"What a coincidence. For a perfectly healthy person to suddenly fall ill after entering the hospital and meeting the doctor—unless the old madam was already sure that she would fall sick?" Sia remarked, a smirk playing on her lips.
The old madam did not respond. Instead, she observed the video with curiosity and said, "Not bad; you are a very promising young man. You even managed to recover the footage that I had my people delete."
Rishi, standing silently beside Sia, was taken aback.
Is this lady crazy?
he thought to himself.
She seems to be praising the wrong person. It was I who recovered the footage!
Unfazed, Sia maintained her steady gaze on the old woman and asked, "Old Madam, will you tell us the truth now?"
"Fine, fine. I won't tease you any longer. I pretended to fall sick," the old madam confessed honestly.
"May I ask why?" Sia inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Instead of answering, the old lady turned to look outside the window. After a brief silence, she continued, "Young man, believe it or not, but when it comes to her children, a mother can sense danger approaching them. Call it a gut feeling or a sixth sense." Turning her gaze back to Sia, she added with a gentle smile, "Reena is my one and only precious granddaughter. I have raised her with all my love and heart. My heart and soul are connected to her, and I can sense it whenever she is in danger. I have met Ms. Kareena, but I don't have a favorable impression of her. Maybe it's my gut feeling or perhaps because our families have a competitive relationship, but I just do not like that lady.
"On the day before the incident took place, I had a very bad feeling. I sensed something terrible was about to happen, and that feeling worsened after I heard about Ms. Kareena's birthday party. I did not want my granddaughter to attend, but I couldn't stop her without a valid reason. That's why I pretended to fall sick. Reena was unaware of my ruse until she arrived here. Because of me, she abandoned the idea of going to that party, and afterward, I saw what happened there on the TV."
After a brief silence, the old lady turned to Sia and asked, "Young man, do you believe this old lady? Do you believe there exists a connection like that between a mother and her children?"
Hearing this, Sia fell silent. She was reminded of her own grandmother in this old lady—the gentle eyes, the kind heart, the love and care.
Seeing Sia remain quiet, the old lady felt a twinge of disappointment, thinking the young man did not believe her. Just as she was about to speak further, she suddenly heard a cold and firm voice from Rishi.
"I believe you." Stunned, the old lady looked up to see Rishi staring at her with intense eyes as he reiterated, "I believe you very strongly."
"But they won't be as good-looking as the ones you would have had with her," the old lady insisted, her smile unwavering.
"Well, I suppose that's subjective," Sia replied, a hint of humor in his tone.
"Anyway, my offer stands. In case your wife runs away or if you two break up, you can always come back to this old lady. If my granddaughter is still single then, I'll certainly set her up with you," the old lady offered kindly.
This old lady must be extremely bored,
Sia and Rishi thought inwardly, exchanging glances filled with bemusement.
Fearing that the old lady might come up with more bizarre ideas, the two of them hurriedly bid farewell and left the ward.
As they made their way down the hallway, Sia noticed that Rishi appeared deep in thought. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Turning to look at Sia, Rishi finally decided to voice his thoughts. "Shein, do you really have a wife?"
Sia rolled her eyes in exasperation. Before she could respond, Rishi added, "You don't, do you? I knew it! You must have been bluffing that old lady. How could you possibly have a wife? You're probably the last person to find a girlfriend, let alone a wife!"
Hearing that, Sia merely glanced at Rishi and decided to ignore him completely.
As they walked down the corridor, Rishi continued to babble, his curiosity evidently getting the better of him. "Come on! You can't expect me to believe you're married when you can't even convince me you have a girlfriend. Just admit it—you're single!"
Sia shook her head in amusement. "You know what, Rishi? Sometimes it's best to let people think what they want. I'm not going to indulge your need for gossip."
"But it's just too good to pass up! You, a handsome young officer, with a 'wife' out there somewhere? It sounds like the plot of a romantic comedy!" Rishi exclaimed, unable to suppress his laughter.
Sia could only chuckle in response, grateful that they were moving on from the old lady's peculiar proposition. Their investigation awaited, and despite the oddities, she knew that their priority lay in uncovering the truth. As they stepped outside, the sun shone brightly, and Sia felt a renewed sense of determination.
"Let's focus on the case," she said firmly, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. "We have work to do."
"Right!" Rishi agreed, though a playful grin lingered on his face, suggesting that the amusing encounter with the old madam would not soon be forgotten