A Zhong was not from the local area. After arriving, he was solely focused on his work and was unaware of this annual event in Jincheng.
Seeing that other hotel rooms were also fully booked, he felt a surge of annoyance at the prospect of having to take Zhou Jinbei to a more remote location.
"How about I lend you my car, and you can drive here to work? I doubt you'll find a suitable hotel in the city center."
"If I can't find one, then I won't," Zhou Jinbei replied. "I don't want to wake up early and work so far away every day."
"Since I won't be here for just a day or two, let's find a hotel apartment and move in. Consider it me renting a place."
That made some sense.
Hotel apartments rented out by the month were more cost-effective than staying in a hotel.
A Zhong agreed.
"You must be tired after running around all day. Why don't you come back to my room to rest first?"
"I'll find someone to inquire about a good apartment for you."
The two returned to the hotel together.
After running around all day, Zhou Jinbei was covered in sweat. She took a shower and changed her clothes, while A Zhong got a real estate agent's number from Chen Jiaojiao's company.
As he was sitting on the sofa, talking to the agent, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Thinking it was room service, A Zhong went to the door to ask.
"Who is it?"
"Police! Routine inspection, open the door!"
Police?
Could it be that with the event about to start, they were conducting checks on every hotel to screen for potential criminals?
A Zhong opened the door.
Just then, Zhou Jinbei, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair, walked out.
Upon seeing two people in uniform, she was startled, clutched her bathrobe, and her face turned pale.
"This is..."
"Routine inspection. What is your relationship?"
A man and a woman in such attire made it difficult not to be misunderstood.
"We... let's show them your identification."
A Zhong didn't explain their relationship and asked Zhou Jinbei to get their IDs.
Zhou Jinbei quickly grabbed her bag, took out her ID, and handed it over.
A Zhong handed his over as well.
"We're from Nancheng, here on a business trip."
The police officers looked at the IDs and entered their identification numbers into their phones.
"So, what is your relationship?"
"Colleagues."
"Just ordinary colleagues?"
A Zhong understood the implication of the question and replied with some annoyance.
"We would have preferred to book two separate rooms, but all the nearby hotels are fully booked, and there's nowhere else to go."
"Is there something wrong with our arrangement?"
"We apologize, but due to the special circumstances, please cooperate with our investigation."
"Are you two in a romantic relationship?"
Almost in unison, both of them replied.
"No."
Two colleagues, a man and a woman, sharing a room so innocently?
It was rather intriguing.
"Are you sure there's no financial exchange or any kind of transaction between you?"
"Of course not."
The two officers exchanged glances and then began to search the room and the bathroom separately.
They looked everywhere and even rummaged through the trash can.
Soon, the trash can from the room was brought out.
"What's with all these wads of paper inside?"
A Zhong was exasperated that this could also be misinterpreted.
"I work on a construction site every day, and I have a lot of internal heat. I had a nosebleed yesterday."
This explanation was rather weak.
Ultimately, the two were escorted out.
They were told that someone would need to vouch for their relationship, or their unit leader would have to personally claim them, before they could be released.
What a huge misunderstanding.
Since no one who knew both of them was in Jincheng, A Zhong had no choice but to grit his teeth and call Zhan Beijue.
Upon hearing how they had been misunderstood, Zhan Beijue remained unhurried.
"It's inconvenient to talk right now. I'll have someone come over shortly."
The two were questioned separately, and after much investigation and questioning, Zhan Beijue finally arranged for someone to come.
Finally, the two were released.
Normally, adults are capable of putting on a pretense when needed.
Neither of them mentioned anything about the past, pretending as if nothing had happened, and their interactions were relatively normal.
This incident, however, made things thoroughly awkward.
Zhou Jinbei, in particular, said, "I'm not going to the hotel anymore. I'll find an apartment to move into directly."
A Zhong, without looking at her, said, "Alright."
He immediately called the agent and managed to get her settled into an apartment before the end of the workday.
Zhou Jinbei found the provided teacups and kettles in the apartment unclean and wanted to buy her own.
A Zhong drove her to a supermarket.
After a busy day that lasted until dark, they said their goodbyes at the apartment door.
As they passed by a meticulously dressed older woman walking her dog, she glanced at them curiously.
"When did you move in? Just moved in?"
Considering her to be a future neighbor, Zhou Jinbei responded kindly.
After a brief chat, the older woman said,
"Your accents don't sound local. Where are you from?"
"Nancheng. You've come all this way on a business trip? How long are you planning to stay here?"
The two were engrossed in conversation, leaving A Zhong with nothing to do. He bid Zhou Jinbei farewell once more.
Zhou Jinbei said,
"You don't need to pick me up tomorrow. It's not too far. I can take a taxi myself."
The older woman's expression turned strange.
"You're not living here? Aren't you two a couple?"
"Uh..."
"I don't mean anything by it, don't misunderstand. It's just..."
She suddenly became secretive and lowered her voice.
"Perhaps because you're outsiders, and you're young ladies, you were scammed by the agent. Did he tell you what happened in this apartment before you signed the contract?"
Zhou Jinbei immediately thought of a haunted house.
A chill ran down her spine, and she was too scared to stand in the room, quickly moving closer to A Zhong.
"What's wrong, ma'am? What happened to this apartment?"
The older woman sighed.
"I bought the apartment to rent it out, and I don't live here. It's because something happened in your room that caused all the tenants in this building to leave."
"About three months ago, a young couple lived here. Then, for some reason, they broke up. The girl... she did something in this room."
"Did something?"
A Zhong, whether genuinely or feigning ignorance, asked for clarification.
The older woman glared.
"Oh, you young men are so oblivious! Can't you guess? She committed suicide by burning charcoal!"
"I heard the scene was quite gruesome, and she wasn't discovered until there was an odor. The girl was also pregnant, so it really frightened the tenants, and they all moved out at once."
"I doubt it can be rented out anymore. I was thinking of using it as storage, but I didn't expect our landlord to be so unscrupulous as to list it..."
A Zhong felt a pang of embarrassment that the apartment he helped find was haunted.
"Thank you. Fortunately, I met you today."
"You're welcome. It was just a coincidence," the older woman said.
"Many young people aren't afraid of these things nowadays. Please don't think I'm being nosy. Just please don't say I told you this. I'm leaving."
Being in an unfamiliar place and encountering such a disturbing event right away, Zhou Jinbei's face turned deathly pale.
A Zhong went inside and retrieved her belongings again.
"We're not staying. Tomorrow, I'll find that damned agent to get the money back. Come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"To my place."