Qiming Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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Hearing these words, the girl pulled off her black heart-patterned mask, revealing a round, youthful face.

"Chen Jie, I told you dressing like this was too suspicious." Her soft curls shook as she nodded, taking off her baseball cap with a look of relief.

"Officer Gege, you've got sharp eyes, recognising me from just a glance at an ad." Her black eyes sparkled like gemstones, her voice clear, and her cheeks full of youthful collagen, with a shallow dimple appearing on her left cheek when she smiled.

AIR, the teenage idols who became a sensation at the end of last year, were the new goddesses of the otaku world. Fans called themselves the Air Group, and the lead singer was this girl named Yuan Man.

Seeing Shu Pan's uncontrollable excitement, Gu Yunfeng had a big question mark in his head, who was this?

Gu Yunfeng registered the girl's information: Yuan Man, eighteen years old, a local, and a singer. She had just finished her university entrance exams a few days ago, which she said was just an experience and a way to give an explanation to her fans. She had been a trainee in a performing arts company since she was fifteen, spending all her time rehearsing and having no time for studying.

"Yuan Man, right? Do your parents know about this?" He handed Yuan Man a cup of tea, motioning for her to sit down. As the family member involved, Chen Yu was taken to another office by Professor Xu and the others to wait.

"I don't have parents." She bit her lip, slowly raising her head after a few seconds, her eyes full of fear and anxiety.

"I'm an orphan, raised in an orphanage."

Gu Yunfeng was taken aback, scratching his head awkwardly before smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry for bringing up something painful."

"It's not painful." She shook her head. "I'm used to it."

"Actually, my mother... also passed away when I was very young." Seeing Yuan Man's careful attempt to appear indifferent, he hesitated but decided to share his story.

"Did she abandon you?"

"No, she got sick, and there was no cure." Back then, his father had spent a lot of money and time trying to save her life and alleviate her pain, but they could only watch as she weakened day by day until her body broke down and she passed away. He vividly remembered those years, each day feeling like an endless night, with everyone trapped in despair, unable to see the light of day.

He handed her a pen, gently ruffling her hair. "We share a similar pain."

Yuan Man blinked, then lowered her head, quietly revealing her dimples with a smile.

"Alright, I need to ask you some questions alone now. If there's anything you don't want to answer, just let me know." Seeing no objection, he continued, "When did you receive the first threatening letter?"

"Let me think... It was on the ninth." She sat facing Gu Yunfeng, her right hand supporting her cheek, speaking like a wind chime in the breeze.

"June 9th?"

"Mhmm." She nodded. "I was changing in the dressing room when I suddenly saw a letter slipped under the door. I was startled. Although I often receive gifts from fans, they usually can't get into the company building, let alone know my personal dressing room."

"Right after the exams ended." He murmured, noting 'possibly an inside job.'

"Did you notice anyone suspicious?"

"I was too scared to open the door after seeing it..." Yuan Man lowered her head, fiddling with her dark blue nails.

"What about the surveillance?"

"Surveillance?" She looked at him puzzled for a long time before answering, "Chen Jie said she checked, but the surveillance on the twenty-eighth-floor was broken that day."

"Officer Gu, why isn't the officer with glasses taking my statement?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh, you mean Professor Xu? He's not yet permanent." This was the first time Gu Yunfeng encountered such a question, so he made up a reason, finding it increasingly amusing.

"What? You have a grudge against me because I didn't recognise you?"

"You don't even know who I am." Yuan Man pouted. "But he seemed aloof, so he's probably a boring person."

"So, I'm interesting?"

"I don't know... but at least I'm willing to talk to you, and you're the only one who remembered to get me a drink." She relaxed, putting her phone into her bag. "I don't know what's up with Chen Jie today, she forgot everything and we got stuck in traffic, I was almost dying of thirst."

"That's her fault, I'll talk to her later." He hadn't expected such a small gesture to matter so much to Yuan Man, this girl was more sensitive than he thought. Speaking of which, Chen Yu indeed seemed strange compared to Yuan Man's attitude, she was overly nervous.

"Weren't you scared of the threatening letter?"

"The first time, yes, but then... I got used to it."

"The letter talked about retribution for my secrets, but I'm innocent. I don't even know what secrets I have, I haven't done anything wrong, how could there be retribution?" She said nonchalantly, "I just had a hunch it was a prank, no one really wanted to hurt me." She tucked her curly hair behind her ear, seriously looking at him. "Officer Gu, you've made me realise our group isn't popular at all. Every time I search for AIR on Weibo with a fan filter on, I think we are world-famous."

"Sorry... I don't pay much attention to entertainment news. But I've heard your song, Love is Infinite, from your latest album. I've listened to all the songs." He quickly tried to make up for his ignorance. "I'm not a fan, but a listener."

"My songs are everywhere now, especially that one, everyone has heard it."

"Alright, I'll pay close attention to AIR starting tomorrow, no, tonight." He promised, half-laughing, trying to avoid her killer glare.

"So you didn't see anyone suspicious when you first got the letter. How many did you receive after that?"

"Officer Gu, do you know how many members are in our group?"

"Miss Yuan Man, please cooperate with the police. This concerns your safety. I have to be responsible for your case, but you must be responsible for yourself."

"Okay, I received five more, on June 12th, 15th, 17th, 18th, and 20th." She reluctantly complied, her eyes darting around.

"Was there anything special about the letter on the 20th?" This was when they chose to report it, and he was curious about what prompted Chen Yu to take this step.

"No, I never took it seriously, but Chen Jie was extremely nervous."

"Is Chen Yu your agent? Has she been acting strangely lately?"

"Mhmm, she only started managing our group last year." She recalled the past few months, "Chen Jie started acting strange about a month ago..."

"Being overly concerned about me."

Overly concerned? His typing fingers paused, interrupting his notes. His first thought was that this girl, raised in an orphanage, might find it hard to accept care. But she was also a beloved star, what a contradictory personality.

"She frequently asked if I had met anyone strange." She put her hands behind her head. "Of course, I often meet strange people, like crazy fans and eccentric directors..."

"Then half a month ago, I started receiving threatening letters, and she almost became my bodyguard..." She blinked rapidly, rubbing the tip of her nose.

"She should have brought you to report it earlier. The police will naturally protect your safety." Gu Yunfeng shook his head regretfully. He didn't miss her small gestures but pretended not to see them, privately messaging Shu Pan.

– You and Professor Xu ask Chen Yu what secrets she knows about Yuan Man. This girl knows almost nothing.

He got a reply within a minute.

– Hai, we didn't even have to ask, Chen Yu told us everything.

It seemed she was right to only register her information, she was indeed the main party involved.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 24, 2024 by Angel

Edited: June 27, 2024 by Angel