Pure Darkness

Chapter 87

This is a famous restaurant on the streets of Xun City because it tastes good. Five people sat around the table, Jian Yan and Bo Jinyan sat on one side, Fang Qing and Luo Lang sat on the other. An Yan, as a moderately burly man, was naturally seated at the side facing the alley.

Oi! I am an article!

Jian Yao ordered, while Fang Qing and Luo Lang chatted for a while; however, Bo Jinyan and An Yan still remained silent.

At that moment, Jian Yao asked in a low tone, “In addition to fish, let's also eat potatoes and sweet potato leaves, okay?”

Oi! I am an article!

“Perfect,” Bo Jinyan slightly nodded.

“Kakak Ipar, my chicken feet,” said An Yan.

“I know,” Jian Yao smiled.

As they spoke, Luo Lang's gaze would accidentally fall on them. It was almost as if he was a little agitated, yet also a little dissatisfied.

Oi! I am an article!

At that moment, Fang Qing's phone rang; he fumbled looking for her phone – it was a number from Beijing.

“I'll receive a call,” he stood up, yet he patted Luo Lang's shoulder, tightening his grip to give it a slight pinch.

Luo Lang sensed it, yet acted as if he felt nothing, sitting still there, not moving at all.

Jian Yao had already finished ordering, and the entire table instantly became quiet.

Luo Lang took out a match from his pocket, and smilingly asked, “Do you guys mind if I smoke?” He knew Jian Yao would not object, An Yan had a face filled with indifference.

“I don't mind,” said Bo Jinyan lightly.

Luo Lang lowered his head and lit a cigarette, slowly smoking. Two people across the table from him, their hands still tightly tied under the table, he saw it. In that split second, Luo Lang suddenly felt like a poor rat, he laughed mockingly at himself.

Thinking in detail about her feelings towards Jian Yao all along, was that love? Is that madness? Is that guilt? Or is it just a realization of his feelings ‘ better than nothing’? Even he could not clearly determine this. When he was young, he actually saw Jian Yao many times. But he doesn't know where he is. Until then, after he returned to China after completing his studies in the US, he decided to meet with him. His originally dry and drab life, suddenly seemed like it had an additional point of brightness, giving him some sort of enthusiasm to live on.

Those women, the women he used to cover up his own confusion, so Jian Yao would not refuse him to become closer to him. They could not even compare to one of Jian Yao's fingers. He could clearly remember the case from last year, when Jian Yao was lying on his heavily injured and unconscious arm, he could feel his heart being greatly affected and injured. In that case, he wanted to destroy the entire world for her. Just like that, these emotions are intentional yet vivid. After that, he and Fang Qing were constantly taking care of Jian Yao, her life was no longer the same. What kind of feeling is that?

He has entrusted himself to her.

The trust he never had. Life seems to have a gentle yet overwhelming feeling of responsibility. He felt the existence of that feeling very clearly.

But now, Bo Jinyan had returned.

He no longer needed the care of others, as his wounds had already healed. After Luo Lang clearly realized this fact, he suddenly felt disappointed, a deep sense of disappointment like falling from a cloud. But, now seeing her smile so happily, with her entire body appearing to emit a light that she had never had in the past year, she also mysteriously felt happy.

……

Luo Lang put down the cigarette in his hand, raised his head and asked, “Have you guys been staying in Xun City all year?” Of course, he asked Bo Jinyan and An Yan.

Before Bo Jinyan could reply, An Yan spoke up, “Not really, we've been around a few places, and then we came back here. First, because we knew the local police captain, Shao Yong, and second because Jinyan felt that this was very close to Brother-in-law's hometown. He misses Sister-in-law every day.”

Jian Yao glanced at Luo Lang, however, Bo Jinyan, who was right by his side, declared flatly, “The truth is indeed so.”

Luo Lang asked, “Isn't Master Bo's hometown Tong City?”

“Indeed,” replied Bo Jinyan, “But I don't have much feelings towards my hometown.”

“I too,” said Luo Lang.

At that moment, Bo Jinyan seemed to finally really ‘look at Luo Lang's’, she lightly smiled and said, “Interesting. Master Luo, in the past year, you have been with Jian Yao and them often, right?”

He asked this very calmly; luo Lang's answer was also very calm, “Ya. It was originally just friendship because it came from the same hometown, but after what happened last year, I also wanted to do what I could to take care of this young girl. Fang Qing too, after being dumped by his girlfriend — these things that you guys probably already know, I am also quite familiar with him. In the past year or so, I have been very lucky to know these two good friends.”

Jian Yao stared at the teacup in front of him, the liquid within the cup was light green, bright, calm.

After Luo Lang finished speaking, Bo Jinyan groped to look for the teacup on the table, lifted it up and said, “Master. Luo, using tea as alcohol, I want to thank you for taking care of Jian Yao for me in the past year.

Luo Lang smiled slightly, and said, “No need to thank me,” and spend his cup in one gulp.

As they chatted inside, Fang Qing at that moment stood outside the entrance under the light, his entire body completely silent, like freezing.

The phone call he picked up, came from Jin Xiaozhe's assistant. The business between the two of them, the people he was closest to and relied on the most, all knew about it. The voice of the female assistant on the other end of the phone choked with emotion, “Officer Fang, Miss Jin is currently still in the intensive care unit…. When she was barely conscious, she was constantly calling your name, so I took the initiative to call you.

Fang Qing almost roared, “What happened? How could a healthy person like him need to be in the ICU?”

The female assistant sobbed, “I don't know, I really don't know.. The doctor said she was poisoned, I don't know how she could be poisoned, maybe she ate something bad.”.

Fang Qing was silent for a long time, raising his head, seeing that the street light was dim yellow yet looked cold; it was clearly only one day in September, though, but his heart felt cold and sick as if he was in the middle of winter. As he raised his eyes and looked forward, his friends were still in the restaurant, their faces tired yet wary. The file containing the third murder case is still in his bag.

He could hear his own dry voice saying, “I can't go back now, really can't go. If anything changes about him, call me anytime. If you can't get through it, leave me a message. When I finish my task, I will stop by and see it. ”

After hanging up the phone with the assistant, he took many deep breaths before calming down, then called some police officers close to him in Beijing, advised them several times, and then said, “I think there is something suspicious about his poisoning. , this may have already been reported to the police. He is not very particular about what he eats, he will often eat outside, but he also does not take much medicine and he is always in pretty good health, thank you for doing this kindness for me.”

——

Inside the store, hotpot of hot and steaming fish is already served. Bo Jinyan calmly picked up her chopsticks. Usually it was always An Yan who put the entire fish on his plate, but today it was naturally different. Jian Yao looked like she had just returned from her mind, picked up the fish with her chopsticks, put it in her bowl, and then gently asked, “Do you need me to get the meat for you?”

The corner of Bo Jinyan's lips started to bend, and was just about to say “yakin”, when An Yan lightly said from the side, “No need, Sister-in-law, you know, he can spit out an entire fish bone even with his eyes closed.”

Jian Yao smiled, “Oh,” he said. When he raised his head, he could see that Luo Lang was staring at him, that pair of eyes was dark and silent. He avoided his gaze.

Bo Jinyan, however, looked towards An Yan, laughing coldly as she said, “I'm surprised you've lived to be 26 years old, yet have no awareness about the interaction between lovers.”

An Yan's face flushed.

Jian Yao also felt awkward, lightly hitting Bo Jinyan under the table.

Luo Lang stared at the way they interacted, feeling it was fresh and interesting. Even he, as an outsider, could feel harmony in their deep interactions and friendships. He drank his beer with a smile.