translated_Chapter 5

05: A Thief

05: A Thief

Qiu Ci naturally used his left hand to pick up a piece of spare rib, took a bite, and his eyes lit up: “The taste is great.”

“I knew you’d like it.” Jing Yueming served two bowls of rice to eat together.

Ai La liked it.

Qiu Ci sighed inwardly, the tomato and eggs were sweet.

He doesn’t like sweet things.

After finishing his meal, Qiu Ci pushed the bowl away: “I have things to do tonight, I’ll go back first.”

The CEO should indeed be so busy: “Okay.”

Qiu Ci went back to his own home in slippers.

Jing Yueming cleaned up the dishes and began packing Ai La’s things.

Ai La seemed to have left neither too much nor too little.

A few changes of clothes, some manuscripts, and pens.

And a few books.

Along with a red dress.

This dress was designed by Jing Yueming himself, perfectly highlighting Ai La’s figure.

A deep red, vintage style, suitable for Ai La’s deep, aggressive features.

At first, Jing Yueming just had a whim and gave Ai La a design draft.

Ai La secretly customized this dress, using fabrics comparable to those used by high-end designers.

And found embroiderers to hand-embroider hidden patterns.

Its value and the memories it carries transcend everything.

It’s the most important thing between them.

Jing Yueming sighed, folded the dress neatly, and put it in a cardboard box.

Hopefully, it won’t get wrinkled.

After packing it up, he put it at the door, it should be picked up tomorrow morning.

He made a phone call to the number from today, along with a photo.

The other side replied, “Received.”

The new earphones still worked well, and Jing Yueming gave the merchant a good review.

Counting down, three good reviews were given by Jing Yueming.

On campus, a few maple trees had turned red.

In the four seasons, only autumn is more unique in the north than in the south.

Warm colors bring a cold winter.

“The things are gone?” Jing Yueming asked in surprise on the phone.

“Mr. Jing, I checked the surveillance, and there is indeed no footage of you putting a box outside.” The calm female voice on the other end narrated.

“Impossible, I took a photo for you, that can’t be faked.” Jing Yueming’s anger gradually rose, and he even suspected that the other party was lying to him: “Who exactly are you? What are you to Ai La, explain clearly, or I’ll call the police.”

“Please calm down, I believe you, it’s just that the things may be lost.”

“What do you mean ‘may be’? Call the police, let’s go.”

The other side went silent again, and the silence at this time made people even more suspicious.

“Who the hell are you? Ai La’s things are so important, how can they be lost!”

“Mr. Jing, let’s meet in private, I am Ai La’s lover, a private investigator from Japan, you can choose a place.” This sentence from the woman exploded in Jing Yueming’s ears like a thunderclap, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.

After a long while, he reacted, the other party might be lying to him.

“Why should I believe you, let’s meet at the police station.”

The woman panicked: “Don’t call the police, I returned to the country privately, if you’re not at ease, choose a safe place yourself, how about we talk about Ai La’s affairs in detail?”

Jing Yueming hesitated, he thought he knew Ai La very well, but he didn’t even know if she had family, the name of the company she worked for, or even her Chinese name.

“Are you really Ai La’s friend?” Jing Yueming asked again.

“Ai La studied in Japan in college, I was her classmate and girlfriend.”

“There is a dark green, retro-decorated coffee shop next to the apartment, we can meet there in the evening.” Jing Yueming set the location, closer to home.

He walked back around three or four in the afternoon, and arrived at the coffee shop at five o’clock sharp.

Jing Yueming ordered a latte and waited slowly.

Before long, a woman who looked about one meter sixty-five tall walked over, wearing a blue-green dark patterned casual shirt, a knitted scarf, and a mid-length dark-colored skirt.

It matched well with autumn or the coffee shop.

“Hello, Mr. Jing, my name is Tsukimi Rin.” The woman shook hands with Jing Yueming.

“Tsukimi Rin? What do you mainly want to talk to me about?” Jing Yueming wanted to ask her about Ai La personally, those things he didn’t know, but he needed a starting point.

Tsukimi Rin smiled lightly: “Shouldn’t it be you who want to ask me something?” She keenly pointed out Jing Yueming’s curiosity.

“Okay, I want to know if Ai La has any family?” Jing Yueming asked tentatively.

“There are blood relatives, her younger brother, they were adopted, Ai La inherited her adoptive father’s agency in China.” Tsukimi Rin indeed knew Ai La better than him.

“You two were really in that kind of relationship before?” Jing Yueming didn’t feel angry about this, after all, compared to ordinary lovers, or a sugar daddy relationship, they were more like artistic confidants who could appreciate each other.

“Yes, Miss Ai La and I were together a long time ago, but being with you was after we broke up. At that time, I stayed in Japan, she returned to China, and then met you.” Tsukimi Rin was obviously happier when talking about that time.

A trace of happiness emerged in Jing Yueming’s heart, Ai La also broke through her own sexuality to be with him: “Ai La’s company, I want to know, and her younger brother?”

“Sorry, I can’t tell you that.” Tsukimi Rin politely refused to discuss Ai La’s details.

Jing Yueming responded helplessly: “Oh.” He stirred his coffee boredly.

“Can I ask you a few questions?” Tsukimi Rin asked Jing Yueming.

Obviously, such a refusal was impolite: “Ask away.”

“Ai La was with you during her last days, did she have any obvious signs of depression?” Tsukimi Rin was extremely concerned.

“This… it’s hard to say, you don’t quite understand, artists always have times of low ebb, during that time she was constantly creating her own original work.” Jing Yueming recalled those days in detail, Ai La was always nervously creating, he only thought it was because she had been painting for a long time and her mental state was not good, who would have thought…

“Would it be convenient to see her last piece of work?”

Jing Yueming also shook his head: “That piece of work is in her private studio, after Ai La passed away, it was sealed off.”

Tsukimi Rin sighed: “I find it hard to believe that Ai La committed suicide, the Ai La in my memory was always cheerful and decisive.”

Jing Yueming sneered: “When Ai La was with me, she was more relaxed, she was very gentle, and had her own insights into art.”

Tsukimi Rin smiled apologetically, which was the real her? Tsukimi Rin knew better than Jing Yueming, was it Ai La who liked art and liked Jing Yueming?

Or Qiu Shi, who had a fierce quarrel with her younger brother?

Tsukimi Rin knew what she could and couldn’t say, so she didn’t say much.

Jing Yueming pondered for a while: “What about those things?”

These are all the things Ai La left behind.