Madam He's morning began with perfection. Sunlight found its way through the curtains, a faint scent of coffee filling the air, and the slow rustle of papers across her desk.
Then her phone buzzed.
She reached for it lazily, not expecting much. One glance at the message froze her hand midair.
[The patient survived.]
Her grip on the phone tightened. The calmness around her shattered in an instant.
"What?" she yelled, the word sharp enough to cut.
Her reflection stared back from the polished surface of her desk, but her eyes burned.
Another message followed.
[He Yuchen is still at the hospital. Security is tight. Lin Mei has been detained.]
She threw the phone onto the table.
For a long, dangerous moment, Madam He said nothing. Her breath came out slow and unhurried. But this time, her lips trembled slightly.
"She survived…" she repeated under her breath. "How… inconvenient."
