When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 249: Chapter 102: Top Star of the 1960s Cultural and Arts Troupe (41)

The next day, Xia Zhaoyun arrived early after her meal and happened to run into Zhao Si’en seeing two women out the door.

Zhao Si’en winked at her, and Xia Zhaoyun pursed her lips in a small smile before heading up to the dormitory.

Wang Huiwen’s foot was so thickly bandaged it resembled a dumpling, with a circle of girls fussing over her.

She was holding an egg in one hand and a spoon for her brown sugar rice porridge, with a spread of chicken soup and pig’s trotter soup laid out before her.

Xia Zhaoyun raised an eyebrow. ”Is it okay to wrap it so tightly? The weather’s getting warmer. Aren’t you worried it’ll fester?”

Peng Shulan, who was peeling an apple, chimed in with a smile, ”The doctor specifically instructed the nurse to bandage it this way to prevent a secondary infection. We just have to make frequent trips to the hospital to get the dressing changed.”

”Miss Xia, you have no idea how scary it was treating the wound last night!”

”Because the tacks were rusty, the wound was deep and full of rust fragments that had to be cleaned out bit by bit. Even though Huiwen had an anesthetic, it still took several of us to hold her down. The sight of her in so much pain was enough to make our skin crawl...”

”She got a shot, but the doctor said it’s not a one hundred percent guarantee against infection. She was on an IV drip for several hours before we could come back. Just look at us, we all have dark circles under our eyes...”

Zhao Si’en, who had returned, added some facts about tetanus, explaining that rusty metal isn’t the direct cause.

Instead, the bacteria that causes tetanus is found in soil and animal digestive tracts. Environments rich in organic matter are also conducive to rust, but the metal object is, of course, the primary cause of the wound.

She then spoke about the history of tetanus, leaving the crowd amazed.

Who would have thought that people in ancient times would use tetanus as a biological weapon on the battlefield?

”Those two thumbtacks may look ordinary, but the officers at the bureau say that every batch is slightly different. What’s more, not all thumbtacks can rust.”

”This assault was clearly committed on the spur of the moment. The perpetrator didn’t plan it in advance, which means the weapon must have been something they could grab easily...”

With clear logic, Zhao Si’en generously shared the case’s progress with the group, based on what she had learned from the officers at the bureau.

”The officers at the bureau have already marked all the locations with potential sources of rust. They’re going to go back to check and compare each one to track down the culprit as soon as possible!”

”So, everyone needs to cooperate and keep an eye on each other. See who goes near those places. Don’t show any mercy to our enemy, because otherwise, the next victim could be you for accidentally getting on their bad side...”

Goosebumps broke out across everyone’s skin as they listened, and they all hurriedly promised to cooperate fully.

The loudspeaker crackled to life, and only then did the group give Wang Huiwen a few last words of encouragement before rushing downstairs.

Yao Yunying volunteered to stay behind to care for Wang Huiwen and her injured leg, while also using the opportunity to secretly watch for anyone behaving suspiciously.

As Xia Zhaoyun left, she passed several girls from the other two groups who were dawdling.

”Hello, Miss Xia...” they greeted her enthusiastically.

Xia Zhaoyun gave a faint smile and a nod, brushing past them. Her long legs moved so quickly that one would have to jog to keep up.

But the girls, knowing they were in the wrong, just looked at one another, lacking the courage to speak up.

As Xia Zhaoyun walked past one of the practice rooms, she locked eyes with Jie Xiaoqin. The corners of her lips curled into a knowing smile, and she lifted her foot, giving it a little shake before walking away.

Jie Xiaoqin broke out in a cold sweat. She knew with chilling certainty that she must have been exposed. The thought of being hauled away by the bureau officers, coupled with a night of endless nightmares, sent her into a full-blown panic. Disregarding all her usual caution, she went straight to Master Yuan’s office.

”Y-you, what are you doing here now?” Master Yuan had just arrived herself, her heart in her throat. She was cleaning listlessly, as if her soul had left her body.

When she saw Jie Xiaoqin, she quickly pulled her inside, then poked her head out to look both ways. Only after seeing the hallway was empty did she breathe a long sigh of relief and shut the door tight.

She lowered her voice, her brow furrowed. ”Little Qin, you’re usually so clever. How could you lose your composure now? No matter what, you have to hold it together. You can’t show any hint that something is wrong.”

”Since you dared to do this, how could you not have considered the consequences? By coming here now, aren’t you just telling everyone that you’re a suspect?”

Jie Xiaoqin stared at her darkly. ”Auntie, you’re just afraid I’ll drag you down with me, aren’t you?”

”You once said you’d do anything for me, that you’d pour your heart out for my sake. I’m not asking you to do anything now, I just came to talk. Do you have to act as if we’re facing a mortal enemy?”

The smile on Master Yuan’s face froze. She couldn’t help but continue in a low voice, ”Little Qin, how have I treated you all these years? Other than us not living and eating together on a daily basis, is there any aspect in which I haven’t looked out for you?”