When A Snail Loves Chapter 32

The bed in the master bedroom was large, Xu Xu occupied less than half even after lying down with her arms and leg spread out. She turned around to look at the bustling night through the window, she was inexplicably a little perturbed.

She originally thought it was due to the change of environment but lying with eyes closed for a moment, she realized perhaps it was due to hunger. She looked at the clock. She ate on the plane during the flight around five o’clock and it’s now eleven. She couldn’t endure her  hunger thus after a while, she quickly got out of bed.

Ji Bai watched the evening news for a moment and was about to sleep when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside the hallway.

He opened the door to see a small figure wearing a white robe and was walking slowly towards the dining room. Ji Bai was a bit surprised; he thought she would wear bear or floral pajamas. He did not expected her to wear a wide open neck robe with a belt around the waist, the kind that matured women wears. But Ji Bai smiled; the robe was obviously too large and long on her, it made her look like a little girl who is secretly wearing an adult’s clothes.

Naturally, the reason for Xu Xu’s choice of pajamas was very simple. Xu Xu is twenty-four years old woman, of course, she would wear pajamas that most women would wear.

Ji Bai walked to the dining room. He could smell the pizza aroma from afar and awaken his hunger.  Xu Xu was sitting in front of the sparkling clean table, an arm supporting her chin as she ate slowly. The satin sleeping robe falls along the curves of her body from neck to ankle prettily like jade, displaying a bit of delicate temperament that Xu Xu doesn’t normally shows.  A slipper fell on the floor, but she didn’t care and continued to gently swing her barefoot.

Xu Xu wasn’t surprised to see Ji Bai. She looked down to put on the slipper  then asked, “Do you want to eat something?”

Ji Bai sat next to Xu Xu. He noticed that her night meal was quite colorful. A slice of pizza, a small plate of fruits, and a glass of milk that looked very appetizing. Presumably with her physique, she doesn’t have to worry about gaining weight.

Xu Xu put a slice of pizza in the microwave, then stood by the kitchen’s countertop to cut fruits for Ji Bai. She doesn’t have the habit of serving others, but tonight, the level of respect she had for Ji Bai had risen higher. Because of her character, due to higher level of respect, she felt closer to him. While cutting the fruits, Xu Xu thought she should change the way she calls him to master/teacher.

The kitchen’s countertop was across the dining table. Xu Xu lowered her head focusing on cutting the fruits. Ji Bai had one arm resting on the empty chair beside him and the other hand was playing with the lighter all the while staring at her.

Perhaps because a man and a woman are together alone at night, just by looking at Xu Xu’s soft hair falling down her forehead and ears, Ji Bai inexplicably felt indescribable sensations aside from being itchy, hot and dry. . It’s the same sensation that he felt that the time she called him “third brother”. Also the mature pajamas with wide opened collar are revealing her snow-white skin, as white as her glass of milk in front of him.

Once his food was prepared, the two of them finished everything. Ji Bai picked up the plates and was about to clean up when Xu Xu quickly stood up, “Master, let me do it.”

Ji Bai glanced at her once.

Xu Xu understood clearly what his glance meant. She thought for a moment but couldn’t think of nicer way to say it, so she directly spoke out her intent, “Master, I’ll respect you more from now on, I will work harder on learning from you.”

Ji Bai looked at Xu Xu’s redden cheeks, “.. good.”

His big figure was sitting still; Xu Xu naturally had to bent down to clean up the plates. Her body was moving in front of Ji Bai’s face at a very close distance. In fact, her pajamas were very large so you can’t see any curves. But because of that, Ji Bai suddenly remembered the unusual soft and firm sensation still lingered on his fingertips from many days ago.

At that time, He just laughed it off. But recalling it now, that feeling felt incredible.
Ji Bai isn’t a teenager anymore. After he got back to his bedroom, he stood by the window to look at the beautiful view of Beijing at night, thinking of Xu Xu.

Recently he seemed to have taken the habit of noticing her.. As long as she appeared, his eyes falls on her whether intentionally or unconsciously. Everything about her is pleasing to his eyes; her short hair, her small figure and even her being stubborn.

Xu Xu does not give him an intense feeling. Truthfully, perhaps because of his character and professional reasons, he never had that feeling for any woman. But being with her, he felt relaxed and comfortable.

She isn’t the ideal he had in mind to be his partner. He thought, he is nearly thirty this year, he will more likely go for a woman who is matured and intellectual. During the time Xu Xu was wearing a very matured pajamas, she still looked like a child, but he still think it was nice.

Ji Bai understood himself very well, he doesn’t want to play around, and he is never the type to jump into something for the sake of experiencing. He assumed his girlfriend would be his wife in the future.

Ji Bai thought for a long time. In the end, he decided that after they finished the case at hand, he would take a step further to get a better understanding of Xu Xu to confirmed his feelings her.

After that, he would give his all in pursuing her.

The relationships between them are of colleagues, super-subordinate, master/teacher/-student.. aren’t these favorable conditions?

Earlier than six the next morning, Xu Xu was still in her deep sleep then she was awaken when she heard the knock on her door.. She thought that there was an emergency thus she hurriedly ran to the door without putting her slippers on.

She opened the door and saw Ji Bai who was in sport clothing, his tall and slender figure leaning against the door’s frame. He looked down at her and said, “Change your clothes, we’re going out for a run.”

Xu Xu doubted. After Ye Zi’s case occurred, they had stopped the morning workout routine.

“Why?” She asked, “You’re not waiting until the case is finished?”

Ji bai smiled faintly then said, “The more stressful it is, the more critical to keep our body in good health and clear mind.”

The hotel’s garden was sparsely populated and peaceful in the morning.. They ran for a while before Xu Xu noticed something unusual. Ji Bai always ran ahead of her without a trace but today after he ran some distance, he is stopping or slowing down to wait for her. Then, he would run along side with her.

After the third time he stopped to wait for her, Xu Xu couldn’t endure it anymore.

She asked him, “Why do you slow down to wait for me today?”

Ji Bai replied naturally, “Not familiar with the place, easy to get lost.”

Xu Xu understood what he meant. She looked at his handsome face that was slightly touched by the sunrise, “Thank you. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve seen the map of the hotel, impossible for me to get lost.”

Ji Bai turned to look at Xu Xu then smiled, “Very good. But I haven’t seen the map, that’s why we should run together.”

Xu Xu replied, “Yes.”

The two ran together, ate together then went back to their respective rooms to take a shower. They were watching the morning news together when Shu Hang pressed the doorbell just right on the agreed time..

Before arriving in Beijing, Ji Bai already contacted the local police and received the list of students who attended H University that year. After cross-checking the list, the team found that there were more than a hundred people who were living and working in Lin City; most were ruled out as suspects. However, this was just the first step.

The main focus for this morning was to visit the teachers and close friends of Ye Zi Xi that year.  Whether the mysterious lover had any connection to  Ye Zi Xi’s death, they’re not sure, but they can’t overlook any clues.

Because Shu Hang told a few friends earlier that Ji Bai would come to investigate, the university happily cooperated. The two investigated the whole morning without any result. Even though the teachers and students that stayed at the college were impressed with the beautiful and excellence of Ye Zi Xi that year, they never heard that she had a boyfriend.

At lunchtime, Xu Xu told Ji Bai that she would call for delivery. Ji Bai was about to answer when his phone rang. It was Shu Hang and he said that he has helped them make a couple’s reservation at a restaurant nearby. . Ji Bai turned around to tell Xu Xu not to order delivery, they were going out for lunch.

By afternoon, there was finally some progress.

They found a woman named Tian Tian, who were Ye Zi Xi’s good friend that year, now living in Beijing. Ji Bai contacted her and  Tian Tian burst into tears after hearing the news. After calming down, she sniffed and said, “Officer, let’s meet to talk about it.”

From her attitude, Ji Bai and Xu Xu both believed they would soon find the answer.

An hour later. Tian Tian reached H university. She told them about the past.

On her first year studying in graduate school, Ye Zi Xi loved a man who lived in another city. Being relatively low-key in romance, other than this close friend, nobody else knew she had a boyfriend.

“It was around six to seven years ago.” Tian Tian recalled, “At that time, Ye Zi Xi really loved that man. He was younger than Ye Zi Xi, he haven’t graduated from college. He frequently came to Beijing, he takes the whole night on the train to come here. Each time he came, Ye Zi Xi doesn’t come to school for several days. Both summer and winter vacations, they rented a place off campus and were sticking together like clues for several months.
She recalled passionately, Ji Bai and Xu Xu listened in silence.

“Later…” Tian Tian whispered, “Ye Zi Xi got pregnant, but in the end she aborted it. Although sad, but she happily revealed the boyfriend proposed to her and after he graduated he would marry her. After a few months, they suddenly broke up. During that time, Ye Zi Xi was very depressed. She loved him that much…”

“Where is he from? What’s his name?” asked JI Bai.

“Lin City, who called…” Tian Tian thought, “I think I still have a photo of them. I live not far from here, we can go to pick it up.”

Xu Xu was stunned, the anxiousness from yesterday night appeared once again, there seemed to be an important clue that she missed.

Ji Bai nodded, he turned around to see Xu Xu’s pale face, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder naturally, “What’s wrong?”
Xu Xu didn’t pay attention to his action, she whispered, “I’m alright, I was thinking of something.”

This image reminded him of last night, how she obediently cut fruits for him and her slightly blushing face when she called him “master” He smiled faintly, “We’re going to get the photo, you take a break.” Ji Bai did not wait for Xu Xu to refuse, he had gone with Tian Tian.
Ji Bai was in trance for a moment after he received the photo. In the photo, the handsome light skinned man lowered his head to kiss the woman’s neck. He looked focused and passionate. The woman’s long hair was waving in the air, her smile was bright like a flower in full bloom. The happiness in her couldn’t be hidden.

He had seen this man, he also knows who he is.

While Ji Bai was away, Xu Xu was standing by the window in the temporary office at H University. As she watched the green and beautiful campus, she thought: what was she doing six years ago? She was busy with college entrance exams. She forgot about everything else, she poured all her heart into books.

Xu Xu heard a familiar footstep coming from behind, she turned around and encountered Ji Bai’s pensive eyes.

“Xu Jun.” 

Chapter end