After Joshua and the others' car completely disappeared from sight, Katherine slowly opened the car door and sat down in the driver's seat.
Her movements were slow, as if all her strength had suddenly drained away. She leaned back against the seat.
After resting for a moment, she reached into her bag and took out her phone. Her fingers lightly tapped the screen, and her expression grew serious.
Online, the storm of criticism against Xiehe Hospital was still raging like boiling porridge, showing no signs of calming down.
Netizens were full of anger. Sharp comments poured in like a rain of arrows, demanding that Hospital Director Wang appear and give a public, transparent explanation.
Voices of doubt rose one after another: Were the doctors' casually issued test orders truly necessary for accurate diagnosis, or were they a way for some people to make illegal profits and squeeze ordinary people's hard-earned money?
Xiehe Hospital, the top three-grade hospital in the city, usually carried the hopes and trust of countless patients. Now it was trapped in this public opinion whirlpool, and its reputation and credibility were at risk.
Once the public's trust foundation collapsed, rebuilding it would be very hard.
After all, a hospital is supposed to be a holy place that saves lives and serves people wholeheartedly. Now that this crisis had erupted, many people felt uneasy and hesitated whether they could continue to seek treatment there with peace of mind.
The situation got more out of control, spreading wildly with high heat, causing the authorities to respond quickly.
A serious official file was urgently issued, ordering a thorough investigation of Xiehe Hospital. The tone showed absolute determination not to tolerate any wrongdoing, promising to give the waiting public a clear and honest answer.
Katherine quietly read through the many messages, then exhaled deeply and put her phone away.
She knew clearly that although the exposure damaged the hospital's face and reputation in the short term, it was not entirely bad in the long run.
At least those hiding in the shadows with bad intentions, pretending to treat patients but acting unjustly, would now be more cautious and dare not act recklessly again.
She quietly decided to wait until this matter was completely settled before formally submitting her resignation letter.
Elsewhere, Old Master Zhou saw Butler Li return. His usually calm face suddenly showed some urgency. Before Butler Li could steady himself, Old Master Zhou asked directly, "How did things go?"
Butler Li lowered his head slightly, his expression serious. "Old Master, I just went to the police station to carefully ask about the situation. Miss Katherine has already handed over all the related evidence to the police. Now we are just waiting for the investigation results."
Old Master Zhou frowned slightly and sighed softly, thinking that Katherine already had someone helping her.
"About the matter I asked you to investigate before, have you found any clues?" Old Master Zhou changed the subject, his sharp gaze fixed on Butler Li.
Butler Li nodded in reply. "Old Master, nothing was found about why the young master cares especially for Charlotte. If you want to know the reason, you probably have to ask the young master directly."
Old Master Zhou was silent for a moment, then waved his hand at Butler Li with some sadness in his voice. "You may go now. I want to be alone for a while."
Butler Li understood and softly said, "Okay, Old Master. If you need anything, just say the word."
He then quietly left.
Old Master Zhou truly wished they could be together, but did they really have no fate?
Katherine left the hospital and ate a simple lunch. Thinking she still had time in the afternoon, she went to the mall to buy some supplements to prepare for a visit to Old Master Zhou.
After this matter is over, she planned to leave the city.
It would probably be difficult to see her grandfather again.
The car stopped steadily in front of the Zhou family old mansion. Katherine took a deep breath, got out, and opened the trunk. She lifted the heavy supplements with both hands.
Then she walked to the door and rang the doorbell.
The servant saw her and quickly came to open the door, his face full of warmth. "Young madam, you're back."
Hearing this title, Katherine froze for a moment, feeling a ripple in her heart. She knew Andrew had not told them about their divorce.
A faint smile appeared on her lips, but she did not correct him on purpose. She thought to herself that she would leave soon, and then they would naturally know.
"Is grandpa home?" she asked softly.
"Yes, the old master is in the tea room drinking tea. Young madam, you can go find him directly," the servant replied respectfully.
"Okay." Katherine handed the things in her hands to the servant and walked toward the tea room.
Inside the tea room, Butler Li was quietly standing to the side. Through the clear glass, he first saw Katherine's figure and quickly whispered, "Old Master, Kath is here."
Old Master Zhou paused from leisurely sipping tea. His eyes immediately lit up with surprise, and he hurriedly said, "Quick, go bring me the best tea leaves."
Butler Li understood and responded, "Okay, I'll get them right away," then quickly left.
At that moment, Katherine appeared at the tea room door. Old Master Zhou immediately put down his teacup, his face full of kindness as he called out, "Kath, you're here, come sit."
Katherine quickly walked up and sat opposite him, her eyes full of concern. "Grandpa, how have you been feeling lately?"
Old Master Zhou looked at her carefully, frowning slightly. "Hmm, I've been okay recently. But why do you look so much thinner?"
A stronger smile appeared on Katherine's lips. She shook her head gently and teased, "Grandpa always says that when he sees me. Actually, I haven't lost any weight. I eat well and sleep well."
But Old Master Zhou didn't believe it. His eyes were full of worry, and his tone changed, with a hint of hidden complaint. "Kath, why didn't you tell me what happened at the hospital?"
"Don't you treat me as your grandchild anymore?" she said with a tight feeling in her heart, quickly reaching out to gently hold his slightly rough hand. "Grandpa, that's not true. You will always be my grandpa in my heart."
"I thought I could handle it myself, so I didn't want you to worry," she explained.
Old Master Zhou sighed softly, staring straight at Katherine and slowly said, "Kath, don't treat me like an outsider. If there is anything, just tell me."
Katherine nodded. "Okay, Grandpa."
After thinking for a moment, Old Master Zhou asked, "Kath, have you really divorced Andrew?"
Katherine looked up instinctively, meeting the old master's searching gaze. After a pause, she quietly answered, "Grandpa, you already know."
"Yes, we divorced. I realized that forcing something doesn't make it sweet, and marriage is the same. He resisted from the beginning. This marriage was forced by me, and it wasn't fair to him."
"This is better. Now he can go after the happiness that belongs to him."