ISOL Chapter 23

Translator: KongoIsamu

Editor: KongoIsamu

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Let her talk?

The officials were hesitant, they didn’t believe that Su Xiao Pei will be able to achieve what they couldn’t do. Ran Fei Ze did according to what Su Xiao Pei had described, and even that method had failed. Now, we are to let her go out and talk? Currently, the outside situation is very chaotic, if the person is not released, things will get even more difficult to solve.

The Magistrate, subconsciously, looked at Ran Fei Ze, Ran Fei Ze had also turned his head to looked at the Magistrate. The look that they had shared allowed the Magistrate to make his decision, “I will bring Miss over.”

The Magistrate led the way, Ran Fei Ze accompanied Su Xiao Pei to Tang Lian’s house.

On the way, Ran Fei Ze was discussing the current situation with Su Xiao Pei, “This place is too small, not much things to do, so there is nobody guarding the suspects, the guilty must serve their sentence, it is necessary for them to go Ying Nan Town to be locked up. Tang Lian knew that her family are outside making noise. Just now, Constable Liu used this method to frighten her, saying that if she did not explain, how could she show her relatives her face.” Ran Fei Ze pause for a moment, wondering if he had left out any details.

At this moment, everyone had stood in front of the building, Ran Fei Ze asked, “What else does Miss need to know?”

Su Xiao Pei shook her head and said, “I want to see the peddler first.”

The peddler and Tang Lian were locked in separate room, so the Magistrate took Su Xiao Pei to a small building on the other side.

Everyone was tense, Su Xiao Pei nodded her head, and the magistrate opened the door.

When the peddler saw that the door was opened, he looked over, when he saw that Su Xiao Pei was standing at the entrance, he turned stiff, but his surprise and panic expression was quickly covered up. He twisted his head away from the entrance and ignored the people at the entrance.

However, Su Xiao Pei had seen his face and saw the expression he gave when he had saw her. She nodded again and did not enter the room. She turned around walked towards the building Tang Lian was in.

The Magistrate was surprised but he quickly close and locked the door.

Su Xiao Pei stood next to Ran Fei Ze and said, “He recognized me, he was scared for a moment. It was him.”

The magistrate wondered, was he scared? Why didn’t he think so? He hurriedly asked, “Miss, guessing is not good, it is best we rely on evidence.”

Su Xiao Pei nodded her head, “Miss Tang Lian is our witness.”

The Magistrate listened, and shook his head, he had zero confidence in this case.

Everyone tenses up at the entrance of Tang Lian’s building, suddenly, Su Xiao Pei said, “May I trouble My Lord to prepare some hot water.”

The Magistrate was confused, so, Su Xiao Pei explained, “I want to give Miss Tang Lian some hot water, to get her to calm down.”

“Calm down? If she is calm, won’t she refuse to explain herself?”

“No, the calmer she is, the more she is able to think clearly.”

The Magistrate looked at Ran Fei Ze, who agreed to Su Xiao Pei request. Turning around and ordering some servants to get some hot water.

A short while later, the water had arrived. Su Xiao Pei took the tray that holds a kettle filled with water and an empty cup and nod her head towards the Magistrate.

The Magistrate understood her meaning and opened the door.

When the door was opened, Su Xiao Pei saw that Tang Lian had lowered her head, even when Tang Lian had heard some movement, she did not look up. Tang Lian had sat at a broken table and was just staring at it.

Su Xiao Pei walked in and walked towards the table, she placed the tray on the table.

When Tang Lian looked up at saw the kettle and the cup, she frowned. Slowly looking up. Her eyes widen when she had processed who was in front of her, unable to believe what she was seeing, “You…”

“He told you that I was dead?” Su Xiao Pei smiled and laughed a little. In fact, she was a little nervous, but it was well hidden

Tang Lian stared at her and had not drawn herself out of the shock that she had received just moments ago.

Su Xiao Pei laughed again, “The complexity of your expression can be put into a textbook.”

“Ah?” Tang Lian finally came back to the present, and the strange words that people are unable to understand, it is indeed Su Xiao Pei.

Su Xiao Pei didn’t answer, she and Tang Lian were just staring at each other. For a while, no one moved.

The Magistrate was at the side, looking over anxiously, wanting to go in but was stopped by Ran Fei Ze. The Magistrate looked at Ran Fei Ze, but Ran Fei Ze shook his head, the Magistrate sighed and finally stop moving, listening to Ran Fei Ze.

At this time, Su Xiao Pei moved. She went towards the door and she closed it.

The Magistrate’s face changed, he did not intend to leave them alone. But Ran Fei Ze patted him and stopped him yet again. When the door was about to close, he stretched his arm and blocked it gently, making sure the two people inside did not notice his movement, preventing the door from closing, leaving a gap.

Su Xiao Pei just needs an independent space to talk. Of course, she knows that the Magistrate is not at ease with what she had just did and she also knew what Ran Fei Ze had done. Both sides compromised, with the door leaving ajar, with Su Xiao Pei getting some privacy while the Magistrate and the rest are able to hear the conversation.

Thus, the door was hidden, Su Xiao Pei turned back to the table, sat down opposite of Tang Lian.

Tang Lian has been staring at her. Su Xiao Pei poured a cup of water for her and said, “Please drink a cup of water first, calm yourself down. Yesterday, I did fell into the river, and Soldier went up to the mountain and save me.”

Tang Lian opened her mouth and closed it again.

That person clearly told her that after Su Xiao Pei had fell into the water, he stared at the river for quite a while, but Su Xiao Pei had sunk down and never surfaced again, and he helplessly left the place.

But she can’t say this, she can’t say a single word. Maybe Su Xiao Pei will take this chance to try to get Tang Lian to reveal the truth

Tang Lian drank the cup of hot water, and her heart indeed felt more at ease. Su Xiao Pei didn’t speak for a long time, Tang Lian couldn’t help herself and asked first, “Did they changed tactics and asked you to interrogate me? But I really don’t know anything. I really can’t remember what happened when I was kidnapped by the mountain bandit. I don’t know what the mountain bandit looked like. Today is not a good day for me, I saw the peddler coming towards me and thought of buying some items. It really is not a good day, I am already in such a situation, I really shouldn’t thought of buying blush powder. I don’t recognize the peddler, this is my first time seeing him. no matter who ask, no matter how many times it was asked, I can only answer it like this. This is the truth, this is my answer.”

“You don’t have to worry.” Su Xiao Pei said, “I did not come to ask you about these. I came to tell you a story.”

“A story?”

Tang Lian, who was inside of the building, and the Magistrate, who was outside of the building, was surprised. Even Ran Fei can’t help but raise his eyebrow.

“Yes, I am here to tell you a story. So, you don’t have to be nervous, nor be afraid. Drink another cup of water and listen to me slowly.” Su Xiao Pei’s tone was steady and gentle, Tang Lian subconsciously done what Su Xiao Pei said, and drank another cup.

“The story goes like this.” Su Xiao Pei saw that Tang Lian had finished her cup of water and was staring at her, listening attentively, so she started her story. “In a far away place, there was a city, you will find that city name is very strange. It is called Stockholm.”

The city name is really strange. Tang Lian frowned, not knowing what Su Xiao Pei is trying to say.

“One day, two fierce robbers planned to go the city to rob the pawn shop, unfortunately for them, their plan failed. The constables quickly rushed over and surrounded them. These two robbers quickly took four of the staff members as hostages, I mean, pawn shop workers. When they took the workers as hostages, they faced the constables. Both parties were at a stalemate. The workers were scared but they couldn’t escape. They stayed in the hands of the robbers for six days. Those six days were very long. The constables surrounded every corner of the pawn shop, determined to rescue the workers and apprehend the robbers.”

Tang Lian bowed her head and stared at the cup that was in her hand.

“The two robbers hold the hostages and were trapped in the pawn shop for six days. They had no way out. Finally, the constables managed to charge in and captured the two thieves and saving the four workers.”

Su Xiao Pei stopped here for a while, but Tang Lian did not looked up, she only said, “That’s good news.”

Su Xiao Pei nodded her head, and continued to speak, “The important point that I wanted to say has only just begun. After this incident, the Magistrate was preparing to interrogate the two robbers, giving them the sentence that they deserve. But something unexpected happened, after a few months, the four workers that was the hostages, pity the two robbers. The four of them refused to help the Magistrate to identify the robbers, and even raise money for the robbers, to pay the Magistrate to settle the case. They said that they did not hate the robbers. They even said that the robbers did not harm them and that they were grateful for the robber’s care. In turn, the four of them hated the constables, hated the constables for bringing the robbers to justice. The most bizarre thing was that one of the four workers was a female, and that female fell in love with the robbers, and she even wanted to marry him.”

When Tang Lian heard what Su Xiao Pei had said, her face changed, she suddenly looked up, grinding her teeth, she interrupted Su Xiao Pei, “What does this have to do with me? Miss, was it because I was kidnapped before, because I talked to the peddler today, that you came up with this story? Is Miss adding another crime on me?”

“I did not make this up, this is a real story.” Su Xiao Pei did not panic and continued, “Everyone thought that it was weird. How was it possible? The hostages’ reputation was hurt, how is it possible that she had fallen in love with her captor? There are some learned people that were trying to find out the reason for her actions. Later, they found out that that this is a manifestation of human nature and emotions.”

Su Xiao Pei patted her chest where her heart was, and she strengthened her tone, “This is something that it can’t be controlled, and it happens naturally. This kind of psychological reaction, which is later called Stockholm Syndrome, is also called a hostage complex.”

Tang Lian opened her mouth and her eyes rounded, unable to speak.

“Miss Tang, I know what happen to you, I fully understand.”

Tang Lian blinked and began to shake her head.

“He kidnapped you to the mountains and locked you up in a dark place. You called out for help for several days but nobody response, no one saved you. He killed animals right in front of you, letting you know that he can take your life anytime, anywhere. You knew what had happened to the previous lady that was kidnapped by him. You were scared, terrified even. But in the end, he didn’t kill you. He gave you something to eat, and even smiled at you. He beat you, raped you, but he also told you that he does not want to hit you, does not want to hurt you, he wants you to be obedient. So, you listened to him, and he didn’t hit you, and you think that it was a gift. He talked to you, gives you food, and you started thinking that, in actuality, he is not that bad.”

Tang Lian was stunned, and her eyes filled with tears, “You, how did you… know……”

“In those days, there was only him in your life and you found that you are no longer afraid of him. in fact, after he left, you miss him. you wished that he would come back soon, because you were afraid of being left alone, but if he was around, you would feel safe. After a long time, no one came and save you, and you felt that you won’t be able to go back home, then staying there was also not bad, isn’t it? Your father was not around, you don’t have to worry about him marrying you outside of the town, right?”

Tang Lian bit her lips, struggling, “You, you don’t have to use the details that I talked to you to make up the story.”

“Miss Tang, what I wanted to tell you was those feelings, those thoughts, your lack of courage, your obedience, these are not your faults, I know how desperate you were at that time, I really do. When people are in a desperate situation, there will be an instinct to survive, and you will find something to give yourself comfort. All he has to do is to give you a little bit of care and attention, you will immediately accept it. You are not aware of it. You will ignore his cruelty and evil, and you will enlarge his kindness, this is your own encouragement towards yourself, you still want to continue living.”

Tang Lian tears finally fell, “He is a good person, he is not as bad as you think.”

“You have survived, you fell in love with him, you did nothing wrong, only that your heart is sick.”