Chapter 2
That morning, Chen Pu was inexplicably restless. With still a few minutes before work, he was watching videos on his phone. Big data seemed to understand him and pushed Chinese medicine health tips to him. A Chinese medicine practitioner in a Tang suit with a rosy face said like chanting: Spring is here, liver qi is rising, and you are irritable and easily angered. It is advisable to soothe the liver and nourish the blood, cultivate your body and mind, don't lose your temper, and drink more warm chrysanthemum, wolfberry, and honeysuckle... Chen Pu threw his phone away, turned around, went to the refrigerator in the tea room, and took out the can of coffee that he had put there yesterday. He drank it in one gulp, and his stomach felt cold. Only then did he feel better.
When he came back from the conference room after the summary meeting on the previous homicide case, his calm temperament spread from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet, and he had become the calm captain of the Second Squadron again.
As soon as Chen Pu sat down, he saw Yan Yong opposite him winking at him with his eyes shining brightly. Chen Pu followed his gaze and saw that there was an extra person sitting in front of the empty table in the left corner.
She was about 1.65 meters tall, wearing a light green top and white pants, and had short hair that reached her ears, which was black and shiny. She has a thin waist and long legs. She is lowering her head to tidy up the table, revealing a small part of her neck.
Zhou Yangxin, who was beside Chen Pu, slid over on his chair, put his arm around Chen Pu's shoulders, and whispered, "Why is there a woman here? She's pretty. Did you ask the bureau for her?"
Before Chen Pu could say anything, the girl opposite turned around and looked at him. Zhou Yangxin immediately let go of Chen Pu's shoulders, sat up straight, and showed a steady and decent smile. Chen Pu glanced at Zhou Yangxin coldly. The girl had already put down what she was holding and walked to his desk.
Zhou Yangxin made a "whoosh" sound and the chair slid back. But Chen Pu knew that the dog must be listening with its ears perked up. Not only him, but all the dogs in the room were eavesdropping excitedly and with bad intentions.
Li Qingyao's face is also thin and pale, but his skin is in good condition, shiny and moist. She has slender eyebrows and a small mouth. At first glance, she looks fresh and clean. If you taste it more carefully, you can taste a hint of calmness and coolness from that gentle temperament.
However, Li Qingyao smiled when she looked at Chen Pu, her eyes instantly warmed up, and she stretched out her hand: "Hello, Captain Chen, I'm Li Qingyao, and I'm here to report today." Her voice was as soft and pleasant as Huang Ying's.
Chen Pu shook hands with her. His hands were dry and warm, with calluses of varying thickness. Her hands were smooth and cool. The two shook hands and then let go.
Chen Pu: "Just call me Chen Pu. Have you completed all the formalities?"
Li Qingyao nodded with a smile, her expression gentle. Not to mention others, even Chen Pu felt that this girl looked generous, decent and easy to get along with.
Chen Pu clapped his hands and asked everyone in the team to come over, a total of 8 people including Li Qingyao. According to the procedure, Li Qingyao was asked to briefly introduce himself, and then everyone introduced their names one by one. The welcome ceremony for Li Qingyao's joining the company was completed. However, when Chen Pu saw that Li Qingyao was able to chat with everyone and made every dog smile, he knew that Li Qingyao had already gotten to know everyone before he returned to the office.
Chen Pu thought that she and her brother were similar, but also not quite alike. Although Li Jincheng is also a gentle and considerate person, he is not like her, giving people the feeling that everything is appropriate and flawless.
Finally, Chen Pu thought for a moment and said, "Li Qingyao will get familiar with the place in the next few days. If there are no cases on the weekend, we can have a dinner together."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone cheered. Li Qingyao curiously asked Yan Yong beside him: "So happy?" Yan Yong chuckled: "Who wouldn't be happy to eat at a rich man's house? It's okay. Some people come and go over the years, and when a big case is solved, the boss will treat us. He is a rich man. He has nowhere to spend his money over the years. He relies on us to make money from the interest. Eat as much as you want on the weekends!"
Li Qingyao smiled slightly and looked up. Chen Pu had already sat down. The whole office was noisy, but there was no smile on his face. Even when he was just staring at the files, his eyes seemed to be filled with a coldness like a knife. Li Qingyao suddenly remembered that after he stepped into this office, he was easily greeted with smiles by all his colleagues, except this person, who never smiled from beginning to end.
——
In the evening, Chen Pu got off work on time.
As he walked out of the police station compound, he noticed someone following him. He didn't even look back. As usual, he put his hands in his pockets, walked briskly around the police station wall, and turned into an alley that was only wide enough for one car. Not far ahead is the urban village where he lives, which is also the largest and oldest resettlement housing community in the city - Chaoyang Home.
The spring breeze, with a hint of coolness, blew on Chen Pu's face. He felt an itch in his nose, so he stood in the corner and sneezed loudly. He glanced back out of the corner of his eye and saw a figure standing in front of a milk tea shop. Chen Pu sneered in his heart. Even the young man who had just graduated in his team could not match such tracking skills. He was indeed a top student who was used to sitting in the office.
Chen Pu continued to move forward, and the man also continued. Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, brisk and even, and she seemed to be as patient as he was.
Chaoyang Home consists of four or five old residential areas. Although they have been demolished, renovated and expanded over the years, most of them still retain their original appearance from decades ago. Most of them are old buildings with five to eleven floors. The whole area is well-connected, with narrow roads and a mixed crowd.
Criminal policeman Li Jincheng disappeared in Chaoyang Home seven years ago. Not long after that, Chen Pu moved in and stayed here like a nail.
Chen Pu's home is in a six-story gray and white residential building. He stood at the door of the unit, hooked the key chain with one finger, swung it a few times, then turned around and looked at Li Qingyao who was only a dozen meters away from him.
Li Qingyao, wearing green clothes, white pants, with thin eyebrows and eyes, stood in the afterglow of the sunset, looking like a fresh and harmless lily. She held a cup of milk tea in her hand, bit the straw, and looked at him.
Chen Pu put the keychain into his pocket, tapped the ground with one toe, and said, "What are you doing with me? Just say what you want to say, don't try to play tricks on me."
Li Qingyao took a loud sip of the milk tea, and finally released his lips from the straw, looking at him intently.
It seemed as if the sunset had taken away not only his shell in the office, but hers as well. She exuded a laziness and indifference that was not there during the day. She didn't smile either. She raised a finger, pointed at the building next to her, and said, "I have nothing to say to you."
After saying that, Li Qingyao went upstairs.
Chen Pu turned and left. When he reached the corner of the stairs, he took one hand out of his trouser pocket, rubbed his hot earlobe, and cursed softly.
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