Lin Han was not afraid, likely due to her experiences. She looked at the girl opposite and said with a smile, "You want to kill me, you must have a reason, right?"
"As Tang Nan's lover, I kill Tang Nan's wife and take her place. This reason is quite solid, isn't it?"
The girl said this reason with a particularly gentle voice, as if trying to outshine Lin Han with her tone.
Lin Han smiled faintly, "You are Tang Nan's lover?"
"Yes, every man likes a gentle, watery girl. They marry someone like you, a cold female boss, only for your money."
Lin Han did not choose to refute this. Instead, she smiled and said, "Show me your face, let me see what Tang Nan's lover looks like."
The girl removed her mask and glasses. Her skin was as delicate as a ripe peach. Lin Han sighed, "When I was seventeen or eighteen, I didn't have this much cunning. To sweetly tell someone's wife, 'I am her man's lover.'"
"You don't believe me?"
"No."
"What must I say for you to believe me?"
"Next time I go to your bed, take a photo as proof." The other party was too young, blushing profusely. She turned and ran out shyly. Lin Han chased after her. I felt something was wrong and also revealed myself. When I chased out, both of them had vanished. Later, I took the elevator downstairs, and I didn't see either of them on any floor.
After searching for a long time without success, I became a little anxious. Suddenly, I realized that the six elevators in the building were all operating simultaneously, and only one had stopped. No one had paid any attention.
I hurried back to find security to check the surveillance. By then, Lin Han and the girl had been trapped in the elevator for nearly an hour. The security guard recognized Lin Han and nervously explained, "General Manager Lin, this elevator is malfunctioning strangely. It has always indicated no passengers. If your husband hadn't insisted we check the elevators, we might not have found you."
Hearing the security guard say this, Lin Han gave the girl beside her a meaningful look and smiled at the security guard, "It's fine, it was just an accident."
After speaking, Lin Han pulled me, and we entered a nearby coffee shop with the girl.
Since it was evening, I ordered three cups of chocolate milk. Lin Han then asked the girl, "How did you make the elevator malfunction, and how did you avoid the surveillance?"
The girl pursed her lips, "I learned it from books."
"Little sister, you're truly smart."
Lin Han actually praised the girl. The girl pouted and retorted, "No, I thought the elevator was damaged, and it would fall directly like in the movies, and we would die together."
Elevators have mechanical safety devices. If the circuit fails, the elevator stops there, motionless, which was beyond the little girl's expectation.
Lin Han didn't blame the girl. She pointed at me and said, "This is my husband, your lover. Tell me, how did he trick you into his bed?"
I glared at Lin Han, and she stuck her tongue out at me.
"I am not his lover. Li Xiaodong is my elder cousin from my uncle's side. You escaped from the pyramid scheme, but you didn't save my brother. I hate you."
Li Xiaodong, this name made my heart clench. "Are you the class monitor's sister?"
"Yes. Since I failed, you can send me to the police station." Before I could speak, Lin Han interrupted, "What grade are you in this year?"
"Second year of high school."
"Are you studying science?"
"Yes!"
"Girls who study science are smart and have limitless potential. Do you still have money to go home?"
"No!"
"Your parents must be very anxious. I'll contact someone to send you back. Also, Tang Nan and I are not the murderers who killed your brother. Come find me after you graduate from graduate school, and I'll tell you the truth." The girl became anxious, "I should be able to get into university. What if I don't get into graduate school?"
"Then you will never know the truth."
"I will definitely become a graduate student."
After Lin Han arranged for someone to send the class monitor's sister back overnight, she and I went home together, walking on the slightly cool and wide pedestrian path. Suddenly, I noticed Lin Han walking a bit slowly. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. This woman? She tucked her heel into a crack in the pavement, twisted it with a click, and then feigned a cry, "Oh dear, my heel broke."
I looked at her helplessly. She looked at me pitifully.
"I'll carry you."
"Okay!"
Lin Han clung to my back like an octopus, then casually tossed her high-heeled shoe into the trash can. I carried her, worried her feet would be cold, and held her feet.
"This was just the impulsiveness of a young girl, but the danger was not insignificant. Next time, learn from your mistakes and don't be so reckless."
Lin Han nestled her face against mine and said aggrievedly, "I'm your wife."
"What reason is that?"
"There will be more dangers in the future, and I want to help you."
"But you can't put yourself in danger."
"What do you suggest? You can't always be by my side."
"If I'm truly not by your side, at least find someone you trust to help you."
"Mmm!"
Lin Han's voice grew smaller, like a mosquito. I knew her too well and said with heartache, "Are you tired?" Lin Han didn't answer. I heard her breathing change. She was truly exhausted and had fallen asleep on my back.
Although Lin Han didn't explicitly answer me, she did as I requested. Later, when we encountered Li Wenwen in Beijing, she didn't need my help but found Yu Xiaoluo to summon The Schemer.
Because of this, I felt that Lin Han's actions this time were meticulously planned by The Schemer.
Xiao Zi'an's destination arrived, breaking my reverie. We saw no one nearby. Xiao Zi'an kept watch, while Da Huang and I lifted Su Xi, who was unconscious in the car, into the trunk.
The twilight had passed, and the street corner looked somewhat desolate in the darkness. The three of us walked into the block and arrived at a corner coffee shop. The coffee shop was in a small courtyard, with a path casually laid out with pebbles. Greenery seeped from the red bricks on either side of the ground. A few climbing vines were planted along the wall, winding upwards along the low wall of the house, adding a touch of ambiance.
Walking through the quiet, narrow corridor filled with paintings, I looked at the patterns on the paintings, somewhat puzzled. These patterns were naive and strange, yet disparate elements were present in the paintings.
Beyond this small corridor was the coffee shop. The coffee shop had an 80s rock-style iron bar, and various wines were displayed on the iron rack behind it.
Extending visually from this bar, there were several irregularly shaped old wooden tables covered with blue coarse cloth inside the room.
This was a niche coffee shop. The aroma of coffee made the air feel soft and fluffy. A female customer had arrived not long ago, with a copy of "The Parchment Scroll" in front of her. She read very slowly, but her serious demeanor was worthy of respect.
This woman was sitting by the wall. Beside her was an Impressionist painting. The dim light was like a campfire at dusk.
From a sensory perspective, this woman had a lot of气质 (qìzhí - temperament/demeanor). Her posture and gestures were quiet amidst the gentle music. Sometimes she would purse her lips and smile, and I wondered what kind of life insights "The Parchment Scroll" had given her. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Old Wang!"
Xiao Zi'an called out, his voice changed. Although not deep, it had a smoky quality like that mentioned in songs. The bar was empty, and the restroom was also silent. However, the woman raised her slender wrist, looked at the sparkling watch on her hand, and said softly, "Old Wang went out and said he'd be back in about half an hour, so you might have to wait a few minutes."
"Who are you?"
"A regular customer."
This answer was polite yet somewhat mysterious. If it weren't for the fact that it wasn't yet the hot season, her attitude towards us would have been like a true coffee lover seeing a few passersby looking for air conditioning.
Da Huang had a bad temper and wanted to say a few more words. I stopped him. There were still a few chairs by the entrance. It was better to sit and wait than to be impatient.
The woman continued to read, while we surveyed the environment. The walls were earthy yellow, the paintings were in an Impressionist style, and most of the dark brown decorations gave it a somewhat Southeast Asian feel.
"It looks like just a coffee shop?" Da Huang whispered.
"It's not that simple. If Old Wang's hideout is really here, then the basement here must be problematic."
Xiao Zi'an said, pointing to the stairs leading to the basement. Next to the stairs was a sign that read: Non-business area, customers are not allowed.
After waiting for a while and not seeing Old Wang, Da Huang couldn't help but strike up a conversation with the only woman in the shop, "Excuse me, when will the boss be back?"
"Are you from Beijing?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Your accent sounds familiar. I lived in Beijing for over ten years and only recently returned to Foshan."
From this, it seemed the woman was not cold and unwilling to talk.
"What do you think the boss is like?"
The woman smiled, "I don't know what he's like, but he's not a businessman. The rent in this area isn't for a place purely dedicated to art. Look here, the ceiling is black, blurring the concept of time. The walls are yellow, representing eternity. And look at the decorations and paintings; they all represent a simple philosophy."
"Who are you really?" Da Huang pressed, suspicious of the woman's words and actions.
The woman smiled, "A regular customer."
Da Huang curled his lips, while Xiao Zi'an leaned towards me and whispered, "Perhaps that woman's name is Chang Ke (Regular Customer)."
"Ah~"
If that were the case, this woman was problematic. But just then, Old Wang walked in. Seeing Da Huang and me, his expression instantly soured.