Chapter 8

 This year, there was more rain in Hong Kong than usual. In early May, the sky unexpectedly turned deep blue. The rain was as gentle as that in Jiangnan, and cherry blossoms fell to the ground in the courtyard.

Brewing a pot of tea, Zhen Yi sat in a wicker chair by the wooden window, holding a tablet computer.

She had her own apartment, but whenever she encountered a difficult situation, she would come to her grandfather's small building to either listen to his wisdom or simply sit quietly in this little corner of tranquility on the school grounds, away from the hustle and bustle.

Today, Auntie Zhang took her grandfather for a medical checkup, leaving her alone.

She browsed through the search results on Google for "Yan Ge" and was slightly surprised. Along with the search results, various terms were mixed and rearranged: personality, therapy, psychiatry, clinical, counseling, physiology, hypnosis, surgery, study...

She couldn't fully comprehend it.

What was strange was that despite the numerous search results, there was no official information available.

There was a Wikipedia page, but it had a very colloquial tone, describing him in a reverent and subjective manner, mentioning his extraordinary talents, how he aspired to be a neurosurgeon since he was young, studied medicine in the United States, and pursued neurology while also minoring in philosophy, achieving straight A's in his studies. It also said that philosophy made him rethink his life and decide to explore the subconscious mind like Freud, exploring the mysterious link between physiology and psychology.

It even stated that thanks to his excellent medical foundation, he had made great achievements in studying the relationship between neurology, psychology, and behavior, especially in the field of hypnotherapy.

Zhen Yi patiently read through the poorly written Chinglish and the nonsensical logic, feeling extremely speechless: Was this a work of fiction? She even saw a long list of funny anecdotes about him, which didn't fit his personality at all.

Zhen Yi thought, this truly is the era when anyone can manipulate an encyclopedia.

The old-fashioned phone rang.

She put on her slippers and got up from the wicker chair, holding the tablet, and answered the phone with a casual tone, "Hello?"

On the other end, there seemed to be a hint of surprise, and there was a slight pause before a soft voice said, "Zhen Yi?"

Her heart skipped a beat, maybe because of the phone, his voice sounded particularly clear and soothing, calling her name.

Outside the wooden window, a gentle breeze blew through the cherry blossom trees.

She replied indifferently, "Looking for my grandfather?"

"Yes, I have an appointment with Professor Zhen at three o'clock. Is he home?"

Zhen Yi frowned; her grandfather never stood someone up, so how could he forget this time?

“Yes," she said without hesitation, her lie smooth and quick.

"Thank you," he didn't doubt her and hung up.

That day at the police station, he surprised her with a gift, and she should at least invite him for a cup of tea in return.

Zhen Yi used a wooden block to prop open the window, moved the tea set from her grandfather's study to the window, and refilled the teapot with fresh water. After everything was prepared, the grandfather clock struck two fifty.

The water in the kettle slowly and peacefully warmed up, and there was a refreshing fragrance in the courtyard after the rain.

She sat in the wicker chair, waiting, and opened the tablet, closing all the pages related to "Yan Ge," and opened the folder named "Lin Ziyi V.S. Tang Shang."

After coming out of the police station, Zhen Yi scolded Song Yi. It was because of her concealment that they were caught off guard in front of Yan Ge.Zhen Yi had warned her that if she couldn't tell the whole story, their partnership would have to end.

Now, Song Yi hadn't come back to confess to Zhen Yi, but she also hadn't asked for a new lawyer. Zhen Yi believed that Song Yi would come back soon. So she had to familiarize herself with the case as soon as possible to prepare for the next round of police questioning.

She guessed that the police didn't have many clues; otherwise, they wouldn't be holding on to Song Yi without any evidence. The environment in the entertainment venues was complex, with many people coming and going, and the forensic experts probably couldn't find any solid leads.

But during this lie detector test, Song Yi's revelations were shocking, and her suspicion index had skyrocketed.

Although Zhen Yi still didn't know the details of Lin Ziyi's death, her intuition told her that it was related to the case that had just ended in court.

The people that were currently alive and directly related to the Lin Ziyi V.S. Tang Shang case were: the three accomplices in the gang-rape (named Xiao Xiang, Li Xuan, and Sun Ming), Tang Shang's boyfriend Wu Zhe, her sister Tang Yu, Tang Shang's parents, and other people's parents.

She couldn't contact those three rich kids.Therefore, the first step would be to start with Tang Chang's boyfriend Wu Zhe, but Wu Zhe's current location was... She couldn't go to that place, so she could only start with Yan Ge.

The clock struck a heavy "dong," and the deep and profound sound echoed in the small building. Zhen Yi snapped out of her thoughts, it was three o'clock. Just as the sound of the clock subsided, there was a melodious "creak," and someone opened the wet gate of the courtyard.

Zhen Yi peeked out.

Yan Ge entered the courtyard and stood by the gate, using a handkerchief to wipe his hands. A man under the black umbrella stood in the alley on the other side of the wooden gate and didn't follow him in.

There were still traces of rain in the sky, flying towards him. He was wearing a navy-style lightweight windbreaker, and the collar stood up, making him look more upright.

He dried his hands and walked towards the small building.

Zhen Yi got up to open the door, and the moment she pulled the door open, he happened to step onto the stone steps and arrived at the door.Zhen Yi was instantly enveloped by his tall figure.

The two were too close, they looked at each other for half a second, Zhen Yi walked away in embarrassment: "Please come in."

"Thank you." Today, he wasn't wearing glasses, and his temperament returned to being cool.

He lowered his head to change shoes in the hallway, and when he looked up, his gaze fell on a pair of black cotton slippers that had turned slightly white. Those were Zhen Grandfather's shoes.

Zhen Yi inwardly sighed, sensing that something wasn't right.

He raised his head, silently meeting her eyes with a calm gaze, and there was no hint of questioning in his expression.

Zhen Yi smiled generously, revealing her white teeth, "Grandfather has gone out, please have some tea while you wait." If she had invited him for tea, he might have just left, so she told a little lie.

"Mhmm." He put on the slippers and walked into the house. He felt that she hadn't changed much; she never blushed when lying, always with a bright and sincere smile, appearing open and honest.

Yan Ge unbuttoned his windbreaker and sat straight by the window. Zhen Yi sat opposite him. On the wooden wicker table was a Lingzhi-shaped sandalwood tea set, neatly arranged with everything needed for brewing, tasting, and cleaning tea, displaying a sense of refinement and elegance without feeling overwhelming.

"I heard that you're quite particular and don't easily drink tea." She lowered her gaze, her delicate hands skillfully using a tea scoop to transfer the tea leaves into the tea strainer.

The phrase "I heard" sounded somewhat unfamiliar, and in fact, it wasn't something she had heard but experienced.

He neither confirmed nor denied it.

Their family had too many rules, and they had been studying etiquette and ethics since they were young. The traditions and bearing of a prestigious family were ingrained in them. Outside, they always exuded an incongruous air of old-fashionedness.

He didn't mention it to her, nor did he explain his peculiarity. To her, he should be dull and boring.

He didn't respond, and she didn't mind.

They sat in silence for a while before he asked in a guest-like manner, "I haven't had the chance to ask, but are you doing well?"

"Doing exceptionally well." She quickly replied.

Silence fell again.

He waited for a moment.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"If you're doing well, then there's nothing more to ask, right?" She was being playful, or maybe just casual.

He didn't overthink it, and she just smiled. Small talk like this really wasn't his style.

The water in the jade pot was ready, and the smoke wafted up, lingering between the two. When the post-rain wind blew, the smoke dispersed. The courtyard carried the scent of cherry blossoms and green leaves, mixed with the fresh scent of rain, seeping in through the window.

"When did you learn this?" Yan Ge asked.

She was too lively and noisy. In his impression, she couldn't stand anything quiet except for him.

"I learned it from my grandfather after coming to Hong Kong. But I don't like drinking tea. The tea leaves are too precious, and the brewing process is so delicate. I just don't like it. Because of that, I didn't put my heart into learning it well." There was a hint of genuine amusement in her words.

She slightly lowered her head, lips curved in a smile, as if she was having fun playing with something she didn't particularly like but didn't hate either.

Brewing, pouring, rinsing, serving—she did it all smoothly. Finally, she presented a small cup of crystal-clear amber tea in front of him.

" She didn’t study very well," judging by his gaze, her tea-making skills were far from enough, but he still held the small teacup in his palm and took a slow sip.

She smiled nonchalantly, revealing shallow dimples, and poured boiling water into her own porcelain cup.

The afternoon at the school was peaceful, and the two-story red-brick building was even more tranquil.

Yan Ge was always a person of extreme calmness, and even drinking tea was done in complete silence. Unlike Zhen Yi, who always exaggerated sounds when drinking.

The fragrance of tea filled the room, and outside the window, the faint sound of the university's class dismissal bell could be heard from a distance—gentle, slow, and brief.

Zhen Yi placed down her teacup, and the porcelain and wood made a light clinking sound. "We've met several times, but I still haven't figured out your profession."

"It's complicated." It was the same sentence, as if he had no desire for others to understand him.

"Si Gui said you are a researcher?"

"Mhmm."

"Clinical neurology and psychotherapy?"

"Mhmm." 

"So, a doctor, I suppose? But different from the usual understanding of a doctor who does research?"

"Mhmm." He took a sip of tea.

   Zhen Yi spun the small teacup and thought carefully, the esoteric research topics listed in Wikipedia were not something that could be summarized by the word doctor, "Well, it should be a scientist."

"Doctor." He was introverted to his bones.

Tiny cherry blossom petals drifted in from the window and landed in Yan Ge's teacup, causing a slight ripple. He always sat straight and tall, with a back as straight as a ruler. His eyelids drooped, focusing on the cherry blossom petal. His tone was slow as he said, "What do you want to ask?"

"Professor Yan, did you know about Song Yi's situation from the beginning? That she knew the culprit, and had a distressing past."

"I didn't know."

"Did you deduce it midway? How did you do it?" Her eyes shone brightly, "When a criminal lawyer conducts cross-examination in a court trial, they need to understand the lies of the opposing witness, as well as their cross-examination logic skills. I want to learn."

"You are not in this line of work, so I won't teach you."

"Oh, now your morals restrain you. When you exposed Song Yi's humiliating secrets yesterday, didn't you think it was inappropriate?" Her voice was soft, but there was a clear sense of mockery.

Yan Ge's dark eyes gazed deeply at her for half a second, calmly saying, "Truth is never inappropriate."

"Mhmm, now the teacher is talking about philosophy." Zhen Yi raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled. Seeing the cherry blossom petals in his teacup, she poured him another cup of tea and presented it with both hands.

Yan Ge accepted the tea without saying a word.

Zhen Yi leaned on her cheek and looked at him, saying very "kindly," "Because of you, she became a suspect. Have you ever thought that due to various pressures, the police are eager for results rather than the truth? You must have encountered many wrongful convictions. This case is complex, can you ensure that she won't be 'framed by the killer'?"

"I can't." He looked at her, "So?"

"I'm really worried about how this will affect Professor Yan's reputation!" She said this with a furrowed brow, appearing genuinely concerned for him, sighing, "If I go to find the truth, it can actually be beneficial to you, Professor Yan. You should provide me with assistance."

"If it's internal police information, I won't do it." He wouldn't do anything against his principles.

"It's not." Zhen Yi handed him a card with the address of where Wu Zhe currently lived—the First Psychiatric Hospital in Hong Kong. Yan Ge glanced at it and nodded.

"Thank you." Zhen Yi grinned. She couldn't go there, but if she had Professor Yan's permission, the situation would be different.

Yan Ge asked, "Did you actually not think that the lie detector test was inappropriate?"

Zhen Yi was seen through, and she didn't try to hide it, openly admitting, "Mhmm."

He placed the cup down steadily, also handing her a business card. Buttoning up his windbreaker, he stood up, "I'll leave first."

"Hey." Zhen Yi responded. She put away the business card and suddenly realized something was wrong, "Uh, aren't you waiting for my grandfather?"

"Can you wait for him?" He spoke lightly and walked out without looking back.

Zhen Yi blushed. He had seen through her lie when he entered the room. Just now as well, but he still went in to have tea without exposing her, and he even complied with her request.

Why?

"Thank you!" She shouted after him. At that moment, Yan Ge had just pushed open the door, and the post-rain wind blew in, lifting his windbreaker. Hearing her, he didn't stop and left, pulling the door open.

T/N: forgot to upload last week so I'm triple uploading this week, sorry about that.