Special Forces Medic

Chapter 914 886: The Thick, Bloody Scent

"Stop!" In front of a pile of toppled ruins, Xiao Lin leaped high and landed in front of the person ahead of him. Behind the veiled face were eyes he knew well. "Should I call you DOMO now, or Liang Hu?"

Xiao Lin didn't miss the perfectly intact hand; he vividly remembered he had forcefully torn off this arm in that dark alley. From the fingertips to the veiled face, to the answer Hong Lian provided, his mind went blank for a moment.

The intact hand pulled down the veil to reveal a resolute face, always unyielding, never knowing what weakness was. On the battlefield, this person always charged forward, leaving others to cover him from behind, using those hands to create more time and space to treat injuries.

Xiao Lin didn't know how to express his feelings now. If the first time was on the dark street, he had reason to deceive himself into thinking he'd just met someone similar, but now, what was before him? A corpse that could walk freely, one he couldn't deceive himself about anymore.

"Give me an explanation."

"Lin!" The same voice, the same tone, Xiao Lin erupted at this moment, lunging at Liang Hu without warning, punching that face fiercely, as if venting, until he felt this face was unrecognizable.

"Don't talk to me in his tone; I won't believe you are Liang Hu."

With a powerful push of his left foot, Xiao Lin was kicked aside. Liang Hu flipped up from the ground, not retaliating but jumping away. He ran in another direction, and Xiao Lin followed closely. There were several drops of red blood on the ground; only living beings bleed and have red blood. Looking back at the liquid on the ground, Xiao Lin halted his pace, slowly walked to the blood, dipped a finger into the stain, and then put it in his mouth.

The thick, metallic taste made him frown, undeniably chasing the shadow ahead.

When Hua Qingyi arrived, the bloodstains on the ground had dried. Finding such small traces amidst a pile of toppled ruins wasn't easy, especially when they had dried into a purplish black. Professionally, he picked a bit of blood with a small stick and put it into a sealed bag along with the stick. Judging from the coagulation time, he couldn't track Xiao Lin's whereabouts anymore. There's no sign of a struggle at the scene, or one-sided action; the chances are higher it was Xiao Lin rather than the Assassin, but how could Xiao Lin make the Assassin not fight back?

Jumping off the ruins, he walked to his car. On the other side of the road, a group wearing hard hats came over; from afar, he saw a petite figure among the crowd, hesitated a bit, but stayed by the car to wait for their approach.

"Xia Xue" had already passed by, appearing focused with no awareness of the surroundings, clearly treating Hua Qingyi as air.

Xia Xue was buried in the blueprints, and Xia Yusheng undertook the North District's renovation project, plainly tossing the revised plans in front of her. The topic between her and Xiao Lin became less frequent, heavily replaced by political and economic interests. Elder Xia also stopped mentioning having her step down from the 'Rhein' position, mainly due to the pressure Xiao Lin exerted unilaterally. Hehe, what was this considered? Such kindness in exchange for being a tool sacrificing for the Xia Family.

"Young Master Hua!" Xia Xue noticed the fleeting black shadow she glimpsed earlier was Hua Qingyi, somewhat surprised, and the people beside her stopped.

"Can we talk for a bit?" Hua Qingyi himself didn't know why he said this, merely instinctively. He's not someone who likes interfering in others' relationships, famously a playboy; preaching from him seemed unconvincing.

"Ah!" Xia Xue nodded uncomfortably, murmured a few words to those beside her; the crowd continued forward. Hua Qingyi opened the car door for Xia Xue to get in, then returned to the driver's seat.

The car carried a pleasant lemon scent, pure and without impurities. Xiao Lin used to concoct it when idle, favoring natural aromas, so commercially available car perfumes never fit his taste. Durable and pleasant-smelling, it became a staple item Hua Qingyi naturally took.

"I'm at work; just say whatever you want, Young Master Hua."

"Why have you become so unfamiliar now? You used to call me Qing Yi." Whether teasing or genuinely bothered, Xia Xue awkwardly lowered her head. Observing her, Hua Qingyi suddenly felt she had matured significantly. Love turns a girl into a woman; it's an essential process. "Lian Shuo mentioned you've distanced yourself from her, and attempts to contact you kept failing. Is it because of Xiao Lin?"

"No, it's genuinely busy. The Xia Family took on the city's North District renovation work, so I've been staying here, wanting to do it well. Life is hard for people here; I have lots of work to do."

"Ah, why wasn't I aware municipal construction requires robust support from business people? Maybe it's your old man who let you come, though thinking about it, he's not suited for this job, cowardly, not the demeanor of a man." Hua Qingyi critiqued Xia Yusheng as he ventured into politics and his current approach; he indeed seemed slick, handling matters adeptly, although Hua Muyun found such people agreeable.

"My father isn't like that; he's just not skilled in this domain, plus the city's management is quite busy now. Originally, I had my own ideas for redeveloping the North District, utilizing this chance to learn more." Xia Xue explained hurriedly, realizing when seeing Hua Qingyi's teasing expression she had fallen for his trap.

"I thought you two might reconcile; you should empathize with why he did it."

"This day would come sooner or later; this time it coincided with an opportunity. I don't blame him; just hope for fairness." Xia Xue's expression bore melancholy; the days apart from Xiao Lin were also tedious. "For me, whether we're together or not makes little difference; many times he's absent without a trace. I don't know what happens to him, don't even know if he's still alive. Honestly, I always hoped I'd remain an ER doctor at the school hospital, while he was the most popular doctor there, rather than how it is now."

Being familiar with the complexities in women's thoughts, it's clear normal women wouldn't tolerate it. "Hmm, I understand why you let go; being Xiao Lin's woman isn't easy, being the daughter-in-law of the Xiao Family bears unbearable loneliness and requires ignoring unfair treatment. This is good; lest after marriage you regret; Xiao Family adheres to polygamy—one main wife, others as seeders for selecting heir candidates. So, I won't persuade you to understand him; you're a girl who deserves love."

"What's this polygamy?" Xia Xue looked dreamily at Hua Qingyi; Xiao Lin never discussed family affairs, even during engagements he attended alone, and only once met his father, who rejected her.

"There's no need to know this either. Xiao Lin is the Xia Family's sole heir; even in choosing a spouse, he might lack autonomy. I've always felt being with you was challenging for him, but now you've stepped away; perhaps it's beneficial for him. I also needn't worry about potential consequences."

"I want to know; does Xiao Lin have a fiancée?"

"Ah?" Hua Qingyi lowered his head to grasp Xia Xue's question clearly. "Seems so; it's been like this since childhood, initially thought of as a joke. He likely doesn't even remember; considering you were the one, he was still inexperienced at the time." You know it, right!

Xia Xue blushed, her face red to her ears. "Young Master Hua, thank you for telling me so much. I maintain my stance; I understand but don't accept his actions. It's not the love I desire; protection should be mutual." She jumped out of the car. Ahead lay the demolition ruins, machinery roaring as work commenced. Watching the fragile figure weaving through it, Hua Qingyi became inexplicably envious.

Every man hopes to be loved but rarely gives love. Loving leads to hurt, and weakness; men are not a weak-willed group. This woman loves Xiao Lin deeply; he perceives it, making Xiao Lin profoundly blessed.

The white Land Rover slowly started; today was a mere accident; he would remain silent.

"Xia Xue, that person earlier seemed to be the Hua Family's playboy. Don't get involved with him, though he holds high status, notorious for his prowess among women, with endless woman encounters numbered. Someone simple like you, caught up, might never escape his grasp." An elder resembling an engineer kindly warned Xia Xue, aware that now, many worship money; someone wealthy and handsome like Hua Qingyi is a diamond in women's eyes, everyone hoping to latch onto this branch to rise.

"I know." Xia Xue politely smiled; perhaps long accompanying Xiao Lin conditioned her with certain habits, other's opinions not mattering, crucial being her stance towards Hua Qingyi; only herself dictates.

The blood sample analysis is out; Hua Qingyi walks within Dragon Soul, holding the freshly produced report, ascending rapidly in the elevator to the top floor, his blood surging to his head. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian [qidian.com] to cast recommendation votes, monthly votes; your support is my biggest motivation.)