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墨書 Inktalez
The next day, when they woke up, it was still raining, but the downpour had lessened significantly.
A few girls got up early to wash the clothes that had accumulated recently. Zhou Yao first cleaned and hung out a pile of underwear, then joined her companions to carry the remaining clothes to the laundry room and toss them into the washing machine.
After finishing their morning routines and having breakfast, Zhou Yao called Sulianlin to go to the laundry room.
The two of them carried a full load of clothes out of the washing machine. As they turned around, they bumped into Luo Yi, who was coming in with a few pieces of clothing.
Sulianlin cheerfully greeted, "Boss Luo!"
Luo Yi smiled slightly in response.
Indeed, he smiled at everyone who greeted him, but he didn’t smile back at her. As they brushed past each other, Zhou Yao couldn’t help but glare at him. Luo Yi sensed something but didn’t look closely; he only saw the back of her head.
Luo Yi walked over to the washing machine and was about to toss his clothes in when he noticed a small black object lying at the bottom of the drum, twisted into a ball.
Thinking it was a sock, he bent down to pick it up. As he unfolded the black item, it turned out to be a thin lace bra with very little fabric. The cups were entirely made of transparent lace with intricate patterns, featuring just two small black heart shapes at key points, making it incredibly alluring.
Luo Yi: "..."
"Hey!" he called out.
Zhou Yao didn’t think he was calling her and continued walking forward. Luo Yi frowned and said, "Zhou Yao! Didn’t you hear me calling you?"
As Zhou Yao reached the door, she paused. "Hey, Boss Luo called me!" She immediately turned around, her expression a mix of surprise and astonishment, and asked, "What do you need me for?"
Luo Yi quickly tilted his chin towards his hand and shook his finger as a reminder. The black lingerie hung in the air, bouncing slightly.
He held it loosely but couldn't catch it; the lingerie fell back into the washing machine.
Zhou Yao didn't see clearly. Holding a pile of clothes, she suspiciously walked back and stretched her neck to peek into the washing machine: "..."
Her arms were full of clothes, leaving no free hands. Without any shame, she said sweetly, "Oh no, it fell! Boss Luo, could you help me fish it out?"
Luo Yi showed little expression and bent down again to pull out the pitiful piece of fabric that was her lingerie.
Zhou Yao quickly nodded and pointed to the pile of clothes in her arms: "Put it on top."
Luo Yi tossed her lingerie up.
"Thank you." Zhou Yao walked towards Sulianlin, her eyes darting before she seriously said to Sulianlin, "It's really something that Tang Shangri-La Duo doesn't even come to collect her own clothes."
Sulianlin glanced over, puzzled: "Huh? Isn't this yours? Besides you, who else in the dorm would wear such flashy lingerie?"
Zhou Yao: "..."
Su. Lin. Lin. You. Are. So. Annoying.
Zhou Yao just wanted to slip away quickly, but then Luo Yi called her again: "You stop right there."
Zhou Yao felt a surge of irritation and turned back, "What now?"
Luo Yi asked calmly, "Are you all going out today?"
"Yeah."
"Where to?"
"Echu Gully," Zhou Yao replied.
"Tell your captain not to go," Luo Yi said. "There was heavy rain last night, and the Mountain might flood. There are several landslide lakes in that area."
"Oh." Zhou Yao's expression turned blank as he turned to leave.
However, Sulianlin was particularly polite, saying, "Thank you, Boss Luo. We'll discuss it with the captain."
After walking a short distance while holding his clothes, Zhou Yao turned back and kicked Sulianlin lightly.
Sulianlin looked confused, "Huh? What did I do?"
Zhou Yao tilted his head, "Nothing."
While hanging clothes on the rooftop, Sulianlin muttered to himself, "Zhou Yao, your observation skills have gotten worse."
Zhou Yao responded in confusion, "Huh?"
"Luo Boss is injured, it's so obvious, didn't you see it?"
"......"
Zhou Yao was instantly speechless: "Sulianlin, are you stupid?"
Sulianlin finished hanging the clothes and stood by the shed watching the fine rain: "How long will it take for these clothes to dry? This is the last time, next time I can take the dirty clothes back to school to wash."
Zhou Yao tugged at the fitted t-shirt on the hanger, remaining silent, her mood suddenly as unclear as the rainy day.
"I will miss the scenery here," Sulianlin sighed lightly. Looking up, she saw the mountains covered in yellow leaves, with snow-capped peaks faintly visible.
"Hey? Where is Luo Boss going so early?" Sulianlin looked down at the courtyard below.
Zhou Yao ran to the railing to peek down and shouted: "Luo Boss!"
Luo Yi had just pushed his motorcycle out from the storage room, glanced up at the sky, and ignored her.
"Luo Boss, where are you going?" Zhou Yao's voice rang brightly in the air.
Luo Yi still ignored her, not even lifting his head, probably thinking that this kind of shouting was a bit silly.
Zhou Yao tilted her head in confusion for a second before immediately rushing back inside.
She dashed down the stairs like a gust of wind, grabbed a raincoat, dashed into the courtyard, and ran up to him, panting heavily with her hands on her waist: "Luo Boss, where are you going?"
"In town. What? Are you going to take something again?" He adjusted the helmet strap and glanced at her sideways, preemptively saying everything she might want to say.
"I'm not taking anything." Zhou Yao squinted at him with a smile, raindrops clinging to her eyelashes. "It's slippery on rainy days, so walk slowly and be careful."
Luo Yi fell silent, lowering his eyelids as he put on his gloves.
Zhou Yao leaned forward to look at him, persistently asking, "Boss Luo, did you hear what I said?"
He furrowed his brow slightly and replied in a deep voice, "Mm."
After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Zhou Yao?"
"Mm?"
"What do you think of Jiang Peng?"
"Jiang Peng?" Zhou Yao frowned and thought for a while before saying, "Sometimes he keeps his word, sometimes he doesn't. He can seem very principled at times, but also quite cunning. He's not bad— but not good either, like a mangy dog."
"A mangy dog?" Luo Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, finding it somewhat amusing. "That's quite an apt description."
"Why did you suddenly ask me this?"
"Nothing." He grasped the motorcycle handle and asked again, "Do you remember what I told you in the laundry room?"
"Mm. I remember." Zhou Yao nodded earnestly, her hair dotted with tiny, glistening raindrops. "I'll tell my senior brother. Don't worry."
"Oh, I almost forgot the main thing," Zhou Yao remembered and pulled her hand out from behind her back. "Luo Boss, I'm here to deliver a raincoat to you."
Luo Yi reached out to take it, but Zhou Yao quickly pulled her hand back and tilted her head playfully. "Hey? I came all the way here to bring you a raincoat, and you don't even say thank you?"
Luo Yi glanced at her, his expression slightly stern.
Zhou Yao stopped smiling, pouting. "No joking around. Here, take it."
Luo Yi reached for it again, but Zhou Yao swiftly pulled her hand away once more, laughing heartily.
Luo Yi: "..."
Seeing him at a loss, Zhou Yao couldn't contain her joy. "Come on, say thank you! If you say thank you, I'll give it to you. Hurry up!"
Luo Yi lifted his chin and pointed to the eaves not far ahead. "Zhou Yao, go stand over there."
Zhou Yao was puzzled and looked at him warily. "What for?"
Luo Yi smiled slightly, his voice gentle. "It's raining outside; you'll get wet."
Zhou Yao's face turned red, and she softly said "oh" before happily running to stand under the eaves, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
Luo Yi asked, "Is your tactical jacket easy to wash?"
"Yeah," Zhou Yao tilted her head and replied casually. "Every time I come back from the outdoors covered in mud, I just wipe it down with a towel and it's clean."
"That's good," Luo Yi said, suddenly revving the motorcycle and driving out of the yard, the wheels accurately rolling over a small puddle by the eaves, splashing rainwater all over Zhou Yao!
Zhou Yao stood on tiptoe, stunned.
Luo Yi's motorcycle stopped at the entrance, and he even dared to look back at her.
Zhou Yao reacted within a second, rushing up to hit him. Just as she was about to make contact, Luo Yi twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle slid away a short distance.
She missed.
He continued to look back at her, his eyes holding a hint of amusement.
Zhou Yao shouted, "Are you trying to die?"
Luo Yi replied, "Is it just for you to tease me?"
Zhou Yao glared at him for a while, pretending to turn and leave. But as soon as she took a step, she suddenly turned back to hit him again. He twisted the throttle once more, and the motorcycle slid away again.
On the autumn mountain road, fine rain fell steadily. Zhou Yao stood there, gritting her teeth in frustration.
Luo Yi watched her for a moment and asked, "Do you really want to hit me?"
Zhou Yao stared at him in silence.
"Alright, alright," Luo Yi said, extending his palm toward her. "Go ahead and hit me."
Zhou Yao walked up to him with a stern face and slapped his palm hard.
Luo Yi quickly withdrew his hand, causing Zhou Yao to miss.
“……”
Zhou Yao immediately wanted to kick him off the motorcycle, but before she could, his long arm reached out and knocked on her forehead, laughing, “Are you stupid?”
“Keep the raincoat for yourself. I'm leaving.” He quickly finished speaking and rode the motorcycle far away without stopping this time.
Zhou Yao covered her aching forehead and shouted at his back, “You're so annoying! I told you not to drive so fast on a slippery road, can't you hear me?”
The motorcycle honked in response and then disappeared into the rain.
Once Zhou Yao could no longer see him, she angrily returned to the inn.
However, after entering the inn and thinking about it again, her mood didn’t seem too bad.
……
In Room 315,
Zhou Yao sat on a small stool by Lin Jinyan's bed, munching on an apple while tapping her foot rhythmically. She cheerfully said, “Sulianlin also heard it.”
“Yeah,” Sulianlin nodded, “Boss Luo said that it rained too heavily last night and was worried about flooding in the mountains. He suggested we don’t go today.”
Lin Jinyan looked slightly puzzled as he scrolled through his phone. "But I found no issues; is what he said really accurate?"
"Of course," Zhou Yao replied. "Last time he said it would rain, and it really did."
Summer Melody glanced at Zhou Yao and smiled. Zhou Yao shot her a glare before turning back to Moyang. "Senior Brother, do you really have to go?"
Moyang shook his head. "It's fine not to go. Safety first."
Summer Melody agreed, "Yeah. Staying at the inn is pretty boring; we didn't come here for a vacation. Besides, there's danger wherever we go for investigations; it's a matter of probability."
Lin Jinyan looked down at his phone. "Zhou Yao is right; we need to pay attention to safety, but there shouldn't be much danger on this trip." He showed everyone his phone. "The possibility of a landslide is 10%. Compared to the places we've been before, the risk factor is about the same."
Zhou Yao stopped chewing on his apple and frowned. "But Boss Luo said there's a barrier lake over there. Generally speaking, after heavy rain, barrier lakes are prone to dam failure."
"But barrier lakes are worth seeing," Tang Shangri-La Duo said. "We just need to be careful on the way, follow the terrain map, and avoid low-lying areas."
Everyone thought it was feasible and wanted to go. They said, "Lin Brother, you're the team leader; you decide."
Lin Jinyan replied, "Let's just pay extra attention to safety on the way."
Zhou Yao tugged at the corner of his mouth, wanting to say something more, but everyone had already stood up and started gathering their things in preparation for departure.
...
Ru Yi Teahouse was located in the northwest corner of the town, backed by a mountain gorge.
It was autumn, and outside the wooden window, water flowed gently while the green and yellow trees on the hillside grew in succession.
Luo Yi sat in a rattan chair by the window, sipping tea. The wind blew in raindrops, and he turned his gaze to the rushing water in the valley outside, a result of yesterday's heavy rain.
He wondered where Zhou Yao and the others were now and whether they had listened to his advice.
Luo Yi did not hold out much hope; scholars often had their own proud judgments. His reminders would at most serve as a warning, enough for them to be more cautious on their journey.
After finishing half a cup of tea, the door was pushed open.
Jiang Peng entered with several brothers, one of whom was the assassin who had clashed with Luo Yi that night. He stood behind Jiang Peng's chair, expressionless as he stared at Luo Yi, a hint of ferocity flashing in his eyes.
Luo Yi smiled lightly and looked at Jiang Peng, pouring him a cup of tea.
Jiang Peng glanced at the tea but did not drink it. He leaned back casually in his chair, resting his arms on the armrests, and asked, "Do you still dare to come find me?"
Luo Yi found this question amusing and chuckled, "If Boss Jiang is a smart man, it would be best not to kill me."
Jiang Peng remained silent, watching Luo Yi continue.
"As the saying goes, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Boss Jiang is also a businessman; I’m sure you understand this principle."
"Oh?" Jiang Peng raised an eyebrow. "What common interests do we have?"
"Common enemies." Luo Yi leaned forward over the tea table, lowering his gaze as he lifted the lid of the teapot and poured boiling water into it. "You want to find out who killed your brother; I want to find out who ruined my reputation. Why not join forces?"
"How do we cooperate?"
"You keep me safe, and I'll give you information."
"Haha," Jiang Peng laughed, leaning slightly forward to tap the table, causing the teapot to shake. "Information? The person who killed my brother is sitting across from me, brewing tea."
Luo Yi smiled lightly in mockery, shaking his head as he poured tea from the pot into a cup.
"Boss Jiang, it's better to speak frankly. You have already begun to doubt the truth behind your brother's death. If you weren't suspicious, you wouldn't have specifically asked that young girl to appraise that emerald. You're clearly trying to tell me that Wu Ming sent that emerald to buy you off."
Jiang Peng twirled his wristwatch, watching him with interest. "I want to see the excitement; I want to see how you two fight."
"Behind him is Dan Shan, the one holding the True Buddha Pagoda," Luo Yi poured more tea and looked up at him. "Do you still want to watch? If I die, it will be hard for Dan Shan's tail to show itself again."
"How do I know you haven't fallen out with Dan Shan?"
Luo Yi drained his cup of tea and said, "Boss Jiang, if I were not in cahoots with Dan Shan, I would wholeheartedly help you catch him. If I am with him, even if we had a falling out, you could still use me to find him. If along the way you discover I am suspicious and connected to the deaths of Jiang Hong and myself, you can seek revenge later. Regardless of the truth, cooperating is beneficial for you.
But if you believe that I conspired with Dan Shan to harm your brother and yet choose to easily kill me now, what about the bigger mastermind behind it? Don't you want to uncover that?"
"Halfway through revenge? Tsk tsk," Luo Yi shook his head. "Coward."
The expression of Jiang Peng's brothers changed suddenly. Jiang Peng smiled pressurefully. "Boss Luo, do you believe that right now my men could throw you out of this window into the ravine without anyone noticing?"
"Then I'll go underground and chat with Jiang Hong about how stupid his brother is." Luo Yi picked up his teacup and took a sip.
The Jiang Brothers stepped forward, intending to create a sense of pressure. Jiang Peng raised his hand to stop them, looking at Luo Yi with a hint of amusement for a moment before saying, "You're not wrong. Boss Luo, I'm also a bit interested in collaborating with you. But you see, last time you burned my territory and left without a word, which made me lose face."
He spread his fingers to point behind him, "The brothers are all here. If I reconcile with you, where do I put my face?"
Luo Yi, being quite astute, smiled and said, "Feel free to propose."
Jiang Peng made a gesture, and one of his brothers went out. In less than a minute, he returned with a plate, on one side of which stood a spike.
The man took two identical small paper bags, turned one upside down over the spike and the other over the empty space, and secured them with the same tape.
"Let's have a bet. Let's see what fate decides." Jiang Peng pointed to the sky and then indicated the assassin behind him. "He will place the bet for me. If your hand isn't pierced by the spike when he strikes down, then we'll go by what you say."
As he spoke, he rotated the plate, causing the two paper bags to spin rapidly. When it stopped, it was impossible to tell which bag contained the spike and which did not.
Luo Yi watched the plate expressionlessly. He had already observed it carefully before Jiang Peng started spinning it; however, there was no difference between the two.
The assassin stepped forward, coldly staring at Luo Yi.
Jiang Peng asked, "Who goes first?" Then added, "To avoid you thinking I've tampered with it, you can go first."
Luo Yi smiled and replied, "I trust Boss Jiang's character; you go first."
Jiang Peng then signaled to the assassin. The latter stepped forward while Luo Yi sipped his tea. Suddenly there was a loud "bang," shaking the table. Luo Yi glanced through his teacup and saw that the assassin had flattened one of the paper bags while his hand remained unharmed.
He had chosen the empty bag.
Luo Yi remained unfazed as he finished his cup of tea. Suddenly, he recalled how earlier that morning, while riding his motorcycle, Zhou Yao had angrily chased after him, wanting to hit his palm. He had evaded her intention, quickly retracting his hand to avoid her strike.
Perhaps it was because he had teased her that morning and had not allowed her to hit him, so now he could not escape.
A glimmer of victory flashed in the assassin's eyes as he stood up and expressionlessly retreated behind Jiang Peng.
Jiang Peng felt relieved and shrugged. "Boss Luo, you don't have the same luck as that night." He lifted his chin. "It's your turn now, please go ahead."
Luo Yi set down his teacup and turned his gaze toward the upright Paper Bag, his thin lips unconsciously pressed into a line.
Jiang Peng's face was full of mockery. "Boss Luo isn't playing anymore? That makes sense; since you've already lost, why bother with the rules? Then I—" Just as he was about to stand up, his words were abruptly interrupted by the loud sound of a Plate being slammed.
With a loud bang, both the teapot and teacup shook.
The people in the room gasped in shock and looked toward the Plate.
The last remaining Paper Bag was forcefully struck down by Luo Yi, a nail barely piercing through the base of his fingers.
Jiang Peng froze for a second before his body fell back into the chair again, staring at Luo Yi in disbelief.
Luo Yi lowered his head slightly, raising an eyebrow with a deep crease as he looked at him. "You said: if your hand isn't pierced by the nail, follow my lead." He sneered. "Boss Jiang, I haven't lost."
Jiang Peng was speechless and could only think that Luo Yi was insane. He had clearly lost but still insisted on creating another opportunity to gamble once more.
At that moment, the cruel smile that flashed in his eyes was nothing short of madness.
Luo Yi slowly opened his five fingers and moved them away from the plate. He stood up and reached out to Jiang Peng, saying, "Jiang Boss, it's a pleasure to cooperate."
Jiang Peng pressed his lips together and looked at him for a moment before finally standing up and shaking his hand. "Whenever you need my brothers, just contact me."
"Thanks."
...
As Luo Yi was leaving, Jiang Peng called out to him, "Luo Boss, weren't you afraid of losing a hand just now?"
"Compared to life, what is a hand worth?" Luo Yi smiled and closed the door behind him.
...
Luo Yi got on his motorcycle and glanced at his right hand, noticing that the skin between his index and middle fingers had been scraped. He curled the corner of his lips into a light smile and put on his gloves without a care.
The sky continued to drizzle lightly.
Just as he left the town and drove up the mountain road, his phone in his pocket rang. Luo Yi answered it, and on the other end, Amin spoke urgently:
"Boss, there's been an incident! The mountain is flooding, and some of the students are trapped!"
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