The reporters who had been following Catherine's incident naturally covered her suicide. When the public learned of this, there was an uproar.
The matter seemed to end there, and the police investigation into the incident had hit a bottleneck, as Catherine could not be interrogated in her current state.
Song Lijun, as always, came to the hospital to care for Catherine. Although Catherine was unconscious, someone always needed to watch over her.
But as she approached the hospital room, she heard voices inside.
"Mm, the situation outside has calmed down. Don't worry, you just need to wait a little longer, and everything will start anew."
Song Lijun was puzzled; she hadn't heard this voice before and was sure she didn't know the person.
Feeling curious, she finally pushed the door open and found a woman she didn't recognize inside. Catherine lay still on the hospital bed, showing no reaction.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Song Lijun asked, confused.
The woman looked at Song Lijun and then explained, "You must be Ms. Catherine's mother. My name is Zhao Lili, and I'm the reporter covering Catherine's case. I'm very sorry about what happened to her."
Song Lijun sighed. She knew Catherine's situation had caused a huge stir, and it had only just calmed down.
"I'm just here for follow-up reporting today. I believe this matter will truly conclude after this report," Zhao Lili said, deliberately moving closer to Catherine.
Song Lijun didn't suspect anything and simply said, "The past is in the past. I won't say anything to you. I just hope you'll let my Linlin be. She's already like this."
Zhao Lili also expressed regret, "Don't worry, I'm not like those unscrupulous reporters."
After a brief chat, Zhao Lili turned and left.
Song Lijun kept feeling that Zhao Lili was a bit strange, even familiar, but she couldn't quite place her.
Wei Yumeng occasionally checked on Catherine's condition. She always felt that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite articulate it.
During a break, bored, she opened a website and saw a new report detailing the follow-up investigation into Catherine's case. The reporter was a woman named Zhao Lili.
The report stated that Catherine had inflicted self-punishment for her past wrongdoings, to the point where she couldn't wake up.
Photos of Catherine in the hospital were also attached.
With the release of this report, the matter seemed to be definitively closed.
Even the comments below and the number of views on the report decreased.
Seeing this, Wei Yumeng breathed a sigh of relief, "It's time for this to end."
A few more days passed. The previous incident had completely disappeared from the internet. Perhaps people were forgetful; no matter how heated something was at the time, it would eventually be forgotten.
But precisely at this moment, a huge change occurred.
"What? Catherine's awake?" Wei Yumeng blinked, honestly believing the matter was already over.
After hanging up the phone, she still found it hard to believe.
She paused for a moment, then grabbed her clothes and prepared to go to the hospital herself to see what was going on with Catherine.
When she arrived, Song Lijun and Feng Zhenhua were already there.
"Yumeng, you're here." Tears still lingered in Song Lijun's eyes; she seemed to have just been crying.
When Catherine saw Wei Yumeng, she flinched back timidly.
Song Lijun immediately soothed her, "Don't be afraid, she won't hurt you."
But Catherine said with a pale face, "No, she won't forgive me. Those things were indeed all my fault. I know I was wrong."
Wei Yumeng looked at Catherine coldly. She truly wanted to believe that Catherine had just returned from the brink of death and genuinely realized her mistakes.
However, based on everything that had happened in the past, Wei Yumeng found it difficult to convince herself to believe Catherine.
Moreover, she always felt that something was not quite right, and this sense of unease had undoubtedly intensified upon seeing Catherine.
Song Lijun looked at Wei Yumeng, "Yumeng, can we discuss this? Linlin really walked through the gates of hell this time. Regarding her past actions, can we reconsider how to proceed?"
Wei Yumeng looked at Song Lijun, "Mrs. Feng, you know we've already handed the evidence over to the police."
"Even if you have, the investigation is still ongoing. If you're willing, you can withdraw the charges against Linlin, can't you?" Song Lijun looked at Wei Yumeng with anticipation.
Catherine's face turned ashen, "Mom, don't beg her. I know what I did, and I deserve to pay for my actions."
Hearing Catherine say this, Song Lijun's heart ached even more, "Yumeng, as you can see, Linlin truly realizes her mistakes this time. Can we give her another chance?"
Wei Yumeng continued to look at Catherine without speaking. How could she possibly let Catherine off the hook? But Song Lijun kept pleading for Catherine, what could she do?
"Yumeng, please, even if it's just me begging you." Seeing that Wei Yumeng seemed to be wavering, Song Lijun continued to plead.
Feng Zhenhua merely snorted, "You keep indulging her. This time, I stand with Yumeng."
Wei Yumeng bit her lower lip and finally said to Song Lijun, "I need to think about this."
Seeing that Wei Yumeng was at least willing to consider, Song Lijun said no more and continued to care for Catherine.
Feng Zhenhua watched everything from the side. Although she remained silent, she likely had her own thoughts.
"Yumeng, come with me for a moment."
Wei Yumeng nodded and left the hospital room with Feng Zhenhua.
"Uncle Feng, what did you want to tell me?"
Feng Zhenhua frowned, "What do you plan to do about this matter?"
Wei Yumeng shook her head, "I honestly haven't decided."
"Then my suggestion is to continue doing what your heart tells you."
"What my heart tells me?" Wei Yumeng seemed confused.
"You've already reached a conclusion about this matter, haven't you? Then don't let other factors sway your judgment. Whatever you choose, I will support you."
Wei Yumeng looked into Feng Zhenhua's eyes and seemed to know what she should do.
"Oh, and there's something else I need to tell you," Feng Zhenhua continued. "A few days ago, Lijun returned from the hospital and mentioned meeting a reporter named Zhao Lili in the room."