Chapter 106: The Psychologist – 13 (End of Vol 2)
For Zhou Jinglin, being discharged from the hospital in good health was undoubtedly the end of a nightmare.
Whether it was physical, psychological, or “visual,” it was a form of liberation.
Finally, she no longer had to see Lian Huizhu and Tang Yingli come to “visit” her together, which made her feel much more at ease.
“Have you finished the discharge procedures?”
“I have. And I’ve already moved everything to the car.” Jinglin, in casual jeans and a short coat, looked around behind Tang Yingli, who was walking toward her.
“What’s wrong?”
“You came alone?” Where’s the ghost?
“Yes, by taxi.”
Jinglin almost asked why Lian Huizhu hadn’t driven her, but she quickly realized that would undoubtedly be asking for trouble.
“Okay, then let’s go.”
After finally starting the car, Jinglin sighed with emotion.
“What, are you moved?” Tang Yingli’s face was filled with amusement.
“No. I’ve been a healthy baby since I was little, and this is the first time I’ve been in the hospital for so long. I even missed the chance to investigate a case with you.”
Tang Yingli crossed her arms. “What’s there to regret? There will be plenty of cases for you to investigate in the future.”
“That’s true.” She smiled. “Where are we going for dinner?”
“Home,” Tang Yingli said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “It’s a rare occasion that you’re being discharged, so I thought I’d cook myself… why do you look so skeptical?”
“You’re cooking?”
“Yes.”
“You?” Jinglin couldn’t believe it. “You, who only eats microwave food or takeout?”
“I just do it for convenience. Otherwise, I would have cooked for myself in the States.” She pursed her lips coldly.
“Then what are we having for dinner?”
As if she didn’t want to be looked down on, Tang Yingli brushed her hair back and snorted. “You’ll know when we get home.”
She had a vague, ominous premonition.
**
Smelling the familiar, faint fragrance in Tang Yingli’s home, it was enough to make Jinglin dizzy.
During the time she had been away, Tang Yingli seemed to have had someone come and clean many times. Every corner was spotless. There were several new bottles of red wine on the table, and Tang Yingli explained that her brother had brought them back from Hong Kong and Macau as a gift.
The golden hamster was as fat as before—no, it seemed even fatter. It must have been because Tang Yingli was often not at home, so she would always sprinkle a lot of food at once.
But the most important thing was the owner of this house.
After arriving home, Tang Yingli just took off her coat, tied on an apron, and went into the kitchen to prepare the meal. The yellow lighting in the kitchen made her, in her all-black attire, seem to glow. The design of the dress’s blouse and the sheer fabric on the back created a beautiful scene.
Jinglin took a few sips of sparkling water, let out a burp, and approached. “What are you making?”
“Pan-fried steak. My best dish.”
Oh? In her opinion, it’s her one and only dish.
Her long, slender fingers held the kitchen knife a little awkwardly, but the cooking process was quite smooth. Seeing that she was completely focused, Jinglin chuckled to herself. “I’ll go and take care of the dirty clothes first.” to avoid giving her too much psychological pressure.
She was humming as she threw the clothes into the washing machine, and then she took the dry clothes from the dryer. As soon as she entered, she heard Tang Yingli on the phone.
“…I’m already home… Officer Zhou was discharged today. Yes… I thought I was troubling you.”
Huh? Is she talking to Lian Huizhu?
“Don’t think so much. If I were really unwilling, I wouldn’t have suggested you be the forensic psychiatrist…” pouring olive oil into the pan, the steak immediately sizzled and gave off a tempting aroma, “yes… the case was solved smoothly this time, and it was indeed related to your judgment. You get back to work. I’m also cooking dinner… yes, goodbye.”
“Dr. Lian?”
Tang Yingli raised an eyebrow. “Yes, she was surprised to find I wasn’t in the office… I’ve already explained it to her. From now on, whether I’m going to the university or coming home from the office, I have a car to take me.”
It had to be said that hearing her say that, Jinglin felt a little happy. “Oh, I thought you were more used to taking her car.”
“Do you want me to say that?”
Jinglin shut up and met her half-smiling gaze. “No. It’s my responsibility to drive my roommate to and from work.”
“Oh?” So domineering.
“W-Well, that’s how it is. Why don’t you take my rent?”
Her rose-colored lips lifted slightly, and she continued to focus on frying the meat. Jinglin suddenly felt a little strange and couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher… do you know the reason why Dr. Lian and I had a falling out?”
“Ah,” she pushed up her glasses, “I asked her later.”
“Oh?” Jinglin was actually quite curious about what Lian Huizhu had told her.
“Huizhu’s personality is very delicate, and sometimes she has a near-neurotic need to get to the bottom of things. But after you get to know her a little longer, you’ll find that her personality is actually very gentle. I was a little surprised that she would provoke you with her words.” She flipped the meat with a pair of tongs. “After hearing her reason, I can understand her feelings a little.”
“What’s that… it feels like you’ve said something and nothing at all.”
“Then what do you want me to say? Some of the points involve personal privacy, and I don’t think I should be discussing them with you.” Tang Yingli raised an eyebrow and met her focused gaze. “I forgot to ask, do you like it well-done or rare?”
“I don’t eat steak often. It’s up to you.”
“Okay, then it’s about done. Help me get a plate.”
After sprinkling the spices, the hot dinner was finally served.
Tang Yingli had also thoughtfully provided steak sauce and sea salt, so they could change the flavor as they pleased, and she had also opened a new bottle of red wine for the occasion.
“Here,” she raised her wine glass, “to your smooth recovery.”
Chewing on the meat, Jinglin covered her mouth and clinked her glass with hers. “Thank you, Teacher.”
“I bought a special cut of filet. How does it taste?”
“Yes, it’s delicious.” Jinglin’s eyes lit up.
Savoring the fruity aroma of the red wine, after she had calmed down, she turned to ask about the details of the case.
“I didn’t expect Dr. Tao to have such an unspeakable past. His uncle is really…”
“The most sigh-worthy thing is what he said to his cousin.”
At most, you’re just a group of thieves with a blood relationship.
Jinglin tried to imagine Tao Qianya’s tone when he had shouted that. “Yes, that feels so scary. It’s as if even blood relations are not so reliable.”
“When did you get the illusion that blood is a reliable relationship?” Tang Yingli chuckled. “People’s relationships are always changing… I mean the good and the bad. Maybe they were once inseparable, but after things have changed, they can also become enemies. It’s like that with friends, with lovers, and with family.”
Jinglin was taken aback. For some reason, she felt that these were Tang Yingli’s heartfelt words.
“Could it be… that’s the reason you always keep your distance from people, Teacher?”
The knife cutting the meat suddenly stopped, and Tang Yingli looked up and met her gaze.
“If you think about it, you don’t plan to be in a relationship, and you’re also separated from your family, and now you’re even saying that blood relations are not reliable…” even though she and the Tang family were not related by blood at all. “Is this your answer? In the end, are you still determined to face everything alone, Teacher?”
“For example?”
“For example, the incident you said you were going to investigate yourself.” Jinglin put down her knife and fork heavily. “You know I’m investigating the details of my mom’s death, and you even said you were willing to help me… but only your own things… you never say a word about things that are so personal to you.”
Tang Yingli maintained the same posture, like a perfect statue.
“You’re always like this.” She smiled, a little sadly. “Just when I think I’ve finally gotten a little closer to you, you always shut me out.”
They had such a great rapport when they were investigating together, and they even had a considerable degree of compatibility when they were living in the same space. Jinglin admitted that it was a very comfortable thing to be with Tang Yingli, and she had even clearly felt the subtle tenderness that Tang Yingli showed many times.
For a rare moment, Tang Yingli’s emotions were shaken. She lowered her eyes and said quietly, “After all, that’s my homework, not yours…”
“So you’ve never told anyone that you’re just an adopted daughter in the Tang family, but you’re being disguised as a biological daughter?”
She had finally said it.
Jinglin’s eyes were filled with tears, and she lowered her head. “I’m sorry. I invaded your privacy. I was chasing Antisocial Personality once and accidentally went into your room and saw that pile of cassette tapes and your diary…”
“I know you saw it.”
Tang Yingli took a deep breath and also put down her knife and fork. “Although you tried very hard to put the cassette tapes back in order, the numbers were completely messed up… I knew you must have been in there.”
“Wait, numbers?” Every cassette tape looks the same.
“I carved numbers on them. Only I know.”
“So you already…” Jinglin slumped in her seat like a deflated balloon, covering her face. “Ah, I was still wondering if you had found out. I was both surprised and guilty for prying into your privacy, but I never thought…”
“I was just waiting for you to say it yourself.” Tang Yingli clasped her hands, and in the end, she smiled. “Oh, it’s good that you know. By the way, my brother proposed to me.”
Jinglin almost had a heart attack. “C-C-Can you do that?”
“I don’t know. In any case, I refused, although he doesn’t seem to have completely given up.” She took a sip of her red wine. “Since we’re on the subject… actually, my own homework is to investigate the cause of my biological parents’ death. That has long been a cold case.”
Trying hard to suppress her inner surprise, Jinglin nodded vigorously. “I can understand.”
“This is also the reason I had to come back.” She threw up her hands. “Alright, what only my brother knew before, now you know too. You can’t say I always shut you out anymore, can you?”
“Then… has there been any progress in the investigation?”
The number “67” she had found before, corresponding to the registration form, was a string of Chinese name abbreviations. But the phone number was still of some reference value.
“Yes, although there’s still some distance to the truth, there has indeed been some progress.”
“Then I’ll help you too.” Jinglin stood up, patting the table. “Just like you generously took me in after my mom was killed… it was my experience that made you think of yourself, right? If that’s the case, then your business, in a sense, is also my business, isn’t it?”
“But…”
“I won’t let you face it alone.” Her attitude was unprecedentedly firm. “Absolutely not.”
**
After finally solving the serial arson case, even though there were still many cases waiting to be investigated, the members of the Criminal Investigation Division at least had a chance to catch their breath.
“What are you looking at?” Lu Tingfeng, who had only had a rice ball for dinner, patted Jian Minggui’s back.
“Oh, nothing. Just checking the surveillance footage.” There was also surveillance in the office, and each record was automatically deleted after sixty days. But it was usually only reviewed in special circumstances, such as an intruder or the theft of an important item.
“Ah, if nothing has happened, you can just take a quick look.” Because the amount of data was very large, it was very time-consuming to review it carefully.
“Yes, I think so too.”
“I’ll be off work after I finish eating. You should get some rest too.”
“I know. Thank you, senior.”
After a quick scroll through the surveillance footage outside the autopsy room, he switched to the records of the evidence storage.
But here, Jian Minggui unexpectedly found a strange scene.
“This… what’s going on?”
The person in the picture was in all black, and had walked to the end of the storage and had taken out one of the cardboard boxes, and was taking pictures of the evidence bags and investigation records inside one by one.
There’s no mistake… that person is Tang Yingli.
