Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Did That Child Actually Die? Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Did That Child Actually Die? In that way, he naturally gained the trust of the old woman.
“Alright then, come in and have a seat! She will be back soon.”
The old woman opened the door.
Huo Tingdong, holding Lin Qi’s hand, entered.
The little girl hid behind the old woman, timidly sizing them up.
Huo Tingdong walked up to her and crouched down.
The little girl shrank back behind the old woman.
Huo Tingdong asked, “You are Duoduo, right?”
Huo Tingdong took out three pieces of candy from his pocket and held them out to her: “Duoduo, have some candy.”
Lin Qi felt a mix of laughter and tears inside, recalling how Han had once coaxed Momo by taking out a few candies from his pocket. Apparently, the little one had learned this trick from her dad.
Duoduo looked at the candies in the palm of his hand, hesitant for a moment, then looked up at her grandmother.
The old woman said, “Duoduo, thank the uncle.”
Only then did Duoduo politely accept them, “Thank you, uncle.”
The house was very small, sporting a very old layout without a living room, only a dining area.
The old woman moved a few stools over.
Huo Tingdong and Lin Qi sat down on the stools.
The old woman sat on one side, holding Duoduo.
Lin Qi chatted idly with the old woman, while Huo Tingdong occasionally raised his hand to check the time on his watch.
In less than half an hour, the sound of keys unlocking the door could be heard from outside.
“Mom, Duoduo, I’m back!”
Lin Qi immediately stood up, tense.
A woman with shopping bags from the supermarket entered, confused by the sight of the visitors, “Do we have guests?”
The old woman nodded, “Hmm, they said they are your friends, bringing an invitation.”
Lin Qi recognized the woman—it was the nurse from seven years ago.
Seven years had passed, and her appearance had changed slightly, grown somewhat haggard, her face now lined with wrinkles, her skin darkened from sun, even her hair grayer. But Lin Qi still recognized her, the very same nurse.
Lin Qi looked at the mole under her jaw, now a bit larger than before.
However, the woman did not recognize Lin Qi; she glanced at Lin Qi, and then Huo Tingdong, feeling awkward for a moment.
She didn’t remember having two friends !
Before the woman could speak, Lin Qi suddenly walked up to her, grabbed her hand, “Do you remember me?”
The woman shook her head.
“Seven years ago, you helped deliver my babies. I was pregnant with twins, and you told me the first child was stillborn, do you remember?” Lin Qi asked nervously.
The woman’s face changed as a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes, her words evasive: “I… I don’t remember very well…”
“You’re a nurse from Aiyou Maternal and Child Hospital, correct?” Lin Qi persisted.
The woman shook her head, “No.”
Huo Tingdong said, “I’ve investigated your information. There’s no need for unnecessary lies.”
The woman was stunned again.
Then she said abruptly, “Please wait a moment. I’ll have my mother and Duoduo go to the other room, and then we can talk properly.”
After saying that, she picked up Duoduo to carry her to another room.
The old woman stood up quickly, “Xuanyi, who are they? Aren’t they your friends?”
Seeing her daughter’s stern expression, the old woman became afraid they might be debt collectors.
The woman only said, “Mom, go into the room with Duoduo.”
Huo Tingdong was growing impatient. Just as he was rising to his feet, the bedroom door opened, and the woman closed it behind her as she came out.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Lin Qi frowned and waited until the woman came over and sat down opposite her, “Please, have a seat.”
Lin Qi, however, remained standing, “You’re Zheng Xuanyi, right?”
The woman said, “Madam, honestly, if you ask me about something from seven years ago, I don’t really remember it, only a vague impression. Indeed, I do recall delivering for a pregnant woman, with twins, one of whom was stillborn. But hasn’t that matter already been dealt with?”
Lin Qi said, “You gave me a box of ashes.”
The woman replied, “That’s how the hospital deals with such cases. Most of the pregnant women who give birth at Aiyou are from poor households. Every month, there are several stillbirths. To arrange a funeral for each stillborn child is beyond the means of many families.
The crematorium is not far from the hospital. There are people who come weekly to collect the bodies, which are then cremated, and the families claim the urns. We follow standard procedures…”
Lin Qi interrupted her, “But what you gave me was not ashes.”
The woman was surprised: “How would you know?”
Lin Qi replied, “I’ve opened it and looked inside; it was filled with concrete and magnesium powder, certainly not ashes. We’ve had the content analyzed, confirming its composition.”
The woman stared in shock, her reaction seeming genuinely ignorant, “I really don’t know then… I just followed the rules and procedures, the rest I have no idea…”
Huo Tingdong said, “You’re lying.”
The woman shrugged it off, “Why do you think I’m lying, Sir?”
Huo Tingdong replied, “The matter from seven years ago may seem distant, but if you couldn’t remember, you wouldn’t have elaborated so much. When people recall from memory, they tend to look towards the upper left, which you did. But your eyes moved to the upper right, occasionally towards the lower left, indicating you were thinking carefully. You’re considering how to respond to our questions.”
The woman was taken aback.
She couldn’t figure out who this man was and became more cautious, her facial muscles tensing, “Is there scientific evidence for that?”
“Of course there is.” Huo Tingdong kept his gaze on her, “Your facial muscles are continually tense, an unnatural expression, and your eyes drifted about when hearing about this matter, showing panic. Furthermore, your hands are clenched, a clear defensive posture.”
The woman became even more nervous, “Who exactly are you?”
Why was this man’s Observation so acute?
Huo Tingdong said, “Miss Zheng, our time is both precious. I’ve thoroughly understood enough about you. Your family background, your father, your mother, your daughter, and your place of employment, I know it all. My question is simple, did that child actually die seven years ago?”
Lin Qi too was secretly impressed.
Had she not known he was the CEO of Huace, she’d have thought he was an FBI agent.
The woman was visibly panicked, hurriedly saying, “You are asking me too quickly; I simply can’t recall at the moment… I remember the child was stillborn, cremated, and what was actually in the ash box, I really can’t say. I just filled in the paperwork, and the paperwork requires the mother’s own signature for confirmation…”