Wang Shen walked to the counter of the barbecue restaurant, which was almost empty. After paying, he looked at the chubby owner and said, "Boss, can I ask you about someone?"
The chubby boss looked up at Wang Shen and said, "You don't seem like a bad person. Go ahead and ask."
Wang Shen smiled, then took out his phone, searched for Lin Su's photo online, and showed it to the portly shop owner. "Boss, did this person come to the shop for barbecue today?"
The shop owner squinted, staring at the photo on his phone screen for a while, before saying, "Oh, him? He's a regular customer at my shop. Sometimes he comes with friends, sometimes with a woman."
Wang Shen nodded and said, "No, I should be talking about last night. Around what time did he arrive last night?"
"Last night? You mean a few hours ago?" The fat boss seemed a little confused by Wang Shen's words.
"Yes." Wang Shen nodded affirmatively.
"It was around seven o'clock. I remember he left around eight o'clock."
Wang Shen had some doubts about the fat boss's words and asked, "He left first? Are his friends still staying to eat here?"
"Yeah, he was in a hurry when he left, probably to get back to his girlfriend." The chubby boss chuckled after saying that.
"Okay, thank you." After thanking Liang Zichen, Wang Shen walked out of the barbecue restaurant together.
Just now, Liang Zichen, who was standing to the side, overheard his conversation with the fat boss. "Captain Wang, based on the clues we've gathered, Lin Su is highly suspicious."
Wang Shen turned to look at Liang Zichen and said, "What do you think?"
Liang Zichen nodded. "First of all, there's the issue of the time difference. Lin Su left the barbecue restaurant around 8 PM and went to Xu Xiaolin's house around 12 PM. Where did he go during that time? That's very suspicious."
Seeing that Wang Shen didn't comment, Liang Zichen continued, "Furthermore, based on the shoe size, taste, and the novel, we suspect he has a strong connection with Han Mo. If this assumption holds true, Lin Su could be familiar with the location of the old house and the surrounding terrain. This wasn't necessarily something Xu Xiaolin told Lin Su, but rather something Han Mo told him from the beginning. However, Xu Xiaolin didn't initially keep the diary in the old house, which is why Lin Su hadn't been able to obtain it."
After saying that, Wang Shen stood at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, enjoying the cool night breeze for a while, and said, "That's what I was thinking too. It's too late today, we can continue the investigation tomorrow. I'll take you home to rest first."
After taking Liang Zichen home, Wang Shen didn't rest all night, instead carefully examining Han Mo's diary. The more Wang Shen read, the more puzzled he became. Although Han Mo's diary didn't explicitly mention her boyfriend's name, anyone who understood Chinese would know that Han Mo was deeply in love with a man. Several passages described it this way:
"The first time I saw him, I thought he was just a silly, somewhat unsophisticated guy. Maybe it's because I've spent so much time with him, but somehow, I've grown to like him more and more. Now, every time I see him, I find him kind of handsome..."
"What's wrong with me? I think I've fallen in love with him. Every time I talk to him, I feel embarrassed and look away. I'm afraid to meet his gaze, afraid he'll see through my feelings. No, I'm her boss, how can I develop feelings for my assistant..."
"This time, I really have no other choice. I got drunk last night and was rude to him. But it's okay, it turns out he's interested in me too. I haven't felt this kind of love in a long time. Who cares if he's my subordinate or not, I might as well give it a try..."
“I’ve really fallen in love with him, not just in the sense of liking. I know I’m truly smitten this time. I can’t let him continue being my assistant; it’s affecting my work. I need to find a new assistant as soon as possible…”
"I never knew he was from Sichuan and loved spicy food. Today I ordered takeout from 'Spicy Restaurant,' and he ordered all the Sichuan dishes. He was very satisfied with the meal and raved about the restaurant. I wanted him to come eat with me, but he refused. He said that given his current position, he couldn't make our relationship public, as it would affect my career. I think he's right..."
"I always have to sneak around on dates, afraid of being seen by others, and it feels awful. But as long as I'm with him, I feel okay about it. Today I went with him to buy shoes and found out his shoe size is actually so small. Size 39.5 is really small for a man. I gave him my bank card and PIN beforehand so he could pay. He was very happy with that..."
"It wasn't until today that I discovered he also enjoys writing novels. And he has a real talent for it, especially in suspense. He plans to follow the same path as me, and I'm going to help him. After several months, he finally finished his first suspense novel. I read it, offered suggestions for revisions, and helped him secure the publishing rights from a well-known publisher. Although the first book didn't receive a huge response, it was still quite good..."
"After his first novel, he wanted to try writing a second one. But he just couldn't find any inspiration. I truly understand his pain. However, inspiration isn't something you can just have whenever you want. Seeing him looking so worried every day really hurt me. So I decided to give him a novel that I had already conceived as a birthday gift..."
"Today is his birthday. He was surprised when he received this birthday present from me. To maintain his dignity as a man, he refused to accept this special gift. But after my persuasion, he finally accepted it..."
"After several months of hard work, his second novel was finally published. Unlike his first novel, which was virtually unknown, this one sold quite well. To celebrate, he treated me to a big meal with the first installment of his royalties. I felt that this man was someone I could entrust my life to..."
"There shouldn't be any secrets between two people who love each other. After spending quite a bit of time with him, I feel it's time to be honest. I've decided to tell him about that painful past from my childhood..."
"Did I overestimate the power of love? After he heard my story, I sensed his unease and anxiety. But he didn't say anything and continued to take good care of me. However, I know that the feeling I once had seems to be slowly fading away..."
"This time, he actually asked me for help. Yes, his inspiration seemed to have stalled again. But I don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, I refused his request this time. He seemed a bit depressed and became cold towards me..."
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