Chapter 355: Volume 1 Chapter 355  Deceptive Vines (25)

It's still too early.

Wen Chijin didn't want to frighten her, so he scooped her up sideways and carried her to the bedside, setting her down.

Jiang Zhi lay on the soft bed, the flush on her face not yet faded, she dared not meet his gaze, curled up under the covers, her whole body burning.

Wen Chijin kissed her hair.

"Little mute."

…

The house remained silent for a long while; Jiang Zhi poked her head out from the blanket, looked around, and didn't see Wen Chijin's silhouette.

The small lamp on the bedside table was still on.

She lay flat on the bed and sighed toward the ceiling.

——Brother Seven, you're not here, I'm so bored, so lonely, so sad.

She never wanted to be mute again; for someone as talkative as her, it was sheer torture!

I really have so much to say to 777.

She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Fireworks bloomed nonstop outside the window, lasting all night; New Year's Eve ended and the Spring Festival arrived.

3 a. m.

Jiang Zhi woke up thirsty, her vision blurry; she sat up, glanced at the clock on the bedside table, then threw off the covers and got out of bed.

She went to the living room to get water; the water in the thermos was still hot, she drank two cups before letting out a comfortable sigh.

As she turned to head back to the bedroom, she suddenly saw the door at the entryway open and a dark figure walk in.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhi's pupils contracted; she grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter, ready to chase the thief away.

As the shadow lifted its head, Jiang Zhi recognized that familiar face.

A Chi?

Wen Chijin hadn't expected her to be up this late either; his gaze fell on the knife in her hand, he paused, then said, "Sis, how did you wake up?"

Jiang Zhi recognized him, lowered the raised knife, set it aside on the table, and signed: "I got up for water; where have you been this late?"

It was snowing outside; Wen Chijin wore a raincoat, with unmelted snowflakes clinging to him, giving off a chill.

He lifted a bag of beer cans he'd bought from a nearby convenience store.

He smiled gently: "I couldn't sleep at night, so I went out to buy some drinks."

Jiang Zhi froze for a few seconds, recalling what had happened on the sofa, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

She looked away, her fingers signing haphazardly: "Then I'll go to sleep."

She then turned and went back to the bedroom.

Wen Chijin gazed wistfully at her disappearing silhouette behind the door, lifted his hand to pull back the raincoat hood, set the bag of beer on the table, took off the raincoat, and went to the bathroom.

After his shower, the clock on the wall pointed to 5 a. m.; outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Wen Chijin sat at the table, opened a beer can, took a few sips, pleasantly narrowed his eyes, and tapped his fingertips intermittently on the tabletop.

…

Spring Festival morning.

Firecrackers burst one after another, heralding the arrival of the Spring Festival.

Jiang Zhi rose early, got dressed, finished washing up, and came out of the bedroom.

Wen Chijin was preparing breakfast.

Fried eggs, plain congee, and some side dishes.

"Today is the Spring Festival; the breakfast stalls are all closed. Sis, I couldn't get the red bean buns you like."

Jiang Zhi glanced away, her ears red, she sat blankly at the table, shaking her head and signing: "It's fine; I like these too."

Wen Chijin wore a pure black wool sweater on top, making his skin look cold-white like frosted snow; his three-dimensional features resembled a top-tier game character model, and he wore a cartoon apron over it, lessening the uncanny feel.

He rested his arms on the table, leaned toward her, a clear smile on his lips: "Is there anything I make that you don't like to eat?"

That beautiful face was right in front of her; Jiang Zhi, like a startled rabbit, backed away to avoid his gaze.

Wen Chijin chuckled softly, leaned in to kiss the corner of her mouth, then quickly pulled away.

Jiang Zhi buried her head like an ostrich, so embarrassed she wished she could leave the earth.

…

After several days of intimate contact, Jiang Zhi gradually grew accustomed to his closeness and sweet talk.

The Spring Festival ended.

In a few days the new semester would start; this year's snowfall was heavier than usual, the ground covered in thick snow, and many adults and children outside were building snowmen.

Jiang Zhi liked painting snowscapes, so she stayed in the residential complex and painted a view of the snow outside her home.

These days Wen Chijin has been busy; he works part-time at a factory, and the boss occasionally calls him over to help.

She was bundled up; the down jacket Wen Chijin bought for her still left her feeling cold after sitting for a while.

The biting wind froze her cheeks red, let alone her hands exposed outside while drawing.

After finishing, she slung her sketchbook onto her back and headed home; just as she stepped out of the stairwell, her phone in her pocket vibrated.

Jiang Zhi stopped, pulled out her phone from her pocket, and saw it was a message from Wen Chijin.

("Sis, the police will come looking for you later to ask about Song Yuwei; just answer truthfully.")

Jiang Zhi froze for a moment; just as she was about to compose a reply, she saw two people approaching her in her peripheral vision.

They were two police officers in uniform; they came up to her, showed their badges, and asked, "May I ask if you are Jiang Zhi?"

Jiang Zhi nodded.

In the living room.

Jiang Zhi poured plain water for the two police uncles and sat nervously on the nearby sofa.

Police Officer A got straight to the point: "Where were you on New Year's Eve?"

Jiang Zhi answered by writing words in her notebook.

(Sorry, police uncles, I am deaf-mute; I was at home that day. I can read lips, so you can ask me directly.)

The two police officers looked at the writing, exchanged glances, and showed sympathy in their eyes.

The girl before them appeared no different from an ordinary person, her features outstanding, her eyes clear and pure.

She is actually deaf-mute… what a pity.

Police Officer A quickly composed himself and continued: "Do you know Song Yuwei?"

Song Yuwei? Jiang Zhi recalled the message Wen Chijin had sent, pressed her lips, and wrote in her sketchbook.

(I don't know her, but she is my younger brother's classmate, so I have met her a few times.)

Police Officer A asked again: "On New Year's Eve night, did you meet her?"

Jiang Zhi answered truthfully.

(Yes, that night she came to find me.)

Upon hearing this, Police Officer A hurriedly asked: "What did she want from you?"

Jiang Zhi's fingers holding the pen froze, her face paled slightly, and her crow-black eyelashes trembled uneasily.

Seeing this, Police Officer A soothed her: "It's okay, don't be afraid."

Jiang Zhi's lips were pallid, she gripped the pen and continued writing.

She told the police everything about that night in detail.

The police officer's expression stalled, his brows furrowed.

After asking a few more questions, they said goodbye and left.

…

They walked out of the residential community's entrance.

Police Officer B couldn't help but say: "I never expected the deceased to have done such a thing."

For a guy's sake, she ran to someone's older sister and shouted at her. Moreover, that older sister is deaf-mute; it's really hard to put into words.

Police Officer A, who had been a police officer for over ten years, knew at first sight that the girl was not a suspect.

The time of the deceased's death was New Year's Eve; aside from having contacted Jiang Zhi and Wen Chijin, the only others were those few friends from the bar.

"You check what the forensic doctor says; I'll go to the bar first."

"Alright, Captain."