Chapter 90: Backing Up

There was worry between Xia Lili's brows. This time she relied too much on illusions and let Xiang Quan stay with the murderer for two hours. It was too scary.

Until Li Qihan's car stopped in front of her, "Get in."

Xia Lili's thoughts were pulled back to reality.

"Going back." His voice was still calm, but with a touch of warmth than usual.

Xia Lili obediently opened the passenger door and got in.

In the closed carriage, she secretly glanced at Li Qihan's angular profile. After hesitating for a long time, she finally mustered up the courage: "Captain Li, can I apply to audit the criminal investigation course at the Police Academy?"

Seeing no response from the other party, Xia Lili added softly, "Also... could you recommend me some introductory books on criminal investigation?"

Li Qihan turned the steering wheel with one hand and started the engine, his eyes fixed on the road ahead illuminated by the headlights: "What's going on?"

Surprise flashed in his eyes: "You suddenly want to work hard in the middle of the night?"

Xia Lili clutched the corner of her clothes and her voice gradually lowered: "This time I missed Sun Yongfeng..."

She paused, her eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes. "It increased the danger level around Xiang Quan, although the final result was good."

For a moment, the only sound in the car was the hum of the engine. Her fingers unconsciously tightened the seatbelt. "I'm still a little scared."

"The hallucinations in my mind are only visible to me, and I must make full use of all the information in the hallucinations."

"But this time..." Xia Lili's voice dropped again, "I overlooked the other porter, thinking he was just a passerby in this incident."

"Just because he didn't appear in the hallucination, we made such a hasty judgment and misled everyone's investigation."

Memories made her speak faster and faster: "When we arrived at the scene, I saw the way Sun Yongfeng was browsing his phone and then I realized that he might be one of the white coats..."

At the end, she sighed heavily, like a deflated ball: "I think I performed very badly this time."

Li Qihan caught a glimpse of the girl's dejected look from the corner of his eye, and his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly.

Xia Lili was prepared for criticism, but after an unexpected silence, the man suddenly spoke: "You, a newbie who just changed career paths, have successfully completed missions with us so many times. It's already quite remarkable."

Xia Lili turned her head suddenly, her eyes wide open with shock, her lips slightly parted, as if she couldn't believe that these words came from Li Qihan's mouth.

Is he praising her?

"You are too demanding of yourself."

Li Qihan's voice remained steady, but his tone was noticeably softer.

He stared straight ahead and continued, "In fact, you were able to tell from the way Sun Yongfeng scrolled through his phone that he might be the same person as one of the murderers in your hallucination. That's quite impressive."

"You are very talented in criminal investigation."

Xia Lili's eyes gradually lit up, as if stars were falling in them: "Really?"

Li Qihan caught a glimpse of her expression from the corner of his eye, and the corners of his mouth curled up imperceptibly. "From the celebrity murder case, and the time you noticed the scar on the violinist's hand covered by foundation at the concert, I felt this way."

Xia Lili looked straight at him with her sparkling almond-shaped eyes: "Then why didn't you praise me before?"

Li Qihan tapped his fingertips lightly on the steering wheel twice and asked, "Why are you praising me?"

"Are you a kindergarten kid?"

"I have to say, Xia Lili, well done. Should I give you another little red flower?"

Xia Lili choked and her face turned red.

"Always with a cold face..." Xia Lili complained softly, "I thought you were very dissatisfied with me!"

The neon lights outside the car window flickered, casting shadows of varying depths on Li Qihan's well-defined profile.

Xia Lili thought Li Qihan would never respond to her again.

But he never expected that Li Qihan was silent for a moment, his Adam's apple moving slightly: "I'm afraid you'll be proud."

The voice was very soft, but every word was clear, like a snowflake falling on the silent lake.

Xia Lili nodded, "I really can't get carried away. I still have a lot to learn."

"I'll help you submit your application, don't worry."

Li Qihan changed to a more relaxed position while holding the steering wheel: "Police are human, not gods. As humans, they make mistakes."

"Besides, you just made a mistake in judgment, and it didn't cause any major mistakes. It happened so suddenly that you didn't have much time to think."

Xia Lili's fingers gripping the edge of her clothes tightened slightly: "I'm just afraid that in the future..."

The sound was so soft that it almost disappeared in the night wind.

Li Qihan still looked straight ahead at the road, but the moment the next streetlight came on, he spoke: "If I really make any mistakes in the future-"

The dim streetlight cast shadows of varying depths on his angular profile. After a brief pause, his voice was low and firm: "And I'll cover for you."

Xia Lili was stunned when she heard this and couldn't help but turn her head to look at him.

Li Qihan realized that he had talked too much today, and he concealed his discomfort by adjusting the rearview mirror.

His slender fingers rested on the mirror for two seconds, and he returned to his usual cold tone: "The Criminal Investigation Team is a team."

The deliberately slowed-down speech carried a businesslike detachment, "You're not the only one fighting this battle."

The night wind blew through the half-open car window, blowing away the almost imperceptible softness in the end of his voice.

The supermarket was not far from the police compound, and the car quickly arrived at the compound parking lot.

The two men got out of the car and walked towards Building No. 6, one in front and one behind, without saying a word all the way.

Xia Lili's mind kept flashing back to the scene of Li Qihan assembling the sniper rifle today.

Soon we arrived at the bottom of Building 6.

Li Qihan: "Go up."

Xia Lili nodded and took a few steps forward.

"Captain Li!" Xia Lili suddenly turned around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She couldn't help but ask, "Doctor Zhou said I have the potential to be a sniper. Can I also handle a gun and train?"

"It sounds easy to him, but with your skinny arms and legs, can you withstand the recoil of a gun?"

Li Qihan looked at her excitedly flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, and shook his head helplessly: "Wake up and try again."

"Good night!" Xia Lili waved to him and got into the elevator.

It was not until the lights in the living room of Room 302, Building 6 came on that Li Qihan turned and left. The moonlight stretched his shadow very long.

*

Two days later in the morning.

A special car from Huajing Hospital came to pick up Xia Lili and her family of four for a full physical examination.

In addition, the doctor from the laboratory specializing in rare eye diseases contacted by Tang Mingqian also came to Huajin Hospital to provide Xia Xubai with a preliminary diagnosis.

The ophthalmologist who came was also surnamed Zhou, named Zhou Jinsheng. He was a 52-year-old ophthalmologist and professor at a medical university. He came from Haicheng to give a lecture at the hospital in Yangcheng, so we happened to have time to meet.

Unexpectedly, Professor Zhou Jinsheng was accompanied by Zhou Linjing.

Xia Lili and her brother were waiting in the VIP treatment room. When they saw Zhou Linjing, they were stunned: "Brother Zhou, are you related to Professor Zhou?"