A Reason to Survive

No windows, no light, not a single sound; there wasn't even the sound of footsteps nearby. All that remained was the dark night and the coldness in her heart. Is this the end? Why is this feeling of fear so familiar? Why does her body hurt so much, to the point where she doesn't even have a bit of strength? Xiao Bai, please save me, don't leave me here alone. I'm afraid too, I feel lonely too.

"Doctor, how is she?"

Standing outside the iron door, Bai Lin heard the murmurs inside and frowned as she asked. This place was currently the base Bai Jun used to hold his prisoners, and the person lying inside was the heavily injured Chi Qing. Because the treatment had been delayed—waiting until Bai Lin was dragged away by Bai Jun for a meal—Chi Qing had nearly died from blood loss.

After a night of emergency treatment, her life was finally saved, but she had developed a high fever due to the wound festering. Watching the doctor push the cart away, along with blood-soaked bandages, Bai Lin clenched her fists, trying to keep her expression looking more relaxed.

"The current examination shows the patient's condition is not very optimistic. She suffered very heavy external trauma, and the fever caused by inflammation adds to the danger. Furthermore, the patient's will to survive is very low, one could even use the word non-existent to describe it. Therefore..."

"Can I go in to see her?"

"Yes, but you must wear isolation clothing. I will prepare it for the young miss."

"Mhm."

Having received permission and changed into isolation clothing, Bai Lin pushed open the iron door and slowly walked to Chi Qing's bedside. The room lit up automatically as she entered. Bai Lin's steps were not light; she intentionally let her heels strike the floor to create noise. The reason she did this was not to disturb Chi Qing, but because she secretly wanted the other party to know she was coming.

Although she had long thought Chi Qing's injuries were heavy, seeing it with her own eyes was still very different from her imagination. Because her whole body was injured and they feared clothes touching the wounds, Chi Qing was currently only wearing a thin piece of cloth to cover her body, a layer so thin it was almost transparent.

Through the cloth, Bai Lin saw the body wrapped in bandages, with blood seeping through in some places. Perhaps because it was too uncomfortable, even though she was deep in a coma, Chi Qing still tightly furrowed her brows. Seeing her mouth move slightly as if saying something, Bai Lin leaned her ear close and heard her telling her not to go.

Her heart felt as if it were being stabbed by a sharp object, a torture of pain that could not be eased. She couldn't rub it, couldn't scratch it, and even more so couldn't touch it; she could only endure the aching pain. Bai Lin didn't know when it would stop; she only knew that the feeling was heartbreak.

Looking at Chi Qing's pale face, Bai Lin gently stroked her, using her fingers to tease her. Seeing the other's expression soften at her touch, the tightly knit brows relaxing quite a bit, Bai Lin's dark pupils sank, and then she forcefully strangled Chi Qing's neck. Because she had practiced martial arts since childhood, even though her figure was thin, Bai Lin's strength was not weak at all.

Hearing the sound of fingers cracking, Chi Qing's face turned red from lack of breath, and her body trembled. The wounds tore open due to her struggling, and fresh blood quickly poured out from those places. Seeing Chi Qing's mouth begin to cough up blood, struggling as if she wanted to spit out her lungs, only then did Bai Lin let go. The fair neck now bore a large red bruise.

"So your ability is only this much? You want to run away at the first sign of trouble. Chi Qing, dying like this only proves you are a coward who cannot withstand a blow. If you want to seek revenge on me, then wake up."

After Bai Lin finished speaking, she didn't look at Chi Qing again but directly turned and left. Seeing her step out, the doctor hurried in. Seeing Chi Qing's wounds torn open again and her heart rate irregular, the doctor wanted to blame Bai Lin, questioning why she had turned the person he had worked so hard to save into this state. However, turning his head, he saw Bai Lin's eyes filled with cruelty, and he was instantly too scared to say a word. He could only quickly turn to prepare the defibrillator and take bandages to stop Chi Qing's bleeding.

Standing outside the door, Bai Lin watched Chi Qing on the bed jerk after each electrical shock, her abdomen again pouring out blood that stained the bedsheets red. She stared blankly at her trembling right hand, and a feeling of nausea rose in her stomach. Sensing something was wrong, Bai Lin covered her mouth and ran far away. Fresh blood poured through the gaps, flowing down her arm to the ground. Bai Lin leaned against the wall coughing, her left hand tightly gripping her right, her whole body trembling as if she would collapse at any moment.

*Qing, please hate me, resent me. If you must have a reason to survive, I don't mind letting you resent me. Besides, I myself want to kill the Bai Lin of this moment who is hurting you.*

***

"I heard you visited Xiao Qing yesterday?"

The next day, sitting in the office, Bai Lin saw Bai Jun suddenly arrive and stood up somewhat awkwardly. Five years ago, Bai Lin was the one who helped Bai Jun look after the Bai Corporation; now that she had returned to the Bai family, she continued this duty. After a sleepless night, Bai Lin went to the company early. The staff were startled to welcome her, and simultaneously welcomed Bai Jun.

Looking at the respectful Bai Lin, he smiled and sat on the sofa, with Zeng Kehen and Bai Xi standing on either side of the chair. Since their relationship had been made public—even if it was in name only—they couldn't help but act in unison. Bai Lin still didn't understand Bai Jun's purpose. Bai Xi was originally the person he trusted most, yet he had let Zeng Kehen follow him all day; would everything be alright?

"I just wanted to see what her situation was like."

"Enough! Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Right now her body is still very weak; if you want revenge, don't be in a hurry. You should remember what I said—I want to keep her alive for many things. Therefore, no matter what you do, you must not threaten her life."

"Yes, Father."

Hearing Bai Jun's lecture, Bai Lin lowered her head in response. She didn't miss Zeng Kehen's pensive look, nor Bai Xi's smug expression.

"Good, since you understand, I won't say more. The reason I came today is to tell the three of you something. I'm getting old and don't have enough strength to manage many things anymore. From now on, I'll let Lin manage the affairs of the White Path. The Black Path, I'll leave to Xiao Hen and Xiao Xi to oversee. Even though you are acting, I hope you can make the fake become real."

"Yes, Father."

Hearing Bai Jun's arrangement, all three nodded obediently, no one offering a dissenting opinion. Aside from Bai Jun, Bai Lin and Zeng Kehen both clearly saw Bai Xi's joyful expression. Hearing that he and Zeng Kehen would manage the Black Path, a flash of resentment and unwillingness appeared in his eyes.

As an old fox, Bai Jun would absolutely not voice his true calculations. Having no time to manage and being old were just talk. The reason Bai Jun assigned the work in front of the three was that he wanted them to restrain each other, not letting anyone become autocratic or set themselves up as the central figure; this was Bai Jun's plan.

However, he had forgotten that plans can never stop change.

"Alright, that's all for today. Let's go."

Bai Jun took a sip of tea and prepared to stand up and leave. At this moment, Zeng Kehen suddenly spoke.

"Father, although Xiao Bai and I have met, we haven't officially acknowledged each other. Can I stay for a bit longer?"

"Mhm, that's fine. You two should be a bit more harmonious; there's no need to look like enemies every time you meet. Bai Xi, let's go."

"Yes."

As Bai Jun and Bai Xi left, the entire office was left with only Bai Lin and Zeng Kehen. Speaking of which, this wasn't the first time the two had been alone, but it was the first time their identities were both clear. Seeing that Bai Lin completely ignored her and focused on reviewing the documents on the table, Zeng Kehen smiled and slowly walked over, spreading her legs and sitting on Bai Lin's lap. The sudden weight made Bai Lin slightly surprised, but what disgusted her even more was the scent on Zeng Kehen. Her chin was lifted by the other party, the fingers long and cold, just like her own low body temperature. Bai Lin didn't care what Zeng Kehen wanted; her current mood was very bad, and she had no time to deal with this woman.

"Get off."

Bai Lin leaned back and squinted at the other, ordering in a cold voice. Even though she was surrounded, the aura on her did not diminish, a world apart from the Bai Lin who once gave a lowly impression. Looking at Bai Lin's icy face, Zeng Kehen was not intimidated; instead, her fingers slid back and forth, wanting to trace the lines of the other's face.

"Ah... I just realized, you and I are truly not alike at all. Even though the same blood flows in our bodies, fortunately, we didn't inherit any of Bai Jun's appearance. Tell me, could it be that we aren't his biological children?"

"Get off."

Bai Lin didn't answer Zeng Kehen but grabbed her wrist, stopping her from stroking her. Seeing the other's wrist turn red from her grip, she didn't reduce her strength; instead, she exerted even more.

"Ah... What's wrong? Not happy? Speaking of which, you acted so well, even I was fooled. If you had told me earlier you were one of us, I wouldn't have fired that shot back in Germany; I would have directly finished off Chi Qing. As it turns out, you are actually Bai Jun's person and even acted ruthlessly toward Chi Qing. You've made me a bit surprised, you... Hmph!"

Bai Lin didn't give Zeng Kehen a chance to finish but grabbed her neck and pushed her up, forcefully pinning her body onto the table. Her waist collided sharply with the edge of the wooden table, and Zeng Kehen's face instantly turned bloodless from the pain. She looked at Bai Lin's eyes, which revealed murderous intent, and actually burst out laughing.

"Ha ah... So, you treat your sister like this? However, someone like you... even your biological mother... you betrayed... Um!"

Hearing Zeng Kehen's words, Bai Lin's face grew darker by the second. She forcefully squeezed Zeng Kehen's throat, pressing her hand into the Adam's apple area of the neck. That strength was as if she truly wanted to take Zeng Kehen's life.

"Gasp... Petty ghost..."

Even in such a perilous moment, Zeng Kehen still smiled recklessly. She lifted her leg, using her toes to rub back and forth against Bai Lin's waist. Seeing the other's face wrinkle even more, before she could say the next sentence, her whole body was grabbed by Bai Lin and thrown straight forward.

"Cough... cough cough cough..."

Having regained her freedom, Zeng Kehen knelt on the ground coughing violently, looking up at Bai Lin with innocent eyes, like a little white rabbit being bullied. Bai Lin ignored her pathetic act, walking leisurely and gracefully to the other's side, whispering.

"What I want to do is my business; it's not for you to manage. Instead of provoking me here, you'd be better off going to Bai Xi. Zeng Kehen, you're so smart, you should understand my meaning."

"Ah... What did Xiao Bai say? I'm not smart, and I certainly can't understand what you're saying..."

"Want to die?"

Seeing Zeng Kehen's provocative look, Bai Lin followed her gaze and immediately saw a figure lurking behind the door. Bai Lin didn't want to continue speaking but directly pinned Zeng Kehen to the ground, using her leg to clamp down on the other's waist. The wooden hairpin fell to the ground with a clatter. Bai Lin grabbed Zeng Kehen's hair, forcing her to look up at her.

"Zeng Kehen, don't think I don't dare to do anything to you. Bai Xi cannot be allowed to live."

The first half, Bai Lin said very loudly; the second half was so quiet it was almost inaudible. Zeng Kehen's pale face broke into a smile, panting heavily, her mouth letting out sounds of pain and intermittent gasps.

"Ha... I naturally know... that you dare. After all... even your biological mother you framed... what else do you not dare to do?"

"Shut up!"

Hearing Zeng Kehen's words, Bai Lin forcefully pressed down on her waist, pulling her head up very high.

"Find an opportunity to make him appear in person. As for that person, I will find an opportunity to settle it for you."

"Gasp... fine... I'll shut up, let me go."

"If you knew it would hurt, then don't challenge my patience. If there's a next time, it won't be such a simple punishment."

Hearing Zeng Kehen beg for mercy, Bai Lin let go and turned to sit back on the sofa. Seeing that the figure outside the door had disappeared, she went over to help Zeng Kehen up, watching the other clutch her waist, looking extremely pained. Bai Lin didn't care; after all, regarding the matter of Zeng Kehen shooting Chi Qing back then, she hadn't yet demanded retribution.

"Ow... Xiao Bai, your strikes are truly ruthless. You treat your sister like this, I'll have to punish you later."