The awkwardness continues as Luo Lang joins Bo Jinyan and crew for a meal, and Luo Lang realises that he never had a chance with Jian Yao. Meanwhile, Fang Qing is given bad news from Beijing . . .

(Apologies for the late post! I came home late last night and was unable to post this on time)

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Chapter 87

This was a restaurant known on the streets of Xun City for its good flavours. The five people sat around the table, Jian Yan and Bo Jinyan sat on one side, Fang Qing and Luo Lang sat on another. An Yan, as a pretty burly guy, naturally sat on the side facing the aisle.

Jian Yao ordered, while Fang Qing and Luo Lang chatted for a bit; however, Bo Jinyan and An Yan still remained silent.

At that moment, Jian Yao asked in a low tone, "Other than fish, let"s also eat some potato and sweet potato leaves, alright?"

"Perfect," Bo Jinyan slightly nodded.

"Sister-In-Law, my chicken leg," An Yan said.

"I know," Jian Yao smiled.

While they were talking, Luo Lang"s gaze would inadvertently fall on them. Almost as if he was a little agitated, yet also a little disaffected.

At that moment, Fang Qing"s cellphone rang; he felt around for his phone to take a look – it was a number from Beijing.

"I"m going to take a call," he stood up, yet he gave Luo Lang"s shoulder a pat, tightening his grip to give a little pinch.

Luo Lang felt it, yet acted as if he felt nothing, quietly sitting there, not moving at all.

Jian Yao already finished ordering, and the entire table instantly quieted down.

Luo Lang took out a lighter from his pocket, and smilingly asked, "Do you guys mind if I smoke?" He knew Jian Yao wouldn"t mind, An Yan had a face full of indifference.

"I don"t mind," Bo Jinyan said lightly.

Luo Lang lowered his head and lit a cigarette, slowly smoking. The two people across the table from him, their hands were still tightly held together under the table, he saw it. In that split second, Luo Lang suddenly felt like a wretched rat, he laughed self-mockingly.

Thinking in detail about his feelings for Jian Yao all these years, was it love? Was it infatuation? Was it guilt? Or was it just a realization of his feeling of "better than nothing"? Even he could not clearly determine this. When he was young, he actually saw Jian Yao many times. But she did not know of his existence. Until later on, after he returned to China following the completion of his studies in the U.S., he made up his mind, to meet her. His life that was originally dry and drab, suddenly seemed like it had an added spot of brightness, giving him a type of enthusiasm for life.

Those women, those women that he used to mask his own confusion, so that Jian Yao wouldn"t reject him becoming closer with her. They couldn"t even compare to one of Jian Yao"s fingers. He could clearly remember that case from last year, when Jian Yao lay in his arms seriously hurt and unconscious, he could feel his heart deeply affected and hurt. In that instance, he wanted to destroy the whole world for her. Just like that, these emotions were willful yet alive. Afterwards, he and Fang Qing constantly took care of Jian Yao, his life was no longer the same. What kind of a feeling was that?

He had entrusted himself to her.

A sense of trust that he had never had. Life seemed to have an added feeling of gentle yet wonderful responsibility. He sensed the existence of that feeling so very vividly.

But now, Bo Jinyan had returned.

She no longer needed someone else"s care, because her wound was healed. After Luo Lang clearly realized this fact, he suddenly felt disappointed, a very deep sense of disappointment akin to falling from the clouds. But, now seeing her smile so blissfully, with her whole body seeming to emit a glow that she had never had in the past year, he also mysteriously felt happy.

Luo Lang put down the cigarette in his hand, lifted his head and asked, "Have you guys been staying in Xun City for the entire year?" Of course, he was asking Bo Jinyan and An Yan.

Before Bo Jinyan could answer, An Yan spoke up, "Not really, we"ve been around a few places, and then we returned here. Firstly, because we knew the local police captain, Shao Yong, and secondly because Jinyan felt… that this was very close to Sister-In-Law"s hometown. He missed Sister-In-Law everyday."

Luo Lang laughed.

Jian Yao glanced at Luo Lang, however, Bo Jinyan, who was right by her side, stated evenly, "The truth is exactly so."

Luo Lang asked, "Isn"t Tong City Mr. Bo"s hometown?"

"It is," Bo Jinyan answered, "But I don"t have many feelings towards my hometown."

"Me too," Luo Lang said.

At that moment, Bo Jinyan seemed to finally properly "look" at Luo Lang, he lightly smiled and said, "Interesting. Mr. Luo, in the past year, often you were with Jian Yao and them, right?"

He asked this very calmly; Luo Lang"s answer was also very calm, " Yes. It was originally just the camaraderie from being from the same home town, but after what happened last year, I also wanted to do what I could to take care of this young la.s.s. Fang Qing too, after being dumped by his girlfriend — these things you guys probably already know about, I get along pretty well with him too. In this past year, I"m very lucky to have gotten to know these two good friends."

Jian Yao stared into the teacup in front of her, the liquid in the cup was light green, bright, calm.

After Luo Lang finished speaking, Bo Jinyan felt around for the teacup on the table, lifting it up and saying, "Mr. Luo, using tea as alcohol, I would like to express my grat.i.tude to you for taking care of Jian Yao for me in the past year."

Luo Lang smiled a bit, and said, "No need to thank me," and finished his cup in one gulp.

While they were inside chatting, Fang Qing at that moment was standing outside the entrance under the light, his entire body was completely still, like it was frozen.

The phone call that he had picked up, was from Jin Xiaozhe"s a.s.sistant. The business between both of them, those she was closest to and relied on the most all knew about it. The voice of the female a.s.sistant on the other end of the phone was choked with emotion, "Officer Fang, Ms. Jin is currently still in the intensive care unit…. When she was barely conscious, she constantly called out your name, so I took the initiative to give you a call…"

Fang Qing almost roared out, "What happened? How could a healthy person like her need to be in the ICU?"

The female a.s.sistant sobbed, "I don"t know, I really don"t know… The doctor said she was poisoned, I don"t know how she could have been poisoned, maybe she ate something that went bad…"

Fang Qing was silent for a long time, lifted his head, saw that the street lamp was a dim yellow yet cold-looking; it was evidently only a day in September, but his heart felt cold and hurt as if he was in the dead of winter. As he lifted his eyes and gazed forward, his friends were still in the restaurant, their faces weary yet alert. The file containing the third murder case was still in his bag.

He could hear his own dried-up voice say, "I can"t go back right now, really cannot leave. If anything changes about her, call me whenever. If you cannot get through, just leave me a message. The moment I finish my duties I will drop by and see to her."

After hanging up the call with the a.s.sistant, he took many deep breaths before calming down, then called a few police officers he was close with in Beijing, exhorted them several times, and then said, "I think there is something suspicious about her poisoning, this probably has already been reported to the police. She"s not very particular about what she eats, she"ll often eat out, but she also does not take a lot of medicine and she has always been in pretty good health… brother, thank you for doing me this favour."

Inside the store, the hot and steaming fish hotpot had already been served. Bo Jinyan calmly picked up his chopsticks. Normally it was always An Yan who put the entire fish onto his plate, but today was naturally different. Jian Yao seemed as if she had just returned from her thoughts, picked up a fish with her chopsticks, put it into his bowl, and then softly asked, "Do you need me to pick out the meat for you?"

The corners of Bo Jinyan"s lips started bending, and was just about to say "sure", when An Yan lightly said from the side, "No need, Sister-In-Law, he can spit out the entire fish"s bones even with his eyes closed."

Jian Yao smiled, "Oh," she said.  When she lifted her head, she could see that Luo Lang was staring at her, that pair of eyes dark and silent. She avoided his gaze.

Bo Jinyan, however, looked towards An Yan, coldly laughing as he said, "I am surprised you have lived until the age of 26, and yet not have any awareness of the interactions between lovers."

An Yan"s face turned red.

Jian Yao also felt awkward, lightly hitting Bo Jinyan under the table.

Luo Lang gazed at the way they interacted, feeling that it was both fresh and interesting. Even he, as an outsider, could feel the harmony in their interactions and their deep friendship. He drank his beer, smiling.

Translator: Clue

Editor/ Proofreader: Anks