Translator-Rhapsodite
Editor- Koneko, Proofreader-Star
Zhu Ling collected Zhang Yiping’s information and sent it directly to Wei Fuyuan’s email address.
Sitting on the sofa in Su Lan’s living room, Bei Quan and Wei Fuyuan both quickly studied the information contained in the email.
Zhang Yiping is not a native of Feng Xingcheng City.
Her hometown is in West China, in a prefecture-level city. She is the middle child of her family of three, having an elder sister and a younger brother.
Her parents opened a fast-food restaurant. Although not considered wealthy, they did not have to worry about making ends meet, and could provide three meals a day, clothing and warmth.
This kind of family is unlikely to have the ability to buy an antique gold bracelet worth hundreds of thousands for their second daughter to wear and play around with.
Zhang Yiping and Su Lan were both classmates and roommates at Fengxing University, having a very good relationship for the four year duration that they stayed together and knew each other.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, Zhang Yiping originally wanted to take the postgraduate entrance examination, but unfortunately, she failed the first entrance exam and did not intend to return home. Instead, she found a job in Feng Xingcheng City, and prepared for the next year’s entrance exam whilst working.
The two continued to maintain close contact with each other after graduation, often chatting on WeChat, occasionally going out for a meal and some shopping.
The two would take a lot of photos together amongst their circle of friends. In the photos, the two young girls smile with a big grin on their faces—they look like a pair of happy and close girlfriends.
“Zhang Yiping resigned from her company before attending Zhu Ling’s wedding.”
Bei Quan took a quick glance through the information in the email.
Wei Fuyuan couldn’t keep up with his reading speed, so he just didn’t bother to read. He stayed close, resting his chin on the other’s shoulder, pretending that he was an oversized cushion, and was waiting for Bei Quan to summarize and relay the contents of the email aloud.
“Zhang Yiping has not returned to her rented apartment, but she has gone into hiding in a small rental house in the suburbs of the neighboring city.”
Bei Quan paused and added.
“She’s also disconnected her mobile phone number, deleted her WeChat, and all other communication methods of contact.”
“In that case, Zhang Yiping has long known what the gold bracelet is about?”
Wei Fuyuan nodded in understanding, the short hairs on his temples rubbed against Bei Quan’s ears.
“Is that why she disappeared after giving away the bracelet?”
Bei Quan couldn’t help but stretch out his hand and pushed the other’s big head away from his cheek.”Speak well and don’t mess around.”
Wei Fuyuan stared at Bei Quan in shock and grievance.
He said to himself, I haven’t done anything, so how am I messing around?
——You are sitting in my arms right now, if I really want to do something, I will do it directly!
——Being looked down upon before even touching-no matter how one thinks about it, this is all too unfair!
Although thinking it internally, Wei Fuyuan still did not dare to do anything out of the ordinary.
One reason is that now is not the best timing, and the second being that he is very self-aware.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Ft-tet!”
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“Tbe rjlv atja atlr ygjmfifa lr rlwlijg ab atf foofma bo atf Xbivfc Vlixkbgw Xe jcv lr erfv obg ugjcalcu klrtfr?”
Qfl Mesejc ogbkcfv jcv atbeuta obg j wbwfca.
“I think it’s more like a ‘deal’ than a ‘wish’, right?”
Bei Quan nodded his head.
He felt that Wei Fuyuan’s use of the word “deal” was too accurate.
Wei Fuyuan looked sideways at Bei Quan, “In that case, Zhang Yiping is the one who has to make a wish.”
“What exactly did Zhang Yiping trade with the bracelet to use for her best friend’s life to pay for it?”
“There are no clues yet.”
Bei Quan read the email in its entirety, then closed off the PDF browser, returning the mobile phone to Wei Fuyuan.
“However, during the past few months of her disappearance, having no contact with her parents or siblings, every day hiding in the rental house and seldom leaving it — it is clear that she is hiding something.”
Bei Quan smiled:
“As for why–we’ll know when we meet with her and ask directly, won’t we?”
—————————
Sunday, August 8, 3:45 p.m.
Wei Fuyuan parked the car in front of a self-built house on a homestead.
Since the location does not have an exact address or road number, he navigated straight to the neighborhood, and then relied on word of mouth, asking for directions.
The place is a small three-story western-style building with fourteen rooms of various sizes, about half of which were rented out. Bei Quan had inquired with the landlord on the way here, and the rent was very cheap, only 1,200 yuan a month.
The management of the group rental housing was very confusing.
The entrance to the building originally had an electronic lock for security and from the amount of people entering and leaving so frequently. However, some people were too lazy and were not bothered about the safety aspect, and simply removed the batteries from the electronic lock.
When Bei Quan and Wei Fuyuan opened the door directly into the house, there were tenants in the living room and kitchen on the first floor. When they entered the house, the tenants only looked up twice and then continued on with their previous tasks, not even questioning who the strange men were or why they were there.
The two went straight up to the third floor and saw a door marked “305” at the corner of the corridor.
The thin wooden door was tightly closed, and there were five bags of garbage outside- three of which were take-out food – it was obvious that this person had to deliver three meals a day.
The door to the room was equipped with an electronic lock.
Bei Quan put his hand on the door handle, tugging at it.
“Click.”
The door opened.
It was over three o’clock in the afternoon with the sun shining in this position, but the curtains in the room were tightly drawn with only one lamp switched on.
A young woman was huddled on the bed, swiping her phone in the dim lighting. Suddenly, she saw her door open with two strange men she had never seen before entering. Immediately her eyes widened, with a frightened and scared expression on her face, and she opened her mouth to scream.
Bei Quan raised his hand in her direction – the spell clasped in advance in his palm flew out and struck the woman’s body.
Her impending scream was suddenly blocked inside her throat- not even a syllable could be uttered.
“Uh, mm, mmmh??”
The woman reached for her throat in shock, seemingly completely confused as to what was going on.
Bei Quan and Wei Fuyuan flashed into the room and closed the door behind them.
The woman saw two big men blocking her doorway. She couldn’t shout or cry out for help, she was suddenly mute,except for a few mosquito-like soft whimpers.
She was completely frightened. She didn’t even have the courage to jump out of the bed and rush out of the door. She could only hold the thin summer quilt tightly, shrink to the corner of the wall, and tremble. Tears streamed down as she shook her head and sobbed to herself.
“Zhang Yiping, is it?”
Bei Quan smiled, speaking in a soft voice.
“Don’t be afraid, we’re just here to return this to you.”
With that, he pulled out the black velvet jewelry box from his jacket. He opened it and tossed it gently onto the girl’s quilt.
“Hmm? Woo hoo!”
Zhang Yiping looked down, glanced at the familiar gold item, and immediately let out a choked sob and shook like chaff. Her eyes rolled over, and she looked like she was about to faint in fear.
Bei Quan produced a cold smile.
“Seeing this reaction, you must know what this bracelet is, right?”
He squatted down beside the bed, keeping his eye level with Zhang Yiping, who was huddled under the quilt. He stared straight into her eyes.
“So, can you tell me, how did you get this bracelet?”
Zhang Yiping’s eyes rounded, her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish- only a few vague syllables came out.
Bei Quan kept his gaze on the female and asked, “If I let you talk, would you be willing to tell me everything?”
Zhang Yiping nodded her head while crying.
Bei Quan smiled and wiped his hand across the air in front of her neck, retracting the spell he had just placed on her.
Zhang Yiping found herself able to speak again.
Subconsciously, she opened her mouth and shouted for help.
Bei Quan backhanded another spell charm and slapped it out.
Zhang Yiping’s voice was silenced again.
“I knew this would happen.”
Bei Quan stood up and shrugged regretfully.
“Forget it, even if you did say it anyway, it wouldn’t necessarily be the truth.”
He walked to Wei Fuyuan’s side, his arms spread, and skillfully took his own little boyfriend’s shoulder.
“So, it’s better to see for yourself.”
Wei Fuyuan: “……”
His expression was extremely tangled.
——Although it is reasonable to say that we are already boyfriends, how can my treatment seem to have not improved at all?
Bei Quan winked at Wei Fuyuan.
Wei Fuyuan felt that he saw the word “beg” in his eyes.
He vigorously ground his teeth, and with his back to Zhang Yiping, soundlessly formed the words with his mouth: “I. Will. Settle. This. Later. With. You!”
Bei Quan smiled and patted him on the back, unsure if this counted as an agreement.
He then lifted his hand and struck Wei Fuyuan in the back of the head.
Wei Fuyuan felt the familiar dizziness of this process and the feeling that he was about to fall forwards and strike his knees to the ground.
Suddenly, someone caught him and gently pushed him forwards. He landed right into the body of another person…
————————-
He doesn’t know if it’s because he has empathized too many times, or that his soul is used to borrowing another person’s senses, but this time, Wei Fuyuan was only dizzy for a short period of time.
Only when he closed his eyes and opened them again, he saw that “he” was at a banquet.
Just from the feeling of her body, Zhang Yiping had already drunk a lot at that time. Her whole body was hot, and she couldn’t see straight- everything was wobbly. With the surge of alcohol consumed, her stomach was overwhelmed, and she couldn’t suppress the sourness in her mouth.
A few seconds later, she really couldn’t hold on.
She did not even have time to say hello, her face pale and covered her mouth, and she ran to the hotel bathroom.
As she ran, she could still hear two middle-aged men behind her saying loudly,
“Hey sorry, that girl is new and doesn’t know the rules, what a damn spoilsport!”
“Never mind her! Come on, drink! Bottoms up!”
Zhang Yiping ran into the toilet and threw up all over the floor, the vomit had traces of blood seeping through it.
Once she had finished being sick, she hugged the toilet bowl, not even having the strength to stand up.
After a while, Zhang Yiping finally staggered upright and shuffled over to the washbasin.
Another female guest came into the bathroom and saw Zhang Yiping and the filth on her dress. She showed a disgusted and disdainful expression whilst covering her nose she turned away.
Zhang Yiping saw the other party’s reaction in the mirror, and then looked at her own wretched appearance in her reflection.She could finally no longer hold back, and fell down on the floor and burst into tears.
