Chapter 185: Chapter 183: The Guilty One
"Tiana, we’re leaving now."
Elliana Lyle said, opening her arms to Tiana Harris for a goodbye and comforting hug.
But in reality, her face only reached Tiana’s neck, making it look like she was the one embracing Tiana.
"Tiana, take care of yourself. He’s not worth it. You deserve better."
"Hmm, I know." Tiana’s tone was not as heavy as before, it was a bit more relaxed.
Like a bird flying out of a cage, feeling light and free.
Seeing that Tiana no longer showed any signs of suicidal tendencies, she felt relieved and left with Norman Bennett after saying goodbye.
In the car, the man noticed her worried expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"
At that moment, she was thinking about Li Weichen. Based on what she knew, even if he wasn’t purely a bad person, he was a scumbag.
But such people often have a strong desire for revenge and might even resort to illegal activities.
She couldn’t even imagine the consequences if he retaliated against Tiana after getting out.
So she said, "Norman Bennett, provoking trouble usually results in about five years. I’m really afraid he’ll retaliate against Tiana when he gets out."
"Don’t worry, he won’t." The man reached out and ruffled her hair, saying seriously, "I promise."
Hearing the man’s promise, she was initially startled, then questioned in her heart if he already had a plan.
Curious, she looked up at the man’s face, her eyes filled with anticipation, and asked, "Norman, do you have a plan? But this crime doesn’t warrant a long sentence, right? It’s against the law."
But it’s quite reasonable.
In response to her eager questions, the man patiently explained, "When we first arrived, a friend at the police station told me that this person had been detained for burglary. Since he was under 14 at the time and no harm was done, he was just educated for half a month. Later, he was arrested for an attempted assault and spent three months in jail."
"Afterward, he frequently ended up at the police station for fighting with colleagues as an adult."
The lead officer earlier was Norman Bennett’s classmate from junior high to high school, named Wu Xing. Although they didn’t have much contact after graduation, they had always been desk mates.
It was a kind of subtle connection, and Wu Xing shared some additional information because of this relationship.
After listening to what the man said, Elliana suddenly understood. Clearly, Li Weichen was never a good person!
While she was secretly angry, the man continued, "And this time, it’s not just about causing trouble, there’s also burglary involved."
...
After staying at Melody Harmony for two hours, she felt restless. The man’s meeting seemed like it was going to drag on, so she wanted to slip away.
Mainly because her stomach started to ache, it felt like a gut pain, as if a cloth was being tightly twisted.
And such severe pain came in waves, with the rest of the time being mere discomfort.
She definitely needed to go to a pharmacy to get some medicine! Otherwise, she’d end up hospitalized again.
With one hand pressing her stomach, she took the elevator down out of Melody Harmony’s entrance, walking toward East Street, remembering seeing a clinic sign there as she passed.
The large characters couldn’t be mistaken and were quite close by.
Sure enough, after walking for a minute along the sidewalk, she saw a clinic sign with flashing lights because it was getting dark.
Upon closer look, the sign read "Miren Pharmacy."
From the outside, the pharmacy looked quite sizable, with three storefronts and shelves full of countless medicines.
Pushing open the glass door covered with red characters, an old grandfather who was playing with his phone immediately looked up, hearing the door creak.
Noticing someone had indeed come in, he adjusted his glasses and asked with a friendly smile, "Are you here for a checkup or to buy medicine?"
The elderly man, with his gray hair, appeared very kind, and his smile gave a warm feeling, like coming home to a grandfather gesturing to you.
Elliana walked up to the long counter and said, "Grandpa, I want a checkup. I have a stomachache." Then she pointed to where it hurt.
Upon hearing this, the old man immediately took out a mini pillow, also known as a pulse pillow, used in traditional Chinese medicine for taking the pulse. It’s small in size, used to support the wrist during pulse-taking.
Seeing the gray pulse pillow, Elliana was taken aback; it turned out the old man was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
"Sit down." The old man gestured for her to sit, and once she did, he began to check her pulse.
The pressure was a bit strong, as if he was pinching her wrist hard. However, seeing the old man’s serious expression, she didn’t dare move.
The old man’s face darkened, his brows furrowed, and he shook his head repeatedly.
Elliana was shocked, fearing she had an incurable disease. Oh no! She was still so young!
At this moment, the old man spoke earnestly to her, "Acute gastroenteritis, young lady. Although you’re young, don’t indulge yourself too much. Avoid what you should avoid, and pause when you need to pause. Your health is important."
She knew about dietary restrictions, but she didn’t understand what she should stop doing.
So she asked, "Grandpa, what do you mean by stopping?"
Seeing the young lady’s confused expression, the experienced doctor couldn’t say it directly, so he asked in return, "Have you had irregular menstrual cycles recently, often accompanied by abdominal pain?"
"Yes!" Elliana replied firmly. She was indeed in pain, but she could endure it. Thinking about it, she added, "Drinking more hot water helps a bit."
"Have you started dating?"
"..."
When he asked this, she suddenly understood, her face turning red with embarrassment, feeling her face heat up.
To disguise her awkwardness, she quickly changed the subject:
"Then please prescribe some medicine for me."
"No need to be embarrassed, it’s human nature." The old man said, standing up and asking, "Do you handle bitterness well? If not, I’ll prescribe a small amount of traditional medicine. If you can’t handle it at all, take Western medicine. Though traditional herbs are bitter, they’re great for nourishing the body."
Determined to improve her health, she replied firmly, "I can handle bitterness."
Just as she said that, a man in a white suit walked in, standing tall, about 190cm, with an incredibly handsome face. The glasses he wore lent him an air of elegance and sophistication.
The old man squinted at him and asked, "Why are you back so early today?"
"There wasn’t much to do today."
The man’s voice was exceptionally pleasant, and she realized she had heard it before. His looks seemed familiar!
Thinking hard, she suddenly remembered, it was Brian White from White Orchid!
Heavens! How did she run into him here? Internally, she chanted: Don’t see me, don’t see me, while simultaneously turning her head away.
"Miss Lyle?"
The way he called her name made Elliana’s hair stand on end, every hair on her body stood up.
She turned back stiffly, meeting Brian White’s cold and scornful gaze, which intensified her nerves!
Yet, after confirming it was her, Brian actually smiled. It was a genuine smile, not mocking or disdainful, truly heartfelt.
This puzzled Elliana as it felt different; the initial encounter with Brian had a basement-like vibe, but not now.
Despite feeling nervous, she maintained her composure, offering a slight smile, "Mr. White, what a coincidence to meet you here."
"Miss Lyle is being polite." Brian said, noticing the old Chinese doctor measuring out some herbs, realizing what they were meant for.
Clearly, Elliana Lyle had a cold constitution and a weak stomach.