’Mmm, she was very satisfied with his attitude.’

"Yes," Mr. Xie said, taking Mrs. Xie’s hand, the love in his eyes impossible to hide. "My dear, this has been hard on you."

Mrs. Xie shot Mr. Xie a look, but a warm smile played on her lips. She turned, picked up the thermos, and was surprised to find it full. Looking at her son nearby, she asked, "Did you fill this?"

"No, your daughter-in-law did," Jie Jingchen said, a blissful smile appearing in his eyes as he spoke of Qin Mei.

The smile on Mrs. Xie’s face deepened. ’She only considered Qin Mei her daughter-in-law. If it had been Second Daughter-in-law Jing, Jing Si would have just called her ’Second Sister-in-law.’’ She grew even more satisfied with Qin Mei. "How thoughtful of her."

Mrs. Xie poured the hot water into a basin, tossed a towel in, scrubbed it for a moment, then wrung it out and came to the bedside. Mr. Xie had already rolled his pant leg up to his thigh. A pang of sympathy shot through Mrs. Xie as she looked at his red, swollen knee. ’He wasn’t even kneeling that long, and it’s already like this.’

Jie Jingchen took it all in, his face expressionless.

Mrs. Xie applied the compress to Mr. Xie’s knee and looked at Jie Jingchen. "Jing Si, did you need me for something?"

"Yes, there is," Jie Jingchen nodded.

"What is it?" Mrs. Xie asked.

Jie Jingchen didn’t answer immediately, his profound gaze landing on Mr. Xie.

Mr. Xie frowned. ’That damn brat. What’s he looking at me for? He’s definitely up to no good.’

Sure enough, he heard his wife ask angrily, "Did your father take advantage of my absence last night to cause trouble again?"

"Yan Qiu, I didn’t!" Mr. Xie looked at Mrs. Xie, his face a mask of wronged innocence. ’He’d come home last night, too agitated to sleep, just tossing and turning. He had his own fires to put out; how could he have been in any mood to provoke Jing Si and his wife?’

’He was the one who’d had Jing Wu take his parents home. And while Jing Si had fanned the flames, could he really go and hold him accountable? No, he didn’t dare! His wife was fiercely protective and had even threatened divorce. Did he really dare to challenge her bottom line?’

’Besides, the way his mother and second brother handled the matter was truly dishonorable. Weren’t they perfectly aware of what kind of character An Qi had? Was she in any way a match for Qin Xiang?’

’Of all the people to drag into their mess, they just had to pick Qin Mei’s younger brother. Yan Qiu adored Qin Mei. After they’d tried to frame Qin Xiang, it would be a miracle if Yan Qiu wasn’t furious.’

A thoughtful look flickered in Jie Jingchen’s cool eyes. "Mom," he said, "it’s about An Qi."

Hearing this, Mr. Xie breathed a sigh of relief, grateful his fourth son wasn’t backing him into a corner. ’This was his chance to step up.’ "Yan Qiu, Jing Si, I’ve already resolved this matter perfectly. I guarantee that your granny and your second uncle won’t dare to act so recklessly again."

"What about An Qi? Dad, can you guarantee anything when it comes to her?" Jie Jingchen asked in a cold voice. ’Granny might be clueless, but Second Uncle isn’t. The moment Qin Xiang revealed his identity, Second Uncle was already backing down.’

"Well..." Mr. Xie trailed off. He really couldn’t make that guarantee. Just thinking about what that girl An Qi was capable of gave him a headache.

’When An Qi lost it, she was genuinely capable of killing someone.’

"Jing Si, what are your thoughts?" Mrs. Xie asked Jie Jingchen. ’This son of hers was very decisive. For him to come to their room while she and his father were both here... he must have a clear objective.’

A slight, cold smile touched Jie Jingchen’s lips. "Mom," he said, his voice chilling, "you’re a doctor. Surely you’ve noticed there’s something mentally wrong with An Qi?"

Mrs. Xie’s eyebrow twitched. She glanced at Mr. Xie, whose expression had soured. "An Qi is indeed not mentally sound."

"What ’mentally wrong’? What ’not mentally sound’?" Mr. Xie snapped. "Just say it bluntly: An Qi is a lunatic."

"Is she not?" Jie Jingchen countered. Mr. Xie was rendered speechless. With a contemptuous sneer, Jie Jingchen’s frigid voice spoke again. "You both are well aware of everything An Qi has done over the years. Dad, do her actions seem like something a normal person would do?"

Mrs. Xie’s eyes flickered, a faint inkling of Jing Si’s goal forming in her mind. Ignoring her husband, she nodded in agreement. "They certainly don’t."

Mr. Xie glared at his son and asked through clenched teeth, "So?"

"Mom, I recall that your mother and the wife of the psychiatric hospital’s director are very close," Jie Jingchen said, his tone as placid and unruffled as a still lake.

Jie Jingchen’s implication was perfectly clear. A complex emotion flickered in Mrs. Xie’s eyes. She pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

Mrs. Xie’s silence was a clear sign of her tacit approval.

Mr. Xie’s brow furrowed deeply, veins popping on his forehead. Barely suppressed fury rose in his eyes as he ground the words out through his teeth. "You want to send An Qi to Xiangjiang?"

"Yes. To the psychiatric hospital in Xiangjiang." Jie Jingchen stressed the last two words. This wasn’t a decision made on a whim, but one he had reached after long and careful deliberation.