Chapter 27

Chapter 27 3. Panic Room-01

As Christmas approached, Liu Yi took a full half-month off, combining public holidays and compensatory leave. He submitted the leave request to HR, packed a whole suitcase of local specialties his mother had instructed him to bring, and happily flew to Birmingham to spend Christmas with his parents and two older brothers.

After Liu Yi went on leave, the department’s affairs were handed over to deputy Feng Ling.

As the department’s only female forensic doctor, this nearly forty-year-old single mother had solid professional skills, a steady personality, and strong sense of responsibility. Though a bit sharp-tongued when speaking, she was extremely reliable.

Even so, during Liu Yi’s absence, Feng Ling still managed to disturb his leisurely holiday at least once a day.

“This kind of thing, just have Xiao Jiang handle it for me and stamp it with my seal!”

Early on Christmas morning, just after six, Liu Yi was yanked out of bed by an international call from Feng Ling. He felt on the verge of collapse.

“Do you know the annual summary needs to be archived? And your award evaluation materials are due at the bureau next week. If you let Xiao Jiang just scribble something, I won’t be responsible for the mess, Director Liu.”

Feng Ling, over half a generation older than Liu Yi, saw this capable but inexperienced manager as an unreliable junior. She spoke bluntly and didn’t spare him when he was at fault:

“Who told you to take leave at the busiest time of the year? The whole department is waiting for your signature for the evaluations!”

She paused, then added, “Also, considering the eight-hour time difference with your side, it’s already past four in the afternoon here.”

In other words: Liu Director, write your annual summary quickly—I’m waiting to get off work!

Helplessly, Liu Yi hung up, crawled out of bed, and called his graduate student Jiang Xiaoyuan to draft his personal evaluation.

Jiang Xiaoyuan frowned immediately, whining that he had never written one before and needed guidance from the boss.

“Idiot!”

Liu Yi scolded mercilessly. “Ask Teacher Feng for a reference copy. If you can’t write it, can’t you at least copy it?”

Jiang Xiaoyuan silently cursed, feeling bitter at having to get the template from Feng Ling, but under the boss’s authority, he had no choice but to agree, opening QianDu to search and compile Liu Yi’s personal evaluation.

After handling that, Liu Yi was fully awake. Since he couldn’t return to sleep, he got up, freshened up, and decided to go downstairs for breakfast.

Liu Yi now lived in a three-story villa with a garden, bought by his parents, spacious enough for a large family vacation.

Just as he reached the ground floor, two things bumped into him, one after the other, and clung to his legs.

Looking down, he saw his left leg held by a tiny toddler and his right leg by a large white cat, both looking up at him with wide, unblinking eyes—two brown, two blue.

The toddler was Liu Yi’s older brother’s son, a two-year-old mixed-race little cutie, a bit chubby with a round face, wearing a thick winter coat and a Christmas cape, looking like a little ball, his short arms barely able to hug Liu Yi’s leg.

The large white cat was his mother’s cherished four-year-old Ragdoll, gentle, beautiful, and clingy, often ambushing people like this for pets.

“Hey, little chubby!”

Liu Yi bent down, lifted his nephew onto his arm, stroked the cat’s head a few times, and carried the child to the living room.

“Why are you up so early today?”

“Gifts!”

The child reached for his favorite stylish uncle, big brown eyes sparkling, voice soft but excited, repeating loudly, “Open gifts!”

Liu Yi ruffled the boy’s hair, thinking he was too cute. “Okay, let’s open gifts!”

He carried the baby into the living room, the 13-pound beautiful cat following behind.

Liu Yi’s parents and older brother and sister-in-law were already up, casually chatting while eating what could not be clearly classified as breakfast or snack—cakes and sandwiches.

Seeing the youngest hugging his grandson, Liu Yi’s mother waved them over and patted the sofa.

“Your second brother and sister-in-law’s flight lands in the afternoon. They probably won’t be home until evening.”

She handed Liu Yi a sandwich and gave the baby a cupcake, smiling as they ate. “Both are doctors; their hospital is so busy, taking a holiday requires a lot of planning.”

“Oh, Uncle and Aunt won’t be home until tonight!”

Liu Yi rubbed the toddler’s face. “Let’s hide their gifts and not give them, okay?”

The baby didn’t understand such complex sentences, only enjoyed playing with his uncle, holding a small cake and laughing, wriggling. His grandmother, worried he might choke, lifted him onto her lap to watch him eat safely.

After breakfast, the family gathered under the Christmas tree, opening gifts one by one.

Liu Yi received a watch from his parents, a pen from his older brother, a hand-drawn photo frame from his little nephew, and two couple scarves from his sister-in-law.

“I knitted them myself.”

This half-Latin beauty, the only family member besides the toddler not in medicine, worked as a university librarian, charming in personality and appearance. She winked at Liu Yi, “You can give one to your boyfriend.”

“Him? No way!”

Liu Yi’s mother immediately fired back at her son, who had been openly out for years but never had a serious boyfriend: “With this overage wizard, where would a boyfriend come from?”

Liu Yi, a pure single man of thirty-two years, felt the world’s hostility.

“Who says I can’t give one?”

To prove it, Liu Yi snapped photos of the two scarves and sent a message with the pictures to a contact: “Which of these scarves do you like?”

&&& &&& &&&

Qi Shanyu had a rare weekend off, cooked some light, easy-to-digest stew for lunch, grabbed a bag of apples and oranges, and went to Xin Hai City Second People’s Hospital to visit an elderly patient.

The man, surnamed Fang, had been a police captain and Qi Shanyu’s father’s superior.

After his father’s death, Fang continued to care for Qi Shanyu’s family. Qi Shanyu, grateful and considerate, treated him like a godfather.

The elder was hospitalized for high blood pressure. Qi Shanyu came to visit.

Fang’s room was quiet, a single room in the geriatric ward.

When Qi Shanyu arrived, Fang was secretly watching football on TV, tense and red-faced as his team had just conceded a goal, muttering insults while hitting the bed frame.

Qi Shanyu checked the monitor; the blood pressure was stable, so he let it slide.

“Oh, little Qi, you’re here.”

Though not mealtime, Fang happily opened his food container. Qi Shanyu set up a tray and helped him eat the leftover bun from lunch with the dishes.

Qi Shanyu asked about his condition intermittently.

Fang kept his eyes on the TV, answering briefly that his blood pressure was stable and he could be discharged in a few days.

Suddenly, sharp cries and running footsteps came from the hallway.

Both looked toward the door. Through a square window, they saw several medical staff running past.

Fang turned off the TV, listening carefully. “Sounds like Room 810.”

He explained, “The old lady in 810 has been bedridden with cerebral hemorrhage for over two years, can’t speak or move. Recently, her caretaker said she might have pneumonia. Not sure what’s happening now…”

He patted Qi Shanyu’s shoulder. “Go take a look.”

Qi Shanyu went out. Outside Room 810, several people, likely family, gathered. The door was half-open; inside, doctors and nurses were busy with resuscitation.

After a while, a doctor emerged, shook his head, and announced the elder had passed away.

The hallway erupted in cries. Family members crowded in, surrounding the bed.

“The old lady in 810 has passed.”

Qi Shanyu turned back and relayed the situation to Fang.

“Life and death, there’s nothing we can do…”

The elder sighed deeply, shook his head, tidied up the tableware, and told Qi Shanyu to leave.

Author’s note: Yesterday I got home and fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed (:з」∠)