When he returned to the capital this time, Ji Bai did not plan to alert any unrelated people, nor did he inform his family. After getting off the plane, they hailed a taxi and went straight to a guest house affiliated with the Ministry of Public Security in Nancheng.
In the evening, the capital was noisy and crowded. The beautiful sunset reflected off the tall buildings, making them look golden. The guest house was a very inconspicuous five-story white building. The hallway was covered with a very old red carpet, the walls were still covered with a yellow dado in the style of the 90s, and the reception of the front desk staff of the state-owned enterprise was even more lukewarm.
However, Ji Bai did not care much about it, and neither did Xu Xu. They booked two rooms, took their luggage upstairs, and entered their respective rooms.
Ji Bai took a shower and changed into a loose T-shirt and trousers. Just as he turned on his computer, someone knocked on the door.
It was Xu Xu. She stood at the door with a laptop in her hands, her pale face indifferent. "Do you have work tonight?"
She had also just finished showering and had changed into a T-shirt and casual pants. Her wet short hair was stuck to her fair forehead, and her eyes were especially dark and clear.
Like the eyes of a small animal.
Ji Bai shifted his gaze away from her face and turned around to let her into the house.
It was a three-star guest house, but the room was pitifully small. There were only two mahogany chairs. One of them had Ji Bai's luggage on it while the other one was occupied by Ji Bai. Since work was the most important thing, Xu Xu did not bother about trifles. She sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the computer to discuss with him.
In fact, the two of them were in Beijing at the moment, so they were unable to reach Lin City. He could only comb through the case again to see if he could find other clues. After chatting for a while, they didn't make any new progress, so they decided to stop. Xu Xu did not expect to return to her room, so she continued to look at Ye Zixi's financial information on her laptop. Ji Bai, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the night sky as he quietly sipped his tea.
The room was quiet, and the orange light gave off an old warmth. Ji Bai turned his head slightly and saw Xu Xu sitting on the white bedsheet. Her loose T-shirt made her look smaller and softer, and there was a faint fragrance of shampoo … The whole room seemed to have a soft and clean aura.
At this moment, the phone's ringtone broke the silence in the room. Xu Xu raised her dark eyes and looked at him. Ji Bai exchanged glances with her before he picked up the phone and turned his head to look out the window.
It was Shu Hang. Ji Bai had called him before he came over. Like Ye Zixi, he also graduated from H University and was very popular. With his help, the efficiency would be higher.
Shu Hang was a quick-witted person. He only said that he would accompany Ji Bai to H University tomorrow and did not ask anything else. Then, she giggled and invited Ji San out for a drink.
Of course, Ji Bai refused. "I don't have time, you guys play."
How could Shu Hang be willing to do that? "Come out, every minute of the night is worth a thousand pounds of gold. If you don't work so hard for a day, the people will forgive you."
Ji Bai said, "Get lost." He hung up the phone.
Initially, Xu Xu did not want to listen to the phone call, but she was a little surprised when she heard his slightly frivolous tone telling someone to "scram". When she looked up again, she saw Ji Bai's tall body leaning against the chair. There was a lazy smile on his handsome face, which made him look like a completely different person compared to his usual stern and cold demeanor.
'Oh, so this is Captain Ji's private life.'
Xu Xu lowered her head and continued to work.
Unexpectedly, after a few minutes, the sound of engines and car horns came from downstairs, and several headlights lit up the night. The small courtyard of the guest house instantly became lively. There were even people shouting "Third Brother" and "Third Brother" at the top of their lungs. Someone in the guest house had probably already greeted them, so no one came out to stop them.
Ji Bai could not help but laugh when he saw this. Xu Xu thought that it had nothing to do with her, and she did not know that "Third Brother" was the person in front of her, so she pretended that the noise did not exist.
After a while, someone knocked on the door.
When Shu Hang came in and saw Xu Xu, he was surprised without batting an eyelid. Although he knew that Ji Bai had taken in a female disciple, the two of them were wearing the same casual clothes, and the girl was still in Ji Bai's room at night …
Ji Bai smiled faintly as he introduced the two of them to each other. Shu Hang was still itching to see this clearly.
At this moment, Xu Xu said, "Captain Ji, I'll go back to my room first." Before Ji Bai could nod, Shu Hang stopped her. "Officer Xu, how can you do that! Everyone who comes here is a guest, Beijing welcomes you … "
Originally, it was completely impossible for Xu Xu to "go out for a walk" with a group of strangers. However, Shu Hang was also a smart person, so he threw out a very convincing reason. "If you don't go, what if Third Brother gets drunk later? How can he investigate the case tomorrow? They're not like me, who supports Third Brother's work. If you go, they'll have some scruples as a girl, and if he gets drunk, you can bring Third Brother back, so it won't affect his work tomorrow. "
When she heard this, Xu Xu looked at Ji Bai inquisitively. Ji Bai did not want to go at first, but seeing how noisy they were, it seemed like he had no choice but to go, so he made up his mind to show his face.
He had to investigate the case tomorrow, so it was impossible for him to touch alcohol, and no one would dare to force him to drink, so Shu Hang was just spouting nonsense. However, if he went to a place of debauchery and left the little girl alone in a cold and simple guest house, it would feel like he was abusing a small animal … Ji Bai's lips curled into a smile as he looked at her faintly. "I'll go out for a walk and change my mind."
***
There were four to five cars parked in the courtyard, and some of the young faces were gentle, while others were undisciplined. When they saw Ji Bai coming downstairs, everyone cheered. Ji Bai looked at these people, he knew some of them, and some of them he did not. He smiled and greeted a few of them, then followed Xu Xu into Shu Hang's car.
The group of people drove toward Shichahai, and soon arrived at a bar by the river. The lights were dim, and the decorations were ancient. It was far away from the music on the other side of the river, so it seemed quiet and comfortable. Shu Hang led the two of them straight inside, and in the private room by the window, a few men smiled when they saw Ji Bai, but they were secretly shocked when they saw Xu Xu.
One of them hesitated. "Sister-in-law?"
Another man asked cautiously, "Illegitimate daughter?"
…
They were originally playing cards, but when Ji Bai arrived, one of them gave up his seat. Ji Bai took the cards, lit a cigarette, and turned to ask Xu Xu, "Do you know how to play?"
Xu Xu replied, "No."
Ji Bai glanced at Shu Hang, and Shu Hang was smart enough to call the waiter over to bring Xu Xu a pile of fruits, snacks, and a few magazines. Xu Xu sat on the sofa and started reading.
Ji Bai, Shu Hang, and the others were older in the circle, and they had a higher status. The people who were sitting on the sofa outside were all juniors. Ji Bai saw that there were more than ten years old, so he asked another childhood friend, "Where did you find these kids?"
This childhood friend, nicknamed Monkey, was thin and delicate, and he answered with a smile, "My mother insisted that I bring them out to play. When they heard that you came back today, they were clamoring to meet the legendary figure. "
Sure enough, after a while, someone came over with a goblet to propose a toast. There were arrogant young men, and there were beautiful girls with jingling bells. Ji Bai smiled and picked up the tea. "No alcohol today." Some of the girls objected, but Monkey smiled and stopped them. "Go away, can you bear the responsibility for obstructing official business?"
The girl blinked, "Oh," and left.
Xu Xu listened on the side and felt relieved. It seemed that the situation was not as serious as Shu Hang said.
After a while, someone came up to Xu Xu and asked with a smile, "We're playing dice, do you want to join?"
Xu Xu smiled politely. "Thank you, but I won't participate."
The others did not force her, and they continued to play. However, from time to time, someone would look at her. The room was full of men and women, but she was the only one in a simple white shirt and trousers. She sat in the corner with a pale face and a focused gaze. She did not care about it, but in the eyes of others, she looked out of place and lonely.
Shu Hang asked Ji Bai, "Is it okay?"
Ji Bai looked at Xu Xu, squinted his eyes, and took a puff of his cigarette. "It's okay." She was a quiet person, so she would not be used to it if he forced her to play.
Monkey stood up. "This won't do, how can we ignore the person that Third Brother brought? I'll go talk to her. "After he said that, he swaggered over.
Everyone at the table laughed, and someone said, "Third Brother, Monkey has countless women, if you don't stop him, this little disciple will be at a disadvantage."
Ji Bai did not even raise his eyebrows. "It's not certain who will be at a disadvantage." He continued to play.
After one round, Ji Bai won. He inadvertently looked up and saw Monkey's hand on the sofa behind Xu Xu, smiling and saying something. Xu Xu did not have any expression, but it was obvious that she was a little impatient, and her body slightly shrank to the side. As if she sensed his gaze, she suddenly looked up. She still had that pair of wet black eyes, and she looked a little embarrassed and a little dependent.
Actually, Xu Xu did not mean to rely on him, but Ji Bai was the only person she knew, and she could not simply ignore his friend's reputation. Of course, she would wait for Ji Bai to appear and make this strange person disappear.
However, Ji Bai looked into her eyes and said faintly, "Xu Xu, come here."
Xu Xu immediately got up and walked over. Monkey smiled and followed her. Everyone at the table seemed to understand and just laughed.
Xu Xu walked to his side. "Captain Ji."
Before Ji Bai could speak, Shu Hang looked at her with a smile. "We're not at the police station, so why are you calling me Captain Ji? Everyone here calls you Third Brother Ji. "
Xu Xu replied, "Oh. Third Brother Ji. "
Ji Bai raised his dark eyes and looked at her.
Third Brother Ji.
How many times had he been called by this intimate name? It was the first time someone had called him so calmly and rigidly. However, her soft voice and cold and distant tone were like a thin and long feather that gently tickled his heart. It was a little itchy, but also a little … strangely comfortable.
He nodded and looked at Shu Hang who was sitting opposite him. "Get up and let her play."
Shu Hang was confused. "Huh?" He had already been pulled up by someone with a smile.
Xu Xu was confused. "I don't know how to play poker."
Ji Bai smiled. "You can learn. This can train your thinking skills. "
"Oh."
They were playing double Q to level up. Ji Bai and Xu Xu were in one group while the other two were in another. In the first round, Xu Xu learned while playing, so she naturally lost completely. Ji Bai's winning streak was also ended because of her. The others exclaimed in satisfaction because in this circle, Ji Bai, who was proficient in calculations, had always been an unbeatable legend.
Ji Bai was not in a hurry and only told Xu Xu to memorize the cards. The second round was indeed better and they only lost a little. In the third round, it became a small victory. Someone looked at Xu Xu gloomily. "Did you really just learn today?"
Xu Xu answered, "Yes. I just thought about how to count the cards. "
Ji Bai smiled faintly. "Don't give them a way out. We'll go back and rest after we defeat them."
Xu Xu replied, "Understood."
Everyone was silent.
…
After that, they won seven to eight rounds in a row and they were not far from victory. However, their opponent's skills were not as good as theirs, so there were times when their luck would explode and they would get a good hand. In this round, Xu Xu hesitated when it came to the last few cards. Originally, their cards were not as good as theirs. If they took a risk, they might have a chance to turn the tables. However, could Ji Bai understand what she meant?
As she thought about this, she looked up. Ji Bai was originally drinking his tea and looking at his cards, but he suddenly looked up at her. The two of them looked at each other for a moment, then lowered their eyes as they both understood.
They still won this round.
When they encountered dangerous situations in the next few rounds, the two of them did the same thing and exchanged glances without batting an eyelid. No matter how complicated the strategy was, they still understood each other. Ji Bai had a lazy look while Xu Xu kept her head down most of the time, so no one noticed their little movements.
In the last round, they completely defeated their opponent. Monkey threw away his poker cards and scratched his head anxiously. "F * ck, this is too depressing, I'm not playing anymore! This is too much of a bully. I've been in the poker field for decades and this is the first time I've lost to such an extent! "The other person sighed.
Ji Bai smiled, then looked at his watch and got up to leave.
Xu Xu also stood up, but when she saw them like this, she felt a little guilty and said, "You don't have to be so down. First of all, Ji and I … Third Brother's memory and calculation skills are indeed better because we've gone through professional training. Also, when we were playing cards just now, we exchanged glances … "
Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was covered by a dry, slightly smoky hand. Xu Xu frowned slightly, but Ji Bai had already pulled her behind him. He smiled and said to everyone, "Let's go, we still have business tomorrow."
As soon as they left the bar, Ji Bai looked down at her with a faint smile. "Why are you so honest? If we don't make them lose badly, would they let us go? "
Xu Xu replied, "I see."
Ji Bai and Shu Hang looked at each other and laughed.
Shu Hang drove them back.
The car quietly sped through the chilly night in Beijing. Xu Xu leaned against the back seat, feeling a little tired but did not say anything. On the other hand, Ji Bai and Shu Hang kept chatting.
Xu Xu realized that Ji Bai was really different without his criminal police captain identity. He seemed undisciplined, sharp, and even a little cynical like a prodigal son.
This difference was not difficult to understand. He held an important position in the criminal police team at a young age, and his calm and strict attitude was naturally more convincing to the public, but it also made criminals fearful.
However, Xu Xu noticed that although he seemed to be smiling that night, the indifference and alienation between his brows was more obvious, as if he was close but distant.
She also noticed that although his friends were enthusiastic and concerned about him, no one had ever asked about his work. Presumably, no one really understood or was interested in what he was doing.
They treated him as a legend, but a legend that was gradually drifting away from their circle. Perhaps, it would not be long before the remaining arrogance, laziness, and cynicism in him would disappear, and all that would be left would be the cold-blooded criminal police captain that she was familiar with.
When she thought of this, Xu Xu felt a deep sense of respect and was also a little touched. She looked at his handsome side profile with a faint smile in the night, and it revealed a kind of heartwarming determination.
"We're here." Shu Hang smiled and parked the car. Immediately, a tall young man in a uniform came over and opened the door for Xu Xu and Ji Bai.
Xu Xu was slightly stunned. Ji Bai got out of the car, looked at the brightly lit five-star hotel in front of him, and then looked at Shu Hang.
Shu Hang opened the trunk and took out their luggage. "This is your first time bringing your little disciple to Beijing, so how can we let her stay in the guest house? I've already retreated there and ordered a presidential suite. This place is closer to H University, so I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at 8. "
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