Grocery Store No.514

In the early morning of October 30, 3020, after Wang Lei came back, Yan Yu also came to the grocery store.

“Have you found Jiang Changping’s gay partner?”

“No, but the police department should have a clue.”

“The husband cheated in marriage, and the third person is a man. No one can accept it. Li Qiuran became the suspect again.”

Yan Yu asked, “ why don’t you suspect that man?”

“Do you mean Jiang Changping’s gay partner?” Sensing Yan Yu nodding, Ling Hua’an smiled, “I doubt him. But that person’s presence is still a mystery, while Li Qiuran is on the surface. Let’s rule out Li Qiuran’s suspicion first. If Li Qiuran is not the murderer, then the murderer is most likely the mysterious third person.”

“Why did you convinced if this is killing because of love? What if it was revenge?”

“Didn’t you say that Jiang Changping’s relationship is simple and he has no enemies?”

Yan Yu was stunned and responded with some embarrassment.

Ling Hua’an smiled again, “In fact, as far as we know now, the possibility of love killing is the highest. Whether it is Li Qiuran, or the mysterious third person, both have sufficient motives to kill. Because of that, let’s use the elimination method. Eliminate one by one, and you can always find the truth.”

“Then what are we going to do next?”

Ling Hua’an hesitated, “Don’t check on Jiang Changping for the time being. Focus on Li Qiuran. I need to know her family background, living environment, and who she is close to, especially men.”

“Okay. I will go tomorrow.”

Ling Hua’an drank the last mouthful of soup, took out his phone, and said, “How much did it cost? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“What?”

“Don’t play stupid. If you didn’t spend money on something so private, how could they tell you.”

“Hua’an, don’t tell me so bluntly.”

“Even if my brother still knows how to settle the account, let alone we are business partners. The reimbursement can not be less than one point.”

“Hu’an. I’m tired. I will go back first.”

Ling Hua’an grabbed Yan Yu’s hands when he was packing his thing, he said helplessly, “It’s always like this. Yan Yu, we’ve settled the matter of your grandfather. You don’t owe me anything, and you don’t need to pay like this all the time. You will make me feel indebted to you if you keep being like this. I don’t want that.”

Yan Yu put down the things in his hand, letting Ling Hua’an hold his wrist, and said, “Hua’an, you should know how important grandpa is to me. You not only helped grandpa but also me. I owe you, I don’t know if I can’t pay it back in this life”

“Yan Yu. When I helped your grandfather, I already received the payment. Let’s clear things up, that’s the rule.

“I don’t care about that.” Yan Yu always went his own way, even eight horses couldn’t pull him back¹.

“Yan Yu…”

“Don’t move, you have something dirty on your face.” Yan Yu walked around the table and approached Ling Hua’an.

Across from the grocery store, Jiang Chengyan stared blankly at the glass window that reflected the two figures. It turns out that Ling Hua’an can smile so gently, but his gentleness does not belong to him.

“Captain, what are you looking at? Yao Min followed Jiang Chengyan’s gaze and couldn’t help but said excitedly, “Wow, that man is so handsome with a thin waist, plump hips, and long legs. My God, he just got all my imagination of male gods! Wow wow wow, holding hands, holding hands! It was Ling Dage who took the initiative to hold his hand.

Yao Min was so excited, that he grabbed Jiang Chengyan’s arm and chirped, “Woah woah woah woah, close, close, they’re not going to kiss, are they …… Aiya, this picture is so beautiful. Captain, they are simply too good together!”

Yao Min, who was so excited, did not notice the change in Jiang Chengyan’s mood. He looked at those two people together through the glass window, his face became ugly with a sour feeling inside his heart. He threw Yao Min’s hands and walked to his car.

“Captain, Captain, where are you going? Wait, I haven’t seen enough.”

Yao Min looked at the two people in the glass window, seeing that Yan Yu had stood up, she hesitated for a moment before chasing after her Captain. When she opened the door and got into the car, Yao Min couldn’t help complaining, “Captain, why are you in such a hurry?”

“It’s already early morning, aren’t you sleepy?” Jiang Chengyan casually found a reason to suppress the sourness in his heart.

“I was a little sleepy before, but just now when I saw the picture of Ling Dage and a handsome man together, I was so excited and I’m not sleepy anymore.” Yao Min is full of aunt smile.

Hearing Yao Min saying that, Jiang Chengyan felt very uncomfortable, but he didn’t know what was wrong with him, he felt so irritated and said, “What picture? Yao Min, you are also a senior detective, you should understand the objective facts, do not be full of what you think. They’re just normal friends, not the messy things you always think in your head.”

“Captain, what’s wrong with you?” Yao Min finally noticed that something was wrong with Jiang Chengyan’s mood.

Jiang Chengyang closed his eyes, suppressing the tumbling emotions in his heart, “It’s nothing, it’s just that I’ve been too tired recently and I get easily irritable. Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”

The car slowly drove away from the police station, and there was no longer Yan Yu’s figure in the glass window. As usual Ling Hua’an sat behind the cash register, wearing headphones and listening to music.

***

He was driving Yao Min home, but Jiang Chengyan’s mind was filled with the picture of those two people together along the way. The more he didn’t want to think about it, the clearer the images and the more uncomfortable he felt.

The car was quiet and the atmosphere was depressing. Yao Min looked at Jiang Chengyan and said cautiously, “Captain, are you alright?”

Jiang Chengyan did not speak and drove the car silently.

“Captain, are you in a bad mood?  Is it related to work, or… is it related to Ling Dage?” Yao Min asked in a lower voice.

Squeak.

The ear-piercing brakes sounded, and Yao Min’s body slammed forward. If she hadn’t grabbed the guard on the roof quickly, she probably wouldn’t be able to keep her nose now.

Lying on the steering wheel, Jiang Chengyan gasped for breath, watching a stray dog run away with lingering fears. After a pause, he looked at Yao Min and asked with concern, “Are you alright? Did you hurt?”

Yao Min shook his head, “Captain you’re tired. Why don’t you let me drive?”

Jiang Chengyan took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and said, “No, it’s the dog that came out of nowhere. Let’s go. There are two mote intersections to your house.

The car restarted as soon as they arrived at the downstairs of Yao Min’s neighborhood. Yao Min got out of the car, lying in front of the car window, looking like she was hesitant to speak. Seeing this, Jiang Chengyan snapped, “If you have something to say, don’t act that stupid.”

“Then promise me that Captain will not get angry.”

“Then don’t talk about it, I don’t want to go home angry in the middle of the night.” After Jiang Chengyan finished speaking, he slowly started the car.

“Captain, why are you like this?”  She quickly got up and looked at the car that went further and further away. Yao Min muttered dissatisfied, “You should be single for being so ignorant of your compassion for others.”

Jiang Chengyan drove back home. As usual, he took a hot bath and went to sleep. Even though he had always been a good sleeper, he also had insomnia. He couldn’t fall asleep after tossing and turning with his mind full of Ling Hua’an. He was annoyed. He cover himself with the quilt and shouted out loud, venting his agitated emotions, but it did not help.

He took out his mobile phone from under the pillow, turned to the dialog box chat with Ling Hua’an, and hesitated for a long time. He finally couldn’t help but send a voice message.

Ling Hua’an, who was listening to music, suddenly heard a message alert. He turned off the music in confusion, opened the VX, and clicked on the voice message. “Hua’an, it’s me. I can’t sleep. I want to talk to someone, are you …… still in the store?”

Ling Hua’an frowned slightly and replied, “Insomnia?”

Jiang Chengyan nervously clicked on the voice, and Ling Hua’an’s pleasant voice came. Just a word, but enough soothed the irritation feeling in his heart.

“En.” Jiang Chengyan hesitated for a moment before continuing, “When I got off work today, I saw a man in your store. Is he your new night-shift clerk?”

Ling Hua’an instantly thought of Yan Yu and replied, “No, he’s my friend. Are you getting off work so late today?”

“Well, the case has made new progress. It needs to be investigated and verified, so we have to work overtime.”

“Get up and heat up a glass of milk. Go to bed after drinking it.”

“Hua’an, you seem to have a good relationship with him. You guys must be a good friend.” Jiang Chengyan edited, deleted, and finally sent it.

Hearing the reply, Ling Hua’an couldn’t help but raised his eyebrows. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile, “En. Very good friend.”

As soon as Jiang Chengyan heard this, he felt even worse. He stuffed his mobile phone back under his pillow and closed his eyes angrily. He didn’t believe that he really couldn’t sleep.

Ding

A new message alert sounded, he subconsciously touched the phone, struggled for a while, but still clicked on the voice.

“I recommend you a piece of music. If you can’t sleep, listen to it.”

He played the music and the soothing rhythm comes.  Turn on the music, the soothing rhythm comes, and the boy’s voice is very clean, not superfluous. Just like the warm sunshine in winter that can soothe one’s soul. Before he knew it, Jiang Chengyan’s irritation feeling disappeared, and he quickly fell asleep.

***

Ling Hua’an touched the bell in his pocket and asked, “Jiang Changping, the figure you often think is a man, right?”

Jiang Changping was silent for a moment, “yes, but I can’t see him clearly.”

“Do you love him?”

There was another silence, and Jiang Changping said, “It’s probably love, I feel heartache every time I think of him.”

“What about Li Qiuran? If you like men, why did you get married and have children?”

“I …… I don’t know.” Jiang Changping’s voice was full of pain.

“In your memory, is there any clue about that man?”

Jiang Changping was silent again. After a long time, he opened his mouth and said, “I don’t want you to investigate. Master, let’s end the transaction between us.”

Ling Hua’an understood Jiang Changping’s thoughts, he said lightly “even if I stop, the police will not stop. The truth will be revealed sooner or later. And if you do evil things, there will be cause and effect. God will not let them go.”

“Everything is my fault ……,” Jiang Changping said bitterly, “If there really is karma, let it be on me.”

“If it’s your karma, you can’t hide from it. But if it’s not, you can’t take it either.”

~~~

1. even eight horses couldn’t pull him back mean stubborn. ↺