Overly Intense [Criminal Investigation] 22p1

Chapter 22 p1: The Log Table

Qin Luo thought that was Shen Yiyi’s unique response.

There was no light around. She held her face, lifting a heavy dream. As her nose drew closer, even her glasses fogged up.

Shen Yiyi didn’t push her away on the spot, didn’t use her arms to block her approach, just whispered her name.

Who would suspect that this was Shen Yiyi’s way of refusing?

Qin Luo was so nervous she swallowed. Her other hand pressed against the back of the seat, finding a point of support for her body, and she chose to continue moving closer.

Just a little bit more…

Qin Luo’s hand was suddenly grabbed, four fingers tightly wrapped around her slender wrist, firmly binding her next move.

Shen Yiyi used force, her fingertips pressing down, sinking slightly into the white skin.

Qin Luo felt that Shen Yiyi must be an expert in pressure points. Her fingertips squeezed a certain tendon of hers, making it difficult for her to even move her fingers.

“Don’t.”

Shen Yiyi’s refusal was direct, her voice cold, her brows filled with vigilance.

The pain from the grip snapped Qin Luo back to her senses. She thought: It’s a good thing Shen Yiyi isn’t wearing her police uniform today. Otherwise, being stared at like this, I’d look like a sexual harassment suspect under arrest.

She was still stunned from the failed kiss when the other woman continued with a harsh remark.

“Just friends.”

…

A five-second blank, then disappointment followed.

A balloon inflated to a dangerous level was pricked with a fine needle, slowly waiting to deflate. Qin Luo didn’t know what to say. Her wrist was still being held, and the dark blue in the other’s eyes made it unclear whether to advance or retreat.

She could only straighten up first and look away from Shen Yiyi.

Shen Yiyi let go of her hand.

She didn’t know how much force she had used subconsciously, but seeing the red mark on Qin Luo’s wrist and her disappointed eyes, she felt a pang of guilt, warm and stinging.

She explained again, “My… current work situation might not be suitable for a relationship.”

Not suitable for a relationship.

Hearing this, Qin Luo’s heart skipped a beat. She sat up straight, stunned for three seconds, then lifted her red-marked arm and turned off the engine.

Sixteen years ago, Shen Yiyi had said the same thing.

“I think we should focus on our studies right now. I still have a lot to do in my future. A relationship is… superfluous to me.”

But back then, Qin Luo didn’t know how to adjust the tightness of her life. She just felt that she had been rejected, that she had lost completely. She had lost the qualification, and she had lost her self-esteem, having wasted years of sincere effort. Why didn’t she love her? How good did she have to become for her to love her? It was as if only by dwelling on these thoughts could she move the heavens, and then turn to the next person and say: “See how much I loved her, but I will love you more than I loved her.”

After a moment of silence, Qin Luo chuckled lightly. “I understand.”

At eighteen, she had only half-understood. Now, at thirty-four, she truly understood.

The trauma had resurfaced. The violent fireworks were extinguished in an instant.

Love is an irresistible game, just to satisfy a temporary need. Those who are addicted to gambling on whether they will win again will never have a good ending. Just like her and Shen Yiyi, it was always a one-way street, with no deep connection from beginning to end. So what if dust flew when they reunited? Regret is a permanently rotting wound. A rotten scar will never heal as it was.

Qin Luo’s tone was crisp. “Let’s go. Let’s eat first.”

With that, she turned, grabbed her bag from the back seat, and pushed open the door, determined not to let Shen Yiyi see a single trace of her sadness.

Shen Yiyi also got out of the car with her laptop bag, secretly glancing at Qin Luo’s expression out of the corner of her eye.

“Sorry about just now.” Qin Luo locked the car and then led the way to the elevator. “But don’t get me wrong. I’m not the kind of casual person Liu Jia makes me out to be. I haven’t been in a relationship for many years.”

Qin Luo strode ahead. Shen Yiyi couldn’t see her expression and could only judge her mood by her tone.

She sounded calm, stable. As long as she wasn’t angry.

Shen Yiyi followed closely and replied softly, “I didn’t get the wrong idea.”

Qin Luo seemed to be retaliating, but her tone was light. “I also think relationships are boring now. You have to compromise, you have to respect, and you unconsciously push yourself to the side.”

Shen Yiyi didn’t answer, just followed her into the underground garage lobby. They stopped in front of the elevator.

Shen Yiyi had fallen asleep on the way and had no idea where Qin Luo’s home was. But the cars parked in the underground garage were all luxury cars, and the parking spaces were wide, inhumanely spacious for Shanghai’s parking standards. The elevator lobby in the underground garage was also magnificent. The electric doors opened, and a fragrant scent wafted out.

The elevator arrived quickly. Qin Luo held the door with her hand and stepped aside to let Shen Yiyi in first.

Shen Yiyi was a little embarrassed and quickly walked to a corner, holding her bag with both hands. Qin Luo stood near the buttons, far from Shen Yiyi. She pressed the 12th floor, then naturally put her hands in her pockets.

The twelve floors went up quickly, but the enclosed space was still cramped. Most importantly, the elevator doors were reflective. These mirrors were necessary to prevent claustrophobia, but they also had another function: to confine people within the range of seeing themselves clearly. When one looked up and met their own fatigue, it was like a sharp piece of paper cutting through the skin, and the self would feel a hot, stinging pain.

She saw Qin Luo and herself clearly at this moment.

Qin Luo was wearing a custom-made suit, and in her hand, she was carrying two months of her salary. She had seen the brand of that watch in the evidence from a corpse, and in order to study the hardness of its glass face, she had gone to the official website to check. She had even complained to her colleagues at the time, saying that any watch from this brand could buy half an apartment in Fengjiang. And the watch Qin Luo was wearing had been on her collarbone just a few minutes ago.

Shen Yiyi’s mind was a mess. The elevator arrived.

Qin Luo held the door again with her watch-wearing wrist. Shen Yiyi cooperated and stepped out of the elevator first. When she looked up, it was still an elevator leading directly into an apartment.

Qin Luo’s elevator lobby was simply decorated. Besides the shoe cabinet, there were some miscellaneous paintings by small artists on the wall, a fake Christmas tree in the corner, and two childlike doll stools on a large entryway rug.

Qin Luo bent down and took out a pair of disposable slippers from the shoe cabinet, then walked to the rug and put them down. “Your shoes.”

Then she swiped open the door, took off her shoes at the entrance, and stepped onto the floor barefoot. “I’ll go make something to eat.”

Shen Yiyi stood outside the rug. The door was open. After Qin Luo’s back disappeared, a huge floor-to-ceiling window was left. She was far from the window but felt that the view was bright. She could see the deep blue outside the window.

She sat down in the doll’s hair. The cold air that had accumulated in her abdomen made her stomach ache. She let out a deep breath, wanting to clear the stale air from her lungs.

Hoo—

She really shouldn’t have made that call tonight.

Shen Yiyi took out a bottle of alcohol from her pocket, wanting to spray it, but didn’t know where to spray. Finally, out of habit, she sprayed her hands twice, perfunctorily.

After she changed her shoes and had just stepped into the apartment, she heard Qin Luo call out from an unknown corner.

“The restroom is on your left.”

She had almost forgotten that she had to wash her hands first when she entered a home. Her mind had been filled with what would have happened in the car if she hadn’t made that call, hadn’t stopped Qin Luo.

Shen Yiyi said stiffly, “Thanks.”

Qin Luo was also sulking. She yanked open the refrigerator door, thinking that she had dropped her work to bring her home, only to hear her say she wasn’t suitable for a relationship.

Yes, people are the worst. People love to bring suffering upon themselves.

She poked her head into the refrigerator, looking for vegetables. The vegetables weren’t bought by her, nor by the housekeeper. It was Liu Jia who, in order to take care of her sick father, had specially hired a butler to manage the household chores. The butler would usually go grocery shopping on Mondays and would drop off a portion for her as well.

She looked at the expiration date on the label. It was just about to expire today.

It wouldn’t kill anyone.

She held a bunch of vegetables, then opened the freezer and took out two steaks, turning and throwing them on the island counter.

She looked up at the clock. It was almost 7 o’clock. Shen Yiyi had eaten too little at noon, and a good cry would definitely make her hungry. She couldn’t be bothered to change her shirt, so she just put on an apron on the spot.

After she had unconsciously put it on, she cursed herself in her heart: If Liu Jia knew you were this good to a friend, she would tear Logos apart on the spot and immediately divide the assets with you. Liu Jia was right. The one who should see a doctor is me, not Shen Yiyi…

As Qin Luo was lost in thought, cursing herself, Shen Yiyi happened to walk out of the restroom.

She saw Qin Luo standing at the island counter, staring blankly at the vegetables, and walked up to her, volunteering, “Why don’t I cook?”

“Ah.” Qin Luo looked up. “No need. I’m a fast cook.”

She had lived alone for over a decade. Cooking was a basic survival skill she was best at.

She prioritized the two steaks, but by the time she had put them in water to thaw, she turned around and Dr. Shen was still standing opposite her.

Her home had an open-plan kitchen, slightly elevated, with an island counter as a partition.

When Liu Jia was looking for a designer, she had told her: “When you cook, you should be the happiest cook. The kitchen faces the river view. When you’re chopping, you can look up and get the illusion of having conquered the world.”

When she cooked alone before, Qin Luo had never experienced this joy. Now, with Shen Yiyi standing in front of her, and that… behind her…

Stop. Don’t think about it.

Qin Luo cut herself off and pointed to the sofa. “Go sit and watch TV. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Shen Yiyi didn’t move. “Let me help you.”

“Are you hungry?” Qin Luo carefully washed the water spinach, asking without looking up. “Or are you worried about my cooking? Do you think it’s not hygienic?”

“No, I just feel like I should do something.”

Qin Luo held the small bunch of water spinach, moved it to the draining sink, and gently shook the water from the leaves. “Alright, then come and roll up my sleeves for me.”

Shen Yiyi looked at Qin Luo’s sleeves.

The cuffs were open, and the red marks from her grip had already disappeared.

She walked around the island counter, and Qin Luo also walked around the island counter. Just as she had taken a step up, Qin Luo stopped in front of her, blocking her path.

Qin Luo threw the vegetables into a prep bowl, leaned on the counter with one hand, and held the other out to Shen Yiyi.

Her shirt cuff was soaked with water, and the watch face was also wet. Qin Luo’s skin was fair, and Shen Yiyi could see the watermarks slowly flowing down toward her palm.

“Let me take off your watch for you.” Shen Yiyi said, looking up at Qin Luo.

“Okay.”