A strange man was following Chaochao’s mother. After she got out of the vehicle, he quickly got out too.

The two of them, one in front of the other, made their way toward Wenxiang Street.

Chaochao’s mother held her phone, following the GPS navigation step by step.

It took her over forty minutes to finally find Doctor Wen’s clinic.

Seeing the sign hanging above the clinic, Chaochao’s mother let out a sigh of relief.

Only then did she realize that someone seemed to be behind her.

Turning to face the stranger, she thought, ’Haven’t I seen him in the vehicle before?’

"Are you here to see Doctor Wen, too?"

The man shook his head. "I’m here for you."

"What do you want with me?" Chaochao’s mother’s expression was indifferent. Although she was attractive, her current unkempt appearance would likely scare many people away.

She wasn’t afraid of running into a bad person. She had no will to live anyway. If she encountered someone dangerous, she might as well fight to the death and take them with her. Maybe then she could see her Chaochao again.

The man stared at her, not saying a word for a moment.

When Chaochao’s mother saw that the man wasn’t speaking, she turned and walked directly into Doctor Wen’s clinic.

Wen Ying was curled up on the sofa, sipping a passion fruit and lime tea. In her other hand, she held an iPad, binge-watching a variety show.

She had to admit, some of these shows were pretty funny.

Sensing someone’s presence, she looked up at Chaochao’s mother. "Chaochao’s mother, you don’t look well. Go find a place on the street to eat and rest. Come back and see me at eight tonight."

Chaochao’s mother hadn’t even opened her mouth when she heard Doctor Wen say this. She didn’t argue. "I’ll come back to see you later, Doctor Wen."

Chaochao’s mother left without any hesitation, which left the man following her speechless.

’She’s so obedient to what other people say?’

Wen Ying didn’t even glance at the man, her eyes remaining fixed on the variety show.

The man followed Chaochao’s mother. When he saw her find a noodle shop on the street, he followed her inside.

Chaochao’s mother ordered a bowl of vegetable noodles. He ordered a bowl of pork rib noodles and then told the owner to add an order of pork ribs for her as well.

Chaochao’s mother heard him but didn’t respond.

It was as if she didn’t care about anything.

After finishing the bowl of noodles, Chaochao’s mother still hadn’t said a word. She wandered around the street for a bit and found the only inn in the area.

The small inn rarely had guests, so it was a surprise when two showed up today.

But from the looks of it, the two didn’t seem to know each other very well. Or perhaps they had been fighting?

So the innkeeper gave them two keys.

After going upstairs, Chaochao’s mother unlocked her door, went inside, lay down directly on the bed, and closed her eyes.

The man’s room was next to hers. The moment he opened the door and saw the inside, he froze.

’Is this really an inn?’

’You could tell someone this was a prison cell, and they’d believe you.’

Other than the door he was standing in, the room was enclosed by four walls without a single window.

The small room contained only a bed and nothing else.

The man looked down the hallway. ’Jeez, there’s a communal bathroom and washroom, and they’re combined.’

’So I have to stay in a place like this?’

The thought made the man’s scalp tingle. He had never stayed in such a poor environment in his entire life.

But seeing the closed door of the room next to his, the man could only grit his teeth and go inside.

After entering the room, he stood before the bed, staring at it for half an hour until his legs ached. Only then did he force himself to sit down.

Just as he sat down, the innkeeper’s wife came up with fresh bedding to replace the old set.

Seeing the clean bedding and even smelling the scent of soap, the man finally felt a little more comfortable.

But as he lay in bed, he couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.

It wasn’t until his stomach GROWLED again that the man got out of bed and left his room.

While he was on his way to the bathroom, he saw Chaochao’s mother come out of her room and go downstairs, so he quickly followed.

At 7:30 p.m., while Chaochao’s mother was on the ground floor, the innkeeper’s wife called her over to eat dinner. The man naturally managed to snag a meal as well.

However, after eating, he was charged one hundred yuan for the meal.

Chaochao’s mother tried to pay, but the innkeeper’s wife refused her money.

"Are you two here to see Doctor Wen?"

"Ma’am, how did you know?"

"We don’t usually get outsiders in this little town. Most of the people who’ve come here lately are looking for Doctor Wen. They’re her patients."

Chaochao’s mother saw that it was 7:50, so she headed out to Wen Ying’s clinic.

Wen Ying had just finished a meal of three dishes and a soup brought by Aunt Zhang.

When Chaochao’s mother came in, she didn’t dare speak rashly, only offering a simple greeting. "Doctor Wen."

"Have a seat."

Wen Ying looked at the man following behind Chaochao’s mother. "Do you two know each other?"

"Doctor Wen, I don’t know him. He seems to be following me."

Hearing this, Wen Ying looked at the man. He appeared to be thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, dressed in a suit, and was reasonably handsome. He looked like the type who was doing well in life, a successful man by ordinary standards.

The man looked at Wen Ying with an awkward expression. Even though she seemed much younger than him, he didn’t look down on her.

It was a habit he had developed in the professional world: never underestimate anyone young.

"I don’t know this lady. I was following her, it’s just—"

"You don’t know me, so why are you following me? If you’re trying to scam me, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m in no mood to play games with you. Please leave immediately, or I’ll call the police."

Chaochao’s mother was afraid the man’s presence would displease Doctor Wen, so she stated her position directly.

"I suspect—"

"Whatever you suspect has nothing to do with me. Please leave. I have important business with Doctor Wen."

The man looked at Chaochao’s mother with a hint of disappointment. He seemed to want to say something but held back. He turned to Wen Ying. "Are you a psychologist?"

Wen Ying smiled and nodded. "A psychologist who can also read faces. Would you like me to take a look at yours?"

"No, thank you. But would it be alright if I looked around the clinic?"

"Look wherever you like. If you see anything you fancy, you can take it with you, as long as you pay."

Wen Ying didn’t look at the man again, but Chaochao’s mother couldn’t understand why Doctor Wen was letting him stay.

"Doctor Wen, about our business...?"

"What do you want to ask?"

Chaochao’s mother suddenly grew anxious. "Doctor Wen, you promised me that if I came here, you would help me see Chaochao."

"Haven’t you already seen Chaochao?"

"I..."

Chaochao’s mother stopped short. She had seen her, but she wanted to see *her* Chaochao again.

Even if they were separated by life and death.

"You’ve already given Chaochao the things I gave you, right?"

Chaochao’s mother immediately nodded. "Chaochao asked me to thank you for her, Doctor Wen. She said she likes them very much."

Chaochao’s mother had so much she wanted to say, and so many questions she wanted to ask Doctor Wen.

But seeing the man in the clinic, she was afraid that if she spoke her mind, people would mistake Doctor Wen for a fraud.

A moment later, Chaochao’s mother came to a realization.

’If Doctor Wen doesn’t care, why should I overthink it?’

"Doctor Wen, I still want to see Chaochao. I want to know what use those things you gave me are for her. Your promise was that after she was buried, I could come to the clinic and you would let me see Chaochao."