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墨書 Inktalez
It was Qiqi!
I watched closely from behind as she shouted and quickly walked out through the glass door. Upon hearing Qiqi's call, the creature named Taotie let out a low growl and retreated back into a corner.
We hesitated for a while before daring to step inside.
"Is this the Tibetan Mastiff?" Jing exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth. "Qiqi, is this your dog? I've never seen you with it before."
Qiqi smiled slightly. "It used to stay in the backyard. I brought it out tonight to get some fresh air."
We followed Ah Huang, carefully avoiding the Tibetan Mastiff as we entered the shop. Inside, it was quite clean and bright, not very large, with various cages arranged around. Large pets like cats and dogs were quietly resting inside.
Perhaps because of the Tibetan Mastiff's presence, the animals inside were unusually quiet, lying peacefully in their cages.
There weren't many people in the shop; it was just Qiqi and another girl managing things. At that moment, there were no customers, and Qiqi was wearing a white lab coat while cleaning.
"What brings you all here?" Qiqi asked, pulling her mask down slightly to reveal her mouth.
Ah Huang didn't respond, not wanting to explain our relationship. I stayed silent too since she wasn't looking at me. Jing had to chime in, "Oh, this is Brother Wang's friend. We just finished dinner, so we came together."
At that moment, Qiqi glanced at me but said nothing. "Officer, is there anything else you need to ask?" It seemed she was quite perceptive.
Ah Huang looked at us, and I quickly pulled Jing away.
Ah Huang called out to Qiqi while taking out a notebook to jot down notes as he asked questions. Jing was looking around curiously, playing with various pets in the shop.
With nothing much to do, I wandered around while another girl watched us with curiosity.
After browsing for a while and feeling quite bored, it wasn't that I wasn't interested in the cats and dogs; rather, I had raised several dogs before but had to give them away due to family pressure. Since then, I had decided not to keep dogs anymore.
As I turned past a border collie's cage, I seemed to catch sight of a white medical record pressed under one of the dog cages. However, I didn't pay much attention; through the bars of the cage, it looked like there were words about a mental rehabilitation hospital on it, but I didn't have time to examine it closely.
Over there, Ah Huang quickly finished his questioning and signaled for us to head outside.
Avoiding the large dog at the entrance, Ah Huang stepped out of the store and muttered, "Strange, where has Zhou Tao gone?"
"Zhou Tao? Are you talking about the missing person, Zhou Tao? Is he a tall guy, somewhat handsome?"
"Do you know him?" Ah Huang pulled up a picture on his phone. "Is this the person?"
"Yes, yes! Zhou Tao is missing?" I exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, his family reported him missing because they couldn't reach him. We found out he was last seen at a bar. Someone saw him leave the bar with Qiqi, and after that, he just vanished."
"I can testify; it was Qiqi who got into his car that night. They left together."
"Oh, what kind of car?"
"A white BMW, I think," I recalled.
Ah Huang jotted down some notes. "Looks like finding the car is key."
"Did you ask Qiqi earlier?"
"Yeah, she was quite honest. She said she hung out with Zhou Tao for a while and stayed out late. Then Zhou Tao drove her home," Ah Huang said, frowning.
How interesting, I thought to myself. They went out for a spin and ended up in a hotel room? But it wouldn’t be wise to suggest that Ah Huang check the hotel records; he probably already knew.
"Brother Huang, do you think Qiqi will be okay?" Jing asked, having become more familiar after learning about my relationship with Ah Huang and Old Bi.
"It's too early to say. We need to investigate further. However, as the last person to be in contact with the missing person, we can't rule her out as a suspect," Ah Huang replied nonchalantly.
"I see." Jing looked somewhat disappointed but still politely expressed her gratitude.
Ah Huang waved his hand dismissively, telling her not to be so formal. He offered to drive us back, but I declined. I decided to take a taxi instead; after all, the case was urgent, and I didn't want to keep using his car. So I suggested that Ah Huang drive himself back to work.
Clearly, Jing was very happy to see Ah Huang leave. As she watched Ah Huang disappear into the night, she wanted to take a walk with me and stretch her legs.
I didn't mind; I considered it a chance to clear my head. Another thought crossed my mind—I wanted to understand what kind of person Qiqi was. I instinctively felt that Qiqi was not simple. A beautiful woman who could party hard at a nightclub yet was content to run a pet store must have her own story. So, I accompanied her as we walked toward the other side of the street, passing by Qiqi's shop.
"Hey, what kind of person is Qiqi? Do you know her?" I asked.
Jing didn’t respond immediately. After walking for a while, she finally said, "Brother Wang, why are you asking about this?"
I sensed trouble; she probably thought I wanted to get close to Qiqi. I quickly replied, "I just find it hard to believe she has two such different sides—one in the nightlife and another in her everyday life. I feel like there's a story behind her. Maybe Ah Huang would be more interested."
"You and Huang Ge both suspect Liu Qi?" Jing stopped in surprise.
"Is her name Liu Qi? That's not it," I hesitated, unsure how to explain. Suddenly, an idea struck me, and I changed the subject. "Isn't it possible for two beautiful women to be friends?"
Jing immediately laughed. "Hehe, do you think I'm prettier or is she?"
Honestly, I've told countless lies in my life, especially regarding questions like this from women; I answered without hesitation, "Of course you're prettier."
"And what about her?"
"She's sexy."
"Hmph, don't all you men like that kind of charm?" Jing said somewhat indignantly.
"Actually, when you two stand together, each has her own advantages and complements the other; you're both legendary," I said without blushing as I flattered her.
Jing seemed pleased. "Haha, really? Actually, I've only known her for a short time, but I feel like she has a great personality—she's genuine and straightforward since she's from Northeast China. I really like that about her."
"From Harbin? How did someone from Harbin end up down south?" I patiently guided the conversation further.
"It seems she left before graduating from university. She didn't want to stay in the north and wanted to experience life on her own. Eventually, she ended up here because she liked the climate and food, so she decided to stay," Silent Hand said cheerfully as he turned around in front of me.
"Is that so?" I pondered. Dropping out of college and opening a pet store at such a young age is no small feat.
"It seems she has quite the charm," I continued the conversation.
"Of course! Besides her great figure, she studied broadcasting and hosting in college, and her voice is amazing!" Jing said casually.
"Does she have a boyfriend?"
"I haven't heard her mention one," Jing tilted her head, seemingly trying to figure out what I was thinking.
It's strange; with such good qualities, there must be many people pursuing her. Why does she always prefer going to nightclubs?
"Hey, can you stop teasing me!?" Keng Wan interjected.
"Oh, sure! What is it?"
"You should come visit me at my university sometime," Jing began to show her clingy side.
"Well, um, if I have time, I'll go."
"You have time right now. Aren't you on vacation?"
"Uh, well..." Just as I was at a loss for words, a voice suddenly called out from the side, "Come on, you two handsome guys and beautiful ladies, let’s take a look at your fortune! Let’s see what your fate holds!"
Jing's attention was immediately captured, and I let out a sigh of relief.
Under the streetlight sat an old man reading fortunes. He was thin with a bit of white beard on his chin, looking at us while setting up his stall. The vibe was somewhat reminiscent of a rogue fortune teller—slightly sleazy. Seeing us pass by, the old man desperately tried to attract customers.
However, Jing seemed very interested today.
"Hehe, Brother Wang, let’s get our fortunes read!"
"I don't believe this."
"Come on, come on, it's fun!" Jing insisted, gripping my arm tightly.
Reluctantly, I squatted down beside Jing in front of the old man.
"What are you two testing? If it doesn't work, there's no charge!" the old man began.
"We want to see how compatible we are!" Jing interjected eagerly.
"Oh, then please tell me your birth dates."
Jing reported her birth date first, and I followed suit, feeling somewhat helpless.
The old man pondered for a moment, pulled out a tattered book, flipped through it for a while, and after some thought, he meaningfully said to Jing, "Fallen flowers have intentions, while flowing water is heartless; everything is unpredictable, but as long as you act with sincerity, you will have no regrets."
Jing stared blankly at the old man, clearly not understanding much.
I was taken aback. If he were a Rogue Fortune Teller, he might have some insight. I just couldn't tell if he was merely reading body language or if he actually had some real ability.
"And what about me?" I asked the old man calmly.
He glanced at me and replied, "This flower is not that flower; longing for her will eventually transform; searching and seeking brings suffering, as it all hinges on a single thought."
I was shocked. No way! How could the old man know that I still had someone in my heart and couldn't get past this hurdle?
I scrutinized the old man closely but couldn't discern anything particularly special about him.
"Master, what does that mean?" Jing asked politely.
The old man smiled slyly. "It can only be understood intuitively; it cannot be conveyed in words."
Jing took out fifty yuan from her bag and tossed it down, saying, "Just give me the answer. I want to know what will happen between us in the future."
The old man chuckled a few times and accepted the money. "What happens in the future depends on you. As I always say, it's about winning people's hearts; it's all in your hands."
He paused, looking at the confused Jing, and continued, "Young lady, the fact that you stopped to ask means you have doubts and hesitations. Many things in life are not about fate but rather about how many people have already decided the outcome or accepted their destiny."
"Master, I still don't quite understand."
"Hahaha, it's okay if you don't understand. It's better than not knowing who you are and living under someone else's control," the old man sighed.
"Master, what do you mean?" Jing asked, feeling bewildered.
"Nothing, nothing. It’s not about you; I was just rambling."
Just as we were about to turn and leave, I suddenly heard the old man mumbling, "Hmm, Xu Zengjing and Liu Qi—why do these two girls have such different fates?"
(To be continued. More exciting content tomorrow!)
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