Crimson Instinct

Rodey smirked. "Let's see. Where is she? Where is your dear Jingjing? Time to make her puke out some answers."

Xue Xiying stiffened. "N-No...she hasn't done anything! Don't do anything to her!"

Rodey glanced at one of the nurses, obviously questioning with his gaze where Jingjing was. The nurse stuttered.

"She-she…"

"No! You cannot hurt my daughter..ahh…" her wrist hurt as violently moved, "D-don't forget that the Army officers are here…"

Rodey laughed. "You are really funny. Do you think any officer would ever scare me?" He narrowed his eyes. "Or do you think any officer would be able to save your daughter?"

He dangerously squinted at the doctor, and he stepped back in fear. "S-sir...we cannot tell-"

Suddenly, Rodey grabbed his neck and lifted him in the air. The doctor vigorously coughed.

"Rodey…" Ying Yue urged, "Please put him down."

"Where is her ward?"

"T-that…"

"Having trouble answering me?" With that, he squeezed his neck even tighter, and his face became pale and reddish.

"I-It's suffocating... please...let…"

Ying Yue quickly put her hand on his wrist. "Please put him down."

Rodey didn't respond.

She softly said, "You shouldn't treat a person like that who saved you. He worked hard and his best on your surgery. Don't hurt him, especially for Jingjing."

Silence.

"Please…?"

Rodey's brow twitched, and he threw the doctor away again, just like in the ward.

"*Cough cough!!!*"

"Doctor!" The nurses quickly helped him. 

Ying Yue sighed in relief.

Rodey sneered. "This was your one and the last chance to talk to me. Next time, don't show your face until you have gained 7 kgs of weight."

"Wasn't it five you just said?"

"You pissed me off, so adding to your goal."

"..."

Ying Lan - "..."

Her lips pursed into a straight line. "How did I make you angry?"

"By stopping me from choking the doctor."

"...but he saved you."

"You want me to add a couple more kgs to your goal?"

She immediately shut her mouth.

Rodey smirked. "That's better."

But he was still pissed off leaving the doctor halfway, so he changed his target instead and kicked Xue Xiying in her face.

Ying Lan widened her eyes.

"Ahhh…"

Her nose and jaw hit severely, and blood oozed out of them in a thin stream. Her eyes teared up. On one side, her wrist was dangling like a broken kite, and now her face was smashed up.

"You will not run away anywhere, okay?" He smiled. "Neither will you meet your bitchy daughter. If you did, then...I will make your death a reaalllllll painful one."

He chuckled. "At least, I learned that much from my ex-boss. And the doctor and the nurses die too if you let her meet that bitch."

They just bobbed their heads up and down. Rodey was too intimidating for them, and he put such a dangerous, invisible pressure on them that they felt a mountain was crushing them.

Nobody dared to speak against him.

The doctor desperately eyes Ying Yue to help him. She looked at Rodey and said, "Please go inside and have some rest now."

Rodey glanced at her sideways. "Not interested."

The doctor panicked.

Ying Yue calmly said, "You have already pushed your body to its limit by getting up in this state just a few hours after the surgery. Any more, and it will worsen…"

He glared at her. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

She sulked. 

The doctor couldn't see her pitiful state anymore. So, he couldn't keep quiet anymore. He was cautious of Rodey as he spoke, "You may not feel the need to rest, but your body does."

The dark storm around Rodey intensified. "You are one courageous doc. But stupid. You haven't still-"

"If not for yourself, then at least do it for this young woman. I didn't save you. She did by giving you her blood, after all."

Rodey froze.

"Say what?"

Ying Yue stiffened. She signaled the doctor and shook her head quietly, not to say anything.

Rodey pulled her arm towards him. "What are you signaling him, huh?"

"Nothing…"

"Then just shut up and don't make any noise."

The doctor said, "You know, you could have really died. Your blood loss was too extreme, and unfortunately, our hospital had run out of two blood groups, one of which belonged to yours. Time was of the essence, and then she stepped up to transfuse her blood into you. She is O-ve - a universal blood donor. After we did the blood transfusion, your condition became stable, and we could do the rest of your surgery with ease and no threat."

Rodey felt completely blank. At this present moment, he had absolutely no thoughts running in his mind.

"That was her first blood transfusion, and for first-timers, they need time to recover. So, she got weak, and that's why she lost a little weight. Of course, not eating anything contributed to it too. But now, she is alright."

Ying Yue lowered her head and bit her lip. If possible, she didn't want to let him know that she helped him because she didn't want him to feel indebted to her.

"That's why I am asking you to please rest and recover. Your body really needs it. Not for anybody but at least for Miss Ying Yue, who didn't hesitate to step up to donate her blood."

Silence.

It was quiet for a long time.

Ying Yue felt nervous.

In normal circumstances, people would be thankful for what she did, but she knew Rodey. Not that she wanted him to thank her or feel pressured. But his brain worked differently.

He was akin to a lone wolf and despised anybody's help.

So, she didn't want him to get furious at her.

Did I ask you to help me? You should have stayed out of my business!

She could imagine him getting mad at her and saying things along those lines.

But contrary to her expectations, Rodey said nothing more and just quietly went inside his ward and shut the door, leaving everybody shocked.

Inside, Rodey lifted his arms and stared in a daze. Then he looked at his body from head to toe.

Her blood...it's flowing in me now…

That was the only thing he kept repeating in his mind for a long time.