Page Four: Ling Shaojie’s Home!
Linhua’s speculation might be correct; Ling Shaojie certainly has a complicated story.
But even if I stuck my head into Xiao Kai’s stomach, I couldn’t think of why she would rent a place and live in such a small attic above a café.
Is she a cat?
Does she like cramped spaces?
This place isn’t even as big as the bathroom in Wu Qinglan’s manor.
Ling Shaojie seemed to enjoy my silence, sitting on the sofa with her feet up, watching me curiously.
“I know you have many questions. Since I brought you back, I plan to tell you everything.”
Next to the sofa was a small single-door refrigerator. She pulled out a can of cold cola and asked, “Want some?”
“No, it’s too cold.”
“This refrigerator isn’t very good at cooling. It’s not that cold, and later we’ll have hot coffee… but I should warn you, Lin Shifu’s coffee is hard for most people to appreciate. Don’t expect too much.”
“I still look forward to it… but please get to the point.”
Ling Shaojie raised an eyebrow and asked, “Yes, the point. You mean about new information on the mysterious girl A?”
“Of course, the most important thing is information. But if you’re willing to share your own story, that would be even better.”
“You admit you rented the place to investigate me, right?”
I didn’t deny it, but I also didn’t confirm it.
I simply asked, “So, are you going to tell me?”
It would be best if she told me, but even if she didn’t want to, I wouldn’t let her control me. Understanding her background was important, but not worth trading any information for. Since I knew she lived here, there would be plenty of opportunities to sneak in and investigate—this was originally a long-term plan.
However, she agreed readily.
“If sharing a bit of information can earn your trust, then sure. It’s not a big deal anyway, but keep your voice down. The soundproofing here isn’t great.”
“That’s not a problem.”
I snapped my fingers, and intangible divine power spread throughout the attic.
“I set up a sound barrier. Even if you scream ‘Tibetan Plateau’ at full volume, the guests downstairs won’t hear a thing.”
Ling Shaojie envied, “Another magic trick? How convenient. It must be useful for gathering information, right?”
“You’re too curious about things you shouldn’t know. That’s dangerous.”
I sat on a high stool across from the sofa. This stool was the same model as those downstairs at the bar counter, now placed by the window. Sitting on it made my view higher than Ling Shaojie’s head.
“The so-called ‘magic’ abilities you talk about aren’t just convenient. They can vaporize you instantly, leaving nothing behind. You don’t know what you’re investigating, yet you’re proud of it. This kind of bravery isn’t worth praising.”
My superior position gave her some psychological pressure, but even though I said this, she remained unperturbed. Her calmness wasn’t feigned; she genuinely felt indifferent about my words.
“Bluffing doesn’t work on me. Neither you nor your brother has that kind of aura… you probably haven’t even killed a chicken, right?”
“I’m not bluffing.”
Blades shot out from the scarf and pierced through the can of cola in her hand. Because the blades were sharp, no cola leaked out.
“I’ve been through several life-and-death situations. This level of intimidation doesn’t scare me… glug glug.”
She curiously fiddled with the blades and then finished the remaining cola.
“burp… Unlike you delicate flowers, I was once chased by muscle-bound bodyguards in a corporate building. That was when my life was truly in danger, and I managed to escape.”
Hmm? What exactly did this person go through?
Putting away the blades, I couldn’t help but sigh, “At least you had a chance to survive. I, on the other hand, can see the day of my death coming soon. Every day feels like the last.”
“Huh? Are you going to die? No way! This is no laughing matter!”
Her glasses slid down to her nose. Ling Shaojie rarely showed surprise.
“Yes, I will die. I can’t say too much, but next year at this time, I definitely won’t be around anymore.”
“Could it be some kind of future prediction ability? Is there no way to avoid it?”
This person actually worried about me, surprisingly not as heartless as I thought.
“…Just joking, I won’t die, and nothing bad will happen.”
“Don’t joke about something like that.”
Putting down the cola, she stood up and said, “It’s been about ten minutes. I’ll go get the coffee. Sit here for a bit.”
“Okay!”
Supporting myself with the high stool, I nodded obediently.
—”Xiao Kai, I’ve arrived at Ling Shaojie’s hideout.”—
[Hmm? You actually found the hideout directly?]
—”I was surprised too. She brought me straight home.”—
[Then I’ll come over! What’s the address?]
—”It’s a small café. But you don’t need to come. I can handle this side.”—
[Then what should we do at headquarters?]
—”Go check out the house Ling Shaojie rents. Be careful of the camera at the peephole. I feel like we missed something important… Remember to bring Sister Shan along. I’m afraid you won’t analyze anything.”—
[They said it was just a cover, right?]
—”It’s not that simple. When I got her call, I found it odd. If that house was just a cover, why would Ling Shaojie stop me from entering? If I unlock it first and she comes in with evidence, wouldn’t that be more advantageous for her?”—
[Can you handle the cameras?]
—”No problem. Even if she notices something, I guarantee she won’t go anywhere.”—
Not to mention the Taser gun supported by Sister Léiluó.
I already have the means to subdue her.
…But this feels a bit like being the villain?
Before Ling Shaojie came up, I began examining the small ten-square-meter attic… of course, while extending my line.
The single bed had a drawer on the side. Inside were small items like underwear and socks. Despite her personality, the style was surprisingly plain and childish. I preferred low-waist styles;
The low, wide wardrobe was less than two meters tall but very wide. Such wardrobes weren’t commonly seen and were likely custom-made. It was stuffed with clothes for all seasons, and the clothes were quite trendy… an interesting contrast;
Shelves nailed to the wall were filled with cameras, lenses, and miniature drones, all looking dainty when held in one’s palm;
A makeshift desk made of wooden boards, with a laptop and various folders on top. There were no textbooks, and she didn’t bring a backpack when she returned… Is she really a senior high student? Could she be planning to repeat a year until Xiao Kai moves up?
Finally, the double sofa in front of me.
The sofa, sheets, carpet, and curtains used soft light colors, creating a bright atmosphere that somewhat alleviated the sense of oppression from the low ceiling.
After all, downstairs was a café, and the air was filled with the lingering aroma of rich coffee, very strong and comfortable. I suspect this is why Ling Shaojie is so energetic.
Though small, it was well-equipped. I saw everything by spinning on the high stool, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy, nor did it seem to hide any secrets… However, one thing was certain: this was indeed Ling Shaojie’s residence, full of life.
But this was just one person’s room. It seems Aunt Lin doesn’t live in the café… This makes it even more intriguing. What happened to Ling Shaojie’s past?
Withdrawing my line, as I waited idly, the laptop on the desk turned on automatically and skipped the password input, going straight to the desktop. Only someone connected to Ling Shaojie could do this… yes, only “Queen,” right?
“Coffee’s ready, freshly ground!”
As soon as the desktop loaded, Ling Shaojie came up with two small cups of coffee, not surprised to find the computer on.
“Oh, did Queen send a message?”
Sure enough.
“Since I was going to tell you the information anyway, we might as well listen together.”
Ling Shaojie placed the coffee on the desk, and I dragged the high stool over, adjusting it to a lower height.
“Hey, did she even spare your computer?”
In response to my teasing question, Ling Shaojie shrugged helplessly.
“What can I do? As long as it’s connected to the network, she can’t be avoided. I have no means of resistance and have given up… Your Majesty Blue Flash Butterfly, are you listening? Lingmeng is here with me too?”
I glanced at the laptop. There were ways to resist, at least Ling Shaojie had covered the laptop’s camera.
Although there was nothing on the desktop, a familiar electronic voice came from the small speaker on the desk, “Hey, why did you bring Little Lingmeng home today, Xiao Shaojie?”
“Not bring home, more like capture. This girl was secretly investigating the house I rent, triggering my alarm system.”
Alarm system,看来猫眼里的智能摄像头感应到有人靠近就会通知凌少婕……啧，她手上的高科技玩意也太多了，这大概就是所谓的极客吧？
Queen又发出一阵失真的笑声。
“哈哈！不甘心被你单方面牵着鼻子走，所以想找个反击的机会吧？”
我当然不会承认，索性拿起桌上的咖啡喝了起来……
“好苦！这咖啡浓过头了吧！”
“说了林婶的咖啡很难欣赏嘛，不过也有人喜欢浓缩咖啡，所以店里还是有生意的。”
凌少婕又从小冰箱里拿出牛奶和糖。
“喏，趁热加点糖，然后喝一口再加牛奶！”
看来她没少喝这些苦咖啡。
“还是说说情报的事吧，都九点多了，明天还要上学呢。”
Queen问道：“小少婕～那条线索告诉小灵梦了吗？”
“还没说，直接给她看比较直观。”
这两人怎么神神秘秘的？
凌少婕的电脑上打开了一个视频。
看场景，似乎是某个服装店的监控画面。
镜头对着更衣室。
一个熟悉的人影拿着一套女装走进了更衣室……
然后就再也没有出来。
