Ye Zhuxi actually let Xu Jiu into the house, and incidentally, she didn’t stop the young woman who came with her from leaving. It wasn’t that she was particularly kind; it was just out of curiosity. She wanted to see if Xu Jiu needed her help with anything. Whether or not she would help was up to Xu Jiu; she could refuse, but she had to hear what trouble this annoying girl had encountered first.
Before even sitting down, Xu Jiu’s first words were: “The light in the hallway is broken. You can call the property management to fix it when you have time.”
No wonder they had sneaked upstairs in the dark earlier, looking like thieves.
Ye Zhuxi sat down in her office chair and casually replied, “I know.”
Her attitude was overly nonchalant, not even giving Xu Jiu a second glance, embodying arrogance to the fullest. To be honest, this demeanor was a bit of a disillusionment to outsiders. Her current fame in China was definitely no less than that of a typical celebrity. Even those who weren’t her fans had seen her magic shows; after all, she was a renowned magician who had performed on national-level galas. In addition, her image and temperament were comparable to those of a star; her smiling eyes were so distinctive, and her sweet image left a deep impression on every viewer. Online, she was jokingly called “Magic Beauty.”
Bi Sheng was quite excited to come with Xu Jiu today. Although she wasn’t a fan of Ye Zhuxi, the “Magic Beauty” was famous, and she was naturally very much looking forward to seeing her in person. But as they say, seeing is believing, and seeing her made Bi Sheng feel uneasy. He felt that this famous and beautiful magician was a bit too arrogant. So what if she had won a world-class magic competition and brought glory to the country?
Unlike Bi Sheng’s dissatisfaction, Xu Jiu didn’t seem to mind Ye Zhuxi’s attitude at all. She pulled up a chair and sat on the other side of the desk, taking out her ID in a businesslike manner: “Let me formally introduce myself. I am the captain of the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, currently in charge of the case of the murder of magician Wei Lian.”
Ye Zhuxi, who had been lazily leaning back in her office chair, paused, finally lifting her eyelids to look at Xu Jiu, and then her gaze fell on the ID in her hand. “Great, they’ve pasted her photo, printed her name, and even stamped it with an official seal. It’s definitely real.”
Ye Zhuxi’s shock was obvious. After graduating from high school, she was taken in by a teacher to learn magic. She genuinely had no idea what Xu Jiu had been doing since then. They weren’t even in the same class in high school! The main reason they became rivals was that they both liked Xie Huaishi, the class beauty in Xu Jiu’s class. In addition, their grades were always first or second in the entire grade. The teachers in the whole grade were used to using them as a comparison, and gradually the whole grade recognized them as each other’s competitors.
“That annoying brat actually became a policeman!” Ye Zhuxi was deeply shocked. She stared at Xu Jiu’s ID for a while before belatedly realizing that Xu Jiu had mentioned Wei Lian’s case.
“You said Wei Lian was murdered, and his death was indeed suspicious?” Ye Zhuxi looked up at Xu Jiu.
Xu Jiu tilted her head and asked, “How do you know his death was suspicious?”
Ye Zhuxi leaned back and snorted, “I saw the news in China when I was abroad. The wording in the news made it seem like his death wasn’t natural. It’s normal to think his death was suspicious, right?”
Xu Jiu smiled and nodded, “Indeed, you were very smart in high school.”
Praised, Ye Zhuxi felt a shiver run down her spine, feeling every hair on her body stand on end. She exaggeratedly shook herself and said disdainfully, “Get to the point, I’m getting goosebumps all over.”
Xu Jiu was taken aback, then smiled helplessly. She was always like this, even in school. Even when she genuinely praised her, Xu Jiu always thought she was being sarcastic and had ulterior motives.
“It’s like this, Wei Lian’s case has run into some trouble, and I’d like to ask you for help in solving the difficulties encountered in the case.”
Xu Jiu spoke with utmost seriousness. Ye Zhuxi was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter, as if she had heard a hilarious joke, laughing so hard she was doubled over.
Xu Jiu remained calmly seated opposite her, waiting for her to finish laughing. Bi Sheng, who had come with her, wore an indescribable expression. Today, the image of this “magic beauty” had completely collapsed in his mind; if he had to say, she was acting like a lunatic.
“No… hahahahaha… did I hear that right?” Ye Zhuxi laughed so hard she was slumped on the desk, asking, “You want to ask me for help solving a case? A murder case?”
Xu Jiu nodded calmly, “Yes, you heard me right.”
Ye Zhuxi finally finished laughing. She remained sprawled on the desk, tilting her head slightly to look at Xu Jiu, trying to discern any hint of conspiracy in her expression. But to her familiar disappointment, Xu Jiu’s face remained calm, completely lacking the sinister intent she had expected. ”
It’s pointless, just like when we were kids.
” Every time Ye Zhuxi got first place in high school and Xu Jiu only came in second, she’d swagger in front of this rival, only to be met with a smile and a congratulatory, “I knew you’d get first place.” Back then, Ye Zhuxi would subconsciously think Xu Jiu’s words were sarcastic, but her eyes were always genuine and clear, making Ye Zhuxi unable to utter any harsh words, only managing a few harsh remarks before storming off in a huff.
“Xu Jiu, why are you still as infuriating as you were ten years ago?” Ye Zhuxi asked, glaring at her.
Xu Jiu blinked, not responding.
Ye Zhuxi, feeling bored, simply waved her hand and said, “I don’t even know the details of Wei Lian’s case, I can’t help you.”
Xu Jiu had guessed she would refuse and tried to persuade her, “The details of criminal cases cannot be easily leaked, that’s our rule, but if you agree to cooperate, I can show you the case file now.” As she spoke, she reached out and took a brown paper bag from Bi Sheng, “I carry the materials with me.”
She was indeed well-prepared, and her attitude and words showed utmost sincerity.
But Ye Zhuxi wasn’t buying it. Just the fact that the person in front of her was her former love rival was enough for her to refuse. She had only let her in out of curiosity about what she was doing there, and now that her curiosity was satisfied, she had no interest in the cooperation Xu Jiu proposed.
Ye Zhuxi straightened up, crossed her arms, and looked at Xu Jiu, asking, “Is there a reward for helping you solve the case?”
Xu Jiu was taken aback by her question. Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated Ye Zhuxi asking about the reward, and she was caught off guard. However, she quickly calmed down and said, “The Ministry of Public Security has always had a reward fund for citizens who provide important clues and assistance, so…”
“How much?” Ye Zhuxi asked casually.
Xu Jiu realized that she wasn’t serious at all; she was probably just looking for trouble. She had a premonition that she would leave empty-handed today.
“Ms. Ye, I really want to ask for your cooperation and need your help.” Xu Jiu tried to make her tone more sincere, but she knew in her heart that even if she played the victim, Ye Zhuxi wouldn’t agree now; she would only continue to laugh at her.
Sure enough, Xu Jiu’s sincerity successfully earned her Ye Zhuxi’s ridicule: “Officer Xu, do I look very free?”
She had just asked her agent for seven months of vacation during the day, but now she was pretending to be very busy in front of her nemesis.
Xu Jiu: “The news says you’re back in China for vacation.”
Ye Zhuxi, instantly exposed……
“Can’t I have other things to do? Even without a tour, I have a lot of other work. I’m a semi-public figure, I’m very busy! I don’t have time!” Glancing at Xu Jiu still sitting there, Ye Zhuxi simply stood up, pointed towards the door and said, “Nothing else? Then I won’t see you out!”
This was a blatant dismissal. Xu Jiu silently picked up the brown paper bag on the table, stood up and gave Ye Zhuxi a deep look.
Finally angry, huh? Ye Zhuxi raised an eyebrow at her, finding even that expressionless face, now furious, pleasing to the eye.
To be honest, Ye Zhuxi had never seen Xu Jiu angry before. This person’s facial expressions weren’t rich; most of the time, she maintained a stern persona, occasionally flashing a fake smile. The tense lines on her face now probably meant she was truly angry.
“Please, Officer Xu. I have something to do later.”
What could she possibly have to do? It was simply that her takeout was almost delivered, and she didn’t want to eat in front of that annoying person. Xu
Jiu sighed helplessly, finally managing to stammer, “See you another day.”
Watching her walk away without looking back, Ye Zhuxi rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Never again.”
Xu Jiu quickly left Ye Zhuxi’s studio with Bi Sheng, strode to the parking lot, opened the car door, and got into the passenger seat.
Bi Sheng didn’t dare breathe; she felt her boss was angry.
The passenger window rolled down, and Xu Jiu glanced at her: “What are you standing there for?”
Bi Sheng quickly rolled into the driver’s seat, hesitated for a moment, and cautiously said, “Boss, don’t be angry.”
Xu Jiu looked at her strangely: “Who told you I was angry?”
Bi Sheng was taken aback, carefully observing her expression; it didn’t seem like she was angry after all. Then, what was with that tense atmosphere just now? For the first time, she felt her boss was a stranger.
Actually, Xu Jiu wasn’t angry; she was just a little tired. She was puzzled. Even after ten years, why did Ye Zhuxi still hate her so much? Was this hatred ingrained in her bones? It had been there since high school—that inexplicable rival in love, which Xu Jiu swore she had never acknowledged.
Ye Zhuxi, ten years have passed, and you’re still so dense.
“Boss… what do we do now?”
Xu Jiu rubbed her temples and leaned against the window, saying, “Back to the station.”
“Okay. Then… boss, are we just going to give up like this?”
Xu Jiu chuckled softly, looking at the receding street scene outside the window, and said, “Don’t worry, she’ll come to me herself in less than three days.”
Bi Sheng was completely baffled. Thinking of Ye Zhuxi’s outright rejection, he thought his boss had gone mad.