Chapter 186: Devaluation

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Devaluation

Cheng Yu deftly did a quick check, flipping over the wristband to verify the name, then felt the patient’s forehead for her temperature. She said directly, "Get her all the necessary medicine. Give me the bill, I’ll go pay."

After the bill was printed, she casually tucked it into the medical record book and turned to get the medicine from the pharmacy.

Yao Yuzhen was immediately put on an IV drip.

Before leaving, Cheng Yu also bought a bag of apples and a few bananas, arranging them neatly on the bedside table.

Cheng Yu didn’t have the Shen Family’s contact information, so she had no way to immediately ask Guo Shushu for help. She decided it was best to wait for Yao Yuzhen to wake up.

She would ask for a phone number and have the Shen family come pick her up.

Yao Yuzhen didn’t wake up until ten o’clock at night.

As soon as the nurse saw she was awake, she immediately brought over some warm water, then picked up the call button and pressed it twice to notify Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu hurried into the hospital room and called out softly.

"Aunt Yao, you’re awake?"

The young woman grinned, revealing two small dimples. It was quite a charming sight.

But Yao Yuzhen blinked, her gaze slowly coming into focus as her eyes hesitantly scanned the ceiling.

Seeing this reaction, Cheng Yu knew what was going on and added with a chuckle.

"You’ve forgotten who I am, haven’t you?"

"I’m Cheng Yu, Guo Shushu’s cousin—her aunt’s daughter."

’Guo Shushu?’

’My former daughter-in-law.’

The smile on Yao Yuzhen’s face faded at once.

Cheng Yu still didn’t know that Yao Yuzhen and Shen Zhenwu had long been divorced.

Seeing that she was in decent spirits—though her face was a bit pale, she was speaking clearly and breathing steadily—Cheng Yu casually asked.

"Aunt Yao, what’s your family’s phone number?"

"The two people who brought you to the hospital just dropped you off and left without even leaving a name."

As Cheng Yu spoke, she lowered her head to flip through the registration book at the nurse’s station.

"I took a look, and they didn’t leave any contact information."

"Let me dial a number for you so they can come look after you!"

She took out her phone, her fingertip already hovering over the keypad.

The moment she heard about calling the Shen Family, Yao Yuzhen immediately shook her head. Her shoulders shrank back, and she pulled a hand out from under the covers, resting it on the edge of the bed with her knuckles tightening slightly.

"Don’t."

Cheng Yu froze. "Huh?"

She realized her tone had been too sharp and her voice too strained. She quickly took a breath and lifted her chin a little.

"I... I can contact them myself. You don’t have to trouble yourself."

Cheng Yu didn’t press the issue, afraid that saying more would just upset her. She only turned to go check the bill at the nurse’s station, refilled the water cup on her way, and placed it back on the bedside table.

But the next day, she still went through Guo Shushu to get a number and explained the whole situation from beginning to end.

After hearing everything, Guo Shushu didn’t hesitate to relay the message to Shen Rongjing.

After listening, Shen Rongjing rubbed his aching temples.

The day before, on the train, Song Yao had already mentioned running into Yao Yuzhen and said her wallet had been stolen.

So he had simply taken out five hundred yuan himself, asked someone at the station to lie and say the wallet had been found, and secretly returned the money to her.

Who would have thought she’d end up in the hospital.

’Should I tell the old man about this?’

In the end, he decided to call Shen Zhenwu.

After Shen Zhenwu finished listening, his expression showed little change, and he didn’t even raise his eyelids, but his knuckles turned white from clenching his fist.

"Which hospital?"

"Have you been to see her?"

he asked Shen Rongjing.

Shen Rongjing shook his head.

"Not yet. I wanted to give you a heads-up first."

"It’s the hospital where Shushu’s cousin works."

Shen Rongjing gave him the specific address and department.

"How did she end up admitted?"

Shen Zhenwu asked again.

Shen Rongjing shook his head again.

"I was just about to go ask the doctor. I’m heading out as soon as I hang up with you."

Shen Zhenwu wanted to go himself. He had just started to move when he froze.

’The last time they met, the way Yao Yuzhen looked at him was like he was a piece of filth. She couldn’t get away from him fast enough.’

"Alright."

Shen Rongjing turned and headed straight for the hospital.

He asked in great detail about Yao Yuzhen’s condition.

The doctor answered his questions one by one.

After confirming she had only fainted from being overly agitated and was actually in robust health with no injuries, Shen Rongjing gave some more money to the hospital, discreetly placing the cash in a drawer at the nurse’s station before turning to leave.

Xiao Guo had already used the address he was given to figure out the full story behind Yao Yuzhen’s admission to the hospital the day before.

He had gone to the police station to review the incident report and confirmed that Yao Yuzhen usually kept to herself.

"The police have already filed a report. It was ultimately classified as a ’mutual altercation’!"

"The moment the police showed up at their door, the couple folded. The woman immediately started crying and confessed everything. But she was still stubborn, insisting she didn’t steal the clothes, just rummaged through them and took a few peeks. The man kept his head down the whole time, fidgeting with the corner of his shirt, and didn’t say a single word in his defense."

Xiao Guo’s brows furrowed.

"The key thing is, nothing was actually missing..."

"What about the medical bills this time?"

Shen Rongjing asked.

"They agreed to pay. Promised right away!"

Shen Rongjing nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.

’For Yao Yuzhen in her current state, this was the best possible outcome.’

A police officer from the station brought the landlord couple straight to the hospital.

When they pushed open the door to room 307, Yao Yuzhen was propped up in bed, sipping warm water.

The officer walked straight to her bedside, while the landlord couple stood by the door, not daring to come closer.

The woman clutched a gray cloth bag in her hands; the man stood with his hands by his sides.

The officer took a stack of cash from his briefcase and handed it to her.

"The railway police asked us to pass this along. They said the thief’s accomplice was caught and this stolen money was recovered. The wallet itself was tossed aside and couldn’t be found..."

Yao Yuzhen stared at the stack of money, her eyes growing hot as tears began to fall, one after another.

’It doesn’t matter, it really doesn’t.’

’The wallet is gone, so be it. As long as the money is back, it’s fine. It’s really enough...’

She looked up with teary eyes and asked the officer in a low voice.

"What are those two here for?"

Thinking the landlord’s wife was here to cause trouble and file a complaint against her, she immediately raised her hand and pointed.

"She stole my things! I went back to my hometown for the New Year, and she picked my lock! She went through my clothes, my shoes, my scarves... she touched everything!"

The officer scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Wu Xia said she was just curious and didn’t actually take anything. Everything is still in your room."

Yao Yuzhen was taken aback.

"Just... looking?"

The landlord’s wife immediately chimed in, nodding her head furiously.

"Yes! Your clothes are so stylish, I couldn’t help but go through them a bit. I really didn’t mean to take them, just to have a look! I didn’t even unbutton anything, I just felt the fabric. Don’t misunderstand."

An ache tightened in Yao Yuzhen’s chest. She took a sharp breath to steady her voice.

"I locked the door! You took advantage of my absence to pick the lock, enter my room, and rifle through my closet. You call that ’just looking’?"

The landlord’s wife’s face hardened.

"This apartment is mine! Do I need your permission to enter my own property? What do you mean, ’pick the lock’? I used my spare key. I didn’t break the lock, I didn’t change the cylinder. You think that’s stealing?"

She suddenly understood what it meant to bow her head.

It wasn’t admitting defeat; it was having no other choice.

’In the past, she would have scoffed at the very idea. Arguing with someone over a couple hundred yuan?’

’So demeaning!’

’But the moment her money was stolen on the train, she had pounced like a madwoman, grabbing the person’s collar.’

’Everyone around her was staring, but she couldn’t care less about saving face.’

’Now, the fault was laid bare right in front of her, but with a single casual remark—"my property"—the other woman had drained all the fight right out of her.’

Yao Yuzhen’s hands clenched so tightly her nails nearly dug into her palms. She gritted her back teeth and replied.

"As soon as I’m discharged, I’ll move out."

Hearing this, the landlord’s wife’s lips curled into a smirk.

"Move? Move wherever the hell you want!"