When A Snail Loves - Chapter 59.2

Chapter 59.2

The night was becoming deeper, the sky looked like a sheet covered with dark ink. The undulating contours of the distant mountains stood out in sharp relief against the horizon and it looked like a huge black beast. The city lights were like dots in the background, cold and quiet.

Ji Bai stood in the corridor, leaning on the railing. After a while, he felt a familiar soft body quietly standing close to hm.  At this time everyone was either asleep or busy. Ji Bai gently put his arm around her: “Are you feeling cold?”

Xu Xu shook her head and asked: “Do you believe Lin Qingyan?”

“I only believe in evidence, and his answer explains everything at the moment,” Ji Bai whispered, “and on both occasions, his car did not enter the mountains. So we don’t have any direct evidence.” He turned to his side to look at her her soft little face under the light: “How do you see it?”

Xu Xu frowned: “I do not know, but from what we’ve seen in the second murder, the mentality of the murderer should be somewhat volatile. But no matter how you interrogated him, his response was always normal.”

Ji Bai nodded: “After keeping him in custody for 24 hours, and verifying that what he said was the truth, we have no choice but to let him go.”

Xu Xu did not speak anymore. After a while, she quietly turned to look to him. At this time, in the dark night, the light filtering in the corridor from the office was soft, like chiffon. His face had a trace of weariness, but also looked strong. Xu Xu put her hand around his waist, looked up and kissed his cold cheeks.

Ji Bai laughed. He looked down at her: “Why?

“ Nothing. I just feel that we are so lucky.”

She replied softly: “I hope Yao Meng will be able to meet people who are really suitable for her.”

Ji Bai touched her head lightly:  “Don’t think so much. Go to my office for a while, once I finish my work I’ll come to you.”

——

In the large room, a lot of people were lying on the tables, grabbing some time to sleep before the day started. Xu Xu walked into Ji Bai’s office and lay down for a while. Her mind was thinking about the case. Finally, she simply got up, went to the desk and sat down. She took some sheets of blank paper but could not find any pens on the table.

Even when she had come earlier to Ji Bai’s office, the drawers were never locked. She opened the drawers, finally found two pens and pushed the drawer back.

After a few seconds, suddenly she reacted and opened the drawer again. She saw a stack of documents, and underneath it, she could see a black velvet box in the corner.

Opening the box, she looked  inside and saw a bright diamond ring. Xu Xu was a little dazed. She suddenly remembered that when Yao Meng was talking, her left hand would gently stroke the ring on her right hand finger a few times.  Perhaps it was not appropriate, but it was certainly a tender gesture.

Xu Xu raised her head. The outer room was quiet, no one was looking. She picked up the ring and slipped it on the ring finger of her right hand.

Ji Bai had chosen the correct size. The style was also elegant and generous, it was aligned to her tastes. Just that.. … did he intend to marry her?

Xu Xu raised her hand, looked at the refracted light in the diamond for a while, and could not help but smile. After a while, she put her hand down and tried to slip off the ring, but she was shocked.

The ring was stuck at her knuckle, she could not get it off.

She tugged at the ring for few times, but could not take it off. Could it be that she was eating too much recently, and her fingers had become thicker? Or was it due to pregnancy that led to swollen fingers?

She tried for five or six minutes, but try as she might, she could not get it off. She was just about to pick up her mobile to search for a solution on Baidu when she heard the sound of familiar footsteps outside.

——

When Ji Bai walked into the room, he saw Xu Xu standing in the middle of the room with both hands in her pockets, looking a little distracted
“ You didn’t sleep?” He closed the door, sat down on the couch and pulled her in his arms

“Sleep … …” Xu Xu looked indifferent as she yawned and he put her head firmly on his shoulder. Ji Bai was very tired, and soon fell asleep. But he could feel Xu Xu moving restlessly in his arms while she slept. With his eyes closed, he hugged her waist and muttered, “Don’t move again.”

——

The next day when Xu Xu woke up, the sky was already bright. She was the only one on the sofa, and a white coat was draped over her body.

She was awakened by the ringing of a phone. Ji Bai’s voice sounded very clear, he seemed to have been working for some time. In a low voice he said to her: “In ten minutes, come to the large conference room, we will have a meeting.”

Xu Xu immediately bounced up and rushed to the toilet.

Although Ji Bai had waited till the last minute to wake her up, she was slightly distressed and wondered if the others would feel annoyed. Quickly she washed up and walked into the meeting room. The room was filled with people, she had entered at the right time.

Most of the police were still outside, only Lao Wu, Zhao Han and a few others were still in the office. Ji Bai simply talked about some work arrangements, then Zhao Han asked: “Xu Xu was talking about a few screening conditions, should we continue?”

Ji Bai pondered for a moment, then looked at Xu Xu: “You write down a few conditions on the blackboard, we will go through it again.”

Xu Xu nodded, got up and went to the front of the meeting room to the blackboard. She cleared the blackboard and began to write. She had just written a few lines, when suddenly she felt Ji Bai’s eyes staring intensely at her. She felt a strange fierce reaction. She looked at the ring on her finger and her face suddenly burned up

It was very early in the morning, many police officers had not come to work and the entire office was quiet. Several of their team members were also sleepy. But when they saw Xu Xu pause and look at the ring on her finger, all of them could “understand”. They all looked at Ji Bai and laughed.

Ji Bai also looked at Xu Xu’s crimson face. A happy smile appeared in his eyes as well. But finally, he recovered, and went back to concentrate on talking about the crime.

As soon as the meeting ended, everyone got up. Xu Xu had her head down and did not look at anyone. Ji Bai’s eyes fell on her.

At this time Lao Wu came up to them: “Although the case is stressful, but life goes on, I want to congratulate you. Congratulations!” Ji Bai laughed: “Thank you.”

Zhao Han and several others came up together, one by one, they congratulated them. Ji Bai acknowledged them. Zhao Han said: “Boss, you are too much, it was so busy last night, incredibly, you still found time to give her the ring.”

Ji Bai smiled and answered: “Yes, it was very sudden and quick, fortunately Xu Xu was willing to wear it.”

Xu Xu’s face was red with embarrassment.

When the others left, Ji Bai turned around and looked at her quietly.

With her head down, Xu Xu stretched out her hand in front of him: “I was just curious to try it on yesterday, now I can’t take it off. Please help me.”

“Oh, so that’s what happened.” Ji Bai took her hand, looked carefully for a moment, then raised his eyes and laughed lightly, “I will try to help you take it off .”

Xu Xu: “… …”

She was a little embarrassed and looked funny, but she did not know what to say. Ji Bai did not speak, his dark eyes were staring at her. At his gaze, Xu Xu’s heart skipped a beat.

“I will not push you, but my attitude has always been clear – for me, this is enough to confirm that you are the person I want to marry.” He whispered, “Once this case is solved, I will make up for yesterday’s proposal and give you the ring. You think it over slowly.”

“Ok……”

Ji Bai looked at her flushed face. He would have liked to tease her with a few words, but he heard rapid footsteps. Zhao Han almost rushed to the door.

“Boss, just now we’ve had news of a third corpse in the forest. According to the preliminary report, the time of death was last night.”

Ji Bai and Xu Xu were startled, both looked at the interrogation room opposite them.

Lin Qingyan was inside that room all night when the third murder happened.