Cold Dependence - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jing Lian’s pale face seemed to be full of “mockery,” but it was only for a moment, then she turned her face away.

Her eyes were much gloomier than before, a sign that her mood was souring.

Why did eating shark liver require so many steps, and why the hell did they ask her name?

These humans were truly worse with each generation, dragging things out, with no sense of awareness.

Jing Lian, slightly annoyed, ground her teeth, even letting out a chilling sound from her throat.

“…What’s that noise?” Captain Li frowned slightly and asked.

The creaking sound made people uneasy.

“Captain, maybe it’s the sound of moving tables upstairs,” Han Yang pointed upstairs, where they were indeed rearranging furniture at that moment.

But Qi Wenxi, who was closest, felt doubtful. She glanced at the black-haired woman beside her. Just a moment ago, she saw the woman’s mouth move and even noticed small sharp teeth.

Then, the next second, Jing Lian slightly turned her head, locking eyes with Qi Wenxi, and innocently raised an eyebrow, as if asking why Qi Wenxi was staring at her.

Qi Wenxi felt that this woman, who looked younger than her, seemed oddly mature. It wasn’t the sign of mental illness she had suspected earlier. This unsettling sense of contradiction made her want to pull away the hand that was still being held.

But she really couldn’t break free.

The other’s grip was tight.

(Let go first.)

She signaled Jing Lian with her eyes.

It was also to prove to the officer that they didn’t know each other.

Jing Lian found this two-legged creature’s attempt at a fierce expression amusing. Not only did she not let go, she gripped even tighter, though she controlled her strength to avoid breaking any bones.

Qi Wenxi was too focused on her trapped hand to notice Jing Lian’s sly gaze. When she looked up, Jing Lian had reverted to an innocent expression, as if she wasn’t the one holding her hand tightly.

Qi Wenxi abandoned her earlier ridiculous assumption that this woman was normal.

Dealing with this woman, who was very likely an escapee from a mental institution, was hopeless. Completely hopeless.

Qi Wenxi was about to say something to Jing Lian when a crying sound interrupted her.

“Waaah—!!!”

“Little one, your mom’s already at the door. Don’t cry now…”

Sitting next to Qi Wenxi and Jing Lian was a little girl who had lost her mother. The girl’s wails pierced through everyone’s eardrums in the office.

Luckily, her mother arrived just in time to stop it.

“Sweetie, my little sweetie, don’t cry, don’t cry. I’m right here. Stop crying, okay? You’re the best, sweetie~” A beautiful woman quickly wiped the girl’s tears with a handkerchief.

In just a few seconds, the girl stopped crying.

Watching this, Jing Lian found it fascinating. So, calling a young human “sweetie” made them obedient. Jing Lian came to this conclusion.

Jing Lian was about to speak to Qi Wenxi.

“Alright, Miss Qi, and you, how long are you two going to keep this up? What family issue can’t be solved by sitting down and talking it out?” Captain Li had figured it out. These two clearly knew each other. He instinctively assumed this was another family matter.

After all, half the cases reported at the station were due to petty family disputes.

“Family? No, no, I don’t know her at all. I just hope you can find her family. I only brought her here to do a good deed,” Qi Wenxi saw that Captain Li was starting to think of them as family. She had to clarify.

At that moment, a staff member who had contacted the surveillance team around Lanhai Sea came to report to Captain Li.

Clearly, the report showed no trace of the woman in the area Qi Wenxi mentioned.

However, some of the surveillance footage seemed heavily distorted by an external force, leaving only partial images.

“The surveillance there is under repair, probably affected by the typhoon. The available footage shows nothing unusual.”

The staff’s report left Qi Wenxi helpless. How was that possible?

Captain Li glanced at the silent Miss Qi, then at the woman beside her. Even more absurdly, this nameless girl’s stomach let out a hungry growl at that moment.

“She kept asking me to provide shark liver or similar food,” Qi Wenxi stressed, holding her forehead, emphasizing the woman’s abnormality.

“Miss Qi, even if your sister might be a bit different, how could you bear to let her go hungry and barefoot?” Captain Li frowned, clearly disappointed in Qi Wenxi.

“Officer, you’ve misunderstood—”

“We see all kinds of people here. Just the other day, a couple left their disabled child at the entrance. Your sister may have some mental issues… but she doesn’t seem bad. She’s very attached to you, holding your hand since you arrived. Really, family is family. You should give her enough love, not think about abandoning her.”

Captain Li spoke earnestly to the cold-faced Miss Qi. His words drew curious glances from other staff handling cases nearby.

Under those puzzled and accusing stares, Qi Wenxi felt uneasy.

“Do you know the person next to you?” Captain Li turned to ask Jing Lian, whose stomach was still grumbling.

Jing Lian nodded.

They had known each other for hours now. This two-legged creature promised to provide delicious food.

Qi Wenxi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

How could this woman say she knew her?

“So, Miss Qi, what excuse are you still looking for to abandon your family? I know caring for someone like her can be tiring, but if even family won’t show love, your sister will be too helpless in this world.”

“…She’s not my family. How many times do I have to explain before you believe me? You can see she has mental issues. You can’t trust her.”

If she could, Qi Wenxi wanted to rip off her gripped hand and leave.

Captain Li was still earnestly advising her.

Some young officers passing by were even more indignant at this pretty-faced but cruel-hearted sister who kept making excuses.

Qi Wenxi felt uncomfortable under their gazes.

And Captain Li, once started, kept nagging at Qi Wenxi, who was trying to leave.

Han Yang noticed the barefoot woman next to Miss Qi, whose stomach kept growling. He opened a pack of compressed biscuits and handed it to the hungry “sister” who was about to be abandoned.

Jing Lian stared, puzzled, at the thing the human man gave her.

Seeing this, Han Yang smiled and explained, “You seem pretty hungry. Here, eat this. It’s pretty good.”

This square block of dirt was supposed to be her food!?

Didn’t they promise fresh, delicious shark liver? This dirt-like thing was food for a noble ancient being like her?

Jing Lian stared in disbelief at the “dirt” block the man handed her. She had cooperated with the two-legged creature beside her to come to this place, even wrapping her perfect body in this damned human cloth, and they gave her dirt to eat!?

Dirt!

Jing Lian’s face darkened. Her low mood made the police dog at the entrance tuck its tail and quickly hide in a far corner.

[Are you mocking me, human?]

Though the pale-faced woman didn’t speak, Officer Han, under her cold gaze, heard a chilling whisper in his mind.

Han Yang looked strangely at the woman who suddenly stood up. She felt eerie.

Qi Wenxi, still enduring Captain Li’s barrage of advice, also looked at the black-haired woman who suddenly stood.

No one in the room knew that,

outside, a sudden gale roared, and heavy rain poured.

A booming lightning bolt, carrying fury, split a towering tree across the street.

The tree was so close to the station that the splitting moment lit up the entire hall with terrifying light.

Such a close, terrifying bolt made many people gasp.

Qi Wenxi also flinched, as the lightning was truly frightening.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t panic, everyone. It’s just typhoon weather,” Captain Li quickly reassured the other citizens in the station.

Indeed, in critical moments, a police officer’s voice was the most calming.

The crowd, startled by the lightning, didn’t panic too much and continued their statements under the staff’s guidance.

Qi Wenxi, hearing Captain Li’s voice shift away from lecturing her, sighed in relief. She really didn’t know how to stop his unrealistic advice.

She was tired of explaining her relationship with the woman beside her. She planned to slip away when the rain eased, believing she had done her duty by bringing her here and didn’t need to get further involved.

But she glanced at the black-haired woman standing beside her. She just stood there, and Qi Wenxi didn’t understand what she was doing.

Anyway, she needed to free her hand!

But Qi Wenxi, always overly attentive to details, noticed the belt of the woman’s trench coat had come loose, exposing a large part of her shoulder. If she moved more, the whole coat might fall off.

Only Qi Wenxi knew this woman was wearing nothing underneath.

Though she really didn’t want to get involved, she brought her here and couldn’t let her embarrass herself.

Unable to stand it, Qi Wenxi reached out to fix the woman’s loose coat, buttoning it to the top. Her fingers brushed Jing Lian’s cold neck, the collar tightly pressing against Jing Lian’s throat.

Jing Lian, on the verge of losing her temper, suddenly calmed down from Qi Wenxi’s touch.

She looked down at the human woman who had fixed her clothes, feeling both puzzled and amused. Then she looked at this slow, meticulous human woman who was adjusting the damned cloth again.

Then, she firmly grabbed the back of Qi Wenxi’s neck, pulling her close, making Qi Wenxi’s forehead press against her own.

Her golden eyes locked onto this human woman who had already tested her patience enough.

[Sweetie, you’re really making me angry. I need to eat.]