A Zhong was not a local. After arriving, he focused solely on his work, unaware of this annual event in Jincheng.
Seeing that other hotel rooms were also fully booked, he felt a flicker of annoyance, realizing he’d have to take Zhou Jinbei to a more remote location if she were to stay.
“Why don’t I lend you my car? You can drive to work then. I doubt you’ll find suitable accommodation in the city center.”
“If I can’t find a place, then I won’t,” Zhou Jinbei replied. “I don’t want to get up early and run so far to work every day.”
“Since I’m not staying for just a day or two, let’s find a serviced apartment. Consider it me renting a place.”
That made sense.
Serviced apartments rented out monthly were more cost-effective than hotels.
A Zhong agreed.
“You must be tired after running around all day. Why don’t you rest in my room first?”
“I’ll find someone to inquire about which apartment is good for you.”
The two returned to the hotel together.
After running around and breaking a sweat, Zhou Jinbei took a shower and changed. A Zhong got a contact number for a real estate agent from someone in Chen Jiaojiao’s company.
As he was sitting on the sofa talking to the agent, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Thinking it was room service, A Zhong went to the door to ask.
“Who is it?”
“Police! Routine check. Open the door!”
Police?
Could it be that with the event about to begin, they were conducting checks to identify any potential lawbreakers, going through hotels one by one?
A Zhong opened the door.
Coincidentally, Zhou Jinbei, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair, walked out.
Upon seeing two people in uniform, she was startled, clutching her bathrobe, her face pale.
“This is…”
“Routine check. What is your relationship?”
A man and a woman dressed like that, it was hard not to misunderstand.
“We… let’s have you show them your identification.”
A Zhong didn’t elaborate on their relationship and asked Zhou Jinbei to get her ID.
Zhou Jinbei quickly picked up her bag, took out her ID, and handed it over.
A Zhong handed his over as well.
“We’re from Nancheng, here on a business trip.”
As the officers looked at their IDs, they entered their identification numbers into their phones.
“So, what is your relationship?”
“Colleagues.”
“Just ordinary colleagues?”
A Zhong understood the implication of the question and replied with a hint of exasperation.
“We would have preferred to book separate rooms, but all the nearby hotels are fully booked, and there’s nowhere else to go.”
“Is there something inappropriate about our arrangement?”
“Apologies, it’s a sensitive period. Please cooperate with our investigation.”
“Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Almost in unison, they both replied.
“No.”
Men and women colleagues sharing a room so innocently?
It was thought-provoking.
“Are you sure there’s no financial exchange or any kind of transaction between you?”
“Of course not.”
The two staff members exchanged glances and then began to search the room and bathroom separately.
They checked everywhere, even rummaging through the trash cans.
Soon, the trash can from the room was brought out.
“What’s with these clumps of paper inside?”
A Zhong was exasperated by this misunderstanding.
“I work at a construction site and have a lot of internal heat. I had a nosebleed yesterday.”
This explanation was rather flimsy.
Ultimately, the two were escorted out.
They were told that someone would need to vouch for their relationship, or their unit leader would have to personally claim them, before they could be released.
What a massive misunderstanding.
Since no one who knew both of them was in Jincheng, A Zhong had no choice but to reluctantly call Zhan Bei Jue.
Upon hearing about their predicament and how they were being mistaken, Zhan Bei Jue remained unhurried.
“It’s inconvenient to talk right now. I’ll send someone over shortly.”
The two were questioned separately, and after much interrogation and investigation, Zhan Bei Jue finally arranged for someone to come.
Finally, the two were released.
Ordinarily, adults possessed a certain ability to feign ignorance.
Neither of them mentioned past events, pretending nothing had happened, and their interactions remained relatively normal.
This incident, however, had made things thoroughly awkward.
Especially for Zhou Jinbei, who said, “I won’t be staying at the hotel anymore. I’ll find an apartment directly.”
A Zhong didn’t look at her and said, “Okay.”
He immediately called the agent, and before the end of the workday, he had her settled into an apartment.
Zhou Jinbei found the provided teacups, kettles, and other items in the apartment unclean and decided to go out and buy her own.
A Zhong drove her to a supermarket.
After they finished their errands as dusk fell, they parted ways at the door of her apartment.
As they passed by a woman dressed elegantly, walking her dog, she cast a curious glance at them.
“When did you move in? Just now?”
Thinking of them as future neighbors, Zhou Jinbei responded cordially.
After a brief chat, the woman said,
“Judging by your accents, you don’t sound like locals. Where are you from?”
“Nancheng. You’re here on business from so far away? How long do you plan to stay?”
They got engrossed in conversation, leaving A Zhong out of it entirely. He bid Zhou Jinbei farewell again.
Zhou Jinbei said,
“You don’t need to pick me up tomorrow. It’s not too far. I can take a taxi myself.”
The woman’s expression turned strange.
“You don’t live here? Aren’t you two boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Uh…”
“I don’t mean anything by it, don’t overthink it. It’s just…”
She suddenly became secretive, lowering her voice.
“Perhaps because you’re outsiders and you’re a young lady, you were cheated by the agent. Did he tell you what happened in this apartment before you signed the contract?”
Zhou Jinbei immediately thought of a haunted house.
A chill ran down her spine, scaring her so much that she couldn’t stand in the room any longer and quickly moved closer to A Zhong.
“What’s wrong, ma’am? What happened in this apartment?”
The woman sighed.
“I bought this apartment to rent it out and don’t live here myself. It’s because something happened in this particular room that caused all the tenants in this building to leave.”
“It was about three months ago. A young couple lived here. Later, for some reason, they broke up. The girl… she did something in this room.”
“Did something?”
A Zhong, either genuinely confused or pretending to be, asked back.
The woman glared.
“Oh, you men are so carefree. Can’t you figure it out? She committed suicide by charcoal burning!”
“I heard the scene was particularly gruesome, and she wasn’t discovered until there was a foul odor. The girl was also pregnant, which really scared the tenants, and they all moved out.
“It’s probably unsellable now. I was thinking of using it as storage, but I didn’t expect your landlord to be so unscrupulous as to list it…”
The apartment A Zhong helped find was actually a haunted house.
He immediately felt a sense of embarrassment.
“Thank you. Fortunately, I met you today.”
“You’re welcome. It was just a coincidence,” the woman said.
“Many young people aren’t afraid of these things anymore. Please don’t think I’m being nosy. But please, don’t say I told you. I’m leaving.”
Being in an unfamiliar place and immediately encountering such a disturbing event left Zhou Jinbei’s face deathly pale.
A Zhong went back inside and retrieved her belongings again.
“We’re not staying. Tomorrow, I’ll find that damned agent and get the money back. Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“To my place.”