Luo Yingbai said, “Oh, it’s nothing. Little Gou grabbed my neck while we were playing around last time, probably accidentally scratched me.”
Xia Xianning leaned forward slightly, staring at him silently.
Xia Xianning didn’t respond, and Luo Yingbai immediately fell silent.
Gou Songze’s voice sounded from outside: “Director Xia? Director Wang is here.”
“Director Xia?”
Luo Yingbai was terrified. He liked to mess around, but he was actually a coward, far from Xia Xianning’s fearless attitude. Now, hearing the knocking at the door, he felt like someone could walk in at any moment, his heart racing nervously.
Xia Xianning whispered in his ear: “What if he really comes in and exposes your made-up lie?”
Luo Yingbai was almost in tears: “I was wrong, I was wrong…”
Just as Gou Songze muttered “Strange, is no one here” and was about to leave, Luo Yingbai’s phone suddenly rang.
“Dad, dad, where are you going…”
Gou Songze turned back and knocked again: “Cousin, are you inside?”
Hey, are you okay!”
Luo Yingbai took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth: “I’m fine!”
Gou Songze said: “Why aren’t you answering the phone? Oh, open the door for me. Is Director Xia inside?”
Luo Yingbai said: “He, he’s experiencing qi deviation while practicing, I’m helping him… catch his breath, no time!”
Gou Songze said: “Oh, nothing serious, right? That’s good, I’ll go tell Director Wang.”
As his footsteps faded, Luo Yingbai had just breathed a sigh of relief when he was overwhelmed by the sensations Xia Xianning was causing.
When everything was finally over, Luo Yingbai felt half-dead – in an office environment, he was incredibly nervous.
While being soaked in the bathtub by Xia Xianning, he was secretly vowing never to provoke him again.
Fortunately, Luo Jiao just wanted him to come home for dinner, nothing important. Luo Yingbai complained: “Dad, it’s just dinner, why did you call so many times?”
“You little rascal,” Luo Jiao was stunned, “I saw you weren’t answering.”
Luo Yingbai said: “I was studying, studying requires concentration, who looks at their phone…”
He hung up the phone.
Luo Yingbai sighed and changed his phone ringtone: “I can never listen to this song again, it’s terrifying.”
Xia Xianning smiled: “I’ll like my office desk even more from now on.”
Luo Yingbai was irritated, and just then, when Xia Xianning’s hand reached near his cheek, Luo Yingbai turned and bit it.
Xia Xianning didn’t dodge, letting him bite, but Luo Yingbai felt like a dog and sheepishly let go.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered something: “Xianning!”
Xia Xianning: “What?”
Luo Yingbai: “Wen Qianqian… Hey, I’m talking about serious matters, stop touching me!”
Xia Xianning casually threw the towel into the basin, pressed Luo Yingbai against the bathtub’s edge, and kissed him deeply, releasing after a while and sighing: “Can’t you have a moment where your mind is filled only with me?”
Luo Yingbai: “I do, just now.”
Xia Xianning: “So continue?”
Luo Yingbai: “Enough, understand sustainable development? Even textile factory workers aren’t this exploitative!”
He grimaced while standing up from the bathtub, wiping water and saying: “Put away your romantic brain, release Director Xia’s personality. Now listen to me – when Wen Qianqian died, I was at the scene, and I heard a song playing near the rest room.”
Xia Xianning: “What song?”
Luo Yingbai thought for a moment, hummed the melody, and said: “I’ve never heard this song, and didn’t pay much attention then, but listen, this musical tone feels a bit sensual and wild. At that time, the venue was playing soft, soothing music, so subconsciously, I remembered it. Isn’t it strange?
Xia Xianning understood Luo Yingbai’s meaning: “You’re telling me this because earlier when we were together, we heard the teacher’s call, and you feel that every time you hear the same music in the future, you’ll think of me…”
Luo Yingbai: “Mute! Harmonize!”
Xia Xianning smoothly: “…will think of me cough cough-ing you.”
Luo Yingbai: “…”
Xia Xianning, hiding his inner laughter, continued: “So you think an inappropriately timed music might carry a special meaning?”
Luo Yingbai nodded in agreement: “Let me give a more specific example. Feng Zhengyang likes to torture people. So, every time he chokes Wen Qianqian’s neck, this kind of music plays around them. Over time, when Wen Qianqian hears this music, she’ll feel a sense of suffocation – a kind of death suggestion…”
Xia Xianning’s expression gradually became serious.
Luo Yingbai said: “Xiao Gou also mentioned that she had an extremely low alcohol content in her body. Drinking in such a situation is normal. This amount of alcohol isn’t enough to harm her, but it can blur her self-awareness and amplify the suggestion!”
“What you’re saying makes sense,” Xia Xianning said slowly. “I’ll try to investigate the origin of this song. I have to go home for dinner tonight. Rest for a while, I’ll take you.”
“My poor waist,” he said this, and Luo Yingbai remembered what just happened, bitterly smiling: “Solving cases in bed, solving cases out of bed, I think I’m quite capable.”
Wen Qianqian’s death caused a long-lasting disturbance in the entertainment industry. Her mysterious cause of death inevitably sparked wild speculation. Her death occurred during a TV station’s anniversary celebration, with many witnesses present.
In this matter, besides the victim herself, Chang Weiyu was most affected. His failure to rescue her was repeatedly criticized and exaggerated. Wen Qianqian’s fans, unable to find the culprit, vented their grief and anger on him, digging up various scandals. His image was so damaged that he lost his work.
When Chang Weiyu learned that he had been dropped from the “Changping” drama’s third male lead role, his anxiety peaked. Just days earlier, he had complained to Xi Hong about being just a third male lead. Now, he couldn’t even get a minor role. Unable to bear it any longer, Chang Weiyu finally arrived at Feng Zhengyang’s doorstep.
People had uncovered many of his dark histories, but no one knew that Chang Weiyu had actually been involved with Feng Zhengyang. It happened during the time he was filming with Wen Qianqian. Once when Feng Zhengyang visited the set and Wen Qianqian was absent, Chang Weiyu seized the opportunity to get close to Feng Zhengyang.
He knew how to read people, was tactful and understood the rules.
After that incident, Feng Zhengyang provided Chang Weiyu with two resources. Seeing Feng Zhengyang had no intention of further development, Chang Weiyu didn’t try to blackmail or disturb him.
But this time, he had to come. Even if Feng Zhengyang couldn’t help him, Chang Weiyu was determined not to let him be influenced by public opinion, believing Wen Qianqian died because of his inaction.
Just as he left, Xia Xianning received a call: “Hello, Director Xia, this is Little Li monitoring Chang Weiyu. The target has arrived at Feng Zhengyang’s villa. Should we continue observation?”
Xia Xianning’s expression changed, and he immediately responded: “Stay outside. I’ll apply for a search warrant and send people over immediately!”
Chang Weiyu, wearing sunglasses and a mask, changed vehicles three times before reaching his destination. He thought he was being cautious, unaware he had long been followed. Standing at Feng Zhengyang’s door, he rang the doorbell.
Feng Zhengyang had been in a bad mood recently, even the housekeeper was walking on eggshells. Seeing Chang Weiyu through the door, she hesitated about whether to notify Feng Zhengyang of a visitor.
Chang Weiyu said: “I’m Mr. Feng’s friend, here to see him. Open the door, I’ll go up and find him myself.”
He quietly slipped two bills to the housekeeper and spoke many kind words, finally being allowed inside.
