Chapter 17: Another Murder Case

I was sitting in Xie Yan's car, with a heavy feeling on my fingertips. Whenever I thought about the wedding ring Xie Yan had chosen for me, I couldn't help but look down at it. The criss - crossing lights and shadows on the road made the huge red diamond glimmer with a strange radiance. I gradually became entranced, not even realizing when we arrived home.

Xie Yan, with his gentlemanly demeanor, opened the car door for me. After getting out of the car, I quickly returned home, changed my clothes, and went to take a shower. The warm water pouring over my head made my whole body relax. At this moment, I suddenly realized one thing: Xie Yan and I weren't truly husband and wife yet. So, would we be together tonight?

I recalled the passionate kiss in that room. My cheeks burned, and my blood seemed to boil along with the hot water. Suppressing my rapidly accelerating heartbeat, I vigorously rubbed my burning cheeks, feeling ashamed of my thoughts. Suddenly, there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"What's up?" I turned off the hot water and looked at the figure outside the door. Through the thick glass door, Xie Yan's voice came from outside, "Mianmian, I have some urgent matters to attend to temporarily. If you're hungry, I've had some pastries sent over. Eat a little first. I'll be back soon."

Hadn't Xie Yan just come back? Why was he going out again? I was naked at the moment and couldn't see Xie Yan's expression. I just picked up a bath towel, wrapped it tightly around my body, and said to Xie Yan outside the bathroom, "Got it. Drive carefully."

Xie Yan responded with an "Mm" at the door. Just when I thought Xie Yan would say something more, it had already quieted down outside. I waited for two minutes before opening the door. There was no one outside.

The lights in the living room were on. From a distance, I saw a pink velvet box on the living - room table. That should be the pastries Xie Yan bought for me. After changing my clothes, I went to the living room and opened the pink velvet box. Inside the box were six cherry - blossom - shaped pastries. When I got close, I could faintly smell the fragrance of flowers.

I picked up one and took a small bite. The sweet and dense taste was intoxicating. Since I had nothing else to do anyway, I simply turned on the TV, planning to continue watching the movie I hadn't finished before. As soon as the TV was turned on, I saw that it was reporting on a serial killer. It turned out that the murderer had committed another crime last night. Coincidentally, the crime scene this time was right behind this pastry shop.

I run a cake shop. Before my shop officially opened, I had already tasted the desserts from most of the dessert shops in this city, so I was very familiar with the location of that shop. A murder had occurred there last night. Would it still be open for business today? The storefront on TV was blurred, but I could tell at a glance that it was the shop where Xie Yan had bought me pastries today.

The sweet cake suddenly lost its flavor. I put the pastry I had picked up back into the box and went to look for the bag that the pastries had been wrapped in. I also run a cake shop. I know that many customers don't like to look at receipts, but the cashier will still put the receipt in the bag to ensure that customers can check the bill if they want to.

I walked into the kitchen and, as expected, found a brand - new receipt in the bag. The receipt clearly stated the consumption time and amount. However, when I saw the last line of computer code, I suddenly froze. The consumption date on the receipt was yesterday.

I couldn't believe it and held the receipt in front of my eyes to look at it again. But the date on it clearly read last night. At this time, the TV was still on. I quickly ran to the TV, but I was a step too late. Other news was already being broadcast.

I sat in the living room. The clock in the room ticked away, but I had no intention of listening. I couldn't even wait quietly for Xie Yan to come back and ask him clearly. Was Xie Yan related to the murder case after all? The thoughts in my heart were driving me crazy. Finally, I stood up unwillingly and decided to find the answer myself.

It was already 7:30 p.m. It was not quite dark and the road was full of people leaving work. Looking at the continuous stream of people, I felt a sense of security. I took a taxi to the pastry shop. Looking at the locked door, I felt as if I had suddenly fallen into an ice cave, and my blood turned cold to the extreme. Was Xie Yan lying to me after all?

I stared quietly at the locked door of the dessert shop. Even when someone came out of the neighboring store, I walked up to them unwillingly and asked, "Did this shop just get locked?" The person I stopped was startled. After seeing that I was a girl, they suddenly shook their heads in relief and said, "No! Haven't you watched the news? There was a murder here, right behind the store. If you want to buy pastries, it's safer to go to another store." After saying this, the person just looked at me. After waiting for a few seconds and seeing that I didn't respond, they left resentfully.

My rationality was struggling. I wanted to find a reasonable explanation for Xie Yan to prove that he had nothing to do with last night's murder. Right now, I just wanted to find the answer quickly. Without even thinking, I took a taxi directly to Xie Yan's tattoo shop.

The car stopped in front of the tattoo shop. Through the glass, I saw the big lock on the door, and my mind seemed to explode with a bang. Xie Yan wasn't there either. I got out of the taxi. The sky began to darken. I just stood there in a daze in front of Xie Yan's tattoo shop until a sharp sound behind me woke me up.

I suddenly looked back, looking around, but only saw walking elderly people and hurried off work. Had I heard it wrong? I was calculating what to do next when another sharp sound came from behind, like the sound of a branch breaking. But this time, I didn't turn around. Instead, I walked straight towards the intersection with a large crowd.

I remembered that there was a female - products store there. I needed something for self - defense. When passing by the female - products store, I rushed in and bought a bottle of pepper spray.

There were many people on the street, but I was very certain that there was someone following me. No matter how I detoured, that person would always follow me not far away. The sky was getting darker and darker. I put my hand in the bag and tightly grasped the pepper - spray bottle. My fingertip was right on the nozzle, ready to fight back at the first sign of danger.

I somehow walked into an alley in a panic, and through the accumulation of debris I was horrified to find that the other end of the alley was sealed. I had no way out. In the darkness, the footsteps behind me were getting closer and closer until they stopped right behind me.

I turned around. That person was hidden in the darkness. Their figure was thin, but they were not short. From my perspective, it should be a man. My hand was grasping the pepper - spray bottle in the bag. I desperately suppressed the fear in my heart and asked the person in the darkness, "Who are you? Why are you following me?" My voice sank into the darkness. After hearing my words, that person laughed "hehehe", and their shoulders trembled slightly in the darkness. At this moment, I had already taken out the pepper spray.