"You'll see it soon enough. But speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be an expert in this kind of thing? Let me take you somewhere!"
I first had someone escort Li Ruzhen to the provincial department, then I changed the direction of my car and returned to the quadrangle with Xia Xiaoling.
"Deputy Director He, with your status, why are you still speaking so casually?"
"Well, isn't it just the two of us here?"
"Hmph hmph hmph hahaha! Yes, yes, I forgot. Alright, why did you bring me back to the quadrangle? Don't tell me you're... having an affair while Captain Liu is away?"
"Watch your mouth, what affair!"
"Hehehe, I'm just kidding. If I'm not mistaken, Liu Yuning has also fallen victim, hasn't she!"
"You... how did you know?"
"Hmph hmph hahaha, how could I not know? The moment I saw you, I quickly realized you were in a bad mood, and your, *ahem*... your hormones have been quite high lately, haven't they? That's because you haven't done *that* for at least a month. Besides, your collar and shoes are a bit messy. You're a married man; this shouldn't happen. Considering the case you're investigating, the only conclusion is that your wife has also been affected!"
I gave her a thumbs-up. "When it comes to deduction, besides myself, I've never bowed to anyone else!"
"Haha, that's hilarious!"
Xia Xiaoling followed me into the quadrangle and up to the attic. The auntie there was surprised to see me bring another woman back. "Master, who is this?"
I explained the situation, and the auntie said, "Alright, I hope this Doctor Xia can help."
I could tell the auntie was disappointed, likely thinking Xia Xiaoling wouldn't succeed. But I didn't say anything. Didn't Professor Xia say before that Quan Jinglan's condition was more severe than Liu Yuning's, yet Xia Xiaoling resolved it? So, Liu Yuning should be a piece of cake.
After Xia Xiaoling entered the attic and closed the door, I went to the upstairs corridor. From here, I could see the treatment she was administering to Liu Yuning.
This time, I clearly observed their entire treatment process. Unlike He Qing, who wielded quicksand, Xia Xiaoling was holding that book. I didn't keep it safe for her this time. She stood before Liu Yuning, holding the book open, and began to read aloud with great earnestness.
She looked like the most devoted storyteller, ready to serve Liu Yuning exclusively. I watched them intently. Liu Yuning, who had been in a daze, slowly regained a flicker of clarity in her cloudy eyes as Xia Xiaoling recited a particularly impassioned passage. It was as if a pool of stagnant water, completely eroded by chaos, had suddenly rippled with a glimmer of hope, stirring an indescribable emotion within me.
But strangely, it felt as if we had all momentarily returned to the past, to when we first met. I had no idea how Xia Xiaoling managed it; she had even affected me. Could she be performing remote hypnosis?
However, it's also possible that my intense focus on the scene simply drew me in, causing me to resonate with it.
As I pondered this, Liu Yuning actually stood up. She placed a hand on Xia Xiaoling's shoulder, looking at the girl with reverence, as if receiving a divine blessing.
"Captain Liu, how are you feeling now? Was my recitation enjoyable?"
"Good! Very good!" Although Liu Yuning only uttered a few simple words, she was far better than her previous catatonic state.
At that moment, I couldn't help but feel excited, but I didn't rush down. After all, until Xia Xiaoling said "okay," I couldn't interfere.
Xia Xiaoling replied, "That's good, then let's continue! Captain Liu!"
"Mmm!" Liu Yuning responded softly, her lips parting slightly, her eyes clear, as if she had become Xia Xiaoling's eternal companion.
"Once upon a time, there was a girl who slept in a world of illusions, holding Pandora's Box in her hands, waiting for her..."
After a period of recitation, Liu Yuning's lips curved into a beautiful arc. It felt as if Xia Xiaoling had personally opened the beautiful tragedy within Pandora's Box – the first woman on earth made of clay by the fire god Hephaestus or Zeus, sent as punishment to mankind for Prometheus's creation and theft of fire. The gods, too, contributed to making her irresistibly charming.
"Captain Liu, you are now a normal person because you have borne all your punishments. Your sentence is complete. You no longer need to blame yourself for other victims. Instead, you should provide us with more strong evidence, help us find those girls, and testify against those detestable criminals!"
Liu Yuning nodded slightly. Her arm suddenly twitched, and her hand clenched tightly. The next moment, Xia Xiaoling, like a benevolent mother, comforted her. Liu Yuning lay down, and at that instant, I felt an incredibly genuine and great maternal love radiating from Xia Xiaoling.
Despite her being much younger than Liu Yuning, her demeanor showed no sign of her being merely a girl in her early twenties.
This girl was indeed Professor Xia's descendant. The charisma she exuded could subdue everyone around her at any moment, and her treatment was also yielding good results.
When Xia Xiaoling finally emerged, she said to me with great ease, "Wait for her to wake up, and everything will be alright."
"Thank you, Xiaoling. If it weren't for you, this would have been a real problem. After she wakes up, will she be able to tell us what happened?"
"It's very likely. However, I'll need to continue the hypnosis and gradually guide her to recall past events."
"Alright, then we'll wait. It won't take long, will it?"
"Just let her sleep for a while."
Five hours later, Liu Yuning woke up. I had already prepared her favorite chicken porridge and was feeding it to her bite by bite. She recognized me, though she was a bit weak. This time, it was as if she had been away from the mortal world for a long time and had only recently returned to reality.
"Wife, does my cooking taste good?"
"Very, very good. Actually, this is the first time I've eaten porridge made by you!"
"Hahaha, I'll make more in the future. You've been through a lot these past years."
"It's alright. In our line of work, when do we get to rest? I've accepted my fate. If it's not dangerous, it's not being a criminal investigator! Don't worry, as long as you're here, Liu Yuning will never give up!"
"Thank you for always being by my side!"
"Husband!!"