Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

"What?!" Su Bing's voice was filled with disbelief and panic. Her usually calm eyes were wide open, her pupils slightly contracting in shock. "You said... Bai Ling... she... was in a car accident?!"

The phone line carried the cacophony of sounds from the hospital emergency room: nurses' frantic shouts, the piercing alarms of medical equipment, and patients' painful groans. All these sounds mingled together like a sudden nightmare, making Su Bing feel dizzy. Her hands trembled involuntarily, and the phone nearly slipped from her slender fingers.

Su Bing forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. But her heart pounded violently, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand. She could feel a chilling fear spreading from her spine throughout her body, making her limbs stiffen.

"How could this happen..." Su Bing murmured to herself, her voice filled with self-blame and regret. Bai Ling's gentle smile and concerned eyes flashed through her mind. Whenever she encountered difficulties or felt lost, Bai Ling was always the one who could comfort her and give her strength. Now, Bai Ling lay on a cold hospital bed after a car accident, her fate uncertain, filling Su Bing's heart with fear and self-reproach.

Zhu Feifei, who had been standing beside Su Bing, felt a pang of unease when he saw her sudden change in expression. He quickly went to her and asked with concern, "Su Bing, what's wrong? What happened?"

Su Bing forced a smile, trying to appear calm. However, when she spoke, her voice trembled noticeably: "Bai Ling... Bai Ling was in a car accident and is currently in the hospital undergoing emergency treatment..."

"What?!" Zhu Feifei's expression instantly turned serious, her brows furrowed, and a hint of worry flashed in her eyes. "How could this happen?! What exactly happened? Is it serious?"

Su Bing shook her head, indicating that she didn't know the specifics either. She quickly hung up the phone, grabbed her coat hastily, and turned to walk out the door. Her steps were somewhat unsteady, as if the heavy burden on her shoulders was making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

"Wait, I'll go with you!" Zhu Feifei reacted and quickly followed Su Bing. He looked at Su Bing's tense back, his heart filled with worry. He knew he couldn't fully comfort her on his own, but he couldn't stand idly by. At least, he could be by her side during this difficult time.

The two hurriedly left the office, took the elevator downstairs, and walked quickly towards the parking lot. Su Bing's hands were trembling, and she couldn't get the key into the car door several times. Zhu Feifei gently took the key, opened the car door for her, and then went around to the driver's seat and sat down.

“I’ll drive,” Zhu Feifei said softly. “You’re emotionally unstable right now; it’s not suitable for you to drive.”

Su Bing didn't object and silently got into the passenger seat. Her hands were clenched tightly together, her knuckles turning white from the force. After the car started, Zhu Feifei carefully drove out of the parking lot and sped towards the hospital.

The cityscape outside the car window rushed past, skyscrapers and pedestrians becoming blurry shadows. Su Bing's mind was in turmoil, her thoughts intertwined with Bai Ling's smile and a guilt she herself hadn't even noticed. She began to reflect on her recent activities: had she neglected Bai Ling because of her busy work schedule? Was there something important Bai Ling wanted to tell her that she hadn't paid attention to? These thoughts pierced her heart like a sharp blade.

Zhu Feifei sat in the driver's seat, glancing at Su Bing every now and then. He could sense her inner pain and struggle, but at this moment he didn't know what to say to comfort her. He understood that the most important thing now was to get to the hospital as soon as possible and check on Bai Ling's condition. He tried to find something to talk about to distract Su Bing, but ultimately chose silence. Sometimes, silence is more powerful than pale comfort.

Finally, they arrived at the hospital. Su Bing practically ran into the emergency room, her high heels clicking rapidly on the hospital floor. She anxiously questioned the nurses, her voice filled with undisguised panic.

"Excuse me, where is Miss Bai Ling? She's a victim of a car accident and was just brought here..."

The nurse checked the computer screen and then replied expressionlessly, "The patient is still undergoing emergency treatment, and the situation is very serious. Family members, please wait patiently outside."

This cold reply was like a bucket of cold water poured over Su Bing's head. She felt dizzy, and her legs involuntarily went weak. Zhu Feifei quickly supported her and helped her sit down on a bench in the corridor.

Su Bing clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she seemed to feel no pain. Her gaze was blankly fixed on the emergency room door, as if she could see the ongoing rescue efforts through it.

Zhu Feifei sat silently beside her. Although he didn't know how to comfort her, he hoped his presence could give her some strength. He gently draped his coat over Su Bing's shoulders, hoping to give her some warmth.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, each minute and second an agonizing ordeal. Su Bing felt utterly hopeless as she waited, her mind racing. She began to suspect that Bai Ling's car accident was truly just a simple accident, or perhaps a conspiracy was at play.

Her gaze kept sweeping towards Zhu Feifei, one terrifying thought after another surfacing in her mind. "Could it be...him? Did he really approach me just to use me?" This suspicion swirled in her mind. Although she didn't want to believe Zhu Feifei would harm her, the mysterious rumors about him and his ability to "predict" danger did make her uneasy. Her heart was filled with contradictions and inner turmoil.

Zhu Feifei seemed to notice Su Bing's unusual behavior. He gently took her hand and said softly, "Don't worry, Bai Ling will be alright."

Su Bing nodded reluctantly, but her doubts didn't dissipate. She began to recall the events that had occurred before, and details she had previously overlooked now seemed suspicious. Zhu Feifei's mysterious background, his thorough understanding of company affairs, and his ability to always foresee danger... all of this made Su Bing uneasy.

Just then, Zhu Feifei suddenly stood up and walked to the side. Su Bing noticed that he seemed to be talking to himself, his expression shifting between seriousness and confusion. This deepened her suspicions.

In fact, Zhu Feifei was communicating with the Ringling Spirit Xiaobai.

"Little White, do you think Bai Ling will be alright?" Zhu Feifei asked the spirit Xiao Bai in her mind, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"You idiot, what are you worried about her for? She's an accomplice of the Black Bear Demon!" Little White Ringwraith retorted coldly. "What you should be worried about is whether she'll tell the Black Bear Demon your secret!"

“No,” Zhu Feifei shook her head, “I believe Bai Ling, she…she doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

"Hmph, you can know a person's face but not their heart, you idiot, don't be fooled by her appearance!" Little White the Ringwraith warned.

Zhu Feifei was about to say something when the ward door suddenly opened and the doctor came out. Su Bing and Zhu Feifei quickly stood up, their eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.

"Doctor, how is my assistant?" Su Bing stepped forward, her voice filled with urgency.

The doctor removed his mask, revealing a tired but relieved smile: "The patient is out of danger, but will need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few more days."

Su Bing breathed a deep sigh of relief, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes. "Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much."

Zhu Feifei also breathed a sigh of relief, his tension easing slightly. "It's alright, it's alright."

"Little White, it seems you're overthinking it," Zhu Feifei said to the spirit beast Little White in her mind. "Little White shouldn't be an accomplice of the Black Bear Spirit."

"Hmph, who knows?" Little White Ringwraith remained skeptical. "However, you'd better be careful not to be fooled by her."

A few days later, Bai Ling finally woke up, and Su Bing immediately rushed to the hospital to visit her. In the hospital ward, sunlight shone through the half-open curtains onto Bai Ling's bed, adding a touch of warmth to the room that was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Bai Ling's face was pale and her expression weak. She slightly moved her fingers and opened her eyes. When she saw Su Bing, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by weakness and gratitude.

Su Bing walked to the bedside, sat down gently, and looked at her with concern. "Bai Ling, how are you feeling?" Her tone was gentle but tinged with anxiety.

"I...I'm alright, Mr. Su, thank you for your concern," Bai Ling said weakly, her voice slightly hoarse. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Don't talk nonsense," Su Bing said firmly, holding Bai Ling's hand. "You should rest well. Don't worry about the company; I'll handle it."

A complex look flashed in Bai Ling's eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "President Su, are you... are you and President Zhu... alright?"

Su Bing's expression changed slightly. She didn't want to talk about this, but she knew she couldn't avoid it. She smiled softly, trying to hide her unease: "We... are fine. You get some rest, we can talk about other things later."

Seeing Su Bing's reaction, Bai Ling felt a surge of joy. She knew her chance had come.

“President Su, actually…” Bai Ling hesitated for a moment, a hint of doubt in her voice, “There are some things I… I don’t know if I should say.”

“Go ahead and speak, Bai Ling,” Su Bing said, a hint of encouraging smile on her face. “What can’t we say to each other?”

Bai Ling took a deep breath, seemingly gathering her courage. Her eyes flickered, as if she were weighing something. Finally, she said softly, "President Su, I know you trust President Zhu a lot, but... I... I always feel... President Zhu is a bit... mysterious..."

“Mysterious?” Su Bing frowned slightly, puzzled by the word. Her heart began to race involuntarily, because Bai Ling’s words confirmed her suspicions.

“Yes…” Bai Ling bit her lip, her voice even lower, “I investigated President Zhu’s background before, but I couldn’t find anything. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, with no prior record whatsoever!”

Su Bing's heart sank; Bai Ling's words deepened her doubts. Her voice trembled slightly: "Are you sure you've found out?"

"I hired a private investigator and used some connections, but I couldn't find any useful information..." Bai Ling said, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. "President Su, I think you'd better be careful..."

Su Bing didn't say anything more. She stood up and left the ward. Her heart was filled with doubt and unease; Bai Ling's words deepened her suspicions about Zhu Feifei.

She decided that after Bai Ling was discharged from the hospital, she would personally launch an investigation to uncover Zhu Feifei's true identity and his real purpose in approaching her. No matter the cost, she would find the truth.