A sharp screech of brakes came from the clinic yard, and just as Lin Jie was about to stand up to investigate, a slender figure darted in. It was Xiao Qi, wearing lipstick as red as blood and a brow ring.

This was the first time Lin Jie had seen her since the night of the race.

On the clinic's opening day, Lin Jie had seen Da Hei, Hou Zi, and many from the racetrack, but Xiao Qi was conspicuously absent.

He wasn't sure if Xiao Qi was deliberately avoiding him or if she really had something she couldn't get away from.

Xiao Qi took a few steps to Lin Jie, sat on the diagnostic chair, and gloomily said, "Brother Da Hei received a call from Sister Shanshan. He sent out everyone who was free to look for Zhu Dazhi, and I've been sent here to keep you company!"

"So, Zhu Dazhi really has a fatal case of rabies?"

After speaking with Luo Shanshan on the phone, Lin Jie learned that people referred to that man with a mole at the corner of his mouth as Zhu Dazhi.

As for his real name, Luo Shanshan couldn't quite recall it at the moment.

Lin Jie nodded, "It's very likely, but it's not a hundred percent. It's best to get a confirmation at a big hospital! I feel his condition is a bit off, and I'm worried he might do something foolish!"

Saying this, he anxiously said, "Nothing will happen at the clinic, you really don't need to keep me company. It's better to go find Zhu Dazhi, an extra person means extra help."

However, Xiao Qi remained seated, looked at Lin Jie somewhat wistfully, and said, "Sister Shanshan said that your medical skills are exceptional, way above average, and when you confirm something, there's at most a one percent chance of misdiagnosis."

"I hope this time isn't that one percent!"

Lin Jie, puzzled, asked, "Could it be that Zhu Dazhi is a bad person? Does he have such poor relations that you're all hoping he has rabies?"

Xiao Qi shook her head and said, "He's a good person, just a bit too good, making him seem a bit pathetic!"

Through Xiao Qi's introduction, Lin Jie got to know Zhu Dazhi a bit.

Zhu Dazhi used to make a living from fishing, mild in temperament and somewhat submissive, living a fairly ordinary life.

However, his wife despised him for being weak and useless, and three years ago, she divorced him and later remarried with their daughter to a nearby village.

In recent years, Zhu Dazhi leased a tidal flat for shellfish farming, but due to both natural and manmade disasters, and his poor management skills, he ended up losing more than he gained, accumulating a mountain of debt.

After losing his family, Zhu Dazhi, seeing no hope or future, once tried to jump into the sea but was rescued.

Recently, Zhu Dazhi's daughter secretly came to find him.

It was then the people of Zhujia Port learned that the second husband of Zhu Dazhi's ex-wife, despite having some money, was a scoundrel who loved drinking and couldn't enjoy a day without alcohol!

Not only that, when drunk and displeased, he'd hit his wife and even Zhu Dazhi's daughter.

Unable to bear it, the daughter ran away to find Zhu Dazhi, hoping to live with him.

However, Zhu Dazhi cruelly sent his daughter back, saying that getting beaten was better than following him and suffering from hunger, cold, and not affording school.

Xiao Qi awkwardly said, "Zhu Dazhi once despaired of life, and upon learning he might have rabies this time, Brother Da Hei feared he might lose it and do something irrational, so I was sent to keep you company."

Only then did Lin Jie realize, sizing up Xiao Qi, and said, "So, you're here to protect me?"

"But why didn't Da Hei send someone big and strong? If anything unexpected happens, are you protecting me, or am I protecting you?"

This straightforward remark made Xiao Qi somewhat annoyed!

She jumped up and shouted, "Who's protecting who? Lin Jie, don't underestimate me, okay? From a young age, I've been through countless battles, and I have several scars on my body!"

Saying this, Xiao Qi lifted her cute little vest.

Pointing at an abdominal scar, she shouted, "See this? This scar was caused by a punk's knife, and in the end, I beat him until he was on his knees, crying and begging me for mercy!"

She then revealed her smooth back with another scar, "This is another knife wound!"

"I have another scar!"

Saying this, Xiao Qi went to undo the belt on her jeans!

As she was halfway through, she realized her actions and annoyedly said, "Can't let you take advantage of me; these two scars are enough to prove my point."

She looked at Lin Jie, sarcastically saying, "You protect me?"

"You really have the nerve to say that, aren't you exaggerating a bit? Since you were young, have you fought? Fought a bloody knife fight? Have you even seen scars on your body?"

The boasting Xiao Qi suddenly noticed the teasing look in Lin Jie's eyes, making her even more dissatisfied and angry.

She slammed a fist onto the table with a "bang," shouting, "What kind of look is that? Spell it out for me! Do you want to spar with me?"

Seeing Xiao Qi chattering away, like an angry little leopard, Lin Jie couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

Seeing Xiao Qi waving her fists, nearly driven mad with anger, he stopped laughing. Smiling, he said, "If it's about scars, I do have a scar on my chest, one that's even scarier and bigger."

"But honestly, it's a scar left from open-heart surgery!"

"Unlike someone who claims a scar from an appendectomy or scratches from branches or rocks as knife wounds!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qi's anger, which was at a hundred, immediately plummeted to zero, as she regrettably said, "Damn, I forgot you're medically trained."

She, with her thick skin, unchanged in expression, said, "I did train in boxing for two years, I didn't lie about that, so protecting you is more than enough."

"Hey, do you have anything to eat here? We can't just sit here doing nothing the whole night!"

Xiao Qi industriously raided the fridges in the offices on the third floor, then brought down a rice cooker, an electric stove, and a stainless steel pot, and right in the clinic's main hall, she cooked noodles, boiled wontons, blanched vegetables, and various frozen dumplings, busily enjoying herself.

Lin Jie wasn't idle, joining her in eating!

The two ate and drank until the wee hours of three or four in the morning when Xiao Qi received a phone call.

After hanging up, Xiao Qi stayed silent for a while, then looked at Lin Jie and said, "Zhu Dazhi has been found!"

Lin Jie felt somewhat relieved and said, "Oh, is he alright? Where was he found? Hurry up and take him to the hospital!"

"He was found at his ex-wife's house!"

"That… that… Zhu Dazhi killed his ex-wife's husband!"

Lin Jie jolted, abruptly standing up!

He suddenly realized something and asked in a deep voice, "Xiao Qi, you should have anticipated Zhu Dazhi going to his ex-wife's house. How could something like this still happen?"

"Did you let him go on purpose?"

"Xiao Qi, you're here not to protect me but to prevent me from calling the police or leaking information, right?"

The more Lin Jie spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and the more everything made sense.

Under Lin Jie's questioning, Xiao Qi became a bit flustered, unknowingly taking a few steps back.

"Lin Jie, this isn't Xiao Qi's fault; everything was my decision!" With these words, Da Hei strode in!

He came close to Lin Jie and said, "That bastard was a scumbag, not only did he hit women and kids when drunk, but he also tried to take advantage of Xiao Lan while drunk; that bastard deserved to die!"

"Zhu Dazhi did what every father should have done!"

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