2. Ask for trouble

  A poor husband and wife have a hundred worries, this is Shao Yin's favorite phrase, so most of the men who associate with her are rich or second-generation wealthy (Detective Records 2). When I was still worried about making a living, she had her own car; when I finally had no more financial worries, she moved out of our little nest and soon started talking about marriage with a relatively wealthy man.

  The gap made us gradually become people from two different worlds: I still live in an ordinary neighborhood, go to work every day, and lead a normal life. Shao Yin moved into a high-end apartment, the kind with a doorman and a high-end community. As time went on, what opened up was not only the distance between us but also the gap in our understanding of each other. She seemed to have become a princess overnight, while I remained someone who deals with all sorts of cases and criminals every day, with so many cases that I couldn't find much time to respond to Shao Yin's invitations. Occasionally when we met up, Shao Yin always had endless things to say, and her clothes and accessories had undergone a complete transformation: designer handbags, makeup, and seasonal clothing trends. She seemed to really enjoy the joy brought by these luxury goods, always chatting away, pointing out which places I should improve on. However, being carefree like me, I naturally liked listening to her talk about these things, so that my heart could calm down.

  "Why don't you talk about yourself? I heard you have an admirer... no, should say a pursuer, named Qin Ming. Is it true?" Shao Yin wouldn't let go of any chance to tease me about my love life. Before I could respond, her left eye winked and she smiled slyly: "I heard he's a cold-faced handsome guy who never smiles. Is that true?"

  Was she really talking about that Qin Ming? The one who never showed his true self in front of me, and would laugh for half a day with just one careless sentence from me? She must have gotten it wrong. I shook my head: "How are you? When are you planning to get married?"

  "Get married? I'm still young. I have several years to play before I turn thirty. Why get tied down so early?" As soon as this topic was brought up, Shao Yin's tone suddenly changed. She glared at me, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation on this topic.

  Her attitude changed so quickly. I was a bit puzzled, but very consciously didn't continue to ask, just lowered my head and sipped the coffee in my hand. It seems that I really can't enjoy too luxurious things, although this cup of coffee is not cheap, but I don't think it tastes better than Nescafe's coffee.

  "Alright, I won't hide it from you either. Take a look at this..." Shao Yin finally spoke up, holding up her phone with a very serious expression.

  What's going on? I hastily gathered in front of my phone, only to see a woman wearing a deep blue professional suit looking to her right, her hair pulled back, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she looked very well-proportioned. It was obvious that this photo was taken secretly. I nodded and said: "Not bad, very good, a beautiful girl, you won't be..."

  "You think she's pretty too? Looks like I really haven't taught you well. She is pretty, that's true, but I always have this feeling that she'll snatch away my boyfriend or thoroughly take him away from my life - and it's not easy for me to find someone I like! Shaoyin put down her phone with a bad attitude, seemingly complaining and regretful. "Sigh, who knew there would be a sudden appearance of Cheng Yaogong? Now I have to think carefully about what to do next. One day, I'll make sure she dies at my hands!"

  "Someone who can make you grit your teeth with anger isn't a simple person! Who is she? Don't tell me you've also lost confidence in yourself? You're usually so successful in the romantic arena." I found it somewhat strange. The woman in the photo was clearly of a different style from Shao Yin. Isn't it said that people's aesthetic tastes are fixed? What kind of person would suddenly take a liking to a woman of a completely different style? But thinking again about the woman's dazzling appearance in the photo, I suppose any man would be moved by her."

  Shao Yin shook her head, and after a while, she said: "Okay, I hope I'm just being paranoid. But every time I see her, I feel a little guilty... it's that kind of atmosphere, you know? I hope I'm just overthinking. Even if she knows he's my boyfriend... sigh, but that's not necessarily true either."

  When did Shao Yin also like this? Perhaps she really met her match. I smiled and didn't make any response.

  In the following year or so, occasionally made a phone call to Shao Yin Tong, said a few words and then hung up. As long as you know that the other party is doing well, what's there to worry about?

  However, I never thought that a girl like Shao Yin who was always so carefree would one day get into trouble, and even less did I think she would get into such big trouble. On a certain day in early spring, I suddenly received her phone call, and on the other end of the line, she was sobbing uncontrollably. After a long time, she slowly opened her mouth to ask me for a huge favor.

  When I realized what kind of trouble Shao had gotten herself into, I almost went crazy: she had actually gotten herself involved in a murder case! Although she had temporarily cleared her name, it seemed like the police had already started monitoring her every move. After being taken away by the police for questioning twice, her emotions began to spiral out of control. What's more, everyone was casting suspicious glances at her, and everyone was pointing fingers at her. She came to me, naturally hoping that I could do something, at least clear her name.

  "You're not talking about the homicide that happened in a villa area two days ago, are you? I heard it was a young woman who was killed." My brow furrowed as I suddenly recalled that a case had been transferred to the Major Crimes Unit two days ago. Not long after, the head of the Criminal Police personally led his team to investigate the scene. They've been busy running around for the past two days.

  On the phone that day, Shao Yin sniffled and said repeatedly: "What you said is right. It's that cold-faced guy. He was the one who asked me questions, and he even threatened me, saying that I absolutely cannot leave the city until the case is closed..."

  Is it threatening? Qin Ming was just doing his job. However, if anyone else were in her shoes, they would inevitably feel a burden after hearing the police say those words. I could only comfort her by saying that as long as she was innocent, the police would never wrongly arrest someone.

  "I'm innocent! Of course, I'm innocent! My heart is still racing now, you can hear it, boom, boom, boom... Ah, these two days I haven't slept well. Those police, they have a way of intimidating people, but solving cases isn't necessarily their strong suit. Can you help me? I believe that if you get involved, we'll definitely be able to find the real culprit. These past two days, I've been feeling really uneasy, like someone's been following me... Will the killer think I know something and try to silence me? Please help me, can't you just hurry up and help me?" On the other end of the phone, Shao Yin's words were a bit incoherent, clearly having reached the peak of anxiety.