Chapter 72: Misunderstanding (Part Three)

At this moment, Qianyin had no desire to return to the Mo family, nor did she want to argue with Mo Lan. Yet she was furious that Mo Lan did not trust her. She had never concealed anything from Mo Lan—so why wouldn't she believe her?

Lengxue, seeing Qianyin so dejected, boldly stepped forward and took her hand in his. It was the first time he had ever initiated contact with her, and he did so regardless of whether she might get angry.

Qianyin didn’t pull her hand away; she let him hold it as they walked down the street. In that instant, she felt a sense of security—something she used to give herself, but which had lately been replaced by unease.

From a distance, Mo Lan and An Feng saw the two of them holding hands and were a little surprised, but quickly caught up.

“If you have something to discuss, let’s do it elsewhere. She’s exhausted,” Lengxue spoke before Mo Lan or An Feng could respond, taking the initiative. Qianyin truly wasn’t in a good state—her heart was especially troubled.

She kept her head down, not wanting to acknowledge the two of them, letting Lengxue lead her away.

Mo Lan and An Feng nodded. They hadn’t even had breakfast yet; it was as good a time as any to sit down and eat something. The four of them walked along the street and found a small shop for breakfast.

Lengxue immediately addressed the owner, “Some hangover soup, please, and some breakfast dishes that are gentle on the stomach.”

“We’ll have whatever,” Mo Lan said, glancing at Lengxue, aware that what had just happened had left a bad impression on the two of them.

“Understood!” the owner responded cheerfully, hurrying to prepare the order.

Seeing that there was hot tea on the table, Lengxue poured a cup for Qianyin. He had no intention of serving the other two. They were supposed to be teammates, but if this incident drove a wedge between them, he saw no reason to remain close.

An Feng picked up the teapot and poured tea for himself and Mo Lan, unable to fathom what was going on with everyone. He and Mo Lan were the most innocent parties—Mo Lan hadn't really meant to doubt Qianyin, perhaps it was just that Qianyin had been too upset by Xiao Qi.

Qianyin said nothing, sitting with her head lowered, gazing into her teacup, and silently taking a small sip.

“Don’t be angry, please. I never meant to doubt you—I just hoped you’d explain things more clearly.” Mo Lan, seeing that Qianyin was truly angry, tried to approach and take her hand, but Qianyin avoided her.

“I’ve said everything there is to say. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.” Qianyin no longer wanted to deal with Mo Lan—after so many years of friendship, did she still not know what kind of person Qianyin was?

“I…” Mo Lan stood there awkward and at a loss, not knowing what to do, until An Feng pulled her back to her seat.

An Feng started to think girls could be so petty, able to argue over the smallest matters. Pretty much every woman he had ever met was like this. Xiao Qi had always been the most headstrong, and now these two weren’t much different.

The owner, seeing that the group was on the verge of arguing, quickly brought out the food and said kindly, “Young people, don’t be impulsive. Whatever it is, talk it through calmly.”

Qianyin had no interest in hearing advice—she hadn’t done anything wrong, so why were they acting so aggressive?

Lengxue would always stand behind Qianyin, supporting her no matter what she did.

“Thank you, sir. Please, don’t mind us,” Mo Lan said helplessly. But the owner was right—there was still much to be done, and they shouldn’t be fighting among themselves.

When the hangover soup arrived, Qianyin drank the entire bowl in one go, glanced over the snacks, and picked her favorite, resolving to eat away her sorrow.

“Eat a little slower,” Lengxue cautioned gently from the side—he didn’t dare irritate her further. After all, it was no small thing to provoke a tiger.

Qianyin ignored them, longing for the solitary days she used to know. That way, there’d be no need to explain herself, no need to worry about others’ feelings—she could simply do as she pleased.

Mo Lan ate as well, uncertain how to explain herself. She knew Qianyin’s character, but this was no trivial matter. Those masked men had killed so many Mo family retainers. And that seal was extremely important—she didn’t want Qianyin to be involved with those people in any way.

An Feng pondered in silence, watching Qianyin, who said nothing and didn’t eat, then glanced at Lengxue. The two of them were assassins, accustomed to freedom, while Mo Lan stuck strictly to the rules.

“Qianyin, Lengxue, honestly, I think Mo Lan’s words were a bit rigid, but this matter is serious. Could you tell us everything from the beginning?”

“We got the message this morning and rushed straight over. You saw what happened. There’s nothing more to explain.” Lengxue answered from the side—those were the facts. If they wouldn’t believe them, no amount of detail would help.

An Feng felt that such an explanation was pointless—there was no evidence, and what they’d heard was essentially the truth. Besides, Xiao Qi and Liu Fei were the main figures in this case.

Mo Lan fell silent, reflecting on whether she had been too harsh. After all, they were close friends—it wasn’t worth fighting over something like this.

Qianyin finished eating, threw down a hundred-yuan bill, and walked out. Lengxue glanced at the other two, saw that Qianyin was still angry, and hurried to catch up with her.

Mo Lan wanted to go after them, but An Feng stopped her.

He raised his eyebrows, thinking, Why does she lose all sense when it comes to her?

“Don’t go making her angrier. If you keep pushing, she might never see you again.”

“I…” Mo Lan was truly at a loss. She had never argued with Qianyin like this before. They had quarreled in the past because of their professions, but Qianyin had never been so angry.

They were both adults—how had things gotten to this point over something so small? They used to be so mature, but lately, they seemed more like children.

An Feng sighed, glanced at the breakfast on the table, picked his favorite, ate, and then pulled Mo Lan along to return to the police station.

When they arrived, Xiao Qi and Liu Fei were about to go rest after a night of investigation.

The chief smiled at Mo Lan and An Feng, “You’re just in time. The rest is up to you. They’ve already filled me in, and since you’re all familiar with each other, it’s best if you handle the matter.”

With no other choice, An Feng and Mo Lan nodded and returned to their posts.

An Feng resumed reviewing the case files. Mo Lan, however, simply stared blankly out the window at the green leaves, feeling inexplicably irritable. Perhaps she had always known things would turn out this way. Maybe she had always hoped Qianyin would leave her profession—perhaps just to avoid fighting like this.