Only you are so different

Chapter 8 All Beauty Tests Reason
Less than a week after returning from the grassland, Su Xiuran handed in the manuscript of his new book.This book inherits the feature of the concise title after his second book, and it is called "Twilight".The plot is still the same as always... indescribable.

Even though she had read the detailed outline a long time ago, Lin Mei read it all at once after getting the full manuscript. Then she ate the dinner prepared by the author herself and read it a second time.

This is also the characteristic of Su Xiuran's writing. He likes to bury a lot of clues and details that are not obvious or not. When the answer is solved and the truth is revealed, readers will often read it again from the beginning to fill in those details.

After so many years, readers of Suxiu have already developed a habit of reading a book twice, three times, or even many times, such as Lin Mei now.

"Sunset" is a story that happened in a closed and traditional village.

The dense forests around the village, the crystal-clear river, and the dense green bricks and tiles all add a touch of classical style and special charm to this story.

The protagonist this time is an old handicraft woman who has never been married. Her past has long been annihilated in the torrent of time. No one pays attention to this ordinary-looking old woman who always walks with her head down. People want to explore her story.

In this village that has gradually developed a tourism industry, she relies on selling handmade crafts to pass tourists all year round. She leaves early and returns late every day, as silent as a tree or a stubborn stone.

She would quietly put a kerosene lamp at her feet at the entrance of the village at dusk when there were few tourists.

The dim yellow light looks so faint under the light of the street lamps. The tourists who come and go, even the people in the village, think it is a quirk of the lonely old woman, and no one cares about it or asks about it.

Until one day, a young photographer who came to the village to collect materials noticed this detail, maybe it was just bored, maybe it was some curiosity, the photographer asked her, why did she do this, and what is the meaning?
He was even ready to hear a superstitious old custom, or a simple but dry reason.Then the old woman looked at him and said that if he would come here ten days in a row and buy one of her goods every day, she would tell him the whole story.

The photographer's curiosity was aroused, he bought the first product, and then listened to the old woman's daily life, telling a story far beyond his imagination.

That was already 40 years ago. At that time, the old woman was still a girl from a water village. She was pure and kind, with a mind and tenderness as delicate as water.

She met the man she was destined to meet one evening. After finishing her farm work, she lit a kerosene lamp at the entrance of the village and sold handmade things to passers-by to subsidize her family.

In that backward era, most of the people who came and went were wandering merchants, but that day, a young man with a smile and a soft and pleasant foreign dialect visited her booth.

He bought a cloth wallet that she sewed by herself, and asked her softly and politely if she could provide him with hot water and steamed buns, and he would pay according to the price.

The girl didn't know his identity, she was just a pure girl with a spring in her heart, and the handsome and elegant young man caused uncontrollable ripples in her heart.She granted the request, of course, and went home to fetch what he needed.

The young man took the water and food, said goodbye to her with a smile, and walked into the darkness outside the village.

The girl thought she would never see him again, but in the next few days... maybe a few days, or dozens of days, in short, for many days, he appeared and bought a piece of the girl's clothes every time. Cargo, water and food he needs.

Every time he came from nowhere, and disappeared on the tree-lined path outside the village, every time he was dressed clean and tidy, with a warm smile.

The girl even suspected that he was not human at all, maybe some kind of mountain spirit or ghost, or a god.

Sometimes he would even stop for a while to tell her a joke or say a few words. The young man had a good conversation, and every time he heard what he said, the girl couldn't help being fascinated.

She knew that she was probably in a relationship, a relationship that didn't need the past or the future, so reserved, yet full of temptation.

She could still see from the young man's eyes that he might also fall in love with her.During a farewell, the young man joked that he hoped she would always light a lamp for him so that he would not get lost in the dark.

The girl didn't answer him, she just lowered her head and pursed her lips, showing a gentle and shy smile.

This was supposed to be a sweet love story, but unexpectedly and reasonably, it ended in one morning.

At that time, the girl had just woken up when she heard a strange noise coming from the entrance of the village, which was unusual in a peaceful village, so she followed the crowd and walked over.

In the discussion of the villagers, she learned that the police had just arrested a murderer who had been wanted for a long time in the forest of the village.

The girl had a premonition, she ran to the entrance of the village eagerly, and finally caught up with the wanted criminal before he was escorted into the police car, and saw him.

What she saw was the young man who always only appeared in a hurry in the dark of night. Before being sent into the prison van by the police, he took one last distant look at her through the crowd and smiled at her.

Is he a vicious criminal who devoted all his last tenderness to this world to her, or was he originally a gentle person, and his brutal behavior was just accidental or impulsive?
She had no chance to know that the news about the young man had only reached her by accident. In that era of harsh punishment, the death penalty was not unexpected.

She survived the long years silently and alone, until the people in the village had long forgotten the sensational murderer, until she became an old woman who never married and had a weird temper.

After visiting this small stall for ten consecutive days, the photographer finally finished listening to the story, and he remained silent for a long time.He didn't know whether to believe the story, or how to evaluate the people in it.

When he took away the handmade products of the last day and left money far exceeding the value of the goods, and was about to leave, the old woman stopped him. Her wrinkled face did not have the slightest shadow of her youthful beauty , but her smile vaguely still carried the youthful tenderness back then, and she said: This lamp is still reserved for you.

When Lin Mei watched it for the first time, her attention was focused on the identity of the strange young man and the mysteries surrounding him. After watching it for the second time, she cried silently and her eyes turned red.

She left the computer and went upstairs to look for Su Xiuran. He was resting on the soft chair in the study with a book. He didn't get up when he heard her push the door in. He just looked at her teary eyes and smiled slightly. Next: "What's the matter?"

Lin Mei's voice was still choked up, she wiped her tears and said, "Why do you always write such hopeless and cruel tragedies?"

Now Su Xiuran no longer prevaricates her with the reason that "readers like it". He looked up at her, and after a moment of silence, he said: "Because in this world, there are too many things that are not as expected. .”

Lin Mei refused to admit that when she was reading this book, she inadvertently imagined that gentle and mysterious young man from a foreign land as Su Xiuran, she just felt extremely heartbroken.

It seems that she is the girl who has been waiting for 40 years for just one encounter.

She knew that she was substituting, and excellent literary works already have this function, but this time the tragic story made her sad too violently.

Since the ambiguity on the grassland ended, she and Su Xiuran had returned to the tacit distance before, they were familiar and polite to each other.

Today, she couldn't control her emotions a little bit, she cried and sat beside him and accused him: "You just like to abuse readers!"

How could Su Xiuran fail to see that she was substituting too deeply, sighed softly and put down the book in his hand, smiled at her and said: "This is just a novel, don't get too involved."

Lin Mei wiped her tears again, and wiped her snot with a tissue that was put aside. Still unable to calm down, she said, "I won't be able to start proofreading the manuscript until tomorrow... I won't be able to work overtime tonight."

Su Xiuran smiled softly: "Okay, it's up to you."

Lin Mei turned her head to look at his soft smile in tears, it's fine not to look at it, but when she saw his side face under the dim light, she immediately thought of the young man in the novel, and couldn't help but show her heartache expression.

Su Xiuran was taken aback by her look, and then he understood, he smiled lightly: "You put the hero into me, that's why you're so sad?"

Lin Mei really didn't want to admit that it was because of this that she was crying so futilely, she raised her hand to cover her eyes: "I didn't mean it, who told you to keep the male lead smiling softly!"

Su Xiuran couldn't help but suppress her laughter, and coaxed her softly, "Don't be afraid... I haven't done anything illegal, I won't be arrested by the police, and I won't disappear suddenly."

He had been leaning on the soft chair, and the yellow floor lamp was turned on beside him, Lin Mei didn't notice that his face was much paler than usual, and there were some fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

She secretly removed the hand covering her face, looked at him, and continued to blame: "You are simply a big stepfather... I would not be happy if a book doesn't torture people to death. How could I fall in love with an idol like you!"

Su Xiuran smiled, he wanted to say something, but coughed a few times uncontrollably, quickly turned his head to cover his mouth, but he still couldn't cover the blush from his fingers.

Lin Mei's body froze instantly, and she didn't realize what happened for a moment.

Then when she began to understand, it was as if a chill had risen from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her shiver involuntarily, but her eyes were still fixed on his face.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment, Lin Mei felt that she was just in a daze, but it seemed that a minute or two had passed.

When she suddenly realized that Su Xiuran had already quietly held his palms, he was still coughing lowly, but he had already moved his eyes away from her face indistinctly.

There was a box of tissue paper on the low table beside them, Su Xiuran took a few with his other hand, stuffed the tissue into his blood-stained palm, but made no further move.

After another moment of silence, Lin Mei saw his thin white lips curled up slightly, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

His voice was still calm and soft, but it was unavoidably hoarse. Lin Mei still didn't respond, so he curled his lips again.

He never went to see her again, but the smile on his lips deepened, and it seemed a little ironic.

Standing up with his hands on the back of the chair, he got up and left, maybe because he got up too hastily, or maybe because he didn't want to worry about other things at all, the book he was reading earlier slipped from his knees to the wooden floor, and the pages fell in a mess It fell over with a dull sound.

He didn't even take a look, and strode past Lin Mei.

Lin Mei felt that her body could move again suddenly, she got up hastily, and held his arm tightly before he left.

Through the thin fabric, his skin was slightly cool, Lin Mei was stunned for a moment, and then hurried over to hug his waist, as if she was afraid that he would faint suddenly, she hugged him tightly, looked up at him in a panic face: "What's wrong with you? What do I need to do? Should I call an ambulance? Or take you to the hospital?"

She was too shocked just now, but she didn't feel scared until now. Every time she said a word to him, the fear in her heart would deepen, but her mind was still blank.Maybe she will lose him?Or if you never get it, how can you lose it?

The arm holding him was involuntarily exerted force, she wanted to lean on his shoulder, but she was afraid that this little bit of strength would make him fall down and never wake up again.

Yes, she was able to hug him with all her strength, but she didn't dare to touch him again.

Su Xiuran just frowned slightly, he endured for a moment, and then said softly: "I'm fine...you're hugging too tightly."

Lin Mei hurriedly let go, she didn't dare to let go of him completely, she still held onto his clothes tightly, as if she was afraid that he would disappear if she let go.

Su Xiuran raised his hand to grab her arm, and pulled her away from his embrace little by little. Although his face was pale, he was not in a sick state that would faint at any time.

Smiling slightly at her lips, he said softly, "No need to go to the hospital, let me handle it myself."

Although the tone was still gentle, Lin Mei could tell that there was no comforting meaning in his words, it was just cold alienation and resistance.

She opened and closed her lips several times, but couldn't say anything.

Su Xiuran obviously didn't have the patience to wait for her any longer, and stepped out of the study.

After standing there for a while at a loss, Lin Mei heard his footsteps going upstairs, and the sound of the bathroom flushing from upstairs.

Because he couldn't see his person, Lin Mei couldn't help but start thinking wildly, thinking that maybe it was his pride that pushed her away, thinking that maybe he was still coughing up blood, maybe he didn't even have the strength to walk.

The unknown is the greatest fear. Once you start to imagine, you can't stop, and the fear in your heart is getting bigger and bigger.

Even the rejection and indifference in Su Xiuran's eyes before leaving could no longer stop her from taking action, Lin Mei walked around downstairs a few times, and finally ran upstairs quickly.

Next to the corridor is Su Xiuran's room, the door was not closed tightly, and there was a dim light inside, Lin Mei pushed open the door and rushed in without hesitation.

Contrary to what she imagined, Su Xiuran neither locked herself in the bathroom, nor fell on the ground weak and helpless.

In fact, he had already sat down on the sofa by the window, and there was a glass of warm water he poured for himself on the low table beside him. He was crossing his hands in front of him, lowering his head slightly, thinking about something.

He only raised his head when he heard Lin Mei's eager footsteps, and when he saw her rushing over anxiously and standing in front of him, he showed a helpless smile: "I'm really fine."

Lin Mei was so anxious that she couldn't speak, and she lost her usual eloquence: "But...but..."

Su Xiuran sighed, and pointed to the other side of the sofa beside him: "Sit down?"

Lin Mei shook her head, and was afraid that it would be inconvenient for him to raise her head to talk to her, so she hurriedly sat down cross-legged on the carpet in front of his bed, and raised her head to look at him.

Seeming to be a little helpless by her actions, Su Xiuran twitched his brows, turned his head and coughed a few times.

Lin Mei's nerves were already tense, but when she heard him coughing, she immediately straightened her back, looking like she was ready to rush up to help him at any time.

Su Xiuran looked at her small movements, didn't waste any more time, and quickly explained: "Dry bronchiectasis is not a serious disease, but sometimes hemorrhages, especially when the climate changes and dries in spring and autumn."

Seeing that Lin Mei's eyes were still wide open, he said helplessly, "You can consult a doctor, or you can look it up online."

Knowing that he would not lie to herself because of this kind of thing, Lin Mei's spirit finally relaxed a little, but she was still worried: "Then... will you...will it be often? Or just this time?"

The smile on Su Xiuran's lips faded a little, and the brow was a little tired, but he still said patiently: "Did you read too many novels or TV dramas... Many diseases that cause hemoptysis are not terminally ill, nor are they It will be fatal."

I don't know if it's Lin Mei's illusion, but I always feel that his attitude towards her has changed, becoming more indifferent, with a faint sense of distance.

Since he was scared by him in the study just now, his attitude towards her has changed subtly. If he was full of patience and gentleness before, then he is tired of coping now.

Of course, Lin Mei would not think that a person like Su Xiuran would blame others because of her illness. She didn't know what kind of expression she had at that time, but she knew it would not be good-looking.

Perhaps the expression on her face was more of shock and fear... At that moment, she thought about whether he would die, and thought that maybe she was about to face a disease that she could not control.

The reaction of a person between life and death is immeasurable. At that moment, she thought so much that her body was stiff and full of fear, and she couldn't do anything.

From Su Xiuran's point of view, could this be indifference and abandonment in a certain sense?
She knew that she couldn't hide her true inner thoughts in front of Su Xiuran, but she still wanted to explain as much as possible. For the first time, she took the initiative to hold Su Xiuran's hand, looked up into his eyes: "I'm sorry, I made a big fuss Well, I just read your manuscript, and I couldn't get out of the atmosphere inside, that's why I lost my composure and was frightened when you coughed up blood, if I make you feel uncomfortable, you must not take it to heart."

She said a lot, staring into his eyes all the time, hoping that he could smile to herself and eliminate the embarrassment.

Su Xiuran didn't say anything, just looked down at her, the gentleness in his eyes was still there, but there were no other ripples: "It's okay, I'm just a little tired, it has nothing to do with you."

He probably still didn't want to see her nervous and guilty, so he smiled at her gently after he finished speaking, turned over his palm, and shook her hand lightly: "Don't take it to heart."

In the end, Lin Mei was sent back to his room by Su Xiuran. He didn't seem to have anything wrong with him, but seeing her not leaving for so long, he still had a hint of impatience on his expression.

Lin Mei felt that if she stayed to question him, she would only add to his burden, so in the end she could only tell him to go to the next door and call her if necessary.

Before she went out, Su Xiuran called her to stop and asked her to close the door.

When he said this, he stood up, but he didn't try to approach her, he just put his hands in his pockets and looked at her, the dim light couldn't clearly see the expression on his face, only his The slender figure is like an unmoving statue, exuding coldness and distance.

Lin Mei didn't linger any longer to annoy him, she nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

The night was so ups and downs, she naturally didn't sleep well, she fell asleep for a while until the early morning, and then woke up when the sky just dawned.

Lying on the bed, she couldn't fall asleep anyway, so she simply got up and went downstairs to make breakfast. According to the cohabitation agreement, she and Su Xiuran each took turns to cook a day, and it was her turn today.

Because it was still early, she cooked porridge and Chinese medicine, and then wondered if she should make some fresh pasta while she had time.

But unexpectedly, just as she was about to make a move, there was a sound of footsteps upstairs, and then Su Xiuran's figure appeared in the living room.

He had washed up and changed into jeans, a bomber jacket, and comfortable shoes.

Seeing that she was already downstairs, he was slightly taken aback, and said, "Are you up?"

This is what Lin Mei wanted to ask him, where is he going this early in the morning?
He used to go out for a jog in the neighborhood in the morning, but at that time he was wearing only sports clothes and shoes.Besides, Lin Mei noticed that he still had the car keys in his hand, and it was obvious that he was about to go out.

Lin Mei raised her eyebrows: "You don't want to eat breakfast? When will you be back?"

Su Xiuran must be in a hurry, so he raised his hand to look at his watch, and pondered for a moment: "Zhang Yan asked me to go to the scene of the crime to have a look. I need to go as soon as possible, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."

When he said this, he obviously hesitated, but finally said: "Do you want to go together?"

This is a real crime scene, ordinary people may not have the chance to see it once in their lifetime, not to mention Su Xiu came in person, Lin Mei nodded hurriedly: "Okay, I will clean up right away!"

Su Xiuran smiled slightly, and looked at his watch again: "I'm going to drive, see you at the front door in five minutes."

Lin Mei felt that she really used all the action force she had in the emergency assembly during the military training at the university. When she ran to the front door 5 minutes later, she not only changed her clothes and brought her bag, but also took it out of the bag after getting in the car. A thermos cup: "The porridge is not ready yet, here is the water I brought, it's warm."

Then she also took out a few slices of whole wheat bread: "It's too late to make sandwiches, so just eat some bread, you can't be on an empty stomach for too long."

Su Xiuran skillfully drove the car into the driveway early, and a smile appeared in his lips and eyes: "Okay, just take care of yourself."

After a night, his attitude seemed to be back again, still the kind of careless but ubiquitous tenderness.

And Lin Mei was excited because of the upcoming event, so she didn't care about the little embarrassment before.

It was not yet seven o'clock, and there were not many cars on the road. After the car turned onto the main road, Lin Mei realized that Su Xiuran was very familiar with the road conditions and traffic rules in City B.

He drove all the way forward without any navigation, and walked through the intricate roads without hesitation. In less than half an hour, they came to an old city.

Driving the car into a narrow, sparsely populated road, Lin Mei saw several police cars and the red and white lines surrounding them.

Su Xiuran parked the car a little further away, took Lin Mei out of the car and walked over.

Before he got out of the car, he had already taken out a pair of light-colored sunglasses and put them on, which would not obstruct his vision, but could already prevent his face from being recognized at a glance.

When she got closer, Lin Mei immediately saw the square-faced man standing outside the red and white line. It was the police officer Zhang Yan she had seen in the office last time.Although he was not wearing a police uniform today, his upright and solemn demeanor was still very striking.

Seeing Su Xiuran, he said "Morning", and then asked with concern: "You don't look well today, are you all right?"

Su Xiuran replied casually: "It's okay." Seeing that Zhang Yan turned his gaze to Lin Mei, he added, "She is my assistant and signed a non-disclosure agreement."

They seem to be very familiar with each other, there are no polite words, just a few words to understand each other.

Without further questioning, Zhang Yan greeted the police guarding the red and white lines, and led them both in.

Lin Mei glanced and saw a forensic doctor collecting evidence against the wall at the corner of the alley, blocking the figure lying on the ground.

Su Xiuran stepped up to go over, but paused slightly, and said to her, "Stand here, don't come any closer."

No matter how much she likes reasoning, Lin Mei is just an ordinary person who saw the scene for the first time. The police and the crowd beside her have already put invisible pressure on her. After hearing this sentence, she was relieved and agreed.

Su Xiuran looked at her, and added: "Even in the periphery, you can find many details, just observe."

It was time to go to work soon, and there were more and more people in the alley, they were indeed pressed for time, so Su Xiuran walked over quickly after speaking.

Maybe because the forensic doctor had already done a lot of work, Su Xiuran didn't go for a long time, but walked back in just a few minutes.

At this time, Lin Mei was carefully checking the surrounding environment according to his instructions.

This is a typical old city street with many historical Chinese classical buildings, and all taller buildings are a few streets away.The condition of the road is fairly good, the asphalt road should be newly repaired and it looks very smooth.

It's just that Lin Mei noticed that there are no street lights on this street, and the surrounding residents will install one or two lights in front of their houses for illumination.

Lin Mei knew that this kind of street lamp was not under the jurisdiction of the municipality, and the street lamps installed privately by residents were often easily broken due to the lack of maintenance and repair by professionals.

Even the street lights are like this, not to mention the surveillance video, it must be impossible to find it.

In other words, at night, this alley will become quiet and dark, and it is also a blind spot for the police, making it an ideal crime location.

Seeing that Lin Mei was carefully observing the surroundings, Su Xiuran bent the corners of his lips and said softly to her, "Okay, we can leave now."

Lin Mei knew the importance of keeping silent at the right moment, nodded, and handed him the thermos cup in her hand: "Drink some water, you can eat later."

Zhang Yan, who was following Su Xiuran, saw this scene and patted him on the shoulder: "You are a good assistant, and you really should find someone to take care of you. I don't want to find foreign aid at critical moments."

Su Xiuran smiled slightly, took the water glass from Lin Mei's hand, and led her back to the car.

Even though it was the end of April, the morning in the north was still a bit cold. He still coughed a few times along the way, and when he got in the car, he grabbed two tissues and coughed out something suppressed with his mouth shut.

Even if it was the second time seeing this situation, Lin Mei's body still trembled involuntarily and became stiff for a moment.

Su Xiuran picked up the ball of paper in his hand and stuffed it into the trash box beside him, and started the car.

Lin Mei couldn't help but said, "Otherwise... I'd better drive."

Su Xiuran glanced sideways at her, and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I attach great importance to the safety of my life." He paused slightly, "It doesn't matter if it's my own or someone else's."

Lin Mei knew that he must have misunderstood something, so she quickly explained: "I'm not afraid that your illness will affect your driving, but I think you may be a little tired, and the way back is not complicated, so I should be able to do it."

It's okay if you don't explain it, but it's even more embarrassing if you explain it. Lin Mei wants to bite her tongue in remorse.

Su Xiuran didn't speak any more, backed the car and left the alley. Behind them, the policemen were also busy cleaning up the scene, trying their best to resume traffic before the crowds gathered.

On the way back, Su Xiuran skillfully avoided the congested road. When they returned home, it was only eight o'clock, and there was still time for Lin Mei to have breakfast and rush to the office.

When she was leaving, she was not sure when she would be back, so Lin Mei turned off the fire, and now she was cooking porridge and medicine again, she hesitated for a while, and went to the study upstairs to find Su Xiuran.

Su Xiuran had already changed into her daily clothes, and she was sitting on the sofa last night reading a book at the moment. When she saw her coming in, she smiled slightly: "You have to go to the office for a meeting today, don't be late."

Today is Monday, even if Lin Mei doesn't have to go to work every day, she still has to attend this meeting. In order to prevent other colleagues from thinking that she has too much privilege, she has never been late.

But thinking that the water cup and bread he brought into the car were left intact by Su Xiuran downstairs, and he hadn't eaten anything since he got up, Lin Mei hesitated: "I made rice porridge , I'd better wait until you have eaten before I leave."

Su Xiuran was silent for a moment, his eyes were clear and sharp, which made Lin Mei intuitively feel that something was wrong.

Sure enough, he smiled: "Lin Mei, you are a kind and sympathetic person, but you don't need to use those extra sympathies on me." There was unquestionable arrogance in his deep and melodious voice, " I was able to take care of myself well before you showed up, and I can still do now."

Having said this, Lin Mei felt that her hesitant attitude was enough... She smiled unnaturally, lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze, and her tone was also stiff: "Sorry, then I'll go first. "

After she finished speaking, she hurried downstairs, almost tripping on the stairs because of her flustered steps.

The rice porridge and traditional Chinese medicine in the kitchen downstairs were still steaming, she thought for a while, and thought that Su Xiuran would not have forgotten them on the stove, so she simply ignored them and tidied them up on her own. Door.

The regular meeting was at nine o'clock in the morning, and the morning rush hour was prone to traffic jams. She really didn't have much time. As a result, she took away the warm water and the dry bread in the vacuum flask and used it as her own breakfast.

She walked in a panic, with some haste to escape, of course she didn't see, when she went out, a slender figure appeared by the upstairs window.

Su Xiuran watched her drive away, not only did the ever-present smile disappear from his face, but it was also so cold that there was no warmth at all.

When he couldn't see her car at all, he couldn't help but bowed his head and coughed a few times, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, saw sporadic blood stains unexpectedly, and simply ignored it, he raised his hand to cover his eyes, deeply Take a deep breath, then exhale slowly.

Nothing is more embarrassing than him at this moment. Not only did he find that she didn't fall in love with him, but he also saw pity in her eyes.

He clearly remembered that when he couldn't help coughing up blood in front of her, she looked at him...surprise, doubt, fear, and full of pity and helplessness.

It was no different from those shareholders and subordinates who thought he was going to die many years ago.

After a long silence, he put down his hands covering his face, went to the bathroom, washed off the blood carefully with warm water, then took out his mobile phone and dialed a number.

A familiar voice came from the microphone, and he said, "Doctor Cheng, I think you may need to come over."

This is the first time in history that Lin Mei lost her mind during a meeting. When Du Yuwen asked her about the progress of Su Xiu's new book, she reacted for more than ten seconds, until the colleagues around her turned their eyes to her face out of curiosity , she hurriedly continued: "Oh, the manuscript was handed in last week, and it was very well written."

This time, the eyes of the colleagues became even more strange. Su Xiu's manuscript is of course very good, so how can she be sure of this?
Du Yuwen saw that she was absent-minded, so he didn't ask any further questions, but just took a deep look at her, implying: "Since the manuscript has been submitted, we must enter the publishing process as soon as possible. This is the focus of this year's focus. Anything goes wrong."

Lin Mei nodded again and again, lowering her eyes to cover up her gaffe: "I know, I will do my best."

This is the first book she made after taking over Su Xiu. Countless pairs of eyes are focused on her work results. Even a slight mistake is enough to make others doubt her ability to work.

Liu Han can make mistakes, because he is the editor who has served Su Xiu since his debut, but she can't, she is the one who popped up halfway to grab the fruits of victory, if she doesn't do well, there are many people waiting take over.

After the meeting, Du Yuwen called her to the office and motioned her to close the office door before he said, "Don't stress too much. Although Su Xiu looks picky and harsh, he is actually very considerate. As long as you He won't make things difficult if he has met his basic requirements."

She has already lived in Su Xiuran's house, and she has not told Du Yuwen until now, let alone the ambiguity between them.Therefore, from Du Yuwen's point of view, she might be under too much work pressure, which caused the current situation.

Lin Mei hurriedly denied: "I know, Su Xiu is a very kind person..." At this point, he suddenly couldn't continue.

Su Xiuran is indeed very kind, not only kind, but also very gentle. When she had to move, he let her live in his own house, shared the housework with her, and thanked her for taking care of her... In fact, after they lived together, Su Xiuran was actually very gentle. Xiuran took more care of her.

He is so nice, no matter from the perspective of his boss and collaborators, or from the perspective of cohabitants, even when he implicitly expresses his affection... he is incredibly considerate.

Lin Mei thought to herself, if her previous suitors had a half-suspicious attitude, she might not be single until now.

What made her sad was definitely not Su Xiuran himself, but that he was so nice...but she seemed to really fail to fall in love with him.

Du Yuwen saw that her eyes were gradually tearing up, so he pulled a piece of facial tissue and handed it to her: "It's because I didn't think carefully, I didn't always care about your work status, and I made you work overtime."

It was fine if he didn't give the tissue, but when Lin Mei saw the tissue handed in front of her eyes, she couldn't help but think of the scarlet stain on it when Su Xiuran coughed up blood. She couldn't hold back her tears for a moment.

Even Du Yuwen, who has experienced many battles, was afraid that his female subordinates would cry in front of him, so he was in a hurry and sighed: "How about this, Xiao Lin, if you really feel that you can't bear the pressure, I can transfer you back."

Hearing this sentence, Lin Mei quickly objected with sobs: "I can do it! I can do this book well...that's..." She wanted to tell Du Yuwen Su Xiuran that she was not in good health recently, but she also thought about the confidentiality agreement she signed. The agreement included not to casually disclose Su Xiuran's physical condition to others, but he quickly retracted the words, "It's my own problem, and I will fix it as soon as possible."

Du Yuwen was looking at Lin Meijin's editorial department, from a newcomer, step by step to achieve the performance second only to Liu Han, of course he admired the work ability of this young subordinate, so he didn't hesitate much , and handed over Su Xiu to her.

Although he already had plans to replace Lin Mei in his heart, he still decided to give her another chance: "Okay, then, you can do it first, and if you need help, you can call at any time." Give me."

Lin Mei nodded repeatedly, and hurriedly wiped away her tears: "I will do well, Mr. Du, don't worry."

Lin Mei thought that after crying, she would recover, but she was still in a trance throughout the morning.

In fact, she doesn't really want to go home to face Su Xiuran now, but thinking that it's her turn to cook today, she still rushes back before noon.

And no matter how indifferent Su Xiuran was, he was sick, right?People who used to be coquettish and coquettish for so long when they had a cold, now they are coughing up blood, but they are serious.

Lin Mei couldn't help sighing while driving the car, only now did she realize that if Su Xiuran didn't cooperate, she would be like a clamshell that makes people spin around anxiously and has nowhere to bite, okay?
On the way home, she abducted to the supermarket to buy some food, and when she got home, she carried the bag and opened the door rather sneakily.

Very well, there was no one on the first floor, so she rushed back before Su Xiuran made her own lunch.

But the house is a little too quiet, usually even if Su Xiuran is alone at home, there will be some noises, but now it seems that there is no one else in the house.

She was wondering if she wanted to go upstairs to have a look, when a delicate "meow" came from her feet, she looked down and saw Chun Shenjun rubbing against her feet with his face up and his tail up, and then he let out a soft cry Voice.

A master who is as arrogant and domineering as Chun Shen Jun would definitely not be so courteous to his slaves when he has nothing to do. In fact, there is only one possibility for it to be such a sweet and pleasant moment of the day: to eat.

Lin Mei followed Chun Shenjun, who kept looking back to signal, to its food bowl, and found that it was indeed empty. Chun Shenjun looked back at her again, and said "meow", with reproach in the tactful ending.

Lin Mei quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, my lord, I haven't prepared a meal for you yet!"

As she said that, she took the canned cat food and poured it for Chun Shenjun. At this moment, she felt that Su Xiuran might not be at home. If he was at home, it would be impossible for him to not take care of Chun Shenjun for so long.

You must know that the great god looks cold and arrogant, but he has never treated the master badly.It seems likely that he went out after she went out.

Are you looking for Zhang Yan?What's new about the case?Thinking of the case in the morning, the corpse lying on the cold ground inevitably appeared in Lin Mei's mind.

Speaking of life, life is so impermanent. Just yesterday, it was still a fresh life, but it just passed away quietly in the darkness.

While thinking this way, she heard a few light coughs from upstairs, and then there was no sound again.

She was stunned for a moment, thinking that the place she was standing now was just under the window of the study upstairs. Could it be that Su Xiuran had not gone out, but was in the study?

Then why didn't he come out to say hello when she entered the door just now?Is it sleeping?

Although he works at home, Su Xiuran's schedule is quite strict. He gets up at 06:30 in the morning and absolutely rests before twelve o'clock in the evening.

At noon, he would take a nap for an hour or two, but he never slept in the morning... It seems that this is due to the impact of illness.

Thinking about it, Lin Mei lightened her steps and went upstairs on tiptoe. The door of the study was ajar. Through the small gap in the door, she saw him half lying on the soft armchair in front of the window, with a blanket covering his body. Light gray blanket.

This is not the most important thing, what is important is that she saw a wooden bracket next to him, the medicine bag for infusion on the shelf was connected, and the transparent hose was obviously still connected to his hand.

Seeing him drive himself to the crime scene early in the morning, I thought there was nothing wrong, but didn't he still need an infusion?
Lin Mei was angry instinctively at first, and then felt extremely irritable, and she couldn't tell why she was irritable, anyway, there was something wrong with her whole body, and she felt angry at everything.

Just as she was trying to control her heavy breathing and was about to go downstairs quietly, the person in front of her seemed to move slightly. Before he opened his eyes, he whispered: "What's the matter?"

It was so embarrassing to bid farewell in the morning, Lin Mei still felt a little embarrassed, cleared her throat and said, "Did I wake you up?"

Su Xiuran half propped up his body, looked up at her, slightly curled his lips and shook his head: "I wasn't asleep in the first place, but I heard you when you entered the door."

Lin Mei said "Oh", and said without words: "How's your appetite, what would you like to have for lunch? I'll do it."

Su Xiuran really raised his arms to support his head to look at her, and made a request: "Shepherd's purse wontons, freshly wrapped, don't freeze them."

This really looks simple, but is actually a complicated and troublesome request, okay?Lin Mei wanted to push him back, but remembering that he was sick, she reluctantly swallowed her anger: "Oh, then I'll go out to buy raw materials, you may have to wait a bit."

In the end, he laughed, and there were sporadic coughs in his deep voice, but it was enough to show his joy. He raised his arms greatly, and waved his hands gracefully: "Forget it, according to your order." The original plan is to come, it’s fine if it’s lighter, and the wontons can wait until tomorrow.”

Lin Mei really wanted to complain, but she was powerless to refute. I dare to say that she will be in charge of the kitchen tomorrow. There is no way someone will make the master sick... Oh, by the way, he also handed in the draft, so he can rest confidently.

She pouted and agreed, and was about to turn around and go downstairs, but the person lying down waved to her again: "I don't have a good appetite now, don't worry, come and talk to me."

Lin Mei wanted to give him a thumbs up for an instant, the Great God is worthy of being a Great God, this domineering style is comparable to that of Chun Shenjun, but it is still irresistible.

Lin Mei could only accept her fate, walked over obediently, and sat down on the chair in front of him.

In the end, Su Xiuran looked at her and raised the corners of her lips slightly, and the conversation turned out to be business affairs: "What do you think of the scene in the morning?"

Lin Mei spent the whole morning in a daze, and couldn't even read the manuscript, but she really thought over and over again about the scene she saw at that time, so she lowered her head and thought for a while, and said seriously: "I don't know what kind of case this is, but Judging from the location of the crime, the criminal obviously wanted people to discover his evil deeds.

"Although the location of the crime is already hidden, the main road is not far ahead, and that area is also a downtown area. There are so many people passing by at dawn, it is impossible not to find the body. If he wants to take the body It is very convenient to hide it. I saw that there is a river not far from the alley where the crime happened. However, it is tens of meters away. Wouldn’t it be better to carry it and push it into the river? At least it will not be caught in a few days Find out, being washed away along the river can also make it difficult for the police to find the first scene."

Su Xiuran curled his lower lip: "You seem to have already assumed that this is a male murderer."

Lin Mei nodded: "Female criminals rarely have such a strong desire to express themselves, they are a little more timid."

Su Xiuran obviously agreed with her judgment, she smiled as a reward, Lin Mei stared at his face involuntarily, saw his curved lips turned slightly white, and couldn't help saying: "You haven't If you feel comfortable, don’t tell me, it will be better if I help you pay attention.”

What she just said unintentionally was like popping a beautiful soap bubble, and the harmonious atmosphere between them just now disappeared.

Su Xiuran's eyes looking at her turned cold in an instant, and the smile on his lips also took on the reservedness of being thousands of miles away. He smiled, and the light in his deep pupils was cold and sharp: "Miss Lin, I don't want I like to say a sentence many times... Please put away your unnecessary sympathy."

Lin Mei choked, she couldn't believe it, the last time Su Xiuran called her Miss Lin, she didn't know how long ago.Later, although he didn't give her any more intimate and ambiguous names, he still called her "Lin Mei".

I don't know who kept emphasizing that she should call him by his name when he was in the grassland?
Lin Mei felt that she was out of anger, because Su Xiuran was ill, she subconsciously let him in, coaxed him, hoped that he would be happy, but in the end he got worse and became unreasonable, okay?
Without even thinking about it, she blurted out: "Are you enough? You always look at others with your narrow and extreme eyes! You can call normal concern sympathy, how inferior you are!"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and when she saw the expressionless Su Xiuran in front of her, she became even more angry: "I didn't fall in love with you with all my heart, so what? You don't give me any time to prepare, you know? Some people want to Have you ever thought about how hard it is to fall in love with someone completely? I have lived for more than 20 years, and I have never liked anyone of the opposite sex, anyone! Who like you said that they fell in love after meeting a few times? Don’t put It's too cheap and too easy to think about other people's feelings, okay?"

When she was speaking, Su Xiuran kept looking at her coldly. When she said the last sentence, he finally got up abruptly, tore off the tape and needles on the back of his hand with one hand, and strode past her.

If Su Xiuran could directly slam the door and go out, according to his unstoppable aura at the moment, Lin Mei would be so frightened that she immediately shut up and kept silent.

It's a pity that he just took a step, and his eyes turned black uncontrollably, and the strength and consciousness in his body were quickly leaving him.

He propped up the bookshelf next to him with what little remaining strength he had, and then, amidst the sound of books falling and Lin Mei's screams, he fell into complete darkness.

(End of this chapter)