Volume One, Chapter 12: The Coldest Hatred

At first, Jiang Shishi was startled by Lin Xiaobing’s frenzied behavior, but soon she became calm, quietly watching her thrash about wildly.

The more frantic Lin Xiaobing became, the more composed Jiang Shishi remained.

Strange thoughts even began to surface in her mind: Could Lin Xiaobing’s madness be connected to Lin Xiaoyang? Was she perhaps losing control because of other people or matters?

Before she could find any answers, Lin Xiaobing suddenly widened her eyes, staring at the spilled red wine flowing across the floor. The blood-like liquid filled her with terror...

Then, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

Fang Yi was frightened by this sudden collapse and hurried forward to support her. “Xiaobing, what’s wrong?”

Lin Xiaobing’s eyes were wide open, her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if possessed.

Fang Yi looked at her with a complex expression. “Xiaobing, get up. Let’s talk calmly... I just told you, I won’t let your sister disappear without reason. I’ve already taken care of things—if she’s alive, we’ll see her; if she’s dead, we’ll see the body!”

The last words were spoken through gritted teeth, filled with a fury as if he longed to personally punish the perpetrator.

Jiang Shishi wanted to approach and comfort Lin Xiaobing but hesitated, stepping forward and then pulling back.

In what capacity could she possibly console her? And how should she even begin?

If she tried, would she only invite humiliation?

Lin Xiaobing’s expression remained unchanged, eyes wide with horror, as if witnessing something terrifying.

Jiang Shishi followed her gaze, but all she saw were the stark white walls—nothing else.

Could Lin Xiaobing be seeing some dreadful apparition in the sterile air?

Just as Jiang Shishi’s curiosity peaked, Lin Xiaobing began murmuring, “My sister... my sister was chopped to pieces like that. Doesn’t your heart ache? Her blood... the blood she spilled...”

When she said “blood,” Lin Xiaobing slowly turned her head, eyes fixed on the pool of red wine on the floor and the wine stains on the pages of the book. Tears suddenly streamed down her face, her voice trembling, “The blood she shed... it must have been even more than this...”

Then came the stifled sobs.

Just hearing that cry, one could feel the depth of her pain.

Even Jiang Shishi, who had been unusually calm amidst the chaos, was moved by the sorrowful sound.

She began to feel sadness and heartache herself. Although she had never formally met Lin Xiaoyang, she mourned the sudden tragedy.

She even started to repent her own actions, thinking she should never have gotten close to Fang Yi—or rather, that she should never have allowed him to get close to her. In any case, she shouldn’t have had even the slightest entanglement with that man.

After crying for a while, Lin Xiaobing asked Fang Yi to take her to the hospital, saying she felt a tightness in her chest.

---

Fang Yi was worried that Lin Xiaobing might have a breakdown from overwhelming grief, so he quickly drove her to the hospital.

As he helped her out the door, Jiang Shishi asked, “Fang Yi, should I come along?”

Fang Yi paused, then turned to her. “Shishi, sorry about the mess in the house today...”

Jiang Shishi lifted the corner of her mouth but didn’t smile.

Fang Yi continued, “You don’t need to come. I can handle it.”

He then resumed supporting Lin Xiaobing toward the exit.

Just as Lin Xiaobing stepped out the door, she suddenly turned back and glared at Jiang Shishi.

More precisely, she stared—a fierce, icy glare filled with hatred as if no vengeance would ever satisfy her.

Despite the intensity of Lin Xiaobing’s hostility, Jiang Shishi understood. After all, Lin Xiaoyang had suffered such a fate, yet Fang Yi remained close to Jiang Shishi. As Lin Xiaoyang’s younger sister, Lin Xiaobing naturally couldn’t bear it.

After Fang Yi and Lin Xiaobing left, Jiang Shishi began tidying up the room, her expression calm throughout.

But new thoughts had already begun to form in her mind.

---

After getting into Fang Yi’s car, Lin Xiaobing’s dizziness and chest tightness seemed to ease, though her tears kept flowing.

Fang Yi drove for more than ten minutes before her sobs gradually quieted.

Only then did he speak. “Xiaobing, it’s too late for sorrow now. Besides, I have a feeling Xiaoyang wouldn’t have just...”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Perhaps he lacked the courage to finish the thought.

Lin Xiaobing’s sniffles ceased abruptly. She turned to Fang Yi. “Then what do you think happened to my sister?”

Fang Yi hesitated, then replied, “I don’t know either. But I don’t believe she vanished without reason.”

---

Lin Xiaobing continued to gaze at Fang Yi, pressing further, “Then what do you think happened to her?”

Fang Yi found it odd that she kept repeating herself and glanced at her. “Didn’t I just say? I don’t know.”

“If my sister is still alive, then...” Lin Xiaobing paused for a moment before asking the rest, “Then what about that half a foot?”

Fang Yi’s expression shifted slightly.

But from the side, Lin Xiaobing couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Could it be...” Fang Yi furrowed his brows, tension tightening his features, “Could it be she only lost half a foot?”

Lin Xiaobing froze, then gasped sharply after a long moment, letting out a suppressed sigh. “My God...”

Fang Yi added, “I just want to believe that. I don’t want anything bad to have happened to her...”

Lin Xiaobing looked out the window. When Fang Yi turned to look, he saw only the back of her head but felt certain her face was wet with tears. He comforted her, “No matter what, I’ll find a result. Otherwise, I’ll never have peace.”

After a while, Lin Xiaobing turned back. “What do you plan to do?”

Fang Yi hesitated slightly. “I’ve already made arrangements.”

“I want to see if there’s any way I can help,” Lin Xiaobing said.

“You’ve been exhausted lately. I heard you’ve been posting missing person notices everywhere...” Fang Yi said. “There are many posts you’ve made online. I understand how much you care for your sister.”

Lin Xiaobing stared at Fang Yi for a moment. “Fang Yi, do you not even trust me?”

Fang Yi lifted a corner of his mouth. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that there are some things I don’t want you to be involved in. Everything I can handle, I will handle properly. Don’t you trust my ability?”

“I just want to understand,” Lin Xiaobing said, sounding a bit displeased.

Fang Yi didn’t answer, quickly changing the subject. “I heard the police went to Zhang Lei’s place a few days ago?”

“Yes, I went too,” Lin Xiaobing said. “I felt he was a likely suspect and almost lost control and attacked him.”

Fang Yi listened quietly, deep in thought.