The deeper Long Qi pondered, the colder his heart became, as if he had sunk into a deep, icy pool, sending chills down his spine.
He couldn't help but close his eyes briefly, temporarily dispelling his doubts and not placing too much suspicion on Jiang Shihe. After all, there was no evidence at the moment, and most importantly—
Jiang Shihe has been following up on the investigation of this serial murder case, and has even participated in every case. If suspicion were really placed on him, that would be a huge joke!
After a long silence, Long Qi sighed, unconsciously and irritably pressing the lighter, muttering to himself, "After all, Mr. Jiang's alibi is very solid, never mind..."
After regaining his composure, Long Qi left the scene to continue urging the other team members to advance the investigation into the murder case.
After Long Qi left—in a corner of the grove, Ji He leaned against a large tree, holding an invisibility talisman in one hand, and carefully watched Long Qi depart.
Ji He overheard everything: the bizarrely shaped corpse, Jiang Shihe and Long Qi's conversation, Hong Fengyan's matter, and finally... Long Qi's vague suspicion.
She clung tightly to the tree trunk, her eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion.
"Something's not right, something's not right..."
"Why did Hong Fengyan die? Did he really have the same hidden past as the other victims, or was there something else in common with him? Or was it because of Nguyen Thanh An?"
Ji He's mind raced, and after a moment, she seemed to suddenly wake up and quickly left the place.
And the direction Ji He went was—near the police station!
...
F University and the others were unaware of what Ji He was doing.
Without the constraints of other players, Ji He, the veteran player, was completely free to do as she pleased. Or rather, for her, if she didn't take risks, the end of the dungeon would be the real catastrophe, which is why Ji He risked her life.
After being led away by the junior detective at F University, Ruan Qing'an did not go straight back. Worried that Long Qi and Jiang Shihe might still have questions, she simply went to Lover's Lake next to the grove.
Lover's Lake is a famous spot at F University, not only on campus but also off campus, it's a place that people can't help but praise.
The clean lake water reflects the azure sky, casting large swathes of blue onto the water, making the color as beautiful as a blue gemstone. Above the lake is a covered bridge.
The winding covered bridge is like the delicate emotions and feelings between lovers, twisting and turning, leaving one's heart in turmoil.
Moreover—after the brilliant summer sun sets, the lake surface shimmers with sparkling light, like stars scattered across the water, forming a dazzling Milky Way.
Nguyen Thanh An took a deep breath, leaned against the covered bridge, and sat on a wooden bench by the railing. His slender body leaned against the railing as he looked at the shimmering lake.
"It's been so long, it's a rare treat to really look around here."
Don't you come here often?
Just then, a voice suddenly came.
Ruan Qing'an paused subconsciously during her murmurs, and before she could turn around, a shadow had already fallen.
A tall man appeared behind Ruan Qing'an at some point, his arms bracing against the railings on either side of her, almost enveloping her in his embrace. Behind her was Jiang Shihe's distinctive, bitter and cold tobacco scent.
—A gentleman, gentle yet dangerous, like a hazy dream that drags her into a deep, dark sea.
Like a small animal's instinct, Ruan Qing'an flinched, but was approached again. Jiang Shihe simply raised his hand and gently tucked her hair behind her ear.
He said softly, "It's getting windy here, Miss Ruan."
"Mr. Jiang, what brings you here? Is there anything else I can help with Captain Long? I lost my composure earlier..."
Hearing the girl's soft, delicate voice, filled with obvious apology, Jiang Shihe remained silent for a moment before finally straightening up. The intense pressure dissipated, and he sat down beside Ruan Qing'an: "It's alright, I'll handle these things."
"You don't look well, why don't you go back?"
Ruan Qing'an smiled softly: "I was just worried that my leaving early would affect your investigation progress. Speaking of which, Mr. Jiang came out anyway, so why didn't he go with them to investigate?"
Jiang Shihe looked up: "Do you think I should go?"
"After all, Mr. Jiang is very capable. I've heard that he's been involved in many major cases that the police have solved."
Hearing Ruan Qing'an's words, Jiang Shihe couldn't help but look at her: "But I'm more worried about other things now. As for this case, Captain Long will handle it. It doesn't necessarily have to be me."
"Mr. Jiang, do you still have things to attend to? Please go ahead."
No sooner had Ruan Qing'an finished speaking than Jiang Shihe suddenly looked at her, his eyes filled with a gentle smile. He looked down at Ruan Qing'an earnestly and said, "I am currently doing this important thing."
"Wh-what..."
"I'm very worried about Miss Ruan's condition, so I wanted to come and see her."
When Ruan Qing'an met Jiang Shihe's eyes, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned. The sun was shining brightly and magnificently, and a breeze was blowing on Lover's Lake, causing ripples to spread across the surface. The light spots shimmered like stars in the water, and the hem of his clothes swayed slightly in the wind.
The man's gaze was gentler than that of Lover's Lake.
"This is the most important thing for me right now."
"If you don't mind, would you like to take a walk with me? I mean, on Lover's Lake, Miss Ruan."
Ruan Qing'an was slightly taken aback and stared blankly at him.
Before she could even react, Jiang Shihe had pulled her up, and Ruan Qing'an almost fell into his arms: "Mr. Jiang—"
Perhaps the sunlight was too bright, or perhaps the breeze was too gentle.
For a moment, my mind was in complete turmoil.
Ruan Qing'an hurriedly stood up straight, took a half step back shyly, and even the tips of her ears turned red. Jiang Shihe stopped pressing her and withdrew his hand, seemingly sensing the girl's shyness.
Because of the recurrence of the murder, the police cordoned off the scene, and there were even fewer people around. The once famous Lover's Lake was now deserted. On the lakeside bridge covered with stars, only two figures, one tall and one short, walked side by side.
A breeze blew by, lifting a strand of hair by her ear.
Ruan Qingan carefully turned his head to the side, only looking at the ripples on the lake, his leaden eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.
037: [What's wrong, ancestor?]
"...No, I was just thinking."
Ruan Qing'an paused, his eyes half-closed: "In this small world, the one that will tell me the truth once I get past this fragmented world, am I really here to do a mission?"
"The affection value system is broken like a joke, and the supernatural forces all around are more like an interesting adventure to me."
"037, this isn't a mission, is it?"
It was less of a mission and more of a vacation—a private little world set aside solely for her within the entire Three Thousand Dimensions Management Bureau. As for the so-called strategy, all she needed to do was take one more step towards him, and then—
He did the next ninety-nine steps for them.
As if sensing something, Ruan Qing'an subconsciously turned around and met Jiang Shihe's eyes, which were deep and gentle.
"Mr. Jiang..."
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