‘Who are you?’ The question simultaneously surfaced in both our minds.
Out of habit, I meticulously observed the girl before me. Her age seemed comparable to my own, and she stood around 165cm tall. Long golden hair cascaded past her waist, and her right hand clutched a silver briefcase.
Her skin was extraordinarily pale, even compared to Caucasians, creating the subtle illusion that one could almost see the blood flowing beneath its surface.
She wore a student uniform consisting of a white shirt and a black skirt. At first glance, it appeared unremarkable, yet anyone with discerning taste would recognize its immense value, clearly hand-stitched by the world’s most renowned artisans.
Adding to this were the silver watch adorning her wrist and the jeweled necklace around her neck. A rough estimate placed the value of these mere accessories alone at no less than a million RMB.
However, all of this paled in comparison to her breathtaking beauty. Even I found myself momentarily captivated at first sight. Were she to be brought to Xingjiang High, a school famed for its abundance of beauties, I was certain she would shine as its brightest star, perhaps rivaled only by the President.
Yet, in my eyes, their beauty differed profoundly. If Ye Siya’s elegance was akin to the moon, gently illuminating everyone, then the girl before me possessed the beauty of the sun—so dazzling it could incinerate anyone who dared approach.
‘This person was anything but simple.’ I mentally affixed that definition to her. Judging by her attire, she was likely a student herself.
To my knowledge, there existed a few prestigious academies comparable to Xingjiang High, though none, it seemed, shared the same uniform style as hers.
‘Who exactly was she?’
In stark contrast to my musings, the Golden-haired Girl completely ignored me. She strode directly to Luo Tianchen’s Uncle’s desk, placing her briefcase down with a resounding thud.
“Hey, you’re in charge of this case, aren’t you?” she demanded.
“Uh, are you Chinese?” Luo Tianchen’s Uncle, equally stunned by her beauty, took a long moment to collect himself. Upon hearing her fluent Mandarin, he blurted out the question, seemingly without thinking.
“My mother is Chinese, and my father is German. Is there a problem?”
“No, no, no, not at all.” Luo Tianchen’s Uncle suddenly remembered he was in his own office and cleared his throat. “While I’m not sure where you’re from, student, we are currently conducting an investigation into a significant case.”
“Would you mind waiting outside for a moment? We can discuss whatever matters you have later.”
“Didn’t I just say so?” she retorted. “I’m here to take over this case.”
“Even so, such a joke is a bit too…” Despite the stunning beauty before him, Luo Tianchen’s Uncle’s temper began to fray at her words.
*Ring, ring, ring…*
The sudden telephone bell interrupted Luo Tianchen’s Uncle mid-sentence. He murmured, “One moment,” and picked up the receiver.
I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end said. Yet, I watched my uncle’s face shift from pale to red, then to an alarming shade of green.
By the time he replaced the receiver, his complexion was as dark as coal. He spoke in a deep, subdued tone to the girl before him: “I understand. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Please wait a moment; I will transfer all relevant clues for this case to you immediately.”
‘Even his tone had become so respectful. Such was the nature of bureaucracy, it seemed.’
‘It appeared this girl was indeed someone of significant standing.’
“There’s no need for such trouble,” she said. “I rather like this office.”
“Eh? B-but this is my office…” Luo Tianchen’s Uncle, feigning incomprehension of her meaning, forced out an awkward smile.
“You? Staying here would only be a hindrance. Go wherever you please; just stand up and leave now.” With that, the Golden-haired Girl dismissively waved her hand. Luo Tianchen’s Uncle’s fists clenched, veins bulging, and his face flushed crimson.
Just as I expected him to bellow, ‘This is too much!’ and launch a punch, he suddenly relaxed his hands. He silently stood, new wrinkles seemingly etched onto his weathered face.
His already stooped figure became even more hunched, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant. I watched in silence as he shuffled step by step towards the wooden door, slowly fading into nothingness.
‘Ah, ah, so he finally succumbed to power after all.’
I cast a sympathetic glance at the pale figure shuffling past me. Though I couldn’t explain why, a part of me felt rather pleased. Still, he was family, and I couldn’t bear to watch my uncle, a man twenty years her senior, be bullied by this girl.
So, I decided… out of sight, out of mind. The best strategy of the Thirty-Six Stratagems was to simply walk away.
I had a premonition that if I didn’t leave quickly, I would surely find myself embroiled in trouble.
“Ah, wait a moment.”
‘See? Trouble had indeed come knocking.’
Despite my unease, I decided to halt. My uncle’s demeanor alone proved that even he was at the mercy of this girl’s whims. For her to dispose of a mere high school student like me would be effortless.
At a time like this, it was best not to defy her will.
“May I help you?” I asked, turning my head with a blank expression.
“Why the long face? At least give me a smile,” the Golden-haired Girl chided. She had settled into the office chair, hands clasped, elbows resting on the desk, and her chin propped on her knuckles, a sly smile playing on her lips as she tilted her head.
‘She had just claimed the chair, without even a thought for its original occupant, who was still present.’
“Like this?” I asked, using my fingers to force a smile onto my lips.
“Ugh, disgusting! Never mind, just go back to how you were.” “Go get me a glass of water. I just got off the plane and rushed to this godforsaken place, and that useless man made me waste so many words. I’m parched.”
“Honestly,” the Golden-haired Girl complained, “wouldn’t it have been simpler if he’d just obeyed from the start?”
‘Hold on, ‘that useless man’ is still in this room. Is it really okay to speak like that? And Uncle, what’s with that look you’re giving me?’
I deliberately ignored my uncle’s gaze, though I knew precisely what he meant. Most likely, he was waiting for me to reach my breaking point and then charge forward to ‘teach her a lesson’.
The me of three years ago might have done just that. However, the current me had been thoroughly tempered at Xingjiang High; this minor annoyance was mere child’s play compared to the demands of those young ladies who treated me like Yang Mingzhi’s lackey.
Thus, under my uncle’s hopeful gaze, I skillfully retrieved a guest teacup from a drawer beneath the bookshelf. After rinsing and warming the cup with freshly boiled water, I then took out my uncle’s prized, well-preserved top-grade Longjing tea, which he had long been reluctant to drink, from the desk.
I sprinkled a small amount of tea leaves into the bottom of the cup. First, I steeped them with boiling water. Once the leaves unfurled, I discarded the initial infusion.
Then, using water that had cooled to approximately ninety degrees Celsius, I steeped the tea once more. Only then did I respectfully place the teacup before the Golden-haired Girl.
“Please enjoy,” I offered.
“Not bad,” the Golden-haired Girl praised, taking a delicate sip of the tea. “You’re quite knowledgeable.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” I replied modestly.
‘This should suffice, I thought. And Uncle, you’re an adult; please don’t look at me with that betrayed expression, like a girlfriend catching her boyfriend kissing another girl. By the way, you still haven’t left?’
“Hey, have we met somewhere before?” the Golden-haired Girl asked abruptly, meticulously savoring her tea.
“If I had ever encountered a beautiful girl of your caliber, I believe I would remember it for a lifetime,” I replied respectfully. “But unfortunately, I have no recollection of you.”
“Indeed,” the Golden-haired Girl agreed, nodding her head.
‘At a time like this, a little modesty wouldn’t hurt, I mused. However, even I had to admit she truly deserved the compliment.’
“So, you’re the first witness in this case, aren’t you? Your name is Luo Tianchen, correct?”
“Excluding the perpetrator, yes.”
“Oh? Is that your indirect way of stating you’re not the killer?” the Golden-haired Girl asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Personally, I believe so.”
“Then, what’s your take on this case?”
“…I apologize, but I am merely a student. My role is only to provide testimony; I dare not make presumptions.”
“Just say it; it won’t kill you,” she urged. “I’m not like those incompetent police who only judge by appearance. I treat talent equally, you know.”
‘Please stop,’ I thought. ‘My uncle’s metaphorical health bar is already halfway depleted.’
Looking into her eyes, I understood she was serious. After much deliberation, I slowly began: “The culprit, most likely, was searching for something.”
The Golden-haired Girl fixed her gaze on me intently, and I met her stare without flinching.
My uncle, meanwhile, was utterly bewildered, caught between us, glancing from me to the girl, a giant question mark seemingly hovering above his head.
“Interesting. You are a very interesting person!” The Golden-haired Girl chuckled genuinely, and the surrounding scenery seemed to dim in comparison.
She looked directly at me, her words laced with undeniable allure: “So, what do you say? Any plans to work for me? You were helping that man before, weren’t you? Otherwise, with his utterly useless brain, how could he have solved so many cases?”
‘While it was true, she didn’t have to be so blunt. He was practically bleeding out.’
‘Ah, he’s dead.’
“No,” I stated. “As I said, I’m just a student, and I need to prepare for my college entrance exams.” I refused her offer.
“Eh?” Seemingly surprised that her charm hadn’t worked, the Golden-haired Girl displayed an unexpected expression.
“There’s absolutely no need to bother with such things; they’re merely games for mortals. With your talent, you could undoubtedly excel in far more advanced fields, you know?”
“No, you’re mistaken,” I countered. “I am merely a mortal, a mortal who makes mistakes.”
“Hey, let’s go.” I helped my uncle, who was slumped to the ground, to his feet and left the room without a backward glance. Only the Golden-haired Girl remained, lost in thought within the empty office.
“Luo Tianchen…” The Golden-haired Girl softly murmured my name, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile. “What an interesting person,” she mused.
****
“R-r-r-r-really sorry! Young Miss, I’m late!” The wooden door, for the second time since the Golden-haired Girl’s arrival, was pushed open. This time, a Black-haired Maid in a black and white maid’s uniform appeared in the doorway.
While her looks couldn’t compare to the Golden-haired Girl’s, they were certainly first-rate. However, she possessed a figure that the Golden-haired Girl simply couldn’t rival. Any man who saw her would find his gaze involuntarily drawn to her ample chest, unable to tear away.
Especially after strenuous activity, her chest moved rapidly up and down with her hurried breaths. If seen by restless teenage boys, they might instantly bleed to death from nosebleeds; even adults would struggle to maintain composure. She was truly a ‘human weapon’ of allure.
The maid, utterly terrified, bowed deeply, her doll-like face etched with self-reproach.
“Honestly, you’re too slow,” the Golden-haired Girl said, displeased. “You made me waste so many words.”
“Who, who was it?! Who dared to defy Young Miss’s will and shamelessly breathe the same air as you!” “Please give the command, Young Miss, and I will immediately eliminate that pest!”
The Black-haired Maid’s expression suddenly transformed, her face covered in dark lines of fury. Wang Hongwen, who had already walked far away, couldn’t help but shiver.
“Alright, alright. This will be our temporary command center from now on,” the Golden-haired Girl said. “Remember to clean it thoroughly.”
“Yes!” the Black-haired Maid saluted.
“Still, because of it, I witnessed something interesting,” the Golden-haired Girl mused. She rose, gazing out at the emerald river beyond the window, where a few small boats occasionally glided across the surface, their ripples slowly spreading outwards.
“Have you completed what I asked you to do?”
“Yes, Young Miss. Although it was somewhat difficult, it is prepared,” the Black-haired Maid replied respectfully. “However, that man said that you, Young Miss, must abide by the rules.”
“How infuriating! He’s merely a mortal, yet he dares to set conditions for you, Young Miss!” Her teeth clenched in resentment as she spoke of ‘that man’.
“Never mind,” the Golden-haired Girl said, waving her hand dismissively. “This is China, and isn’t there an old saying? ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’.”
“Since these are the local rules, we shall abide by them.”
“Young Miss?! Your benevolence makes me ashamed of myself!” The Black-haired Maid, moved, knelt on all fours on the floor.
“So, where exactly are you?” The Golden-haired Girl casually swept all the paper documents from the desk into the trash can, a predatory smile spreading across her face. “My… Witch.”