Chapter 4: False Certificate

The female doctor’s name was Liu Ke. She was a sent-down youth at Xinqiao Commune. Because of her excellent medical skills, she soon went from being a barefoot doctor at the brigade to a doctor at the commune health clinic.

She often treated female patients who had been beaten or bullied. Every time, she would be filled with righteous anger and try her best to help them seek justice.

“Encountering this kind of thing is not your fault. You must bravely stand up and identify those wicked people who committed the crime.”

Outside the curtain, the villain Yuan Songzhi lightly coughed.

“Doctor Liu, check her first.”

Even though there was a curtain between them, Su Xiaoyin could imagine his embarrassed expression at this moment, and she could not help the smile tugging at her lips.

The blush on her face had not yet faded, and now that she smiled, she looked just like a newlywed bride, delicate and charming.

Liu Ke felt as if she had guessed something, and her brows furrowed slightly.

“It is nothing serious, all are minor injuries. Apply some medicine on the forehead, avoid water for now, and you will be fine in a few days.”

The curtain was suddenly pulled open, and Yuan Songzhi still stood tall and straight in the same spot as before.

But the tips of his ears, burning red, betrayed his unsettled state of mind.

Liu Ke’s face sank, and she said to Su Xiaoyin, “Sit and rest for a while first.”

“You.” She glanced at Yuan Songzhi. “Come with me to get the medicine.”

Su Xiaoyin’s gaze swept over the two of them. She could see they probably had something to say, so she sensibly did not follow.

What they wanted to talk about was certainly not her business. As for her own body, she knew it clearly and needed no medicine at all.

The two of them did not stay outside for long, but when Liu Ke came back, she was alone.

No one knew what Yuan Songzhi had said to her, but her expression was much better than when she went out.

Seeing the medicine and gauze in her hands, Su Xiaoyin did not think too much and asked, “Doctor, can you give me a certificate?”

“Wait a moment, apply the medicine first.”

Su Xiaoyin did not mind and obediently sat down.

But she did not expect that applying the medicine was not enough. The other party even wanted to wrap gauze around her head.

“Wait, Doctor, this little wound does not need that, right?”

Liu Ke glanced at her and said, “Your brigade leader came over, did you not say you are going back to split the family?”

Su Xiaoyin was surprised. She did not expect Yuan Songzhi to even tell her about this matter.

She silently closed her mouth and let the other party proceed.

After wrapping a layer of gauze on her head, Liu Ke then took paper and pen and swiftly wrote two certificates.

Su Xiaoyin took a look. One was basically a summary of her physical condition, things like soft tissue contusion, possibility of leaving scars, possible nausea symptoms—she wrote a whole lot, all making it sound very serious.

Yet according to normal circumstances, there was no error to be found in what she wrote.

The other one stated that the health clinic had extracted drugs from both her and Yuan Songzhi, the components consistent with those in the kettle, having aphrodisiac effects.

Before the apocalypse, Su Xiaoyin had studied medicine. Even if she had not focused on learning at that time, she still knew test results could not possibly come out so quickly.

Moreover, it was true that the original owner had drunk water from Lin Limei’s kettle, but Lin Limei was not stupid—she would not leave evidence for them to find.

So this certificate was fake.

Probably noticing her staring at the certificate for a long time, Liu Ke openly explained, “This is what Yuan Songzhi asked me to write. Without a seal, it can only be used to scare people, nothing else. I wrote it only because I trust you two; do not misuse it.”

Su Xiaoyin nodded. She understood that if the other party did not truly believe them, she would not have signed her own name at the end.

“Thank you, Doctor Liu.” Su Xiaoyin had already thought of how to repay her kindness.

“No need to thank me, I am also helping Yuan Songzhi. Although he has an injury in his leg, he is a good man. As long as you live well with him in the future, your days will not be bad.”

Su Xiaoyin froze. She explained, “Doctor Liu, you misunderstood. Comrade Yuan and I have no relationship. We are only victims, that is all.”

Liu Ke tucked her pen into the pocket of her white coat, raised her brows, and looked past Su Xiaoyin’s shoulder.

Su Xiaoyin instinctively turned her head, meeting Yuan Songzhi’s expressionless face. Out of politeness, she smiled at him, completely unaware that there was anything inappropriate about sleeping together and then leaving.

No matter what era it was, marriage was always a shackle for women.

She had finally lived a second life. Since she had not yet enjoyed her own days, she naturally did not want to be bound by marriage.

But if, in the future, she were to meet someone she truly wanted to marry, she naturally would not refuse either.

Yuan Songzhi pressed his lips together and walked in.

“Is it done?”

“It is done. All as you asked,” Liu Ke said, watching Yuan Songzhi’s frustrated expression, and could not help laughing.

Just now, he had even told her they would be marrying soon—turns out it was only his wishful thinking.

Amusing as it was, she could not help worrying. What if the girl was unwilling to marry him because of his leg…

“You must also pay attention to your own body. I have told you many times. Your leg cannot carry heavy objects, and cannot be overworked. It is not yet time to give up completely.”

Though she said so, Liu Ke herself felt uncertain.

Even the orthopedists in the military hospital could do nothing. Perhaps only going abroad could offer a sliver of hope. But in the current situation, by the time he had the chance to go abroad, it would probably be far too late.

Yuan Songzhi seemed completely unconcerned. He only casually replied, “I know. I will leave first. Next time, I will treat you all to a meal.”

Liu Ke sighed and said no more.

Su Xiaoyin had been observing Yuan Songzhi all along, yet she never mentioned that she could heal his leg.

His injury had already damaged the meridians. Her ability could not support healing him all at once. Even if she could, she could not do so—such a thing would be too unbelievable.

It had to be done gradually.

But she had not yet decided in what way to help him with treatment.

With thoughts hidden in her heart, when she walked out of the health clinic, Su Xiaoyin was still immersed in her own mind. She did not even notice the pit by the roadside. Her foot stepped in, and she almost fell.

“Careful.” Yuan Songzhi caught her by the waist and directly lifted her to the other side of the pit.

Like picking up a little rabbit.

This man’s strength was far too great.

Suddenly, Su Xiaoyin felt embarrassed. She always developed a sense of shame at inexplicable moments.

As if realizing his own action just now had been somewhat rash, Yuan Songzhi apologized, “Sorry, I only…”

Only an unconscious action.

“It’s fine. Uh, where are the brigade leader and the others? Didn’t they say they were coming?”

“They came. Just as we expected, they hope we won’t report to the police. He has already destroyed your crime scene.”

Su Xiaoyin: “…What do you mean by my crime scene?”

Can you not speak properly?

The other party paused for a moment, a smile appearing on his face. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

After this interruption, the awkwardness between the two of them eased quite a bit.

Only after asking did Su Xiaoyin learn that Yuan Songzhi had done quite a few things. Earlier, when he returned home, he had already ordered someone to steal that kettle.

“You thought of everything too thoroughly. According to Lin Limei’s methods, she would only have two options—either hide the kettle or wash it clean. As long as we can get the kettle in our hands, whether anything can be detected or not is entirely up to us to say.”

Yuan Songzhi nodded. “That’s exactly the reasoning.”

Su Xiaoyin turned her head to look at him, her gaze landing right on his Adam’s apple.

Whether it was because he sensed her gaze or not, that prominent Adam’s apple moved slightly, and the tips of Su Xiaoyin’s ears grew hot.

She silently turned back and then said, “According to your methods, she shouldn’t be able to hold you in her grasp. Why were you willing to get engaged to her?”

Even in the book, the two of them even got married.

Yuan Songzhi stayed silent for a while.

“I dislike trouble.”

Su Xiaoyin was puzzled.

“My mother hoped I could get married. In the past, to me, no matter who I married, it was all the same. Their family, apart from demanding a high betrothal gift, made no other requests. Besides, she treated my mother and younger sister fairly well.”

Hearing him put it that way, Su Xiaoyin could understand. There was no affection between the two of them. What Yuan Songzhi wanted was merely a marriage partner who could live together with mutual respect.

But the proud female lead naturally could not accept that she was not in his heart.

The two pursued different things, so conflict was inevitable.

“Someone who could use something like falling into the water to scheme against you—you still dared to marry her into the house?”

And this time too. He had personally seen her fabricate false evidence to frame Lin Limei, yet he still wanted to marry her. Truly broad-minded.

But who would have thought Yuan Songzhi would say, “She only did all that either for me or for my family’s conditions. Now it seems she was here for money.”

His tone was calm, as if he were analyzing something irrelevant. “It was indeed that I thought too simply. If she could scheme to approach me for a little money, she could also scheme to push me away for more money.”

Su Xiaoyin thought to herself. Now, you have misunderstood her. In her previous life, Lin Limei must have truly given her heart. Otherwise, after rebirth, she could not possibly hate so deeply.

Of course, this was not something Su Xiaoyin would tell him.

“So marriage is not necessary. Rather than being muddle-headed and tied together with someone else, it is better to be free on one’s own.”

“So this is the reason you are unwilling to marry me?”

Earlier at the health clinic, Yuan Songzhi had heard all her words. He heard the carefree tone in Su Xiaoyin’s voice and saw the calmness in her eyes when she looked at him. She really seemed to have no intention of marrying him.

“You also said it yourself—marrying you would only be for your person or your money. After splitting the family, I won’t lack money.”

“As for your person…” Su Xiaoyin considered for a moment.

For some reason, hearing this made Yuan Songzhi suddenly tense up. Yet his face showed nothing as he carefully listened to what she would say next.

“I admit you look quite good, and in that regard, you are also fine. But we only truly got to know each other today. Talking about marriage is too early.”

Earlier, she had almost stepped into the ditch. At this moment, Su Xiaoyin was carefully watching the road, completely missing the stunned look on Yuan Songzhi’s face.

Su Xiaoyin was also weighing the pros and cons of marrying him. His outward conditions were indeed impeccable. Otherwise, she would not have been distracted by him several times.

If it were dating, she would agree without a second thought.

But now it was marriage. She could not be easily seduced by appearance alone.

Just as she was lost in thought, Yuan Songzhi’s voice came to her ear.

“But we have already had relations. I should be responsible for you.”

It was not the same as saving Lin Limei from the water.

Today, it was his fault.

Even if drugged, he should have restrained himself.

He had never lost control like that before.