Chapter 10, the Wheel of Reincarnation Nine

Guo Changcheng suddenly raised his head, and the man in front of him was looking down at him, a warm smile on his face. His features were so handsome that Guo could not find the words to describe them, and a single sentence filled his heart with warmth and strength

Zhao Yunlan nodded: "Mm, go ahead."

The observer Daqing silently lowered its head; it has lived for over a thousand years and still cannot comprehend the boundless hypocrisy of these humans

In the quiet campus, the only sound was that of the lush green leaves dripping from the branches to the ground. On Shen Wei's face, there was no hint of emotion. After a long while, he forced a self-deprecating smile, bending the corner of his mouth slightly, before lowering his head and leaving in haste

Guo Changcheng straightened his back with his eyes shining: "Yes!"

Speaking, he looked at the layer of skin that had been scraped off Zhao Yunlan's arm and frowned: "Be sure to take care of yourself when you go back. Avoid getting the wound wet in the next few days, and try to refrain from eating spicy or irritating foods and ... ... "

Guo Changcheng lowered his head like a child with autism, and the fringe blocking his view was somewhat greasy, resembling a perfectly aligned row of black lines

Zhao Yunlan stared at him in silence

Shen Wei handed him the medicine he had taken from the school hospital, saying: "I noticed you didn't have time to pick up your medicine earlier, so I brought it to you."

He looked at Zhao Yunlan, who was carrying Daqing on his shoulder with a heavy heart—despite having to slightly tilt his neck due to the cat's weight, his posture resembling that of a stroke patient, he still appeared so handsome and dashing.

Oh," Zhao Yunlan neither affirmed nor denied, he simply nodded slowly, stood still, with his hands clasped behind his back, slightly leaning forward, "Then what do you think happened to her that led to her death?"

Speaking of Guo Changcheng, this rather foolish child was assigned a task to "understand the situation," but he truly had no idea what he was supposed to find out. He could only brace himself and stammer through conversations with others. He was quite self-aware about the results of his work—believing that even the parrots in the flower and bird market spoke more fluently than he did

Even when Guo Changcheng squats, his way of doing so is unlike anyone else's. He curls up into a ball, with his hair covering most of his face, and beside him sits a plump cat with a double chin, sitting upright with an air of dignity. This striking scene often draws the attention of passersby who stop to observe.

"It’s alright," Zhao Yunlan said gently, "If there’s anything to say, just speak up. In our future work, we will inevitably need to communicate with each other. Once you spend more time with me, you will understand that I have a very good temper, and I am also quite carefree. Even if there are some unpleasant moments, I will forget them after a good night’s sleep."

Oh... oh!" Guo Changcheng hurriedly took out a notebook from his small shoulder bag, "I found out... the deceased is named Lu Ruomei, a graduate student in the Mathematics Department, a local, and comes from a well-off family. There are few female students in the Mathematics Department, and everyone usually takes good care of her, so her interpersonal relationships are also very good. I haven't heard of her having conflicts with anyone. She is currently striving for administrative retention at the school and spends a lot of time on extracurricular activities, so her academic performance is not particularly good.

At that moment, Zhao Yunlan suddenly turned his head, and Guo Changcheng hurriedly averted his gaze.

After he finished speaking, he tossed the small medicine bottle up and caught it again, then turned to Shen Wei and waved his hand: "Thank you so much, I have a few things to attend to, so I will take my leave first. Once I finish this case, I must treat Teacher Shen to a meal."

Only in the moment he lowered his head did the faint sense of desolation swiftly fade away, his face taut as if carved by a knife, revealing a silent intent to kill

He was unaware of the specific fragrance the other party was using; upon encountering it for the first time, the scent seemed to have captivated his soul and haunted his dreams for many years.

Zhao has never dealt with such a peculiar situation before, so he could only endure the internal injury and put on a mysterious expression to exude an air of leadership, saying to him: "You did well, very meticulous, and you have great potential"

I believe that due to the matter of staying at school for graduate school recommendations, some of her competitors may have motives for committing a crime. It is also possible that she got into trouble with someone while engaging in social activities outside of school. We can start by investigating her social connections; perhaps the suspect is among them. At this point, Guo Changcheng said, feeling anxious and lacking confidence, he secretly glanced at Zhao Yunlan and added, I... I can only think of this for now

Therefore, Guo Changcheng voluntarily took on a task that was more difficult than facing death—dealing with strangers, making phone calls to strangers: "Well... then I will check her social connections!"

Zhao Yunlan took the opportunity to grab the potion bottle from his hand, twirled it a few times in his grip, and said with a half-smile, "It's nothing, I just think that someone like Professor Shen, a young talent, is so attentive and considerate, he must be quite the sharpshooter, I spoke too much."

As soon as he ran far away, the benevolent leader immediately pulled a long face at the speed of light

How did he faint?

During this half hour spent squatting in the corner, Guo Changcheng deeply reflected on the series of events that had transpired in less than twelve hours since he entered the Special Investigation Office, feeling extremely frustrated—was it not just a slightly eerie corridor? Was it not merely that the lighting was a bit dim and strange? Was it not just that the leader casually uttered a vague remark?

Daqing raised its round face and exclaimed: "You are truly both sharp-tongued and split-minded, leader"

For this special investigation department, where the salary is higher than anyone else's and the bonuses are more substantial than anyone else's, Guo Changcheng has always felt unworthy of being here. However, now, through a series of unfortunate events, he has managed to enter through disreputable means. If he cannot even manage to stay, it would be embarrassing, but more importantly, how will he explain this to his second uncle when he returns

He rambled on with a bunch of nonsense, yet it was commendable that Zhao Yunlan patiently listened to him throughout. In the end, he even asked, "Is there anything else? What are your own thoughts?"

I... I... I... Guo Changcheng struggled for a long time but couldn't articulate a coherent thought. His eyes even turned red, and finally, he managed to shout, "I feel like I'm just a useless person!"

Zhao Chuming is not much older than himself, yet he remains so confident at all times, as if he fears nothing at all

Ah, Zhao Yunlan thought with delight, who says otherwise

What are you in a hurry for? Zhu Hong is still on duty in the office. I will call her shortly and ask her to check. Zhao Yunlan persuaded him, saying, Let's do this, I will assign you a challenging task—did you see that girl who was about to jump off the building? She is an important eyewitness, but I feel like she is hiding something. You should go follow her now and find out why she didn't tell me the truth.

What happened? What do you want to say? Zhao, who had been cursing him behind his back, inquired in a gentle and calm manner

"Do not speak carelessly..." Shen Wei felt somewhat uneasy

This time, he walked without a hint of urgency, one hand in his pocket, swaying gently. His silhouette appeared somewhat nonchalant, yet the parts of his body that should be bent were not straight at all, and the parts that should be straight were not bent at all. His laziness was imbued with a certain elegance—he resembled a peacock displaying its feathers, seizing every moment to flaunt his hormonally charged tail.

"You are a cat, stop talking nonsense, you are the one who is delusional—go follow him, I need to return to the office to check on some matters, keep an eye on him, don't let him die, otherwise I won't be able to explain to the higher-ups." Zhao Yunlan gave the cat a light pat on the rear, and Daqing lazily meowed, leaping down from his shoulder like a released arrow, dashing out with great speed.

Shen Wei was taken aback and exclaimed, "How could this be..."

Shen Wei took out his phone, but Zhao Yunlan did not answer. Gently supporting Shen Wei's hand, he boldly entered his name and number into the contacts, saved it, and pressed dial, hanging up after a single ring

Until he walked away, the slightly youthful awkwardness on Shen Wei's face gradually faded. His gaze was profound yet restrained. Finally, he cast a glance at the almost indistinguishable figure of Zhao Yunlan before turning around and walking in another direction

Zhao Yunlan asked aimlessly: "Has Professor Shen gotten married?"

Guo Changcheng, whose legs had gone numb from squatting, limped behind Zhao Yunlan, walking along the quiet and beautiful path of the campus. From time to time, he would steal a glance at Zhao Yunlan's tall figure, his expression resembling that of a small wife who had accidentally burned the kitchen, feeling both anxious and wronged.

Shen Wei raised his finger, which still bore the faint scent of an ancient cologne that had become very subtle on another person. He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath.

Guo Changcheng was unsure of his meaning, so he foolishly asked: "Murdered?"

It was close to noon when he finally received a call from Zhao Yunlan, feeling dejected as he squatted at the school gate with a peculiar talking black cat, waiting for the leader to come and claim it

Shen Wei finally felt uncomfortable under his gaze and fell silent: "What’s wrong?"

Zhao Yunlan was so exasperated that he burst into laughter

Half an hour later, Zhao Yunlan, who had hurriedly arrived, finally concluded this embarrassing exhibition

"Wow," he gazed at the intern's back and said to the black cat on his shoulder, "I've never seen such a purebred fool before, it's truly astonishing!"

Zhao Yunlan let out an "oh" and continued to ask: "Does Professor Shen have a girlfriend?"

Unfortunately, Comrade Guo Changcheng probably has no idea how to write the four characters "察言观色". As soon as he smiled, he immediately relaxed and also revealed a silly grin, eager to give it a try.

The contact name "A Lan" lies quietly on the screen of his mobile phone. When he silently utters these two characters, it feels as if a knife lightly rolls through his heart, cutting into the softest part until it is a bloody mess. However, it is ultimately sealed away by his slightly thin lips in a place where others cannot hear.

However, he still fully utilized his duplicitous talents, reaching out to place his hand on Guo Changcheng's head, affectionately ruffling his hair: "Alright, young man, it's your first time on an assignment, what's there to be afraid of if there are some issues? Who hasn't made mistakes? Take your time, don't rush, I believe in you, don't overthink it—tell me, what did you find out from the teacher at school just now?"

Guo Changcheng, with his blood still boiling, turned and ran, his chest held high and his movements heroic, as if he were not pursuing someone, but rather going to block the muzzle of a gun

His gaze carried just the right amount of aggression, making Shen Wei feel inexplicably that, in this situation, neither nodding nor shaking his head would be appropriate

"Please leave a contact method." Zhao Yunlan said with a feigned seriousness, "If there are any clues related to this case, feel free to reach out."

However, after just a few steps, he could not help but look back once, only to find that the person he wanted to see had completely turned out of his sight

Zhao Yunlan smiled, revealing two dimples: "Oh, right, can you lend me your phone for a moment"

Guo Changcheng's face turned red at that moment; in an instant, he felt that his leader was truly wonderful to him. Guo Changcheng suddenly understood the meaning of the ancient saying "a scholar dies for a person who truly understands him." He felt that with Zhao's care and appreciation for him, it was truly worth dying for.