Chapter 9

 It was Yang Zi's birthday.

In the evening, Zhen Yi and Si Gui gathered in Yang Zi's rented apartment to make dinner. Neither of them mentioned work; For many years, this tacit understanding had been a cornerstone of their friendship.

Yang Zi's computer was placed on a stool by the kitchen door, volume turned up high, playing Fan Wei Qi's "One Like Autumn, One Like Summer." The three of them squeezed into the narrow kitchen, washing vegetables, chopping, and cooking without division of labor, coordination, or understanding, creating a lively and innocent clamor of young girls.

"Zhen, my goodness! What's that pile of white stuff you poured? You idiot!" Si Gui scolded.

"You don't add sugar to braised pork! Idiot!"

"I have the sugar, what you added was salt! Fool!"

"... "

Zhen Yi: "Why are you hugging the sugar? Bitch!"

"... " Si Gui: "Fuck you!"

"With what?!"

Yang Zi was tasting the fish soup, and sprayed all the water into the frying pan. In an instant, oil splashed everywhere, and the braised pork sizzled and jumped. The three of them screamed and jumped away, hiding in the doorway. They were dumbfounded for half a second before bursting into laughter.

The sound of sizzling oil, boiling soup, flowing water, and the smoke-filled small kitchen was accompanied by Fan Wei Qi's music: "My subtle tone, my unintentional words, I can't leave darling, can't leave you either..."

Half an hour later, the more reliable Si Gui presented the first perfectly intact dish, skillfully wielding a spatula in one hand and a plate in the other, saying proudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, my second favorite, Big Plate Chicken."

Yang Zi asked, "What's your other favorite?"

"Buns." Zhen Yi replied.

The Big Plate Chicken was placed onto the plate, and Si Gui intentionally held it near Zhen Yi's nose, showing off, "See, talent. It's perfect in taste, aroma, and appearance on the first try. Yang Zi, hurry and taste my virgin Big Plate Chicken."

Zhen Yi said, "It's a good thing you didn't make steamed buns today, otherwise it would have been too horrifying. Taste your..."

"You dirty bastard, shut up!" Si Gui exploded, kicking Zhen Yi's butt and kicking her out of the kitchen.

Zhen Yi set the tableware, Yang Zi turned on the TV, and a music channel was playing a violin concert. She hesitated to change the channel, and Zhen Yi wondered, "When did you start liking this?"

"Quick, look, this violinist is so handsome!"

Zhen Yi looked up, her eyes widened immediately, "My heart!" She leaned closer, "So handsome, so handsome! Si Gui, come touch!"

The three women huddled in front of the TV screen, caressing the fair and handsome features of the exotic violinist, drooling.

"Why eat anything else, when you can be satisfied with him? Ah, even cuddling in bed would be grade A." Zhen Yi looked with a longing gaze and gritted her teeth, "If only he could come out of the TV, strip off his clothes, and just pounce."

"You're so naughty!" Si Gui bumped her waist, and finally sighed while shaking her head foolishly, "But, you can tell he's well-exercised, his body must be great. Look at the curves and shadows in his shirt here."

Due to the bond of their strong friendship and mutual infatuation, the amplification of pleasure was undeniable, leading the women to willingly and eagerly contemplate the idea of sharing "lovers." but only within such fleeting moments.

The cellist immersed himself peacefully in the music, and the three of them gathered around the TV, their eyes full of longing for his beauty and physique.

They only dispersed after the piece was over.

Yang Zi sat down to serve the meal and commented, "Don't you think he looks better sitting than standing?"

Si Gui agreed, "Yeah, when he's sitting and playing the violin, he looks really sexy."

Zhen Yi picked up her chopsticks and picked up some food, saying, "Believe me, it's mainly because he's using both hands to manipulate the thing between his legs. That posture is quite sexy and captivating."

Yang Zi: "..."

Si Gui: "..."

Explaining it like that seemed accurate, but there was something off about it.

Zhen Yi continued eating, then looked up and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Si Gui said, "Zhen, you're getting more daring recently."

"Maybe I've reached the age of being a little wolfish and lascivious in advance. Hey, the day before yesterday, I saw a boar on TV, and I thought its tender and juicy meat was pretty attractive."

Yang Zi burst into laughter, nearly choking, "Come on, you're so popular with guys, isn't it hard for you to find a boyfriend? It's obviously because you want to focus on your career while you're young."

Si Gui nibbled on a chicken claw and disagreed, "I actually think Zhen's standards are too high."

"That's also a reason," Yang Zi chimed in, "Zhen Yi has high standards. A man must not only be career-oriented and responsible, but also have a god-like appearance and a model-like body. Are you looking for an alien?"

Zhen Yi sipped her soup slowly, "I have good looks, a good personality, not shallow, not ignorant, not malicious, not vain. I rely on my profession and skills, and I earn a high salary. I'm fulfilled and happy even without a man. So why shouldn't I aim a bit higher? If that man can't bring me more joy than I have now, he won't be attractive to me. Why should I date him?"

Yang Zi and Si Gui were left speechless.

"I can't help it, I'm into handsome guys, so I definitely have high expectations for my future boyfriend's looks." Zhen Yi shrugged, "Otherwise, when we have sex, I'll just imagine Sherlock."

Si Gui scolded her, "Don't break up him and Watson!"

"Haha, I knew you'd react that way! Teen Leo and Old Depp are my ultimate crushes. I just find straight Sherlock very sexy, haha!"

Si Gui rolled her eyes at her.

Yang Zi shook her head and laughed.

Lately, her work hadn't been going smoothly. In the case of Yue Feng's malicious murder of a classmate, her role was limited. Currently, Yue Feng's fate hinged entirely on a psychiatric evaluation, and she had almost nothing to do with it. If Yue Feng was deemed mentally ill, she could at least fight for his rights, but if not, her role as a lawyer would be almost useless. What frustrated her even more was that the high-profile case of a doctoral student killing a teacher and classmate at the country's top university, which should have garnered nationwide attention and discussion, was overshadowed by the influence of Lin Zi Yi, Tang Qian, and Song Yi.

Halfway through the meal, she remembered the recent discussions in her office and asked, "Zhen, how's Song Yi's case going?"

"Something went wrong." Zhen Yi mumbled with her mouth full; Si Gui didn't join in, focusing on her meal.

"Zhen... you need to work hard." Her voice sounded somewhat sad.

"What's wrong?" Zhen Yi noticed the odd tone and looked up.

Yang Zi worriedly said, "Everyone... is waiting to see you fail."

Si Gui lightly furrowed her brows, perked up her ears slowly picking up her rice.

"Song Yi's case started off smoothly, and we thought we'd easily earn the client fees without going to court. But now the situation has taken a sudden turn, and They’re saying that you can't handle it. It’s also known that you had a falling out with Song Yi..."

Zhen Yi didn't seem to care, eating her meat heartily and muttering, "So what if I lose? Winning and losing are both normal."

"No, that's not it. Zhen, isn't this case just for you to earn bonuses and boost your reputation as intended by Lawyer Bian? Because he's always biased towards you, everyone is especially eager to watch the show this time..." She stumbled over her words.

Si Gui's expression was even worse than Zhen Yi's.

"The people in the firm don't know about your relationship with him, they often talk behind your back, saying that you and him have a questionable relationship, saying you're seducing him..."

"What are they saying?" Zhen Yi widened her eyes.

Both Si Gui and Yang Zi's expressions changed, but before they could console her, Zhen Yi dropped her chopsticks.

She suddenly stood up, rushed to the door, and leaned her face in front of the mirror, "Is my beauty at the level of seduction?" She held her face up, looking left and right, put her hands on her waist, and twisted a couple of times.

"Overall I'm satisfied, my only disappointment is with my breasts, but I inherited that from my dad. Besides, my relationship with Bian Qian-ge, seducing him would be incestuous. Let them envy me for having a good big brother."

Si Gui watched her string of actions and was speechless. It was unnecessary to worry about this female psychopath at any time.

Yang Zi laughed so hard it hurt her stomach, admiring her self-deprecation, "As long as you're not angry."

"Angry? Am I going crazy?" Zhen Yi often used Standard Mandarin at work but spoke with a Cantonese accent in private. She spoke rapidly, sounding clear and distinct, but with very long endings to her words, rising in tone, lingering and indescribably soft.

Whether saying "ho lek oh" (very good) or "ma ma dei" (mom's friend), or even cursing with profanity like "wǒ deu" (I'm throwing), they all carried the distinctive Zhen's second tone ending, rising and falling rhythmically. Many boys in her middle school class had imitated her and made fun of her. Yang Zi had also tried to learn to speak that way secretly, but she couldn't capture that adorable and lively feeling.

"People are always harsh to those who are lucky," Zhen Yi shrugged it off, "I want to be lucky and have a good reputation. Isn't that being too greedy?"

"I admire your positive attitude! If it were me, I would cry in anger."

"They want to annoy me, but I'm best at letting it go in one ear and out the other." Zhen Yi sat back down, continuing to enjoy her meal, "Fairness is hardly a thing in this world. Often those who complain about unfairness are the ones at the lower end of the scale."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you're something." Si Gui kicked her, "I hope you're always at the top of the scale."

"No need, I like the seesaw of life. A good mindset means I won't complain even when I'm at the bottom. The ups and downs make life exciting."

Surrounded by green trees, lay two white buildings, they were not very tall, but they occupied a large area, and had a modern and minimalist design.

In front of the entrance, there were several lines carved on the lying marble.

One side read "National Institute of Psychiatric Research," "National Institute of Neuropsychology," "National Institute of Personality Psychology," "National Institute of Clinical and Counseling Psychology."

The other side was simple: "National Psychiatric Hospital HK City No. 1 Psychiatric Hospital".

If it weren't for these two marble blocks, the blue sky, white clouds, lush trees, and sparsely populated area would have made this place a utopia.

Zhen Yi stood under a tree by the roadside, took out the business card given to her by Yan Ge, and dialed the number. After a "beep," the call was quickly answered, "Hello, blabla Laboratory." The voice of a young man, speaking so fast that she couldn't quite make out what he said.

"I'm looking for Yan Ge." She realized the atmosphere on the other side wasn't right and quickly corrected herself, "...Teacher Yan!"

"Oh, please wait a moment."

After a quiet second or two, the call was picked up again, his voice low and slow, "Who's this?"

"Ah, it's me. I happened to pass by, I didn't make an appointment, hope I'm not disturbing you."

He didn't respond, "Are you downstairs?"

"Yeah, it seems like the security is strict, they’re not letting anyone in."

"Wait a moment."

Zhen Yi hung up, pacing around the big tree as she pondered.

Today, she had gotten the details of Lin Zi Yi's death from the police station, although they had withheld additional evidence and forensic details they possessed. After all, Song Yi remained merely a suspect.

To get a clear understanding of this case, Zhen Yi wanted to start with Wu Zhe. After Tang Qian's suicide, Wu Zhe had a mental breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

So, here she was.

Soon, on the spacious and deserted ground floor of the institute, a young man in a white coat appeared. He walked quickly and jogged up to the thick glass door, swiping a card on the keypad, and said something, his mouth moving but his voice inaudible.

He opened the door, smiling brightly, "I'm Xiao Ke. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's fine." Zhen Yi knew Yan Ge wouldn't say this, so she found it strange that he was so polite.

After registering, Zhen Yi walked into the bright and clean lobby. The large marble floor looked spotless and silent. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the trees and sunlight were pleasant.

After getting off the elevator, the corridor was lined with labs with glass windows. People looked up from their work along the way to stare at Zhen Yi, each wearing a curious expression.

Xiao Ke led her to the end of the hallway, where Yan Ge stood in front of a glass window wearing a white lab coat and black-framed glasses, holding a notepad and jotting something down.

In front of him, some kind of monkey in a cage was smoking like a human.

In the same white lab coat, he seemed even more imposing with an air of elegance that seemed natural.