The moment Kuang Feifan asked that, the smile vanished from Bai Ru’s face, her brow involuntarily furrowing. Seeing this, Kuang Feifan felt a pang of heartache and quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Trouble?”

Bai Ru thought of the tissue stained with red marks in her bag, and a slight unease settled in her heart. But she couldn't burden Kuang Feifan further with her worries right now, so she shrugged, feigning casualness, “It’s hard to say, but the issue probably isn't major. Now isn't the time to analyze these things. The most important thing is that you must rest a bit. Dawn is almost breaking, and don't forget you still have to give a statement.”

Kuang Feifan nodded, “You’ve stayed up all night with me; you should rest too.”

“Oh, right, put this on.” As she spoke, Bai Ru pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Kuang Feifan. He took it and saw a rhombus-shaped ornament carved from yellow beeswax, with apricot-yellow silk thread tied to its sharp corners. He couldn't help but ask curiously, “What is this?”

“It’s a Jiao Fu (Corner Talisman). Look inside the round hole in the center—there’s a scroll of scripture written on yellow silk threaded through it. This talisman has been consecrated by an enlightened high monk. Wearing it close can ward off disaster, resolve difficulties, and ensure peace.”

As Bai Ru spoke, she took out another small red pouch strung with red thread, placed the talisman inside, and, without asking if Kuang Feifan was willing, directly hung it around his neck.

“Hey, Ru, don’t you think it looks a bit strange for a grown man like me to be wearing a little red cloth pouch around his neck?” Kuang Feifan dared not resist physically, but he still had to argue verbally.

“Who says it looks strange? I think it looks fine. Besides, in this situation, even if I stuck an actual spell paper on your forehead, you’d have to do as I say.” Bai Ru grinned and tapped his forehead lightly.

“By the way, Ru, I forgot to ask—how did you know He Shaoqing and I were in trouble?” Kuang Feifan finally remembered the question he’d meant to ask long ago but had consistently glossed over.

At his question, Bai Ru’s expression instantly became somewhat strange, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. The fleeting allure that radiated from her made Kuang Feifan’s heart ripple with emotion.

“The patrol officer who took you to the hospital called me. They said that while they were watching over you, you kept calling my name in your coma. They thought you were dying and assumed I was your wife, so they went to great lengths to find me…” Bai Ru’s voice trailed off.

Kuang Feifan’s mouth nearly split into a grin reaching the back of his head. Finally unable to contain himself, he started laughing foolishly. Bai Ru was so annoyed she pinched him several times before he quieted down.

After their playful moment subsided, seeing Kuang Feifan obediently close his eyes to rest, Bai Ru left his hospital room. Outside the door, the plainclothes officer leaned against the opposite wall, feigning sleep. He opened his eyes when he heard the door open, saw it was Bai Ru, and immediately went to ask about Kuang Feifan’s condition.

Following their prior agreement, Bai Ru told him Kuang Feifan hadn't woken up yet, but his physical recovery was stable, and he should regain consciousness by daybreak.

She did not go to see He Shaoqing again. When treating him, Bai Ru had already placed a protective talisman on him, though it certainly wasn't as good as the one she gave Kuang Feifan.

When she learned that Kuang Feifan was in trouble, she realized that she had never truly forgotten him. Similarly, Kuang Feifan still held her in his heart, otherwise, he wouldn't still be carrying the pendant she had given him.

However, now was not the time for romance. The trouble Kuang Feifan had stirred up this time involved far more than ordinary ghosts or spiritual entities. If this matter wasn't resolved soon, even greater troubles were likely to emerge later.

Taking advantage of the early hour, Bai Ru went to the laboratory. Although she was the Chief Physician in Psychiatry, she held the highest authorization level within this public security hospital. This was because the hospital director was a friend and colleague of her university mentor, making him something of an elder to her.

She tested the red residue on that tissue and the red substance wiped from Kuang Feifan’s cheek—it was blood, human blood, but there was too little to analyze the blood type, so they didn’t know whose it belonged to.

Bai Ru rubbed her brow with her fingers. Whose blood it was wasn't the most critical point; what concerned her was the possibility that the blood was not Kuang Feifan’s. If it wasn't, it meant the ghost in the small building could affect not only Kuang Feifan but potentially others as well, and who that person was remained unknown.

Regardless, the ghost haunting the small building had to be eradicated completely and quickly. Bai Ru was no bleeding heart. So far, the ghost had killed a petty thief in a gray jacket and severely tormented both Kuang Feifan and He Shaoqing, who was still not out of danger. All this made Bai Ru automatically discard any thought of merely guiding the ghost toward salvation.

As expected, Kuang Feifan awoke after daybreak. When the police learned of this, they immediately arranged for someone to take his statement. Unexpectedly, Kuang Feifan claimed to have lost his memory.

This immediately added another layer of fog to the case of He Shaoqing’s assault. But after a consultation by the hospital, Kuang Feifan was indeed suffering from amnesia. This was likely a symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the recommendation was psychological therapy combined with medication, suggesting recovery within a period of time. The diagnosis for Kuang Feifan was conducted by the Psychiatric and Psychological Department where Bai Ru worked. Even though the police knew Bai Ru was Kuang Feifan’s girlfriend, she wasn't the only doctor in the department; physicians from Neurology also joined the consultation, confirming Kuang Feifan’s condition. This forced the police to set aside their few remaining suspicions.

Of course, this success was largely thanks to Bai Ru coaching Kuang Feifan the night before in the ward, enabling him to mimic the pathological features of amnesia so vividly that even the other attending physicians were deceived.

After the hospital provided a lengthy explanation about PTSD, the police were left helpless and left Kuang Feifan’s room dejectedly. Watching their crestfallen expressions as they walked out, Kuang Feifan felt a sudden urge to tell the truth, but ultimately, he held back.

Although the statement couldn't be taken, due to the lack of progress in the case, the police still assigned a plainclothes officer to protect him, which made him both grateful and exasperated. He was planning to do something for He Shaoqing, but having a round-the-clock babysitter nearby would surely impede his freedom of movement. Fortunately, Bai Ru promptly scheduled a psychotherapy session for him—immediately.

Lying on the leather sofa in the therapy room, Kuang Feifan didn't feel a surge of positive emotion just because he could be alone with Bai Ru. Especially remembering the crestfallen expression and look of disappointment on Xu Hui’s face—the leader of He Shaoqing’s Major Crimes Unit Five—when he learned Kuang Feifan had amnesia and couldn't provide any information about who caused He Shaoqing’s unconscious state—weighed heavily on his mind.

Bai Ru, seated in a chair next to the sofa, noticed his abnormality and tried to comfort him, “Don’t worry. It’s actually a good thing they don’t know the real story. Even if they did know and believed you, they wouldn't be able to help much.”

Kuang Feifan nodded reluctantly in agreement, speaking as if to himself, yet also questioning Bai Ru, “I don’t understand. Since that small building is haunted, why don’t they just tear it down? You know, it looks like nothing more than a dilapidated old structure, the kind of small Western-style house built before the Liberation, and it looks like it’s been vacant for ages.”

Bai Ru thought for a moment, “I remember the area where you were attacked; many buildings there have been designated as historical protection sites. Large-scale demolition is unlikely. Tearing down just that one building might present procedural issues; the specifics would need to be investigated.”

Kuang Feifan sprang up from the sofa and looked directly at Bai Ru, asking with tense urgency, “Ru, can you catch that ghost?”

Bai Ru understood what he meant and nodded, “Although I don’t know for sure right now, I will try.”

Kuang Feifan abruptly stood up. “Let’s go now; I’ll go with you.”

Bai Ru burst into laughter, reaching out to pull him back down onto the seat. She then said, “I need to prepare before I go. And I don't want you to accompany me. You haven’t had any training in this area, and I don't want you to go through such a terrifying experience again. So, you should stay here in the hospital and rest.”

Hearing this, Kuang Feifan immediately objected, “No, I’m fine now. I shouldn't stay in the hospital any longer. I want to go with you to catch the ghost. After what it put He Shaoqing and me through, how can I be content without getting revenge myself? Besides, I won’t feel safe leaving you to go alone.”

His last sentence brought a small wave of sweetness to Bai Ru’s heart, but she still had no intention of letting Kuang Feifan accompany her. Just as she was about to firmly voice her refusal, her cell phone rang.

Since this wasn't an official treatment session, Bai Ru hadn't turned off her phone; she was expecting a rather important call. The call was from a friend who was helping her find an antidote for the corpse poison. The friend informed her that the antidote had been sent via express delivery and should arrive around noon, and then asked her for a significant favor.

When Bai Ru hung up, Kuang Feifan noticed her brows were tightly knit and her expression serious. He guessed something bad must have happened and quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with He Shaoqing?”

Bai Ru glanced at him and shook her head, “It’s not He Shaoqing; don’t worry. The medicine that will completely neutralize the poison in him will arrive by noon.”

“Then your expression…”

“It’s something else. Listen, Feifan, I have to go out this afternoon for an urgent matter. I might not be back until tomorrow. We can discuss how to deal with the haunted small building then, okay?” Although it was a question, her tone carried a note of finality.

“Uh… okay…” Kuang Feifan looked at her strange expression and knew she must have run into trouble, but he understood Bai Ru—if she didn't want to talk about it, no amount of pestering would work.

At noon, as soon as Bai Ru received the delivered package, she rushed to He Shaoqing’s room. She tore open the package, retrieved the tightly wrapped small porcelain vial inside, poured out the cinnabar-red pellets, dissolved them in warm water, and made He Shaoqing drink them. She then instructed the nurse that He Shaoqing would likely sweat profusely in the afternoon and needed to be wiped down and have his clothes changed at that time.

Bai Ru returned to her office, quickly packed a few things, and headed straight to the hospital's underground parking lot to get her car. Just as she opened the car door and settled behind the steering wheel, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the side of the parking lot, yanked open the passenger door, and slid into the car.

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