Memory Lost

It’s a very clean warehouse.

The walls, ceiling, and floor are like new; not even a speck of dust can be found when touching the place with their hands.

There is nothing in the warehouse.

The Black Shield Team stands inside and is all speechless for a moment.

Chatterbox is the first to speak, “Holy s.hit, they’re toying with us!” Xiao Zhuan also lets out an emphasized, “hmph!”

“No need to hmph,” Han Chen says indifferently, “Are you guys Hengha Er Jiang?” (echoing one another, see manifestation on the wiki)

They immediately shut their mouths.

Su Mian is standing beside Han Chen and is also feeling a bit disappointed. Although Han Chen already expected that they’ve escaped, they’ve actually spent so much time on cleaning up the place. It’s clearly a sign of provocation.

An officer comes running in with a white envelope in his hand, “Leader Han, the truck outside is just as clean and no traces can be found. However, we found this.”

Su Mian and the others all open their eyes wide. Han Chen takes it and opens it up.

It’s the same white and delicate letter paper. The writer is still the same cautious and perfectionist L.

“There are no paradoxes.

And there is no evidence of their actions.

There’s no way that we would lose to Locard’s Exchange Principle.

Good day, and wish you all the best of luck.”

Signed by: A; L; R.

_____

It’s afternoon already. At a trade center nearby the warehouse, a noisy and busy road stretches across its entrance; cars come and go and pedestrians fill up the area.

Su Mian comes out of the warehouse. She sees Han Chen standing by himself beside the road far away. His back view is tall and lean. She wonders what he’s thinking about. Just as she is about to walk over, someone calls out beside her, “Jin Xi.”

Xu Si Bai.

br>

/> He’s wearing a white lab coat, gloves, and a mask; only revealing his bright and clear eyes.

Su Mian asks, “How come you’re here?”

“Just to look around,” he answers, “I’ve pushed back on my other tasks to follow this case.” He pauses before continuing, “You don’t need to worry too much.”

Su Mian stares into his gentle eyes and suddenly understands.

Although she hasn’t told him about what happened back then, he must know about A entering her home and the letter written to “Big Sister” found at the scene of the explosion.

Therefore, is he devoting all his efforts to this case to protect her?

Su Mian smiles at him and pats his shoulder, “You don’t need to worry too much either. My team is with me nonetheless. This is a dangerous case, so you should also be careful about yourself.”

He nods and a hint of a gentle smile floats across his eyes. Just before he can speak again, Su Mian misses Han Chen in her heart, so she says without looking at him, “I’ll talk to you later.”

In the busy streets, her eyes are focused on Han Chen’s back view as she walks toward him.

Xu Si Bai stands still and watches her quietly. His gaze is just as concentrated as hers.

After a while, he turns around and enters the warehouse.

_____

“What are you thinking about?”

Han Chen turns his head and sees Su Mian staring at him concernedly.

His hands are in his pockets and his face isn’t showing a lot of emotions, “I’m thinking…they know you and I very well yet we know very little about them.”

Su Mian nods and doesn’t comment. She stands beside him and watches the busy traffic in front of them.

The paradoxes and evidence of their actions. It’s clear that they know Han Chen’s and her methods of inferences very well, which is why they tidied up the place so well.

Aren’t you, Han

Han Chen, unbeatable when it comes to logical reasoning? You’re the one who can find the paradoxes and catch the perpetrators with the tiniest bit of evidence, aren’t you? Okay, I will erase all traces and leave you with an empty room. Where will you find the paradoxes now? Aren’t you, Su Mian, an expert in understanding and analyzing us? I won’t leave you with even a tissue, so how will you understand what I’m thinking about or where I’m heading to now?

Therefore, this is why they left behind so many footages of them traveling on the roads and committing the crimes so carefreely all night. It’s because they don’t care and are confident that they won’t be caught.

……

“What should we do?” she asks.

“Nothing. If they think ahead one step, we’ll think ahead two steps,” he says these words swiftly carrying a sense of his usual coolness. Su Mian can’t help but turn to look at him.

In the sun, his eyes are looking to the front. His jet black short hair, straight neck, and his prominent and attractive side profile make it hard for one to move their eyes away from him.

Su Mian remembers what he said before suddenly.

He said, they’re afraid of you and I being together.

He’s so intelligent and stubborn and with a mind so deep, the moment he finds her and unties the knot in his heart, how could they not be afraid?

Su Mian nods her head fiercely, “Okay! I will work even harder!” She will help him force them out of their hiding place.

Han Chen turns to look at her. His pupils that are black like ink seems to carry a hint of gentleness and brightness. 𝙛𝚛𝙚ewe𝗯𝓃𝗼ѵ𝚎Ɩ.𝒄ｏ𝐦

He then turns his head back to look to the front.

“Mm. The wife follows her husband. You’re becoming more like a wife now.”

Su Mian is speechless, “……You lose your properness after just two sentences?!”

A faint smile flashes across

flashes across his eyes. Not caring about whether or not the others can see them, he wraps his arm around her shoulders and they start walking back to the warehouse.

_____

Su Mian never thought that he would actually decide to treat the Black Shield Team to lunch during noontime. And to add to that, it’s that elegant and appealing restaurant that he took her to for the first time.

He probably wants everyone to relax.

But last time, their relationship was still in an ambiguous state and were only starting to have feelings for each other; the music, lighting, and the food were all very captivating. This time with the other three here, this high-end and elegant restaurant suddenly feels like a noisy street stall.

In the stylish private room, the rectangular table faces a window and through the white paper-window is the Yangtze river flowing calmly. Above their heads is a yellowly lemon colored lamp and its revolving lights shine on everybody’s face.

Han Chen and Su Mian are sitting on one side while Xiao Zhuan and Cold Face are sitting on the other side. Chatterbox is the most talkative and has the most issues, so he is sitting in the middle. Han Chen unzips his jacket and places one arm on the sofa behind Su Mian. He flips through the menu and tosses it in front of them, “Order whatever you want to eat. Order a red bird’s nest soup for her. She likes it.”

Su Mian darts her eyes at him. A red bird’s nest soup again. When did she like eating them? It’s clearly……him who likes ordering it for her. She feels the sweetness in her heart——it started back then. (Chp. 22)

Han Chen stares back at her with his dark brown eyes that are shiny and reflective like water. Su Mian leans into his embrace and nods, “Mm……I like to eat it.”

Chatterbox is the first to grab the menu and chuckles, “Since Leader is being generous today, how can we not accept the not accept the offer, right? A red bird’s nest soup, right? Let’s start off with five orders of that! If it’s not enough, we can order a big bowl of it!” He lowers the menu and looks at Han Chen, “Leader, let’s confirm first. Do you have enough money in your pocket? It’s the end of the month now and you know the rest of us are out of money.”

“I do,” Han Chen says without lifting this head, “Go ahead and order.”

Since Leader says so, Chatterbox has no more worries in ordering. He and Xiao Zhuan hover over the menu together and flip through it furiously. Even Cold Face smiles with a cigarette in his mouth. He glances at the menu and points to a few items occasionally to let the server jot it down.

Su Mian feels the pain from his wallet. The dishes from this kind of restaurant are usually in small portions while investigators have quite a big appetite. Based on their way of eating at the street stalls, even twenty dishes might not be enough to fill them!

Seeing that they’ve already ordered five to six dishes, Su Mian takes the chance to reach for the menu, “That’s enough! We won’t be able to finish it! The dishes here are in very large portions! The Chinese Cabbages come in two pounds per order!”

But just as she leans forward, Han Chen grabs her arm and pulls her back into his embrace. His face is carrying a faint smile as he wraps his arm around her waist to prevent her from escaping. With his other arm still on the sofa behind her, he tilts his chin towards the rest of them, “I’ll take care of her. You guys continue ordering.”

Chatterbox and the others reveal a gloating smile. Xiao Zhuan raises the menu proudly and waves it in front of Su Mian. Su Mian pushes against Han Chen’s chest but can’t break free. She gives up and whispers fiercely into his ear, “Spendthrift!”