The man who approached her was wearing trendy brands. He seemed interested in Jian Jing and asked, "You came with Zhou Zisheng, but you''re not staying with him. And when Lawyer Zhao tried to talk to you, you ignored him."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The implication was clear: Are you trying to use Zhou to catch a rich man, but then ying hard to get when one actually approaches you? What game are you ying?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing had a mature strategy for dealing with this kind of situation. She simply replied, "How is that any of your business?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Just trying to chat," the trendy man said, unfazed by her coldness. "Don''t let Zhou Zisheng fool you. He probably told you he''s self-made and still needs loans for his business, right? Tsk tsk, his family is actually quite well-off."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Seeing that Jian Jing still showed little interest, he started talking about the investor: "You may not have heard his name, but you''ve definitely heard of thepanies he''s invested in."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He then rattled off the names of several big enterprises.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"He has good rtionships with many big bosses," he continued, dropping several namesmonly seen in financial magazines.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing''s curiosity was piqued for a moment. "Do you know Kang Mu Cheng?" she asked.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"You mean Mr. Kang from Golden Crow? You''re aiming high, aren''t you?" The trendy man looked at her with newfound respect. Then he shared a piece of information that shocked her, "When I arrived, I saw his car. He should be in the hall upstairs. It''s not easy to catch this busy man, you''re quite lucky today..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He hinted meaningfully.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing smiled too.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She thought this man was quite capable, able to talk about all the big shots as if they were his friends. Although he misunderstood her intentions, he could be a good breakthrough point at the moment.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I was just asking," Jian Jing said. She didn''t actually want to meet Kang Mu Cheng. If her mission seeded, everything would be fine; if it failed, what was the point of another meeting? Instead, she asked, "Tell me about the others. Who''s that guy in the checkered shirt?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The trendy man replied, "That''s Zhou Zisheng''s cousin. He''s just here to have fun, but his family background should be quite good too. Otherwise, Zhou Zisheng wouldn''t have brought him."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing asked, "You seem to know a lot about Zhou Zisheng?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"My cousin and he are childhood friends, so I''ve seen him quite often," the trendy man said. "He''s quite a celebrity in our social circle."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing assumed a posture of attentive listening.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The trendy man continued, "He has family background, ability, and he''s sessful on his own. Any parent would be thrilled to have a son like him - it''s like their ancestral graves are smoking with good fortune. But he has one w - he doesn''t like the blind dates arranged by his family. He prefers to chase women on his own... Let me be frank, girls from families of equal status might not be willing to put up with his temper. Those below his status are more likely to submit and y small. You should be careful-- Oops, toote, he''sing over."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He raised his ss in greeting, then turned and slipped away, leaving Jian Jing to face Zhou Zisheng.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Zisheng approached with a hint of anger.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He had brought Jian Jing here with the intention of impressing her: a high-end party, mingling elites, talks of stocks and investments... This was a worldpletely out of reach for an ordinary high school teacher. Most people would be intimidated by the material desires and dazzling luxury, developing a mix of longing and fear.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Of course, on the other hand, he also wanted to use Jian Jing''s beauty to gain some face for himself.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Inte celebrities and socialites were beautiful too, but how could theypare to a girl from a respectable family? Zhou Zisheng prided himself on being a man of taste, looking down on those packaged women.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
However, Jian Jing''s behavior was a p in the face.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She seemed interested in other people too.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Having fun?" Zhou Zisheng smiled.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"No, not really," she said. "I don''t want to see the celebrity anymore. Xue Zhe..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing had searched for photos and now remembered who he was - wasn''t he the boy hugging a cat at the hot spring inn? Poor kid, with Xie Wei and Jiang BaiYan at the inn back then, he really didn''t leave much of an impression.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"He''s not someone I absolutely must meet," she said, scanning the other people present with a bored expression, not catching sight of anyone suspicious. Feeling annoyed, she said, "You''ve been drinking, so you don''t need to send me home. I''ll just take a taxi."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Zisheng was caught off guard by her words. He repeatedly confirmed, "You want to leave now?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Yes," she said. "I''ve seen some people leaving already."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After all, this was just a social gathering. Those who wanted towork stayed, those who didn''t left after making an appearance. It wasn''t a big deal.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Zisheng stared at her for a long moment, then sneered, "Fine, then go."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
His pride hurt, he naturally wouldn''t stoop to begging her to stay. He turned and left with a lingering anger on his face, making it clear to onlookers that they had quarreled.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The trendy man reappeared with a knowing smile. "I told you so," he said, then invited her, "Want me to introduce you to some other people?" This was clearly his intention for approaching her in the first ce.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''m tired," Jian Jing waved him off. "Goodbye."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She left.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Thest time, she had also left around this time: because the party was too boring, too out of ce for her. Whatever Zhou Zisheng''s intentions were, Jian Jing felt ufortable staying and made an excuse about having a headache.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He was equally angry then, and they parted on bad terms.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
However, based on her observations and the trendy man''s hints, Zhou Zisheng didn''t seem like someone who wouldmit murder.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It wasn''t worth it.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing had more than one fish in her pond, and the women Zhou associated with surely weren''t limited to just her.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It didn''t make sense.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing was troubled. When she first received the mission, she had been quite confident. Although all her cards were disabled, the thinking and experience she had honed wouldn''t disappear.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She was confident she could find the killer.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But now, she didn''t even have a single suspect.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Peace City was too peaceful [doge]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She took the elevator down. After a while, someone else entered.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It was Kang Mu Cheng.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing hadn''t expected to see him in this world and nced at him curiously.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Kang Mu Cheng had been drinking, his breathing a bit heavier than usual. His jacket was draped over his arm, and his expression was very serious. He nced at Jian Jing once, then took out his phone only to put it back.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing didn''t speak to him either, but the corners of her lips curved slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of joy.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Ding dong, their time in the elevator passed in the blink of an eye.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The elevator doors opened to reveal dazzling white light.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Kang Mu Cheng had pressed F1 earlier. Out of habit, she had followed him, forgetting to press her own floor. Now she had directly arrived at the parking lot.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Since she was already here, going back up would seem like she was deliberately following him, which would be weird.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She took a few steps towards the exit. The ring white lights, the newly painted floor, the rows of luxury cars - a memory suddenly flooded back.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
What a coincidence, it was the same pathst time.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The entrance to this five-star hotel was on the second floor, so F1 wasn''t actually the first floor, but the first basement level. The real first floor housed the swimming pool and gym, inessible from the outside elevator - you had to go through the back from the guest rooms.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
So when she leftst time, unaware of the situation, she had pressed F1 and ended up directly in the basement.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The underground space was empty and echoing.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing walked slowly towards the exit. As she turned a corner, she suddenly saw someone.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The man in the checkered shirt.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Uh, you''re..." The man in the checkered shirt recognized her and spoke first, "Why are you alone?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing nced at his open car trunk and smiled slightly, "I found it boring, so I left early. You are...?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She put on a very confused expression.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He wiped his palms and said shyly, "Zhou Zisheng is my cousin... Should I give you a ride home?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, "No need, I''ll just take a taxi. It''s fine."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The young man didn''t insist further.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing walked out of the parking lot, turned the corner to the street, and hailed a taxi home.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She was in quite a good mood.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
If she wasn''t mistaken, the anomaly in the cousin''s trunk was blood.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Back home, she took a shower and checked the notice about the unidentified female corpse again. There was a pixted photo, but she could vaguely make out that there were no external injuries.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The clothing photos released by the police also showed no blood stains.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Based on the norm in this world, it was likely either a drowning or a suicide by drowning. Murder was rare.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Would the man in the checkered shirt decide to kill her just because she saw the blood today?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing pondered for a moment, slowly getting a sense of the situation. She went to bed feeling satisfied.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The next day, Saturday, she woke up early and went to visit her parents.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Mr. and Mrs. Jian were startled, not knowing why she hade so early. "Is something wrong?" they asked.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''m here for lunch," Jian Jing said, curled up on the sofa, casually scrolling through Weibo and her social media feeds.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian''s mother breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her shopping basket to buy some good food. Jian''s father, not yet retired, had gone to check on things at his workce that morning and had just returned home.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
During lunch, the couple brought up old topics again.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"You''re not getting any younger," Jian''s mother said. "How did it go with the ones we introduced you to earlier?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing replied bluntly, "I blocked them all."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian''s mother became anxious, "What are you doing?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Didn''t like them," she said. "From now on, don''t introduce me to unattractive men. They just irritate me to look at."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian''s father tried to persuade her, "For men, looks aren''t the most important thing. You should focus on their abilities."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Having experienced death once, Jian Jing''s attitude towards her parents hadpletely changed. She said affectionately yet firmly, "Come on, I don''t want to force myself. As for men, if one doesn''t work out, another wille along eventually. If you have no patience at all, what''s the point of even trying?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian''s mother was shocked, "Youngdy, what are you saying? What do you mean by ''trying''? Marriage is a lifelongmitment."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"To be honest," she said calmly, "stop pushing me, and stop trying to set me up. It''s useless."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian''s parents exchanged a nce, both feeling a bit uneasy.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They tried to convince her again, "Jing Jing, we don''t have any other expectations for you. We just want you to live a safe and peaceful life. Now, while your father and I can still help, it''s better if you get married and have children soon. We can still assist in taking care of them."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing smiled and continued eating.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Her parents persisted, "It''s okay if you didn''t like the ones we introduced before. We''re not trying to force you..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
As they were talking, a new message suddenly popped up on her phone.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing opened it. It was a group message from a female teacher: [Have you heard? They found severed hands and feet near Nanhua Residential Area...]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It was followed by a blurry video showing police yellow tape cordoning off an area, with arge crowd of onlookers gathered around.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Here ites.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
If it were just bloodstains, there wouldn''t be a need to kill someone, as that would make it easier to get caught.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But what if the day after stumbling upon something, a dismemberment case urred?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Interesting. This world even has dismemberment cases.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing bit her chopsticks and smiled, saying, "I''m full. I''m leaving."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Her parents, who were about to suggest another blind date—after all, wasn''t it a waste not to have one on the weekend?—hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Busy," Jian Jing said as she changed her shoes at the door. For some reason, she suddenly paused, turned her head and said, "Dad, Mom."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The couple responded, "Yes?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''ll take good care of myself. Don''t worry about me," she said. "I know what I''m doing and what I want to do."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jian Jing looked at her parents, at her strange yet familiar home, and smiled slightly, repeating, "Don''t worry about me."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Then, without waiting for their response, she left without looking back.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0