It was a kind of wailing that was tragically desolate.
Lake and the others outside were all startled upon hearing it.
Lake signaled with his eyes for the rest to stand guard outside and said in Spanish, "Donāt let anyone in."
After that, he rushed into the sickroom.
"Miss Xiao!"
The scene before his eyes left him astonished.
The white bed sheets had been dyed red with fresh blood.
Xiao Man stood beside the bed, still holding a blood-stained fruit knife, with a mess of things scattered all over the floor.
"Miss Xiao! Put the knife down first!"
Having followed her for so many years, Lake had never seen her so terrifying.
He could handle threats from the outside, but the harm she inflicted on herself was the most difficult to deal with, especially now that Mr. Li was not here. If he came back and found Miss Xiao...
The consequences were unimaginable.
Blood was continuously flowing from Xiao Manās thigh, as if she had created a hole in her body.
She was trembling all over, tears constantly streaming down her face: "Lake... Iām going to turn into a monster... I can feel it..."
"Miss Xiao, letās talk calmly, donāt be impulsive, I will get you whatever you want. Ice, drugs, right? Just one more hit is okay, we will figure out a proper solution when Mr. Li returns."
Lakeās strategy was to pacify her first and wait for Li Sinian to come back.
"Donāt give it to me!" Xiao Man yelled, "Get out... get out!"
Having experienced it once, she feared even more to become that version of herself again, she didnāt want it.
She had enough restraint to control herself, but the toxicity of this new product was completely different from the past. She could feel an agitated molecule moving within her body, that force made her frantic and restless, even leading her to harm herself.
All of this was beyond her control.
Was this the scene Luo Xuan wanted to see?
He wanted her to beg him, to submit to him, but Xiao Manās choice was rather to shatter than to remain whole but flawed.
"Miss Xiaoā" Lake couldnāt just leave easily.
"Get out!" Xiao Man raised her voice, "If I want to destroy myself, you canāt stop me!"
As Lake stepped out, he received an international call.
"What did you say?"
Five minutes later, he entered again.
Xiao Man seemed to have calmed down, sitting blankly on the floor.
"Miss Xiao... weāve received orders to return to Mexico, would you like to come with us?"
Xiao Manās vacant eyes were staring ahead.
She seemed to be falling apart mentally, but she could still hear his voice and replied: "Is it an order for you to return, or an order for you to take me back?"
Lake paused for a moment and answered: "Itās for us to return."
"Then go back..." Xiao Manās voice had become hoarse from the earlier screaming, speaking weakly.
"But Miss Xiaoā"
The sudden order for them to return was too odd, and he was uncertain whether leaving Xiao Man in Xicheng was the right thing to do, so he hesitated.
"Go back, the orders didnāt require you to take me back, did they? That means without me, you donāt need to care about me anymore, just go, no oneās going to hurt me... the only one who can hurt me is myself..."
"Miss Xiao, donāt you want to ask who gave the orders?"
She shook her head: "It doesnāt matter, just go."
"Then... take care, Miss Xiao, we will leave tonight."
"Okay, goodbye."
...
When Gu Liancheng saw Xiao Man again, he was also taken aback.