Chapter 88: Just The Two of Us
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
When Xi Mo first heard Ruan Yesheng's words, her hand, which had been wiping the table, suddenly froze. She didn’t blink as she stared fixedly at the table’s surface, completely still.
Like a real block of wood.
Ruan Yesheng saw her stunned expression, which was clearly startled, yet still maintained a proud and aloof demeanor. She couldn’t help but laugh as she waved her hand in front of Xi Mo’s face. "No way, I just mentioned wanting to sleep here, and you’re already scared?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng extended her index finger and lightly poked Xi Mo’s cheek.
Xi Mo finally came to her senses. Her whole body seemed to go numb from that soft, light poke.
She had never experienced such a strange feeling in her entire life. She quickly took two steps back and looked at Ruan Yesheng with a strange expression. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." Ruan Yesheng shrugged innocently and said with a smile, "You weren’t moving, like a block of wood, so I wanted to see if poking you would wake you up."
Xi Mo’s expression became even more uneasy. She slowly sat down on the chair and, after a while, said, “I wasn’t scared, I just didn’t expect you would... sleep here.”
“Is it not allowed?” Ruan Yesheng’s eyes sparkled with a watery light.
It seemed like she was trying to negotiate, but in reality, most people, when met with her coquettish gaze, would feel their bones melt. There was no need to negotiate; they would agree to anything she asked without hesitation.
No matter how many thoughts swirled in her mind, Xi Mo, at least on the surface, appeared calm. Her expression remained unchanged as she said, “Why?”
She didn’t believe Ruan Yesheng would want to sleep here for no reason. There had to be a reason behind it. Otherwise, it was too sudden and felt illogical. Surely, there was something she didn’t yet know, or else the logic wouldn’t make sense.
"Why does there have to be a reason?" Ruan Yesheng teased her on purpose, deliberately not revealing the real reason. She continued smiling, "Many things in this world don’t have a reason. Maybe I just suddenly felt like it and decided to do something."
"You wouldn’t," Xi Mo replied, looking at her with certainty. "If you want to sleep with me now, there must be a reason, and it must be an important one. Otherwise, logically, something feels off."
"Sleep with you?" Ruan Yesheng’s gaze hooked her without blinking.
Xi Mo quickly corrected herself, "What I mean is, you’re going to sleep in my room with me."
"I didn’t say anything else," Ruan Yesheng chuckled, "Why are you in such a hurry to explain?"
Xi Mo: "..."
She turned her head and stared off to the side for a long while before finally saying, "I will only agree if you tell me the real reason."
Ruan Yesheng saw her get serious and decided not to joke any more. She said, "You guessed right. I do have my purpose. It's related to the person who died next door. Someone died next door, and the body was found yesterday morning. Before Officer Cui came to ask you, she had already investigated the hotel and the entire production team. This process took some time to complete, so I think the police must have found this place early and got involved. We were admitted to the hospital yesterday and were unaware of the situation. Perhaps the police took over the case yesterday and set up a lockdown in the deceased’s room. But just now, we saw that there was no cordon at the door. The police are investigating quietly and had you help keep an eye on things. They might have made some discoveries and are using this room to bait someone."
Xi Mo understood Ruan Yesheng’s intention immediately after hearing this. Ruan Yesheng’s logic was very clear. It seemed that when Officer Cui was questioning her, Ruan Yesheng had already calmly worked through all the details in her mind. She just hadn’t made a fuss about it.
But what Xi Mo didn’t understand was why Ruan Yesheng was doing this.
Ruan Yesheng continued, "The police might suspect that someone related to the deceased will try to enter the room next door, which is why they didn't set up a cordon. Instead, they might have set up surveillance inside. Now that the room is vacant, anyone could move in. If someone really wants to go in and search for clues, they would likely be anxious. After all, once another guest checks in, the opportunity to enter the room will decrease greatly, and there’s also the risk of clues being destroyed. So, the person will probably do whatever it takes to get into the room as soon as possible. Based on the timing and the police's attitude, it seems they haven't succeeded yet, but they won't wait much longer. Perhaps tonight, something will happen."
Xi Mo furrowed her brows. "So, you want to use my room to observe what happens next door tonight?"
"Yes."
"I have a lot of questions right now. But I'll ask the two most important ones first. Will you answer me honestly?" Xi Mo's gaze was heavy.
"That depends on what you ask." Ruan Yesheng still smiled lightly. "Ask first."
"First." Xi Mo said, "Do you know the deceased next door? Actually, when you saw the deceased’s photo yesterday morning, I noticed your face looked a bit strange, but I didn't ask you at the time."
"I don't know her." Ruan Yesheng answered seriously. "I swear."
"...No need to swear." Xi Mo didn't expect her to be so formal.
"I just hope you can believe me." Ruan Yesheng’s voice softened.
Xi Mo responded seriously, "I’ve told you before, I trust you."
Ruan Yesheng's eyes immediately curved, as if she had tasted something sweet.
Xi Mo said, "Since you don't know her, why are you so concerned about the situation next door? Is there something about her that caught your attention, which made you stay with me tonight to keep an eye on things next door?"
Her mind worked quickly, and she suddenly realized, "Could it be... the cause of death? Have you seen a similar death before? Is that why you want to investigate?"
The woman’s cause of death was indeed unforgettable. Xi Mo had never heard of such a death before. It was so bizarre that if she ever saw a similar death again, she would definitely make the connection.
She thought this way, and Ruan Yesheng, being such a sharp person, should have thought the same.
Ruan Yesheng sighed with a smile, "You’re always so clever. Every time I try to keep something from you, it’s impossible to succeed. It’s just not fun at all."
Xi Mo: "..."
She was silent for a moment before saying, "Then in the future, when you try to keep something from me, even if I figure it out, I will pretend not to know and go along with you. Would that be fun for you?"
Ruan Yesheng was stunned.
"Would it?" Xi Mo asked again as if it were a very important question.
Ruan Yesheng leaned closer to Xi Mo, smiling warmly. "The way you are now is already very fun."
Xi Mo: "..."
"By the way, about that question earlier—if I say yes, then what?" Ruan Yesheng continued, "Would you really go along with me like that?"
Xi Mo diverted the topic. "I still have a second question to ask you."
Ruan Yesheng knew she absolutely would not answer the earlier question anymore. Holding back her laughter, she said, "Mm, go ahead and ask."
"Even if you want to stay here to monitor the situation in the room next door, you do not have surveillance equipment. The surveillance in that room was set up by the police, and we cannot access it. If the other party is looking for clues, they would not make any obvious noise. We cannot hear or see anything from here. How are you going to monitor?"
"I naturally have my own way," Ruan Yesheng replied. "I have a manager. Well, for now, she could temporarily count as your manager. Later, you will have to call her over."
Xi Mo: "..."
...It’s Yan Tinghuan again.
Although she could not figure out Yan Tinghuan’s background, no matter how she looked at it, Yan Tinghuan was the least like a manager. That flashy and secretive person was always disappearing for days on end. Having this kind of manager was no different from not having one at all.
Ruan Yesheng noticed Xi Mo’s silence and deliberately feigned surprise. "You didn’t actually think that when I said I was staying here, it meant just the two of us sleeping here, did you?"
Xi Mo: "..."
"I never said that," Ruan Yesheng was overjoyed in her heart but said with a straight face, "If I sleep here, Tinghuan must come too. Without Tinghuan, this surveillance of the room next door would be impossible. Only she can make it happen."
Xi Mo's face darkened.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Are you unhappy?" Ruan Yesheng quickly apologized, "I should have made it clear. Letting you misunderstand that it was just the two of us sleeping together—that’s my fault."
"I did not misunderstand," Xi Mo said each word slowly, almost through gritted teeth. "What special method does Yan Tinghuan have to monitor the room next door?"
"You’ll know when she gets here," Ruan Yesheng said, reaching out to grab Xi Mo’s sleeve, gently shaking it while pleading, "Don’t be mad. Next time, if it’s just you and me sleeping together, I’ll definitely tell you clearly that it’s just the two of us. I absolutely won’t let anyone else in."
"Shut up," Xi Mo abruptly turned her face away.
Ruan Yesheng pressed her lips together. Though she really stopped talking, her shoulders were trembling with laughter.
Seeing that Xi Mo seemed to still be holding onto her frustration, Ruan Yesheng sat to the side and secretly sent a message to Yan Tinghuan, explaining the situation. Yan Tinghuan was the only one who knew about their body swap, so getting her cooperation was very easy. As long as Ruan Yesheng explained clearly, Yan Tinghuan would know how to act in front of Xi Mo.
Yan Tinghuan's reply came back quickly: "Don't worry, I got it."
Only then did Ruan Yesheng approach Xi Mo and say, "Once your anger subsides, call Tinghuan and ask her to come here. I’ll tell you what to say later. She’ll definitely come."
"Which eye of yours saw that I was angry?" Xi Mo turned her face back and stared at her. "Tell me now, what should I say?"
"Tell Tinghuan that there are clues in the room next door, something she has been tracking. Then send her the photo of the deceased from your phone. She’ll understand. Tell her to come over after dinner."
Xi Mo followed the instructions, called Yan Tinghuan, and sent the photo. Yan Tinghuan readily agreed and said she would arrive at six in the evening.
"Even if you think the deceased's death was bizarre and that you’ve seen a similar case before, why are you investigating this?" Xi Mo couldn’t shake the feeling that Ruan Yesheng was hiding a big secret. She asked, "This should be the police's responsibility."
Xi Mo had previously guessed why Ruan Yesheng had voluntarily given up her acting career. Could it be that Ruan Yesheng had encountered some trouble back then, which was connected to what she was investigating now? What exactly had Ruan Yesheng gotten herself involved in? No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.
Ruan Yesheng’s smile faded, and her gaze turned somewhat desolate. She really didn’t know how to respond.
She didn’t want to keep secrets from Xi Mo and hoped to be honest with her, but many things were beyond her control.
Xi Mo studied her expression, noticing her hesitation. She couldn’t bear to press her further, so she said, "I’m just curious. You don’t have to tell me; it’s okay. When Yan Tinghuan arrives, what should I do? You must know how she plans to monitor, but I don’t. If I accidentally say the wrong thing after she gets here, it’ll expose us."
Xi Mo was still worried about exposing their secret, unaware that Yan Tinghuan already knew everything about their situation—even down to the "filling" they had swapped.
"This is exactly what I need to tell you. Her method of surveillance is very unique. When you see it, you mustn’t be surprised." Ruan Yesheng deliberated for a long time before finally saying, "Tinghuan is no ordinary person. She’s... a cicada breeder."
Author's Note:
Happy New Year everyone~ Muah
