Today, Zhen Ai made lunch: lasagna.
When she served it to them, Owen had a strange expression but said nothing; Yan Su directly frowned and asked, "What is this big lump of mud?"
"It's lasagna!"
"The lasagna would commit suicide after hearing that. Its shape should be rectangular, layered, not... like this." He stared at the odd lump on the plate, racking his brain for descriptive words but ultimately failing, pointing at the small mound instead. "Right now, it looks like a pile of colorful tomatoes that have been beaten up."
Zhen Ai knew she had failed at cooking and tried to placate him: "I've tasted it. It may not look good, but it tastes great. Just put up with it."
Yan Su kept his serious expression. "Why should I suffer because your cooking is terrible?"
"..." Zhen Ai felt a fleeting desire to swat this unfortunate kid. Did he really have to be so blunt?
Owen, being cooperative, took a spoonful and was completely stunned. "It's really delicious, S.A. It's really good."
Zhen Ai looked at him gratefully, thinking that if all kindergarten kids were as obedient as Owen, it would be wonderful.
"How could it possibly taste good?" Yan Su said flatly, glancing at the mountain of mud on the plate, then at Owen. "You're a liar."
Zhen Ai walked over, took Yan Su's spoon, and scooped a small bit to bring to his mouth. "It looks bad, but it really tastes good. Just try it, just one bite."
Yan Su glanced at the unknown substance near his mouth, turned his head away defiantly, and stated firmly, "No!"
"Why not? Just try it. If I'm lying, then I'm a puppy."
He continued to turn his head away, his voice low, "That statement is ineffective; it offers no guarantee. Even if you lied to me, you cannot transform from a primate into a canine."
After a pause, he added softly, "A cunning and illogical liar."
Zhen Ai raised an eyebrow. "How do you know I'm lying?"
Yan Su turned back to look at her. "Theoretically, your lasagna doesn't take into account the order, cooking time, shape, and other factors. It cannot possibly be good…"
Zhen Ai shoved the spoonful of lasagna into his mouth. He was momentarily taken aback, blinking and holding the spoon in silence.
Zhen Ai let go, smiling. "Well? I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Yan Su took the spoon and savored it. The small lump melted in his mouth, surprisingly nice. He scooped another spoonful, looking oddly at it.
Zhen Ai felt triumphant. "So, now you admit my lasagna is good?"
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Yan Su's face but vanished quickly.
He shook his head, expressionless. "What you made isn't lasagna; it's lasagna mud. So, I only admit that your lasagna mud tastes decent."
After lunch, Zhen Ai went to the library to find Yan Su.
Yan Su sat on the sofa, staring blankly into space. She walked past him, and he didn't react at all, his gaze unfaltering.
He often spaced out like this, his mind racing with thoughts unknown to others. Zhen Ai had only known him for a few days but was already accustomed to this state.
Zhen Ai sat down and asked, "Do you already know how the criminal left the crime scene?"
Yan Su continued to stare blankly but shifted his focus toward her, responding quickly, "Yes."
"Then…"
"I need to drink water." He interrupted her with an empty gaze, but his thoughts were clearly quick.
Zhen Ai stood up to pour him a glass of water, glancing at the phone he was playing with. "So, you're waiting for the break to be over…"
"Right." He took the glass from her and started drinking leisurely.
Zhen Ai hadn't finished her question, and it felt unnecessary to ask now.
But another question arose in her mind, "Did you find the evidence?"
"Mm." He leaned back in the chair, rhythmically tapping his knee, clearly at ease and proud.
Zhen Ai was surprised. The crime scene, apart from the victim, the boyfriend, and her usual residual fingerprints and a few strands of hair, had no other key evidence. The bathroom, table, and fruit knife related to the case had no fingerprints. The floor had also been wiped clean of shoe prints.
Where did he find the evidence?
As of now, Zhen Ai couldn't clearly see who the murderer was.
Witness two, Wen Bo, had a drug dispute with Jiang Xin? Witness three, Zhao He, went to steal? Witness four, Yang Zhen, harbored jealousy and hatred?
Her head spun with thoughts as she looked at Yan Su, who sat calmly, legs crossed, drinking water.
As if sensing her gaze, he slowly turned his head, his dark eyes under the light seeming like black jade submerged in water, locking eyes with her for a moment before he asked, "Do you have an opinion about me?"
This sudden question took her by surprise.
Zhen Ai wondered, "Why do you ask that?"
Without pausing, he replied, his tone flat yet almost aggressive, "Then why have you been staring at me?"
"…"
Even after locking eyes with him just seconds before, Zhen Ai hadn't felt flustered, but his direct question made her slightly awkward.
Zhen Ai, frustrated by his straightforwardness, simply smiled, "Because you're good-looking."
She thought he would be flustered, maybe even blush, but he remained expressionless, blinking before turning away. "Oh, then feel free to look more."
Zhen Ai: …
At that moment, Yan Su was biding his time, holding his phone, fingers deftly flying over it, making it spin quickly in his hand, making her worry it might fly out and break.
She stared at his fingers, mesmerized, until suddenly the phone stopped and was thrust in front of her.
Zhen Ai was taken aback.
He looked indifferent, raising his black phone. "You looked so engrossed; do you want to play with it?"
Zhen Ai hesitated for a moment, just about to reach for it when he pulled it back, smiling faintly. "Always works like a charm."
Zhen Ai stammered, "What do you mean by that?"
He continued to spin the phone quickly with one hand, saying, "I just knew your reflexes are slow."
Zhen Ai: …
At one moment, he suddenly stood up. "So boring." He put the phone in his pocket and looked down at her. "Do you want to go recreate the crime scene?"
The dormitory of Zhen Ai and Jiang Xin was still cordoned off with police tape. The interior remained the same as it had been, only the floor had been cleaned, and the bloodstains had faded significantly. In the center of the floor, a white outline marked where Jiang Xin had died.
Her clothes still hung there, and the calendar on the table was forever stuck on February. Zhen Ai looked closely this time and indeed saw notes written on it, but there was nothing for the 29th.
She gazed toward the bathroom, suddenly imagining that on the day of the incident, perhaps Taylor stood in that very spot, looking into the quiet bathroom without entering. The next time he stepped outside, it would be a final farewell.
She turned to Yan Su: "If Taylor knew he missed it, he would definitely be very sad."
Yan Su felt an inexplicable discomfort at her words. He stared at her face, contemplating for a moment, then suddenly smiled. Originally, he intended to analyze Taylor, but now he was no longer interested.
"Let's act it out," he said, suddenly striding toward her.
Seeing him approach with such intensity, Zhen Ai instinctively stepped back, but he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, his gaze dark. "You didn't know I was here to kill you. Why are you hiding?"
Zhen Ai paused for a moment, gradually coming back to herself. She forced herself to adopt Jiang Xin's mindset, saying, "Well, I opened the door for you, but I didn't know what would happen next, so I didn't scream or struggle."
No scream, no struggle...
Yan Su's expression tightened slightly. Why did her calm words seem to carry a subtle, bewitching charm?
Her face, illuminated from behind, appeared ethereal and pale. He refocused, looking deeply into her eyes, his voice low: "You look beautiful today. Where are you going later?"
Zhen Ai's heart raced. She stared at his handsome features, then quickly realized he was referring to Jiang Xin that day.
Seeing how seriously he was playing his part, Zhen Ai didn't want to lag behind. She looked down, feigning nonchalance, and turned slightly. "Taylor invited me to dinner. He bought me an expensive gift!"
As she spoke, Zhen Ai suddenly froze. The murderer could not possibly be Taylor. Jiang Xin had dressed up, intending to reconcile with him. Only a fool would stuff a ring into her mouth after committing murder.
Yan Su walked over, leaning against the desk, watching her standing in front of the vanity with a lonely gaze, his words tinged with melancholy: "So, you're ignoring me?"
Zhen Ai noticed the forlorn look on his face in the mirror, her heart twinging. She kept her expression cold and resolutely headed for the bathroom. "I'm going to wash my face and do my makeup. You can leave."
As she walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, her hand brushed the cool surface. In the mirror, she saw Yan Su approach from behind, step by step, until he stood almost against her back. Zhen Ai felt an inexplicable chill at her feet.
This time, the person in the mirror had a dark expression, slightly lowering their head, as if in a trance: "You mean we won't see each other again?"
The water level in the sink rose noisily as Zhen Ai gripped the edge, frozen. She should have realized it wasn't Yang Zhen—how could she have so much strength?
She swallowed hard. "Yes, let's not meet again." Just as her voice faded, she felt a shiver run through her as his cool hand grasped her neck. He leaned down, pressing his weight onto her. "I've given you so many things…"
Zhen Ai retorted, "Those cheap trinkets, I'll return them to you."
"This is how you measure value? Is that all I've given you?" His grip tightened slightly, making her shudder, realizing she was now playing the part of someone being pushed underwater.
She gently bit her lip and fell silent.
The world was quiet, only the sound of water flowing.
But suddenly he released her.
Then Zhen Ai heard the phone ringing—Taylor was calling.
In the next moment, without warning, Yan Su covered her mouth. Zhen Ai was taken by surprise as he half-dragged her to the bathroom door and quickly locked it.
He held Zhen Ai by the door, one hand over her small face, the other gripping her slender neck.
Zhen Ai felt an intense heat rising within her; his cool hand felt hot against her. His body pressed against hers was suffocating. Moreover, his large hand covering her face carried a light masculine scent that made her feel dizzy and her heart race.
She struggled lightly, but he did not let go, his handsome face clear and defined.
Feeling her cheeks flush, Zhen Ai closed her eyes in embarrassment, deciding to just go along with it.
At that moment, she was Jiang Xin, and she should be completely submerged, losing all sense of resistance, hearing Taylor outside the door apologizing and begging her to come out. She also sorrowfully wished he would rush in. But she had been too willful before, and he always gave in to her. This time was no different. She heard Taylor say he placed the ring on the table.
The murderer, feeling agitated, tightened his grip even more, suffocating her. Panic set in as she realized Taylor was leaving; despair consumed her.
"Want to cry? He's already gone; no one is coming to save you," Yan Su whispered in her ear, each word filled with sorrow and hidden resentment. "Why don't you love me?"
Zhen Ai blinked in confusion, utterly stunned. Her small face instantly turned as red as a tomato.