But Jiang Zhonglin, the person directly involved, didn’t share the same concerns. He said, “It’s a blessing that she’s not dead. I won’t think about anything else for now. Right now, I need to take good care of her. She’s suddenly found herself in this situation, unfamiliar with the world as it is now; she must be feeling awful. At my age, I don’t have many desires left. As long as I can take care of her for one more day, I will. No matter what she decides later, I’ll make sure everything is arranged for her… She doesn’t have any other relatives now.”

Nie Wenqing didn’t know what to say, so he just patted his old friend on the shoulder. “Sigh, fate can be so cruel.”

When Yu Yao finished her breakfast and came out, she found that the unfamiliar old man had already left. Jiang Zhonglin was tidying up the teacups on the table.

He noticed Yu Yao looking at the spot where Lao Nie had been sitting and took the initiative to explain, “That was my friend, Mr. Nie. He lives in the building next door. He went back home and said he’d invite us over for a meal in a few days.”

“Oh.” Yu Yao followed behind him. “We’re going out to get my ID today, right? What should I wear?”

Jiang Zhonglin put away the cup and went to the laundry room, taking out a set of clothes. “I washed and dried the clothes you wore yesterday. You can wear them again today. After we finish getting your ID, we’ll go buy you some daily necessities.”

Yu Yao took the clothes and pulled out a pair of purple underwear, soft and scented with jasmine laundry detergent. “You even washed my underwear?”

Jiang Zhonglin: “…”

The old man’s face remained completely calm, like an old sage. He was no longer the husband who would blush at the slightest tease.

While Jiang Zhonglin searched for something in the room, Yu Yao walked to the door and tested it, finding that it recognized her information and opened with a pull. She didn’t even know when Jiang Zhonglin had set that up. She stepped outside.

It had rained heavily yesterday, but today the weather was nice; the sun was already out. The grass outside was still damp, and water droplets clung to the flowers and plants in the yard. Compared to the vibrant gardens on either side, this one looked rather plain. The plants were untrimmed, and there were no brightly colored flowers—only a jasmine bush with a few white buds, indicating that the owner hadn’t paid much attention to the garden.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Zhonglin came out. The two walked under the shade of the trees to the entrance of the community, where there was a bus stop just like the day before. They called a car, and Jiang Zhonglin took Yu Yao to a tall building. The words “Serve the People” were prominently displayed in bright red at the entrance, shining in the sunlight. A large sign at the door read, “Haishi Public Security Bureau Headquarters.”

Inside, the administrative personnel were all in uniform, and no one paid them much attention. Yu Yao saw many people using a machine on one wall, similar to self-service machines in banks from before. But Jiang Zhonglin didn’t go there; he went straight to the service counter, and soon someone came out from a side door and led them to another office.

“Ms. Yu’s case is unique. Mr. Jiang already discussed the relevant legal provisions with us last night. Based on previous cases, Ms. Yu will have a one-year observation and social assistance period. However, given Mr. Jiang’s high citizen credit score and your marital relationship, this observation period will be shortened to six months.”

“Here are some documents for you to review.” A serious-looking middle-aged man handed over two sets of documents.

Yu Yao flipped through them. It was a large pile of clauses detailing various obligations and benefits, with places to sign at the end.