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nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nCheng Zheng did not feel like eating, and Xiang Wan also felt the same as well.

nThe atmosphere at the living room suddenly cooled down a lot. Everyone looked at each other, unable to say a word.

nThe good mood was gone.

nXiang Wan’s youngest aunt was someone who knew how to turn things around. After pausing for a while, she eased the situation. “Don’t bother about him,” she laughed, “even though the guest is gone, we still need to eat. Come, everyone, let’s have our meal.”

nAfter saying that, she hugged Xiang Wan’s shoulders. “Wanwan, don’t be disheartened. Although he left, there’re still a lot of good men around…”

nHer last sentence… that was out of the blue.

nWhat did she mean by “don’t be disheartened”?

nSo they had thought Cheng Zheng left because he wasn’t satisfied with her?

nXiang Wan begged to differ.

nIn her opinion, Cheng Zheng was someone that nobody would know what he was thinking.

n“Youngest aunt,” she returned a smile, “I’m not eating too. My hand hurts pretty badly. I think I better make a trip to the hospital to ease my mind.”

nXiang Wan’s mom was startled. She pulled Xiang Wan’s hand gently for a look and immediately removed her apron. “I’ll go with you…”

n“Mom, I’ll be fine by myself. I’m not a child anymore.”

nXiang Wan carried her bag with her other hand, said her goodbyes politely to her elders, and swiftly left her youngest aunt’s place.

nThe weather was hot.

nThe summer heat was blazing hot in July that the ground was hot enough to boil eggs.

nXiang Wan was walking by the road when she felt a rush of hot air right at her face. It was exhaust from a car, and all of her hair stood on end due to the discomfort.

nOf course, going to the hospital was just an excuse.

nShe just didn’t feel like staying at that house.

nNevertheless, it was only after she got out of the house that she realized she had been living like a female otaku for too long and didn’t have much friends… Classmates that she was on good terms with either got into a relationship or have gotten married. The married ones now had their own family and social circle.

nIn this hot scorching afternoon, where could she go?

nBai Muchuan’s leaving , her brain kept thinking about this.

nAnd she was unable to get that out of her head.

nShe stood under the shade of a tree where a cooling breeze brushed past her. She took out her mobile phone then scrolled her list of contacts to find a name—Bai Muchuan.

nThere was hesitation. She demurred for a long time…

nShe tossed her hair and cleared her throat. Finally, she dialed that number.

n“Hello!”

nThat low-pitched baritone voice was pleasant, penetrating, as well as clear and cold. The voice pervaded around her head and ears before sinking into her heart. Xiang Wan gripped her phone tightly, trying to remain calm in her tone.

n“Captain Bai, the case…the 720 case has closed?”

nThere was silence.

nHe had used silence as his reply.

nFor that case, he had no need to, and was not willing to discuss that with her.

n“Is there anything else?”

nXiang Wan felt her cheeks burning slightly. The skin that came in contact with the phone felt as if she had come in contact with a hot stove. Her emotions were stirring so much that she felt nervous. Bai Muchuan’s words were simple and clear, yet each and every word were like a set of codes that could infiltrate into her soul, causing her heart to beat violently.

n“I still have some doubts about the case…”

n“Like?” Bai Muchuan asked in a low tone.

n“For example, is Tian Xiaoya Er Niu the one who abused the cats?”

n“Yes, she replicated your novel.”

n“So that proves she saw the first version of my plot outline?” Xiang Wan suddenly brightened up. Her pitch went higher by a few points as she rejoiced over the news. “If that’s the case, that proves the five readers have been lying. Have you done an investigation as to why they lied about it?”

nThere was another moment of pensive silence.

nAfter a long time, Bai Muchuan acknowledged with a “hm” that was neither hot nor cold.

n“There isn’t any evidence of them lying, at least not at this moment. As a matter of fact, they do not have any motive to lie.”

n“Tian Xiaoya has proven she did see it. Isn’t that evidence?”

n“Of course not!” Bai Muchuan said solemnly, “Tian Xiaoya could not recall when she had seen it. She couldn’t remember if you sent the outline in the private chat group. We didn’t manage to find any related chat records on this.

n“We also have reason to suspect that you might have created a private chat with her and remembered wrongly about it. You might even…”

n“Even… what?”

nHe suddenly stopped as Xiang Wan’s heart started to beat furiously.

nAfter quite a while, Bai Muchuan said, “There’s even a possibility that upon knowing about her plight, you deliberately sent the detailed plot outline over to her, to hint and abet her. When you’re writing your official chapter, you deliberately changed your plot so as to erase off your suspicion. After all, you understand Zhao Jiahang so much, and your desire to become famous is strong!”

n“…”

nWas having a strong desire to become famous wrong?

nMoreover, her understanding of Zhao Jiahang was only limited to what she had found on the internet!

nHow could he suspect her like this?

nXiang Wan felt as if she had suffered a grievance.

n“Excuse me, Captain Bai, do you have evidence?”

n“No,” replied Bai Muchuan, “if we have evidence, you won’t go unpunished like this.”

n“…”

nXiang Wan felt as if her head was filled with lead.

nIt felt heavy and stuffy, and she got absorbed in her thoughts.

nDid she remember wrongly?

nThat her initial version of the detailed plot outline was only sent to Er Niu?

n“If you don’t have anything else, I’m hanging up.”

nBai Muchuan’s tone was usual as always in his business-like manner. As if nothing happened between them…

nNo! There was hardly anything between them, not even friendship.

nEverything was just her own assumption…

nMaybe she had written too many novels, and it should be what Bai Muchuan said—she was too emotionally sensitive.

nXiang Wan thought of that day she ran out of the Bai Residence in a fit of pique, and her cheeks started to burn again. A few seconds later, she found her voice.

n“There’s still more. For instance, the fallen flower pot in my neighborhood, the encounter with Er Niu at the alley, that weird comment where the ID is a string of mobile phone number… Captain Bai, is there any explanation for all of these?”

nBai Muchuan spoke in a low tone, “I can only tell you so much…”

nJust as he said this, a voice was heard from the background.

n“Muchuan, who’s that? You’ve talked for a long time. We’re all waiting for you.”

nThere was an unfamiliar voice which belonged to a woman that sounded sweet. Xiang Wan was sure that the voice did not belong to Bai Musi. It was the first time she heard someone address Detective Bai as “Muchuan”, which was a rather intimate form of address.

nHer heart seemed to be stung by something sharp.

n“Hm, I’m hanging up,” said Bai Muchuan.

nThere was no goodbye.

nDduuuuu! Dduuuuu! The sound of the disconnected call felt so cold that it dispelled the surrounding hot air.

nXiang Wan looked at her mobile phone in a daze.

nThere was neither disappointment nor uneasiness. There weren’t any negative emotions.

nHer brain just went blank at that moment.

nThere was actually one more thing she wanted to ask, “Captain Bai, you promised me an advisor position for the police force previously, has it come to naught?”

nShe wanted to be the advisor for the police. She even thought of the many possibilities she could have in the future. There was even an instance where she thought maybe she could even further develop a proper relationship with Bai Muchuan.

nIn the end, there was nothing.

nEverything felt like a dream.

nShe had awakened from her dream, and she was still an unpopular author.

nThe response to her book was lukewarm.

nThe hype over at the book reviews and comment section slowly subsided.

nPeople of modern day had short memories. Once the hype died down, that was the end of it.

nXiang Wan stood at the busy street where people and vehicles come and go, letting the feeling of loneliness within her grew like wildfire…

nOcean Sky Hotpot.

nIt was noon. There were only a few tables in the first floor of the restaurant.

nXiang Wan went there alone.

nShe had a bias toward having hotpot for meals, and was easily attracted by its flavor and aroma.

nWhen she’s in a good mood, she will eat hotpot. When she’s in a bad mood, she will still eat hotpot.

nWhen she’s poor, she craves for hotpot. When she has money, she comes here to eat hotpot.

nHer shoulders felt strained by the weight of the 20,000 dollars inside her bag.

nNow that Bai Muchuan was leaving, no one else would come after her for this sum of money.

nShe felt she had every reason to enjoy hotpot since she had money but also feeling unhappy…

nThe waitress saw that she was looking lonely and downcast. When Xiang Wan told her she wanted a table for one, the waitress presumed that this must be a lovelorn woman who needed hotpot to relieve her worries. The waitress did not ask anything more but got her a seat warmly. Next, she handed her a beer menu and started to promote the various types of beer available.

n“Do I look like someone who drinks?” Xiang Wan raised her head. “Sorry… I only want to eat meat.”

nThe waitress replied, “… Coming right up.”

nThey served rather fast.

nThe hotpot was piping hot with vapor rising to the air.

nThere was nothing more satisfying than having hotpot in a hot day.

nXiang Wan had ordered the “extra spicy red hotpot”. Even though she was alone, she was enjoying it. Her tongue soon became hot and numb from all the spiciness. It was a different kind of ‘feeling good’ amidst the spicy torture.

nHuff!

nShe started to tear up because of the spiciness.

nShe wiped her tears with a tissue as she gulped mouthfuls of water down her throat.

nA group of people walked down from the private dining room upstairs.

nThey were talking, laughing, and chatting with each other whilst coming down the stairs.

nWhen all of a sudden, someone stopped abruptly at the staircase.

nBai Muchuan, Cheng Zheng…

nAs they stopped, Detective Huang and the rest of the people also stopped awkwardly.

nFollowing their line of sight to the dining area of the first floor, they saw Xiang Wan, all alone by herself eating hotpot.

n…

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