The Obsessive Beauty’s White Moonlight - Chapter 2

Su Niannian stared unblinkingly at Qi Ning until she disappeared behind the villa’s front doors. Only then did she slowly withdraw her gaze.

How strange. Su Niannian pressed a hand over her heart. From the very first moment she saw Qi Ning, she felt as if a hook had snagged inside her body, making her fingertips tingle. She had found herself obeying Qi Ning’s words almost involuntarily.

It was as if she had decided at a single glance that this person was worthy of her trust.

Only now, with Qi Ning out of sight, did Su Niannian finally snap out of her daze and find the presence of mind to notice her surroundings. Her eyes met those of several high-strung police officers.

Su Niannian: “…”

Su Niannian’s lips pulled downward. She didn’t like being surrounded by so many people.

But Qi Ning had told her to wait for her in the room.

Despite her reluctance, Su Niannian walked straight back inside, sat down on a soft armchair, and curled into herself, motionless. Once seated, the chill began to seep in. The throbbing pain from her wrist pulsed against her brain, a constant reminder of the wound’s existence.

She waited quietly for ten minutes, but there was still no sign of Qi Ning. She could only hear the hushed murmurs of the officers discussing the case.

Does it really take this long to get from the front door to this room?

Su Niannian stared at the floor, a flicker of grievance rising in her heart. She tucked her wrist deeper into her lap, curling tighter.

I’ll wait one more minute. If she still hasn’t come.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. Before Su Niannian could look up, she was wrapped snugly in a small fleece blanket.

Qi Ning stood there with a beaming smile, patting her head. “Careful not to catch a cold.”

Her attitude was so familiar, it was as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.

“You—”

Before Su Niannian could finish, a cup of steaming milk tea was pressed into her hands. She reflexively reached out to take it.

“Caramel Oolong,” Qi Ning said, grabbing the two corners of the blanket and tying them into a small bow at Su Niannian’s neck. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”

Her voice rose slightly at the word “like,” sounding genuinely expectant.

Su Niannian looked blankly at the milk tea, then at the little bow. A “don’t like it” remained stuck in her throat. After a moment, she asked in a muffled voice, “Why are you giving me these?”

“To make you a little happier,” Qi Ning replied, her eyes curving into crescents. Her voice and expression were as soft as a cloud. “It must be hard, facing all of this alone.”

Qi Ning’s eyes were a pale shade, and her lips weren’t overly bright; she looked like a willow tree in the misty rain, her warm breeze rippling the light on the water’s surface.

Su Niannian had heard similar comforts from several officers already, but only now did her heart begin to race, feeling a faint sense of elation.

“It’s fine.” Unable to understand her own feelings, Su Niannian uncomfortably averted her eyes from Qi Ning’s direct gaze.

This response earned her another head pat.

“Don’t touch me!” Su Niannian’s eyes widened into circles as she snapped, swatting Qi Ning’s hand away.

The kitten’s fur is standing up, Qi Ning thought.

“Didn’t you have something to talk to me about?” Catching sight of Qi Ning’s slightly reddened palm, Su Niannian felt a pang of regret. Her words came out stiff and awkward. “Don’t waste time.”

Without waiting for a reaction, she began recounting the events from early that morning.

Su Niannian had been attacked from behind while painting. Having stayed up until the early hours, her energy was depleted, leaving her with almost no strength to resist before she was struck down by a heavy object.

Her body had gone limp. She could only watch helplessly as one gash after another was carved into her wrist, until her consciousness finally faded into the spreading crimson.

However, she had managed to glimpse one feature of her attacker—a tattoo shaped like a sun on the inside of their right forearm.

“That’s about it,” Su Niannian concluded.

Her tone was matter-of-fact and devoid of fear, so calm it sounded as if she were telling someone else’s story. She even took a quiet sip of the Caramel Oolong after she finished.

Qi Ning pushed up her glasses, hiding the shift in her gaze behind the lenses.

She had seen Su Niannian’s medical report: blunt force trauma to the head and a ruptured ulnar artery in the left hand. If the suspect’s blade had gone any deeper, her left hand would have been ruined.

Yet Su Niannian had not only woken up after such a severe injury to call emergency services herself, but her recovery speed was astonishing. For anyone else, surviving would have been a question, let alone leaving the hospital the same day.

Furthermore, after facing a life-and-death situation and having her hand—the most vital tool for a painter heavily injured, Su Niannian showed remarkably little negative emotion.

The curve of Qi Ning’s lips didn’t change, but her throat felt a bit dry.

“Does it hurt?”

“Huh?” Su Niannian blinked, startled.

Qi Ning patiently repeated, “Your injury, does it hurt?”

“Not really.” Su Niannian told the truth; she seemed to be naturally resilient to pain.

It doesn’t hurt? Qi Ning’s mood surged with a subtle intensity. She leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

Su Niannian instinctively felt a sense of unease and tried to lean back, but Qi Ning seemed oblivious. She even rested her hands on the armrests of the chair, intentionally or otherwise trapping Su Niannian in that narrow space.

She then requested softly, “May I see your left hand?”

Su Niannian wanted to tell her to back off, but Qi Ning’s expression was so candid, her eyes filled with such genuine concern, that it felt petty to suspect her of ill intentions.

Perhaps it’s a necessary step to confirm the details of the case, Su Niannian thought, slowly extending her left hand from beneath the blanket.

Qi Ning’s breath hitched.

Bandages were wrapped from Su Niannian’s wrist to halfway up her palm. The exposed fingertips were slender and elegant, glowing with a soft, jade-like luster. Due to the temperature, they were tinged with a flush of crimson, like cherry blossoms fallen upon fresh snow.

Qi Ning’s gaze followed the line of the bandages upward until the pale skin disappeared beneath the blanket.

Her intense scrutiny made Su Niannian’s ears turn red, her fingertips curling involuntarily.

“That should be enough. Ah!”

Qi Ning suddenly grasped Su Niannian’s fingers. Before she could react, Qi Ning gently rubbed them with her thumb.

“Stop, stop looking!” Su Niannian jerked her hand back as if struck by an electric shock. She felt her cheeks burning. “That’s enough!”

Seeing her looking like a red-eyed rabbit, Qi Ning almost wickedly replied, It’s not enough, but instead, she simply smiled. “It seems you can move your fingers freely. That’s good.”

Su Niannian went still. She hadn’t expected the sudden, intrusive gesture to have a legitimate medical reason.

At that moment, she recalled how the officers had addressed her. “Are you a doctor?”

“I am,” Qi Ning paused. “Do I not look like one?”

“Not really.” Su Niannian muttered under her breath.

In her mind, doctors wore white coats and looked serious. A beautiful doctor with such a bright, charming smile like Qi Ning, this was a first.

Qi Ning pretended not to hear her and transitioned smoothly. “Although your hand seems fine for now, I still suggest you come to the hospital for a proper check-up.”

Su Niannian refused without a second thought. “I don’t like crowded places.”

“Is that so?” Qi Ning’s lips quirked up. “Then, why don’t we set a time, and I’ll come by to give you a private examination?”

Her voice was low and slow, like someone coaxing a small animal to run into their arms.