On the weekend of their first wedding anniversary, Qi Yilao took Jiaobai to Berlin on a business trip.
Qi Yilao compressed his time to finish his official business and accompanied Jiao Bai on a tour. Accompanying them were the two great generals, Zhang Zhen and Qi Huai.
The sun was warm and the wind was a bit strong. The whole of Berlin was noisy in the wind. The four of them visited a museum with a strong Jewish culture and stopped in a park.
Tourists were sparsely taking photos or having picnics. A circle of people gathered in the park's largest square. In the middle were two speakers, a lead singer and a guitarist, who were playing and singing about their unsatisfactory lives.
Zhang Zhen lay on the grass with his eyes closed, his arms and legs spread out.
Qi Huai was communicating with a client on his cell phone. His first secretary had taken maternity leave, so his workload as the second secretary had increased a lot.
"The little celebrity at the dinner party last night was trending on the Internet. The photo attached showed her kissing a mysterious man on the street. Although the man was in the photo from behind, I knew it was you at first glance."
A voice suddenly rang in his ears. Qi Huai paused for a moment before continuing, "Fuck."
"Then you should deal with it quickly," Zhang Zhen's face was glowing, "I am so happy eating melons. I don't know if you can understand that I was swept up in the evil wind on the Internet, saying that the man was me. It's inexplicable."
He opened his beautiful and tender peach blossom eyes, and his playful gaze was sharp: "Secretary Qi, we are subordinates, and we cannot affect the reputation of the group because of our personal affairs."
After Qi Huai dealt with the client, he responded to Zhang Zhen's inquiry and said calmly, "I have already found someone to handle it. I didn't use Qi's public relations resources."
After a few pauses, he pinched the temple of one of his glasses with his fingers, lifted it up, and turned his head to look at Zhang Zhen on the lawn: "How do you usually deal with those who want to hit on you?"
"Just talk if you can make sense." Zhang Zhen's right foot was folded over his left foot, and he lay in a comfortable position.
Qi Huai showed his curiosity: "It doesn't make sense?"
"Use force." Zhang Zhen said, "But I haven't met anyone who made me use my fists so far. I'm not afraid of death."
Qi Huai glanced at his hands. His finger bones were strong, veins on the back of his hands were bulging, but his fingertips were pink.
"It's my brother's first wedding anniversary. What should I buy him?" Zhang Zhen unconsciously used the tone of a friend chatting.
Qi Huai said: "He lacks nothing."
Zhang Zhen was about to retort, "Whether there is a need or not is one thing, whether or not to prepare a gift is another," when Qi Huai said, "I once saw him looking at a rainbow you painted, and he was fascinated by it."
"Yes, I can draw!" Zhang Zhen jumped up, "I'll draw when we get back to the hotel!"
After solving today's top priority, he raised his crimson lips and patted Qi Huai's arm, "The brains of scholars are very useful."
Qi Huai lay beside Zhang Zhen, with his hands behind his head, lifting his thin eyelids behind his lenses and looking at the blue sky and white clouds.
Zhang Zhen also looked up at the sky. He had long lost his vigilance about Qi Huai's feelings towards his brother.
Although it was he who proposed to his third brother to recruit Qi Huai back, his third brother would not easily listen to his ideas and must have his own considerations.
Since Qi Huai can stay in Qi's company to work, it means that he has passed the assessment of his third brother.
What Zhang Zhen didn't know was that Qi Huai had been asked to talk to Qi Yilao twice.
One time was the day after Qi Yiliao woke up from the research institute. His memory had not yet recovered. He made a phone call and Qi Huai from the apartment set off to Qi's company and stood in his office.
The multifunctional wall behind Qi Huai was turned into a monitoring wall, with two people on the screen, him and Jiao Bai.
The picture shows the scene when Qi Huai first sees茭白.
It was also the day when Qi Yilao got into trouble.
That day, there was a slender vase on the desk, with a bunch of bright red roses in it.
Qi Huai brought in some washed peaches and conveyed Qi Yilao's instructions, asking him to bring the茭白 to the meeting room.
Jiaobai refused, and Qi Huai didn't say anything, just stood there, silently expressing his insistence.
Jiaobai didn't know who she thought of through him. Her gaze stayed on him for a little too long and she sighed.
It was that strange reaction that prompted Qi Huai to raise his head and see a pair of eyes that could speak.
After that, Qi Huai blushed twice, just like a teenager who just entered high school.
From the moment Jiaobai ate the peach, to the moment he talked to Qi Huai, to the subtle expression on Qi Huai's face when he looked into his eyes... everything was recorded by the office's intensive and sophisticated surveillance cameras.
Even though the person sitting at the desk is missing a piece of his memory, is emotionally confused, and has been misled by his loved ones, he still exudes a terrifying sense of territoriality.
The conversation lasted only two or three minutes, but Qi Huai experienced the most dangerous moment in his career. When he left the office, the back of his shirt was wet.
The second interview was after Jiaobai's death.
The widower asked him to keep an eye on all the hospitals in the country. He still can't forget the look on their face; it was so strange and terrifying.
Qi Yiliao also asked him about the process of Jiaobai supporting the Qi family in the past, the more detailed the better.
Qi Huai recalled and revealed the relevant details. He looked at the person who was trying to comfort himself with those fragments, and for the first time he changed his address and called the other person cousin.
No response.
Qi Huai added: "If my cousin's mother is still alive, she would not want to see you.
As he said this, a loud noise was heard.
The espresso and the cup were overturned to the ground, followed by the documents, computer, pen holder, paper and pen on the desk... everything was thrown to the ground.
The one who created that mess was the head of the Qi family who wore the gentleman mask most tightly.
He is not dead.
Your cousin's mother is not dead.
My cousin’s face was grim and twisted, his eyes were red as if blood was about to drip out, his jaw was trembling, and his whole body was like a string stretched to the extreme, ready to break at any time.
When Qi Huai recalled this, his nerve endings moved. The Qi family had no shortage of capable people. The reason he was given such an important task despite his sensitive identity as a member of the Qi family's branch was because he had no ulterior motives while assisting Jiao Bai, and also because he blocked a bullet for Jiao Bai.
Not far ahead, two people were leaning against each other with their heads close together, in an intimate posture as if they were oblivious to the people around them.
The one with broader shoulders has a smile on his face and a warm expression, but he is actually a dragon guarding the treasure. No one's covetousness can escape his inspection.
Qi Huai returned his gaze to the sky. His family always told him to curry favor with his cousin's mother so that his cousin would give him more opportunities, preferably to be assigned to work on the project in Germany. He didn't think that was necessary.
His current position is enough for him to show himself.
A hand reached out, grabbed his coat and covered his face with it, blocking out the sun and wind.
Qi Huai wanted to take his coat back, but he vaguely heard snoring. His face twitched and he withdrew his hand.
Jiao Bai turned his head and saw that Qi Huai and Zhang Zhen were both lying down, looking quite comfortable. He smacked his lips and also lay down on the grass, leaning on one arm.
"Don't lie down." Qi Yiliao pulled Jiaobai up, "Let's go to the square."
"Okay." Jiaobai was very excited. "There's a girl singing over there now. She's so beautiful. If Jiang Yan were here, he would definitely line up to sing along."
Sensing that the atmosphere was not right, Jiaobai put his hand on Qi Yiliao's neck with a smile, rubbed his neat short hair, licked the corner of his mouth and shouted, "Aliao."
Qi Yiliao's breathing stagnated. He grabbed Jiaobai's hand, inserted his fingertips into it, and clasped it tightly. His voice became low and hoarse: "You are getting more and more adept at playing with your uncle."
"I always play with you first, then you play with me." Jiaobai snorted, "Let's go, let's go for a walk."
Qi Yiliao took a step forward.
When Jiaobai thought he was safe, a voice came from above his head: "Stop messing around with Jiang Yan."
"Next time," Qi Yiliao said coldly, "Uncle's tie will not be tied on your mouth, but on the bean sprouts."
The damage value was too high, and Jiaobai's health bar was instantly reduced. He was so angry that his face turned red and his eyes were fierce: "What's wrong with bean sprouts? Don't you like to eat them?!"
"Yes, uncle likes it." Qi Yiliao smiled.
Jiaobai's head was smoking, and he glared: "So are you going to eat tonight?"
"Eat." Qi Yiliao raised his clasped hands and kissed his fingertips, his eyes deep and focused.
Jiaobai took a breath and turned to look into the distance. As soon as the old man got on the road, he flew. His skills were so amazing that even a theoretical "teacher" like him could not catch up. He had to become his student from the bottom of his heart.
More than a month had passed since Jiang Yan had helped Jiaobai gain some experience. Now Jiaobai was not sure whether Qi Yilao knew that he was pretending to be drunk.
Anyway, his belly is bulging.
You can see how much is installed.
Some people celebrate their wedding anniversary, some don’t.
People who have celebrated it think it is a romantic day that deserves to be constantly recalled, but people who have not celebrated it feel that commemorating it every year is like chewing a dish year after year. No matter how delicious it is, it will become less and less flavorful the more you chew it, and after a while, they won’t want to open their mouths.
Water chestnuts belong to the neutral part and can be included or not, depending on your mood and situation on that day.
This year is the first anniversary. He came here with Qi Yiliao, carrying thick class notes, and drew structural diagrams on the plane to memorize them. There is only so much time in a day, and it is not all allocated by oneself.
Jiao Bai allowed Qi Yilao to take him to the outer circle of the square, where he listened to a few songs with tourists from various countries, and then went to the nearby stall area.
"Third brother, are you interested in second-hand items?" Jiaobai asked curiously.
"I'll go with you and take a look." Before Qi Yilao finished his words, he was pulled to a stall by Jiaobai.
The stalls are full of photo albums, which are hand-painted and very unique.
I like all kinds of wild rice stems.
"No, pick two at most." Qi Yiliao frowned, "We can stay here for an hour, no rush, take your time to pick." Jiao Bai clicked his tongue: "Shouldn't the boss say, buy them all?"
Qi Yiliao pinched the back of his neck and brought him closer: "What are you mumbling about?"
"It's nothing, nothing. I'll pick one and you pick one." Jiaobai flipped through the photo album on the stall.
Not long after, Qi Huai and Zhang Zhen also came over and followed behind.
There are antiques, artworks, small ornaments and other things on the stalls in this area. There are many tourists and many things, presenting a kind of lively atmosphere that is not too turbid.
After buying the photo album, Jiaobai also took a fancy to an old record, and the three of them were happy to accompany him.
The sun was setting, and Zhang Zhen took the snacks handed to him by Jiao Bai. He answered a phone call, and his expression changed slightly: "Third brother, something happened at Shen's."
Qi Yiliao took a bite of French fries with the wild rice stem in his hand: "Hmm?"
Qi Huai, who was at the back, was browsing his phone and reported, "Mr. Tan from Shen's company turned himself in to the police station."
Jiaobai was eating French fries when he heard the news. His teeth hit the tip of his tongue and he hissed, "What's the reason?"
Could it be that what he was thinking of
"It's suspected to be an old case involving the Shen, Qi, and Liang families." Qi Huai said, "The report didn't give any details."
Jiaobai looked weird, it was really what he thought...
When Liang Dong confronted Tan Jun, Tan Jun only said that he would wait until he finished his job and exchange his life for another. He never said that he would surrender. These are two different things.
Only by surrendering themselves, getting a heavy sentence, and making the truth known to the public can the Liang family clear the stigma of being a murderer's family.
Not to mention that Tan Jun hasn't killed Cen Jingmo yet, there's no need for him to do this for the Liang family. He doesn't care about the reputation of the Liang family at all, and the only way to pay for his life is to commit suicide in the Clam Mountain.
What on earth happened
As Jiaobai stood in the bustling flea market, many possibilities flashed through his mind.
Qi Yiliao ruffled his hair and asked, "Go back to the hotel?"
"Okay, let's go back." Jiaobai turned the ring on his ring finger, as if thinking about something.
Soon after getting on the bus, Jiao Bai called Shen Er'an. It was morning in China, and Shen Er'an answered quickly, "Hello."
“I saw the report,” said Jiaobai.
"I was informed of this by the police." Shen Er'an was sitting in the back seat of the car. He had just finished a phone call, and there was a clear coldness between his brows. "I'm on my way to the police station."
"Then you go ahead and do your work first," Jiao Bai asked at the end, "What about Liang Dong..."
"I didn't send anyone to investigate." Shen Er'an said.
After the call ended, Jiao Bai put the phone back into his coat pocket. He leaned back in his chair, next to Qi Yiliao, and fiddled with his trophy.
The rustling sound in the car continued for a while, and then the sound of Jiaobai appeared. He played with Qi Yiliao's fingers: "Third brother, can you help me check Liang Dong? I want to know his..."
Before Jiaobai could finish his words, a message from a stranger came on his phone, followed by two more.
-I am Liang Dong.
-I have avenged myself and want to see you.
-Shen Er'an's people are looking for me.