Forensic Forensic - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Luo Jianan had no intention of sacrificing his precious rest day to repay Qi Ming’s “bullshit favor.” It was an equal exchange, wasn’t it? Don’t think you can buy him off by writing a report for him. If you’re asking for a return for such a small favor, then if Qi Ming does anything else for him in the future, won’t he have to do it with his body?

“No,” Luo Jianan said bluntly, not caring if it embarrassed Qi Ming.

“It’s not a request,” Qi Ming glared at him coldly. “It’s an order.”

“Hey, do you really think you’re in charge? Besides Captain Chen’s order, I also—” Luo Jianan was halfway through his sentence when he pulled out his phone, which had been vibrating in his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID and his lips twitched slightly. “Hello, Mom, what’s up?” He gestured to Qi Ming to silence her.

His mother chattered on for so long on the other end of the phone that Luo Jianan pulled the receiver slightly away from his ear. It was a long moment before he got to interrupt. “No, I’m not taking a day off tomorrow… Yeah, I’m working overtime… No! Don’t call our team leader! It’s not about the team! It’s—” Luo Jianan gave Qi Ming a frustrated look. “The new, uh, leader, is moving, and I have to help… Dinner? I’m not free for dinner either… I’m on duty the day after tomorrow… Next week? This week isn’t even over yet, how would I know what’s going on next week… Okay, I’ll stop talking. I’m so busy.”

After hanging up, Luo Jianan had a look on his face that said, “Fvck, even drinking cold water makes my teeth ache.” His mother had called him specifically to have lunch at the weekend; it must be a blind date. He’d rather help Qi Ming move than have to put on a smile until his face twitched in front of a girl he didn’t know.

“Okay, then you can have it,” Luo Jianan said to Qi Ming. “Did your mom ask you to go home for dinner?” Qi Ming asked.

Luo Jianan nodded.

Qi Ming lowered his eyes and said, “You should go back for dinner and spend more time with your parents.”

“Hey! You—” Luo Jianan’s face was filled with frustration. “I’m using you as an excuse not to go home!”

“Why don’t you want to go home?”

“My dad’s mean, and my mom’s nagging.” Luo Jianan snorted. Qi Ming sighed slightly, raised his eyes, and smiled wryly, “You’re so ungrateful for what you have.”

Luo Jianan was about to retort, “If you have the guts, try spending two hours with them,” but suddenly bit the inside of his lip and muffled the words.

Oh my god, how could he have forgotten that Qi Ming’s parents were gone?

——————

When it was time to get off work, Luo Jianan had other things to do, so he stayed overtime. When he finished, he glanced at the clock and saw it was almost eight o’clock, but Qi Ming hadn’t come up to him to take him back to the hotel. He ran to the medical examiner’s office on the second basement floor, but the door was locked. After hesitating for a moment in the hallway, he pulled out his phone and dialed Qi Ming’s number.

The phone rang for a long time before it connected. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you call me when you left?” Luo Jianan asked. Qi Ming was silent for a moment, then said, “I don’t need to tell you where I’m going.”

This made him angry. Luo Jianan frowned and kicked the wall, thinking Qi Ming was being sulky. Hearing the sound of waves in the background, he suppressed his temper and asked, “Are you at the beach?”

“Yeah,” the other end replied coldly. Luo Jianan could tell Qi Ming was in a bad mood. In fact, he had noticed Qi Ming’s moodiness since his mother’s call that morning. Qi Ming lost both his parents in childhood, and while Luo Jianan couldn’t fully empathize with him, as a friend, he felt obliged to do something: “Send me your location, I’ll pick you up.”

“No thanks, I want to be alone.”

“Aren’t I supposed to help you move tomorrow? I haven’t had dinner yet, so why don’t you treat me first? How can I work without a full stomach?”

“Go eat downstairs at the hotel and sign my room number.”

“That’s so insincere,” Luo Jianan said as he walked towards the elevator. “Besides, today… On Fridays, beer, grilled skewers, and crayfish are the real deal. Don’t try to get me off with a meager set meal.

There was silence on the receiver. Just when Luo Jianan thought Qi Ming was disconnected, he heard the other party say, “Send the name and address of the shop.”

“It’s Lao B’s. Do you remember it?”

“Yes, see you later.”

“How about calling Xiao Xu, Dawei, and my master? It’s a lively place with a lot of people, and you can get to know everyone.”

“Sure.”

After hanging up Qi Ming, Luo Jianan called the others. Xu Jie couldn’t come because something was wrong, so Qiao Dawei and Miao Hong went.

——————

Business at Lao B’s was booming on Friday night. When Luo Jianan arrived, the table was already full. Lao B borrowed a table from a neighboring shop, set up a stool, and invited him to sit down. A few minutes later, Qiao Dawei arrived, and then Miao Hong. Qi Ming showed up almost half an hour later. His suit and tie seemed a bit out of place in the night market atmosphere.

“You’re driving and drinking?” Seeing Luo Jianan grab the beer bottle, Miao Hong grabbed his wrist.

“Call a designated driver later.” Luo Jianan chuckled, clinking his bottle with Qiao Dawei’s. “Dawei, want one?”

Qiao Dawei finished the entire bottle of beer without a word. Miao Hong peeled a lobster tail and placed it on the plate in front of Qi Ming. She smiled and asked, “Teacher Qi, wouldn’t you like a drink?”

“I don’t drink beer.” Qi Ming glanced at the lobster tail on the plate and nodded to Miao Hong. “Thank you.”

Luo Jianan also noticed the tail and feigned anger, his lip drooping. “Master, you’re so biased. You won’t even peel it for me!”

“You’re a cripple? Don’t you have arms?” Miao Hong rolled her eyes at him and continued, “Teacher Qi, what would you like to drink? I’ll go with you.”

“My master is obsessed with s3x…” Luo Jianan muttered to Qiao Dawei, and immediately afterwards, Miao Hong kicked him. Fortunately, Miao Hong was wearing flats, otherwise he’d have a hole in his foot by now.

Qi Ming glanced toward the counter and said, “I don’t think there’s any whiskey here. Whatever’s fine with me.”

“Old B,” Miao Hong waved at him. “Bring me a bottle of white wine.”

Luo Jianan glared. “Master, are you planning to get our consultant drunk and then—”

“If you keep saying that, I’ll hit you with a beer bottle, you brat.” Miao Hong slapped the table. A Northeastern girl, she could handle a lot of alcohol, so she could easily handle a good drink. “I’m usually so busy with work that I don’t have much time to relax, so today’s a welcome party for the consultant. As agreed, it’s my treat.”

“I’ll treat you, Officer Miao. It’s a disgrace for a man to let a lady pay,” Qi Ming continued.

Hearing this, Miao Hong sighed, “Hey, Teacher Qi, the shameful history of those two across from you could fill a book. Only if Xu Jie weren’t here, the three of them could have written a joint volume.”

Luo Jianan and Qiao Dawei each tilted their heads and rolled their eyes.

——————

Besides the flower vendors, there were always singers performing at the night market. They paid ten or twenty yuan per song, and if they thought the singer sang well, they’d give more. Night market regulars knew the rules. A woman in her early twenties approached Luo Jianan’s table with a guitar and asked if they wanted to order a song. Normally, Luo Jianan wouldn’t order songs. It wasn’t because he was stingy, but he felt awkward, like an old man listening to music in the old days. But seeing the girl’s expectant expression, he lit a cigarette and raised his chin towards Miao Hong.

“Master, you order. I’ll treat you.”

Miao Hong’s face was flushed from drinking. Hearing Luo Jianan’s words, she turned and asked the girl, “What’s the name of the theme song from ‘Ghost’?”

The girl thought for a moment and shook her head.

“Unchained Melody,” Qi Ming said. He had probably drunk about two or three taels of baijiu, and his face was now flushed.

“Yes, that one.” A hint of melancholy crossed Miao Hong’s eyes, which she quickly dispelled with a smile. “Can you sing, girl?”

The girl continued to shake her head, a little embarrassed, “It’s a Chinese song… It’s okay…”

Miao Hong’s expression instantly turned dejected. Just as she was thinking of changing songs, she saw Qi Ming reaching out to the girl, “Lend me your guitar.”

After tuning up his cheap guitar, Qi Ming smiled at Miao Hong. “Officer Miao, I can’t sing ‘Unchained Melody’ well, but I hope ‘Boy’s Round Here’ will cheer you up.”

He then played the prelude with a pick. As Qi Ming began singing, Luo Jianan immediately thought, “Oh my god, I should be on The Voice of China!” Thanks to his ex-girlfriend, who majored in English, Luo Jianan’s English was passable. Although he hadn’t heard Qi Ming’s song before, he could roughly understand it. It was about a boy pursuing a girl. It was a country-style song, light and sweet, completely different from Qi Ming’s previously aloof attitude. It wasn’t until the burnt cigarette butt burned his hand that Luo Jianan finally recovered from his shock.

When Qi Ming finished singing, Miao Hong led the applause. “Teacher Qi, you sing so well. Is there anything you can’t do?”

Qi Ming handed the guitar back to the girl and smiled shyly, “I can’t drive.”

“I’ll teach you. I guarantee you’ll be able to do it in two hours.” Miao Hong glanced at Luo Jianan and gestured for him to take out his money.

Luo Jianan took out his wallet and hesitated, unsure whether to give it to the girl or Qi Ming.

After eating and drinking, Luo Jianan called a designated driver to take Qi Ming back to the hotel. Sitting side by side in the back seat, Luo Jianan stared out the window at the receding street scene. When they were two traffic lights away from the hotel, he turned to Qi Ming and asked, “Are you trying to woo my master?”

Qi Ming shook his head calmly. “Officer Miao has someone else in her heart.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How could I not know she has someone else in her heart?” Luo Jianan’s expression was slightly horrified. He couldn’t imagine what kind of man Miao Hong could hold in her heart.

“If I’m not mistaken, that person is gone.” Qi Ming pondered for a moment. “Drunk speaks the truth. Listen to the song she ordered and the expression on her face.”

“Oh, I didn’t notice.” Luo Jianan tried to recall Miao Hong’s expression, but couldn’t. Of course, he wouldn’t ask Miao Hong to confirm this; it was her private matter.

“Master, we’re here.”

Qi Ming patted the driver’s seatback. The car pulled to the side of the road. He opened the door and was about to get out when Luo Jianan grabbed his arm.

“What time tomorrow?” Luo Jianan asked.

Pulling his hand away, Qi Ming said, “Go back and have dinner with your parents first, then come back. I’ve asked Shao Chen to help.”

“Shao Chen? Oh, the manager of the hotel’s business department.” Luo Jianan raised an eyebrow. “I’m definitely not going home for dinner. Just tell me what time.”

“Nine o’clock. Go directly to my apartment. I don’t have much luggage, so I’ll mainly be assembling furniture.” Qi Ming pointed across the street. “Building 6, Room 1808. You have the key. If we’re not there by nine o’clock, go in and wait.”

Luo Jianan froze—yes, Qi Ming had given him a key, but it seemed he hadn’t seen it since he slept in Qi Ming’s living room!

Author’s Note: I wonder what crayfish tastes like with whiskey…