I opened my eyes.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
That was his wife. He couldn’t help but groan, startling the white-haired woman beside him. His body still ached, weak and sore.
“I’ll call the nurse.”
Noticing he was awake, his wife wiped her tears and went to call for a nurse.
A man in casual clothes also appeared. Half a minute later, not only the nurse and doctor arrived, but Huang Yi came as well.
“Xiao Huang… I… what happened to me?”
He pointed at the bedside table.
Huang Yi picked up the mineral water from the table, unscrewed the cap, and slowly fed it to him.
“Let’s hear what the doctor says.”
Huang Yi’s words carried a certain meaning—not something to discuss in front of others.
“Mr. Meng, do you feel any discomfort right now?”
The doctor was examining his body.
“Everywhere.”
The expert spoke the truth. He felt like he was about to die, yet he was still alive—just in pain.
After a few minutes of conversation, the doctor understood his condition, gave some instructions, and left, also changing the IV medication.
Huang Yi stepped out for a moment as well, leaving the hospital room to the expert and his wife.
They comforted each other—they had been an old couple for decades.
Meanwhile, Huang Yi stood outside the hospital room, blocking two Public Security Bureau officers who wanted to investigate.
After stalling for a few minutes, once his wife had calmed down, the door opened. It was Officer Liu, the one Yin Lin had seen underground. Only then did Huang Yi and the officers enter.
“Professor Meng, hello. My name is Liu, from the Public Security Bureau.”
The two shook hands. The officer exchanged pleasantries first, then got down to business.
It was about the bizarre explosion attack he had suffered. His wife had filed the report. When she found him collapsed by the garage, she thought he had been attacked. After sending him to the hospital, she reported it as well.
“I was testing a new type weapon when I accidentally injured myself due to my own operational error.”
Psychology expert Professor Meng’s response was very calm.
Officer Liu seemed distracted, as if he hadn’t heard. It took a few seconds before he reacted:
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I injured myself by accident.”
Professor Meng repeated himself.
“Can you describe the specific process?”
“Sure.”
His wife went to see the two officers off, leaving only Huang Yi and him in the hospital room.
“You’ve got a conscience. You’re the only one from the whole Countermeasure Center who came to see me.”
Psychology expert Professor Meng made a joke.
But Huang Yi didn’t laugh. He just stared into his eyes, staring the smile right off Professor Meng’s face.
“So who was it?”
Huang Yi knew the “new type weapon” he mentioned didn’t exist, which meant he was lying.
“How did you know I was injured? This hasn’t spread, has it?”
Professor Meng didn’t answer.
“Who was it?”
Huang Yi pressed.
Professor Meng chose silence. From his reaction, Huang Yi could tell there was something hidden beneath the surface, but he didn’t know the answer.
Huang Yi continued pressing:
“Is it something someone from my Witch Faction shouldn’t know? Or something a suspended guy like me isn’t convenient to know?”
Huang Yi kept pushing unexpectedly, not sparing the expert’s feelings. Professor Meng still chose silence.
“I’ve seen your wounds. They’re not from an ordinary explosion. I’m more inclined to believe it was magic—either a demonic creature or a magical girl. Which one do you think I should believe?”
“It was a new type weapon.”
Professor Meng joked again.
“A new type weapon even I don’t know about?”
Huang Yi couldn’t laugh.
“You nearly died. You need someone to share your secret with. Do you have a better audience than me?”
“Since you’re an expert, I probably can’t convince you, but think about it…”
Professor Meng still didn’t say. Another ten minutes passed without prying his mouth open.
Huang Yi left. But he didn’t fully leave—he sat in his car, staring out the window.
Even though it was hot in the car, he didn’t turn on the AC. He just endured it.
He waited until evening.
Professor Meng’s wife suddenly left the hospital, as if running an errand.
Huang Yi kept waiting, and sure enough, he got what he was waiting for. Professor Meng’s figure appeared at the hospital entrance, sitting in a wheelchair.
He called a wheelchair accessible taxi and left.
Huang Yi started his car too, left hand on the steering wheel, right hand shifting gears, following the vehicle ahead.
From evening until night shrouded everything, they reached the suburbs, then the dock, then the seaside.
It was as if he was searching for something, but he didn’t find it. Around dawn, he returned to the hospital.
Huang Yi continued to park outside, planning to keep surveillance all night.
He noticed Professor Meng return to his room and enter. The light was on for a while.
Huang Yi watched through his telescope and noticed another detail. The man turned off the light to sleep after a while, but didn’t close the window.
Huang Yi stared at the window thoughtfully, continuing to wait.
The man kept looking around outside, as if searching for something.
Huang Yi sat in the car for half the day, drinking mineral water when thirsty, using the bottle when nature called.
He kept surveillance until 3:00 AM, when he really couldn’t hold on anymore and fell asleep.
Before that, he used his mobile phone to film the hospital and Professor Meng’s window through the car window, keeping the recording going.
He didn’t know how long he had dozed off when he was jolted awake by blinding lights.
He opened his eyes and saw ambulance lights. Those being rushed to the emergency room were probably the disaster victims—a few more lives saved.
Huang Yi wiped the sweat off his body, drank some water, and forced himself to stay alert, resuming surveillance on Professor Meng’s window.
He also ended the video on his phone and checked the duration—nearly two hours of footage. He’d actually slept that long.
Watching the playback on his phone while keeping his eyes on the window—doing two things at once.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed across the phone screen.
In the pitch black, Huang Yi still noticed it. He quickly shifted his attention to the phone, rewound a few seconds, and pressed pause.
There really was a dark shadow flying through the window into Professor Meng’s hospital room.
Huang Yi immediately got out of the car and sprinted toward the inpatient building.
He didn’t even bother waiting for the elevator. He ran straight up the staircase.
He opened the door to Professor Meng’s room—there was no outsider inside. Professor Meng sat up in bed, startled.
The light was turned on. There really was only Professor Meng.
“Where is she?”
Huang Yi checked under the bed—no one. He checked the curtains—no one.
He even checked the bathroom. Still no one.
“Who? What are you talking about?”
Professor Meng pretended not to know.
“How long are you going to keep this from me? I saw her fly in.”
“Then you’re too late.”
This was Professor Meng’s first admission, but not a full one.
“Who is it? I already know the answer. I just need you to give me confirmation.”
“Then you’re too late.”
Professor Meng still wouldn’t say. The answer was like a single sheet of paper away, and he wouldn’t tear through it.
Huang Yi was furious, not knowing how to deal with this old man.
A new day arrived. Song Wuli ate breakfast while watching the news.
Today was still about the rescue efforts. The death toll had surpassed one thousand, and fewer and fewer survivors were being pulled out.
Huan Hong also appeared on the TV. Despite her injury recovery not being complete, she joined the rescue.
Liang Tai was energized. He was already broadcasting the disaster live and helping out himself. Now that a magical girl appeared in the live coverage, he was like a wound-up toy—working even harder.
Everything seemed to be gradually getting better. And there was always another day after.