Translator: Cinder Translations
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When they were registering on the bus back, a woman from the private room timidly mentioned that the man who ran away wasn't a police officer.
"Then why was he wearing a police uniform?" Chen Yi asked, stunned.
A moment later, another woman quietly added that it was part of their theme for the night. The man had been a last-minute addition and had brought a doctor's outfit, which was left behind the sofa.
Hearing this, Chen Yi's colleagues who were escorting the suspects burst into laughter. Even after returning to the police station, Chen Yi's head was still buzzing.
The next day, she received a transfer order, moving her from the criminal investigation unit to the public security management unit, where she had been working ever since.
At the time, she hadn't even finished her probation period in the criminal investigation unit.
Since then, Chen Yi seemed to have developed a complex. She sought out the police station's forensic sketch artist and, based on her memory of that night, had a portrait of Jiang Cheng drawn. She then made over 20 copies of it.
She posted them not only in her office but also by her bedside, constantly reminding herself never to forget this humiliating experience.
Now, heaven had finally granted her the chance to catch him.
"Miss Xu," Jiang Cheng quickly said, "our conflict is an internal matter. If we clash here, it won't benefit either of us."
Chen Yi glanced at Fatty, who immediately stood by Jiang Cheng's side, making his stance clear.
He puffed out his cheeks, looking quite formidable.
"Fine," Chen Yi sneered. "We'll settle our score after we get out." As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly stepped forward and kicked Jiang Cheng in the butt.
It was clear that Jiang Cheng had wanted to dodge and could have, but in the end, he stayed still and took the hit.
"Was he there that night?" Chen Yi pointed at Fatty and stared at Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng glanced at Fatty, sighed, and said to Chen Yi, "What do you think?"
Chen Yi looked at Fatty a few times but ultimately decided against kicking him too. Partly because she might not win in a fight, but mainly because she felt she might be wronging an innocent person.
Noticing that Chen Yi's gaze toward him was different from her gaze toward Jiang Cheng, Fatty felt he was probably being looked down on again.
"Which rooms are you in?"
"610, 614."
Jiang Cheng had deliberately picked these rooms, and Chen Yi had been quick to react too. He noticed she had specifically chosen rooms 707 and 710.
The girl named Chu Jiu beside her hadn't chosen a room; Chen Yi had handed her one. If Jiang Cheng remembered correctly, it was 707.
Jiang Cheng opened his hand, revealing the key to room 610.
"Miss Xu," Jiang Cheng said with utmost sincerity, "this time, you're above me!"
Chen Yi was momentarily stunned, but when she realized what he meant, she made a move to kick him again. This time, however, Jiang Cheng nimbly dodged.
Chu Jiu, standing beside Chen Yi, blinked in confusion, not understanding what was wrong with what Jiang Cheng had said.
Wasn't it true that Chen Yi was above him?
The two groups had nothing more to say and prepared to head upstairs. Jiang Cheng eagerly ran to the elevator and called it down.
"Miss Xu," he turned and said, "I called the elevator for you."
Chen Yi ignored him and walked straight to the fire escape. Finding the lights on inside, she led Chu Jiu in and then glanced back at Jiang Cheng.
After a moment, Jiang Cheng had no choice but to follow with Fatty.
The group moved up the stairs in perfect harmony.
They climbed quickly and soon reached the 6th floor. Jiang Cheng suggested that Chen Yi and the cute little girl (Chu Jiu) come to his room for a visit, but Chu Jiu politely declined.
Jiang Cheng reached out and patted Chu Jiu's head before slipping away with Fatty.
As they entered the hallway, Fatty noticed that Jiang Cheng's expression changed immediately. The mischievous look on his face melted away like ice.
The hallway was dim, with only a few yellowish lights glowing like half-open eyes, watching the living with ill intent.
Looking down the long, gloomy corridor, Jiang Cheng felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort, as if stepping into it would mean being swallowed by something.
A night breeze blew in from an unknown corner, tousling Jiang Cheng's bangs. He tightened his collar with one hand and began to walk forward.
Fatty followed behind, his small eyes darting left and right.
To his surprise, some of the old lights above seemed to be motion-activated, flickering on as they passed.
The hallway wasn't cluttered with much, suggesting that not as many people lived here as the old man had claimed.
Jiang Cheng tilted his head, following the room numbers as he walked.
As they passed more and more rooms, he noticed that many doors had rental ads posted on them.
He casually tore one off and held it up under the light.
"Whole apartment for rent, fully furnished, utilities included, only 450 a month, no deposit required?" Fatty leaned in to look, his eyes widening. Even the shared dorm he used to live in wasn't this cheap.
Jiang Cheng took two steps and tore off the rental ad from the opposite door. Comparing the two, he put them down.
The prices and conditions were similar, suggesting that all the rooms on the 6th floor were priced around this range.
Fatty nudged Jiang Cheng's shoulder, not daring to speak but using his eyes to remind him not to linger in the hallway.
When they passed room 610, Jiang Cheng didn't stop. Instead, he went to Fatty's room, 614.
At Jiang Cheng's signal, Fatty used his key to open the door. The door slowly creaked open, but neither of them made a move to enter.
They just stood outside and looked in.
It was a typical small one-bedroom apartment with a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Upon entering, there was a small living room, with a bedroom to the left.
To the right was a corner, and from where they stood, they could vaguely see a wooden door behind it.
Due to the poor lighting, it was hard to make out clearly, but Jiang Cheng guessed it was the bathroom.
The layout of the room was long and narrow, slightly dark, with only a small window. Even during the day, the natural light would likely be poor.
In short, the feng shui of the place was terrible.
Since the bedroom and bathroom doors were closed, Jiang Cheng didn't leave immediately. Instead, he gave Fatty a look.
Fatty slowly crept inside, first finding the light switch and turning it on. Then, step by step, he approached the bedroom and pushed the door open.
As soon as he opened the door, he ran back to Jiang Cheng's side.
Fortunately, the bedroom was calm.
He repeated the process with the bathroom door, and again, nothing happened.
After carefully scanning the room, Jiang Cheng lowered his voice and said, "Don't sleep tonight," he paused, "stay alert."
This was the first time since entering the instance that Fatty would be sleeping separately from Jiang Cheng. He nodded repeatedly and said to Jiang Cheng, "Doctor, you be careful too."
"Remember," Jiang Cheng looked at him and instructed, "if something happens, stay calm. Don't run into dead ends like the bedroom or bathroom, and try not to leave the room."
"Don't open the door for anyone at night. I won't come looking for you," Jiang Cheng said. "If something happens to me, don't worry about it. You won't be able to help."
(End of the Chapter)
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