Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 35

Walking along the street, Li Xiaotong glanced at Su Ran. “Su Ran, have you taken a fancy to Zhao Feifei?”

“Huh?” Su Ran felt baffled.

“Don’t try to fool me. The way you looked at her back there was totally different. And you’ve been way too helpful—giving her advice, even drawing her a map! I’ve never seen anyone else get such treatment from you.”

“Ha,” Su Ran chuckled. “Little brat, what do you know?”

“Don’t think just because I’m young I can’t see through you. I admit Zhao Feifei is quite charming, so it’s normal for you to be attracted. But don’t forget, we’re still investigating a case!”

Li Xiaotong was strangely stubborn today. Su Ran felt a headache coming on. “Investigating? Come on, we’re just wandering around. Solving cases is the police’s job. Don’t poke your nose into trouble.”

“But we are investigating!”

“You think you’re Detective Conan now? You nearly got yourself killed last time. Take care of your own little life first!”

“You!” Li Xiaotong was so furious she decided to ignore Su Ran, storming ahead in a huff.

Moments later, she noticed Su Ran had disappeared.

When she finally found him again, he was sitting in a café, happily sharing a meal with a beautiful woman. Li Xiaotong felt the urge to rush over and punch him into a pig-faced pulp.

“Su Ran!” she fumed.

Su Ran gave her a lazy glance. “Don’t yell. Try to act more like a girl.”

The woman across from him, eating an ice cream, glanced between them. “Maybe I should go and leave you two to talk?”

“No need,” Su Ran replied. “She’s just a clueless little brat. Don’t mind her. Anyway, I wanted to ask you—how did you come up here?”

Come up here?

Li Xiaotong took a seat, studying the woman. She seemed about the same age as herself and wasn’t a jaw-dropping beauty, but somehow Li Xiaotong felt an inexplicable inferiority in her presence.

The woman merely sat there, yet she radiated an aura that made people hesitate to approach or even look directly at her.

“If you can roam freely below, why can’t I come up here for a little fun?” The woman’s tone was teasing, her actions familiar, as though she and Su Ran were old acquaintances.

“Do the old men know?” Su Ran asked.

“They know.”

“Lie.”

The woman finished her ice cream, pouting. “Su Ran, everyone else doesn’t care what I do. Why are you so strict with me? I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“Not a little girl? You’ve got a long way to go. Those old men don’t know squat. Letting you roam around like this? Get back now.”

“Hmph!” The woman smirked mischievously and pulled out a letter. “Look, a handwritten note from them. They sent me up here to train.”

Su Ran skimmed the letter briefly. “I don’t care about their notes. You’re going back. I have serious business to deal with here.”

“You! You’re even ignoring their orders now?”

“I’ve never followed them.”

Faced with Su Ran’s stubbornness, the woman eventually relented. “Fine, I get it. I’ll go back. I just wanted to let you know—I’ve found a lead for you.” She handed him a photo. “This woman is called Sun Li. She also has a flying sword.”

“Got it. Thanks for the tip. Now hurry back,” Su Ran urged.

“Alright, alright,” the woman muttered grudgingly but stood to leave.

“Wait,” Su Ran called to the waiter. “Can you pack 100 ice cream cones?”

The woman’s face lit up with delight.

Li Xiaotong, watching this unfold, was utterly bewildered. Who was this woman? Why did she seem to completely ignore her existence, as if she were invisible?

The waiter was equally dumbfounded. A hundred ice creams?

“Hey, didn’t you hear him? Start making them!” the woman demanded, worried Su Ran might change his mind.

Su Ran sighed. It looked like he’d be living on instant noodles for the next month.

“Su Ran, I want one too!” Li Xiaotong chimed in.

“No way. Eating that stuff will make you fat.”

“But—” Li Xiaotong looked pitifully at him.

“Here, you can have one.” The woman handed an ice cream to Li Xiaotong. “Don’t listen to Su Ran. He’s all talk. It’s sweet and delicious. So what if you gain weight?”

Li Xiaotong glared at Su Ran and happily started chatting with the woman about the best flavors.

Meanwhile, Su Ran stared intently at the photo of the woman. Why were all the flying swords connected to women? Or could it be that all the sword spirits were female too?

When Li Xiaotong called him back to reality, the woman was already skipping off gleefully with her 100 ice creams.

“What were you thinking about so deeply?”

Su Ran flipped the photo over, revealing detailed information: name, address, phone number.

“I keep feeling like we’re always one step behind,” Su Ran sighed. Then he turned to Li Xiaotong. “Come on, let’s go take a public bath.”

“A public bath?” Li Xiaotong was confused. What was with this sudden suggestion?

Su Ran didn’t explain, handing her a small packet of something resembling body wash. It had no label or manufacturing info. “Use this and wash thoroughly. Change into fresh clothes afterward.”

“What are you up to now, Su Ran?” Li Xiaotong sniffed it. A faint, pleasant scent wafted out, oddly soothing.

“Just do it. You’ve got ten minutes.”

Su Ran’s sudden and bizarre commands made Li Xiaotong feel like he’d gone completely nuts. Still, she complied.

Half an hour later, Li Xiaotong emerged feeling refreshed, dressed in clean clothes. Her skin carried a faint, intoxicating fragrance that drew compliments and curious questions from everyone in the bathhouse. She was so embarrassed she wished she could dig a hole and hide in it.

“Su Ran, what was that stuff?”

“A secret,” Su Ran said flatly.

So dull—everything was a secret.

At a certain residential complex…

When they arrived at the designated apartment, the door was ajar. Su Ran tensed. Were they too late again?

They crept in cautiously but found the place empty.

“Su Ran, did we miss her again?”

“It’s all your fault for taking so long in the bath.”

“Bullshit! This has nothing to do with my bath!”

While they argued, a sharp voice interrupted. “Who are you?”

At the doorway stood a woman in her twenties, staring in shock at Su Ran and Li Xiaotong.

After shouting, she immediately turned to flee, pulling out her phone to call the police.

“Sun Li!” Li Xiaotong shouted after her. If the police got involved, they’d be in big trouble.

Su Ran waved his hand, and the fleeing Sun Li—and her phone—floated back to him. “We mean no harm. I’m Su Ran, from the Upside Down Grocery Shop.”

Sun Li, who had been struggling, froze at his words. “Su Ran?”

“Absolutely, positively, 100% Su Ran.”

Sun Li glanced at Li Xiaotong. “And her? Who is she?”

“My little sidekick,” Su Ran replied dismissively. “No time for chit-chat. If you know my name, then you know why I’m here.”

Sun Li stayed silent, scrutinizing him.

“Where’s the sword spirit?” Su Ran pressed. Something felt off, and he was growing impatient.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sun Li denied.

“Do you realize how much danger you’re in?” Su Ran’s tone turned sharp. “I don’t like using force. Don’t push me.”

“You think you can just barge in here and threaten me?” Sun Li retorted. “If I scream, someone will have you beaten up in no time.”

Despite her words, fear was evident in her eyes—it was an empty threat.

Su Ran waved his hand again, and Sun Li froze, rendered unable to move or speak, like a statue.

“Come out!”

The bedroom door creaked open, and a small girl timidly emerged. She looked at Su Ran and asked softly, “Are you really Su Ran?”

Li Xiaotong stared at the little girl, about seven or eight years old. A sword spirit.