After returning from the United States, the domestic media publicized Jian Jing's American Book Award. This award is relatively well-known abroad, but is more general in China. Many people got to know about this purely sales-based award only after some popular science introduction.
Everyone was puzzled, only knowing that Jian Jing had won another award.
At the same time, Jin Wu signed copyright agreements with several foreign authors, including science fiction writer Doreen. Dian An had tried reading her novels before, but gave up after struggling through three chapters, thinking there was no hope. Who would have thought the negotiations went very smoothly, and the contract was signed in just a few days.
But this had little to do with Jian Jing. After returning home, her main tasks were to write her thesis and "Dream Walker Girl."
Well, for the thesis, the early bird gets the worm. She added Doreen's contact information. The two chatted, discussed sci-fi, talked about pop culture abroad, and eventually put together a paper for publication. Since most of the content was exclusive, with low repetition rate, her advisor believed this paper alone could earn Jian Jing her graduate degree.
Jian Jing: Why do I feel like I barely studied in grad school, yet I can graduate already?
Cough, in short, after finishing the thesis in a slipshod manner, it was time for the new book.
Compared to the Devil Doctor's cases exploring human nature, although the cases in "Dream Walker Girl" also had their sharp angles, taking place mainly on a school campus added many details of daily campus life.
For example, the first case based on Sao Tong's suicide contained intricate depictions of a love triangle.
Of course, she couldn't write about adult relationships. Don't ask why. Just know it wouldn't get past the censors.
So the story progressed quickly. The locked room scenario was also very typical. She soon finished the draft.
She had Kang Mu Cheng review it first. He said there were no issues, but Jian Jing considered that she and President Kang had been away from middle school campuses for years now. Some details might be outdated. She decided to have an actual high schooler take a look.
No one was better suited for this task than Ji Yunyun.
Ji Yunyun had finished the college entrance exam and had plenty of free time. When she heard about it, she immediately agreed and said she was available any time.
No time like the present. Jian Jing asked her out for coffee.
It was the same little cafe as last time, but this time, Ji Yunyun's expression was much more relaxed. She grumbled, "I've been so bored these last couple days. My scores haven't come out yet and I don't even know what to put for my college preferences."
Jian Jing asked, "What do you want to major in?"
"I don't know either. My brother said as long as I don't apply for the police academy, anything's fine." Ji Yunyun scratched her head, rather unconvinced. "Why does he get to do it but I don't?"
"It's too tiring and dangerous," Jian Jing said matter-of-factly. Even Ji Feng the police dog had impressive work hours that deserved respect.
Ji Yunyun knew this in her heart too.
She hesitated. "Or maybe I'll apply for forensics?"
Jian Jing: "...Some crime scenes can be quite disgusting."
Ji Yunyun: "Oh no!"
"If you want to solve cases but with less danger, how about becoming a lawyer? There's courtroom deduction in mystery novels too. Though it'll be harder to get in," Jian Jing asked.
Able to solve cases without enduring sun and rain, upholding justice too - Ji Yunyun's mind filled with the heroines of lawyer dramas she had seen, and she grew intrigued.
Jian Jing said, "Think it over carefully and ask your teachers and brother for advice."
Ji Yunyun said, "He's been so busy lately, hasn't been home in days."
"A lot of cases, or difficult ones?" Jian Jing asked casually.
Ji Yunyun tried hard to recall. "When I went to deliver dinner to him yesterday, I overheard something...seems they caught the suspect on site, but can't close the case for some reason?"
Jian Jing grew interested. "Tell me the details."
"Uh, I didn't listen that closely." She had eavesdropped for a bit, but how could she admit that now? As the younger sister, she had to create opportunities. Ji Yunyun pretended to struggle over it. "Why don't you go ask my brother yourself?"
"Maybe next time." Jian Jing changed the subject and handed her the manuscript copy. "Take a look at this first. It's just a draft, let me know if there's anything that doesn't fit school circumstances."
Ji Yunyun instantly tossed her brother out of her mind, overjoyed. "Really, you're letting me read it? This is the new book, right?"
"Of course it's real."
She immediately dove in. "I'll start reading right away!"
"No rush, read slowly."
How could Ji Yunyun take it slow? A fan reading the unpublished draft manuscript of her favorite author - she feared it would be taken away if she wasted even one second. Forgetting about her coffee, she started reading, completely absorbed.
Jian Jing poured herself another cup of coffee and picked up her phone.
She messaged Ji Feng: [What are you up to?]
Ji Feng: [Working]
Jian Jing: [Any interesting cases?]
Ji Feng: [Heard some inside news?]
Jian Jing: [Don't be petty, tell me about it]
Ji Feng: [Too complicated to explain over text]
Jian Jing: [Then I'm leaving]
Ji Feng: [Tsk tsk...come over yourself then]
Jian Jing: [Too hot to go out]
Ji Feng: [Bullshit, aren't you having coffee with Yunyun?]
Jian Jing glanced at Ji Yunyun.
She casually hid her phone under the table, pretending nothing was amiss.
Jian Jing typed unhurriedly: [We can talk when it's cooler]
Ji Feng: [I'm on night shift tonight]
She didn't reply anymore.
Ji Yunyun finished the first story, so excited she almost wanted to shout out loud three times. But she had to restrain herself to avoid disturbing others. "So good, I love it! The main couple has unspoken mutual pining, right?"
Jian Jing: "..."
"Ahem." Ji Yunyun cleared her throat and suppressed her urge to rave about the ship. "The case is amazing and the locked room is so classic."
Jian Jing laughed in spite of herself. "Romance comes later. Were there any unrealistic details about the school?"
Ji Yunyun raised some fair critiques.
Jian Jing made notes of them to fix during revisions.
"Teacher Jian Jing, I need to get going if you don't need me for anything else." Ji Yunyun felt awful yet reluctant to cut short this rare solo outing with her idol. "I, uh, have plans already."
Jian Jing noticed her odd behavior, but misunderstood. "Going on a date with a boy?"
Ji Yunyun reacted intensely. "No!"
Jian Jing: "Oh."
"Really no date! Just meeting up with some friends tonight." Ji Yunyun denied it three times decisively. "Definitely not a date."
Jian Jing glanced at her watch. Leaving a 4pm meetup before dinner time? Yeah right.
But she kindly didn't poke holes in her story. "Where are you going? I can give you a ride."
Ji Yunyun: "Haunted house..."
Jian Jing laughed. "It's too early for that now. Let me take you out for dinner, then I'll drive you over afterwards. How's that?"
Ji Yunyun grew elated. "Really? Great!"
"Friends can come too."
Ji Yunyun crossed both arms in a big X. "Absolutely none."
"What a pity."
Jian Jing's front row spectator plans were foiled, so she could only dutifully eat dinner and then drive Ji Yunyun to the haunted house. When they arrived downstairs, a boy was already there waiting for her.
Ji Yunyun asked in surprise, "Why didn't you just head up?"
The boy swatted at a mosquito. "The lights on the stairwell are busted. Pitch black. It'd be too dangerous for you to go up alone."
"I've been learning taekwondo since elementary school." Ji Yunyun looked down on him scornfully.
The boy said, "Anyway, I've got nothing to do. Let's head up together."
The two went up the elevator one after another.
Jian Jing turned off her telescopic vision skill, very satisfied as she left.
She decided to share this gossip with Ji Feng.
Following the familiar route, she drove to the police station. Lots of parking spots today, easily sliding into one.
Lao Gao was eating takeout. Seeing her, he greeted her very enthusiastically, "Teacher Jian is here? Have a seat." He looked around, didn't see Ji Feng, and casually said, "He's in the break room, go straight down to the end and make a left turn."
Jian Jing gave him an "ok" sign and headed straight there to find the guy.
The break room was at the end of the hallway. The door was thin without a lock. Jian Jing gently twisted the knob open and peeked inside. The room held a bunk bed looking identical to dorm bunks, a storage cabinet with the door half-open, jackets tossed on the two chairs by the window.
Ji Feng was sleeping, chest calmly rising and falling, seemingly in deep slumber.
Jian Jing had intended to leave right away, but a wicked thought arose. Tiptoeing in stealthily, she took out a lip liner from her bag.
She twisted out the lipstick, holding her breath as she prepared to draw a big X on his face.
But right as the lip liner nearly touched his face, he woke up.
Jian Jing reacted swiftly, immediately hiding the incriminating tool behind her back.
But she didn't expect this guy to reach for his phone by the pillow upon waking up without even opening his eyes, likely to check the time.
Her escape route was poorly planned. Their hands bumped right into each other instead.
Ji Feng instantly became fully alert, reaching to grab her wrist.
No way would Jian Jing sit around waiting to be captured. She flipped her arm, slapping his hand away.
With a loud slap, the forces from both sides combined and the back of her hand instantly turned red. Jian Jing furiously said, "You hit so hard, it hurts to death!"
"And you hit me lightly?" Ji Feng was almost scared to death by her. He shook his hand, "Sneaking around without making a sound, what are you trying to do?"
Jian Jing argued, "What could I possibly do?"
Ji Feng suspiciously examined her face, "Who knows with you. Anyway, nothing good."
"I came here to do no good?" She laughed in anger. "Fine, I'll get lost then."
"Hey, hey, hey," Ji Feng hurriedly grabbed her hand. "You already came, why the rush?"
Jian Jing tattled first, "Didn't you say I came here with no good intentions?"
"Teacher Jian, let's be reasonable. I meant you weren't planning to do anything good just now." His gaze swept over the back of her short skirt waist, "What's that behind you?"
Jian Jing turned her body sideways, "What is what?"
"A pen?" Ji Feng eyed her. "Wearing a skirt so I don't dare search you, right?"
She shrugged.
"Fine, I really don't dare search you," he begrudgingly let go of her hand. "I'll give you time to destroy evidence."
Jian Jing said, "What evidence do I have to destroy? I have nothing."
"If you have nothing, then I have to wear pants," he quipped. "Go on out."
She rolled her eyes and left.
Ji Feng watched the door crack and sighed, "Still trying to scare me? No way, I have nothing to lose."
Bang.
The door shut tightly this time.
Feng shook his head, put on pants and shoes, and went to the bathroom to wash his face.
Cold water hit his face, making him a little more clear-headed. He wiped his face and realized it wasn't enough. He turned on the showerhead and took a three-minute combat shower, changing into clean clothes.
He then spent another five minutes soaking his dirty clothes in a basin, scrubbing them a bit, wringing them dry, and hanging them out back on the small balcony of the break room.
People on duty without going home usually dealt with things this simply.
It was exactly ten minutes when he finished.
Teacher Jian said, "You're even slower at changing than me."
Ji Feng, "..." Last time they went out together, the little princess took forty minutes to shower and thirty minutes to apply skincare products. She actually had the audacity to mock him.
"Teacher Jian, aren't you ashamed to say that?" he asked.
Jian Jing lifted her chin, "Of course not, you're just slow."
Ji Feng understood, "Looking to pick a fight with me, huh? It's too complicated to explain clearly on WeChat, so you got this angry." He picked up the documents on the table and flipped to the case details. "Fine, I'll go over it from the beginning with you."
He contemplated, "This case is very difficult. The suspect was discovered in an enclosed space with the victim, his fingerprints were on the murder weapon, and he had a strong motive to commit murder. Multiple witnesses confirmed that they had erupted into intense conflicts before."
Jian Jing was astonished yet incredulous about such a dramatized case, "Is this real or are you joking around with The Judas Window?"
"It's pretty similar. The suspect claims he didn't kill the victim. Instead, the victim wanted to kill him and he doesn't know who killed the victim," Ji Feng finished recounting the case and frowned. "Although the evidence chain is complete and he could be indicted without a statement, I rarely see a suspect so stubborn. Perhaps..."
Jian Jing said, "Perhaps there's another possibility for this case."