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Qin Yao and Gu Cheng went upstairs. Gu Cheng noticed the oxygen tanks in the room and suggested finding someone to move them. Qin Yao said there was no need to go through so much trouble and that she could find the person in charge of the hospital the next day. But Gu Cheng was a man of action and couldn’t wait.
He rushed off to find someone, leaving Zhang Yufei and Qin Yao exchanging looks.
“Are you really dating Commander Gu?” Zhang Yufei asked in admiration, looking at Qin Yao.
Zhang Yufei had always been an introverted, well-behaved child. Even though she was good at her studies, she never dared to raise her hand to answer questions in class, and she naturally feared authoritative figures.
To her, dating Commander Gu seemed like dancing with wolves.
Qin Yao, eating a white rabbit candy, mumbled, “I guess so.”
She loved eating these white rabbit candies from this era. When eating them, she had to focus on holding the candy in her mouth and avoid chewing it. The sensation was so satisfying that she could feel the sugar rush.
However, chewing on the candy had one downside—it stuck to the teeth. After chewing for a while, the candy would stick to her gums, and she’d have to figure out a way to remove it.
Qin Yao held off for a while but eventually started chewing. Finally, she used her finger to scrape the candy off her gums through her cheek.
The candy that someone gave her was really sticky.
She suddenly remembered that she had also fed Gu Cheng candy. Did he chew it right away? Did it stick to his teeth too?
Was he secretly scraping it off behind her back?
“Let’s lift this first,” Gu Cheng said, bringing several men upstairs to move the oxygen tanks. Qin Yao stood nearby, watching, while Zhang Yufei stood by the washbasin like a child punished by a teacher.
During the days of sailing at sea, Zhang Yufei had seen Commander Gu’s authority more than once. Whenever she encountered him, she subconsciously acted like she was facing a leader, always being overly cautious.
“Thank you,” Qin Yao said, taking out a box of peanuts, sunflower seeds, and fruits to offer to those who had helped.
The box was something she had brought from home, featuring a design of blooming flowers and a full moon. It was an iron box from the mooncakes her parents’ factory had made for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many families kept these boxes, using them to store sunflower seeds or biscuits.
With Commander Gu present, Zhang Yufei was extremely cautious. She didn’t even know where to place her hands, looking completely awkward, like a wooden chicken. Meanwhile, Commander Gu, with others around, reverted to his usual composed self, sitting at the desk as though he were in his office. This reminded Qin Yao of the time she had gone to find him to get his signature.
Qin Yao: “…”
“We should go downstairs for a walk,” Qin Yao suggested, wanting to calm her racing heart before spending time with her future roommate.
Gu Cheng was also thinking the same. He glanced outside at the sky, which was quickly darkening, and the shadows of the trees swaying. He thought, it would be nice if it got dark soon.
Before leaving, Gu Cheng casually grabbed a mask and put it on in one smooth motion.
Qin Yao looked at him in disbelief. This was the same mask she had worn while cleaning earlier. If nothing unusual had happened, there should be traces of her… Yet, this man, who seemed obsessed with cleanliness, didn’t show any signs of it.
When they reached the second floor, they unexpectedly heard some arguing and crying from a corner. Many people had gathered to watch.
“It’s not me, I didn’t steal the money!”
Qin Yao recognized the voice. It was Tian Shuyun.
She exchanged a glance with Gu Cheng, who remained unfazed, showing no interest in the commotion. But Qin Yao pulled him gently, and they headed towards the end of the hallway on the second floor.
It was still not completely dark outside, and many people were out for evening walks. The building was not crowded, but in front of a room, three people had gathered. Qin Yao stood at the door and saw Tian Shuyun, who looked impatient, shouting, “I didn’t steal it! I’ve already been searched! There’s no money in my drawer. Why are you accusing me? Apologize to me!”
In front of her stood a woman, crying with swollen eyes. “You hid it! It must be you! It only took a few minutes. If you didn’t steal it, then who did?”
“And her! She’s here too!” Tian Shuyun pointed to a thin, petite young girl. This girl, Yuan Li, had a small face with a sharp chin, and when she smiled, she had two cute dimples, giving her an innocent and endearing appearance.
Qin Yao knew her. Her name was Yuan Li. During training, people affectionately called her “Xiao Li.” She was physically weak, with a sensitive stomach, but she was very likeable and loved to sing.
“I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything,” Yuan Li muttered, her face turning pale. “I came back feeling unwell, lay down, and fell asleep. I didn’t know anything about what happened.”
Everyone knew that Yuan Li had a weak stomach and often got diarrhea. She loved to sleep and could sleep the entire day if allowed. When she napped, she slept deeply, often in a daze.
Yuan Li had a sweet voice and actively participated in activities, singing and dancing. The instructors liked her, and everyone took care of her.
Qin Yao asked around to learn the details of the incident.
Yuan Li shared a room with Li Fangfang, the woman who had lost the money. Tian Shuyun had just recently become good friends with Li Fangfang, and they were chatting happily. Yuan Li, feeling unwell, had fallen asleep in the dorm, while Li Fangfang invited Tian Shuyun over to chat and relax.
That day, Li Fangfang’s boyfriend had visited her and brought gifts. He also gave her fifty yuan and some ration coupons. Normally, these things wouldn’t be shared with others, but since Li Fangfang considered Tian Shuyun a close friend, she couldn’t resist showing off and proudly displayed the fifty yuan.
Tian Shuyun accompanied her to buy a lock. Li Fangfang placed the money in the bedside cabinet and locked it. She then tossed the three small keys into a drawer, saying, “I’ll just hide them in this book. No one will find them.”
Although she said that, Li Fangfang had a hidden agenda. After Tian Shuyun left, she planned to move the keys to a safer place.
Tian Shuyun, expressing her admiration, chatted with Li Fangfang for a while. Suddenly, Li Fangfang complained of stomach pain and went to the bathroom. Tian Shuyun said she had to leave, and shortly after, Li Fangfang returned. In less than ten minutes, Tian Shuyun was gone. Yuan Li was still asleep in the other bed. Li Fangfang drank some water, opened the drawer, took out the keys, and hid them in a corner of the drawer, taping them with yellow tape and covering them with newspaper. It was a spot difficult to find for an average person.
Thinking she had hidden them perfectly, Li Fangfang suddenly had the urge to check the locked money, feeling sweetly content with the thought of her boyfriend’s kindness.
When she unlocked the bottom lock and opened the cabinet, the money was gone.
Her face turned ashen.
Fifty yuan wasn’t a small sum. If saved, it could last her for half a year.
Who could have stolen her money?
It had to be Tian Shuyun! Who else could it be?
Li Fangfang confronted Tian Shuyun, accusing her, but Tian Shuyun was baffled. “I left after I split from you. How could I have stolen your money? Do you think I’m stupid? You can search my cabinet if you want.”
Tian Shuyun boldly allowed Li Fangfang to search, but Li Fangfang couldn’t find any trace of the money.
“I told you, I didn’t take it.”
At that moment, Li Fangfang became convinced that Tian Shuyun must have an accomplice who hid the money. That was why she let her search.
“Xiao Tian, if you took it out of a moment of impulse, just return it. You can’t feel at ease using stolen money, it’s bad karma.”
“Yes, look at how much Fangfang is crying. She treated you like a friend, you can’t be heartless.”
“Even if you’ve got fifty yuan this time, people will start seeing you as a thief. How will you find a partner in the future?”
Li Fangfang stared into Tian Shuyun’s eyes. “Take the money out. I won’t tell anyone about this.”
Tian Shuyun gritted her teeth and said, “I didn’t take your money. If I stole it, may lightning strike me, and may anyone who took the money die along with their whole family! I swear!”
The others, seeing Tian Shuyun speak so decisively, exchanged glances. Some turned their eyes toward Yuan Li, who shook her head and said, “I swear! I don’t know anything.”
The situation was at a deadlock. Li Fangfang, having lost fifty yuan, was on the verge of breaking down. Her emotions were running high as she grabbed Tian Shuyun’s collar. “Give me back my money! You… I was blind to treat you as a friend!”
Li Fangfang cried, her face covered in tears and mucus. Tian Shuyun grabbed her hand, and the two began to shove each other, creating a chaotic scene.
“Wait! Stop! Stop! You all stop!” Qin Yao’s voice cut through the noise. “Fangfang, I have a way to find your money.”
Li Fangfang and the others froze and turned around. They were surprised to see it was Qin Yao speaking.
Tian Shuyun’s face darkened upon seeing Qin Yao. She had always been at odds with her. Was Qin Yao here to add fuel to the fire?
“Qin Yao! You and Li Fangfang are in this together. You’re both framing me for stealing the money!” Tian Shuyun was furious, her eyes filled with rage.
Li Fangfang, equally angry, retorted, “You stole the money and now you’re turning it around on me! Tian Shuyun, you’re obviously a habitual thief, acting all wronged. I almost believed you hadn’t stolen it. This is something only you knew about! If you didn’t take it, who else could have?”
“Fangfang, let me see your room,” Qin Yao said, continuing calmly. She had already used her x-ray vision to check the room where Tian Shuyun stayed and had found no trace of the fifty yuan.
Tian Shuyun and the girls in her dormitory weren’t well-off, and their combined spare change didn’t even add up to thirty yuan.
“My money really has been stolen!” Li Fangfang exclaimed.
At Li Fangfang’s bedside, she opened the drawer and shook out a dictionary, revealing the key hidden inside, then unlocked the bottom lock. No matter how she searched, the fifty yuan was nowhere to be found.
“I remember clearly! That fifty yuan was right here! Now it’s gone! All of it!”
“Fangfang, think again!” Qin Yao urged.
Qin Yao’s gaze swept over Li Fangfang’s nightstand, then moved to the other side of the room. The top drawer clearly contained fifty yuan, and as she turned her gaze back, she glanced indifferently at Yuan Li.
Yuan Li, who looked confused and innocent, hadn’t even been suspected by Li Fangfang.
Yuan Li was small and thin, with big, round eyes and dimples on her cheeks. She had a sweet voice and loved to sing. She was popular with everyone. In contrast, Tian Shuyun often added fuel to the fire and unintentionally made a lot of enemies.
Standing together, most people would assume that Tian Shuyun was the thief.
“Do you want to check the other drawer? Maybe you placed the money in the wrong one, Fangfang?” Qin Yao asked, casually pointing to the side.
Yuan Li froze.
Li Fangfang shook her head, waving her hands. “Xiao Li already showed me that one. It’s not there.”
Someone else suggested, “None of their drawers have it. Could the money really have just disappeared? There must be an accomplice.”
“Whoever hid the money, step forward. If this escalates, we’ll have to search everyone’s belongings.”
Qin Yao walked over to Yuan Li’s nightstand, opened the drawer, and Yuan Li hurried over, willingly taking out the contents. She even lifted the newspaper at the bottom of the drawer. Aside from the rough, yellow wood, there was nothing else.
“There’s nothing here, and nothing under it. Check the cabinet below,” Yuan Li said.
Qin Yao casually remarked, “Your newspaper is folded in two layers.”
The rough wood boards often had newspapers placed underneath to hide things, believing it to be a secret spot. When a newspaper was too large, it would either be folded or cut to fit the drawer, with the edges bent.
Yuan Li lifted the newspaper, revealing the wood underneath, and found the money hidden in the middle layer of the newspaper.
Qin Yao pinched the corner of the newspaper, slipped her fingers inside, and spread it open. “There seems to be money inside.”
Everyone was stunned.
Yuan Li’s face turned pale.
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Ayalee[Translator]
。˚🐈⬛.𖥔 ݁ ˖