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“Or perhaps,” Lu Huaiyan stepped into the room and sat on the bed by her side, saying, “you need to take some medicine and get a good sleep? Mother has sleeping pills.”
The bedroom door hadn’t been closed when her phone rang, of course he heard it.
When he walked over, he vaguely heard parts of her conversation with the person on the phone. Not clear, but he heard the name “Zhao Zhicheng” and brewery.
Not long ago she had taken a bottle of beer to Fang Shang, telling him to check the fingerprints on it.
As long as it involved the kidnapping case from seven years ago, involved Zhao Zhicheng, her emotions would fluctuate.
Just now when she lowered her brows looking at her phone, it made Lu Huaiyan think of how she had hooked him in the Junyue bathroom, asking him to do things with her.
That kind of sickly aura lingering around her, he would catch traces of it from her brows and eyes from time to time.
In the apartment at Xiangshu Alley, on her nightstand were several bottles of medicine almost untouched: antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and sleep aids.
Lu Huaiyan had looked at the dates, they were prescribed more than half a month ago, all imported medicines, most likely prescribed by her psychologist.
When she came out of the bedroom earlier, he had been on the balcony making a call, asking about those medicines.
Later when he mentioned Uncle Mo, her mood obviously went off.
He coaxed her the whole morning, finally managing to coax her into softening up a little and then someone called, and she was bad again.
His hand lightly brushed aside the hair by her cheek. Lu Huaiyan lowered his gaze to look into her eyes, and those beautiful black-lacquer pupils were looking right back at him.
Her eyes always seemed to hold a mass of ashes, yet if one looked closely, there were clearly sparks glowing within that ash.
Jiang Se answered calmly: “No need for medicine.”
Her voice sounded the same as usual, cool and composed, the only unusual thing being that faintly perceptible tension, like a spring inside her had been twisted another half turn.
The stray hair by her cheek was a little shorter than before the New Year. Lu Huaiyan tilted his head slightly, gathering those strands and tucking them behind her ear, his tone even as he asked: “During the half month I was back in Beicheng, how did you sleep?”
Jiang Se was silent for a few seconds, then said: “Not bad.”
Lu Huaiyan hummed, fixed her hair properly, then asked: “Can you still sleep now? Or do you want me to sleep after you sleep first?”
Jiang Se looked at him for a moment, then lifted the blanket and sat on his lap, her soft hands hooking around his neck.
Lu Huaiyan lowered his eyes to look into hers. “Keep it on, I’ll—”
“Lu Huaiyan,” Jiang Se cut him off. Lifting her face, freeing one hand to press against his chest, she looked at him seriously and asked: “Those days before you forced Lu Jinzhong out of the board, what did it feel like here?”
Lu Huaiyan paused, then said: “Calm, anticipation, and maybe a touch of excitement. Something planned for so long was about to reveal its true form, hard not to be excited. At the time, though I had high odds, I was still a gambler.”
As long as one is a gambler, before the final card is revealed, no one can guarantee they’ll win.
Jiang Se asked him: “Were you afraid?”
“No.” Lu Huaiyan wrapped an arm around her waist, saying mildly, “The worst outcome is losing a round first. As long as I’m still alive, I can keep gambling.”
Hearing this, Jiang Se blinked, stared at him for a moment, then pressed her face against his broad shoulder.
He was wearing a light gray cashmere sweater, the fabric soft, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood and plum blossoms, the scent picked up earlier in Han Yin’s place.
She had it on her too.
Jiang Se closed her eyes. “The agarwood you used before, why don’t you use it now?”
Lu Huaiyan said: “Because I don’t need it anymore.”
Her hand was still on his chest. When he spoke with a smile, she could feel a faint vibration through his chest.
“How long will you stay in Tongcheng this time?” she asked.
Lu Huaiyan lifted the corner of his lips. His free hand slid along her thin spine, back and forth, as if soothing a small cat.
“This time I can only stay a few days. After the Lantern Festival I’ll be away for a while, first to Hong Kong City, then back to Beicheng. The Lu family and the Guan family are considering a collaboration. Grandfather hopes to finalize it this year.”
Jiang Se was so comfortably soothed that when she spoke again, her voice held a bit of drowsiness. “Mm. On the Lantern Festival night ‘Wangchuan’ has an event. Will you come?”
Lu Huaiyan’s hand paused. “Going to buy me a drink?”
Jiang Se said: “That day Fu Yun drank two glasses at the bar. You only got one glass from me last night, I’ll make it up to you with one more.”
Lu Huaiyan let out a soft laugh. “Alright.”
“Lu Huaiyan.”
“Mm.”
“Pat me. Like that day.”
That day, after taking her from the hospital, he had held her in his arms like this, patting her back again and again to coax her to sleep.
The man’s gaze softened slightly, that cold, sharp expression flickering with a trace of tenderness.
His palm on her back slid upward, then began lightly and slowly patting her right shoulder blade, stopping only after her breathing gradually evened out.
Lu Huai lowered his gaze, looking at the half of her face resting on his shoulder, and let out an almost inaudible laugh. “You really know how to act spoiled.”
Daylight cast a sheet of white glow through the wooden lattice windows of the bedroom.
Jiang Se slept nearly two hours straight. If not for those two annoying fingers constantly toying with her earlobe, she probably could have slept even longer.
When she woke, her mind was still fuzzy. She was a little grumpy from getting up, raising her hand and closing her eyes to swat at his hand playing with her earlobe.
“Smack!” The sound was surprisingly loud.
In response came a light laugh: “Miss, if you don’t get up soon, my shoulder’s going to be gone.”
Jiang Se peeled back her eyelids. What came into view was his pale, cold Adam’s apple.
The man had moved at some point, shifting from the side of the bed to the headboard, two pillows stacked behind his back.
Her hand was still on his chest, her whole body slanting over him like a koala.
Jiang Se gradually became fully awake, propping herself up on his chest. “What time is it?”
Lu Huaiyan said, “Twelve. Time to go to mother’s for lunch. After eating, I’ll send you back.”
He rubbed his stiff neck while speaking, pinching the flesh on her cheek with a smile. “You’re quite grumpy when you wake up.”
“……”
The two of them tidied up briefly and went to Han Yin’s for lunch.
Afterwards, Lu Huaiyan sent her back to Xiangshu Alley, taking her directly to her door.
“Put your suitcase here. There are just a few changes of clothes and some daily necessities inside.” He pinched her fingers, looking at her. “I’ll come over after I finish work tonight?”
The Lu family’s two projects in Tongcheng officially resumed tomorrow. He would probably be busy until late tonight.
Jiang Se nodded, went into the foyer, and took a spare key to give him. “Open the door yourself when you come over. If I’m asleep, you’re not allowed to wake me.”
Lu Huaiyan’s hand was still on the door. Hearing this, he clicked his tongue. “With a wake-up mood like that, who’d dare disturb you?”
Then he grabbed her wrist, pulled her over, placed a kiss on her lips, took the key, and left.
After the man left, Jiang Se removed her coat and slowly walked into the bedroom.
Everywhere along the way bore his traces.
Gloves in the foyer, coat on the back of the sofa, toothbrush and bath towel in the bathroom, and the suitcase left by her bed.
In just one night, his scent filled every corner of the room.
Jiang Se pulled the suitcase to the window. Passing the nightstand, her steps paused and she tilted her head toward the medicine on it.
That morning at Hanshan Temple, he had specifically asked if she wanted to take sleeping pills…
Was it because he had seen these medicines?
Jiang Se lowered her eyelashes, moved her hand from the suitcase handle, picked up the medicine bottles from the nightstand, slowly opened them, and flushed all the pills down the toilet.
She would go open some new ones.
—
The next day was the ninth day of the lunar new year. Many bars on Fuchun Street had resumed business.
The previously quiet Fuchun riverside gradually returned to its usual bustle.
Three days later, Jiang Se received a call from Fang Shang. After learning that only her and Zhang Yue’s fingerprints were on that beer bottle, she didn’t feel disappointed.
Items from eight years ago, often handled by Zhang Yue, even if they had left traces, had long since been erased by time.
Not to mention, given that person’s meticulous mind, he probably wouldn’t leave any traces on the beer bottle anyway.
Originally, checking the fingerprints with Fang Shang was just to try her luck.
Fang Shang asked on the phone: “Miss Jiang, is there anything else you need me to do? Little Chairman Lu said I should follow your instructions from now on.”
For some reason, hearing this made her think of the kiss he had left on her lips that morning.
These past few days he had spent every night at her place, often arriving in the darkness and leaving before dawn.
Jiang Se looked at the broken sunlight on the balcony and asked lightly, “Little Chairman Lu said you’re a local in Tongcheng. Do you have anyone usable in Rongcheng?”
Fang Shang chuckled. “Of course I do. Don’t worry, I may not have other skills, but I have many friends.”
Jiang Se smiled. “Mm,” she said, standing and entering the study. Opening her computer, she told Fang Shang: “I need you to go to Rongcheng. Ten years ago, a murder occurred there. A foreign trade company’s owner was killed along with an employee while on a business trip at a hotel. Both died, but I still can’t figure out who arranged the meeting.”
“You want me to find that person?”
“Yes. I’ve investigated this case before. The foreign trade company owner’s wife said he went out happily, telling her that if he got the big order, he would buy her a new car. For such a large deal, there was no written correspondence with the buyer in his computer or phone. Because of this, the wife even suspected that he hadn’t gone out to do business, but to meet a lover.”
Jiang Se opened a folder on the computer, sent the information to Fang Shang, speaking unhurriedly: “Buyer or lover, I want to find this person.”
Zhang Yue said that before killing, Zhao Zhicheng had asked a friend for help. The person arranging for the owner to meet was definitely arranged by that friend, possibly even the friend himself.
Fifteen years ago, an “accident” happened at the Bo County brewery, the owner drowned.
Twelve years ago, when Zhang Yue met Zhao Zhicheng, he had already started using a false name, and only used cash when going out.
If Zhao Zhicheng really was the brewery worker Zhao Zhi…
Then that brewery “accident” was not an accident. The owner’s death was related to him, and his friend successfully turned the murder into an “accident.”
Because of knowing this person’s abilities, Zhao Zhicheng sought his help ten years ago, asking him to kill the two people who had hurt Zhang Yue.
Two years later, eight years ago, that person brought a bottle of Bo County beer and a sum of money, asking Zhao Zhicheng to go to Beicheng to kidnap her.
That bottle of beer was not only for nostalgia, but also for threat and intimidation.
After Zhao Zhicheng was caught, he immediately swallowed a blade to commit suicide, not only fearing the police would trace the ten-year-old murder case, but also worrying that the person would find Zhang Yue to threaten him.
Dead, and it’s clean.
Neither the police nor that person would be able to find Zhang Yue.
That was someone connected to the beer factory in Bai County, someone capable of killing and with a certain level of financial strength.
And, this person knew her.
Her heart thumped rapidly.
Jiang Se licked the dry corner of her lips.
After stringing all the clues together into a single line, she kept feeling she was very close to that person.
