Chapter 60, "The Deliveryman": Once I leave you, I won't come back. ...

Jian Dieda asked, "Ninth Brother, did you call the police at the time?"

Zhong Yinghuai thought for a moment and said, "No, Lao Ji told me that distant water can't quench immediate thirst, and the police station won't bother with such a small matter. If they catch someone but can't detain them, they'll just let the tiger go back to the mountain."

Being extorted by a few thugs is not a big deal in the eyes of someone who has been doing business for many years.

After so long, Zhong Yinghuai now seems to be most worried about his enemies when the Ma brothers are mentioned again.

Jian Dieda recalled that Lao Ji's accent had revealed a problem at noon.

This unsolvable problem is what truly bothers him.

Just as he thought of this, Lao Ji called Zhong Yinghuai: "Ninth Brother, I need to ask for leave tomorrow. I want to go home."

Zhong Yinghuai nodded.

Afraid that Jian Dieda would see through his act and pretend nothing had happened, he crawled into the man's bed, turned over, and started chatting with Sun Dali on QQ.

The two were talking about their private matters.

It happened to be late at night.

To express his gratitude to Little Blackie, the fat man mischievously sent him a short video from Japan.

Just a second ago, Zhong Yinghuai said, "Turn your body around so I can give you a kiss. How about I touch your private parts again from outside tonight?"

Caught off guard, they turned on the screen and simultaneously heard a loud noise coming from inside.

The phone was close to both of them.

Zhong Yinghuai helped close it very quickly.

But Jian Dieda's eyes had been forced to recognize a teacher that any normal man would know, a famous figure in the world of pornography.

Before he could even compare whether the teacher's voice or the boss's voice was better, Boss Zhong had already lost his composure.

Until the two of them resolved this issue, he couldn't even worry about the fact that the case involved a life.

Besides, he only went out alone for one afternoon, and now Jian Dieda has learned to follow people and look at women? He needs to teach him a lesson himself.

The next day, as soon as Sun Dali arrived, Zhong Yinghuai, who was standing at the door, immediately lashed out at the notorious sinner, "Sun Dali, what did you send on QQ last night? How many teachers do you even know?"

Sun Dali, who had run into the line of fire, was puzzled.

What happened to Ninth Brother?

What would a man look at at night if not his beloved teacher?

Oh, in their conservative and backward little town, there's a group of people called "rabbit masters." These people are also found in the hairdressing and massage industries; to put it simply, they are male homosexuals.

To be honest, he hadn't paid much attention to the two of them before, but now the more he looked at Jian Dieda and Zhong Yinghuai, the more suspicious they seemed.

Sun Dali, who could never keep a secret, held onto Jian Dieda tightly and asked, "Jian Xiaoshi, did you ever have any girlfriends when you were in school? Were there any girls who were with you?"

If Sun Dali found out all about him, things would be terrible. Jian Dieda, who was picking at the scabs on his arm, lied without batting an eye.

"I've liked so many people. I fall in love with every one I meet. The whole world is my type."

Sun Dali: "...How could you do this?"

"Don't all men think like that?"

Jian Dieda looked at the pile of business cards of the bathhouse girls in the drawer in front of him, and pulled out Ruan Lili's business card from it.

"If you have time, could you help me find out where someone went today?"

"Who?" Sun Dali became his free informant.

Jian Dieda: "Old Ji, I suspect he's the one who was spying on Xiangxiang."

Sun Dali was speechless for a moment, but he also believed the nonsense: "Really? Then I'll go to the station and see him. But then again, a normal man should find a woman, right? Others... that's so perverted and despicable."

Feeling full and bored, Sun Dali went to Zhong Yinghuai again.

When Zhong Yinghuai learned of Jian Dieda's answer, his face immediately fell.

By evening, Jian Dieda clearly felt that he had been betrayed by Sun Dali, that big liar.

Zhong Yinghuai might just close the door and give him a beating.

Trying to explain why he answered that way only made things worse. Zhong Yinghuai had always been bothered by Jian Dieda's refusal to back down and agree to be with him. He really needed to figure out if the boy intended to stay gay with him for life.

After Sun Dali left, Jian Dieda cautiously observed Boss Zhong's expression. Boss Zhong continued to calmly open his shop and do business, without giving Jian Dieda a second glance.

Once again, he was alone. After selling the cardboard boxes, the second-generation elder of the Beggars' Sect, Cat Jian Er, appeared at the shop entrance and then ran to the back kitchen as if he knew the way well.

After feeding the cat with a small bowl, Zhong Yinghuai said, "I have something to tell you later, let's eat first."

Jian Dieda's heart skipped a beat; he had a feeling that something was definitely wrong.

During the meal, they just stuffed food into their mouths while picking up food and scooping soup. After finishing their meal hastily, Jian Dieda ran to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

He thought that performing well would be enough to salvage the situation.

The accountability meeting was to take place after I turned off the lights and went to bed. I didn't expect to see Zhong Yinghuai leaning against the table with a belt as soon as I turned around and left the kitchen. I don't know how long he had been waiting.

Having no other choice, Jian Dieda went over. Zhong Yinghuai stretched out his arm, put his hand around Jian Dieda's waist, and pressed him onto his lap.

A flush shot up his face, and Jian Dieda struggled; he wanted to run away.

Zhong Yinghuai ignored him and threatened to carry out further action by lifting the belt higher.

He didn't believe that Jian Xiaoshi didn't understand his own thoughts.

So even though this posture was rather perverted, Zhong Yinghuai's insecure mind still disregarded Jian Dieda's exclamation and tore off a fig leaf of homosexuality.

No, don't.

A chilling sensation came from him, and Jian Dieda, having lost his pants from Zhong Yinghuai, froze in place.

Zhong Yinghuai said coldly, "Jian Xiaoshi, why aren't you watching me properly?"

Swallowing hard, Jian Dieda stammered, "Ninth, Ninth Brother, give me back my underwear. I'm afraid Sister Xiangxiang will see me sleeping in the same bed with you tomorrow without wearing pants."

Zhong Yinghuai refused to give in and continued to forcefully pull the boy onto his lap, using his adult body to fully experience Jian Dieda's youthful and alluring curves.

Jian Dieda seemed completely outmatched by the other's strength. His face flushed red as he was forced into a position, and the two began to embrace, kiss, and argue.

Zhong Yinghuai watched as Jian Dieda refused to give it to him, and his heart tightened slightly, fearing that things would fall apart. Zhong Yinghuai spoke first: "Jian Xiaoshi, you're eighteen years old. Can't you make your own decisions? Is it meaningful to keep using others as an excuse?"

Having endured hardship and suffering excruciating pain in his arm, Jian Dieda, who had been injured the day before, endured the pain and raised his eyelid near the wound: "Ninth Brother, I'll be honest with you, I'm not an adult yet..."

The air was deathly still.

"You're not... eighteen?" Someone was so shocked they almost rolled off the bed. Their incredulous voice rose eight times in volume; they were truly confused.

As the man forcefully grabbed his arm and questioned him, Jian Dieda knew he couldn't hide the truth any longer. Having grown up without family in real life, and empathizing with the protagonist in the story, he sniffed, his nose congested.

“I’ve been lying to you that I lost my ID card because of this. Ever since my parents divorced, they don’t want me anymore. I’m not smart in school, and I’m not good-looking. You always say I’m not hygienic… I’m afraid that people will treat me like a stray cat without a license and dislike me.”

Zhong Yinghuai didn't dare to breathe. Ninth Brother's noodle shop had been open for so long, and Jian Xiaoshi had never explained the specifics of his family situation in detail. His mother must be crazy to throw a minor out of the house if she knew.

Jian Dieda was also feeling bad, and Zhong Yinghuai, who was struggling internally, looked at his hands with obvious fear.

A few seconds later, realizing that the problem stemmed from Xiao Hei Pi lying to him again and nearly breaking the law, the man was furious. His amiable expression, which had been so pleasant for so long, began to soften.

"Jian Xiaoshi, don't make me spank you. Tell me honestly how old you are!"

Startled by the man's loud voice, Jian Dieda said softly, "I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen next month after my birthday."

As if possessed by a ghost, Zhong Yinghuai murmured repeatedly, "Seventeen... only seventeen..."

Jian Dieda crawled over and tugged at the boss's trouser leg: "Don't yell at me like that, okay? I lied about my age because I was afraid you'd fire me."

Zhong Yinghuai was clearly speechless, and he frowned as he thought about something.

"..." Jane Dieda tried to cautiously move closer again.

Zhong Yinghuai silently pushed away the head on his chest. Jian Dieda was taken aback by this cold attitude. He pursed his lips, which had been chapped from Zhong Yinghuai's kisses the previous times.

Zhong Yinghuai said, "I was just being presumptuous. You just saw me as a meal ticket, didn't you?"

Jane Diedda: "..."

Seeing that he was silent and instead threw things on the ground in a fit of anger, Zhong Yinghuai said, "You've lied to me so many times before you finally admitted that you're completely immature! Do you think I'm too old to find anyone, so I have to spend money to be nice to you?"

Jian Dieda suddenly became mute again; in Zhong Yinghuai's eyes, he probably had no credibility left.

Zhang Mei no longer needs to pester Zhong Yinghuai with nonsense; he's become as black as all crows.

As expected, he messed things up himself.

But after hearing all this, is Zhong Yinghuai going to back down now that he knows he's a man, and wants to be straight again? Does that mean they're gay now?

Jian Dieda didn't even have a clear concept.

He felt that Zhong Yinghuai didn't have it either.

Shattered by the truth, Zhong Yinghuai, a man of principle, could no longer bring himself to bully his underage employees.

In the chaos, he grabbed a cigarette case, found a lighter, lit a cigarette, put the filter in his mouth, and stared sullenly out the window. Jian Dieda, standing to the side, was also at a loss for what to do.

Zhong Yinghuai became even angrier.

After a moment of silence, Jian Dieda and Zhong Yinghuai were filled with the despondency that many people experience after a breakup or casual sex. The two returned to different rooms under the same roof.

The refrigerator, freezer, and lights were all off.

No one else is here.

Only they were processing the situation.

The walls of the noodle shop are not soundproof.

The blue gauze window was nailed shut right between them.

With newly installed surveillance cameras in the background, there is no immediate danger.

It's just so frustrating.

They were all very upset.

Jian Dieda asked, "Ninth Brother, let me ask, has my mother contacted you...?"

Zhong Yinghuai said, "No, she just said some nonsense that day."

After a while, Jane Dieda said again, "I didn't mean to."

Zhong Yinghuai ignored him this time, simply saying "whatever," as if afraid the conversation would continue.

After admitting to lying, Jian Dieda continued to look out the window and think for a while, forcing himself to return to the core of the mission to find the body in Fu'an Community.

The next day, Zhong Yinghuai got up early again. He was cleaning the troublesome pig heart in the basin when he suddenly remembered that Jian Dieda had lied to him.

Jane was shaken awake in bed.

The man looked rather unwell early in the morning, as if he had been upset by someone again.

With one hand pinching his nose, Jian Dieda asked, "What's that smell from the kitchen?"

Zhong Yinghuai grabbed him and the two went to the kitchen. He took off his rubber gloves and handed them over, saying, "Hurry up and cook the tonic you're drinking. It's a soapberry and pig heart soup that my aunt and uncle gave you. It'll be the most effective for your rotten skin."

Jian Dieda can't cook. To be honest, after working at the noodle shop for so long, all he can do is eat.

Zhong Yinghuai was furious.

He put down the recipe and explained it to Jian Dieda sentence by sentence. After he finished, Zhong Yinghuai asked, "Do you understand now?"

Jane Dieda: "Yes, the eyes have learned it."

That means your brain hasn't learned yet, right?

Zhong Yinghuai snapped at him, "You're only good at taking advantage of me, aren't you? If you don't learn to cook for yourself, who will take care of you for the rest of your life?"

Jane Diedda fell silent.

Zhong Yinghuai put down the soup spoon; it seemed the man really didn't want him anymore.

Jane Dieda also recalled a saying: if you want to create a bond with someone, you have to be prepared to shed tears, because when you have feelings for someone, you can really feel genuine sadness at certain times.

"Ninth Brother," he called to the man.

"..." Zhong Yinghuai stopped, but didn't even look at him.

Jian Dieda's already weak sense of belonging sank heavily. He turned his gaze to Zhong Yinghuai, took his hand, and gave the cat-loving man a meow.

Same action, same scene.

This time the man left.

The narrator asks: [“Host, should we apply to close the system for you?”]

Jian Dieda didn't understand why he should turn off the camera; he hadn't done anything wrong, and his account hadn't been banned before.

Perhaps out of pity, the narrator says in a soft, timid tone, "Your heart is hiding away and crying, like the first time in your life you discover you can't get a response from another person."

“…” Jian Dieda touched his chest.

No wonder this situation felt so familiar.

Not wanting to show whether she was in pain or not, Jian Dieda squatted down to look at her feet, and said to someone in her heart, "NPC Zhong, don't worry, I will leave after the case is solved. After leaving you, I will never come back."

A feeling of overwhelming sadness and helplessness filled him. Jian Dieda knew it was time to unleash his true crime-solving skills. In fact, he had already made a breakthrough by now, and he could leave without any hesitation.

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Author's Note: Jianzi (crying): You big fox! You're so shameless!

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:02:04 on December 23, 2023 and 00:32:08 on December 27, 2023!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Socially anxious person (40 bottles); Tea newbie (4 bottles); and just passing by (1 bottle);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!