I struggled to sit up and looked at her, "Does doing this make you uncomfortable?"
"Hey, I believe you wouldn't kill anyone; it must have been the perpetrator who framed you!"
"Is this place your home?"
"Mhm, you're safe here. Rest for now, I won't let anything happen to you."
"Xiao Tao, thank you!"
"What are you thanking me for? I'm a member of the Punishment Team, after all. Here's some food, and also anti-inflammatory and fever reducers. Though I already gave you those and changed your clothes!"
It was then I noticed my clothes were different. She had apparently stripped me entirely and... I immediately felt a pang of guilt towards Yu Ning, but there was nothing to be done. This was hardly the time to dwell on it. I carefully tried to stand, but my body felt weak. Ling Xiao Tao told me to stay put and gently tended to me, feeding me porridge.
Halfway through, I asked, "How is the rest of the team?"
"Oh, them. Sigh, they're investigating. But they all believe the killer isn't you. They think it's just a ploy by the perpetrator. I think so too, but it's strange, how did it happen? We clearly saw you kill..."
"No, there was someone behind me. That arm wasn't mine!"
"But there's no one to prove it, right?"
"Ling Xiao Tao, you don't believe me either?"
"No, that must have been some kind of illusion. Remember the island? Didn't the perpetrator almost trap us there? We were so confused. Then there was the plague case. They're even playing some crime game with Polaris. Sometimes I wonder if someone from Polaris deliberately changed their name to perpetrator to distract us?"
"No, they shouldn't be the same organization. Their methods are different. Compared to Polaris, the perpetrator is actually more cunning. Perhaps all this is very complicated for you, after all, you're a forensic investigator!"
"Sigh, He Sheng, you've had it tough. I didn't expect you to end up like this. What are your plans now?"
"I definitely won't stay here long. I need to go back to the scene!"
"The police are guarding it. Aren't you afraid of walking into a trap?"
"Can you help me?"
"Mhm, well, I'll have to think about it!"
"I can only count on you now!"
"Heh, are you begging me?"
"Ling Xiao Tao, I hope you can stand on the side of uncovering the truth in this case, not on personal feelings!"
"Don't be ridiculous! When did I ever have personal feelings for you!"
Although Ling Xiao Tao tried hard to hide it, I noticed her face flush and her jaw muscles twitching severely. She was lying.
It seemed He Xin had been right before; this girl did like me. But perhaps I could use this to my advantage, to get her to help me more. As selfish as it sounded, these were desperate times. I needed to create every opportunity for others to help me, to increase my chances of handling this situation.
Seeing that I was still a little hungry, Ling Xiao Tao turned her head. "I don't think this is enough to satisfy your stomach. How about I cook you something? I hope you'll like it!"
"Xiao Tao, aren't you afraid the police will find me?"
"Ha ha, why don't you say I'm going out to call the police?"
"I know you won't. If you wanted to call the police, you would have done so when you saw me. You wouldn't have brought me back. Besides, if you report me now, what if I hold you hostage?"
"Ha ha ha, I know you wouldn't do that. I know your character."
"Alright, you should still be careful!" Ling Xiao Tao didn't answer and turned to prepare food. I rested alone for a while longer, then managed to sit up. I didn't know what was wrong earlier, but I felt so heavy all over. I went to the balcony and looked out. Perhaps my current predicament was affecting my mood. Even the night view outside felt tinged with melancholy. The city lights of Guangming City seemed dimmer, and the cars on the road were numerous, like ants and grasshoppers crawling in a tree hollow. My mind was in turmoil, but I knew I had to stay calm, analyze the case, and try to find clues.
However, to analyze, I still needed the help of the Punishment Team. Going it alone, without skills or leads, wouldn't work. I recalled that I used to rely on He Xin for much of my research. I wanted to contact He Xin now, but I couldn't use Ling Xiao Tao's computer. If I did, it was likely I'd be caught the moment I opened it.
I hesitated, then decided to do nothing and returned to the bed to rest. A while later, Ling Xiao Tao arrived with noodles. I had expected her to actually cook me a meal, but it turned out to be egg noodles. After a few bites, I discovered chicken legs at the bottom of the soup. I ate with relish. Ling Xiao Tao watched me curiously, perhaps never having seen me eat so voraciously. She couldn't help but laugh, "He Sheng, so you have this side to you too."
"Why... shouldn't I? I'm human too..." I answered while eating, which almost made me choke. After a few coughs, I swallowed the chicken. "Thank you for the noodles, but I can't stay here too long. I don't want to implicate you, understand?"
"Don't worry, no one will find us here. Don't let the city in the distance fool you; this is actually a manor, somewhat like your siheyuan, but my place is more ancient."
"Oh? Don't tell me your family used to be coroners? But if so, you wouldn't have looked down on coroners before." I reasoned to myself. Ling Xiao Tao gave a wry smile. "Why does having an old house mean one must be a coroner? Forensic investigation only started with my generation. My parents didn't really like me taking up this profession, thinking it wasn't good for a girl to be around corpses all the time. But I just don't like dealing with living people. While other girls like to share about bags, makeup, and luxury cars, I like dissecting bodies and seeking justice for the deceased. Whether in the family or among friends, though I don't have those friends anymore, I was always considered an oddity, not a normal girl."
This time, it was my turn to smile. "An ordinary girl definitely couldn't do this job. Don't worry about what others say. Think about it, why can you do what other women can't? It proves you're much more capable than them, you know?"