Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Yu Huannian quickly called a doctor to examine Du Xueqing.

The two of them waited at the door. Jiang Li finally had a moment to pull out her phone and message Ji Qinghe, asking him and his team to handle it when they had time.

Jiang Li sat on the bench. Now that she could relax, she felt a distinct sense of fatigue.

She heaved a long sigh. ’The time with Wu Jianzhang, the time with Qiao Siyuan, and now this... that makes three. I wonder just how severe the consequences of breaking the rules will be.’

’Right now, all I feel is exhaustion and fatigue. Are there no other changes?’

Yu Huannian frowned as he looked at Jiang Li’s pale face. ’It feels like no matter what I do to help her recover, nothing works.’

"Sis, are you not feeling well?" Yu Huannian asked as he stood, ready to call for a doctor.

Jiang Li stopped him. "I’m fine. I’ll be okay after some sleep. Before I wake up, help me watch over Du Xueqing. Besides Officer Ji and his team, don’t let anyone in—not even her parents."

"Okay."

Yu Huannian took off his jacket and draped it over her.

Jiang Li drowsily drifted off to sleep.

Du Xueqing was transferred to a patient room. Seeing the bed beside hers was empty, Yu Huannian asked a nurse for permission. After she agreed, he carried Jiang Li to it so she could get some proper rest.

After falling asleep, Jiang Li again dreamed about Du Xueqing. This time, however, the perspective was odd. She found herself looking in a mirror at a face identical to Du Xueqing’s.

"There, there... be a good girl. Give your body to me. If you give it to me, you won’t have to suffer like this anymore."

The Du Xueqing in the mirror coaxed her gently.

’A split personality!’

Jiang Li’s attention drifted as she probed her own consciousness. ’This time, no matter how strong the urge, I have no power to control this body.’

’Looks like I only had three chances. When will the next one be?’

As Jiang Li was pondering this, her thoughts were interrupted by their conversation.

"What good are your grades? See? When faced with power and influence, no one dares to say a thing. That includes your classmates. Who even cares about you?"

"Look at Mom and Dad. Have they ever truly cared about you, beyond your grades?"

"Even when you showed them these injuries..."

The Du Xueqing in the mirror let out a scornful laugh. "Do you remember what they said?"

"They said you inflicted these injuries on yourself because you didn’t want to study. Even when Jiang Shuran slapped you right in front of Mom and Dad, they thought you and your classmates were just putting on an act..."

Jiang Li’s breath hitched, her chest constricting painfully as if gripped by a vice. ’So it wasn’t that Du Xueqing’s parents didn’t know. They just didn’t care.’

Jiang Li pursed her lips. ’Du Xueqing’s parents and Gu Zisheng’s parents really are worlds apart.’

Jiang Li watched their confrontation, her eyes on the ever-shifting expression in the mirror. ’So this is what Wu Jianzhang meant by a split personality?’

’The secondary personality that has emerged is trying to seize control of the body at every moment. But I remember reading that if an alter ego successfully replaces the core personality, the core personality dies.’

’Which means Du Xueqing would no longer be Du Xueqing.’

All Jiang Li could do was silently pray for Du Xueqing to hold on. ’Once she wakes up, we’ll find a way.’

The moment Ji Qinghe opened his eyes, he saw the message from Jiang Li and was instantly wide awake. ’Three or four in the morning... did something happen?’

Ji Qinghe looked at Zhou Tiancheng sleeping soundly beside him and patted his face. "Tiancheng, Tiancheng, there’s a situation with Jiang Li. Wake up."

"Huh?" Zhou Tiancheng groggily opened his eyes, already sitting up in bed.

Ji Qinghe glanced at the message on his phone, called the station, then, without bothering with Zhou Tiancheng, got dressed, washed up, and rushed to the hospital.

In the patient room, Yu Huannian gazed at Jiang Li, who still hadn’t stirred. He reached out to check for her breath, pulling his hand back only when he felt it.

"Are you the ones who brought my daughter to the hospital in the middle of the night? Do you have any idea how critical this time is for her? If she misses today’s classes, she’ll never catch up!"

An imperious voice sounded from the doorway. Yu Huannian stepped out, immediately shutting the door behind him and blocking the entrance.

"Who are you?"

Liu Liping stared at the big man before her. "You have the nerve to ask who I am? I should be asking you! What gives you the right to bring my daughter to the hospital!"

Yu Huannian said coldly, "She’s sick."

"She’s just faking it! That girl will pull any stunt to get out of school. You think we, her parents, don’t know what she’s really like?"

Seeing how burly Yu Huannian was, Liu Liping could only crane her neck to shout past him into the room. "Du Xueqing, you get out here right now! You’re getting more and more out of hand! Finals are just around the corner, and you’re constantly running to the hospital."

"Shut up!" Yu Huannian barked. "Don’t you know you’re supposed to be quiet in a hospital?"

Passing by, Zhang Haosheng paused. ’Du Xueqing?’

She was his patient, after all. He turned and walked over. "Xueqing’s mother, can we please discuss this calmly?"

"I’ve told you before, your daughter’s condition is very serious. As her parents, you need to be understanding and trusting. If this goes on, her life will be at risk."

Zhang Haosheng frowned at Liu Liping. He had dealt with the families of other young patients before, and most of them would listen and support their child through treatment.

But every time Du Xueqing’s parents visited, they caused a huge scene, and every word out of their mouths was a criticism of her.

"Doctor Zhang, I told you, that kid is just too good at faking it. How could anything actually be wrong with her..."

"Here’s her report. She has bruises from being hit, pinch marks, and cigarette burns. If she hadn’t been brought in time last night, she would have died in her dorm.

What on earth is wrong with you, as her mother?"

A doctor, hearing the commotion, had rushed over and now threw Du Xueqing’s medical report at Liu Liping.

"Your daughter is suffering from severe bullying at school. She’s already having psychological problems. If you keep pressuring her like this, she won’t be able to take the stress and will commit suicide."

Liu Liping frowned as she listened. ’How could it be that serious?’

She picked up the report and glanced at it, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Doctor, you just don’t understand. I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl this year, she’s just been picking up bad habits.

She’s started smoking, drinking, and fighting. These injuries on her body, these cigarette burns—she did them all herself to get out of school. She even fights with her classmates constantly. We’ve been worried sick about her this year."

Zhang Haosheng took a deep, speechless breath. "Xueqing’s mother, you are truly incorrigible."

Yu Huannian watched the people arguing in front of him, then leaned back against the closed door. "If you want to fight, go somewhere else. My sister is sleeping."

Only then did Zhang Haosheng notice Yu Huannian and find him a bit familiar. ’Isn’t that the man who’s always with Jiang Li?’

"Your sister, Jiang Li, is in there too?"

"Mhm. My sister found out last night that Du Xueqing was being bullied, went to the school to get her, and is exhausted now. So please, get lost."

Yu Huannian uttered the polite request with a perfectly straight face.

Liu Liping took out her phone. "I’m calling the police! I’m going to report you for taking my daughter from school without my consent! I’m reporting you!"

"Go somewhere else to make your report. Thank you."