Chapter 92: Cheap
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The restaurant staff and customers who were unharmed were all detained by the police for questioning. It was now confirmed to be a case of deliberate poisoning, but the method of poisoning remained unknown.
An Bu stood in the crowd, watching the victims being carried out of the restaurant. They were filled with lifelessness, and survival seemed unlikely at this point. If only she could have foreseen their cause of death earlier. Due to uncertainty, she didn’t dare to act recklessly, especially considering Jian Ningxuan’s safety. However, she might be able to provide some clues to help the police solve the case quickly and indirectly save potential victims.
“Officer James, these two say they have clues to provide.” A police officer led An Bu and Jian Ningxuan into the restaurant, approaching a middle-aged man with blond hair.
James turned his head and examined the two. He extended his hand, “Hello, I’m James. May I know your names?”
“Hello, I’m An Bu, and this is my boyfriend, Jian.” An Bu and Jian Ningxuan shook hands with him.
“Are you both from Country Z? Tourists in Country R?”
“Yes.”
James led them to an empty spot to sit down, took out a notebook, and asked, “What clues do you have to offer?”
“A few minutes ago, we originally planned to have dinner at this restaurant, but we changed our minds at the last minute and went to Mansotti in front.” An Bu answered while observing the restaurant’s surroundings.
“Oh?” James wondered, “Why did you change your mind?”
“Because I felt that the customers here didn’t seem to have much enjoyment on their faces while dining.” An Bu’s statement wasn’t entirely made up; the atmosphere was indeed grim in the restaurant.
James understood that these people had already shown some signs of poisoning, and the girl in front of him had keenly noticed that.
“Your intuition saved your lives.” James marveled at their luck and then asked, “Do you remember the specific time you entered the restaurant? Was there anything unusual about those customers?”
An Bu checked the time and replied, “We entered the restaurant at about 6:37. At that time, there were 32 customers in the restaurant. Tables 7 and 8 both selected Orange Wine Pancakes, Tempura, Tacos, Sweet Soup, and fruits. The only difference was in their drinks— one table had two glasses of orange juice, and the other had one glass of orange juice and two glasses of milkshake.”
“Hold on.” James looked at An Bu in astonishment, “Don’t tell me you remembered what each customer ordered.”
An Bu nodded, “Yes.”
“How long did you stay in the restaurant?”
“About forty seconds.”
James: “…”
Although what customers ordered could be checked in the system, it was limited to main dishes, desserts, fruits, and drinks. Seasonings were not included, and many people would let the waiter take away their cups if they didn’t want to continue drinking after finishing their drinks. This added a lot of work for the police, and it was time-consuming. If this girl from Country Z really remembered all the customers’ food types and quantities in just forty seconds, it would undoubtedly be a great help to the police.
Moreover, she mentioned Tables 5, 7, and 14. One table was safe, and the other was all poisoned, providing a clear contrast, whether intentional or unintentional.
With a serious expression, James looked at An Bu, “Miss, this is a serious and heinous crime. I hope you’re not joking with me.”
“Please trust me, Officer. I would never fabricate facts.”
“Very well.” James signaled for a police officer to take notes. “Please tell us everything you saw.”
“Can I have paper and a pen? Writing may be faster.”
James immediately had an officer hand her paper and pen.
With pen in hand, An Bu recalled and listed all the customers’ orders in the restaurant at that time. It took her a full ten minutes to write a full page.
James compared An Bu’s list with the restaurant’s system menu. Not only did she not miss anything, but she also included several seasonings not recorded in the system. It was hard to imagine that she could remember the food types and quantities of all 32 customers within just forty seconds.
At this moment, James noticed a detail. On An Bu’s list, it was clearly written that the drinks for the 6 customers from Tables 5, 7, and 14 were without ice, and one customer did not select a drink. He had a thought and stood up, saying, “Miss An, can you come with me for a moment?”
James led An Bu and Jian Ningxuan to the location where the restaurant staff and customers were being questioned. He pointed to them and said, “Can you identify which customers among them did not have ice in their drinks?”
An Bu scanned the surroundings and pointed out six people, saying, “It’s them. When I entered the restaurant, there was no ice in their drinks. However, I’m not sure if it wasn’t added or if it had already melted or been consumed by them.”
Among the 11 survivors, seven had drinks without ice or didn’t choose a drink. The remaining individuals had mostly entered the restaurant after An Bu left. This discovery excited Officer James, who immediately instructed a technician, “Check the ice maker and other ice storage devices to see if there’s any toxic reaction.”
The technician quickly headed to the ice maker with tools and, after a short while, indeed detected toxicity.
An Bu thought, ‘The ice maker here usually produces a batch of ice every ten to twenty minutes. Combining this with the victims’ time of poisoning can help deduce when the poison was administered. As long as they check the surveillance footage, they can identify the suspect who was near the ice maker during that time.’
Ice melts easily, and by the time the police trace the source of the poison, the perpetrator likely would have escaped. However, with the clues provided by An Bu, Officer James, with the help of a forensic expert, estimated the victims’ time of poisoning. They quickly identified two temporary restaurant staff from the surveillance footage.
Subsequent investigations no longer involved An Bu. She and Jian Ningxuan left their contact information and departed from the crime scene.
This was Jian Ningxuan’s first experience witnessing An Bu’s instant memory ability, and it was truly impressive.
“Mr. Jian.” An Bu, in a triangular yoga pose on the room’s carpet, looked up at Jian Ningxuan. “How much longer are you planning to sneak glances at me?”
Jian Ningxuan withdrew his gaze. “I wasn’t sneaking glances.”
An Bu slowly stretched her body, raised her head, supported herself with both hands, one knee bent forward, and the other leg stretched backward, presenting a graceful silhouette.
Jian Ningxuan’s gaze involuntarily fell on her.
“And you said you weren’t sneaking glances.” An Bu, looking at the mirror in front, chuckled. “Do you think I’m becoming more charming?”
Jian Ningxuan: Yes.
After finishing the last stretching exercise, An Bu turned around, stood up, rushed to Jian Ningxuan, and took a bite of his face, “Keep looking, and I’ll eat you up.”
Jian Ningxuan replied, “Eat as you please.”
An Bu laughed and stepped back, picked up her nightgown, and headed into the bathroom for a fragrant petal bath.
With fair and healthy skin, flexible and vibrant texture, normal “heartbeat” and “pulse,” she was perfect.
An Bu, in loose sleepwear, walked out of the bathroom, bounced onto the bed, and then took out her tablet, preparing to video call Little Molly.
Jian Ningxuan saw her even wearing underwear. Two evenly long legs swayed in front of his eyes, truly a tempting sight.
He laid down beside her, encircling her in his arms.
“Little Bear Sister, Uncle Jian!” Little Molly’s cheerful voice came through the tablet.
“Molly, how have the past few days been? Did Aunt Yu make anything delicious for you?” An Bu asked.
Little Molly shyly smiled, “Molly has been doing well. Just miss you a bit. When are you coming back?”
An Bu glanced at Jian Ningxuan, “Probably in about half a month.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.” For Molly, who had been separated from her parents for a long time, half a month was already considered short.
An Bu and Jian Ningxuan were currently Molly’s temporary guardians, and the police were still in contact with her relatives, but there was no news yet.
An Bu chatted with Molly about some interesting things she saw abroad, while Jian Ningxuan quietly listened, occasionally handing water to An Bu.
Just as the conversation was getting lively, strange noises suddenly came from the next room. There were joyous cries from women, hoarse curses from men, and the sounds of objects colliding and hands slapping, among other things.
The experienced driver Jian Ningxuan and the seasoned driver An Bu instantly knew what was happening next door. The soundproofing effect of this hotel was not bad, but they had forgotten to close the windows. It was normal for a couple to engage in “interactions” in bed, but the problem was that the cries were not from just one woman, and the curses were not from just one man…
“Little Bear Sister, what’s happening?” Molly seemed to have heard something and was curiously looking at them.
“Nothing, Sister has something to do. We’ll talk tomorrow.” An Bu ended the call and turned to Jian Ningxuan. Seeing his displeased expression, it was evident that he had strong opinions about the next-door group activity. He got up, closed the windows, and reluctantly blocked out the sounds from next door.
An Bu took out her phone and dialed a number, “Hello, 999? I want to report a group indulging in immoral activities in a hotel…”
Jian Ningxuan: “…”
A few minutes later, An Bu hung up the phone, smiled at him, and said, “See, it’s that simple.”
A hint of a smile flashed in Jian Ningxuan’s eyes. The gloom on his face dissipated as he walked over, pulled her into his arms, and used his own body to repay her mischief.
While they enjoyed the intimate moment, the people next door had a tragic ending. At a critical moment, a group of anti-vice police burst in, catching them in the act. Six or seven young men and women were using drugs and engaging in group activities, thinking a four-star hotel would be safe. Little did they know that they had been reported…
Sometimes, Old Corpse An was just asking for trouble—allowing herself to have fun while preventing others from doing the same.
A week later, the couple’s seaside villa was fully decorated, and the furniture and appliances were also in place. The villa had a wooden structure, and the decoration used the best environmentally friendly materials, requiring only a short time of ventilation before moving in.
On the first day of moving into their new home, Jian Ningxuan and An Bu prepared a sumptuous feast, inviting neighbors over for a beach party. There were not many residents in this villa area, only about twenty people, but everyone was very enthusiastic and brought a lot of homemade delicacies.
Jian Ningxuan rarely attended gatherings due to his health issues, and even when he did, it was always alone. However, here, the warmth radiating from him seemed to be a reasonable presence. Despite the intense heat, everyone still played energetically. If it got too much, they would simply jump into the pool or the sea for a refreshing dip.
Enjoying the beautiful sea view with the laughter of the crowd echoing in his ears, Jian Ningxuan leaned back in a beach chair, leisurely, being the handsome man that he was.
At that moment, a tall swimsuit-clad beauty approached and said, “Hey handsome, want to try the fruit wine I personally made?”
Jian Ningxuan replied, “No, thanks.”
The beauty paid no attention to his refusal, crouched next to him, and intentionally or unintentionally brushed her well-endowed chest against his arm.
Jian Ningxuan quickly moved his hand away, and the good mood he had just now vanished instantly. He coldly uttered a single word, “Leave.”
“I just want to be friends with you.” The beauty, seemingly oblivious to his coldness, continued, “I’m Susanna. And you?”
Jian Ningxuan remained silent.
The beauty, seemingly unaffected by his indifference, continued, “Is this ocean-view house a gift for your girlfriend?”
Jian Ningxuan’s looks and physique indeed attracted the opposite sex. If it weren’t for his unique health condition, he would likely have many admirers. Whether it was the foreign women’s heat resistance or his own body temperature dropping, the woman spent four or five minutes next to him, and layers of sweat appeared on her forehead, yet she showed no intention of leaving.
“Hey handsome, who do you think is prettier, me or your girlfriend?”
Jian Ningxuan: Are you brain-dead?
The beauty, feeling hot all over, coquettishly lifted her hair. “I’ve never met such a hot guy like you before. Feels like my whole body is about to catch fire.”
“Lady, that’s a sign of heatstroke. Quickly cool down in the water.” A voice suddenly came from behind, and immediately after, An Bu threw the beauty into the pool with one hand. There was a splash, and the world quieted down.
“Daring to harass my cat master, do you think I’m dead as the cat owner?” An Bu sat on Jian Ningxuan’s lap, then patted her chest, assuring him, “Mr. Jian, rest assured. As long as I’m here, those outside stray cats won’t dare to have any ideas about you.”
Jian Ningxuan hugged her and let out a comfortable “Mmm.”
An Bu patted him. “It’s almost 7 o’clock. Let’s tidy up and get ready to go home.”
Jian Ningxuan and An Bu saw off the guests together, then cleaned up the tableware and disposed of the trash. As for the beauty who was thrown into the swimming pool, she had long left in frustration.
In the evening, Jian Ningxuan walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a bath towel.
An Bu glanced at him and praised, “Mr. Jian has a really good figure.”
Jian Ningxuan said, “Hmm, all thanks to your good care.”
As he spoke, a beautiful glow shimmered on his skin.
An Bu couldn’t resist reaching out to touch him. Under the cat’s illumination, she felt like she was also becoming radiant.
“Mr. Jian, on the first night in our new home, want to have some fun?”
“Sure!”
The next day, Jian Ningxuan slept until after 9 o’clock. When he opened his eyes, he saw An Bu wearing only a shirt, squatting in front of the fish tank, completely absorbed in watching.
“Good morning, Bubu.”
An Bu turned her head, pointing at the fish tank and smiling, “Look, the little guy was born!”
Jian Ningxuan followed her finger, seeing a jellyfish-like creature swimming leisurely in the clear fish tank. Wherever An Bu’s finger moved, it followed, as if it had consciousness.
“What kind of creature is this?” Jian Ningxuan asked the same question again.
“Maybe it’s an alien species,” An Bu joked, “I want to give it a name.”
“Hmm, what do you want to name it?”
After some thought, An Bu had a sudden inspiration. “I got it.”
Jian Ningxuan: “?”
An Bu: “Let’s call it ‘An Jianjian’ as its full name and ‘Jianjian*’ as its nickname!”
* cheap cheap
Jian Ningxuan: “…”
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