"Then will you guarantee his personal safety?" she murmured softly, holding up her phone with the recording to Zhou Kang'an. "There are no secrets in this world that remain unknown forever. As long as this matter isn't resolved, he remains at risk. If he really gets targeted for revenge, Officer Zhou, considering all the dangerous things he's done before, could you provide police protection? Could more surveillance cameras be installed at the hospital? Could he be moved to a more secure room? Could you provide some self-defense equipment? I want him safe, completely safe, living without any dangers."
"The arson case is still under investigation, and we'll definitely be closely monitoring his surroundings during this period. You can rest assured about that. We'll have people stationed at the hospital around the clock to ensure his safety..."
Zhou Kang'an spent considerable time reassuring Miao Jing on this point. If the billiards hall fire was indeed orchestrated by Zhai Fengmao, they hoped to follow the clues and capture this fugitive to close the case completely.
Having received this confirmation, Miao Jing breathed a slight sigh of relief and left the police station.
In that brief period, Miao Jing thought about many things - the mundane life in Tengcheng, the beeping sounds of ICU monitors. She pulled out her phone to check some news, and finally called Cen Ye, talking with him for over half an hour.
Her previous employer was a well-known multinational corporation with substantial prestige. Miao Jing wanted to ask Cen Ye for an internal referral to help her find a new job in the industry, but Cen Ye thought her approach was completely unreasonable.
"The timeline is too tight, and it's year-end. There's no time to go through the procedures."
Miao Jing's tone was soft, her attitude humble: "I've already submitted my resignation and contacted several headhunters, but you have influence in upper management, extensive connections, and broad information networks. Please help me one last time."
"Oh?" Cen Ye frowned on the other end of the line. "Why such sudden urgency? What prompted this decision?"
Biting her lip, her words carried a heavy tone: "There are very important reasons. If it's not possible, that's alright, I can find other ways."
"I have a regular meeting with headquarters tomorrow. I can discreetly ask some contacts, but even if there are vacancies, the base position definitely won't be good. If you're in a hurry... you could prepare to return to the company first, and HR can help you re-onboard."
"I'm truly grateful to you." She repeatedly thanked Cen Ye, who originally wanted to chat more, but found the call abruptly disconnected. He was taken aback, let out a wry laugh, and shrugged helplessly.
Bo Zai was keeping watch at the hospital without leaving his post. Miao Jing still went daily to provide care, but she didn't stay inside the room to look after Chen Yi. She usually sat on the bench outside the ward, seriously focused on her laptop, apparently dealing with work matters. Occasionally, her clear, pleasant voice could be heard on phone calls, discussing somewhat ambiguous professional terms.
Bo Zai and Chen Yi were playing cards inside the hospital room when they heard the phone conversation from the corridor outside. After listening for a while, Bo Zai shot Chen Yi a look.
"She's speaking English. Sounds quite interesting, and she's laughing happily. What's she talking about? Can't understand half of it."
"How would I know." Chen Yi, with bandages on his face and neck, wore a sour expression. "Go tell her to go back to her office and stop staying at the hospital. She's disturbing my rest."
"Got it, bro."Miao Jing truly left the hospital to complete the previously delayed resignation procedures at the company and pack her belongings at the dormitory. Lu Zhengsi came to help, and Miao Jing took the opportunity to hand over her ongoing work to him.
With Chen Yi unconscious from the fire and Miao Jing resigning and preparing to leave, Lu Zhengsi felt genuinely regretful. In just half a year, events had unfolded so abruptly, rapidly, and strangely that it left people stunned and unsure how to react.
"A small gift—I hope you don’t mind. I’m really grateful for your care and help." Miao Jing remembered to give him the earphones from her drawer and handed over a stack of documents. "These are all project files. You’ve been following along, so taking over shouldn’t be too difficult."
"How has Yi Ge been at the hospital these days? Engineer Miao... you really don’t need to resign..."
"He’s much better," she replied with a strained smile. "Resigning now is just right. Once things here are settled, I’ll be leaving Tengcheng. I’m already in talks for a new job."
"Ah? You’re leaving? Where to?"
"Probably abroad, for a posted position. The specific role isn’t confirmed yet." Miao Jing smiled faintly. "So really, no need to stand on ceremony. Who knows when we’ll meet again."
Lu Zhengsi was deeply taken aback.
After packing her things, Miao Jing temporarily moved back home. She was busy for several days and didn’t visit the hospital for a week. Since waking from his coma, Chen Yi had gradually recovered and could already move around freely, though he was still undergoing brain rehabilitation. He was almost ready to be discharged but was held back by Zhou Kang’an, leaving him bored and listless in his hospital room.
Previously, Miao Jing had always accompanied him for check-ups, bandage changes, and rehab. He’d also heard she hadn’t left his side while he was unconscious in the ICU. Now, there wasn’t even a trace of her. Stuck daily with Bo Zai, Chen Yi felt increasingly uneasy, staring blankly at the band-aid on his face in the mirror.
Bo Zai received daily calls from Miao Jing asking about Chen Yi’s condition. Chen Yi sat on the bed frowning as he listened, growing more sullen at the lively, laughter-filled exchanges between Bo Zai and Miao Jing.
After the call ended, Chen Yi lit a cigarette and remarked coolly, "You’re a married man. Chatting so much with another woman—does your wife have no issue with that?"
Bo Zai: ...
Bro, we were only talking about you.
Chen Yi snorted coldly.
Bo Zai rubbed his nose and tucked his phone back into his pocket. "Miao Jing said she’s leaving Tengcheng for a few days to handle some matters. She was worried you’d be lonely and asked me to keep you company. I told her the ward’s actually pretty lively—Dai Mao, Dayong, Wei Wei, they all visit daily, enough for a mahjong game. She laughed and said she’d buy you a mahjong table for the room."
Chen Yi focused on the key point. "What matters could she have?"
"Oh, something about finding a new job, meeting the boss face-to-face, making an impression." Bo Zai sighed. "Yi Ge, is Miao Jing planning to leave? She’s only been back for what, half a year? And she’s leaving again?"
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