Crimson Instinct

Chapter 186: The little drawings

Time: 6: 30 AM. Eighteen hours left.

*Xin Lei*

We went outside, letting Zhang Ning rest. Zhang Chao took us into his study.

Bai Li roughly turned his head his way and asked, "What happened?"

"Ning was partying all night with her friends, and when she returned at almost 5:30 in the morning, a car suddenly drove past her at high speed and knocked her out. Her head hit a pole, and that's how she got the injury."

I typed. "Did she see who was driving the car? Did she say anything when you brought her back home?"

Zhang Chao was seemingly restlessly, tapping his finger on the desk.

"No. She wasn't in any state to speak."

Bai Li tilted his head. "Did you check the CCTV of the area where she was hit?"

"Of course! When Xin Lei was treating her, my guard had already brought the footage for me to look."

Then his fists tightened. "I saw how my Ning was thrown off by that car! Thankfully, I think Ning spotted it, racing towards her at the last moment, so she stepped out of the way a bit. At least at least it didn't do much damage"

The strain in his voice was evident.

"When I took a look at the CCTV, I saw that car. Actually, even I am not sure who it was. I couldn't see the driver's face, but she was definitely a woman. I could make that out from the body structure of that woman sitting on the driver's seat."

I typed. "Can you show us the footage?"

Zhang Chao bought his tab and played the footage.

As he said, Zhang Ning was walking when headlights shone at a distance. The car came at high speed. She turned just when it was a few yards away from her, and she tried to dodge, but the car still managed to hit her.

Zhang Ning was pushed away, and her head hit the pole. Then she collapsed on the ground.

I rewound the tape and focused on the driver this time. Once again, as Zhang Chao said, the driver's face wasn't visible, but I could see her body. The street light shining on the seat for a moment allowed me to verify her gender.

It was definitely a woman.

"It's a woman, right?"

I typed. "Yes. It is a woman."

Liao Huifang said, "Ah, yes...I mean, I can see the chest."

Zhang Chao banged his fist on the desk. "I was hoping for the driver to be a man. But if it's a woman, then... then it couldn't be anyone other than Xiulan! She has already tried to kill her twice."

He covered his face with his hands. "I don't know what sin I have done to get a daughter like her. She is hell-bent on killing her family!"

"How did you find Zhang Ning?" Bai Li asked.

"I was trying to call her since it was quite late, but she didn't pick up. I called her almost ten times, but nobody answered. I got a bad feeling and immediately sent guards to look for her where she had the party. But they saw her at the side of the road, lying unconscious. They brought her back, and I immediately called you because I knew it was a planned attack."

We stepped out of the study and walked around the house until Zhang Ning was resting. But just like Zhang Chao had said before, there was nothing about Zhang Xiulan anywhere.

"Let's go to Zhang Xiulan's room."

Liao Huifang said, "I don't think there won't be anything there. Didn't he say the fire destroyed everything?"

I typed. "This whole place feels like only Zhang Ning lived here from the beginning."

He shrugged. "Just to get a feel of it. That place which caught on fire was the storeroom where her photos were kept. Her own room is different."

We went to Zhang Xiulan's room as guided by the guard. It was locked, and he opened it for us. 

Her room was quite dusty and out of shape, and I already sneezed like ten times. Surprisingly, the things in this room were kept as it is even though they were never cleaned.

There were some toys and all the children stuff still lying on the bed. I walked with Bai Li, holding his hand while he took the general feel of the room.

"Hey, I found a drawing book!" Liao Huifang exclaimed. "I found it in her drawer. Oh, but it's so dusty."

She came to us and showed the book. There were many pictures drawn, clearly by a child.

"What is it in the pictures?" Bai Li asked.

She said. "Actually, all of these drawings give a sorrowful feeling. There are a man and a woman and two little girls in the middle, but there is a line between the man and a little girl and the woman and the other little girl."

I nodded. I could sense melancholy in the picture.

Bai Li said, "They are the Zhang couple and daughters. But which one is standing with Zhang Qiuyue and which one with Zhang Chao? And why the division?"

I had no idea either.

There were some other pictures in which it seemed like the man and the woman were fighting.

I typed. "Weren't Zhang Chao and Zhang Qiuyue fought quite often?"

He nodded. "I think she drew just one of their many fights."

On the next page, I saw a little girl carrying a kitten in her hands. The background was of a garden. The girl's hands were around the kitten's neck, and that girl had a creepy smile on her face.

I shuddered. It was a simple drawing with limited abilities like how a child usually draws, but it still sent shivers down my spine.

When I said the same to Bai Li, he blinked his eyes. "Didn't Zhang Ning say that Zhang Qiuyue had brought her a cat? And Zhang Xiulan killed her?"

I typed. "I think she has drawn herself."

Liao Huifang said, "Zhang Xiulan might be a criminal, but these drawings are good, considering her age at that time."

Then there was one picture of a woman lying dead, bleeding from her neck. Definitely Zhang Qiuyue.

Then as she flipped the pages, we saw some more drawings, but Zhang Qiuyue wasn't there anymore. It was only the man and two little girls. But one of them was standing far from the man and the other little girl.

I described the same to Bai Li.

"At this point, I think Zhang Qiuyue was dead, so she isn't in the pictures too."

Liao Huifang nodded. "And maybe it represents how she feels that Zhang Chao only loved Zhang Ning, so they are together while she is standing alone at the side."

Then there were other pictures of a little girl trying to run away from some people who wanted to drag her back.

I typed. "I think these are her doctors. The psychiatrists that Zhang Chao hired to treat her."

Liao Huifang said, "Ugh, why am I feeling so bad? These drawings depict her life here."

There were many other pictures of the two girls fighting, then one of them screaming and shouting, and basically, it was her life probably after she killed Zhang Qiuyue.

Liao Huifang said, "The pictures end here."

"Is there another drawing book?"

"I found only this one. By the way, I noticed that all her drawings seemed to be more left-aligned on the page."

I looked at the pictures again, and indeed, that was the case. There was quite a space left on the right side of the pages.

Now that I look at the room

Bai Li said, "She is a lefty. When I felt the things in this room, I sensed that they leaned more on the left side."

The guard knocked on the door and said, "Young miss Zhang Ning is awake."

We went back to her room and saw her leaning on the pillow.

I rechecked her pulse and typed. "You are much better now. The temperature has cooled down as well."

"Thank you" she slightly nodded.

Then she looked at Bai Li. "Oh... Bai Li is here too. I thought only Xin Lei came"

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better"

I slightly narrowed my eyes as she seemed a little bit fidgety.

Of course, it was because Bai Li was here.

From my side, I saw Liao Huifang frowning at Zhang Ning. She seemed to be staring at her a little differently. I tugged her dress and looked at her questioningly.

She whispered. "N-nothing. It just felt weird now somehow. I don't know what."

I frowned.

Did she realize it, too, that Zhang Ning likes Bai Li?

I looked at Zhang Ning and typed. "I think you will feel better if you walk a bit. Your arms and legs seem stiff."

Zhang Chao nodded. "That's a good idea. A breath of fresh air will do you good."

"Okay"

I helped her out of the bed and we went outside at the corridor.

"I-I was wondering if Bai Li can- I mean you three can stay here for some time. I am feeling quite lonely and I don't have any close friends"

I raised my brow.

We had to hurry up and find Chu Jie and the others and we didn't have much time left. Staying with her was

Bai Li suddenly said, "Alright. But we cannot stay for long."