Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 20: Suspects
Wu Sheng and Qian Ai had a premeditated plan to scatter separately, but the lion didn’t. So after the two split, it continued to sprint forward along the narrow corridor under the effect of inertia.
While Xu Wang and Wu Sheng spoke these few words, the lion had already approached the tail of the plane. Its arrival caused the original business class passengers gathered at the tail to panic and scream again, scattering in all directions.
In an instant, the tail of the plane was emptied, revealing its original inhabitants—Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face—as well as Kuang Jinxin guarding them.
At this moment, they saw for the first time what was rushing towards them.
Kuang Jinxin was scared stiff, standing motionless, but since he wasn’t directly in the path of the aisle, the charging lion wouldn’t knock him over.
Directly in the path was the purple circle.
Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face, now all turned uniformly pale. As the lion charged directly at them, Handsome let out a long howl to the sky. “I told you, if you notice something wrong, end the conversation quickly. Don’t linger! Ahhh—”
In the midst of the second, desperate cry, Xu Wang finally grasped the true meaning of this hint. It wasn’t a hand warmer sent in the snow to the opponent, but a burning desire for survival for oneself.
Before the Handsome’s wail ended, the lion, without slowing down, had charged into the purple circle. At that moment, it didn’t resemble a lion but rather a bullfighter! As if they were possessed, Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face quickly dodged to the side! The circle drawn on the ground was only around their feet, and now they looked like four plants in a pot suddenly wilting, their roots still in the pot but their bodies leaning every which way, stretching out in all directions!
The lion charged past the purple circle and slammed into the metallic wall at the tail of the plane, creating a deafening noise! Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face avoided disaster. Though shaken, fortunately they were unharmed, except for Long Leg whose trouser leg got slightly scraped by the lion’s claw, tearing a hole—such was the plight of having long legs.
Wu Sheng, who was closely watching the battle, suddenly shouted from across the aisle, “Lao Qian, use your tricks!” He shouted with all his might, causing his whole body to tremble, and thus, the vibration transferred to Xu Wang, who was holding him, also trembled subtly.
Xu Wang secretly took a deep breath, then stealthily exhaled, pretending to naturally hold Wu Sheng tighter.
His nose occasionally rubbed against the other’s clothes, the familiar scent taking him back to their bunk bed days in room 222. Those were days now seen through a filter, memories that made one yearn.
Xu Wang’s heart was popping like popcorn, yet his face remained impassive, still sternly carrying on as the silent cornerstone bearing his teammate.
It wasn’t until Qian Ai made a move that it pulled back Xu Wang’s wandering mind—
“8888888! 口口口口口口口!”
Qian Ai shouted from across the aisle, his sneaky figure contrasting with his sky-shattering voice.
Almost simultaneously, above the lion’s head at the tail of the plane, seven “8s” and seven “口*” appeared out of thin air!
*Means mouth.
Xu Wang was dumbfounded, while Kuang Jinxin and Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face were stunned. The lion, lying on the ground, hadn’t recovered from the impact. In the next instant, the 8s and 口s rapidly descended, like guided missiles accurately finding their targets—the lion’s limbs and torso!
One by one, the “口” fitted onto its body, like numerous hula hoops, three “8s” stacked on top of each other, locking its two front paws, three “8s” locking its two back paws, and the remaining “8” tying a knot on its tail. The lion was trapped layer by layer and still not fully recovered from the previous impact, couldn’t break free for the moment.
Long Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face watched, dumbstruck. This ability, this effect, this visual impact… This is fucking stationery bought with money!
While allies admired and opponents were astounded, Qian Ai dared not be careless. He stealthily climbed out of his seat, gathered his qi, and roared again. “Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roasted duck, roasted chicken, roasted gosling, braised pork, braised duck, soy sauce chicken, cured meat, pine flowered pig’s belly!!!”
Numerous wooden three-dimensional Chinese characters rained down, completely burying the trapped lion, eventually forming a small mountain of characters!
The lion seemed to struggle a bit but soon gave up. Only heavy, angry breaths escaped through the cracks of the wood, expressing its final fury.
Qian Ai sighed in relief, carefully peeking out from the gap between the seats, gazing towards the tail. He could take his time, but Ren Wuba (58), who he was sitting on, couldn’t take it anymore. “Brother, can you get off?”
While Qian Ai apologetically stood up, continually apologizing to the passenger he had used as a cushion, Xu Wang, who had comfortably been a cushion, didn’t loosen his grip in the slightest, maintaining the hugging posture, and seriously asked Wu Sheng, “Who did you say owns the lion?”
Wu Sheng didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the posture and quite naturally shifted his weight on Xu Wang while replying, “Zhao Yi.” He had learned the culprit’s name from Qian Ai during the brief respite. “A girl from first class.”
“Was she cheated on by a scumbag?”
“Yes.”
“Then the lion should be chasing the scumbag to bite him. Why is it bothering you?”
“…On this plane, are you still looking for logic?”
“Sorry, I was young and naive.”
“Hey, isn’t it awkward for you two to talk like this?” Qian Ai stood on the aisle next to them, inexplicably watching two class reps. “If you have something to say, stand up and say it properly. Look how you’re squeezing the passengers.”
“……” Xu Wang mentally kicked Qian Ai off the plane a hundred and eighty times, each without a parachute, reveling in the thought when suddenly he felt lighter.
Wu Sheng got up.
Sighing internally, Xu Wang also stood, but without pausing, he walked directly towards first class. Wu Sheng, puzzled, asked, “Where are you going?”
“First class.” Xu Wang didn’t look back, continuing forward while limbering up. “Who knows how long those wooden frames can hold it. We need to find the one who can stop it.”
Wu Sheng didn’t hesitate for a moment and told Qian Ai, “You and Xiao Kuang watch economy class—communicate at any time if there’s any situation.” He then followed Xu Wang’s footsteps.
Kuang Jinxin was completely oblivious to the situation, studying the word “儿” that had fallen to the side, lifting it to examine it, then hooking it around his neck, engrossed in study.
*Child.
Qian Ai looked at him, then at the increasingly distant back of Wu Sheng, suddenly losing all sense of security.
First class.
The short-haired girl was sitting calmly in seat number one while glasses girl stood in a corner with her back to the world. A man who looked like a “scumbag” was behind the glasses girl trying to sweet talk her. Another man, also looking like a “scumbag” but with the added description of “muscular” was kneeling in front of the short-haired girl, feignedly slapping himself. It was quite embarrassing with his poor acting. The only one that was alone was a girl with slightly wavy, gorgeous hair sitting in Seat 5. She didn’t interact with anyone, but she didn’t look well either—her face was pale, her makeup smeared—obviously looked quite scared while her gaze out the window revealed panic and confusion.
Xu Wang had never met Zhao Yi before, but whether by seating arrangement or the situation at hand, he could identify her easily.
“Stop slapping yourself. Your face must hurt, and your hand must be sore.” He approached the short-haired girl, grabbed the muscular scumbag beside her, tossed him aside, and then squatted down in front of her.
Zhao Yi was looking down, not crying, but her eyes were dull. Xu Wang tilted his head, looking up at her with a mischievous smile. “Hey, bad girl.”
Initially, Zhao Yi frowned in distaste at the unexpected smile, but upon hearing his words, she froze and instinctively asked, “What did you call me?”
“Bad girl,” Xu Wang repeated. “You must be the magician, for that lion trusts and likes you enough to listen to you. You should be partners, friends, but now you’ve let it run amok, not caring if it hurts people or gets hurt itself.” He blinked innocently. “Did I get it wrong by calling you a bad girl?”
For the first time, Zhao Yi’s face showed fluctuation in emotion—a mix of anxiety and worry that she couldn’t fake. “It hurts?!”
“I didn’t see any blood, but it must have been hit hard, probably quite painfully.” Xu Wang sighed. “I guess it’s all internal injuries.”
Zhao Yi anxiously stood up, wanting to leave, but Xu Wang also stood up and blocked her way. “Why not just turn it back into cargo? It’s quieter there, with better air circulation—more conducive to rest and recovery.”
Zhao Yi bit her lip and remained silent.
Xu Wang didn’t miss any trace of emotion in her, including the reluctance in her eyes.
He pulled a wry smile, laughing helplessly. “You haven’t vented all your anger yet, and you don’t want to withdraw your most intimidating method, right?”
Zhao Yi finally looked at him, their eyes meeting for the first time.
“Who are you, exactly?”
The question was somewhat late, but Xu Wang was happy to answer. His years of experience in real estate sales had taught him, “As long as the customer is willing to communicate, no contract is impossible to sign.”
“Xu Wang,” he said openly.
Zhao Yi shook her head more directly. “I don’t know you.”
Xu Wang was even more straightforward. “I don’t know you either, but I almost died because of your broken heart.”
“I’m not heartbroken,” Zhao Yi said defiantly.
Xu Wang was waiting for this response. “If you’re not heartbroken, then who are you putting on this show for?”
Zhao Yi’s eyes widened in frustration. This pouty look inadvertently made her a bit cute.
Xu Wang grabbed the muscular scumbag again, about to continue speaking, but the man broke free.
“I’ve tolerated you for long enough. Who the hell are you?!” The muscular scumbag, as if not content with just breaking free, pushed Xu Wang hard. He had been holding back his anger, not daring to vent on Zhao Yi, and now he finally found an outlet.
Caught off guard, Xu Wang stumbled and fell. Wu Sheng, who had followed, saw this and immediately darkened his face, about to step forward, only to see Xu Wang leap up and deliver a flying kick to the muscular scumbag’s waist. “You cheating NPC dare to hit me—?!”
The muscular scumbag let out a cry of pain, staggering back a few steps. His face twisted in pain and contorted with anger. Wu Sheng halted in his tracks, instinctively raising his hand to protect his waist.
In the corner, the first scumbag, perhaps remembering a kindred spirit in cheating, temporarily paused his reconciliation efforts and turned with an unfriendly expression towards them.
He didn’t even glance at Wu Sheng—his malevolent gaze was fixed on Xu Wang. But Xu Wang, who had his back to him, was fully focused on handling the muscular scumbag and didn’t see him.
In a split second, Wu Sheng smoothly extended his leg. The first scumbag, right beside him, stumbled solidly over it and fell flat on his face.
Xu Wang was startled and turned to see the scene, confused. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Wu Sheng shrugged and shook his head. “Maybe his shoes were a bit slippery.”
Xu Wang felt something was off but didn’t have time to ponder it. He turned back, grabbed the muscular scumbag by the collar, and turned to Zhao Yi. “Take a good look. Such trash, you can find a truckload in any garbage dump. He cheated on you. You should be setting off fireworks in celebration, thanking him for not marrying you! This is a cause for celebration, and yet you’re hanging onto him to vent your anger. Are you not full and just idling around? Aren’t you afraid he’ll cling to you again?”
The muscular scumbag, resentful yet pained, dared only symbolically struggle, lest another kick render him unable to walk properly ever again.
“And you.” letting go of the muscular scumbag, Xu Wang called out to the one on the floor. “Stop lying there. Come over.” The first scumbag had initially intended to come to help but ended up falling before he could make a move, now dizzy and aching all over. The little courage he had ignited earlier had long dissipated, and now being singled out, he lay still, feigning death.
Xu Wang, exasperated, directly asked, “Are you the one who cheated and got cheated on?” The first scumbag turned away; the summary was too accurate for his every cell to resist acknowledging.
Without needing a response, Xu Wang already had his answer. He grabbed the first scumbag, dragging him like a dead fish to the corner to join the muscular scumbag. “You two find whoever you want and resolve it yourselves. Nobody cares. Just stay away from good girls from now on. They’re not in the same world as you and don’t share the same dreams, thanks.”
After schooling the two scumbags, Xu Wang turned back to Zhao Yi. Not giving her time to think, he directly asked, “What kind of man do you like?”
Zhao Yi, overwhelmed by the turn of events, subconsciously looked at the muscular scumbag. Xu Wang forcefully redirected her head. “That type is a pass. Choose the next one!”
Zhao Yi blinked in confusion but then began to ponder, gradually a hint of shyness coloring her expression. She murmured softly, “Cheerful, smart, someone I can talk to…”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll help you find a boyfriend, and you’ll put the lion back in the cargo hold.”
“……”
Zhao Yi hadn’t quite grasped how things had been agreed upon so swiftly, but under Xu Wang’s eager gaze and considering he had just helped her vent her anger with a kick, she somewhat involuntarily lifted her hand and flipped it gently.
In a blink, an empty cup appeared in her hand. She placed the empty cup back on the table, then looked at Xu Wang with a much gentler expression. “It’s gone back.”
Xu Wang sighed in relief, pondering how to portray “finding a boyfriend” as a prolonged battle, at least long enough to defuse a bomb—he surely couldn’t just leave a bomb unattended while setting up blind dates for Zhao Yi. But then he heard Wu Sheng say, “Wait for me.”
He looked up to see Wu Sheng already hurrying toward business class.
Xu Wang was puzzled and hadn’t figured out why, but Wu Sheng returned soon, accompanied by a young man.
“Xu Erling.” Wu Sheng patted the young man’s shoulder, introducing him to Xu Wang. “Cheerful, smart, quick-witted—not only talkative but also eloquent. Definitely matches her preferences.”
Xu Wang was surprised at Wu Sheng’s efficiency. Just as he was worrying, Wu Sheng had already brought the solution.
But—
“Classmate Wu,” he said somewhat perplexedly to his understanding teammate. “Usually we follow ‘not only’ and ‘but also’ with different words to show progression.”
Wu Sheng shrugged. “But I think emphasizing it this way highlights the point better.”
Xu Wang: “……”
While the two coordinated their approach, Xu Erling was less pleased. “What did you call me here for!” He asked, but his brain, not slower than Wu Sheng’s in speed, had already analyzed the current situation. So, without waiting for an answer, he glared at Wu Sheng, righteously declaring, “Before the bomb perpetrator is found, I won’t engage in any romantic affairs!”
“Your suspect is only six years old.” Wu Sheng rolled his eyes and, without further ado, pushed Xu Erling towards Zhao Yi. “I think you should engage in some romantic affairs.”
“You’re just afraid I’ll find the criminal before you!” Xu Erling was genuinely angered. Obviously, questioning his reasoning only made him upset, but stopping his actions truly touched his bottom line. “Push me again, and I won’t be polite…huh?”
In the midst of the scuffle, Xu Erling and Zhao Yi’s eyes met.
One was disheveled and irritated, the other quiet and despondent, but in an inadvertent glance at each other, their minds were captivated.
If this were in a shoujo manga, flower petals would be scattered.
“Uh, well, my name is Xu Erling.” He let go of Wu Sheng, or more accurately, pushed him far away, then the young man named Xu tidied himself up and introduced himself.
Zhao Yi lowered her head, not speaking.
Xu Wang understood at a glance. This was clearly going somewhere!
Relieved, he quietly moved towards Wu Sheng and gestured with his eyes: mission accomplished.
Wu Sheng nodded, understanding the complete message—since things were settled here, it was time to return to economy class to continue the urgent task.
Unexpectedly, the previously comfortable Xu Erling suddenly stood up again and strode towards Wu Sheng. His pace was so fast, he even beat the retreating Xu Wang.
Wu Sheng, observing the suddenly serious and earnest Xu Erling, was puzzled.
Xu Erling didn’t beat around the bush, directly saying, “Saying Shen Yisi had issues was me deliberately disrupting you. I was afraid you’d find out before me…”
Wu Sheng was silent, sensing there was more to come.
Indeed, Xu Erling leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I asked the flight attendant. There was no bomb before takeoff, so it must have been placed after passengers boarded, probably sneakily placed amidst the chaos of storing luggage after boarding. According to a flight attendant who was helping with the luggage in that area, during the boarding time, three people loitered around where the bomb was placed, and none of their seats were nearby. The attendant found it odd, so he had a deep impression of them.”
Wu Sheng was surprised. “Did you find all this out?”
Xu Er Ling’s lips curved up, that self-satisfied and smug look returning.
“Since you’ve already investigated this far, and you’re worried we’ll catch the criminal before you, why tell me all this?” Wu Sheng couldn’t fathom his logic.
“Because he now has a more important goal than catching the criminal.” Xu Wang, not as keen on deduction but observant, noticed the pink bubbles in Xu Erling’s eyes and knew this “young detective’s” life had taken a turn.
“The cases never end. Solve one and there’s another, but opportunities to end singlehood…” Xu Erling touched his nose, a rare hint of shyness appearing. After a moment, he cleared his throat and returned to seriousness. “Cough, anyway, I don’t want to be alone, so I’ll leave the rest to you!”
Wu Sheng looked at him, then at Zhao Yi, finally understanding. Never did he expect that his random matchmaking would actually foster true love, making him feel both subtly pleased and complex, as if after helping others harvest wheat, he returned home to find his own field still barren.
“Who exactly are those three people?” Xu Wang, unaware of Wu Sheng’s distractions, simply asked.
Xu Erling looked up said in slow and deep tone, “Jiang San’er (32), Feng Liuyi (61), An Qijiu (79).”
Kinky Thoughts:
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