I See Murders Before They Happen

Chapter 272: Chapter 270: What Am I to You?

Su Miaoyi sat in the passenger seat, listening intently and watching Cai Qinglian’s face turn a ghastly green.

Seeing that Cai Qinglian was no longer pestering them, Shen Shilan walked around to the driver’s seat and started the car.

When the woman just stood there without moving, she honked the horn.

Startled, Cai Qinglian instinctively took two steps back. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Shilan sped away, worried the woman might try to stage an accident.

As the car pulled away, she glanced in the rearview mirror at Cai Qinglian, who was still standing in the same spot.

The incident with the Ji Family back then had caused quite a stir, and she had heard a few things about it.

However, all she knew was that the Ji Family’s daughter was later sent to live with relatives; she didn’t know the rest.

Later, she learned it was all because Qin Leyan had returned.

Since she had returned as Su Miaoyi, Shen Shilan and Shen Yanzhou had looked into the matter in more detail.

’She knew the girl had a tragic life.’

’Her life was hard from the moment she was born, and she died young.’

’Now, seeing this woman who had abandoned her own child, she was absolutely seething.’

Su Miaoyi tugged on her sleeve.

Shen Shilan snapped out of it and turned to look at her. ”Has she been looking for you often recently?”

”She doesn’t know where I live. A recent case involved her son, so she called me a few days ago,” Su Miaoyi said.

Ji Jiabao and his friends had gotten into a brawl.

Xing Chang’s and Chang Yong’s families didn’t press charges.

So Ji Jiabao was already back home.

Since it involved a case, Shen Shilan didn’t ask for details. ”Next time she comes looking for you, just tell me. I’ll have my brother go to the Ji Family’s house and chew them out.”

Su Miaoyi gave her a questioning look.

’Is that really a job for President Shen?’

”His attack power is way higher than mine,” Shen Shilan said.

Su Miaoyi nodded, and a moment later, she started to laugh.

’President Shen, the ultimate tool.’

However, Su Miaoyi never imagined how things would escalate.

She had figured that Cai Qinglian, upon seeing her with Shen Shilan, wouldn’t pass up the chance to curry favor with the Shen or Qin families.

But she never thought she’d be the target of rumors again.

At the time, she was in the middle of a chess game with Shen Yanzhou.

’She could never beat Shen Jun, so she figured she could at least crush Shen Yanzhou for a change.’

As it turned out, she lost three games in a row.

In the middle of their fourth game—they’d switched from Chinese chess to Gomoku—Shen Yanzhou’s phone rang.

Su Miaoyi watched his expression slowly darken. He then got up and walked over to the French windows. After he finished the call, she was just about to say she should head home and let him work.

Before she could say a word, he spoke first. ”My mom heard from someone that I’m planning a wedding. She’s asking when it is, why I didn’t tell her, and if she’s even going to be invited.”

Su Miaoyi’s eyes slowly widened. She blinked. ”Someone finally wants you?”

Shen Yanzhou clicked his tongue. ”...”

Looking at his expression, Su Miaoyi said, ”So, still no takers then.”

Hearing her words, Shen Yanzhou’s eyelid twitched. He said through clenched teeth, ”I really don’t feel like talking to you right now.”

”Oh.” Su Miaoyi looked down and continued the game.

Shen Yanzhou watched her for a couple of seconds before playing his move as well.

”What you just said sounds familiar,” Su Miaoyi remarked. She’d heard something similar from Zhuang Yanzheng not too long ago. ”So... don’t tell me the bride in this rumor is me again?”

”Mhm.” Shen Yanzhou placed a stone.

The hand Su Miaoyi was reaching into the bowl for a stone froze. Even though she’d guessed as much, the confirmation still left her a little stunned.

She froze completely, staring at Shen Yanzhou, speechless for a long moment.

Taking advantage of her frozen state, Shen Yanzhou played another stone.

”I... you... ugh... This one’s a bit much.” Su Miaoyi ran her hands through her hair, tangling it. ”This is kind of awkward.”

Shen Yanzhou chuckled. ”I didn’t know you could get awkward.”

Su Miaoyi scrubbed at her hair a few more times until it stuck out in all directions.

Looking at her explosion of hair, Shen Yanzhou said, ”It’s your turn.”

Su Miaoyi picked up a white stone and looked at the board.

She saw his black stones, which now held a clear advantage thanks to his cheating.

Then she looked back at Shen Yanzhou.

Shen Yanzhou’s expression was nonchalant. ”Go ahead.”

Su Miaoyi glanced back at the board, then reached out and flicked one of his black stones away.

Shen Yanzhou watched the stone fly under a cabinet. When he turned back, Su Miaoyi had already placed her own white stone on the board.

”You...”

Then Su Miaoyi proceeded to pluck three more of his black stones off the board and place four of her own white stones in a row. ”I win.”

Shen Yanzhou was speechless once again. ”You’re such a cheater.”

”You cheated first.” Su Miaoyi scooped up the sleeping An’an and forced a system reboot.

Wordlessly, Shen Yanzhou went and got her a drink.

Su Miaoyi leaned back in her chair. ”The ones spreading the rumors this time aren’t the Ji Family again, are they?”

”Mhm.”

”I’m starting to think their house is haunted or something. Everyone in that family seems possessed. It’s never-ending! Have they lost their minds? I already reported them to the police last time, and they still have the nerve to pull this again.”

”It was a slap-on-the-wrist punishment. A public apology just means losing a bit of face. And considering the state the Ji Family is in, they don’t care about face anymore,” Shen Yanzhou said.

Su Miaoyi sighed softly.

”My dad already went over to the Ji Family’s place. After this, he’ll definitely make them behave,” Shen Yanzhou said as he sorted the stones back into their bowls.

”Uncle went himself?” Su Miaoyi asked, shocked.

Hearing her words, Shen Yanzhou looked up in surprise.

Su Miaoyi met his gaze for a moment, then, realizing what she had said, she coughed lightly and looked down at An’an’s head.

”My mom just called. She said that as soon as my dad heard the news, he took the driver and went straight to the Ji Family’s house,” Shen Yanzhou said, his tone a little distracted.

”Oh.” Su Miaoyi nodded.

Shen Yanzhou finished putting the stones away, tapped his fingers on the bowl a few times, then looked at Su Miaoyi again. ”Look at me.”

Su Miaoyi looked up at him.

”Who am I?” Shen Yanzhou asked.

Su Miaoyi looked him up and down, her expression clearly asking, ’What’s wrong with you?’

”Who am I?” Shen Yanzhou asked again.

”Shen Yanzhou.”

”Then what should you call me?” Shen Yanzhou said.

”Mr. Shen.”

Shen Yanzhou: ”...”

Not giving up, he tried a different question. ”Then what am I to you?”

”My neighbor,” Su Miaoyi said.

Shen Yanzhou: ”...”

Incredulous, he asked again, ”I’ll ask you one more time. What am I to you?”

”My landlord.”

A muscle in Shen Yanzhou’s cheek twitched in exasperation.

Su Miaoyi, holding An’an, was shaking with laughter.

Annoyed by her constant shaking, which made for an uncomfortable perch, An’an leaped onto the chessboard and settled down there.

With a grim expression, Shen Yanzhou watched her laugh. ”What am I to you?”

Her eyes darted playfully. She cupped one fist in her other hand in a dramatic gesture and shouted, ”My savior!”

Her shout startled An’an, which leaped up and zipped onto the cat tree in a flash.

Shen Yanzhou’s face was thunderous.

”Last year, on Xiangyao Street, when I was being followed, you appeared in the nick of time and saved my life,” Su Miaoyi recited. ”This humble maiden shall never forget your immense kindness! I am bound to repay this debt!”

”Then call me ’Brother’,” Shen Yanzhou said, cutting straight to the point.

”Such a great kindness? Consider it forgotten.”

Shen Yanzhou was truly at a loss.

”You’re such a little troublemaker,” he murmured.

Su Miaoyi just smiled...