Shu Bai sat down in the booth by the window.
"No need for that. Just tell me about your situation."
Qin Ren sat down awkwardly opposite him, his hands clasped tightly on the table, his knuckles turning white from the force.
“I…I don’t know where to begin.” His eyes darted around, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. “There are many things…I can’t remember them clearly. It’s like I had a nightmare, and when I woke up, all that was left were fragments.”
"It's alright, just say whatever comes to mind." Shu Bai's tone was calm, giving off a reassuring quality.
Qin Ren took a deep breath: "About two weeks ago, one night, it was almost 11 p.m., not long after evening self-study at the nearby high school... I was just about to close up shop when I suddenly heard a loud bang outside, followed by screams..."
His pupils contracted, as if he were seeing the scene again.
"I ran outside...and saw a car that hit two female students in school uniforms...it hit the curb right in front of my shop...blood...a lot of blood...the driver reeked of alcohol, he didn't even stop after hitting them, he just drove off..."
Qin Ren's breathing became rapid, and he subconsciously wiped his hands with his apron, as if there were still invisible bloodstains on them.
"I was terrified, my hands were shaking so badly, but I still managed to pull out my phone and call the police and emergency services... and then... and then I don't remember anything."
"You don't remember anything?" Shu Bai confirmed.
"Yeah, it's like... a piece of my memory was cut off. I regained consciousness yesterday morning, when I was lying in a hospital bed. The nurse said I had swallowed a lot of sleeping pills. It was the landlord who found that I hadn't opened the door and had someone break in to save me."
Qin Ren raised his head, his eyes filled with fear and confusion.
"But I really have no recollection of it! Why would I commit suicide? My shop's business isn't good, but it's still managing to stay afloat. Even my mother... I've never thought of that!"
"And then what did you discover?" Shu Bai guided him.
"My money!" Qin Ren exclaimed excitedly. "My bank account, which contains almost all my savings, is gone! The transfer records show that it was all transferred to a stranger's account during the time I was 'suffering from amnesia'! And on my WeChat, there's a woman's chat window with very... intimate conversations, but I don't know her at all!"
He ran his hands through his hair, clutching his scalp in pain.
“Mr. Shu, I’ve definitely been scammed! I’ve been targeted by ‘Fake Sex Strike’! They hypnotized me, faked those so-called ‘destined moments,’ swindled me out of my money, and almost killed me! That money… that money is my rent for next quarter!”
Shu Bai pondered for a moment, neither saying he believed nor disbelieved.
"...Did you call the police?"
“I reported it, and the police investigated.” Qin Ren shook his head dejectedly. “That account was an overseas shell company. Once the money was transferred in, it was scattered and can’t be recovered. They also looked at the chat logs and said they couldn’t find any trace of forgery on a technical level. It’s more like… it’s like I did it voluntarily. They even suspect that I have a mental problem and am experiencing hallucinations and memory loss…”
He looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, filled with a desperate urgency: "Mr. Shu, I really didn't! I'm perfectly clear-headed! I know this sounds absurd, but this is what happened to me! Please, you must help me find her and get my money back! I... I can pay you a reward, just wait for me..."
Qin Ren couldn't continue speaking, clearly aware of his current financial situation.
"The payment will be according to the rules, we'll discuss it later." Shu Bai stood up. "Would you mind if I looked around the shop?"
"No problem, no problem! Please feel free to look around!" Qin Ren quickly stood up as well.
Shu Bai strolled slowly through the small coffee shop, her gaze sweeping over the green plants in the corner, the decorative paintings on the wall, and the baskets storing tools under the counter.
Li Yuheng followed him around, touching and sniffing here and there.
"Hmm...this is interesting." He stopped in front of a potted green plant that wasn't growing very well. "There's quite a bit of resentment in this shop."
Shu Bai's footsteps stopped in an inconspicuous corner next to the control panel.
There was a bucket there used to hold waste coffee grounds. On the inside of the bucket, near the bottom, there was a small, inconspicuous dark red stain that had dried and turned black, almost blending into the color of the plastic bucket. It was almost invisible unless you looked closely.
The color and texture don't quite resemble coffee or syrup.
Shu Bai's fingertips twitched slightly, and a faint wisp of spiritual energy reached out, touching the stain.
Instantly, a lingering echo of negative emotions, mixed with fear, anger, and despair, returned along with the spiritual energy.
Although faint, it was clear enough.
This is far more than just the shock of witnessing a car accident.
Li Yuheng also came over, glanced at it, and sneered, "Look, look, I told you this place wasn't clean. This residue looks like blood, and it's from close range."
Shu Bai withdrew his hand without making a sound and turned to Qin Ren, who had been nervously following behind him.
“Mr. Qin, you just said your mother…”
Qin Ren's eyes dimmed instantly, and her voice became even softer: "My mother... she passed away recently from illness. Cancer. She worked hard her whole life for me, and even collected recyclables to ease my burden... Her last days were very painful, and I was powerless to afford good medicine for her..."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened slightly, but he quickly suppressed it and forced a smile: "It's all in the past. Now I'm just thinking about running this shop well so she can rest in peace in heaven."
Shu Bai looked at him silently and nodded.
“I understand the situation roughly. I will accept your request. I will do my best to track down that woman’s whereabouts and the flow of your money.”
Qin Ren breathed a sigh of relief and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Shu!"
…
I left the coffee shop and went to a quiet spot.
Li Yuheng immediately circled around Shu Bai, his tone certain: "See? I told you this guy was weird. His story was so convincing, he almost believed it himself. The bloody resentment in the shop couldn't have been picked up just from witnessing a car accident."
Shu Bai hummed in agreement: "He's hiding something. But the pain and confusion in his emotions are real."
“Pain? Confusion?” Li Yuheng chuckled. “I think it’s the guilt and memory distortion after killing someone. That lingering resentment clearly comes from close-range bloodshed, possibly even from his own hands. And did you notice how he wiped his hands? Too frequently, as if he was trying to wash something away.”
Shu Bai recalled Qin Ren's hands, which were always unconsciously wiping themselves on his apron.
"These are just speculations. We need evidence."
"Evidence? That's easy. I'll take a look into his subconscious and I'll dig up even how many times he wet the bed as a child."
“That won’t do.” Shu Bai refused decisively. “Exploring another person’s subconscious without permission is a taboo for a Pure Color Master.”
"Nonsense!" Li Yuheng complained. "Then what do you suggest? Play this 'Guess Who's the Big Liar' game with him?"
"First, check the flow of funds and that WeChat account. If it really is a 'fake sex attack' gang, they wouldn't target just him. Follow the clues, and you'll eventually find some leads."
Shu Bai paused, then added, "As for Qin Ren... there are security cameras at the entrance of his shop. They might be able to see something."
Li Yuheng floated in front of him, flying backwards, and brought her face close: "What if the surveillance 'just happens' to be broken?"
Shu Bai looked up at him: "Doesn't that explain the problem even more?"
Li Yuheng stared at him for a moment, then suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
"Then let's see when you'll admit that the person in front of you is a mad dog that has bitten people."
"...Faced with irrefutable evidence, he is currently only my client."
"Fine, fine, you're so high and mighty." Li Yuheng put his hands behind his back and dragged out his tone, "Anyway, with this guardian angel here, if that mad dog really wants to bite someone, I can break his teeth too."
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