It was now impossible for Xia Xiaolan to contact Yu Li.

Two hours after the injured were taken to the hospital, police arrived in response to a report and took Yu Li away.

To this day, Yu Li’s mother hasn’t regained consciousness, and even Ge Jian doesn’t know Yu Li’s stepfather’s condition.

Xia Xiaolan could only call Shao Guangrong from overseas.

Since arriving in America, she hadn’t called him yet, but as Zhou Cheng’s childhood friend, what couldn’t she ask him now?

It took several attempts before connecting. Exhaustion filled Shao Guangrong’s voice:

“Sister-in-law, so this matter has reached you too, ah!”

“Of course, I need to inquire. Little Yu was my chosen secretary, almost ready to report to Pengcheng. How did this happen? What’s the situation now?”

Shao Guangrong briefly explained Yu Li’s family situation.

“She hadn’t told anyone about these things, probably thinking we wouldn’t believe her either. That night when I drove her home, she left something in my car, so I got out to bring it to her house. In those few moments, Yu Li had already stabbed her stepfather! In the darkness, she didn’t even recognize him as her stepfather, only saw someone standing by the bed beating her mother’s head with a stick, thought it was a burglar… She was terrified, so I quickly took both her mother and stepfather to the hospital!”

Didn’t recognize her stepfather, yet stabbed him twice?

Or did she recognize him and stab him deliberately?

Xia Xiaolan sensed something suspicious here.

But over the phone, she wouldn’t pursue this – phone conversations weren’t necessarily secure. If Shao Guangrong presented it this way, this was how the incident had to be characterized!

Even if Yu Li had recognized him and stabbed him deliberately, so what?

As a child, protecting one’s mother was paramount in such a situation. Whether stepfather or birth father, should Yu Li have just watched her mother being beaten to death?

“How’s her stepfather – did he survive?”

Accidental injury versus accidental killing would certainly be treated differently.

On the other end, Shao Guangrong spoke through gritted teeth: “Yu Li’s not very strong, and she stabbed from behind. The wounds were serious, but we got him to the hospital in time – he’s been saved. It’s Yu Li’s mother who’s still unconscious. The doctors can’t say when she’ll wake up.”

She might wake up tomorrow, or the day after.

She hadn’t left intensive care yet.

Or she might never wake up.

Xia Xiaolan frowned – could she become vegetative?

Caring for a paralyzed patient was already extremely difficult, but at least paralyzed patients were conscious, could speak and express themselves, and could swallow on their own.

A vegetative patient would require far more than double the effort and expense!

“Is Yu Li still at the police station? Tell her this from me: this was just an accident. Once it’s resolved, my invitation still stands – she can still report to Pengcheng!”

“Sister-in-law, thank you!”

If not handled well, this incident would leave a record – after all, she nearly killed someone. Who would trust such a person as their secretary?

Xia Xiaolan’s promise provided Yu Li with a way forward, giving her assurance and confidence to face her current difficulties.

While Shao Guangrong could help Yu Li negotiate, he couldn’t manage every aspect.

If he offered to take care of Yu Li and her mother in the future, Yu Li wouldn’t agree anyway.

“No need for thanks. I truly believe in Yu Li, and in this matter, I believe both her and you. I’m sure you can handle it well.”

Shao Guangrong immediately understood.

The story they told the police wouldn’t fool Sister-in-law Xiaolan.

But he hadn’t planned to deceive her anyway.

He was taking the biggest risk now, making false testimony.

If things weren’t handled well, he’d face serious trouble too.

But Shao Guangrong didn’t regret it. Having gotten involved, there was no point in hesitating – he had to see it through… He could handle other matters, but Yu Li mustn’t change her story – she had to stick to what he’d taught her to say.

After hanging up, Shao Guangrong rubbed his temples:

“Sister-in-law Xiaolan says you’re smart – don’t let me down now, girl!”

He couldn’t interfere at the police station.

Shao Guangrong disliked leaving loose ends – each additional person who knew increased the leverage others had over him.

Who knew when they might use it against him?

He wouldn’t even threaten Yu Li’s stepfather.

He could offer benefits to make the stepfather testify for Yu Li to the police… but why should he? This man needed to first explain why he was beating his wife’s head with a stick!

As for the filth hidden beneath his facade of kindness – if he dared speak of it, let him.

Shao Guangrong now aimed to clear Yu Li while ensuring her stepfather faced punishment – this beast shouldn’t get off lightly.

…

At the police station.

Yu Li had been there for two days.

For two days, she’d been repeatedly questioned.

Her testimony conflicted with that of the victim, Qiao Quanbing. Following Shao Guangrong’s instructions, Yu Li said that after parting with him, she returned home to find movement in the shed where her mother slept. After calling out twice with no response, she turned on the light to find someone beating her mother.

“His back was to me, I didn’t know who it was, thought it was a thief, so I grabbed the knife from the table and rushed over.”

“Fearing one stab wouldn’t stop him, I stabbed again.”

“I was so tense I didn’t even hear Shao Guangrong calling from the door. Only when he came in did I realize I’d stabbed the wrong person, and he helped me take everyone to the hospital.”

“The neighbors heard us arguing? There was no argument that night… My father often beat and cursed me before, and the neighbors always said they hadn’t heard anything.”

Yu Li smiled sarcastically.

“I don’t know why they’re saying this now. Officer, I’d like to ask why my father tried to beat my mother to death?”

What started as police questioning ended with Yu Li leaving them speechless.

The two officers questioning her stepped out, closing the door.

“The victim Qiao Quanbing is awake. He claims his stepdaughter Yu Li intentionally tried to kill him.”

Their testimonies conflicted significantly.

Which testimony they believed would affect Yu Li’s charges.

“Only Qiao Quanbing’s fingerprints are on the stick. He needs to explain his motive for trying to beat his wife to death before we can judge if his testimony is credible!”

“He says he was drunk and provoked by Yu Li, who said she would take her mother away from Beijing, abandoning him. Thinking of his years of dedication, he couldn’t accept this fact and struck his wife twice in anger. Our investigation shows Qiao Quanbing had an excellent reputation – everyone knew he never abandoned his paralyzed wife. This incident…”

This incident was problematic!

A supposedly conscientious man who carefully tended his wife would, when provoked by his stepdaughter, drunkenly beat his wife’s head with a stick?

The police had dealt with many crimes – Qiao Quanbing’s story was self-contradictory.

If he was truly as good as he appeared, why would an eighteen-year-old girl constantly plan to take her paralyzed mother away?

“There’s another witness on Yu Li’s side – is he her boyfriend?”

If so, he might be helping Yu Li make false statements.