Chapter 91: Good Evening
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Xi Mo repeatedly emphasized that she wasn't joking, but Yan Tinghuan was someone who liked jokes. She only made her acting smoother and smoother. She looked very confused. "You two suddenly saying this, of course, I'm completely in the dark. I don't even know what exactly happened."
She'd clearly already heard the whole story from Ruan Yesheng, yet she still held back with bad intentions, making Xi Mo say it again.
Xi Mo was still kept in the dark. She thought Yan Tinghuan really didn't know anything, so she explained everything in detail.
Time passed. Yan Tinghuan listened from beginning to end, peeling three tangerines in the process.
"This is the whole process," Xi Mo said, feeling a bit dry in her mouth. "Neither of us knew that the hotel fire that time would make us swap bodies."
Ruan Yesheng got up and poured a glass of water for Xi Mo. Xi Mo glanced at her and quietly held the cup, drinking.
"Sounds like a really interesting story," Yan Tinghuan said after listening.
Xi Mo frowned. "You don't believe us?"
Yan Tinghuan just smiled, clasped her hands on her knees, and looked at her. She finally changed the way she addressed her. "Goddess, sometimes, things that sound like stories might actually be real."
Xi Mo's expression instantly softened. She said, "Thank you for believing us."
At this moment, she felt relieved.
The long-hidden secret was finally spoken, and it was believed by the listener across from her.
Xi Mo thought to herself, as expected, Yan Tinghuan, being someone who raises cicadas, was the most suitable person to know this secret. Perhaps raising cicadas was itself a mysterious thing, and Yan Tinghuan was used to such oddities, so she was much more open to accepting other strange things than most people.
"I should be thanking you two for believing me," Yan Tinghuan said, glancing at Ruan Yesheng with a smile. "For something like this, it’s an honor that you’d be willing to tell me."
Ruan Yesheng smiled gently.
Xi Mo listened, only feeling that Yan Tinghuan suddenly became rare and more pleasing to the eye.
But Yan Tinghuan added, "You two have told me such an important secret, so now we’re grasshoppers on the same rope. If we’re going to be unlucky, we’ll all be unlucky together. Isn't that touching?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng said, "So touching, no wonder you’re my good friend. Even if we’re unlucky, you’ll pull me along with you."
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng turned her face, stared at Xi Mo, and smiled, "You’re also my good friend, so of course, I’ll pull you along with me. After all, we’re on the same rope."
Xi Mo’s face froze: "..."
You and Yan Tinghuan are the ones on the same rope! Is that rope called the shameless rope?
Don’t drag me into this!
Yan Tinghuan, enjoying the show, got even more enthusiastic and started talking nonsense. "Since the three of us are on the same rope and it’s so touching, why don’t we make a brotherhood oath and swear loyalty?"
Xi Mo: "..."
I swear to you, a ghost!
Have you watched too many dramas?
Yan Tinghuan said, "I’m a year younger than both of you, so just call me Little Sister."
Xi Mo: "..."
Why don’t you just have us call you Little Bastard instead!
Ruan Yesheng nodded and said to Yan Tinghuan, "Alright, Little Sister then."
Yan Tinghuan: "..."
She pointed at Ruan Yesheng, looking heartbroken. "You heartless thing! I was just joking with the goddess, and she didn’t even say anything. But you, just to help her, went along and blocked me like this."
Xi Mo: "..."
It wasn't that she didn't speak on purpose, it was because she was so angry that she did not even want to speak. Anyway, she kept all her thoughts to herself.
After the joke passed, Ruan Yesheng became serious. "Stop talking nonsense. What’s the situation next door?"
Yan Tinghuan could see everything clearly as long as the cicadas could see it. She waved her hand and said, "Everything is normal. The person next door has been cleaning the whole time, but it looks like she still hasn’t found what she’s looking for."
The woman next door was very patient. She searched for a long time but still found nothing.
Cui Jiayu and a few police officers also watched her through the surveillance, not daring to relax for a second. But as the night deepened, after spending hours investigating and watching footage without rest, they started getting drowsy.
Cui Jiayu saw their heads nodding as they forced their eyes open and said, "Take turns resting. One group watches while the other sleeps. We’ll switch off. Tonight’s going to be a long wait."
Cheng Yu noticed the bloodshot eyes in Cui Jiayu’s gaze and said, "Boss, get some sleep. I’ll watch for you first."
"I’m not sleepy." Cui Jiayu kept her eyes locked on the surveillance screen.
After a while, Ding Qihong finished tidying up the room and stopped. She sat on the bed to rest for a moment, then went into the bathroom to wash up.
There were no surveillance cameras in the bathroom, but the cicadas could go in. However, Yan Tinghuan still let them stay outside.
The bathroom had no windows, so Ding Qihong could not escape. Besides, the cicadas could hear even the slightest sounds, so every movement inside was under control.
"The woman next door went into the bathroom. You two should also take a shower and get some rest. If anything happens, I’ll wake you up."
Maybe to stay awake, Yan Tinghuan ordered several cups of coffee for delivery. As she spoke, she sipped on her black coffee.
Ruan Yesheng went to shower first. When she came out, Xi Mo went in.
"How is it now?" Ruan Yesheng asked while blow-drying her hair after showering.
"She already came out," Yan Tinghuan said. "She’s lighting mosquito coils."
Next door, Ding Qihong took a mosquito coil from her bag, lit it, then lifted the blanket and lay down. The room’s lights went out, leaving only the red glow of the burning coil in the darkness.
It was autumn, and the weather was getting cooler, but autumn mosquitoes were still around, and they were vicious. When actors filmed night scenes, they sometimes got bitten by these autumn mosquitoes.
Ruan Yesheng said nothing more and focused on drying her hair.
Next door, Ding Qihong lay motionless under the blanket, seemingly falling asleep quickly.
At ten in the evening, Xi Mo came out of the bathroom, her long hair still damp. She sat by the bed, and Ruan Yesheng handed her the hairdryer before sitting beside her, smiling as she watched her.
The warm air from the hairdryer blew, but Xi Mo got goosebumps from being stared at. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Now that you don’t have to act in front of Tinghuan, do you feel relieved?" Ruan Yesheng asked softly.
"It's okay." Xi Mo responded vaguely and glanced at Yan Tinghuan, who was resting with her eyes closed. "She’s really capable. Maybe she has some insight on the body swap. But things were busy tonight, so I didn’t ask her if there was a way to switch back. Don’t worry, I’ll find a chance to talk to her tomorrow."
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng had asked Yan Tinghuan about a solution before, but she hadn’t given any useful advice. That path was currently blocked.
Hearing Xi Mo’s words now, Ruan Yesheng sensed a hint of comfort in them. Her heart warmed a little, and she smiled. "I’m not in a hurry."
But beyond that, there was also a trace of guilt.
She hid the truth from Xi Mo—that Yan Tinghuan had known all along. Xi Mo knew nothing, yet she was still worried Ruan Yesheng would be anxious and even went out of her way to explain. Someone as proud as Xi Mo would definitely hate being played like this.
"I'm sorry." Ruan Yesheng looked into Xi Mo's eyes and apologized.
Xi Mo turned off the hairdryer and looked back at her. "What? Why are you saying this?"
Ruan Yesheng patted the bed and made up an excuse. "You’re about to share a bed with me. I’m afraid you’ll get mad, so I’m apologizing in advance."
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng's eyes curved into a smile, like two clear, bright crescent moons.
"…I'm not mad." Xi Mo turned her head away and continued drying her hair.
"Really?" Ruan Yesheng, delighted, leaned in closer.
Xi Mo didn't look at her and simply said, "If you ask again, I’ll be mad."
Ruan Yesheng pressed her lips together in a smile and stopped asking.
Once everything was settled, Ruan Yesheng got under the covers in her pajamas.
Her elbow rested on the pillow, one hand supporting her chin as she studied Xi Mo, who stood stiffly like a wooden post at the edge of the bed. "Come in, it's time to sleep. Why are you just standing there like a log?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng leaned sideways, lying in a way that exuded an effortless charm, then stretched out her other hand and patted the pillow.
Xi Mo hesitated for a while, lifted the corner of the blanket, took off her slippers, and finally lay down.
But she only lay at the edge of the bed, still in that perfectly calculated position, her whole body lying flat on her back, her gaze stern as she stared at the ceiling.
"You’re sleeping on the edge, why?" Ruan Yesheng looked at her serious expression and couldn’t help but laugh, "Am I going to eat you?"
Xi Mo: "..."
After a long pause, Xi Mo finally spoke, "I left the middle for Yan Tinghuan to sleep."
Ruan Yesheng said, "Tinghuan likes to sleep on the edge, you come over, and sleep in the middle."
Xi Mo, with a straight face, said, "I also like sleeping on the edge."
Ruan Yesheng moved in the blanket, suddenly leaning toward Xi Mo. Xi Mo felt her movement and adjusted her posture, but Ruan Yesheng didn’t get too close. Instead, she lay down in the middle.
Xi Mo immediately said, "…What are you doing moving to the middle?"
Ruan Yesheng, with her clever tongue, explained, "Tinghuan likes to sleep on the edge, and you like to sleep on the edge too. It’s perfect, one of you sleeps on one side, and the other on the other side. Of course, I should sleep in the middle, so I can make sure both of your wishes are taken care of."
Xi Mo: "..."
She knew something was wrong, but couldn’t pinpoint anything, so she could only say, "Good night."
"Good night." Ruan Yesheng’s cheek was pressed against her arm that rested on the pillow, softly murmuring.
She looked at Xi Mo for a moment, then turned to Yan Tinghuan, saying, "Tinghuan, come lie down here, it’ll be more comfortable."
Yan Tinghuan didn’t respond.
Ruan Yesheng immediately found it strange. Normally, Yan Tinghuan was using the cicada to monitor. Even with her eyes closed, as long as her mind stayed clear, she could always see. Though Yan Tinghuan had been resting her eyes on the chair earlier, she would have responded if spoken to.
"Tinghuan, are you asleep?" Ruan Yesheng hurriedly got off the bed and walked to Yan Tinghuan's side.
They both planned to stay awake all night for monitoring. If one of them fell asleep, they would wake each other up. Yan Tinghuan was the key person who must not fall asleep, so Ruan Yesheng was repeatedly told to keep an eye on her, and not to let her fall asleep.
"Tinghuan?" Ruan Yesheng reached out and patted Yan Tinghuan on the shoulder.
Xi Mo also propped herself up, leaning against the headboard, and looked at the two of them.
Yan Tinghuan showed no reaction as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.
At the same time, next door, Ding Qihong suddenly lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to a corner of the room where a decoration was placed.
The surveillance was hidden inside this decoration.
"Tinghuan, you cannot sleep, wake up." Ruan Yesheng shook Yan Tinghuan gently.
In the van, Cheng Yu called out to Cui Jiayu, "Boss, you should take a look, something's not right."
Cui Jiayu focused tightly on the surveillance, watching Ding Qihong gradually approach the camera.
The surveillance was in night vision mode, the image dim and cold. Ding Qihong's face appeared even paler under this mode, and her eyes seemed to shine with a cold light.
In the room, this time Ruan Yesheng shook Yan Tinghuan harder. Yan Tinghuan's body slumped from the chair, about to fall to the ground. Ruan Yesheng was startled and hurriedly caught Yan Tinghuan. "Tinghuan!"
Ding Qihong walked up to the closest point of the surveillance camera and slowly brought her face closer as if locking eyes with the person watching from the other side of the lens.
Cui Jiayu was usually the bravest in the department, but at this moment, she only felt a chill run down her spine.
Ding Qihong grinned at the camera and smiled, saying to Cui Jiayu, "Good evening."
Then, she suddenly reached out toward the camera.
The last image was of her hand reaching out, and then the screen went black, plunging into complete darkness.
Author's Note:
The recent plot may be relatively more thrilling, just a reminder here~
