I See Murders Before They Happen

Chapter 125: Chapter 123: Jiang Junrui Is Here Again

After the discussion with the people from Jiangcheng, Lu Zhishen seemed fine, and his emotional reactions afterward were all muted.

But the next day, he started running a low fever.

He looked even more listless.

It looked like he could barely keep his eyes open.

Zhuang Yanzheng told him to rest at home, but he insisted on coming to work.

Check-ups and lab tests revealed nothing.

Later, after talking to a therapist a few times, his fever slowly subsided.

His bottled-up emotions had manifested as a fever.

And at this time... Jiang Junrui arrived in Jinghai.

He invited Su Miaoyi to a meal.

When Su Miaoyi got the call and heard him out, her first reaction was:

’Here we go again!’

This time, however, she agreed to go.

The meeting was set for the weekend at the restaurant owned by Zhuang Yanzheng’s family.

When Su Miaoyi arrived, Jiang Junrui had already been there for a little while and had already ordered their food.

She walked over and sat down across from him.

Jiang Junrui looked at her and smiled. ”It’s been a few months, and you’ve become even more beautiful.”

Su Miaoyi smiled and quipped, ”I spent the last few months on Kunlun Mountain, cultivating the secret art of eternal youth.”

”Huh?” Jiang Junrui was taken aback.

Su Miaoyi just offered another polite smile and said nothing.

Jiang Junrui said, ”Take a look and see if there’s anything else you’d like to order.”

”I’m not a picky eater,” Su Miaoyi said. ”But I have a small appetite. I don’t eat much.”

If Zhuang Yanzheng had heard that...

...he would have laughed at her for the next ten years.

It was the weekend, and since Zhuang Yanzheng knew about her meeting with Jiang Junrui, he had given her a ride over.

They had run into Shen Yanzhou at Weiyang Palace, so the three of them had come over together.

Zhuang Yanzheng had brought some buns from home.

On the way over, Su Miaoyi had eaten twelve of them.

Shen Yanzhou, worried she would get indigestion, had even stopped at a pharmacy on the way to buy her some digestive aid tablets.

’I’m a little stuffed,’ Su Miaoyi thought, recalling the twelve buns she had eaten. She cleared her throat. ”Mr. Jiang, was there a particular reason you asked to meet?”

”It’s about the same matter we discussed before the New Year,” Jiang Junrui said, looking at her. ”The marriage alliance.”

Su Miaoyi looked at him, pausing for a moment before asking, ”I don’t understand. Why me?”

”As I’ve said, I saw you once in Jiangcheng,” Jiang Junrui replied.

”And? Don’t give me some line about love at first sight. I don’t buy it,” Su Miaoyi said.

”Why not?” said Jiang Junrui. ”You’re very capable, bold, and you aren’t afraid to take action. I admire that about you.”

”Is that so?” Su Miaoyi scoffed lightly. ”Is it really admiration, or do you have some other design?”

Jiang Junrui’s brow twitched slightly. ”Miss Su, what do you mean by that?”

Su Miaoyi thought for a moment, then said, ”Mr. Jiang, our families are not of equal social standing, yet you insist on marrying me. It can only be that you’re interested in something I have in my possession.”

Jiang Junrui was silent for two seconds. ”I don’t understand your meaning, Miss Su.”

Su Miaoyi continued, ”You needed a justifiable reason to get close to me. A marriage alliance is a bit of a stretch, but it’ll do. What if I just so happen to be into your type? Plus, I could teach the Ji Family a lesson. They were so arrogant to me before, but in the future, they’d have to walk on eggshells around me. Thinking about it that way... it’s actually quite tempting.”

”A little girl who’s been cast aside and living under oppression for so long would find it hard to resist such a temptation, wouldn’t she?”

Jiang Junrui frowned.

Su Miaoyi said, ”That way... it’d be much easier for you to get what’s in my hands, and then...”

She raised a hand and drew her index finger across her throat.

”...I’d just quietly disappear,” Su Miaoyi finished.

Jiang Junrui looked at her for a moment, then laughed. ”You’re quite the kidder. We live in a society governed by the rule of law.”

Su Miaoyi laughed as well. ”You’re right. I was just talking. What could I possibly have that you’d take an interest in?”

Jiang Junrui lowered his gaze, picking up his knife and fork to cut the steak in front of him. After a moment, he asked, ”If you did have something very important to me in your possession, what would you ask of me?”

Su Miaoyi watched him.

’He’s testing me.’

Jiang Junrui looked up. ”Hypothetically.”

Su Miaoyi thought for a moment. ”Fengjiang Group.”

Jiang Junrui’s expression almost cracked.

Su Miaoyi burst out laughing.

Jiang Junrui stared at her.

Su Miaoyi said with a smile, ”When you have a bargaining chip, you have to aim high. It might not be easy, but it’s certainly possible, isn’t it?”

Jiang Junrui smiled warmly and nodded in agreement with her words. ”Indeed.”

But as he lowered his gaze, a vicious glint flashed in his eyes for an instant.

Su Miaoyi sighed internally, looking at the dishes in front of her.

’So full. I can’t eat another bite.’

...

「Meanwhile.」

Zhuang Yanzheng and Shen Yanzhou were in another private room.

The two of them were drinking tea and looking at the scenery outside.

After a little while, Shen Yanzhou said, ”Did you do that on purpose?”

”What on purpose?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked.

Shen Yanzhou shot him a look and then ignored him.

”You know my mom. Her cooking is amazing, but... she might only cook once every three or five years,” Zhuang Yanzheng said. ”She happened to cook today, so I figured...”

”You figured what?” Shen Yanzhou asked, looking at him.

”Don’t you know what I figured?” Zhuang Yanzheng retorted. ”Questions, questions, always with the questions.”

Shen Yanzhou fell silent.

He had wanted to confirm his suspicions.

Zhuang Yanzheng said, ”My mom made sixteen in total. I took twelve, and she didn’t leave a single one for me.”

”You didn’t say you wanted any,” Shen Yanzhou pointed out. ”Besides, aren’t there still four left at your house?”

”Do you think our dear President Zhuang would leave any for me?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked.

Shen Yanzhou fell silent again.

Zhuang Yanzheng looked at him. ”I still remember when we were kids. You showed up at my house with your piggy bank, insisting that my mom come be your family’s personal chef to cook for your little sister.”

Shen Yanzhou: ”...”

Shen Yanzhou: ”You have a good memory for useless things.”

Zhuang Yanzheng chuckled.

Thinking back on the old days, Shen Yanzhou suddenly smiled as well.

As they were both smiling, a knock came at the door of their private room.

They both looked toward the door.

Su Miaoyi pushed the door open and entered.

”All done?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked.

”Mhm,” Su Miaoyi said. ”It was just a meal for us to probe each other. If anyone actually ate, I’m afraid we’d all get indigestion.”

Shen Yanzhou poured her a cup of tea.

”How did it go?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked.

Su Miaoyi sat down. ”The video Mo Xiaoxiao had is definitely related to the Fengjiang Group. Jiang Junrui thinks I have the backup. He tested me on it, but not directly. He thinks I’m holding onto the video instead of going to the police because I have an ulterior motive.”

”How is he so sure you have the video?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked. ”And why did Mo Xiaoxiao record it in the first place? To threaten Jiang Junrui?”

”Threatening Jiang Junrui would be a death wish, wouldn’t it?” Shen Yanzhou said. ”Does he seem like the type of person who’d let himself be threatened?”

Su Miaoyi took a sip of tea. ”So... isn’t it strange that I’m still alive?”

Zhuang Yanzheng and Shen Yanzhou looked at her.

”He should have just killed me before the police discovered the video,” Su Miaoyi said. ”And he should have done it as quickly as possible, too.”

’So, what happened during those few days that I have no memory of? What turned the situation around and allowed me to survive?’

...