When A Snail Loves Chapter 31

Returning to Beijing, Ji Bai didn’t intend to concern unrelated people or notify his family. After he landed, Ji Bai and Xu Xu took a taxi to a motel close by the police station on the south of the city.

The noisy and crowded capital evening, brilliant sunset shines brightly over tall buildings. The motel is very humble- white five-story building. The hallway covered with an old red carpet, the walls painted with the yellow color of the 1990s. The state-owned enterprise front desk staff is warm as always.

However, Ji Bai didn’t care about it, and Xu Xu wouldn’t even more. They booked two rooms and then carried the luggage up the stairs and into their own room.

Ji Bai took a shower, put on trousers and a loose t-shirt. He just turned on the computer, someone knocked at the door.

It’s Xu Xu. Standing at the door holding the laptop. The pale face faintly said: “Are we working today?”

She just showered, changed to a loose T-shirt and casual pants. Her hair was still wet, sticking to the forehead; her eyes are abnormal black and clear like the eyes of a small animal.

Ji Bai looked away from her face and turned to let into the room.

The room was pathetically small in this 3 stars motel. There were only 2 wood chairs, there was Ji Bai’s luggage on one, and he was sitting on the other. Work is more important, Xu Xu didn’t mind and sat down directly on the bed, then turned on the computer to continue to discuss with him.

In fact that they were in Beijing city and far away from Lin city, so they could only go over the case once again, to see if they can find any other clues. We discussed for a while without progress so they stopped. Xu Xu did not intend to go back to her room, continued to look over Ye Zi Xi’s financial information. Ji Bai leaned against the chair, looked at the night time out the window, and quietly drank his tea.

The room silent; the orange light created an old warm air. Just as Ji Bai tilted his eyes, he immediately saw Xu Xu sitting on the pure white sheets. The loose T-shirt made her look smaller than usual, more delicate, faintly giving off the scent of the bath gel making the whole room seem to have a soft and clean atmosphere.

Just then, the phone rang and broke the silence in the room. Xu Xu raised her pair of dark eyes glancing over; Ji Bai met her eyes for a second. He then picked up the phone, and

turned away to look out the window. Shu Hang was calling. Before coming to Beijing, Ji Bai phoned Shu Hang to tell him about

the situation. Shu Hang also graduated from H University like Ye Xi. He has wide connections, and with his help, the pace of the investigation was a lot more efficient. Shu Hang is a clever man. He only called to tell Ji Bai that he was taking him to the H

University without asking any further questions. Then he grinned, implying to Ji Bai to go out for a drink.Ji Bai undoubtedly refused: “I don’t have the time, all of you go ahead.”

Shu Hang persisted: “Let’s go out, *a night is worth a thousand gold. The people will forgive you even if you stop working so hard for one day.

“Scram.” Ji Bai said and hung up the phone.

Xu Xu didn’t want to eavesdrop, but still heard their conversation. She was a little shocked to hear his playful tone telling someone to “scram”. She raised her head once again to see Ji Bai’s tall body leaning against the chair. His handsome was showing a lazy smile, a completely different person from the usually stern faced Ji Bai.

So this was the appearance he had in his private life. Xu Xu lowered her head, and continued to work. Who would have thought a few minutes later, coming from downstairs were the sounds of a car engine and car horn. The small motel instantly became noisy within seconds.

Someone yelled: “Third brother, third brother”. Perhaps someone already informed the motel beforehand so nobody came out to stop it.

Ji Bai unknowingly laughed. Xu Xu didn’t know that the man in front of her was “Third brother”, and disregarded the noise as if it didn’t exist .

After a while, someone knocked on the door.

When Shu Hang came in, he was surprised to see Xu Xu. Although he knew of the fact

that Ji Bai had accepted a female student, seeing the two of them dressed in casual clothes, a woman at night, was staying alone in a room with Ji Bai.

Ji Bai smiled and introduced Xu Xu to him. Shu Hang tingled and thought: “Oh, I see what’s going on”.

Xu Xu spoke up: “Ji Bai, I’m going back to my room.” Before Ji Bai had the chance to agree, Shu Hang stopped her: “Officer Xu, don’t go. Everyone who comes here are guests, Beijing warmly welcomes you…”

Telling Xu Xu to “to go” with a bunch of strangers was absolutely impossible. But Shu Hang had always been persuasive, eloquently giving out very compelling reasons: “If you don’t go, what if those people forced drinks on third brother? How can you investigate the case tomorrow? They don’t wholly support third brother’s job like me. If you were there, they would hesitant because of your presence. Even if he were to get drunk, you can take him home, not letting tomorrow work get affected.”

Xu Xu looked at Ji Bai searching for an answer. Ji Bai initially didn’t want to go, but seeing that they already noisily came here, he couldn’t possibly not go. Just go for a little bit to show his face and come back.

They have to go investigate tomorrow. He simply can’t touch alcohol, and no one would dare to get him drunk, Shu Hang was just spouting nonsense. But, he was about to go play to debauchery, leaving a little girl in this broken down motel; it was like he was abusing a small animal. Ji Bai raised the corner of his mouth looking at Xu Xu: “Go out to refresh your mind.”

Outside the motel parked four to five cars, quite a few young faces. Seeing Ji Bai coming down, they immediately cheer. Ji Bai looked at these people, some people were familiar, and some are strangers. He smiled at some acquaintances and got on Shu Hang’s car with Xu Xu.

The mighty cars drove to XX, and soon arrived at a bar by the river. Dim lights, antique decorations, very calm, completely different from the other side of the river. Shu Hang took the two of them straight inside. Close by the lounge curtain, a few men were sitting there. They all smiled seeing Ji Bai, and at the same time surprised to see Xu Xu.

Someone hesitated: “Sister-in-law?”

Another person said cautiously: “Illegitimate daughter?”

They have been playing cards when Ji Bai came. Someone got up to give him their seat. Ji Bai didn’t mind, immediately took the cards, and lit up a cigarette. After that, he turned around to ask Xu Xu: “Do you know how to play?”

Xu Xu shook: “No.”

Ji Bai glanced at Shu Hang. Shu hang understood and called the waiter to bring a tray of fruits, snacks, and a few magazines for Xu Xu. Xu Xu obediently sat on the sofa to read the magazines.

All the people were sitting at the table were older age and of high status. The others sitting surrounding them were juniors. Ji Bai observed all at once to see there was a teenager, and asked the friend who was sitting next to him: “Where did you find these kids?”

The friend who had the nickname “The monkey”(Hou Zi), was a thin, handsome looking man. He smiled and answered: “My mother insisted that I take them out to play. Hearing that you were coming back today, they wanted to see the person from the legend at all cost.”

Sure enough after a moment, one after another came to toast him, including some arrogant young men and pretty, cute girls. Ji Bai smiled, reached for tea: “I can’t drink

alcohol today.” A woman didn’t accept, and the Hou Zi said with a smile: “Move aside,obstruct official work, can you take responsibility for it?”

The woman blinked, “Oh” then left.

Xu Xu was listening on the side, and felt assured. It seemed that the situation was not bad as Shu Hang said.

After a while, someone leaned close to Xu Xu and smiled: “We’re playing dice, do you want to join us?”

Xu Xu politely smiled: “Thank you, I’m not participating.”

The person didn’t persist and continued to play, just occasionally glanced over at Xu Xu. The room was full of nicely dressed men and women. Only Xu Xu was wearing a simple white

shirt with long trousers. There wasn’t any makeup on her pale face, attentively sitting in the corner. Xu Xu didn’t care, but in the eyes of others, she seemed like a lonely misfit.

Shu Hang asked Ji Bai: “Is it alright to leave her alone?”

Ji Bai looked at Xu Xu, squint his eyes smoke the cigarette: “It’s alright. She likes the peace. Forcing her to play, on the contradictory, she wouldn’t be able to adjust to it.

The Hou Zi stood up: “How can we do that? We can’t abandon someone that third brother brought. Let me talk to her.” Then he immediately walked over there.

Everyone at the table laughed, someone said: “Third brother, Hou Zi is a player,destroyed countless flowers. If you don’t stop him, what if your little apprentice suffer?”

Ji Bai spoke up in calm manner and didn’t look up: “Don’t know who is going to suffer.”

This round, Ji Bai won big. Inadvertently looked up, to see the Hou Zi was placing his arm behind Xu Xu’s sofa smiled saying something. Xu Xu’s expressionless, but obviously

impatient, the whole body slightly moved aside. As if aware of his gaze, she suddenly looked at him. Her pair of black eyes showed a bit of embarrassment and dependency.

In fact, Xu Xu didn’t mean to be dependent. Ji Bai was the only person she knew here,

and she can’t harshly treat his friends. Of course, she was waiting for him to come forward, to make this strange man leave.

Ji Bai looked into her eyes, calmly spoke: “Xu Xu, come here.”

Xu Xu immediately stood up. The Hou Zi smiled, also follow over. The people over at the table knew, just laugh.

Xu Xu walked up to Ji Bai: “Team leader Ji”

Ji Bai hadn’t answered, Shu Hang looked at her: “We’re not at the police station, what are you calling him team leader Ji. Just call him third brother.”

Ji Bai glanced up to look at Xu Xu.

“Third brother” Xu Xu said

This intimate kind of calling had been called by others countless times. But this is the first time someone called him using a dull and stiff tone like this. However, that soft

voice and cold indifferent tone of hers, like long thin feathers, gently passed over Ji Bai’s heart making him a little itchy…yet at the same time also strangely comfortable.

Ji Bai nodded and told Shu Hang who was sitting in front of him: “Get up, let her have your place.”

Shu Hang said: “What?”, everyone else laughed loudly.

Xu Xu doubts: “I don’t know how to play poker.”

Ji Bai smiled: “You can learn, playing poker is a way to exercise your thinking ability.”

“Oh”

Everybody was playing Q cards, Ji Bai, and Xu Xu were a team, the other two were a team.

Xu Xu who just learned how to play naturally lost horribly. Ji Bai was also affected by her

playing so it ended his winning streak. Everyone else was very excited because within the circle Ji Bai was invincible; nobody could possibly win against him.

Ji Bai wasn’t urgent and slowly taught Xu Xu how to memorize the cards. Sure enough, the second game had improved, only a small loss. The third game was a small win. Everyone depressingly looked at Xu Xu: “Did you just learn to play today?”

Xu Xu replied: “Yes. I thought of a way to count the cards.”

Ji Bai smiled: “Don’t leave any way out. We have to kill until the end once then we can go back to rest.”

Xu Xu nodded: “Understood.”

Everyone went silent.

Sure enough the two of them went undefeated six to seven times, the final victory was not far away. The opponent’s skills weren’t as good, but there were times of luck, and got really good cards. This round towards the end there was only couple of cards. Xu Xu hesitated. Her cards weren’t as good as others, but even if she made a risky choice, she has a chance to come back. But, can Ji Bai understand what she was trying to do?

Thinking to this point, Xu Xu glanced toward Ji Bai. He had his head lowered drinking tea, and suddenly glanced up to look at Xu Xu. The two eyes met for couple seconds before their eyes lowered, aware of each other’s intentions.

This round, they, once again, won.

The last few rounds were also the same danger; they used the same tactics, silently

exchanged looks, and understood each other no matter how complex the strategies were. Ji

Bai always kept the same lazy demeanor, and most of the time Xu Xu kept her head lowered. Nobody noticed them.

The last round, they killed their opponent without leaving a trace. Hou Zi threw the cards down on the table, while frustratingly grabbing his head: “I can’t take it, I’m not playing anymore, tormented by people to this extent. Played cards for decades, this is the first time I lost to the point where my self-esteem has been shattered.” The other person also sighed deeply.

Ji Bai smiled, looked at his watch, and got up to leave.

Xu Xu also stood up, seeing their depressed face, she felt a little guilty: “You don’t have to feel bad about it. First, the ability to memorize and compute of Ji Bai and I ..are quite strong because we had been trained professionally. Moreover, back then while playing,we also exchanged eye signals…”

Xu Xu didn’t finish her sentence before a dried hand of cigarette smell suddenly covered her mouth. Xu Xu frowned, Ji Bai pulled her behind him, smiled and said to them:

“We’re going, there is still important business to do tomorrow.”

Leaving the bar, Ji Bai faintly smiled lowered his head looking at Xu Xu: “ Why are you so

honest? If we didn’t make them lose so miserable, wouldn’t they not let us go?”

“So that’s why.” Xu Xu replied.

Ji Bai and Shu Hang looked at each other, the two of them laughed.
Shu Hang drove them back to the motel.

The car silently went on the road, Beijing weather at night was cool. Xu Xu leaned against the seat feeling a little bit tired. She didn’t speak but quietly listened to Ji Bai and Shu Hang converse.

Xu Xu found that after taking off the Interpol captain background, Ji Bai became someone completely different. He, at this time relaxed, was a lazy, and even a little cynical young master who played around.

The difference was not difficult to explain. Ji Bai served as the vice squad position at a young age. The strict and calm attitude would gain people’s trust and follow , and also criminals terrified.

Xu Xu also noticed that this evening, even though he was smiling, he still kept a distance and gave an indifferent, distant aura.

She also noticed that despite the warm welcome from his friends, they never asked about his work. Presumably, no one really understood and were not interested to know, in the end, what he was really doing.

They regarded him as a legend, but also gradually, the legend slowly faded out of their lives.

Perhaps not long, his unruly, lazy, and cynical look will disappear, leaving only the familiar stern and solemn Interpol captain.

Thinking of this, Xu Xu felt awe and moved. She inadvertently stared at his handsome profile, the faint smile on his lips, emitted a heartwarming feeling.

“We’re here.” Shu Hang parked. A tall young man in uniform immediately ran over to

open the door for Ji Bai and Xu Xu.

Xu Xu hesitated; Ji Bai got off, looked at the glittering five star hotel in front of them and turned to Shu hang. Shu Hang opened the trunk, took their luggage out: “ This is the first time you brought your

little apprentice to Beijing, how can we let her stay at the motel? I already returned the room at the motel and booked you presidential suite here. This is closer to H University,

I’ll pick both of you up tomorrow at eight.”

Chapter end