Crimson Instinct

Chapter 103: Weird pressure

*Xin Lei*

Bai Li, Liao Huifang, and I departed from LangFang towards our next destination, Tianjin, where the mysterious gang and some other party were going to strike a deal.

We had still no idea what kind of a deal it would be. We fairly presumed it to be an exchange of some sort, but of what?

No clue.

The deal was going to take place tomorrow evening. We still had almost twenty-four hours until we could figure things out.

I thought about Chu Jie and Cocoa. It had been more than a day, but it already felt so long that Cocoa wasn't by our side. I missed him so much.

I only prayed that they were safe.

We were having a quick meal right now in a small restaurant.

My phone buzzed, and I saw the number. I paused.

I typed. "I will come in just a moment."

Bai Li asked, "Okay."

I walked near the ladies' room and picked the video call.

"Hello?"

I heard the familiar voice after so long. I saw the familiar face once again. To be precise, after ten years. It was my good friend, the best psychologist and my ex-boyfriend, Kang Yuan.

Ten years ago, we were just high-school students. At that time, he had that boyish charm in him. But now, as time passed, I could see the obvious changes in him. His voice was low and deep. There was a light stubble on his face adding onto his manly persona.

The teenage boy was now a twenty-seven-year-old adult. In the past, he was thin or maybe just average in build, but now he looked well-shaped overall.

"Xin Lei." Yuan softly spoke.

I smiled and greeted him using sign language. "Yuan. It's been so long."

"En. Ten years."

I moved my hands again. "Yes. Ten years. You have changed a lot. You have gained weight."

He chuckled from the other side. "These are called muscles. I am not fat. I have a toned body now."

I rolled my eyes.

I always liked to tease him about his weight during the high-school days, and his expression would always turn sour.

"And I can't even compare to your weight."

I glared at him. I signed. "Are you calling me fat!?"

"I never said anything like that."

I gritted my teeth.

I felt Yuan's gaze soften. "How are you doing these days?"

I rubbed my forehead. I signed. "Don't even askIt's a long story."

Yuan sighed. "Always getting into trouble."

My eyebrow twitched.

"Alright. Tell me all about it when we meet to catch up. Didn't you say you need my help?"

I nodded. I signed. "I want you to take someone under you for treatment. He has PTSD. He had undergone therapy in the past, but he left it halfway, and now he has decided that he wants to cure it once and for all."

Yuan smiled. "Of course. We are friends. I wouldn't decline your request. But...you have to give me a sumptuous treat for our reunion. Bill will be on you."

I dryly looked at him. I signed. "I am your friend. How could you charge me?"

"Hah! This is my revenge for those days when you emptied all my pocket money either for food or for buying the demo medical kits to play doctor-doctor. Thanks to you, I could never save up enough money to buy my favorite game console!"

I signed. "It has been ten years! So petty!"

He shrugged. "Whatever. The treat is on you."

I harrumphed and signed. "Alright!"

Yuan laughed. "Oh yes, who is that person?"

I paused.

Should I say that Bai Li is my boyfriend? We aren't officially going out. We had only made our feelings and attraction clear to each other.

"What are you thinking for so long? Have your brain cells rotted in these ten years? Aren't you the smart Xin Lei anymore?" He grinned teasingly.

I snapped out and furiously glared at him.

I thought about it. I signed. "We are seeing each other, but we aren't exactly in a dating relationship. He is kind of my boyfriend yet not at the same time."

Then there was silence.

I thought the call froze and turned my phone upside down.

I waved my hand.

"...Oh. I see."

I felt his voice was a bit...dim? It was just momentary, but it seemed as if he was a little uncomfortable.

This was the reason why I hesitated. It had been ten years since our breakup, but I wondered if it would seem too awkward to talk about Bai Li to my ex-boyfriend.

But, at the same time, I didn't want to hide it either and cause unnecessary misunderstanding.

I signed. "Are you okay?"

Yuan cleared his throat. "Oh, yes, yes. I-I was just surprised a bit. Like I said, I will surely help him out. Where are you now?"

I signed. "Tianjin."

Yuan asked, "Why Tianjin? Work?"

I sighed. I signed. "No. It's part of that same long story."

Yuan nodded. "Okay. I will directly book my flight ticket for Tianjin."

I signed. "Eh? Where are you now?"

"Oh, I am in India for a psychology conference. I was invited to give a lecture here. I will be there in about five hours."

"Okay."

"Where do we meet?"

I thought about it. I signed. "I will text you the hotel details where we are staying for the night."

"Okay"

I smiled.

He said nothing, but I felt him hesitate as if he still wanted to say something. I saw him furrowing his brows just a bit.

I signed. "Do you want to say something?"

"Yes" He opened his mouth but quickly shut it again. "No, nothing."

I squinted my eyes at him.

Yuan sheepishly smiled. "Really. It's nothing. Okay, I will hang up now. I will see you in five hours."

Before I could say anything else, he hung up.

"..."

Strange.

I went back, and Liao Huifang immediately fired me with questions. "Where were you? What took you so long? We were waiting for you. I am so hungry, but Bai Li forbade me to eat without you!"

I chuckled.

Bai Li snorted. "Learn to have some patience and control, young lady."

"Shut up, you oldie."

I choked.

Bai Li's expression turned sour and ugly. "I am only thirty-two. That's not old."

Liao Huifang sneered. "Can you compare to being twenty-two?"

His mouth twitched.

"Plus, you shouldn't ask a lady, especially a young and beautiful lady like me to wait to eat. It's bad manners."

"Who made that rule?"

"It's a universal law for all women."

Bai Li looked at my direction. "Is that so, Xin Lei? She is just making it up, right?"

Liao Huifang nudged at me too to take her side. Both were waiting for my decision.

I rolled my eyes. Really, sometimes they argued like children.

I typed. "We will settle this later, but I want to say something."

Bai Li raised his brow.

I typed. "I told you about my psychologist friend, right? He is coming to Tianjin in five hours. We will meet him at the hotel we are staying. It was his call."

I observed Bai Li, and he seemed a bit uncomfortable with the way he restlessly shifted in his seat.

Even if he decided to cure himself of PTSD, I knew that it would still be hard for him. A large part of counseling was to face your past and fears, which wasn't an easy thing to do even if one made up his mind.

I put my hand on top of his.

Bai Li faintly smiled. "I am fine. This day was going to come sooner or later. This time, I won't run away."

---

We were already at the hotel. Almost five and a hours later, Yuan texted me.

"Hey. I have reached the address you sent me."

I replied. "Okay. Wait for a minute."

I went down and saw Yuan's tall figure leaning on the reception desk, lazily swiping on his phone.

I looked at him in surprise.

He has changed a lot.

I waved my hand. He looked at me and smiled widely. "Xin Lei!"

We hugged for a moment.

Yuan said, "Sorry it took long. The flight was delayed a bit."

I shook my head. I typed. "It's alright. Let's go up. They are waiting for us."

"...Hm."

I took him inside Liao Huifang and my room where Bai Li was also present.

I typed. "He is Kang Yuan. My high school friend. He is one of the best psychologists."

Liao Huifang smiled and bowed.

I looked at Kang Yuan and typed. "She is Liao Huifang. She is our friend and kind of a comrade now. Part of the long story."

He nodded.

Now, it was Bai Li's turn. Somehow, I felt a bit nervous about introducing them.

I typed. "He is Bai Li, whom I told you about previously."

Bai Li roughly glanced at his way while Yuan was also staring at him, but neither of them said anything.

I coughed.

What is this weird pressure I am feeling?