Wenn die Liebe naht, ist es wie Schnee

Kapitel 7

Xia Chen held Ye Cheng's hand tightly. "We will do what you said. Once the oath is fulfilled, I will no longer be called Xia Chen. I will change my name back to my original name."

The sadness on Ye Cheng's face vanished without a trace in the next second. He said with a grin, "I think Xia Chen sounds pretty good, much better than your old name. I'm used to calling you that. I think you shouldn't change it. Changing it back and forth is too much trouble." Xia Chen rolled his eyes and almost fainted.

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different aspect.

Let's take a look at Luo Shimin, who went to the hospital to visit Hu Rongrong.

After breaking up with Xia Chen, Luo Shimin staggered out of the school gate. It's said that Yishi Academy has very strict management; sneaking out during class time is something many students wouldn't even dare to dream of. But who could stop our Miss Luo from leaving? The security guards bowed to Luo Shimin more respectfully than they would to the principal. Our Miss Luo, still in her school uniform, walked confidently out of the school gate, then hailed a taxi and left Yishi Academy.

In the taxi, Luo Shimin suddenly thought of a very serious problem: she didn't know which hospital Hu Rongrong was in. Not having Ye Cheng's phone number, she called Xia Chen instead.

They easily obtained Hu Rongrong's hospital name and room number, which the police had classified as confidential.

Half an hour later, Luo Shimin stood at the entrance of Huaxia Hospital. Looking at the flow of people, she felt something was missing. Seeing a visitor carrying a flower basket, she suddenly remembered that one shouldn't visit a patient empty-handed. Her father and brother always brought a flower basket when visiting their injured younger brother in the hospital, but she didn't know that the basket contained a huge sum of money as a token of sympathy. Luo Shimin turned around and bought a flower basket from a flower shop near the hospital entrance. After double-checking that nothing was missing, she strode towards Hu Rongrong's ward. She knew this hospital very well; her father and brother were frequent visitors, so often that they needed to purchase VIP annual passes.

Luo Shimin easily found Hu Rongrong's hospital room. Looking through the window, she saw Hu Rongrong lying peacefully in bed, beautiful as a princess from a fairy tale, waiting for her prince to kiss her awake. Luo Shimin chuckled twice. There was no prince, and even if there were, he couldn't kiss Rongrong. But there was a lovesick girl right in front of her. Just as she was about to push the door open, a person sitting on a chair by the door stood up and blocked her way, demanding, "What are you doing here?"

Although the man was dressed in plain clothes, his face was full of hostility. Luo Shimin was all too familiar with this kind of person and recognized him at a glance as an undercover policeman sent to protect Hu Rongrong. Two colleagues were sitting on the chair next to him, pretending to read newspapers.

"What do you think I am? I'm here to visit a patient. My best friend is lying inside. Do I look like I'm here to teach a class?" Luo Shimin was anything but polite to the police. She had no liking for police officers, except for handsome ones like Ye Cheng. But the policeman in front of her was just too unattractive, and his two colleagues weren't much better looking.

"I'm sorry, miss, your friend is an important witness for the police and is under tight police protection. You cannot go in to see her now." The plainclothes policeman saw that she was a young girl and quite likable, so he didn't want to make things difficult for her and just wanted her to leave quickly.

"What are you talking about? Why can't I see my friend? Do you have any identification to prove you're a police officer? I know an officer named Ye Cheng; he's the one who sent me." Clearly, the plainclothes officer's words had no effect on Luo Shimin; she was determined to see Rongrong. The plainclothes officers were ordered to secretly protect Hu Rongrong. If they showed their identification, would it still be considered secret protection?

Another policeman stood up and tried to scare Luo Shimin away in a fierce tone, "You'd better leave now, or I'll arrest you."

Luo Shimin wasn't buying it. "Let me tell you, I'm terrified. Go ahead and arrest me if you dare." And she was right, Luo Shimin really was terrified.

"You..." The plainclothes police officer hadn't expected such a troublesome young girl, which had already attracted a lot of attention. An angry officer grabbed Luo Shimin's hand, trying to drag her away. She immediately cried out loudly, "The police are hitting people! Help! The police are hitting people!"

At the other end of the corridor, a group of thugs from the Batian Gang were visiting their injured boss.

The eldest brother, lying on the hospital bed, said impatiently, "Damn it, can't even a patient be allowed some peace and quiet? What's all the noise about? It's driving me crazy." He casually pointed to one of his underlings, "You, go see what's going on."

The underling quickly ran back, "Boss, three plainclothes officers are bullying a little girl."

"Is that so?" The leader chuckled. "We're always the ones bullying people, but today the police are bullying people too. There's even a show to watch in the hospital. Come on, let's go see what's going on." The leader, holding his injured arm, led his five underlings off to watch the spectacle.

Luo Shimin had already been dragged to the stairwell. She tried everything she could, but she was no match for the three adult police officers. Just as she was about to be dragged away, the leader and his henchmen came over.

The leader glanced at Luo Shimin and felt that Luo Shimin looked familiar. He pulled his trusted subordinate in front of him and said, "Who is that girl? She looks familiar to me."

The trusted underling took a closer look and said, "I don't know, she looks a bit like the gang leader's daughter."

The leader slapped one of the underlings across the face, yelling, "What do you mean she looks like him? She's the gang leader's daughter! Hurry up and help her!" The underlings immediately rushed forward and surrounded the three plainclothes officers.

The three plainclothes police officers were in a real bind. They'd just changed shifts that morning when a unreasonable young woman showed up, demanding to see a patient. Just as they were about to drag her out, a group of thugs arrived. One look at them and you could tell they were all ruthless and dangerous. What bad luck!

"Miss, are you alright?" The boss walked to Luo Shimin's side with a fawning smile. Luo Shimin was still sniffling. "These policemen dared to bully you, Miss. Watch how I deal with them."

Although outnumbered, the plainclothes police officers were not intimidated. "Where are you from? How dare you assault a police officer?"

The trusted underling used to be bullied by the police, but with Miss backing him up, he finally had a chance to hold his head high. "So what if you attacked the police? You were the ones who bullied my lady first. We're not afraid of you. Let me tell you, we're from the Overlord Gang."

She is the daughter of our gang leader, Boss Luo.

“The Overlord Gang!” The three policemen were stunned. They hadn’t expected the girl in front of them to be Luo San Nu’s daughter.

Luo Shimin, carrying a flower basket, said, "Don't make things difficult for them. They're just trying to make a living. I'm going to visit my friends. I'll remember you. I'll tell my dad and brother to praise you later."

The eldest brother was overjoyed. His luck was incredible! After all these years, he'd only ever seen Boss Luo from afar. Heaven had smiled upon him, allowing him to meet Miss Luo. If she put in a good word for him with Boss Luo, his good days would begin. Ignoring his injuries, the eldest brother bowed deeply to Luo Shimin. "Thank you for your guidance, Miss. I, Sang Long, am willing to give my life for you."

Luo Shimin almost vomited. "Don't talk to me about liver or brain, it's disgusting." She turned to walk into the ward.

After learning that Luo Shimin was the daughter of the leader of the Batian Gang, the three plainclothes police officers secretly rejoiced that they hadn't acted rashly earlier. Luo Sannu was notoriously protective of his own and doting on his daughter; anyone could imagine the consequences if Luo Shimin had been harmed. However, the crowd of onlookers was growing larger. If Luo Shimin were allowed to enter the ward, not only would the police lose face, but their superiors would also make things difficult for them, putting them in a two-year limbo.

"What should we do?" the three policemen discussed in hushed tones.

The police quickly came up with a plan: "Didn't she say she knows Ye Cheng? Call Ye Cheng and report the situation here. You and I will hold her off. Remember, you absolutely cannot lay a hand on her. I don't need to emphasize the consequences of hurting Luo San Nu's daughter, do I?"

Luo Shimin was about to enter the ward; the door was already open. Two policemen rushed to the door and blocked it completely. The thugs saw this and rushed over, trying to pull the policemen apart. The two policemen held on tightly to the door, refusing to let go. Neither side made a move; they just kept pushing and shoving. Luo Shimin was caught in the middle, swaying from side to side. The policeman who had finished his phone call also joined in.

Finally, the door couldn't hold on any longer, and with a loud crash, it collapsed, causing a group of people to fall to the ground. Luo Shimin watched helplessly as her flower basket slipped from her grasp and flew towards Hu Rongrong, who was lying on the hospital bed.

In an instant, a collective gasp filled the ward, almost creating a vacuum. The noise vanished instantly, and everyone stood there, mouths agape, unable to utter a sound. With a thud, the flower basket struck Hu Rongrong squarely on the head.

It's over, it's over, it's all over. In that instant, everyone in the room had the same thought. Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

"Who is it? It hurts so much!" Hu Rongrong cried out, sitting up from the hospital bed.

012 Amnesia

The first thing Hu Rongrong saw when she opened her eyes was Luo Shimin lying on the ground. She questioned, "Why did you hit me with the flower basket?" There were five or six roses in the flower basket that Luo Shimin had bought. The feeling of being hit by it can be summed up in one word—pain.

"I didn't mean to." Luo Shimin stood up awkwardly, waved her hand, and the thugs left the ward. One policeman stayed behind, while the other two went to report to their superiors that Hu Rongrong had woken up, and guarded the door to keep an eye on the thugs.

Hu Rongrong didn't seem like a patient at all. "Please don't bring any sharp objects near me again. The scar from when you cut me with a knife last time hasn't healed yet."

Luo Shimin lowered her head and rubbed the hem of her clothes, looking like a wronged child. She said pitifully, "Rongrong, that happened six years ago. How can you still remember it?"

Playing the victim was a tactic Luo Shimin had learned from years of valuable experience, and it always worked on Hu Rongrong. Just as tears were about to fall, Hu Rongrong gave in, saying, "Okay, okay, I give up. Don't cry, just don't poke me with anything sharp anymore."

"Rongrong is so nice." Luo Shimin jumped onto the bed and kissed Hu Rongrong on the cheek.

"Why did you send me a flower basket for no reason?" Hu Rongrong looked around and sensed something was wrong. The snow-white sheets, the blue and white clothes, the pungent smell of disinfectant—this wasn't the infirmary of Yishi Academy; it was a hospital. Hu Rongrong said in surprise, "Wasn't I accompanying Qi Xiaoke while she received an IV drip? How did I end up lying on a hospital bed?"

"Because...because...therefore..." Luo Shimin hesitated in her heart. Hu Rongrong had just woken up from her coma. Should she tell her about Qi Xiaoke's death now? Could she bear it?

"Why? Look at my temper! When did you become so fussy? Just say what you want to say." Saying this, she was about to jump off the bed.

"Qi Xiaoke, she..." Two doctors rushed in upon hearing that Hu Rongrong had woken up, interrupting Luo Shimin. The two doctors checked her eyelids, pulse, and even examined her tongue. The examination left Hu Rongrong bewildered. She thought the worst possibility was that Qi Xiaoke had contracted some strange infectious disease and was now isolated along with her.

Half an hour later, the two doctors finished the examination. Hu Rongrong had a determined look on her face. "Just tell me what disease I have. I can handle it."

The older doctor said, "Young lady, do you really want to get sick so you can skip school? Well, I have some bad news for you. You are perfectly healthy, you don't have any illnesses at all, except for cavities. You should eat less sugar."

Hu Rongrong was confused. "Then why am I here?"

The old doctor pointed to the policeman in the room, "I don't know, you'll have to ask him."

"Who is he?" Hu Rongrong asked.

"He is..." Just as Luo Shimin was struggling with her question, Ye Cheng and Xia Chen, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, pushed open the door and entered. "Ask him," Luo Shimin said, throwing the question to Ye Cheng.

Ye Cheng made his expression as serious as possible. "He's a policeman, responsible for your safety."

"My safety?" Hu Rongrong was confused.

"You have no recollection of what happened that night? The police hope you will think about it carefully; it will be very helpful in solving the case."

"Solve the case? What case?"

"The infirmary murder case, you were right next to Qi Xiaoke, you didn't feel anything when she was killed, did you?"

Hu Rongrong's tone rose three points, "Qi Xiaoke is dead?" She turned her gaze to Luo Shimin, wanting to make sure this wasn't a prank.

Luo Shimin nodded and said in a voice so low it was almost inaudible, "Qi Xiaoke is dead, and all the staff in the infirmary are dead."

Hu Rongrong lay down, covered her face with the blanket, and trembled under the blanket. "I must be dreaming. I'll wake up in a little while."

Luo Shimin gently pulled back the blanket and saw Hu Rongrong with tears streaming down her face. "Qi Xiaoke is really dead. You're not dreaming. You were almost killed too. Look at the ligature marks on your neck. That's why you're in the hospital."

Hu Rongrong touched her neck and found a bruise. It was still a little painful to the touch. She cried and asked, "Who killed Qi Xiaoke? Such a lovely girl, how could he do that?"

Ye Cheng said, "A doctor and a nurse were also murdered along with Qi Xiaoke. The police currently have no leads. In order to catch up with the murderer as soon as possible, please think carefully about what you saw that night?"

"I saw it..." Hu Rongrong tried hard to recall. That night, she accompanied Qi Xiaoke to the infirmary. Qi Xiaoke was getting an IV drip, and she felt bored, so she lay down on the bed and fell asleep. After that, she heard a little noise, and then her memory went blank. She couldn't remember anything. "I can't remember."

Ye Cheng grew anxious, "Please think carefully, how could you not remember?"

Hu Rongrong looked pained. She buried her face in her hands between her bent legs and cried, "Don't force me, I really can't remember. I want to help you, I can't let Qi Xiaoke die in vain, but my mind is blank, I can't remember anything."

Ye Cheng was about to ask more questions when Xia Chen stopped him. Luo Shimin sat down next to Hu Rongrong and gently patted her back. "Rongrong, don't worry. You just woke up from a coma, so it's normal that you can't remember anything. Rest for a while, and you'll be fine in time." Hu Rongrong fell asleep to Luo Shimin's comforting words.

Ye Cheng persisted, "How could you not remember? It's been less than 48 hours since the murder. Even an idiot should remember what happened."

Xia Chen said, "This is called temporary amnesia, a self-protective function of the human body. When a certain memory puts too much pressure on a person, exceeding their ability to bear it, and is about to lead to a mental breakdown, this function will activate and seal that memory away. When a person's mind becomes strong enough to overcome that memory, it will come back to them. She must have seen images that were beyond her capacity to bear. This also means that what she saw will be of vital importance to our investigation."

Ye Cheng was eager to know what had happened that night, "How can a person have such a strange habit?"

How long will it take her to remember?

Xia Chen said truthfully, "That's hard to say. If it's fast, it might happen in the next second; if it's slow, it might take ten days or half a month, or even a lifetime."

Hearing this, Ye Cheng's face turned green. "Is there any way to help her remember sooner?"

“There are ways.” Xia Chen looked directly at Ye Cheng. “Hypnosis can help her recall this memory sooner, but if she’s not prepared, this memory could drive her insane. Are you willing to drive a girl crazy in order to solve a case?”

Ye Cheng didn't say anything, and punched the wall.

Luo Shimin said, "I have confidence in Rongrong. She will soon be able to overcome herself and remember what happened that night."

In her dream, Hu Rongrong returned to that night. It was the fifteenth of the lunar calendar, and the moon hung in the sky like a jade plate. She looked up at the moon, and in an instant, it turned blood red. She closed her eyes in fright, and when she opened them again, she was standing at the door of the infirmary, which was pitch black inside.

She stood motionless outside the infirmary, with a blood-red, demonic moon overhead.

The door to the infirmary suddenly opened.

A monster sprang out of the darkness and opened its blood-red maw at her.

013 The Hospital is Haunted

Hu Rongrong woke up with a scream, and Luo Shimin and the other two who were guarding the door rushed in like lightning.

Luo Shimin rushed forward and saw Hu Rongrong covered in cold sweat. "Rongrong, you had a nightmare, didn't you? Don't be afraid, I'm here with you."

Ye Cheng chuckled and asked, "Did you dream about what happened that night? What did you see?"

Xia Chen stepped on Ye Cheng's foot; he really shouldn't have asked that question at this moment.

Hu Rongrong tried her best to recall every detail of her dream: "I saw the door of the infirmary, the moon overhead was blood red, and there was a monster with a gaping maw and a mouth full of fangs."

Hearing the door open to the infirmary, Ye Cheng began to smile, as if he had seen hope. But before his bright smile could fully bloom, he heard the blood-red moon and the terrifying monster, and his smile vanished.

"I'm going out for a walk." Ye Cheng went out to clear his mind.

Luo Shimin took out a tissue and gently wiped away the sweat from Hu Rongrong's head. Xia Chen poured her a glass of water and handed it to her, saying, "Have some water, it will make you feel better."

Hu Rongrong took a sip of water, her gaze sweeping over Luo and Xia, and said with a double meaning, "It seems I missed a lot of exciting things while I was unconscious. When I woke up, you had two bodyguards by your side, and they were both handsome guys. God, open your eyes! Why don't you give me a handsome guy too?"