Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Yao sat by the bar, her head drooping and lips pursed, poking the wine glass on the table with her finger.
Behind her, the guests were still lively, cheering and swaying along with the rock singer, but this atmosphere failed to affect Zhou Yao in the slightest.
She angrily poked the wine glass back and forth for a while, then lost interest. Her shoulders slumped, and she radiated dejection from her hair to her toes.
Jiang Peng finished his drink, glanced at her, and said slowly, "Little sister, you promised to buy me a drink—if you're unhappy, just go home."
Zhou Yao came to her senses and quickly apologized, "I'm not upset with you."
Jiang Peng understood perfectly well; he didn't mind at all. He signaled the bartender to refill his drink and raised his glass toward Zhou Yao. She picked up her glass and clinked it with his.
Jiang Peng asked, "Are you interested in this boss?"
Zhou Yao nearly choked on her drink. She neither denied nor confirmed it: "Hmph!"
Jiang Peng shook his head regretfully. "You can't compete with him."
Zhou Yao had been angry just a second ago but became serious now. "I don't want to compete."
This left Jiang Peng momentarily stunned. After a pause, he sighed, "Little sister, how much do you know about him? Besides knowing that he runs an inn, what else?"
Zhou Yao was at a loss for words, furrowing her brows.
Indeed, having grievances with Jiang Peng and being hunted down, how could he be an ordinary person?
"Forget it; pretend I didn't say anything." Jiang Peng clinked his cup against hers again. The glass made a ringing sound. "You young girls these days will give up anything for love."
"That's not true." Zhou Yao turned her head away, her gaze calm and quiet. "I won't give up myself for him, nor will I abandon myself for him. If he's a bad person without conscience or morals who harms others, I won't like him anymore."
Jiang Peng's expression calmed down as he looked into the girl's determined eyes. After a long moment, he slowly smiled and said, "I told you before, you're not an ordinary girl... However, you still don't know whether he's good or bad, just like this—"
"Luo Boss is a good person," Zhou Yao said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Little sister—" Jiang Peng laughed at her naivety, chuckling aloud. "How do you know? How well do you understand him?"
"I don't know, but I can feel it," Zhou Yao tilted her head and said confidently. "My intuition has always been accurate."
"Then why did you just call him what? A pig? What are you then, a cabbage?" Jiang Peng couldn't help but laugh. It had probably been years since the men present had heard someone insult another by calling them a "pig."
"…"
Zhou Yao then remembered she was still sulking about Luo Yi and said unhappily, "Let's not talk about him; it just annoys me."
Jiang Peng changed the subject and pointed to his own nose. "What about me?"
"Huh?"
"You say your intuition is accurate; am I a good person or a bad person?"
Zhou Yao recalled that Luo Yi had asked her the same question before. At that time, her answer was that he didn't seem like a good person but also didn't seem particularly bad—more like a mangy dog.
Zhou Yao spoke honestly: "At first glance, you don't look like a good person, but on second thought, you're not particularly bad either."
Jiang Peng was amused by her response and laughed heartily, waving for the bartender to refill their drinks.
Seeing that the atmosphere was still pleasant, Zhou Yao cautiously and kindly reminded him, "Brother Jiang, you should stop doing that kind of work; you'll get caught. Besides, it's too bloody and cruel; those fighters have families too."
Jiang Peng's smile faded slightly as he replied, "I don't force anyone; they voluntarily step onto the stage for the prize money."
Zhou Yao pursed her lips and decided to leave it at that, not wanting to press further since they were merely acquaintances.
"But little sister, thank you for your concern," Jiang Peng shook his head with a hint of helplessness. "This line of work can't last long; I'm also thinking that if I don't stop soon, I'll end up in prison sooner or later."
Zhou Yao took a sip of her drink, thought for a moment, and asked, "Brother Jiang, what grudge does Boss Luo have against you?"
"You just said not to mention him; it annoys you when I do," Jiang Peng teased her.
Zhou Yao pouted and shot him an annoyed glance.
"I used to think he caused my brother's company to go bankrupt, leading to my brother's suicide."
"Do you still think that way?"
"Mm."
"Why?"
Jiang Peng's eyes sparkled: "Like you, it's a gut feeling."
Zhou Yao: "..."
...
Several police cars were parked along the mountain road in front of the inn. The group of Knife-Wielders was being escorted down the mountain one by one, while another group of officers began collecting evidence and searching for Yan Lin's whereabouts.
Luo Yi picked up Yan Lin's phone from the bushes, which still had crushed cigarette remnants stuck to it. He pressed the screen on; it was locked. He casually tried his birthday, and surprisingly, it unlocked.
Luo Yi raised an eyebrow and opened the contacts:
"My man
Ouyang Pan
Teacher Pan
..."
Luo Yi's fingers quickly tapped a few times on the screen.
Lu Xu walked over and warned, "This is physical evidence."
Luo Yi calmly handed it back to Lu Xu.
Everything behind was handled by the police, and he had no intention of getting involved. Luo Yi originally planned to go to the village to tend to his wounds before returning to the inn. However, as a victim, he had to go to the Town Police Station for questioning. He decided to do a quick bandage before heading to the Town Hospital for treatment.
Luo Yi first returned to the inn to grab a clean set of clothes. As he passed through the Common Area, he spotted Zhou Yao and Jiang Peng sitting at the Bar, drinking and actually laughing together.
There were too many people inside, and with blood on him, it was not appropriate to go in. Just then, he heard Amin's footsteps approaching from afar, so he slipped behind the front desk, hiding his body behind the cabinet.
Amin stepped over the threshold and said in surprise, "Oh? Boss, what are you doing here?"
Luo Yi did not answer but tilted his chin towards the inside. "The girl student sitting next to the Bar, can you call her out? Just say someone is looking for her...," he added, "Don't mention it's me." After a brief pause, he glanced at her and said, "What are you standing there for? Go."
Amin left in confusion to carry out the order.
Luo Yi stepped outside and leaned against the wall, looking up at the sky. The dark blue night sky had a moon that resembled a piece of white jade. He took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth. As he pulled out a lighter to light it, he inadvertently peeked inside. Amin was talking to Zhou Yao, who looked somewhat puzzled and turned to glance this way.
Luo Yi quickly ducked away, leaning against the wall and taking a gentle breath. After a moment, he realized that the cigarette was still unlit. Just as he was about to light it again, Zhou Yao's shadow appeared at the door—tall and thin—casting across the courtyard.
Zhou Yao turned around at the door, looking left and right but seeing no one. After thinking for a moment, she stepped over the threshold and suddenly felt someone grab her wrist and pull her aside.
Zhou Yao gasped in surprise upon seeing it was Luo Yi. She paused for a moment before immediately frowning and pouting her lips, trying to break free from his grip.
Luo Yi didn't exert much force; he just moved with her wrist as she struggled but refused to let go. Zhou Yao felt some sympathy for his injured hand and didn't use much strength either. After some tussling, Luo Yi gently pulled her closer, causing Zhou Yao to stumble right in front of him.
Zhou Yao took the initiative: "Don't talk to me. Even if you say something, I won't listen."
Luo Yi leaned down slightly, catching a whiff of the alcohol on her face, and chuckled softly: "Are you jealous?"
Zhou Yao felt both shy and angry; she immediately retorted, "You're being overly sentimental!"
"Hey? Who just said they wouldn't listen to me?"
Zhou Yao felt frustrated with himself for falling for it.
He asked again, "Aren't you coming to the hospital with me?"
Zhou Yao bit her lip and remained silent. After a moment, unable to hold back, she sarcastically replied, "Don't joke around. You still have to save people; you're so busy, when would you have time to go to the hospital?"
He responded leisurely, "Even if I'm busy, I have to go to the hospital first."
A wave of frustration surged in Zhou Yao's chest as she turned her face away and coldly said, "I'm not going."
"Are you really mad?" He used his free hand to turn her face back towards him. "You're silly; how could I possibly interfere—"
She forcefully pushed his hand away, fueled by the alcohol. "I said I'm not going!"
The smile on his face faded gradually as he asked, "You're really not going?"
"No," she repeated.
He released her wrist and pointed towards the room, saying, "Just go inside."
Zhou Yao stood frozen in place, feeling pain in her heart and liver.
Luo Yi put a cigarette in his mouth, lit it, took a puff, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Go inside."
Finally lifting her head, Zhou Yao's face was flushed, her lips trembling. She glared at him resentfully before turning and quickly entering the room.
Luo Yi leaned against the wall, looking up at the sky. After a moment, he clenched his teeth and abruptly stood up, throwing the cigarette he held forcefully onto the ground.
...
Luo Yi walked out of the inn with a cold expression and slammed the car door shut. The cars ahead were still busy. He pressed his lips together and sat in silence for a while before suddenly getting out of the car and walking back towards the inn.
However, this time, there was no sign of Zhou Yao at the bar, and Jiang Peng was also absent. Luo Yi retreated to the yard and looked up at Zhou Yao's window, which was pitch black. He focused on that window, dialed Jiang Peng's number, but it was turned off.
Luo Yi clenched his fist, recalling her slightly tipsy appearance, her childlike sweet smile, and her bright, moist eyes.
He took a deep breath and decided to go upstairs to check again. The door was tightly locked, and there was no one inside.
Luo Yi quickly rushed downstairs to the front desk, opened the computer, and pulled up the guest records from over a month ago. Finally, he found Zhou Yao's reservation. It had been booked by Lin Jinyan, who had left his phone number but not Zhou Yao's.
Without thinking twice, he picked up the landline and dialed Lin Jinyan's number. It felt like fate was deliberately working against him; there was no signal and the call couldn't be connected.
"Damn it!"
Luo Yi slammed the receiver aside. He gritted his teeth, calmed down for a few seconds, then placed the phone back down with a grim expression before leaving the inn.
He decided not to head into town; he needed to find Lu Xu to borrow a few people to help locate Zhou Yao.
...
As Luo Yi exited the inn's front door and hurried down the steps, his footsteps suddenly halted.
Zhou Yao was standing next to a police car, hands in her pockets, neck hunched, her breath coming out in puffs like cotton balls that were quickly dispersed by the cold wind.
Luo Yi's heart skipped a beat as he stood there for several seconds.
The moment she caught sight of him, she tightened her lips and after a moment of silence rolled her eyes at him with an annoyed expression before opening the car door and getting inside.
Luo Yi remained silent for a while longer before following her into the car. He turned to look at Zhou Yao. She stared straight ahead with a flat tone,
"Since you protected me, I won't hold it against you. I'll take you to the hospital. But you're not allowed to talk to me on the way; I can't hear you." After saying this, she pulled out her earphones from her pocket and forcefully shoved them into her ears to listen to music.
Luo Yi gazed at her profile for a long time before retracting his gaze and staring into the endless moonlit night ahead.
Luo Yi spoke up: "Investigating and saving people are matters for the police; it's not my place as an outsider to interfere, nor do I want to."
Zhou Yao had her ears plugged with headphones, naturally gazing out the window.
“Zhou Yao, I don’t know what the word ‘past’ means to you. But for me, it signifies pain and torment, endless humiliation and suffering. I will not allow anything or anyone related to that to appear in my life again.”
Figures passed by outside the car, while inside it was quiet.
After Luo Yi finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Zhou Yao again. She was comfortably listening to music, showing no reaction.
He leaned slightly forward, touched her ear, and gently rubbed it with his fingertip, causing the headphone to fall into his palm. Zhou Yao was taken aback and wanted to snatch it back but was too late. He took it and put it into his own ear.
The headphones were silent, with no music playing.
Zhou Yao's face immediately turned red to the roots of her ears, feeling so embarrassed she wished she could burrow into a hole.
However, to her surprise, Luo Yi gave up this great opportunity to tease her. He leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes, still wearing that white earbud as if music truly flowed within.
Zhou Yao was stunned, staring blankly at his sharply defined profile. He seemed a bit tired and needed rest.
Perhaps because he had closed his eyes, he appeared less sharp and indifferent than before—clear-headed and harmless, even somewhat vulnerable.
Zhou Yao continued to gaze at him, hearing her own heartbeat in the headphones—thump, thump, thump—rapid and strong. Or perhaps he could hear her heartbeat on the other end of the earbud?
As if sensing something, Luo Yi slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were dark and clear as he stared at her without blinking.
Their eyes met, and suddenly he reached behind her neck, grasped it gently but firmly, pulling Zhou Yao toward him uncontrollably until their lips met.
Her lips touched his without hesitation or friction; it was a quiet and soundless connection. Only their shallow breaths gradually warmed each other's cheeks.
Zhou Yao gently closed her eyes.
...
Luo Yi finished treating his wounds at the hospital and then went to the police station to cooperate with the investigation.
Lu Xu said that although some of the Knife-Wielders were quite tough, they had captured too many accomplices. A few of them were not loyal enough and exposed their flaws, which led to the entire group collapsing in front of the police.
The interrogation quickly yielded results.
They indeed followed Wu Ming to eliminate Luo Yi, but they were not Wu Ming's subordinates; rather, they were sent by Dan Shan to assist Wu Ming and could even act independently when necessary.
Luo Yi said, "They probably have never seen Dan Shan."
Lu Xu nodded, "They don't know Dan Shan's true identity. Moreover, they are mercenaries who work for money, just as you investigated before."
Luo Yi said, "The key issue now is Wu Ming. After all, the forged Jade Buddha Tower came from him, and he is likely to know some information about Dan Shan. But he is too cunning, loves money, and values his life; even if you catch him, you might not be able to get anything out of him."
Lu Xu replied, "In any case, we need to catch him first."
According to the captured Knife-Wielder, Wu Ming has now escaped into the mountains. The Knife-Wielder who took Yan Lin will definitely go to meet up with Wu Ming. Although they provided the original meeting point, Wu Ming has already moved.
Lu Xu said, "The one taken was your ex-girlfriend; I'm afraid Wu Ming will use her as a hostage to negotiate with you. When it comes time to rescue the hostage, you'll have to go with the police. I wonder how long it will take to search the mountains."
Luo Yi smiled strangely: "He won't have the chance to negotiate with me. — And it won't be long; he will be caught soon."
"How so?"
"I once imagined a scenario: if they came to assassinate me and I failed to capture any of them as planned, allowing them all to escape. How would I handle it? How could I prevent them from having a chance to flee?"
Lu Xu stared at him: "How would you handle it?"
Luo Yi smirked slightly, his gaze sharp: "I would release a pack of Hounds and follow their scent to track them down."
Lu Xu frowned for half a second before suddenly realizing and was taken aback. This was someone meticulous enough not to leave his opponent any room for escape.
Luo Yi looked deeply at Lu Xu: "Wu Di and Dan Shan would never expect that I set a trap waiting for them; they wouldn't think that choosing to act in the deep mountains was precisely for the one-hour time difference from the town to the mountains, allowing all scents to dissipate before the police dogs arrived; but I had Jiang Peng's people prepare a team of hunting dogs just in time. The moment the hostage was taken away, the hounds set off."
Lu Xu was left speechless, an inexplicable chill running down his spine. He suddenly hoped that this man in front of him was indeed an ally and not an adversary. His phone in his pocket began to vibrate.
Luo Yi glanced at his pocket, smiled, and said, "Officer Lu, answer the phone."
...
Lu Xu picked up his phone and walked aside to take the call. Luo Yi took out a cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, bit it between his lips, and walked to the door to look into the office.
The night was too deep; Zhou Yao was asleep at her desk.
Luo Yi frowned, pushed the door open, and went in to touch her hand, which was cold.
He took off his trench coat and draped it over her, then tucked her hands into the sleeves.
Zhou Yao slept quietly, her breathing heavy.
The door was pushed open, and Lu Xu's expression was serious.
Luo Yi stepped outside, closed the door behind him, and asked, "Did you find them?"
"I found them," Lu Xu replied. "Wu Ming is dead."
Comment 0 Comment Count