That day, Luo Xiaoxi gloriously seized the first place in the Model Competition held by Huanan Satellite TV.
However, it was also because of this championship that her father had been so greatly provoked by her that he had almost ended up in hospital. Her father consequently cut off her allowance in a fit of temper. Even her mother who had been doting on her could not save her.
And for what reason?
Her father thought that her dressing up like that on TV was virtually corrupting his house. He ordered her to throw the championship trophy away at once and go back to the company to work.
“I am not going back to the company! I don’t want to be dressed in suits and lead a life of nine to five.”
Saying no to her father toughly and having the greatest disregard for the fact that she had no living expenses at all, Luo Xiaoxi snuggled in her small apartment and waited for her agency to get in touch with her.
Since she had already snatched the first place into her pocket, there must exist some agencies which could have the sense to appreciate her talent and then sign a contract with her. She would definitely be transformed into a sparklingly world-known model in the future!
Su Jianan persuaded Luo Xiaoxi not to meddle with this industry which was too messy. However, Luo Xiaoxi replied with her fists clenching, “I would shine brightly and show it to Su Yicheng! Whoever blocks off my way would be wiped out!”
As what Su Jianan had expected, Luo Xiaoxi would not make a concession that easily. She put the forty thousand cash she’d brought on Luo Xiaoxi’s table and said, “This is so far the favor I could have done for you.”
Having been cut off the living expenses, Luo Xiaoxi was worried about where she could borrow money from. The moment she saw the pink paper money, her eyes both brightened up instantly. She hugged Su Jianan solidly and said, “I will not forget you when I have made great achievements!”
Su Jianan replied, “Still two days left.”
“Tut, tut, tut. You actually remember it so well.” Luo Xiaoxi poked Su Jianan’s shoulder ambiguously, “You want him to come back sooner, don’t you?”
“Uh huh, of course, I do.”
Su Jianan nodded as Luo Xiaoxi’s wish.
She remembered Lu Boyan’s that line crystal clearly: When he comes back, he has something for her.
Till now, she could not figure out what exactly would Lu Boyan bring for her and she was fully looking forward to it. Of course, she would like Lu Boyan to come back sooner.
Luo Xiaoxi replied with a “Hum” and moved her fingers a bit. “I had already pinched it out, Su Jianan, you are actually shifting your love!”
Su Jianan smiled on her own and said, “Get me a suit of pajamas. I will rest here tonight.” Her eyes were both sparkling, more vigorous than ever.
It was not clear whether it was because of the fact that what you think about in the day, you will dream of it at night. Su Jianan dreamt of Lu Boyan that night.
As usual, he came back home after work. Dressed up, he appeared by the door somewhat wearily.
She suddenly burst into joy and ran at him recklessly. Looking at Lu Boyan excitedly, she was waiting for him to present out the things he’d brought for her.
Lu Boyan stroked out her hair and said, “Having not seen each other for a long time, Mrs. Lu, are you not going to give me a hug at first?”
“That would depend on whether the things you had brought for Mrs. Lu was surprising enough or not!” She fastened herself on him and asked, “What exactly have you brought for me. Show them to me quickly.”
Lu Boyan stretched out his hands and seemed to be unveiling the mysteries. All of a sudden, there came a burst of pain on her cheek. She uttered a “Hiss” and had no choice but to wake up from the dream.
“You are going to be late for your work!” Luo Xiaoxi roared in her ears while pinching her cheek. “You had been smiling so sweetly while dreaming. You had dreamt of your Boss Lu? Hadn’t you?”
It indeed was.
But she was just not going to let Luo Xiaoxi know!
Su Jianan’s mood had been played up very well by that dream. She kicked away the quilt and dressed herself up. Till the time when she came out refreshingly, she instead saw Luo Xiaoxi holding her mobile in the bed as if she had been stupefied.
There finally came an agency which would like to sign a contract with her?
Su Jianan walked over soundlessly, only to find out that Luo Xiaoxi actually was reading the entertainment news, among which she had caught sight of some kinds of words like “Lu Boyan”, “Han Ruoxi” and “Together in the hotel.” The moment Luo Xiaoxi noticed her, she hid her mobile hurriedly.
“Well? Since you have been dressed up, then let’s eat breakfast together!”Luo Xiaoxi made her effort to raise the bright smile, “Let’s go to Moon Chasing House. My treat!”
Su Jianan held her hands out calmly, “Give me your mobile.”
Luo Xiaoxi clung to her mobile and shook her head. “It isn’t anything. Let’s go to eat breakfast. If you do not like Moon Chasing House, then we…”
Su Jianan’s look was calm and expressionless. She was just staring at Luo Xiaoxi whatever Luo Xiaoxi said.
Luo Xiaoxi knew she must have caught sight of something. It was of no use for her to hide it up. So she handed out her mobile.
Su Jianan unlocked the mobile and finally saw clearly the title of the news—
“Going to the US together and seeing each other secretly, Lu Boyan and Han Ruoxi had been together in the same hotel for as long as 4 hours.”
As if having been bombarded, her mind was of a misty blankness. She could not reflect on anything. Her fingers were mechanically drawing downward.
She then saw the pictures in the news.
Late night at ten o’clock, Lu Boyan and Han Ruoxi were sitting in the restaurant of the well-known hotel. Han Ruoxi snuggled up on the sofa, shaking the red wine cups. While for Lu Boyan who sat on her opposite side, he did not wear any expression on his face. However, with him being cold and stern all along, it had been tender of him to treat Han Ruoxi in this way.
While in the second picture, they had already been back to the room of the hotel. Han Ruoxi’s shawl was falling on the floor. Lu Boyan and she were holding together. They were closely related and interdependent like lips and teeth. While the king-sized bed beside them seemed to be indicative of something.
While for the several pictures in later parts, they were all similar to the second one. The only difference lied in that more and more parts of Han Ruoxi’s body were exposed, the suits on Lu Boyan’s body were becoming messier and messier and this perfect couple was closer and closer to that king-sized bed, which made people’s mind roam.
The entertainment reporter wrote in the end, it was not until the next morning that Lu Boyan finally left Han Ruoxi’s room and came out. It totaled nearly four hours from beginning to end. People all had a tacit understanding of what had happened. Moreover, they arrived in the US by the same flight yesterday, which had seemed to be done for work, however, actually… the real purpose might not lie in work.
Upon reading the news over, Su Jianan had already resumed her capability of thinking. Taking a deep breath, she returned the mobile to Luo Xiaoxi and said, “Why are you still at a loss? Go and get changed. Didn’t we just talk about you treating me to eat breakfast in Moon Chasing House a moment ago?”
“Jianan…” Luo Xiaoxi walked over and said, “If you feel…”
Su Jianan interrupted Luo Xiaoxi while smiling faintly. “You are not going to take back on your own promise, are you?”
Luo Xiaoxi clenched her teeth and replied, “I am going to get dressed! You wait for a moment!” It also worked for her to firstly grant Su Jianan time to figure out the whole thing and then they solve it together.
Su Jianan got her mobile and went out of the room. Till then, she finally could not maintain the smile on her face. She was doubtful about what she had been reading, however, she did not have the courage to turn back and read it for a second time.
Luo Xiaoxi was right once again: For the business trip or whatever, they are of the most risks.
Her heart seemed to be held down by a rocky stone. She intended to inquire of Lu Boyan about what was going on.
But if what happened between Lu Boyan and Han Ruoxi had been true, then… with what standpoint could she have interrogated him? Lu Boyan had said that he had no feelings for her and he would divorce her two years later, hadn’t he?
Su Jianan looked like an insect falling into the cobweb at this moment. Though the place where she stayed was that spacious, she still struggled to such an extent that she felt she was almost suffocated.
If she could not find anything to do, then maybe she would rush to the US to look for Lu Boyan out of impulse.
No, she could not do that. Absolutely not…
Right at that moment, Su Jianan’s mobile rang. Having thought it was a call from Lu Boyan, she picked up her mobile and had a look, only to find out it was a call from Captain Yan instead.
Hey, he was calling to inquire of her about the gossip between Lu Boyan and Han Ruoxi, wasn’t he?
Su Jianan put through the phone. Captain Yan was talking in an urgent way. “Jianan, a murder case had happened in Room 502, Block 16 of Tianan Garden, could you go to the scene?”
“Yes! I will be there within thirty minutes!”
Su Jianan put her mobile down and went to look for her car key hastily. She left Luo Xiaoxi some words and then left.
Till the time when Luo Xiaoxi ran out, Su Jianan’s figure had already gone. Only her mobile was lying on the sofa. She shook her head, “She was not affected by the news, my ass. She had even forgotten her mobile.”
Su Jianan intended to give Jiang Shaokai a call. However, she could not find her moile. Till then she realized that she had left the mobile on the sofa. Making up her mind to bet on the mutual understanding between Jiang Shaokai and her, she stubbornly drove directly towards Tianan Garden.
When she arrived at the downstairs of Block 16, she saw the pulled-up police cordon and people who surrounded Block 16 flooding. Su Jianan finally understood why Captain Yan had talked in such an urgent way a while ago. This was a serious case.
She showed her ID cards to the police staff defending the police cordon and asked, “Has Jiang Shaokai arrived yet?”
“Captain Yan and he both had already arrived.”
“Thanks.”
Su Jianan went up to the fifth floor straightly.
Having been waiting for Su Jianan, Jiang Shaokai gave her directly her gloves and clothes. “I have brought your stuff over.”
“Thanks.” Su Jianan put the gloves on nimbly, “I knew it. You would bring the stuff over for me.”
“Jianan,” Captain Yan walked over and said, “Can you work normally? If you cannot, we will pull other people over. While you can have a few days’ rests. The case this time is not easy. You cannot make light of it.”
“You all have read the news?” Su Jianan could not help herself complaining, “You all have become such a gossip under Jiang Shaokai’s influence. No worries, personal issues won’t affect my work and my judgment.”
Captain Yan chose to believe in Su Jianan and nodded, “Then let’s get started.”
Su Jianan and Jiang Shaokai were doing the autopsy on the scene. They saw at a glance that the deceased had been maltreated to death. The means which the murderer had adopted looked exactly like the ones adopted by the perverted killers in the violence film of Europe and the US. He animatedly carved various kinds of patterns on the deceased’s body. Then he mutilated her arms and legs, leaving her to death out of the excessive loss of blood caused by maltreatment.
Su Jianan knitted a deeper and deeper frown on her brows. The hatred towards the murderer gradually covered up all the emotion fluctuations in the morning. She demanded to follow this case proactively.
She needed to find something challenging to distract herself. To start a game, this murderer with ruthless means was a good choice.
“We had intended to assign you even if you had not asked for it by yourself.” The look on Captain Yan’s face was imposing. He said, “Jianan, we suspect that the murderer is going to commit a chain of crimes. The deceased was friendly in normal times and had not made enemies with anybody. Based on our initial judgment, it is much probable that this murderer is experiencing some psychological problems. It is our suspicion that he will continue looking for another girl living alone as his killing target. Since you have also minored in Criminal Psychology, then Young Master Jiang will be in charge of the autopsy and you are going to help us seek the murderer out.”
Su Jianan nodded and said, “Alright.”
It turned out that what Captain Yan had conjectured was right. Right in that afternoon, there was another murder happening in another residential quarter. The deceased was also a young girl who lived on her own. Her death situation was exactly the same as that of the girl in Tianan Garden. The police initially judged that it was committed by the same person with the same means.
“Serial killer”, these four words were like horrifying haze hovering above City A’s sky. The girls who lived alone were all greatly upset. Su Jianan and people in the vice squad were awfully busy in order to uncover this killer.
Also right in that afternoon, Luo Xiaoxi got a call from an agency. The talent agent made a date with her to discuss the contract signing in person.
Lying on Luo Xiaoxi’s sofa all alone, Su Jianan’s mobile kept ringing, with these three words “Lu Boyan” shown above.
Since Luo Xiaoxi was not at home, so of course nobody picked the phone up. Soon, the mobile turned itself off automatically due to the running down of the battery. Then the calls could not be made through…
