Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

Chapter 46: The Case Escalates, Zining in Peril!

“Huh? How did that little couple end up here?”

The masked man brushed past Lu Li and Shao Linlin, then turned back warily.

He had taken a detour from West Street to East Street, yet even so the trip had only cost him 20 or 30 minutes, and that couple had been at the motel just moments ago, so how had they reached East Street this fast?

How could they possibly have arrived so quickly?

Unless…

The masked man relaxed his knitted brows and sneered inwardly, “If he moves that fast, he must be weak in other areas; what a shame his girlfriend is so fresh and pretty.”

He looked up at the Good Flavor sign and strode into the diner.

…

Lu Li kept walking, but his pupils quivered.

What is going on?

Wasn’t that man on West Street a moment ago, how did he reach East Street so fast?

And he even entered Good Flavor, what kind of coincidence is that!

Lu Li glanced around and indeed spotted the plainclothes officers from before following with grim faces.

That guy is dangerous, and my second alt is still in there.

Lu Li’s heart sank, he forced himself not to look back, and only stopped once he had blended into the crowd.

“What’s wrong?” Shao Linlin sensed something off and stopped as well.

“Something just came up,” Lu Li replied, plucking Little White from his shoulder and stuffing the cat into Shao Linlin’s arms, “Head back on your own.”

“What is it? Can I help?” Shao Linlin asked, blinking her large eyes.

Lu Li said gravely, “It’s personal, you’d better stay out of it.”

“I see,” Shao Linlin muttered, a bit disappointed that Lu Li still regarded her as an outsider.

“Th-then I’ll go?” she asked reluctantly.

“Yeah.” Lu Li did not hesitate and walked away.

“Bye-…” She had just raised her hand to wave goodbye when Lu Li vanished around the corner.

Feeling forlorn, Shao Linlin lowered her hand, stroked Little White’s head and sighed, “Little White, do you think Lu Li went back to find that girl from earlier?”

“When he helped her, he claimed she was his.”

“Maybe he only said that as an excuse, and he didn’t really talk to her, just said they were classmates…”

But the way that girl looked at him was clearly not how you look at an ordinary classmate… Although a bit slow, Shao Linlin still noticed it as a girl.

“She’s so pretty, if she goes after Lu Li what will I do?” She tugged the cat’s ear and sighed, “Why am I even thinking about it? I don’t stand a chance; Lu Li doesn’t care about me, he didn’t even say goodbye.”

Hoping for comfort, she kept petting Little White.

Yet her technique was nowhere near Lu Li’s; Little White kept bobbing his head to dodge her hands and flicked his ears in protest.

Oblivious to the cat’s displeasure, the lovelorn girl felt as though the sky were falling.

“Why are you still standing here?” Lu Li’s voice suddenly rang out.

“L-Lu Li!” She looked up and was overjoyed to see him.

She had almost thought she was hearing things.

Lu Li’s face was still solemn, “I forgot to tell you, don’t wander around, go straight back to the Martial Arts Club or Coach Shao will worry.”

It’s you who’s worried, right… Her heart melted and she nodded like a pecking chick, “Okay!”

“Take care on the way.”

“Mm!” She smiled like a blossom.

Her big eyes curved like crescent moons, and Lu Li stared for a second before stepping forward and reaching toward her chest, “Little darling, see you next time.”

L-Little darling… Her cheeks flushed; she was about to complain that he shouldn’t call her that, it was too embarrassing.

And where is that hand going… Her head spun; she didn’t know whether to dodge or stay still.

Then Lu Li simply rubbed the cat’s head nestled in her arms.

Little White purred contentedly and stretched out.

“See you tomorrow.” Lu Li glanced at the girl’s chest and belatedly withdrew his hand.

“S-see you tomorrow!”

Watching him walk away, Shao Linlin felt her soul ascend.

“He does care about me after all, so it really was something personal,” she thought dreamily, resting her chin on her hands.

Little White glanced at her silly owner and turned away in disgust.

A moment later she set Little White on the ground and clapped her hands, “Walk home yourself, I’m not carrying you.”

“Meow?” Little White tilted her head and stared at her foolish owner.

Pouting, she shook a tiny fist and grumbled, “He actually called you little darling, he’s never called me that!”

Little White rolled her eyes with uncanny human disdain…

…

Lu Li really had gone back because he worried about Shao Linlin’s safety.

After all, that goofy girl had already stumbled into danger once, so he had to warn her properly.

If anything happened to her, Shao Kang would blame the companion who had gone out with her, and his job would be gone for sure.

Lu Li hurried back toward Good Flavor, but his heart clenched when he saw numerous “No Entry” signs now blocking the once unimpeded street.

Several people who looked like staff or plainclothes police were driving the crowd away.

“Did something happen?” Lu Li frowned deeply, bypassed the cordon and headed inside without delay.

Coincidentally, the female officer in black stockings was standing around the corner ahead of him.

Lu Li noticed keenly that she now wore a holstered gun that hadn’t been there before.

“Has the situation escalated to the point they need firearms?” His mood grew even heavier.

The officer had her back to him, speaking anxiously into her headset.

“The crowd is cleared, when will the sniper arrive?”

“What? Still 15 minutes? What the hell are they doing that it takes so long!”

“We can’t wait! Our informant just reported that the suspect’s suitcase doesn’t contain goods for a deal but a homemade bomb!”

“If that bomb goes off, no one within 20 meters will survive!”

“Since his mother’s death the suspect has suffered severe bipolar disorder; the slightest disturbance could make him lose control and trigger the bomb, and everyone in the diner will die!”

Hearing this, Lu Li suddenly wanted to retreat; the situation was clearly beyond the police’s control and barging in would risk his life.

He was not alone in this world; if he died, his sister Lu Yao would not survive.

By comparison, Chu Zining was merely a classmate he barely knew, a disposable alt.

Lu Li clenched his fists.

“We’ve already sealed the area; whoever was supposed to trade with him will sense something is off and won’t show, and the suspect will figure it out soon enough!”

“Buy time? Easy for you to say! How are we supposed to stall him?”

“Since his mother’s death he hasn’t listened to anyone, you want us to stall him, what are we supposed to do, resurrect his mom?”

“We’re done, this is completely screwed.”

The officer clutched her hair in frustration when a startled voice came through her earpiece, “Eh? Who’s that up ahead? Who is it? Someone just got past the cordon and entered the diner! He came in from the south, who’s covering the south side? Damn it, Chaoyun, that was your post! Why didn’t you stop him?”

Officer Jiang Chaoyun jerked her head up and saw Lu Li stroll into Good Flavor and close the door behind him.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie