she must try her best to fulfill Dr. Li's idea.

She knew what Jiang Xiaonv was worried about, because in the six months leading up to the college entrance examination, her mother would nag her about the importance of the exam almost every day, to the point that she would wake up in fright from a dream that she hadn't brought her admission ticket.

She tried to express herself: "Your daughter and I will go to your house to get the medicine, then she will go to school, and I will bring it to you."

Jiang Xiaonv hesitated for a moment, wrote her name on the paper, drew a key pattern, and handed it to Liu Chichi.

"You mean I should come to your house and get it myself?"

Jiang Xiaonv nodded quickly, then looked at the police officer beside her, and Liu Chichi subconsciously followed suit.

In the brief silence, Jiang Xiaonv raised her hand in a pleading gesture, her handcuffs tugging at her sleeve. Only then did Liu Chichi notice that her arms were also covered in scars.

"In your case, I need to report it." The police officer reached out to Liu Chichi. "I need to give you the prescription and medical records for my records."

Liu Chichi pulled out two folders: "The original and the copies are both here."

Dr. Li glanced at her with slight surprise, and she explained somewhat embarrassedly, "It was prepared by Shen Shuyi."

Shen Shuyi was incredibly thorough in her work, while she was just flustered and confused. Even when she received the document, she was still wondering why there were two folders with the same signature.

Yan Shaohai followed Dr. Li back to the hospital. Shen Shuyi turned to look at her and asked, "Are you sure you can manage on your own?"

"I should..." she hesitated before speaking, but upon meeting Shen Shuyi's disapproving gaze, she immediately became more resolute: "I can."

"Then I'm off work." Shen Shuyi waved lightly.

This was only the second time Liu Chichi had ever ridden in a police car. The last time, she was caught in a siege by netizens and was in a daze. This time, sitting in the back seat of two police officers, she felt inexplicably uneasy.

This area is still undeveloped and is an old town area with rows of three- or four-story self-built houses, which attract a large number of workers from the surrounding factories with their low rents.

A few years ago, this area was also called a shantytown. As public security management gradually became more standardized, the illegally built shantytowns have been demolished, revealing the winding alleys inside.

The typhoon had just passed, but the rain hadn't stopped. The dampness of the humid season accumulated in the alley. Liu Chichi carefully followed behind the policeman to avoid brushing against the mottled walls on both sides.

Jiang Xiaonv rented a room on the second floor of an old house. A corridor connected two small rooms, one for her and her husband, and the other for her daughter.

This place is also the crime scene, and because the case is under investigation, it's cordoned off. Liu Chichi stood outside the cordon. The police, wearing shoe covers and gloves, came in and turned on the lights. As Jiang Xiaonv had requested, the medicine was on the bedside table.

The moment the light came on, Liu Chichi saw the mess of bloodstains in the room.

In this small single room, there were splattered bloodstains on the walls, the headboard, and everywhere else in sight. They had dried and looked strangely black.

She instinctively thought that this amount of bleeding must be from an artery.

The police officer came out with a plastic bag containing medication and handed it to her: "Is this it?"

Liu Chichi examined it carefully, nodded, and pointed to the diary card covered with smiley faces: "Can I take this?"

"No, these are from the crime scene. If they are confirmed to be unrelated to the case, we will return them to her after the case is closed."

"Can I take a picture?"

"Can."

Liu Chichi took out a new diary card from the folder: "If possible, I hope the medical staff can help inquire about her daily physical condition and record it here. Thank you."

The remaining medicine and the new diary cards were taken away together, and Liu Chichi didn't forget to attach the doctor's orders.