BXBX NOVEL Chapter 357: 357: Conflict Escalation (9) Can I take you to Ji Baili? (Second update)
Chapter 357: 357: Conflict Escalation (9) Can I take you to Ji Baili? (Second update)
His body was covered in blood, drenched in it.
Not only this man, but Mu Cidian too was soaked in blood.
His face, his clothes, all were steeped in red.
In his hand, he held the knife, the one the man had cast aside.
The knife too was smeared with blood.
At this moment, it was still dripping down, drop by drop.
And his hand, Mu Cidian’s hand, was shaking, trembling uncontrollably.
Their eyes met.
Mu Cidian suddenly tossed the knife aside.
His face still displayed no other emotion, even though his hand couldn’t stop shaking!
He forcefully pushed the man lying on Xin Zaozao away.
He said, “It’s over, it’s over…”
Xin Zaozao was watching him.
Listening to his steady voice, seemingly offering her consolation.
She watched as Mu Cidian approached her.
Both of his hands, covered in blood, reached out towards her.
Mu Cidian desperately wanted to take her into his arms, to soothe her, to assure her there was no reason to fear anymore.
He so badly wanted to protect her.
He ached to come closer to the woman whose face was pale like a piece of paper, petrified with fear.
But just as his fingers neared her.
Xin Zaozao abruptly said, “Don’t touch me!”
Mu Cidian’s hand stiffened up.
Even though it was already shaking uncontrollably, her words froze it in mid-air.
“Don’t touch me!” Xin Zaozao screamed.
Her eyes were moist.
She seemed to snap back from her terror and ferociously pushed Mu Cidian away.
Mu Cidian swallowed hard.
In that moment, it felt like he was swallowing mouthfuls of bloody mucus.
He just looked at her, silently watching her.
Watching her as she climbed off the bed, watching her body tremble with something that was not just fear…
At this moment, the drug took effect.
It completely took hold.
Her vision blurred repeatedly, she felt detached from her body, and there was an indescribable urge within her.
In fact.
She had guessed what it was.
She knew from the moment that man had made her drink it.
What she hadn’t known was how unbearable the drug would make her feel.
Her uneasy steps tried to move her away, but she tripped over a chair that had been knocked over in the commotion earlier. She collapsed onto the floor, and the pain didn’t bring any relief. It felt like nothing could soothe her.
She curled up, inching closer to the wall.
She harshly rubbed her body against the wall, hoping the pain would distract her, hoping it would help her endure the chaos within her.
“Zaozao.” Mu Cidian went up to her.
The towering man stood before her, seemingly blocking the harsh light from the bulb above.
He said, “I can help you…”
“Get lost!” Xin Zaozao screamed, shrieked wildly, “I’d rather be with that man than you! Get away from me!”
Xin Zaozao said harshly.
Her eyes stared fiercely, her internal yearning made her appear frightful, her eyes bloodshot. Owing to the drugs, a trickle of blood seeped from her nose. Yet she continued to endure, enduring it all, repelling Mu Cidian’s presence.
Mu Cidian’s eyes reddened.
He just stood there at a distance, watching Xin Zaozao as she struggled but didn’t need him.
He watched on in silence.
Not moving, not daring to draw closer.
Only maintaining that distance.
He stood still before her, watching as she rubbed her back uncontrollably, watching as she banged her head against the wall in agony, watching as she picked up the splinters nearby and stabbed herself with them, trying to suppress herself in the most extreme way.
Mu Cidian still stood before her, just watching her.
Watching her brutal self-inflicted torment.
He spoke, his voice barely a whisper, in that moment he asked her, “Can I take you to Ji Baili?”
In that moment, Xin Zaozao suddenly looked up.
Her bloodshot eyes locked with Mu Cidian’s. She offered a grim smile.
That smile, Mu Cidian took it all in.
He knew, Xin Zaozao hated him.
Hated him to the point where she wanted to kill him!
In the end.
He did not take Xin Zaozao there as she refused to let him touch her.
He did not call Ji Baili there either as Xin Zaozao did not say okay, so he chose to… selfishly stay with her.
He thought, maybe, just maybe, if Xin Zaozao couldn’t handle it, he would still be there.
He could still be despicable one more time.
However…
Xin Zaozao got through it.
By then, daylight had already dawned.
A streak of sunlight shone through the window, illuminating Xin Zaozao’s pale and weak face.
The world was quiet.
Nothing stirred in the room.
Xin Zaozao leaned against the wall, staring in the direction of the sunlight. What she had gone through that night, only she knew.
And Mu Cidian.
Mu Cidian was standing right in front of her, having stood the entire night.
In one place, unmoving.
Like he had turned to stone.
Both of them were still.
No one spoke, no one made a sound.
It was as if even a tiny noise could shatter the tranquility of their world.
The only peace they had left.
A while later.
Perhaps a few minutes or perhaps several dozen minutes.
Xin Zaozao suddenly stood up from the corner.
Her body was scarred from self-inflicted injuries, her face pale, lips cracked, and body smeared with blood.
She walked towards Mu Cidian, standing before him.
Mu Cidian’s eyes flickered.
If he had not moved, Xin Zaozao might have thought him dead.
Just an empty shell of a man left standing.
Xin Zaozao extended her hand, her scarred hand, and slid it into Mu Cidian’s pocket.
Mu Cidian remained stiff.
Xin Zaozao pulled out Mu Cidian’s phone from his pocket.
The phone was locked with a passcode, but Xin Zaozao pressed it and unlocked it immediately.
Her face remained expressionless as she opened it.
Mu Cidian still just stood in front of her, motionless.
Xin Zaozao dialed a few numbers.
The phone rang several times and was picked up.
“A murder has taken place here,” said Xin Zaozao, her voice calm.
“What did you say?” came the surprised response from the other end.
“A murder.” Xin Zaozao repeated heavily, “Sharing the address with you now.”
She ended the call.
With shaky fingers, she shared the location with the police station.
She put her phone back in Mu Cidian’s pocket.
She did not look at Mu Cidian or say anything to him. She just waited, waited for the arrival of the police.
It was clear.
The man was indeed dead.
A severed artery. Dead from blood loss.
The minutes ticked away.
Indifferently.
Suddenly, Mu Cidian ripped off his own clothes.
Clothes drenched in blood.
Xin Zaozao watched his movements.
Underneath his clothes were wounds, all over his body.
But she was completely indifferent.
She just watched, unmoved.
Mu Cidian draped his clothes over her.
Xin Zaozao did not refuse.
Her own clothes were no longer sufficient to cover her body.
There was no exchange of words between the two of them.
It was as if they would never talk to each other again.
About ten minutes later.
Footsteps could be heard outside the door.
In an instant, four police officers appeared in the room, weapons in hand.
The police were very cautious as they looked at them.
Both of them also turned their gaze to the officers.
One of them rushed over to check the man’s vital signs and then shook his head at another officer.
“Who did this?!” demanded one of the police officers, his face transforming with shock.
They were looking at Mu Cidian and Xin Zaozao.
“Him,” Xin Zaozao pointed to Mu Cidian.
All the officers turned their gaze towards Mu Cidian.
Mu Cidian remained calm, calmly accepting the accusation.
“Hands up!” the police officer commanded forcefully.
Mu Cidian raised his hands.
An officer closed in quickly and fiercely handcuffed him.
Mu Cidian’s entire body was covered in wounds, there was no need for such violence.
The sudden handcuffing seemed to cause his wounds to bleed again.
However, he made no sound. He silently followed the police officers as they led him away.
Similarly, Xin Zaozao was also led away by one of the officers.
Upon reaching the ground floor.
There were two police cars.
An officer guided Xin Zaozao onto one of the cars, to take her back home.
As expected, Mu Cidian was to be taken in a different car, to a different location.
Xin Zaozao got into the car first.
She clutched Mu Cidian’s white shirt tightly, her eyes gazing out the window.
Gazing at Mu Cidian’s expressionless face.
Watching as his eyes never left her police car, watching as she left him further and further behind.
His gaze never wavered, watching as she disappeared from his sight.
Xin Zaozao withdrew her gaze. She didn’t want to see Mu Cidian. She didn’t need to anymore.
If only.
If she hadn’t looked back at the last moment.
Seeing Mu Cidian, who was already some distance away after she’d left, suddenly collapse heavily on the ground.
She saw the two officers who had handcuffed him struggle to hoist him up, their expressions panicked.
Her eyes were red.
She redirected her gaze to look straight ahead.
The scene before her blurred.
Really though.
What could be done now?!
What goes around comes around. A harsh punishment was bound to happen!
The police car dropped her off at the Xin family’s mansion.
Xin Zaozao got out of the car.
The officer said, “Miss Xin, considering your current condition, we thought it was best to bring you home to rest and calm down. Please come to the station tomorrow; we will need a detailed account of the incident.”
Xin Zaozao nodded her head.
The police officer didn’t say anything further and drove away.
Xin Zaozao slowly walked into the mansion’s grand living room.
In the living room.
Wan Quan was eating breakfast in the dining area.
She was eating each bite with such grace and satisfaction.
The moment she saw Xin Zaozao return, a satisfied smile spread across her face.
“So you can come back alive?” she said.
Her face was full of mockery.
Seeing Xin Zaozao in such a pitiful state, there was no need to guess how brutal the events of the previous night had been.
Wan Quan’s smile grew wider, “What a cheap slut, you could still come back as if nothing happened after all that. If it were me, I’d have committed suicide by now.”
“Do you wish I was dead?” Xin Zaozao suddenly asked, her face expressing nothing.
Wan Quan sneered, “If I wish it, will you die?”
“I won’t,” Xin Zaozao said, looking directly at Wan Quan, a ruthless look in her eyes that sent chill down the spine.
With every cruel word that slipped from her lips, Wan Quan felt her hair stand on end, “I won’t die, but your son may not be so lucky!”
“What did you say!” Wan Quan abruptly stood up from the dining table.
“Don’t you recognize this shirt?” Xin Zaozao asked.
Xin Zaozao removed Mu Cidian’s blood-stained shirt.
The exposure of her body seemed to have no effect on her. She calmly threw the bloody shirt, hard, in front of Wan Quan.
Wan Quan was startled.
“See this? This is your son’s blood. This is all Mu Cidian’s blood!” Xin Zaozao roared, her hoarse voice echoing throughout the mansion with a piercing intensity.
Wan Quan swiftly picked up Mu Cidian’s shirt, disbelief etched on her face as she demanded, “Explain yourself, tell me what happened!”
Xin Zaozao’s throat bobbed up and down.
Her emotions, pent up all night, finally threatened to crumble.
She glared at Wan Quan and bitingly told her, “Mu Cidian committed murder for me. Murdered someone… and I called the police.”
“Xin Zaozao!” Wan Quan gritted her teeth and spat out her name with every ounce of strength she had.
It seemed as Xin Zaozao didn’t hear her as she continued, “The police took Mu Cidian away. His body is covered in wounds. His surgical wound from the recent operation has split open. I saw him collapsed, just collapsed on the ground. He might be dead.”