Chapter 44: Constable 2
◎Chu Zhi's sweetheart◎
The few people who were gossiping did not notice that the young man at the table behind them slightly raised the corner of his lips.
He picked up the teacup and took a sip of water, then turned his eyes slightly and looked upstairs.
The black veil floated slightly, and in the shadows, the outline of a woman could be vaguely seen. The slender neck was leaning on the chair, and the hand was stroking the pet in the arms, with a leisurely posture.
A greedy look flashed in his eyes, and the man took out a silver ingot from his arms and placed it on the table, preparing to get up and leave.
Perhaps because he had been sitting for too long, his legs felt a little stiff and numb. When he stood up, he accidentally tilted his body and bumped into Chu Zhi, who was resting and passing behind him.
Chu Zhi quickly helped him up and asked with concern, "Guest, are you okay?"
"I'm so sorry, my feet are a little numb. I hope I didn't hurt you, young man?"
The man had a slicked-back face, a very bright smile, and an alluringly deep voice. Chu Zhi was stunned for a moment, and a blush quickly spread across her face: "No, it's okay. Are you okay, sir? Do you want me to help you out?"
"It's okay. Miss, you just said something really good. I was so distracted by it." The man leaned forward slightly and whispered in Chu Zhi's ear, "With your concern, I don't feel uncomfortable at all."
Chu Zhi shrank her neck and felt her face swelling and hot. When she came to her senses, the man's back had already disappeared from the teahouse.
*
Most of the obsessed ghosts are imprisoned by their own obsessions and only focus on their own affairs, just like the infatuated couple Liu Jie and Chen Xiaomei; others, like Zhou Lin and Shen Xuezhou, will wander around.
But no matter whether it is a human or a ghost, no one likes to visit the government office.
Zhou Lin was unable to find the ghost guarding the yamen near the yamen, so he could only shuttle in and out and eavesdrop on the conversations of the night guards. They were all just some trivial family matters, and then everyone dozed off. There was no information related to the flower thief.
There was no news at night, so Yan Yue went out to inquire during the day.
She didn't wear black clothes, but instead put on some colorful clothes that Bai Chen had bought for her. She didn't notice that the little white dog in her arms was puffing up its mouth in anger.
People know much more than ghosts.
Some people said that when the flower thief was caught, two girls from Xiaoxiang Pavilion ran to the government office, both claiming that the man was their lover, and the two almost fought in the court.
Some people said that he was not a flower thief at all, but a constable from the yamen who arrested someone and framed him in order to complete his task.
Some people say that the flower thief is handsome and likes to tease girls. The girls fall in love with him without knowing it, but when they fail to win his heart, they hate him so much that they slander him.
There were many different opinions and it was difficult to tell the truth from the false, so Yan Yue had no choice but to go to the government office, thinking that the officials there should know more.
Unexpectedly, the yamen was empty-handed. Almost all the detectives were away, leaving only two on duty. They just regarded her as a little girl watching the fun and were unwilling to pay any attention to her. Yan Yue was too embarrassed to ask the official, and ultimately returned empty-handed.
She changed into her black clothes again and went to the teahouse. She stopped by the pharmacy and picked up some pills and powder. After rebandaging Xiaobai's wound and changing the dressing, many days passed and the wound finally stopped bleeding and seemed to be finally healing.
After dark, the square-faced ghost from yesterday came again.
Zhou Lin was not here today, so the ghost came up to her boldly and asked, "Miss, have you found out anything?"
Yan Yue spread his hands and said, "I went to ask around, and they all said that the constables at the government office arrested people randomly, so they released the man."
The square-faced ghost was full of anger: "The world is ignorant, do you believe those words?"
Yan Yue explained: "But I went to the government office as well! The detectives were not there, and no one told me the truth, let alone the officials. This is a trivial matter, it's not easy to deal with it..."
"I shouldn't have had any hope!" Before she could finish her words, the square-faced ghost turned around and left angrily.
Yan Yue chased downstairs and chased him to a corner of an alley. She shouted at the ghost: "If you know something, why don't you just tell me? Are you deliberately making me guess?"
The square-faced ghost paused for a moment and said, "You can go to the You family in Anma Lane, Songyuanzi Street, north of the city, and ask for some information."
The other party said this and floated away. Yan Yue stood there in confusion, not knowing what this ghost was trying to do.
Thinking back on yesterday's conversation and the information I got today, it seems like he just wants her help in catching the flower thief. But she knew nothing, and he refused to explain clearly. He just said this without any reason. How could she catch him?
Unable to figure out the clues, Yan Yue turned around angrily, but she didn't know when someone stood behind her!
She stepped firmly on the man's foot, screamed, and fell to the side. The man was quick to reach out and hold her waist and back, leaning forward to face her, and asked with concern, "Girl, are you okay?"
Yan Yue felt very uncomfortable with the swelling on the soles of her feet. She blinked and asked, "Don't you feel any pain?"
"No problem." The man smiled, helped her stand steadily, clasped his hands and said, "I saw you standing here alone, and thought you were in trouble. I didn't expect to scare you. I'm really sorry."
The young man had a smile on his face and was well-dressed. Yan Yue felt that he was not a scammer. But just in case, she pointed at his black boots with delicate embroidery and asked carefully, "Then you can't let me pay for it, okay?"
The man was stunned for a moment, then smiled even more brightly: "How could it be? It's all my fault. I should apologize to the girl."
Yan Yue waved her hand generously: "No, see you later!"
She left immediately after she finished speaking. The man paused for a moment and asked hurriedly, "Excuse me! Are you the owner of this half-moon?"
Yan Yue stopped and waited for the man to catch up with her. She bowed and said, "I am Yang Jin, a scholar. I passed by Linjiang City and heard that there is a Banzhang Mingyue Teahouse here, which specializes in telling strange stories. There is an owner of the teahouse who always wears black clothes and is called Miss Yue in the streets."
He glanced at Yan Yue's black clothes again and asked humbly, "I wonder if the girl is this Miss Yue."
Yan Yue remembered Nan Qing's instructions and said in a profound manner, "It is me."
Yang Jin showed a delighted look on his face, and hurriedly said, "I have long heard of your name, young lady. May I have the honor to invite you for a cup of tea?"
Yan Yue pointed to the teahouse and said, "You're welcome. My teahouse is right here. If you like, come and drink often!"
She returned to the teahouse and asked Nan Qing to arrange a table for Yang Jin. She also ordered a pot of tea and two plates of snacks, and said, "This table is free, it's mine."
"Miss Yue is really..." Yang Jin was about to say something polite, but he heard Yan Yue say, "Young Master Yang, enjoy slowly. I'll go upstairs first. If you need anything, just let me know at any time."
Yang Jin was stunned again, "Uh, I can't, sit at the same table with the girl?"
Yan Yue said honestly: "It's really not very convenient."
Bai Chen lay in the chair in a daze for a while. When he woke up, Yan Yue was gone. As soon as he stood up, he heard familiar footsteps coming from the stairs.
With a casual glance, a silhouette in black clothes came into view, but he stood still as if struck by lightning.
So similar!
Whether it's the action of gently lifting the hem of her skirt and raising her feet; or the action of lowering her head slightly and looking intently at the steps under her feet; or the steady pace of each step, it's so much like that person!
A strong sense of strangeness hit a nerve in an instant. Bai Chen stood up unconsciously and stared at the top of the head that was slowly exposed at the stairs.
There was no cold ghost-faced fang-like mask, but instead there was a fair and flawless face, and a smile that bloomed upon seeing him. Bai Chen withdrew his gaze and lay back in his chair.
"Xiaobai, why are you so listless? Are you missing your brother? Can we go home later?"
Yan Yue held Xiaobai in her arms and flipped through the storybook for a while, not noticing that after Chu Zhi finished her storytelling, she sat down at Yang Jin's table.
"Miss Xiaozhi is so interesting and knowledgeable. I really admire her!" Yang Jin praised.
Chu Zhi blushed with shame, "I haven't read a lot of books, so I'm just showing off my knowledge in front of someone as knowledgeable as you. Please don't laugh at me!"
Yang Jin took a sip of tea, glanced at the black veil upstairs, and said, "Miss Xiaozhi is a lively person. She must feel bored at times under the supervision of someone as cold and indifferent as Miss Yue, right?"
Chu Zhi smiled softly, leaned closer to him, and whispered, "In fact, our boss is not as cold as she looks. She keeps a mysterious image for the sake of business. The guests in the building are afraid of her, so they believe that she has great powers!"
Yang Jin suddenly realized and agreed, "I see. It seems that Miss Yue acted very well. At least I didn't notice it at all."
Chu Zhi smiled and said, "She actually loves to talk and laugh, likes to join in the fun, and is most afraid of being alone. Even on the way to the teahouse, she had to hold Xiaobai with her! I said Xiaobai is so heavy, why did she come? But she said it was better than coming alone!"
Yang Jin followed her words and said, "I never thought that Miss Yue and Miss Xiaozhi are both like little girls in the boudoir."
Chu Zhi giggled so hard that her body shook. "We are not girls from the boudoir! We are all children from poor families, and we all have our own difficulties. If it weren't for our host's enthusiasm, I wouldn't have the opportunity to sit here and tell stories!"
She quietly pointed at Nan Qing who was busy counting the bills and said, "Look at our shopkeeper Nan. Although she always smiles, she is actually the quietest among the three of us. Before coming to the teahouse, she had to do the work of three or four people in the food store and was busy like a top..."
When Nan Qing heard her name, she looked up and saw Chu Zhi happily chatting with someone.
After Chu Zhi finished telling a story, he would usually sit down and chat with familiar guests. This way, Nan Qing could both win over regular customers and collect some material for new stories. He felt that he had achieved two goals at one stroke. So I didn't take it seriously this time and continued to pay the bill for the customer in front of me.
For a long time, Chu Zhi shyly watched the man leave, until Nan Qing walked over and called her, then she came to her senses.
"Sister Nanqing, I have a crush on someone!"
Nan Qing sneered: "Oh, have you forgotten the young escort I met in the bakery a few days ago so quickly?"
"It's different this time!" Chu Zhi pouted and defended.
Yan Yue didn't bring an umbrella today, so Zhou Lin followed her to the teahouse after waking up.
When Yan Yue saw him, she picked up Xiao Bai and said, "I was just about to go back, why are you here?"
Zhou Lin said with a playful smile: "It's getting dark, so I have to come pick you up! Have you found out anything today?"
Yan Yue told Nan Qing and Chu Zhi that she was going home to cook. Chu Zhi immediately acted coquettishly and asked to eat the roast duck from Li's Restaurant. She smiled and agreed, then walked out of the teahouse.
When they reached the restaurant near Li's Restaurant, Yang Jin suddenly appeared from nowhere.
"What a coincidence, Miss Yue! We meet again."
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