Crimson Instinct Chapter 123: That woman (1)

*Xin Lei*

Bai Li said, "I kind of had my suspicions on Duan Deming since Ming died. Once I figured out that he was a mole, Tian Song's identity beca clear to ."

I pouted. I typed. "I see. That is why you stopped from telling about the recording to Duan Deming."

He nodded.

Sobody knocked on the door, and I saw Yuan standing at the entrance.

"Can I co in?"

"Of course." Bai Li said.

Yuan said, "I heard that you were here, so I ca by to check on you. How are you feeling now?"

Bai Li slowly nodded. "Better."

I anxiously glanced at Yuan, but he just nodded at .

"I know Xin Lei must have talked to you, but I am here as a professional. Did you rember my tips when you got that attack?"

Bai Li said, "I did. I did everything you said but-"

"It's alright, Bai Li. You did well. Initially, people don't imdiately rember the thods to calm down. The anxiety consus them so fast that it is hard to think about anything else. It is an achievent even if they did any one technique, and you tried all of them. That's a very good start."

Ha patted him on the shoulder.

"If you could calm down with the tips, then that would have been excellent, but my main motive was to see how much you can rember and control your emotions in that state."

Bai Li said, "I did feel a little better just for a few monts."

Yuan smiled.

"That's great. Soon, your duration would increase to stay calm. Now it is a few monts; then, it would be a few minutes until eventually when you would be all fine. We will do our next session when you get so ti free. Until then, practice breathing techniques and exercise daily. It helps in the long run."

I thought about it. I typed. "Why don't you co with us? Tian Song is taking us with him to et a big brother. If you co with us, then you two will get a chance to have your next session."

Yuan paused. He seed a bit stiff.

"Oh"

I wondered what happened. Wasn't he feeling comfortable?

I typed. "Is there a problem?"

"Eh? Ah, no, no. I don't mind. What do you say, Bai Li?" He quickly glanced at Bai Li.

He nodded too. "That's a good idea."

I frowned. It seed that he was a little tense. Wait. Was he worried about big brother?

Ah...now I kind of understood.

But it had been a long ti since our dating. I hoped big brother don't trouble him.

It was Tian Song who knocked. "Everything is ready. We will leave in thirty minutes."

We nodded.

"Zhang Ning is awake now. She has asked if you could et her."

"Of course." Bai Li said, "We need to talk to her."

We went into Zhang Ning's ward. She faintly glanced at us and weakly smiled. Naturally, Zhang Chao was also there.

"Ning"

His gaze shifted at us, and he nodded.

I typed. "How are you now?"

She looked pale and weak.

"I-I am good."

I typed. "What did the doctor say?"

Zhang Chao said, "Ning needs to be kept in observation for twenty-four hours. Sheshe bled a lot, so she is weak." he choked.

"Dad... stop. I am fine."

I nodded.

He looked at Bai Li and said, "Ning just told how you saved her again. I...I don't think there is anything in my power to thank you enough after how you saved her thrice."

Bai Li said, "I didn't save her from getting shot. Why are you thanking ?"

Yuan and I shared glances.

We sighed. It was still a long way before he stops to unconsciously bla himself.

Zhang Chao looked at him, surprised. "But you saved her from Yi Xing again. She told how you fought with his goons and even defeated them. If not for you, then I don't know where that bastard might have taken her."

"And" Zhang Ning said, "Bai Li... really, I don't bla you for that person who shot . Anybody would have been helpless in your position. Please don't be too hard on yourself."

Bai Li didn't respond.

I typed. "What about Yi Xing?"

Zhang Chao sneered. "He is as good as finished. He dared to kidnap my daughter. Now even Yi Xiaosi wouldn't be able to save him. Once he wakes up, his next stop is jail."

He looked at Kang Yuan and seed as if he was sizing him up. "Who is he? I feel like I have seen you sowhere."

Yuan smiled. "Nice to et you, Mr. Zhang. I am Kang Yuan. I am Xin Lei's friend and Bai Li's doctor."

The father-daughter pair exchanged glances with each other.

"Doctor for what?" Zhang Ning asked. As I watched her staring at Bai Li, I felt as if she was really worried about him.

"Is he hurt?"

My brow twitched.

Ugh...Was it okay to tell them?

Zhang Chao said, "Right, I rember now. You are that famous psychologist. I have heard a lot about you."

"Yes, I am that Kang Yuan. Don't worry. Bai Li is fine."

Zhang Ning looked at Bai Li, concerned. "Bai Li...what's wrong? Why do you need a doctor?"

Yuan said, "I apologize, Miss. But doctor-patient confidentiality."

"Oh...I-I am sorry."

"No problem."

Bai Li said, "Actually, we ca here to ask you sothing. Do you rember anything about that woman who shot you?"

Zhang Chao and Zhang Ning widened their eyes. "Woman? It was a woman?"

I nodded.

Zhang Chao gritted his teeth. "Who was she? How dare she harm Ning!"

"That's what we want to know."

Zhang Ning said, "I don't know...I didn't even recognize that she was a woman. I could barely see. It was all dizzy and spinning at that ti."

Bai Li tilted his head. "But she shot you. There must be a reason."

I wondered. That woman could be the boss, but why did she shoot Zhang Ning? Shouldn't her enemy have been Bai Li?

"She said, 'Shouldn't you know it better than ?' when you asked her why she wanted to kill you. I think you didn't hear it clearly in your condition, but I felt that it was personal."

Zhang Ning blinked her eyes. For a few monts, she looked confused, but then she widened her eyes as if sothing dawned upon her. Her expression turned pale, and she looked at Zhang Chao, frightened.

Zhang Chao also seed to realize the sa thing, and I saw his body stiffen and tense up.

Silence.

Bai Li said, "I think this silence ans that you have realized the identity of that woman."

Both of them didn't look good. They seed to hesitate, saying anything further.

I typed. "If you know anything about it, then tell us. We need to know."

After what it looked like much contemplation, Zhang Ning softly spoke but not to us. She asked Zhang Chao, "Dad...i-is she back?"

Zhang Chao pursed his lips. "It cannot be possible, Ning. She cannot be here. There must be a misunderstanding. I didn't get any such news about her coming back."

But it seed as if he was convincing himself.

"B-but, who else could it be? Only she has a grudge on , Dad! Only she can do this"

"We would appreciate it if you two stopped talking in circles and directly co to the point." Bai Li said.

Zhang Ning stared at us for a long ti before she slowly said, "If that person was a woman and if what Bai Li felt was true then...then it could be my... little sister, Zhang Xiulan."

I frowned. I typed. "Zhang Xiulan? But didn't you say that she is abroad for studies?"

Silence again.

"She is supposed to be, but"

"From your tone, it doesn't seem like she went abroad for studies."

Once again, they stiffened.

There was sothing really wrong. It was clear that there was so big secret they were hiding.

Zhang Chao seed grim. "We are sorry, but we cannot tell you about it."

"Mr. Zhang. I don't care what family secret you have, but that woman has sothing to do with the murders and the answer that we are looking for. So we want to know."

They said nothing.

"Bai Li, please try to understand-"

"Take it as I am asking in exchange for saving your daughter three tis. Didn't you say you want to repay ? Telling the secret is in your power."

"You"

Zhang Ning bit her lip. She said, "Dad. Bai Li is right. We promised that we would give him any help if he needed it."

Zhang Chao tiredly sat down on the chair beside her and rubbed his temples.

"That is a long story."

Bai Li and I glanced at Tian Song's direction. He plainly said, "We can leave a little later."

Bai Li said, "So tell us. What secret is it about Zhang Xiulan?"

Zhang Chao instructed his party mbers not to co inside the ward and disturb us until he ca out.

He sat back again, and so did we.

"We doubt that Xiulan is back for revenge."

I typed. "What revenge?"

He took a deep breath.

"Revenge about how we punished her."

"Punished, why?" Liao Huifang asked.

"My wife Qiyue's death. Thirteen years ago, it was" he clenched his fingers in a fist, "it was Xiulan who killed her."