"Really?" Wu Jiaxin asked happily.
Zhao Yan: "Didn't you say you wanted to be friends with Yu Lan? Perhaps she's looking at you this way."
"Actually, Yu Lan has a lot of malevolent energy. If she hadn't restrained it, you would have seen it."
"But she restrained it, not wanting you to see her appearance and scare you. I wanted to follow her wishes, so I didn't let you use the Yin-Yang Talisman."
Wu Jiaxin was stunned and said, "She's truly so kind. If she hadn't died, what a wonderful person she would have been."
Zhao Yan hummed softly and returned to the shop.
"Xinxin, search for local news in Jiangcheng."
She had sent the video to Lin Xihang last night. He should be able to spread it.
Although Yu Lan hadn't asked for her reputation to be cleared, Zhao Yan thought that Yu Lan's parents were still thinking of her, and they deserved to know the truth.
"Okay." Wu Jiaxin blew on the butterfly on her palm. After the butterfly flew away, she sat next to Zhao Yan.
"Did you find any news about someone surnamed Ma?" Zhao Yan asked.
Wu Jiaxin nodded and said, "It's out. I'll read it to you."
"A fifty-three-year-old man from Jiangjing Taoyuan residential area jumped to his death. According to investigations, the man was identified as Mr. Ma, a department head at Dongchang Jiangcheng University. Further digging revealed that during his tenure, Mr. Ma repeatedly threatened and lured multiple students into relationships under the guise of scholarships and academic opportunities."
There was also video evidence.
Like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, the incident quickly went viral from local news, trending on hot search.
Zhao Yan's phone rang. She looked down and saw a WeChat call from Officer Xiao Qin.
She felt a little guilty, as she had secretly used her phone to take the video.
"I'm going to take a call," Zhao Yan said, getting up and walking outside.
As soon as she answered, Officer Xiao Qin's voice came through.
"Miss Zhao, you're amazing. You managed to sneak a video while surrounded by five of us police officers."
"Officer Xiao Qin, I..."
"I just want to say, you did a great job!"
"This video has a huge impact and is now trending. Don't worry, I'll stick with Captain Zhang and insist that the video was leaked."
Zhao Yan scratched the back of her head, her heart pounding. She hadn't been this flustered even when catching a ghost.
"By the way, Officer Xiao Qin, what happened to Ma Cangquan's wife?" Zhao Yan asked.
"She's fine. When we went over, his wife was still sleeping soundly. But I think she's lying. She only has her mother in her family, and her mother was sleeping downstairs while the phone was on the second floor. If she was sleeping soundly, who answered the phone?"
"Perhaps she already knew about Ma Cangquan's sordid affairs."
Zhao Yan fell silent. Ma Cangquan's wife was fine, and Yu Lan hadn't targeted her.
Perhaps it was the police call that made Yu Lan suddenly realize that Ma Cangquan's wife was kept in the dark by her husband.
Although hateful, she didn't deserve death.
Or perhaps Yu Lan was too kind.
"Officer Xiao Qin, do you remember the case of a student named Yu Lan who committed suicide by hanging herself on May 25, 2012?" Zhao Yan asked.
"2012? I was still studying at the police academy then. I'll ask Captain Zhang."
Officer Xiao Qin spoke on the phone.
"Captain Zhang remembers the case. He was the one who went to the school to handle Yu Lan's suicide. What's wrong, Miss Zhao?"
Zhao Yan: "I hope you can issue a notice stating that Yu Lan committed suicide due to the stain created by Ma Cangquan, and that she was the first victim."
"She's gone, but her parents are still alive."
"I understand the gossip of those aunts and uncles in the countryside. Her parents are also enduring the same pain that Yu Lan endured back then."
The university daughter her parents were proud of turned out to be a lowly mistress who seduced others, causing them to be ostracized in the village.
Yu Lan was gone, but someone had to consider her family.
Officer Xiao Qin's tone became serious: "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If it's true, I will definitely release it. If possible, I'll also visit her home."
"Thank you, Officer Xiao Qin."
"It's my duty."
Zhao Yan hung up the WeChat call with Officer Xiao Qin, feeling relieved.
She returned to the shop, pulled up a small stool, and sat down. Zhao Yan asked, "Xinxin, how many fans did we gain last night?"
"We went from over four thousand followers to over ten thousand two hundred," Wu Jiaxin said.
"Ah, I thought we gained tens of thousands," Zhao Yan said softly.
As she spoke, she opened her bag and took out yellow paper to draw talismans.
"Our live stream was suddenly interrupted, so we only broadcast for less than an hour," Wu Jiaxin said.
Zhao Yan agreed.
"Then how much money did we earn?"
Wu Jiaxin: "One rocket and one super rocket. After the platform's deduction, we should have received about 1,250."
Zhao Yan opened the calculator on her phone and started calculating.
"Reset, 16400 + 1250 = 17650."
"Xinxin, I think we need to renovate this shop. It would be best to buy a TV and put up a sign, like the one for the lamb noodle shop opposite, one that can even sparkle," Zhao Yan said.
"Renovate? But Sister Zhao, we probably don't have enough money," Wu Jiaxin said.
"That's true." Zhao Yan shrugged, closed the calculator on her phone, and decided to keep some reserve funds.
"Hehe, Sister Zhao, why don't you calculate the lottery numbers?" Wu Jiaxin chuckled.
Zhao Yan rolled her eyes: "I'm not a celestial being."
As they were talking, the wind chime above her head suddenly rang with a clear ding-ding sound.
"Hello, is this the shop of [Master Wocao]?"
A pleasant male voice reached Zhao Yan's ears. She looked up and immediately recognized the person.
"Xiao Jing'er."
She took a closer look and confirmed it was Xiao Jing'er, who had been live-streaming with her last night for a PK battle. He was taller and thinner than in the live stream, wearing a black t-shirt, making him look more refreshed.
"Master, your shop is a bit hard to find," Xiao Jing'er said, taking off his hat and extending his hand.
"Hello, Master. My real name is Zhou Jing."
Seeing his serious self-introduction, Zhao Yan smiled and said, "I'm Zhao Yan, and the beautiful lady next to me is my assistant, Wu Jiaxin. Just call her Xinxin."
"Hello, big streamer," Wu Jiaxin said playfully.
"Hi, what big streamer? I'm just trying to make a living," Zhou Jing said, waving his hand. He casually pulled up a small stool and sat down. He first rubbed his forehead, looked around Zhao Yan's shop, and commented, "This shop's renovation is very old-fashioned."
Zhao Yan laughed heartily. This shop was a small restaurant run by a couple. The parts that had been burned were renovated by the landlord, but the parts that hadn't been burned were completely ignored by the landlord.
The comment about it being old-fashioned struck her funny bone.
"I guess you're here about your girlfriend's matter?"
Zhou Jing took a deep breath, trying to appear more normal: "Sister Zhao, is it possible for humans and ghosts to be together?"