After saying that, Yan Qi stopped worrying any further. She turned on her computer, and after uploading the novel she had written, she prepared to dive back into her daily cultivation routine.
……
Early the next morning, after saying goodbye to her parents, Yan Qi quickly left home alone and headed to the building of the Fengfeng City Extraordinary Affairs Bureau to report for duty.
Arriving at her destination by bus, Yan Qi spotted Shen An’an waiting for her at the entrance. Wearing sunglasses and a sun hat to shield herself from the summer sun, Yan Qi immediately raised her hand and waved in greeting.
“Sister An’an, thank you for waiting for me here so early. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Hearing Yan Qi’s voice, Shen An’an, who was standing at the door, quickly shifted her gaze to her. Seeing Yan Qi dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, high-waisted jeans, and white sneakers—looking both stylish and adorable—Shen An’an, whose maternal instincts were stronger than most and who genuinely adored cute children, felt her eyes instantly light up.
Without even asking for Yan Qi’s consent, Shen An’an immediately ran over, pulled her into a tight hug, and began vigorously rubbing her cheek against Yan Qi’s smooth, delicate face.
“Xiao Qi, you look absolutely adorable today! Did your mom help you get ready?”
Held tightly in Shen An’an’s embrace and subjected to her affectionate nuzzling, Yan Qi could feel the other woman’s ample chest. Although she wasn’t particularly fond of being hugged like this, considering how kind Shen An’an had always been to her, Yan Qi didn’t refuse. After hearing the question, she quickly replied,
“No, I put this outfit together myself today.”
“Yourself? Well, you’re quite the little genius at styling, aren’t you?”
Shen An’an tapped Yan Qi’s nose gently, her voice full of affection.
“Alright, Sister An’an, the sun is too strong out here. Let’s hurry inside and enjoy the air conditioning.”
Suffering from albinism in her true form, Yan Qi wasn’t fond of prolonged sun exposure. After experiencing the aforementioned “ample embrace,” she made this suggestion to Shen An’an.
Knowing Yan Qi’s condition, and having gotten her fill of hugs, Shen An’an didn’t hold onto her for too long. She soon released Yan Qi, stood up, and took her hand.
“Okay, okay, let’s go inside right now and cool off.”
With that, Shen An’an led Yan Qi into the Fengfeng City Extraordinary Affairs Bureau building.
Once inside, Shen An’an promptly brought Yan Qi to the director’s office. Bai Yuling had previously instructed her to bring Yan Qi there immediately upon her arrival.
“Director, Xiao Qi is here.”
Shen An’an knocked on the office door and called out loudly.
“Come in.”
“Alright.”
With permission granted, Shen An’an quickly pushed the door open and led Yan Qi inside.
Entering the office, Yan Qi immediately noticed Bai Yuling sitting at the director’s desk. Piles of paper documents were spread before her. Her eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles around them—clear signs she hadn’t slept much the previous night.
“Auntie Yuling, did you not sleep last night?”
Letting go of Shen An’an’s hand, Yan Qi walked up to Bai Yuling and asked with concern in her voice.
Seeing her good friend’s young daughter approach and inquire about her well-being with such genuine care, Bai Yuling felt a pang. Though she wanted to lie and say she hadn’t stayed up late, one look at her current state told her she couldn’t possibly fool Yan Qi. So, she answered honestly.
“Yes, Xiao Qi, I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Auntie Yuling, if you don’t sleep properly, aside from feeling groggy and awful, it speeds up aging too.”
“I know,” Bai Yuling replied, a hint of helplessness in her expression. “But there was no other choice. Who could have predicted such a major incident happened yesterday, requiring immediate overnight handling?”
“The incident yesterday? Auntie, are you referring to what happened at the West Hill Cemetery?”
“Exactly, the incident at West Hill Cemetery.”
Receiving Bai Yuling’s confirmation, Yan Qi recalled the clues she had sent via Hu Yao’er’s account the night before. Knowing the complexity behind this case, an understanding expression flashed across her face, followed by a twinge of guilt.
After all, if she hadn’t passed those clues to Bai Yuling, perhaps Bai Yuling wouldn’t have had to work through the night.
Not letting her guilty feelings show on her face, to avoid raising suspicion, Yan Qi looked at Bai Yuling and spoke in a comforting tone.
“I see. That must have been really hard on you, Auntie.”
“It’s not hard. It’s all part of my duty as the director of the Fengfeng City Extraordinary Affairs Bureau.”
Bai Yuling reached out and gently stroked Yan Qi’s smooth, soft white hair—Yan Qi having removed her sun hat and sunglasses. Feeling somewhat soothed, despite her extreme fatigue, a faint smile inevitably appeared on Bai Yuling’s face.
Not resisting the affectionate gesture from her elder, Yan Qi closed her eyes and savored the moment.
Seeing Yan Qi’s look of pure enjoyment, Bai Yuling found her utterly adorable, and her smile grew even brighter. She couldn’t help but wonder: if she had had a daughter like her friend did, would she have been as cute as Yan Qi?
She didn’t let herself linger in this fantasy for too long. Deep down, she knew she would never marry a man in this lifetime, let alone have a daughter. Bai Yuling let out a soft sigh and withdrew her hand from Yan Qi’s head.
Feeling the hand leave, Yan Qi soon opened her eyes, a hint of reluctance on her face—being petted really was quite nice.
“Oh, by the way, Auntie Yuling, did you manage to catch the suspect you went after yesterday?”
Not dwelling too much on the pleasant sensation, and even though she had guessed yesterday that the suspect Bai Yuling went to arrest had most likely turned into the monster they encountered at the West Hill Cemetery caretaker’s cottage, Yan Qi decided to play ignorant to confirm her suspicion. She composed her expression and asked the question.