The Brain Science Case 11

Chapter 11: Paranoid Delusions – 11 (End)

“Hey! Get it straight, I’m not your driver!”

Despite her grumbling, Zhou Jinglin still drove to the department store to rescue Yingli as requested.

She couldn’t help it. They would be seeing each other at work in the future, and… this time, she had truly witnessed Tang Yingli’s capabilities firsthand. Not to mention, she owed her one.

“Aww, my brother’s on duty and doesn’t have time. I have a license but no car, and most of my friends already have plans. The only person I could ask was you, Officer Zhou!” She blinked innocently. “Besides, you were just lazing around at home anyway. Think of it as getting out for some fresh air!”

This woman! Her thick skin is unrivaled! “Isn’t your family rich? You should have everything, right? Why are you buying so many daily necessities?”

“I’m not living at my family’s house anymore, so I need to buy everything again…” She pouted and turned her head. “Didn’t I tell you?”

Zhou Jinglin gritted her teeth. “You haven’t told me anything besides case-related matters!” And who was it that was bragging about having a good memory?

“Sorry, sorry! I’m renting a place. The semester is about to start, and living on my own is closer to both the university and the station.”

The apartment Yingli rented was in a bustling district, complete with an elevator, a gym, and other amenities, as well as a security guard. How much must the rent be for a place like this?

“You can just put those there, thanks!”

Zhou Jinglin placed the bags on the sofa. “You live alone?” The interior design was grand yet comfortable.

“Yep!” She disappeared into the kitchen.

“Do you need such a big place for one person?” It was a two-bedroom apartment.

“I like having friends over, so a bigger place is more convenient. What would you like to drink?”

“Anything’s fine.” She poked the fabric sofa and sank into it without ceremony.

“Sparkling water it is!”

She had only moved in a week ago, so the place didn’t feel lived-in yet; there wasn’t even any dust. A few bottles of red wine were displayed in the TV cabinet, along with some personal photos and a graduation certificate.

One of the photos was a striking shot of her holding a gun. Her form is pretty good… target practice?

“Here’s your sparkling water! Ah, that was taken during my training. The officer who was mentoring me took it for me.” She quietly approached Zhou Jinglin.

“Training?”

“As a criminal profiler.”

In the blink of an eye, Yingli had changed into casual clothes. Contrary to most women, she only wore pants at home.

“So you’re skilled with a gun?”

She shrugged. “I always got an A on my marksmanship evaluations.”

Zhou Jinglin’s lips parted. “People like you are truly blessed. Smart, capable, and from such a happy, perfect family. You would have done just fine in the States, wouldn’t you?”

“Probably.”

“Tang…” Calling her Miss felt too distant, but Doctor was too strange. “How about I call you ‘Teacher’?”

“Anything is fine, as long as it’s not Doctor, Professor, or Expert.”

Even though she holds all those titles, Zhou Jinglin thought with a smile. “Teacher Tang, why did you come back?”

“Hm?”

“I heard from the medical examiner that it takes at least two years of training to qualify as a criminal profiler. You clearly qualified, so you could have easily stayed there… whether for research or to work on cases. Anything you can do in Taiwan, you could have done there.”

She casually set down the crystal glass of sparkling water.

“Why did you come back?”

Yingli folded her hands, hesitating for a long moment before speaking. “I had a reason I had to come back… something that can only be done here.”

She had never seen Yingli with such an expression.

Devoid of light, tinged with sorrow.

“Chief Fang said your mom often calls to check on you. That’s so nice.” Yingli’s tone held no trace of sarcasm. “I’ve been alone for a long time… No matter where I am, I’m always alone.”

On her left hand, a pinky ring had appeared at some point.

“Teacher?”

“I’m sorry…” Her smile was strained. “Can we end this topic here?”

Right before her eyes, Yingli firmly shut the door to her heart.

Zhou Jinglin had to admit… for the first time, she genuinely wanted to understand Tang Yingli.

Just as silence fell, a phone rang. It was Yingli’s.

“Hello? Brother! Aren’t you at work? Why all of a sudden…” In an instant, Yingli’s cheerful tone vanished. “Chronic intracranial hemorrhage? I can’t believe it still happened… Okay, okay! I understand.”

“What intracranial hemorrhage?”

Yingli touched her forehead. “It’s the little girl who was caught by the killer yesterday. Good thing you’re here.”

“She has an intracranial hemorrhage!” Zhou Jinglin shot up, shocked.

“Yes, my brother just called… They’re going into surgery now.”

Clank! She slammed down her glass of sparkling water. “Let’s go see!”