Chapter 2207: Love Trapped in the Cycle of Fate 06

Just arrived at the 5th floor, I heard the endless quarreling, mixed with a few helpless, resigned shouts from Shao Huai: "You guys, stop arguing!"

Xie Guan and Jin Chen stopped at the corner at the same time.

Xie Guan shook off Jin Chen's hand with a wooden face, "Don't expect me to take another step."

Jin Chen also had his reservations, poked his head up to look, thought this spot was good for watching, "Then let's stay here; do you know those few people upstairs?"

Xie Guan frowned, needing no look to know, "Aunt Zhao of Room 505, Grandma Chen of Room 508, they often quarrel…"

What the hell!

Shao Huai suddenly roared, dropping his earlier helplessness, "If you keep making noise, I'll call the police!"

Jin Chen's expression shifted slightly, seeing the kitchen knife split the door frame, sending wood chips flying.

He rushed over, grabbed Shao Huai's collar and dragged him back; the mint candy box slipped from his pocket, its fall mixing with Zhao Chunmei's hysterical shriek.

Get out! All of you, get out! Zhao Chunmei slammed the door shut.

Scared the hell out of me! Shao Huai wiped away the blood mark where wood chips had scraped his forehead.

Song Gong huddled in the stairwell corner, the wrench in his tool bag clinking: "It's my fault… all my fault…"

Xie Guan picked up the mint candy box, shoved it back into Jin Chen's hand, glanced at Song Gong bending to pick up a screw, and noticed a fresh scratch on the back of his neck.

That's how the scratch came about……

Grandma Chen went back inside but didn't stop, curses drifting out, "You shameless hussy!"

In response came the clanking of a kitchen knife chopping from Room 508, each strike venting anger.

Jin Chen lifted his chin, "Let's go downstairs and talk."

They went back to the 3rd floor again.

"What's going on?" Jin Chen asked, his gaze also falling on Song Gong's nape, pondering as he lowered his eyelashes.

Ten minutes earlier.

Song Gong had just arrived at the 5th floor when Grandma Chen poked her head out of Room 508: "Little Song! My TV's gone snowy again, come take a look first!"

Sure thing, I'll come after fixing this unit. Song Gong slipped the screwdriver behind his ear, giving an apologetic smile.

Zhao Chunmei opened the door, hearing this, her face instantly darkened, she stared at Grandma Chen: "Master Song promised me first, and you're butting in!"

Grandma Chen came out leaning on her crutch, trembling: "Even if you fix it, it's just wasting electricity! Leaving it for you to harm people?!"

You old immortal, watch your mouth! Zhao Chunmei gripped her vegetable basket tightly.

Just then Shao Huai came upstairs, about to mediate, when Grandma Chen suddenly sneered: "Did I say something wrong, old woman?"

Are you waiting for your paralyzed husband to die so you can inherit the house, but don't bring disaster on others!

The vegetable basket hit the ground, a cabbage rolling to Shao Huai's feet.

Zhao Chunmei suddenly turned, rushed into the kitchen, brandishing a bone cleaver, her expression grim and murderous.

You old immortal! I'll hack you to death!

Holy shit! Shao Huai instinctively moved to block, the blade grazing his shoulder.

——

That's how it happened, then you came up. Shao Huai said, still trembling as he touched his shoulder.

"Uncle, why did you just say it's all your fault?" Jin Chen asked again.

Song Gong slumped against the wall corner, "Last week I went to the 5th floor to repair the electric box, saw Room 505's door open, Zhao Chunmei's husband lying on the floor, a ligature mark on his neck… like a failed hanging."

I just rescued him.

Jin Chen: "Did you tell Grandma Chen?"

Song Gong shook his head: "Grandma Chen discovered it herself."

She said… Zhao Chunmei wanted to kill her husband to fraud the insurance…

Xie Guan suddenly frowned, "Aunt Zhao, this Monday… that is yesterday, didn't you also come looking for you?"

Song Gong jerked his head up: "How do you know? But I had something yesterday, so I promised to go fix her place today."

Xie Guan recalled, looking at Jin Chen, "That day Zhao Chunmei came to the convenience store and bought bleach."

Hiss……

Shao Huai realized something, "Zhao Chunmei probably isn't holding a grudge against Uncle Song for ruining her plans, is she?"

Then there's a strong suspicion.

Looks like they already have murderous intent!

Jin Chen quickly recalled the corpse's features in his mind, rejected that guess, and told Song Gong, "Uncle, as long as you're fine."

Just go home and rest today, don't go out if there's nothing wrong.

Song Gong was startled, and truly hadn't expected Zhao Chunmei still harbored thoughts of harming him; he packed up his tools and left.

The three of them returned to Room 306.

Shao Huai hurriedly asked, "Could the killer be Zhao Chunmei?"

"Not really," Jin Chen said, "Song Gong was stabbed in the heart and died on Tuesday night, but there's hardly any struggle marks, which doesn't match his wariness of Zhao Chunmei… maybe our evidence is too scarce, leading to a wrong inference."

"Song Gong's account is problematic," Xie Guan frowned, "The electric box is beside the stairwell, half a corridor away from Room 505; cutting power to the whole floor for the box, how could he see the door open?"

Shao Huai stood up, tried opening the door, "Really can't see, this door opens inward; if you're a bit farther away you can't see it."

Damn, why would Uncle Song lie?

Having inferred this far, the clues that were just beginning to show a thread have become tangled again.

It seems to be some kind of habit; both Shao Huai and Xie Guan looked toward Jin Chen.

Jin Chen leaned on the sofa, fiddling with the mint candy box, opening and closing it.

Click-click.

After waiting over ten seconds, Jin Chen suddenly put it away and locked eyes with them.

"I'm hungry, do you guys want to eat?"

Xie Guan: ……

Shao Huai: ……

Jin Chen thrust his watch in front of them, "It's almost eleven already, I haven't had breakfast, I'm really hungry."

Even though he was hungry, Jin Chen still insisted on cooking himself, and he firmly kept Xie Guan there.

The kitchen and living room were not partitioned; as Jin Chen cooked, he heard Xie Guan and Shao Huai chatting.

Shao Huai was basically doing all the talking, and he held himself back, refusing to steer the conversation toward two years earlier.

If he accidentally slipped in a sentence or two, Xie Guan would act as if he hadn't heard, taking out a notebook to scribble and draw.

Xie Guan was taking notes, using a special cipher known only to him.

Until the notebook was suddenly snatched away, then a slender hand took it, rolled it up, and tapped it against his forehead.

Meal's ready, Xie Guan.

Xie Guan: ……

He lifted his eyelids, and the curse he was about to say was snatched away by Jin Chen.

Seeing the doodles on the notebook, Jin Chen chuckled and said, "You might as well go ask that little girl on the sixth floor for advice."

Xie Guan frowned, puzzled, "What?"

Jin Chen shoved the bowl and chopsticks into his hand, "The basics of elementary-school pencil drawing."

He gripped the hand holding the bowl tightly, using great willpower to keep from smashing the bowl onto Jin Chen's head.

Jin Chen blocked his hand, smiling as he clinked cups, "Cheers, long time no see."

Xie Guan hesitated, gazing into Jin Chen's eyes at the mischievous smile, then tipped his head back and drank the lemon water; the gloom between his brows seemed to ease a little.

Halfway through the meal, the door of room 306 was hastily knocked on; the knocker was clearly anxious, and if you listened closely you could hear a few suppressed sobs.