Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Jian Yao can’t remember how long she’s been asleep for …again. A little bedside lamp is on, so it’s not completely dark in the room.    

    But she vaguely remembers that at some point last night, she saw Bo Jinyan dressed in pyjamas standing on the side of the bed, looking for something.  But soon, she fell asleep again.

    She turns her head, and is surprised to find something lying beside her on the bed.  Actually, it’s someone.  Actually, it is….Bo Jinyan.

 - What?    

She gets a fright from this scene.  

    He is lying very straight, with his hands on either side.  The same sleeping position like the last time she saw him.  Without the arrogant look on his face, he looks like a big boy when he is asleep.

  

  But, when did he climb onto her bed?

    Oh ...... his bed.

    Jian Yao tilts her body to look more closely at him.  The room is so quiet, she can hear his breathing, and even feel the warmth of his breath coming towards her.  Her heartbeat, silently accelerates.  

    Sweet dreams, Bo Jinyan.

    -

    The rays of the morning light shines through the window.  Bo Jinyan is the first to wake up.

    He sits up, then turns around to look at Jian Yao who is sleeping beside him.

   It’s the first time in his life that he’s slept next to woman.   He was exhausted last night when he went to bed so he didn’t think too much about it.  

    She is still wearing the white shirt and black knee high skirt, revealing her legs.  Her skin is so delicate and smooth.  He can see her foot too.  Soft, slender and beautiful.

  She is sleeping on her side, and her whole person is in a crouching stance.   He frowns.  This position would put pressure on the heart.  It’s an unhealthy sleep posture.  Bo Jinyan adjusts her body so she is facing up.  He puts her hands and feet straight.  

- That’s much better.  He slowly gets up and out of the room.  

    -

    Jian Yao wakes up for the third time.   The sky is completely bright. She looks at the clock.  It’s much later than she expects.  

    She hurries into the bathroom to wash her face.  She lifts her head and see a woman with messy hair and wrinkly clothes starring at her… in the mirror.  

   Oh great! this is how Bo Jinyan saw her this morning when he woke up?!  

    ——

    Bo Jinyan is in his black suit, sitting on a sofa reading the newspaper.

    Jian Yao goes pass him.  She needs to go back to her apartment to get changed when she hears a voice coming from behind the newspaper: “Where’s my fish dumplings?”  

    - Oh no! She has completely forgotten about it.

   Jian Yao: "...... I’ll make it another day.  We don’t have time now.”

    She turns and see that there’s already breakfast at the dining table.  2 bowls of congee and some shrimp dumplings. They’re from a well-known shop in the neighbourhood. 

    -  Bo Jinyan bothered to queue up to buy breakfast.  That’s so out of character for him. He used to say that the place is too crowded, too noisy and standing in queue is a time waster.  

    Even though she knows she won’t get a nice answer out of him, she can’t help but ask: “Did you buy them?”

    And as expected…

    "No." He put down his newspaper: “It just appeared out of thin air.”

    -

    Jian Yao quickly goes home to freshen up.  When she returns with her luggage, she sees Fu Ziyu sitting opposite Bo Jinyan, eating her share of the dumplings.   

Fu Ziyu gives her a cheeky smile.  She pretends not to notice and eats her congee.  

When he finishes eating, he takes out a stack of documents and passes them to Jian Yao.

    Jian Yao takes a look: "This is ......"

    Fu Ziyu smiles: “Background check by a private detective on all the staff in Customer 3 Division.  Of course, given the short timeframe, these are only preliminary results.  Once I have more details, I’ll update you."

    Jian Yao looks to Bo Jinyan: “Wow, that’s efficient."

    Bo Jinyan smiles at her.  - Of course that goes without saying.

    ——

Jian Yao starts reading the documents in the car.  Fu Ziyu is driving them to the airport.

    Lin Yu Xuan - Manager.  Career woman.  Divorced. no kids.  Work is life. Picky, Not very good tempered, often complain about residential security guards / cleaning / restaurant services etc etc,  Replaces part time maid every 3-4 months.  She doesn’t like Wang Wan Wei.  Last year, she has twice wanted to transfer her out of the division or fire her, but was unable to do so because of department of labour regulations.

   Jian Yao now realises Manager Lin don’t know of their real identity and purpose in the division. She only think Bo Jinyan and Jian Yao are related to Chairman and thus given good positions in an elite team. 

    Zhou Qin - Typical nice guy.  Everyone thinks highly of him, whether they are his coworkers, neighbours, or friends. His wife died two years ago, leaving behind a two year old son. He battled depression for a long time after his wife died.  He devotes all his time to his son.  He spent all his time outside work with him.  Last year, a friend tried to match him with a beautiful young girl.  He refused. 

    Qian Yu Wen - He is not originally from B city.  Single.  Homosexual.  Likes to frequent gay bars.   No fixed partner.

   Shen Dan Wei - also from out of town.  She frequent bars too.  Gets on well with foreigners. changes a boyfriend every few months. 

    Pei Ze - fits the impression Jian Yao has of him - from a rich family, playboy, a well-known client in most of the city’s nightclubs. 

 Mai Chen - The complete opposite to Pei Ze.  He spends a lot of time looking after his parents, who were both paralysed after their stroke.  A caring and filial son.  

    According to police records and meteorological data, it was raining heavily the whole night.   So there is a possibility a lot of the evidence would have been washed away by the rain.

    Jian Yao takes out a  pen and paper, and list the room arrangement for the retreat : 

    Room A: Manager Lin, Shen Dan Wei *.

    Room B: Zhou Qin.

    Room C: Qian Yu Wen, Pei Ze *.

    Room D: Mai Chen.

    Room e: Wang Wan Wei.

    In the original schedule, Shen Dan Wei and Wang Wan Wei should be in the same room.  But because Manager Lin and Shen Dan Wei were working on a project together, they changed the sleeping arrangements. 

    Pei Ze should have stayed with Mai Chen, but he and Qian Yu Wen wanted to watch soccer together.

  Based on what they told the police. No one left their room that night. 

    ——

    Jian Yao thinks for a moment, turns to look at Bo Jinyan.  He’s put on a sleep mask to take a nap. 

    She pokes his arm: "Tell me.  What do you think so far?"

    Bo Jinyan just answers "I want to sleep. Don’t forget, when you were still sleeping in that unhealthy posture, I had to go downstairs to buy breakfast.” 

 Jian Yao blushes.  She takes a glance at Fu Ziyu.  Fu Ziyu is still driving, as if he didn’t hear a word they were saying.

    Jian Yao pretends she didn’t hear those words too, and continues to poke Bo Jinyan: “Just sleep on the plane.   The plane is surrounded by people.  I won’t be able to talk to you freely.  If you don’t teach me, how am I suppose to solve the case myself next time?”

    - Ops.  Next time?…  It’s a slip of the tongue.

   

    Bo Jinyan takes off his sleep mask and smiles to her: “It’s a deal!”

    Jian Yao: “No no… I’m just using an analogy ......" He puts on his sleep masks again.

    Then Fu Ziyu suddenly speaks: “Jian Yao.  Do you find it crowded in this car?”

    Bo Jinyan chips in: "What do you mean?"

    Jian Yao is also a bit puzzled.  Then she sees Fu Ziyu putting up three fingers. She suddenly understands why -

   Three is a crowd. He’s like the third person spoiling the privacy of a pair of lovers.

   —--

    Jian Yao pretends she doesn't understand.  Luckily Fu Ziyu has decided not to ridicule her anymore.  He whistles as he continues to drive.  

    Then Bo Jinyan speaks: “Tell me what are your views first, then I’ll tell you mine.”

    Jian Yao says: "First of all, the phone that didn’t reach Wang Wan Wei’s mom was during 0:04am.  I suspect that it’s because someone went to see her, so she was interrupted.  But of course, we will need to find out who this person was.  

    Secondly, the blue dress and pearl earrings. There’s no reason why the murderer had to take away these two things, leaving loopholes in the case.  so, something must have happened.  Maybe the dress ripped, or the earrings torn, that the murderer had to take them away in order to avoid exposing signs of struggle.

   Of all the suspects, I think Qian Yu Wen is more likely to be the killer.  Although he is gay, there’s something about him that make me very uncomfortable, even more so than that playboy Pei Ze”

    After she finished, she looks expectantly at Bo Jinyan.

    “Oh great." He nods, “Only one suspect, and it is based on speculation.  Good job"

    Jian Yao: “...... “  A little disappointed, she asks: “So, what is your conclusion?"

    "Preliminary Conclusions: Pei Ze and Qian Yu Wen, Manager Lin and Shen Jun Wei, One of these pairs contains a murderer and an accomplice..”