A Sharp Edge Emerges From The Mist Chapter 17

hospital night

Shen Qingwu’s safe house in the suburbs is more like a fully functional small fortress.Hidden deep in an inconspicuous warehouse area, it looks like an ordinary two-story factory building on the outside, but it has been completely renovated on the inside.The underground floor is the equipment area, with independent power supply, water source, air filtration and network systems; the ground floor is the living area, which is simple and cold, with medical rooms, surgical preparation rooms, and medicine refrigerated cabinets, and its professionalism is no less than that of a small clinic.

Didn’t go to the hospital.The reasons given by Shen Qingwu are very good: the identity of the attacker is unknown, the motive is unknown, the hospital is crowded, and safety cannot be guaranteed.Lin Jifeng did not object. She knew the sensitivity of the gunshot wound on her shoulder and the reliability of Shen Qingwu’s equipment.

The lights in the medical room are bright.Lin Jianfeng half-reclined on the diagnosis and treatment bed, taking off his blood-stained jacket and shirt, exposing his left shoulder to the air.The wound was not deep. The bullet grazed the upper edge of the shoulder blade, leaving a tear that was about seven or eight centimeters long. Fortunately, it did not damage the bones or major nerves and blood vessels.However, she lost a lot of blood, coupled with the pain and previous strenuous exercise, made her face pale and her forehead was covered with fine cold sweat.

Shen Qingwu had already changed into a sterile surgical gown, wearing a mask and gloves, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.Those amber eyes that were always calm and self-possessed were now filled with suppressed anger and a hint of imperceptible… distress?Her movements were extremely professional and steady. She first rinsed the wound carefully with saline, then performed local anesthesia, debridement, and checked for any foreign matter residue.

Xiao Chen and Lao Zhao stayed outside the medical room, responsible for vigilance and liaison with the city bureau.

The anesthetic takes effect and the sharp pain is gradually replaced by numbness.Lin Jianfeng looked at Shen Qingwu’s focused profile, her slightly frowned brows, and the faint green shadows under her eyes above the mask.She could feel the extreme gentleness and control of Shen Qingwu’s fingers when operating near the wound.

“Have you studied medicine before?” Lin Jianfeng broke the silence, his voice a little hoarse due to blood loss and exhaustion.

“Not really.” Shen Qingwu didn’t even raise his head. He held gauze soaked in iodine with tweezers and carefully wiped the edges of the wound. “It’s just that… you need to master some necessary self-rescue and first aid skills. Especially in certain circumstances.” Her tone was very calm, but the words “certain circumstances” revealed the tip of the iceberg of her past experience, which was heavy and dark.

Lin Jianfeng asked no more questions.She could imagine how many escape routes a woman who investigates the truth about her parents’ “accident” alone and walks under the shadow of the “dark river” needs to prepare for herself, and how many abilities beyond ordinary people she needs to master.

Debridement is complete.Shen Qingwu began to sew.Her stitches are precise and neat, with the right spacing and depth of each stitch, and she uses absorbable cosmetic thread.

“Will there be scars?” Lin Jianfeng asked casually.

Shen Qingwu paused in his movements, raised his eyes and glanced at her with complicated eyes.”Yes.” She whispered, and then continued her work, but her movements seemed to be gentler, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing.” Lin Jianfeng smiled instead, a little weak but calm, “It’s not normal to have few scars on your body for this job. This is a medal.”

Shen Qingwu didn’t answer, just pursed his lips and concentrated on finishing the last few stitches.Tie knots and cut threads.Then apply antibacterial ointment, cover with sterile dressing, and then carefully wrap and secure with elastic bandage.

During the whole process, she said nothing. There was only the soft sound of the occasional collision of medical equipment, and the steady but thoughtful breathing of the two people.

After the bandage was completed, Shen Qingwu took off the bloody gloves, threw them into the medical waste bin, and carefully disinfected his hands.She walked to the operating table aside, poured a glass of warm water, took two anti-inflammatory pills and a painkiller, and walked back to the bed.

“Take the medicine.” Her voice was muffled through the mask.

Lin Jianfeng took the water glass and pills with his uninjured right hand, raised his head and swallowed them.The warm water slid over the dry throat, bringing some warmth.

Shen Qingwu stood by the bed, watching her drinking water, her pale face and her eyebrows frowning slightly because of pain.After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly stretched out her hand, and her cold fingertips gently brushed away Lin Jianfeng’s sweat-soaked hair.

The movements were very light and natural, with a gentleness that even she herself had not noticed.

Lin Jianfeng was slightly startled and raised his eyes to look at her.

However, Shen Qingwu avoided her gaze and turned around to pack up the used equipment.”You need to rest. A guest room has been prepared upstairs, and soundproofing and security measures have been taken. Xiao Chen and the others will be guarding outside. I…I’m right next door. If you feel any discomfort, call me at any time.”

Her tone returned to her usual calm and distant tone, but that subtle movement just now left lingering subtle ripples between the two of them.

Lin Jianfeng didn’t show off.The blood loss and medications began to bring intense feelings of exhaustion and lethargy.She nodded: “Okay.”

Shen Qingwu helped her stand up and slowly walked up to the second floor.The guest rooms are simply decorated, but the bedding is soft and comfortable and the temperature is suitable.Lin Jianfeng lay down and fell into a semi-drowsy state almost immediately.

Shen Qingwu tucked her in and turned off the main light, leaving only a soft night light.She stood by the bed and quietly looked at Lin Jianfeng’s sleeping profile for a moment, then quietly left and closed the door gently.

Instead of going next door to rest, she returned to the medical room downstairs.

She didn’t turn on the headlights, only a small reading light on the console.A dim halo of light enveloped her.She took off her sterile clothes, revealing the soft home clothes underneath, which were stained with a few unnoticeable, dried and darkened bloodstains – Lin Jianfeng’s blood.

Shen Qingwu didn’t change it.She just sat on the chair in front of the console, leaning forward slightly, covering her face with her hands, and her shoulders were shaking almost unnoticeably.

Not crying.It was a more suppressed, silent tremor.It was anger, fear, fear, the pressure she had endured alone for a long time. When she saw the wound on Lin Jianfeng’s shoulder and felt the warm blood, it finally broke through a corner of her cold shell.

Just a little bit… just a little bit…

If she had arrived a few minutes late, if the bullet had been missed by a few centimeters…

She didn’t dare to think about it.

Shen Qingwu, who walked in the dark, had long been accustomed to being in the company of danger, and was even a little indifferent to his own life and death, was now tightly gripped by a strange, almost suffocating fear.Only then did she realize that she was not fearless.She was afraid of losing the person in front of her.

This stubborn, righteous policeman who would make his ears turn red because of her encrypted “I miss you” and would not hesitate to protect her behind him at the critical moment of life and death.

This… unknowingly, has become the only real light in her dark world.

After a long time, Shen Qingwu slowly put down his hand. There were no tears on his face, only a frozen red under his eyes.She opened the hidden drawer under the console and took out a specially encrypted tablet.

The screen lit up with a faint blue light, reflecting her cold and determined face.

She began to operate.Not working on corporate matters or analyzing data.Instead, it connects to a more secretive and dangerous deep network node through several springboards.She is searching, using extremely high authority and complex algorithms, to search for all dark web information fragments, communication residues, and abnormal capital flows related to “Viper”, Zhou Tieshan, and tonight’s attack…

She wants to find them.No matter the cost.

Time passes in silence.Outside the window, the night was as thick as ink.

In the guest room upstairs, Lin Jianfeng did not sleep peacefully under the influence of drugs.After the anesthesia wore off, the wound began to hurt. The sound of bullets blasting through the warehouse, the dazzling car lights, and Shen Qingwu’s pale face as he rushed into the alley flashed repeatedly in his dream.

She struggled to wake up from the chaotic dream, her throat was dry and sore, and the pain in her left shoulder became clear.The room was dark, only the night light gave off a faint light.

She tried to move, to sit up and drink water, but her wound was affected, and she couldn’t help but groan.

Almost at the same time, the door was gently pushed open.Shen Qingwu walked in with a water glass, still wearing the blood-stained home clothes, with a clear look of exhaustion on his face, but his eyes were clear.

“Did I wake you up?” She quickly walked to the bed and handed the water glass to Lin Jianfeng’s lips.

Lin Jianfeng took a few sips of water from her hand to relieve his thirst.”You didn’t sleep?”

“Can’t sleep.” Shen Qingwu simply answered, putting the water glass on the bedside table, then naturally stretched out his hand to touch Lin Jianfeng’s forehead, “I have a slight fever, a normal reaction to wound infection. Is there anything else that makes you feel uncomfortable?”

Her fingertips were slightly cool, with the chill of night, but the touch was extremely clear.

Lin Jianfeng looked at her face so close and saw the worry and exhaustion that could not be concealed in her eyes, and somewhere in his heart he felt soft.

“No, it just hurts a little.” Lin Jianfeng said truthfully.

Shen Qingwu’s fingertips curled up almost imperceptibly.She stood up and took out a new painkiller injection from the medicine box beside the bed.”Another injection will help you sleep better.” Her voice was low.

Lin Jianfeng did not refuse.

Shen Qingwu skillfully prepared medicine, disinfected, and injected.The movements are gentle and the sting of the needle tip is almost not felt.

After the injection, she did not leave immediately.Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed.The dim light cast soft shadows on her face, making her look less sharp and more rare.

“The person who attacked you is ‘Viper’.” Shen Qingwu suddenly spoke, and his voice was particularly clear in the silent night. “I retrieved the footage from several private cameras outside the warehouse. Although it is blurry, I can confirm the missing outline of the left ear. He brought at least three people with him, with sophisticated weapons and careful plans. This was not a temporary move, but a trap specially set up for you.”

Lin Jianfeng nodded, not surprised.”They are anxious. Regarding the ‘Gemini’ matter, we found the springboard and disturbed their overseas financial channels. They feel threatened. Getting rid of me, or at least severely injuring me, can greatly slow down the progress of the investigation and also give others a warning.”

“The fact that they dared to attack the police shows that they have no scruples.” Shen Qingwu’s voice became colder. “Or, they think they are confident enough to cover up everything and turn this matter into another ‘accident’ or ‘unsolved case.'”

“So, we must be faster.” Lin Jianfeng looked at her, “Shen Qingwu, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Say.”

“Use your intelligence network to help me find out all the clues about Iron Shield security, especially Zhou Tieshan and the ‘Special Services Department’, all sources of funds, client lists, and all the ‘special commissions’ they have handled in the past five years. It does not have to be a complete chain of evidence., even if it’s just a clue, a rumor, or an unconfirmed suspicion.”Lin Jianfeng’s eyes were extremely firm in the night, “I want to know who else they have served besides the ‘Underground River’ and the New City Project, and what kind of things they have done to find their destiny.”

Shen Qingwu looked at her in silence for a long time.Then, she nodded slowly: “Okay. But I need time, and I also need you to provide some official and legal investigative names as a cover, so that I can use some… more marginal channels.”

“I will arrange it.” Lin Jianfeng agreed, “Also, regarding ‘Viper’… he may have been involved in the case against your parents ten years ago. If we can find conclusive evidence, connect the two things…”

“Then he is the key to unlocking the shady past of Dark River.” Shen Qingwu said, a cold light flashing in his eyes, “I will find him. I want to see him alive, and I want to see his body dead.”

Her tone was calm, but with a heart-stopping determination.

Lin Jianfeng knew that there were some boundaries that Shen Qingwu might cross for revenge and the truth.She reached out and gently held Shen Qingwu’s hand on the bedside.

“Shen Qingwu,” she looked into her eyes, “promise me to protect yourself no matter what method you use. I don’t want you to become like them in order to trace the past. We have to take them to court and accept the trial of the law, not… lynching.”

Shen Qingwu’s fingers moved slightly in her palm.She lowered her eyes and looked at the hands held by the two of them.Lin Jianfeng’s palms were warm and calloused, with a reassuring power.

“…I’ll try my best.” She whispered, without giving an absolute promise.Some hatred and obsession have already penetrated deep into the bone marrow.

But she didn’t withdraw her hand, but gently shook it back.

The night was deep and quiet.

The painkilling injection began to take effect, and the sleepiness came again.Lin Jianfeng’s consciousness gradually blurred.

In the hazy state, she felt that Shen Qingwu had been sitting by the bed and never left.A slightly cold hand always held her hand gently.

Also, a very light, feather-like touch seemed to fall on her forehead.

Is it a kiss?Or is it an illusion?

Before she could tell, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Shen Qingwu sat on the edge of the bed and maintained that posture for a long, long time.

It wasn’t until she was sure that Lin Jianfeng’s breathing was completely steady and deep that she slowly let go of her hand, stood up carefully, and tucked her into bed.

She walked to the window and looked out at the dark night, her eyes filled with complicated and unspeakable emotions.

In the end, she just whispered very softly, almost sighing:

“Lin Jianfeng, you are the one who… makes me afraid of losing you.”