Chapter 111: Showdown in Tianjin (4)

*Bai Li*

Zhang Ning lost her balance, and she fell on me. I quickly caught her arm. I felt her hair brush on my face and her face crashing on my chest.

I froze. This wasn't a very good position, and I thanked God that Xin Lei wasn't here, or else she would have eaten me raw.

She was already a bit resentful that Zhang Ning stood close to me outside Yi Xiaosi's office yesterday.

I shuddered, imagining her reaction.

I coughed and quickly pulled her up.

"Ouch!"

I said, "Why are you moving? Your shoulder is hurt as well as your ankle. One arm and one leg. It cannot get any worse."

I heard Zhang Ning say, "I-it's not my fault... Standing at that angle made my ankle hurt even more. I just wanted to get into a comfortable position."

I said nothing.

"...Sorry though."

I shrugged. "Hm. Alright. I cannot do anything about your injury; I am sorry. Your shoulder is dislocated, and a piece of rock is stuck in your ankle. I will make it just worse if I touch it. You have to bear it until we meet with Xin Lei."

"Okay…"

"Can you see the way? We have to get out of this rubble before your crazy lover finds us."

I heard her taking a sharp breath.

"He is not my lover. I hate Yi Xing."

I sensed the displeasure in her voice. Well, it wasn't a surprise.

I got up and supported her, holding her shoulders.

"Which way to go?"

"Um…I see that way a little less devastated. We can find a way there."

"Okay. Just give me the directions. I will handle it with my stick."

"Okay…"

But as we just took one step ahead, I heard her hiss. Once again, I heard her breathing raggedly.

I knitted my brows. Her ankle must be hurting. I pursed my lips.

I was a soldier. I just couldn't leave her walking by herself when she was in pain. We couldn't afford to delay any longer either before any of those stupid men found us. It would be a bother to fight them.

"I am sorry…" she said.

"Not your fault. We cannot waste any more time. Sorry, but I will have to pick you up."

I felt her stiffen.

"No... that's not necessary. I will walk...you have already helped me enough."

"Forget it. The rock stuck in your ankle will be painful, and it could also pierce even more in your skin. You just catch my stick and tell me the way."

"The rod is still important?"

"Of course."

There was a beat of silence.

"I don't want your girlfriend to misunderstand you." I heard her softly say. There was a strain in her voice, too, that I felt as if she was uncomfortable about this.

I raised my eyebrow.

"Xin Lei and I haven't known each other for long, but I trust that our feelings aren't that weak for her to misunderstand me so easily. It's because first - she is a doctor. As a doctor, she will understand your condition. Second, I was a soldier. She will also understand my predicament of trying to just help you out of duty. Pure professionalism in both cases."

"Do you two trust each other so much?"

I sensed her shock and surprise as she asked it.

But I already knew the answer to it. Outside Yi Xiaosi's office, I really thought for a moment that she misunderstood me seeing Zhang Ning so close to me. But when she said that she never even doubted me, I felt a tinge of embarrassment. 

I misjudged the trust she had in me. So in a way, I doubted her feelings for me.

I felt guilty about that.

I smiled. "Of course. Sometimes, you don't need to spend days and months and years to form that bond. It is just..our instinct that tells us that the other won't betray us. I know that I will not misunderstand her if I hear that she was close to a man. I am sure a hundred and one percent, she would be helping him just as a doctor.

Our professions require us to help people in need. We cannot doubt every other person of the opposite sex who gets close to the other."

"I see…I really envy your relationship. I wish my parents had that too…"

Zhang Chao and Zhang Qiyue. It was always complicated when it came to politics.

"Let's go."

I picked her up in my arms. "Which way?"

I heard nothing for a moment.

"Which way?" I repeated.

"Oh, yes! Turn left a bit and walk straight until I tell you to stop. The path is doesn't have many big rocks, so you will be fine."

"Hm. I thought you fainted."

"Oh, no, no."

As she gave the directions, I kept on walking.

She asked, "How did the gantry crane collapse all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, but I am sure that somebody has tampered with it. It was deliberate."

"Yi Xing?" She slowly said.

"I don't think he has to go that far. The way he talked sounded nothing suspicious. I think he was unaware just like us. Why would he be present here in the first place if he knew the mishap was going to happen? He is not that idiot."

"R-right…"

"Plus, his love for you may be twisted, but he wouldn't do this if you were present too. I am sure he faked to kidnap you to act as a hero to save you. If you were here, then he wouldn't want you to get injured."

"You think too highly of him. He can go to any extent in his craziness. He can even harm me."

"Still, this doesn't seem to be his doing."

"Hm. Careful!" She shouted.

But I already heard the sound of a rock moving above me. It was going to fall.

I quickly hopped to the side, and the rock fell with a thud.

"Th-thank God…"

"But not for long, Zhang Ning."

I stopped. It was Yi Xing.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Lucky you, Bai Li, that you got saved."

"Y-Yi Xing…" Zhang Ning sounded terrified.

"Naturally, you would have pushed the rock to smash my head." I smiled.

"Heh! I will still get my revenge on you. How dare you hold MY Ning in your filthy arms!?"