Chapter 54 – Forgotten curiosity

Translator: Xena

Upon entering the hall, some rushed to collect evidence and safely settle the frightened civilians, while others waited for members of the logistics department to arrive and perform the final hypnosis.

The others frowned in unison after seeing the scene clearly.

The glass display case at the very front stood wide open, and the exhibit inside had vanished without a trace.

Amidst the entire incident, the wooden carving that was the most crucial item for the Bureau has vanished.

Only the ashes in the cabinet remained.

“Did you not notice ?” Cheng Li withdrew his gaze, lifted his head, and mused, “I remember you were about to take it away back then, and…” 

Fu Huanyu, the target of the question, was annoyed. “Then I got knocked flying.” 

He nearly got eaten by a C-level monster, leaving him in such a sorry state that he was now limping badly and unsure if he has broken a bone.

Cheng Li, who was also knocked back, was a bit tougher than him. Apart from a slight concussion, he could still walk and talk normally.

“……”

The two exchanged a glance, speechless.

“No one saw it?” Huo Lun paused in his note-taking, furrowing his brow. “That’s unlikely.” 

It was placed right at the very front of the entire hall, in plain sight for all to see. To ensure the auction proceeded smoothly, the venue was specifically designed so that the auction glass case could be seen from any location within the room. Not to mention, there was dedicated lighting set up on-site.

Therefore, there was no such thing as not seeing.

A lie?

Or was it an unexpected situation?

He was the [Logistics Department] member assigned to document this mission, and such a major event as the disappearance of the highly anticipated wood carving could never be brushed aside in a few words.

Facing his puzzled gaze, Cheng Li said, “All of us had our vision shut off.” 

He specifically emphasized everyone.

This meant that Jian Xie was also included among them. If he has any questions, he could ask him.

Upon hearing this, Fu Huanyu paused for a moment but nodded in agreement.

The other investigators nearby heard this and immediately acknowledged his statement. This was indeed a sudden event that caught everyone off guard.

Seeing so many people agree with him, Huo Lun’s doubts dissipated considerably. He lowered his head and recorded the matter.

“Do you know who did it?”

Fu Huanyu instinctively glanced to the side, pressed his lips tightly together, and remained silent.

“I don’t think anyone did it.” Cheng Li continued, “Since the monsters were blind just like us, I suspect this might be why the wooden carving is classified as an [Anomaly].” 

Huo Lun looked pensive. “…That is indeed a possibility.”

If the monsters also lost their vision simultaneously, it indicated that this was an indiscriminate attack, which indeed resembled a powerful anomalous object’s self-preservation mechanism rather than human intervention.

After completing the record in this question-and-answer format and taking several photographs, Huo Lun’s attention was drawn to the person standing at the doorway.

“Then why is he here?” He said, “Logically speaking, he hasn’t joined the Bureau yet, has he?” 

Following his gaze, Jian Xie was conversing with that unsettlingly tall young man. He himself seemed unaware that they stood far too close, as if he were entirely enveloped within the other’s protective sphere.

With complicated thoughts in mind, he was about to withdraw his inquiring gaze, when at that moment, he saw the young man glance at him with contempt and a smile that was not quite a smile on his face.

It was merely a simple glance, yet it made him instinctively feel a chill deep within, causing him to hastily and awkwardly avert his gaze.

Immediately afterward, he heard Cheng Li beside him say, “I asked him to come.” 

Upon hearing this, Fu Huanyu shot him a complex look.

He hadn’t expected the other person to lie so brazenly without batting an eye.

He had run into Jian Xie at the door, and he had asked him not to tell anyone else about his appearance, including Cheng Li.

It only indicated that the other party was actually unaware.

Could it be that he was worried that Jian Xie’s appearance in the report might arouse suspicion…?

But this only made Fu Huanyu even more puzzled… What had Cheng Li discovered, and what was he trying to conceal?

“Did you request it?” Huo Lun paused. “Why?” 

“Because he is exceptionally skilled, far surpassing those trained investigators.” Cheng Li added, “Whether I broke the rules or not, I owe this entirely to him.” 

Otherwise, given the monsters’ level, the investigators would certainly perish without exception. And if the monsters were left to run rampant, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“True.”

Huo Lun thought about it and found it quite reasonable, so he didn’t press the matter further.

Still, the disappearance of the wood carving must be documented…

Seeing that Huo Lun had nearly finished writing, Cheng Li headed toward the doorway. Though Jian Xie hadn’t glanced in their direction, he seemed to sense his presence. As Cheng Li approached, he turned, and his calm and utterly still eyes met his gaze.

Cheng Li rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you getting ready to head back?” 

“Pretty much.” Jian Xie Dao glanced at Huo Lun. “Does he have anything to ask me?” 

Evidently, he noticed Huo Lun’s gaze.

Since he didn’t know what the monsters were up to, Jian Xie’s handling of the whole affair wasn’t exactly clever. If the investigators had a lot of questions, he could, at most, offer some plausible cover stories. After all, he was likely the only eyewitness present.

But under his gaze, Cheng Li shook his head calmly and said, “I don’t think so. If there were, I’d answer for you. You can rest assured… Do you need a ride home?” 

Jian Xie said nothing.

He wasn’t stupid. Though it was just a short sentence, it conveyed a great deal.

Cheng Li was sharper than he had imagined.

Moreover, it was quite surprising that he would say something like “you can rest assured” to him.

Just then, a voice from behind him broke the silence first, its tone languid, “That won’t be necessary. I’ll take him back myself.” 

Though the tall, well-built young man had been leaning casually against the door with an indifferent look on his face and crossed arms, gazing outside seemingly bored by everything unfolding around him, he turned his head to look at Cheng Li the moment the latter uttered those words.

His gaze, however, held little emotion, appearing somewhat indifferent.

“……”

After a long pause, Cheng Li’s eyes darted nervously, and he finally relented, “That’s… not bad either.” 

Qin Zhuo raised an eyebrow.

Immediately afterward, Cheng Li turned his gaze to Jian Xie. “The temporary contract with the Management Bureau that you previously discussed with me has been finalized. However, some modifications have been made. Please review it first before deciding whether to sign. I’ll bring the tripartite documents to meet with you in the next couple of days. We’ll get in touch then.”  

Although the Bureau has always been generous in terms of compensation for investigators, it could be described as strict when it came to other regulations.

It was likely due to the unique manner in which investigators awaken their insight values that the Bureau couldn’t truly treat them as conventional employees. Therefore, every [investigator] who joins must sign a contract and declaration to ensure that they would not abuse their authority.

But the terms of Jian Xie’s contract…

It was definitely unprecedented among all investigators. Since the Bureau’s founding, he alone possessed such extensive privileges. Once he successfully entered the Bureau, his position would undoubtedly set the entire forum abuzz!

Jian Xie nodded and turned to leave, but was suddenly called back by someone from behind.

Cheng Li pulled a scarf from his suit jacket and handed it to Jian Xie with a hesitant expression.

Jian Xie took it with a blank expression, unsure what kind of trick he was playing.

“Wipe your hands,” he whispered. 

It wasn’t until Jian Xie had walked several meters away from the auction house with the silk scarf in hand that he realized what had happened.

The moment he touched the wooden carving, it instantly turned to ash, leaving only scattered remains behind as it vanished completely within the glass display case.

—Yet Jian Xie’s fingertips still bore traces of sooty black residue.

“……” Jian Xie.

Sure enough, he found out.

“He’s pretty smart compared to the others.” Qin Zhuo curled his lips, seemingly unsurprised by the unfolding events. He casually pointed out, “He didn’t ask who I was, nor was he foolish enough to inquire about the whereabouts of your wooden carving. Perhaps he felt relieved knowing it was in your hands.” 

As Cheng Li had said long ago, despite knowing that Jian Xie harbored many secrets, he still trusted him.

For some unknown reason.

While thinking this, Jian Xie was silent.

He simply wiped his fingers clean with the silk scarf, then folded it neatly and tucked it into his suit pocket.

So engrossed was Jian Xie in the task at hand that he didn’t even notice where Qin Zhuo had led him.

When he came to his senses, he realized he had somehow ended up in front of Wu Qinghe’s car. The latter rolled down the window and flashed him a fawning smile—a look that could only be described as obsequious.

Jian Xie: “……”

If he remembered correctly, the other party should be busy handling affairs in the auction hall at this very moment.

Just a few minutes out of sight, and he’s slipped away, as slippery as a fish.

Wu Qinghe stole a glance at Qin Zhuo and couldn’t help but defend himself. “Won’t you need a driver? And I wasn’t the one who initiated it…”  

“Click.”

The sound of the car door opening interrupted its words.

With just that slight movement, Wu Qinghe fell silent. His gut told him the mood was far from pleasant, so he dared not say another word.

Qin Zhuo first motioned for Jian Xie to take the back seat, then with a long stride of his own, he sat beside him and swiftly pulled the door shut.

“What’s wrong?” Jian Xie asked in a low voice. 

Though It said nothing, he still sensed something was amiss. It was precisely for this reason that when Qin Zhuo lay across his lap, he did not push It away.

“Nothing.” It said casually, “It’s not a big deal.” 

Jian Xie asked again, “What is it?” 

He shifted his legs, finding the sensation of having someone’s head cradled on his lap rather strange. He had never permitted anyone else to make such an intimate gesture.

But when he thought about how the guy sprawled across his lap wasn’t human, Jian Xie instantly felt relieved. His standards had somehow dropped significantly, and suddenly, the burden felt much lighter. He didn’t even refuse when the other person took advantage of the moment and reached out to wrap an arm around his waist.

Qin Zhuo lifted his eyes and looked at It’s human.

“This is merely one of the materials. So even though I now have the same body as you, it doesn’t mean it will last forever.” It’s voice was casual, yet a hint of displeasure could be detected in it. “I’ll be returning to the shadows after ten minutes.” 

The arm tightened around his waist.

It wasn’t just the time constraint, but also the distance limit.

Although It could temporarily manifest a physical form, this could not be considered a full descent, as it could only be sustained for a maximum of thirty minutes.

At the same time, It could not stray more than a hundred meters from him.

The farther the distance, the shorter the duration the physical body could be maintained.

And It couldn’t show up every single time.

The brief skin to skin was like quenching thirst by looking at a plum.

Annoying.

Jian Xie hadn’t expected It to say that. After a moment’s pause, he said, “Oh, I see.” 

In truth, merely possessing a temporary physical form already surprised Jian Xie. He had originally believed that all the materials must be gathered first before the other party could manifest…

Qin Zhuo suddenly asked, “I’m about to become insubstantial again. Don’t you feel regretful?” 

“……”

His intuition told him he couldn’t voice his thoughts exactly as they were.

Jian Xie, who was always cold and aloof toward others unless absolutely necessary, actually paused to choose his words carefully before slowly saying, “…I guess so.”

Qin Zhuo said coldly, “You little liar.” 

Jan Xie, who was ruthlessly exposed: “…”

That was careless of me.

It’s only partially detached at this point. It could still hear his inner thoughts.

Wu Qinghe couldn’t help but utter a “pfft.” 

The moment its breathy voice fell, two pairs of eyes simultaneously fixed on him from the back seat, instantly making his scalp and skin crawl.

It desperately tried to steer the conversation toward another topic. “So, should I take you home, or somewhere else…?” 

“……”

Jian Xie paused for a moment. “Go to the mental health clinic.” 

He was going ot look for Dr. Li, whom he haven’t seen in a long time.

It was precisely encountering that police captain who knew him that brought back memories he had long since cast aside.

Indeed, he had reported the incident to the police at the resort hotel before the car accident.

The officer who handled the case was this very police officer. Ultimately, the matter was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

He even spent several days at the police station for obstructing official duties.

Jian Xie knew that immediately after the car accident, he felt utterly lost upon waking up in the hospital. It was as if he had suddenly lost his purpose and direction in life, and he went through a very difficult period.

At the same time, the police told him many things he couldn’t remember at all.

At that time, he believed he couldn’t bear being suddenly alone, which was why he developed psychosomatic symptoms.

But now it seemed that monsters truly exist in this world—

And this suggested that everything he regarded as absurd was likely not an illusion.

Did his parents really die in a car accident? Did he really go on vacation…? 

Why did half of him tell himself that his parents had indeed passed away, while the other half of his memory insisted that the two bodies in the car couldn’t possibly be his parents?

His mind was fractured into several parts, unable to grasp the reality of his parents’ passing, let alone feel the sorrow of their loss.

But all signs point to the fact that his parents did indeed pass away, and he attended their funeral. It was a fact that couldn’t be fabricated.

Therefore, all of this seemed even more baffling.

He possessed little curiosity and no will to survive, so this matter—which most people would insist on investigating thoroughly—was completely forgotten by him once he recovered enough to leave the hospital and return to school. It wasn’t until now that he remembered the unusualness of it.

Qin Zhuo also… appeared in his body at that time.

Although Jian Xie has developed a certain degree of acceptance toward It’s arrival, this didn’t quite explain all the mysteries.

Dr. Li, sent by the community to mediate his case, should have some records he’s forgotten about. Perhaps, they could provide a clue.

……

“No matter what you’re thinking right now.”

Qin Zhuo took advantage of his distraction and idly played with his fingers until his own could intertwine tightly with them. Only when their fingers were locked together did he draw back with a lazy, satisfied sigh. “Just remember one thing—I’ll always be on your side.”

Author’s Note:

Qin Zhuo: In short, you can’t doubt my sincerity.