Qiming Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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2306 Baihua Street, nineteenth floor, Nandao Jiayuan.

Nandao Jiayuan was the residential complex where Xu Chengyue lived, a mid-to-high-end complex within the inner ring, only a twenty-minute walk from Nanpu University's old campus. Fifteen years ago, he and his parents had moved here. After so many years, he was the only one left in this two-bedroom apartment.

His parents were both killed in a case a few years ago. At that time, he hadn't yet graduated. Upon hearing the tragic news, he spent a whole week in self-imposed confinement, unable to move, before meeting his parents one last time in the cold morgue. It seemed he had deliberately forgotten the pain of that time; in retrospect, all that remained was a boundless void.

"Xizi, you don't need to come over in situations like this in the future."

At some point, the crescent moon of the night had hidden behind the clouds, leaving only a dazzling evening star above the treetops. Xu Chengyue closed the doors and windows and made two cups of lemonade. The cleaning robot, which had been roaming around tidying up, returned to the corner, and the air conditioner automatically adjusted to a comfortable temperature.

"In the future, I'll be working closely with the officers from the squad. If you keep doing this..." He paused, "I'll feel very awkward."

Despite being an expert in the field of intelligent recognition, he was a complete novice in criminal investigation. He had come to the frontline to gather material for a lab project, aiming to transform himself from thought to language into a researcher who understood criminal investigation.

"Awkward?" Ying Xizi furrowed her brow in slight confusion, then sighed softly as she sat down on the black leather sofa in the living room. "I suppose you're right. I'm just your doctor, I don't have the right to interfere too much."

The television was showing a legal program, creating a somewhat frightening atmosphere. She reached for the remote control on the bookshelf but instead saw a full row of criminal investigation books, ranging from vintage-covered old books to exquisitely packaged published works.

"Scientist, have you started reading physical books now, or are they just for show?" She tiptoed, her right hand brushing over the uneven spines of the books.

"The remote control is for show, the books are not." He helped her switch to the latest popular drama. "These books belonged to my parents. I just dug them out of the boxes a few days ago."

He wasn't really used to being in the same room with this girl. It wasn't a matter of gender; he simply felt that the way she looked at him was strange, sometimes unfamiliar, sometimes filled with deep affection.

He was uncomfortable with that unfamiliar gaze, as if he were a stranger living in a place that didn't belong to him, doing things he shouldn't be doing.

"What are you looking at?" She waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"Extend your arm. I need to draw blood. The last time was a month ago. I've been busy these past few days and almost forgot."

"Drawing blood at night?"

"It doesn't matter for testing blood sugar and liver function, morning or night is the same." As she spoke, she took out test tubes, needles, and other necessary medical supplies from the case she had brought.

"Is there something going on with you lately?" Xu Chengyue rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, clenched his fist, and placed it flat on the table. There was a transparent vase on the solid wood table, filled with white carnations, purple lisianthus, and a few dark red Chinese roses masquerading as regular roses. Ying Xizi had ordered these, and they were delivered fresh every week. He guessed this was something girls liked; he himself had no interest in them at all.

"You got me there." A smile suddenly appeared on her serious face, and her tone softened. "My parents are going to Beijing the day after tomorrow for a business trip. A biotechnology company invited them to give lectures, and I'll be going with them."

"If I hadn't dragged you back for a full body check-up today, I wouldn't be able to relax for the next half a month in Beijing," Ying Xizi said as she completed the venous blood draw and began the next series of physical tests. Xu Chengyue cooperated with her work, though he couldn't understand why such frequent check-ups were necessary.

Under the bright lights, the girl meticulously recorded various data, her delicate makeup gradually fading due to the afternoon's high outdoor temperatures. Ying Xizi had been introduced to him a year ago by Professor Lu as his personal doctor. It was said to be an introduction, but in reality, it was forced. He didn't think there was anything wrong with his health, but under Professor Lu's insistence, he reluctantly agreed.

After all... her father, Ying Han, had been his attending physician after his accident a year ago and had saved his life, pulling him back from the brink of death within twenty-four hours. Whatever his daughter wanted to do, he felt obliged to fully support.

"Alright, the blood test results will be out tomorrow, and I'll send you a copy. While I'm not in Nanpu these next few days..."

"Eat on time, take your medication on schedule, and go to bed by ten at night," Xu Chengyue recited as if reading from a script. The medications Ying Xizi prescribed him were mostly non-prescription drugs that stimulated the nervous system, primarily for health maintenance.

"Okay, I'll be off then. Call me if you need anything." She nodded in satisfaction, packed up the medical kit, and, carrying her dark blue monster backpack, said goodbye.

Just before leaving, she noticed a photo hanging in the hallway. It was a picture of her father, Ying Han, and Xu Chengyue. In the photo, Xu Chengyue had just awakened from a coma, his gaze vacant, while her father had a somewhat bitter smile.

"Chengyue, when did you hang up this photo?" She reached out her left hand, her fingertips brushing over the faces of the two people in the picture. At that time, Xu Chengyue had just escaped from the clutches of death, temporarily losing all five senses, like a soulless shell. Her father, having just completed twenty-four hours of non-stop surgery, looked weary and aged.

They had taken this photo under such circumstances.

"The day before yesterday, I found it while tidying up the room, so I bought a frame and mounted it."

Xu Chengyue walked to the hallway and also looked at this photo taken at the edge of life and death. Back then, he had been like a newborn baby, having taken a trip to the underworld and drunk half a bowl of Mengpo soup, but was fortunately stopped at the gate of hell.

"Was the incident that year really an accidental fall?" Ying Xizi turned around, gazing into his eyes as if hoping for a different answer.

"Do you really drink?"

"Would you really... go up to the rooftop to look at the stars?"

But she was disappointed again. He just looked at her in surprise, repeating the words he had said countless times to the police and everyone else: "Yes, I accidentally fell."

"I don't lie, ever."

The sound of her high heels gradually faded in the corridor, with the faint scent of peach perfume lingering in the air.

Ying Xizi never stayed long at his place. After all, he lived alone, and it was easy for people to talk. He downed the lemonade he had made and replayed her recent expressions in his mind.

Throughout his nearly thirty years of life, Xu Chengyue had spent most of his time buried in scientific research. He had a strong ability to learn but had never successfully figured out what others were thinking. Just now, he vaguely sensed Ying Xizi's disappointment, but he couldn't provide any answers or actions she wanted.

After all, in his mind, the facts were as they were. He remembered the events of that day with exceptional clarity; there was no way he could lie.

But why did she hope that it hadn't been an accidental fall?

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 22, 2024 by Angel

Edited: June 25, 2024 by Angel