It seemed like nothing more could be gleaned today. Qin Yi was about to call Lao Zhu out and drive away when a man in his thirties, carrying a plastic bag, entered the alley.
The man had already noticed Qin Yi and the car parked at the courtyard gate, his eyes filled with suspicion.
Arriving at the kindergarten entrance, the man walked straight in. Spotting Yan Ping, he waved the plastic bag and said, “This is the garlic chili sauce and beef chili sauce my wife saved for you. I had some business in the village, so I brought it over.”
After Yan Ping took the bag, the man turned to Lao Zhu and asked, “This gentleman looks familiar. Are you here for something?”
Lao Zhu replied tersely, “We’re here to gather some information.”
“Oh, Zhou Hong, these two officers are investigating that incident from three years ago. Since you know about it, why don’t you explain it to them? I still have class.” With that, Yan Ping felt relieved—she wouldn’t have to relive the memory herself.
Zhou Hong was naturally sociable. “Ah, no wonder you look familiar. You two questioned me three years ago. Sorry, officers, but Yan Ping’s health isn’t great—she can’t handle too much stress. I was involved in catching the robbers back then, so I know most of the details. You can ask me instead.”
Yan Ping occasionally fainted for no discernible reason, and no medical explanation had been found. Those close to her knew this. Whether it was stress-related remained unconfirmed, but Zhou Hong used it as an excuse to shield her.
Lao Zhu glanced at Qin Yi. Since he was merely accompanying the provincial officer, it was best to defer to his judgment.
Qin Yi made the call on the spot. “Fine, then take us to the scene.”
This trip wasn’t solely about finding Lin Fang. Qin Yi had also uncovered inconsistencies in the old case and wanted to revisit the scene. Qi Biao had always been ruthless, and now, as Qin Yi—with his memories but none of his gentleness—he was determined not to let the killer, or anyone involved, escape justice.
Zhou Hong was one of the men who, alongside Sun Siyuan, had apprehended the four robbers three years ago. He was the technical director of the Lin Family Chili Sauce Factory. Introduced by Granny Gao and approved by Lin Guicheng, he had married a high school teacher—also Yan Ping’s classmate—and settled down in the area.
Influenced by his own background, Lin Guicheng’s inner circle mostly consisted of orphans or homeless individuals he had taken in, including Sun Siyuan. They all regarded Lin Guicheng as a father figure and were fiercely loyal. But Lin Guicheng’s sole focus was returning to his own world to save his wife and daughter, so he gradually transferred his trusted aides to Lin Fang. Apart from Sun Siyuan, the six men he had sent three years ago were now under Lin Fang’s command.
Revisiting the scene of a three-year-old case was no easy task. By the time Qin Yi drove back to the county police bureau’s guesthouse, it was already dark. Qin Ran had showered and was waiting in his room, visibly annoyed.
Seeing her expression, Qin Yi guessed she was struggling with some small-town habits and acting like the spoiled young lady she was. He didn’t ask, knowing from experience that she’d soon vent her frustrations.
Sure enough, before he could even sit down, Qin Ran pouted and said, “Brother, can you believe it? Someone offered me a high salary to teach yoga, and I wasn’t even interested. But today, I offered to pay to intern at that school and start a yoga class there, and they turned me down! How could they?”
Qin Yi stayed silent. He knew she just needed to complain and would soon move on.
This was typical. In the provincial capital, the Qin family’s influence was vast—wealthy and well-connected, with members in government positions. As the Qin family’s young lady, even if her yoga teaching was subpar, people would flatter her for their own gain. But in this small town, no one knew who Qin Ran was. Qin Yi understood this, and deep down, so did Qin Ran. She was just unused to being ignored and needed to vent.
Noticing her brother’s exhaustion, Qin Ran dashed to her room across the hall and returned with her personal stash of Tieguanyin tea, brewing him a cup. The guesthouse’s tea—low-grade bagged dust—was beneath her standards, and Qin Yi disliked it even more.
This body’s stamina was truly lacking. Just half a day at the scene had left him drained. Qin Yi closed his eyes, his mind alternating between Yan Ping’s account of Lin Fang and today’s site visit, a jumbled mess with no clear thread. He finally asked Qin Ran, “What kind of school was it?”
“It’s called the Lin Family Talent School. Pretty big, actually—just one part of the Lin Group. Only a place like that would be worth my time interning at. Hmph! But they didn’t even want me.” Her anger had subsided, her tone now more matter-of-fact.
Qin Yi had heard of the Lin Family Talent School from Yan Ping earlier, but the Lin Group was new to him. He decided to ask Lao Zhu for details tomorrow.
“Brother, I ate at a snack shop today. The food was great, and they deliver. Want me to order you some yuanxiao? They’ve got sweet ones and even savory ones—you won’t find those anywhere else. Want to try?” Qin Ran knew her brother’s habits well. He clearly hadn’t eaten yet.
Qin Yi nodded. He had a sweet tooth, so the sweet yuanxiao suited him. As for the savory ones—well, his sister meant well. He’d humor her and try one when they arrived.
The yuanxiao came quickly, packed in insulated containers—one sweet, one savory.
The delivery guy set out bowls and chopsticks with a smile. “You’re in luck today. These were personally mixed and wrapped by Aunt Lin—authentic Lin Family yuanxiao.”
Qin Ran was surprised. “Wait, this shop is part of the Lin Group too?”
The guy shook his head. “No, it’s our little boss’s private business. See? No ‘Lin’ on the sign. But the yuanxiao are supplied by the Lin Family. Our boss doesn’t like sweets. She’s coming back tomorrow, so Aunt Lin made fresh savory ones specially for her. You called right as they were done, so she let us serve you some.”
Fang’er didn’t like sweets either. Qin Yi’s heart leaped. Qin Ran, curious, asked, “Your ‘little boss’? Is she young?”
“Yep! Still a college student—younger than all of us here.” The guy chuckled.
During the site visit, Qin Yi had seized chances to ask about Lin Fang. After today’s encounters, he was almost certain this Lin Fang was the Fang’er he’d been searching for.
Once the table was set, Qin Yi served himself a black sesame yuanxiao, while Qin Ran took a savory one—she’d recommended it, after all.
After eating his fill, Qin Yi slowed down. Qin Ran nudged the savory bowl toward him, urging him to try.
Indifferently, Qin Yi scooped one up. He chewed, then paused, savoring it carefully. Another followed, then another—until the bowl was empty.
“Good, right? Wild herbs with braised pork—who even thought of that?” Qin Ran gloated. Her recommendation had been spot-on.
The delivery guy, about to leave, turned back. “We’ve got other savory fillings, but this is our boss’s favorite, so Aunt Lin only made this kind today.”
“When exactly is your boss returning tomorrow?” Qin Yi couldn’t wait. The taste was unmistakably familiar—not identical to what he’d had in the other world, but close enough. This Lin Fang had to be his Fang’er.
The guy grinned. “No idea. But it’s not vacation yet, so if she’s coming back, it’s for something urgent. Probably early. If you want to discuss business, go to the shop early—otherwise, you might miss her. She’s always busy.”
A loyal employee, always drumming up business.
Qin Yi nodded. The guy finally left. “Just call the front desk when you’re done—they’ll collect the dishes. I’ll pick them up tomorrow. Enjoy!”
At dawn the next day, Qin Yi roused Qin Ran, drawing groggy protests. “Brother, is breakfast worth waking up this early for? You were exhausted yesterday. And the shop won’t even be open yet. Let me sleep!”
Qin Yi lied. “I was hungry—woke up starving.” He couldn’t admit he’d been too excited to sleep.
“Really? You ate more than usual last night!” Qin Ran flopped back onto the bed.
“Fine, sleep. I’ll go alone.” Maybe meeting Fang’er without her would be better.
Qin Ran sat bolt upright. “Alright, alright! You win. Wait for me outside—I’ll be quick. Since when did you get so hungry? Second puberty?”
Fresh out of college and naturally beautiful, Qin Ran needed little prep. A quick freshening-up was enough to make her striking. Confident in her looks, she was ready in minutes, bag in hand, calling for Qin Yi.
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