Chapter 33: You Didn’t Tell the Truth, Officer Zhou!

“Yu Bai, Yu Bai, you… wake up…”

Zhou Hui felt a little at a loss as Yu Bai suddenly collapsed into her arms. She lowered her head and gently patted the other woman’s face. It felt slightly feverish, like a low-grade temperature.

Yu Bai leaned against Zhou Hui and cracked her eyes open just a sliver. Her mind wasn’t fully conscious.

Her lips parted slightly, and two words slipped out: “Ji… Shen…”

“What?” Zhou Hui frowned. She hadn’t caught what Yu Bai said.

Zhou Hui leaned in close to her ear, only for Yu Bai’s warm breath to brush against her earlobe. Suddenly, Yu Bai hooked her arms around Zhou Hui’s neck. Her fingertips trailed slowly up Zhou Hui’s cheek until their foreheads touched. In a soft whisper, she murmured, “I know… it wasn’t you…”

This time, Zhou Hui vaguely pieced together a few words, but she was still utterly confused. She had no idea what these drunken, fragmented mutterings meant.

All she felt was a spark of anger at Yu Bai’s sudden overfamiliarity.

“Yu Bai, you…” The air hung still for a moment. Zhou Hui’s instinct was to push her away, but she hesitated when she noticed the unnatural flush coloring Yu Bai’s cheeks. Was this alcohol poisoning?

But… alcohol poisoning didn’t look like this!

Zhou Hui pried Yu Bai’s hand from her face and peered down helplessly. “Hey! Can you walk on your own?”

“……”

Zhou Hui’s question met with silence, so she sighed in resignation, scooped Yu Bai up into her arms, and headed for the emergency department.

Yu Bai always looked so slender, as if there wasn’t much meat on her bones. Even so, Zhou Hui paused in surprise when she lifted her. She was… far too light.

Light as a feather, almost insubstantial.

Only when Zhou Hui reached the emergency room, laid Yu Bai on the bed, and felt the sudden absence of that weight did she register just how little there had been to carry.

“Alcohol poisoning. Time for a stomach pump.” The doctor pulled off his mask. “Come over here and help hold her down.”

Zhou Hui followed him over and saw Yu Bai lying on the bed, her brows lightly furrowed as she mumbled something indistinct.

“Ji… Shen…”

This time, Zhou Hui heard it clearly.

She said, Ji Shen, I know it wasn’t you.

“!!!”

“Get ready,” the doctor said calmly, pulling Zhou Hui from her shock for the moment.

She pinned Yu Bai in place as the tube slid down her throat. Yu Bai gagged a few times, pain twisting her features.

She didn’t cooperate much. Even in her haze, her subconscious seemed to fight for escape.

Fortunately, she was too weak to put up much resistance, and Zhou Hui held her steady without too much trouble.

The next half hour dragged on like half a century for Zhou Hui.

Yu Bai’s labored breathing and retching filled her ears nonstop.

Zhou Hui squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to witness this—not this scene, and especially not Yu Bai in such a wretched state.

If Yu Bai had been even halfway aware right now, she probably would have shoved Zhou Hui out the door in a fit of fury.

When the tube finally came out, Zhou Hui released her grip. Her fingers trembled faintly, as if Yu Bai’s warmth still lingered there. The faint trace of perfume clinging to her nostrils wouldn’t fade.

Back in Ward 316 with an IV drip hooked up, Zhou Hui gradually shook off the lingering emotions.

She sat on the bed opposite, gazing quietly at Yu Bai, who still hadn’t stirred. Long lashes cast elegant arcs against her eyelids, forming delicate fan-shaped shadows. Her high-bridged nose, crimson-thin lips, and perfectly sculpted jawline—all came together in effortless beauty. Lying there with her eyes closed, she resembled a meticulously carved work of art.

Zhou Hui toyed with the lighter in her hand. It had fallen from Yu Bai’s pocket onto the floor beneath the bed. Her thumb traced the intricate dark patterns etched into its surface. Click—click—the golden flame flickered to life, then died, over and over.

Even after the IV finished and Zhou Hui called the nurse to remove the needle, those slurred words still echoed in her mind.

Ji Shen, I know it wasn’t you.

What wasn’t he?

Two years ago, Yu Bai had fiercely defended her husband, insisting to everyone at the City Bureau that Ji Shen hadn’t betrayed them. It wasn’t exactly a secret.

Zhou Hui’s intuition told her Yu Bai knew some hidden truth no one else did.

So why wouldn’t she speak up? Why let everyone keep misunderstanding instead of offering even a single explanation?

Or maybe this was just her subconscious favoritism toward Ji Shen showing through.

Zhou Hui frowned and pressed her lips together. She tossed the lighter onto the bedside table, drew in a deep breath, got to her feet, walked over to Yu Bai’s bed, and began helping her change clothes.

Her hand brushed against the collar of Yu Bai’s shirt. She had just undone two buttons when Zhou Hui’s fingers suddenly paused. Without warning, a stray thought floated into her mind.

~~~

“So much of a gentleman? You didn’t sneak a peek when I was changing clothes in the hospital? I don’t buy it.”

~~~

It felt as though Yu Bai’s warm breath still lingered against her ear. Startled, Zhou Hui’s ears grew hot, and she pulled her hand back. For no clear reason, a nameless anger flared up inside her, with nowhere to vent. Irritated, she slammed a fist into the bed.

Zhou Hui tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and massaged her temples. The fire in her chest refused to die down. From her throat came a cold, derisive chuckle.

She opened her eyes and looked down at Yu Bai, venting her frustration. “This is what you get for acting out! You’ll just sleep like that tonight!”

Her own outrageous outburst startled her—Yu Bai couldn’t hear a word of it anyway.

Zhou Hui muttered a curse under her breath, wrestled with herself for a couple of minutes, then stalked back to Yu Bai’s bedside, her face dark.

Her fingers slid to Yu Bai’s collar. She first removed the suit jacket. But as she reached for the shirt buttons, her gaze snagged on the red marks encircling Yu Bai’s wrist—stark against her fair skin. The sleeve had hidden them earlier.

Zhou Hui eased her back down flat and frowned. Surely not from when she’d grabbed her earlier?

She hadn’t even used much force!

Perched on the edge of the bed, Zhou Hui undid the cuff button on Yu Bai’s sleeve. She took the hand in hers, turning it over and over, inspecting it closely several times. No, it definitely wasn’t from her grip. The marks on Yu Bai’s wrist looked more like the kind left by nylon rope or something similar—bindings that had dug in tight.

Zhou Hui’s frown deepened. She was certain Yu Bai’s wrists had been mark-free that morning in the office.

So what the hell had she been up to that afternoon?

Zhou Hui’s mind veered straight into the gutter.

A flush of unnatural color crept into her cheeks, and she released Yu Bai’s hand.

All that effort she’d wasted searching for her all afternoon—Zhou Hui’s temper soured further.

Determined to get her into pajamas and off to sleep already, Zhou Hui’s fingers grew rougher as she worked the buttons free.

By the fourth button, Yu Bai’s pale, delicate skin came into view. Zhou Hui’s gaze froze. Her breath hitched.

It was like stumbling on a forbidden secret. Her fingers trembled faintly as she parted the collar further. Her throat worked with a swallow, and she dipped her head for a closer look.

Her eyes met that expanse of skin for only a heartbeat before darting away.

Her hands stilled. Zhou Hui turned her head aside, the corners of her eyes tinged red. An almost silent sigh escaped her lips.

~~~

The next morning, at dawn.

Yu Bai struggled to pry her eyes open from the hospital bed in Ward 316. Her head throbbed dully. She lifted a hand to her forehead, and her bleary gaze caught on the pajama sleeve—her pupils blew wide. She snapped fully awake.

She remembered Zhou Hui showing up at the bar. Riding the buzz of alcohol, she’d flirted shamelessly with her. Zhou Hui had brought her back to the hospital, and they’d had a heated argument right at the entrance.

After that…

Her memory blanked out completely. Nothing.

The door clicked open. Instinctively, Yu Bai scooted back against the headboard and sat up a little straighter.

“You’re awake.” Zhou Hui’s voice drifted from the doorway. She shut the door behind her and approached, setting a tray down on the medical tray table. Breakfast was hearty: steamed buns, porridge, and a few side dishes.

“Eat up first,” Zhou Hui told her.

Yu Bai didn’t touch her chopsticks right away. After a few seconds’ hesitation, she ventured, “Last night… you changed my clothes for me?”

Zhou Hui glanced up. Panic flickered in Yu Bai’s eyes, swiftly concealed.

“Nope,” Zhou Hui replied, cool as ever.

Relief washed over Yu Bai’s features. She slipped back into her usual teasing lilt. “Even if Officer Zhou did it herself, no big deal. I mean…”

She trailed off mid-sentence.

This time, Zhou Hui didn’t snap at the provocation. Instead, she braced her arms on the headboard and leaned in close, fixing Yu Bai with a loaded stare. In a soft murmur, she asked, “Really?”

A sly smile tugged at her lips as she straightened and pulled away.

Yu Bai frowned. She couldn’t read Zhou Hui at all anymore.

She polished off breakfast in a daze, barely registering what she’d eaten. Once Zhou Hui cleared the dishes and settled on the bed opposite, she fixed Yu Bai with a level look. “Why’d you go drinking?”

Yu Bai blinked back to the present, baffled by the question. “Do you need a reason to drink? I wanted to, so I did.”

“Bad mood?”

“You…”

Zhou Hui pressed on, undeterred. “Because of Xu Zhixin? Or what the others at the police bureau said?”

Yu Bai grew increasingly irritated. “I’ve already told you…”

“Sorry.”

Yu Bai was so exasperated that she let out a laugh. “What are you apologizing for? For kicking me out of your office twice yesterday?”

With that, she closed her eyes and fell silent.

“Then let’s say that’s the reason…”

Yu Bai was utterly baffled. She opened her eyes and frowned at Zhou Hui. “What’s gotten into you? You’re acting so strangely.” She felt a bit deflated about Zhou Hui today, so she let out a light chuckle and said in a somewhat peevish tone, “If that’s what it’s about, then Officer Zhou driving me back to the hospital last night more than settled the score. I should be the one thanking you!”

Zhou Hui opted for silence, not daring to accept Yu Bai’s gratitude.

This reaction only puzzled Yu Bai more, but she didn’t want to give herself a headache right after waking up. In the end, she gave up trying to figure out Zhou Hui’s odd behavior.

Propping her forehead with one hand, she said to Zhou Hui, “Send me the detailed case records. I need to go over the 725 Case again.”

“Now?!” Zhou Hui stared at her. Yu Bai’s complexion had improved slightly since last night, but she was still far from normal—nowhere near ready to dive back into work.

“Rest a little longer. The investigation can wait.”

Yu Bai lay in bed, feeling glum, for a full five minutes. Then she turned her head and asked abruptly, “How’s the probe into Yan Mingchang’s company going? Now that Narcotics Control is involved, have they found any drugs?”

“Still investigating. Nothing so far,” Zhou Hui replied, her expression unchanging.

Yu Bai lifted her eyelids and shot her a glance, then pierced right through the lie without mercy. “You’re not telling the truth, Officer Zhou!”