The Brain Science Case 65

Chapter 65: Another Voice in the Brain – 2

Was it a coincidence…?

“Ah, this is quite serious. It’s been almost a month since her last follow-up? Strange, it shouldn’t have been this long…”

Tang Yingli muttered to herself, “Could it be because she didn’t have much time left, so she…” But that’s not right. If her time was limited, then why was she still so tight-lipped about Jinglin’s biological father?

What was Li Yuejiao planning?

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Oh, this mother… for now, she can’t come for a follow-up.” She chose her words carefully and continued to search for the clue she wanted.

“Is she injured? Or did she go to another hospital for treatment?” Ren Liqiong guessed while also paying attention to Tang Yingli’s expression. “Besides the tumor, she also had a minimally invasive procedure. She was hospitalized for a while, and… why didn’t she get aggressive treatment then?”

“Maybe she was worried about affecting her daughter.” After flipping through the medical record, Tang Yingli frowned. “Strange, I can’t find it.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Um… if she had stored her own blood for the surgery, would there be a record of it being withdrawn or stored?”

“Stored blood… there should be.” Ren Liqiong flipped through the pages. “Mm… there’s no record of it here.”

Tang Yingli rested her chin on her hand, the winter sun shining on her still profile, making her look like a perfect marble statue. “Or was it taken somewhere else? Otherwise, how could it have been tested for…” heparin.

This was also the biggest suspicious point.

“Yingli?” Ren Liqiong shook her. “You’ve been muttering to yourself. What’s wrong? Why are you asking about stored blood?”

“Oh, this mother, she was involved in some cases a while ago…” It wasn’t a good idea to keep it a secret, so Tang Yingli decided to tell her part of the truth. “Her whereabouts are currently unknown.”

“Unknown?”

“Yes, so I was trying to see if I could find any clues from her medical records.”

“What kind of cases?”

“That’s not something I can explain easily.” She smiled, her index finger on her lips. “In any case, thank you for your help, Sister.”

“Alright, you have your own concerns, I understand.” Ren Liqiong nodded, which made her breathe a sigh of relief. “By the way, Zhichao can also access this information. Why didn’t you ask him?”

“Something like this, with my brother’s by-the-book personality… he wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Is that so? I thought you two were on bad terms…” Ren Liqiong deliberately pouted. “Hey, wait a minute. So you’re saying I’m very suitable for this kind of thing?”

She quickly forced a smile. “Of course that’s not what I meant.”

“I didn’t think so.” Ren Liqiong put her hands on her hips. “But speaking of stored blood… I’ve seen a case before.”

“What kind of case?”

“A patient had their blood preserved as stored blood during surgery.”

“During surgery…” That’s… so strange. “You mean the blood lost during surgery?”

“Yes, but… this kind of case is very rare. After all, sterile processing is a problem. When blood flows onto the operating table, it’s hard not to get contaminated, right? This case was a long time ago, so my memory might be wrong.” She squinted in thought, then shook her head and smiled. “It’s nothing. Just take it as me rambling. Your friend’s mother probably didn’t encounter this situation.”

Yingli quietly glanced at the attending physician’s column again. “Mm… probably not.”

“But I’ve almost never seen it, stored blood and all. A patient storing their own blood for surgery… they’re already anemic, where would they get extra blood to store? And there’s no benefit.”

“I see.” Yingli handed back the medical record. “It’s about time. I should go.”

“Are you going home? Or to find Zhichao?”

“Yes, to find my brother.” The scan was almost over. She waved her hand and walked away with her hands in her coat pockets.

Ren Liqiong stared at her back for a moment, shook her head, and then slowly put the medical record back in the paper bag.

**

Drinking her milk, Jinglin gently pressed her earlobe, still trying to get rid of the discomfort from just now.

Tang Zhichao was still explaining the principles and purposes of the two scans, and as expected, she didn’t understand a thing.

“Ah, it’s over.” Tang Yingli walked into the lab, wiping her wet hands. “Are you okay?”

Her smile was stiff. “It feels like a few hundred bees are flying around my ears.”

“Mm, that’s normal.”

Jinglin stared at her handkerchief. “Did you go to the restroom?”

She nodded. “My brother is here, so I’m at ease.”

Jinglin looked at Tang Zhichao and noticed that the way they looked at each other was a little strange. Ever since she had learned that they were not related by blood, she couldn’t help but look at them with a hint of ambiguity.

“Yingli, when do you and Officer Zhou want to see the report?”

“The MRI should be quick, right? The PET will…” Tang Yingli pondered. “It’s fine. We’ll come back when the data is organized.”

“Then next week?”

Jinglin sought her opinion with her eyes, and she shrugged. “Mm, whenever it’s convenient for my brother.”

Tang Zhichao nodded. “Then I have other things to do. That’s all for now.”

“Yes, Officer Zhou came here specifically for a scan today. I don’t want to ruin her day off because of this.”

That’s it? She had thought they would have dinner together or something…

“Let’s go.” Yingli winked. “You can start thinking about what you want to eat now.”

Leaving the hospital, the cold wind made Jinglin shrink her neck.

“You came all this way… I thought you two siblings would have dinner or something.”

“My brother specifically made time to help you with your scan. He has a lot of things to do, and that doesn’t include having dinner with his sister.”

“Teacher, you said you have your brain scans at home?” Opening the car door, Jinglin’s eyes lit up as she stared at her. “Can I see them?”

“Yes, of course.”

“So readily?”

“It’s just a few black and white cross-sections of the brain,” Tang Yingli said, buckling her seatbelt and turning to her with a smile. “If I don’t explain it, most people won’t understand it.”

She was that “most people.”

“Of course I need a neuroscientist to help me explain it.”

“I will explain it.” She squinted with a small smile, which looked a little mischievous to Jinglin. “But that’s for your scans.”

“What about yours?”

“I said I would let you see them, didn’t I?”

This person… is just bullying me. “Tang Yingli, honestly… you got my hopes up.”

“Hopes for what?”

“Just…” she paused, and the car slowly pulled out. “To be able to peek into… the secrets of a neuroscientist’s brain… that kind of feeling.”

Tang Yingli sighed with a laugh. “Oh, aren’t you talking to my brain right now? Don’t have too many expectations for the scans.”

“Then what’s the use of getting a scan?” Wasn’t that a slap in the face?

“It’s just to determine if certain areas of your brain are normal, because you were physically and mentally abused at a very young age.”

Jinglin’s heart suddenly tightened.

Tang Yingli continued, her tone flat. “Many people become criminals because they have had a tragic childhood. According to statistics, the younger the age of abuse and the more severe the abuse, the greater the impact on brain function.”

A tragic childhood… an impact on brain function.

This was the real reason she was afraid of the scan.

“But,” Tang Yingli tilted her head up, “even if there is a defect in the brain, it doesn’t mean that person will definitely become a criminal.”

The tense emotions were instantly released. “Is that so?”

“Yes, there’s a theory that explains that in addition to abnormal brain function, two other factors are needed for a person to become a criminal…”

Jinglin nodded, expecting her to continue, but she suddenly stopped. “Ah, I almost forgot to say, I won’t be in the office on Thursday and Friday.”

“Oh… because of final exams?”

“No.” She rubbed her temples, looking troubled. “I’ve been invited to an international academic conference… and on Thursday, I have to translate a speech.”

“Oh, what kind of speech?”

“‘The Criminal Brain.’ The speaker is Andrew Chomsky, the scholar who proposed the theory. You can come and listen if you’re interested.”

“I am interested, but I have to work,” Jinglin said with a wry smile.

“That’s true…” she rested her chin on her hand in thought. “Then I’ll bring you a recording.”

“Really? That’s great.”

**

Even though she knew it wasn’t an X-ray, Jinglin couldn’t help but hold the image up to the light.

What is this black part?

“It’s time to go… what are you doing?” Tang Yingli stomped her foot, both amused and annoyed. “You can’t see anything even if you hold it up to the light.”

“These black parts, what do they mean?” These black areas were concentrated in the center of the brain and the inner side, each occupying nearly half the area.

Her index finger on her lips, Tang Yingli raised an eyebrow. “Don’t try to get it out of me. We’ll talk about it when your scans are out.”

So stingy. Why is she so guarded? Jinglin threw down the image in frustration and stood up from the sofa. “Hey, your clothes today… are different?”

“It’s better to be a little more formal for an academic conference.” Tying a small tie in the mirror, she faced Jinglin. “How’s this?”

Tang Yingli was in a white pinstripe suit with an indigo shirt and a silver tie. Even with her tassel earrings, the rare androgynous, handsome look was still eye-catching.

Jinglin nodded vigorously. “V-Very good.”

“Why are you stuttering if it’s good?”

“I-I’m not.”

Tang Yingli pursed her lips. “Let’s go. Take me to the station.”

She glanced at the clock. “I can take you to the university.”

“I don’t want you to speed, and I’m already nervous enough. Don’t raise my blood pressure by speeding.”

“You’re nervous?” Jinglin’s expression was like she had seen a rare animal.

“Yes.”

“I can’t tell.”

As her exclusive driver, she took Tang Yingli to the MRT station as promised.

“Thank you. See you tonight.”

“Remember to record it for me.”

“I know.” She turned back with a playful smile and lightly closed the car door.

Looking at her towering back, Jinglin’s heart inexplicably beat a little faster. “This outfit… who is she trying to kill?” Turning the steering wheel, she slammed on the accelerator, letting the wind blow away the faint scent of her perfume.