The Scheming Ex-Husband's Courtship-Chapter 603 - 524: Pain in the Left Chest

Chapter 603: Chapter 524: Pain in the Left Chest
Jian Si turned her head, hesitating to look at him, fearing he might still be undressed, but slowly raised her eyes after seeing his light grey sweatpants.
She had always known that this man was extremely handsome, unlike Nan Yu’s dashing yet tender charm. His attractiveness was sharp and distinct.
Jian Si noticed his prominent nose and slightly pursed thin lips, when suddenly her mind went out of control: "You aren’t wearing glasses."
Heavens, that was not what she intended to say at all. She really wanted to bite her tongue.
Nan Zhan chuckled lightly: "Do you think I look more handsome without glasses?"
Jian Si inwardly cursed at how narcissistic he was, yet replied: "I think you look better without glasses."
She didn’t particularly like men who wore glasses—not out of prejudice, just personal preference. She remembered that the first time she met him he wasn’t wearing glasses, oh, no, he didn’t need to wear them at that time.
His lips slightly curled, seemingly very satisfied with her answer: "I like it when you speak truthfully."
Jian Si asked, "Can you see clearly without your glasses?"
He walked to the kitchen to pour some water, his tone indifferent: "I’m not short-sighted. I wear glasses to look more like a lawyer."
Jian Si was taken aback; what a bunch of nonsensical reasons. Since when must lawyers wear glasses? But she felt her guess was not wrong; the glasses could mask his sharp edge. Could such a proud and arrogant man really be afraid of standing out?
Jian Si watched him pour the water and sit quietly at the bar in the dining area, casually resting his long legs, looking very relaxed.
"I was about to say." Jian Si suddenly remembered the main issue, and walked over to stand opposite him, "Does the female corpse found in my house share any similarities with the one found in the well?"
Although she was too frightened to get a clear look, she remembered it was a naked corpse.
"There is." Nan Zhan put down the cup, his eyes flickering slightly, "They died from the same cause, stabbed in the chest with a sharp tool and bled to death,"
Jian Si was embarrassed; the murderer’s method was too brutal.
"Does that mean that the same person committed both crimes?"
"We can’t conclude that without evidence. It might be someone copying another’s method, or it could be the same person."
"Then how can I clear my suspicion?"
"Find the murderer." Nan Zhan stood up, "So, during this time, you need to stay here, to break the case, you must assist me."
"I’ve already told you everything I know."
Nan Zhan obviously didn’t quite agree with her opinion. He paused in front of her and said seriously: "Solving cases requires physical strength if I don’t eat well, how can I have the strength to solve cases? Do you really want to end up in jail?"
It wasn’t until he returned to his room that Jian Si blinked; what was he implying, keeping her here to serve like a mother?
"Miss Jian, if I were you, I’d cherish these days eating dinner under the lamp light, rather than facing the harsh spotlight of interrogation. What do you think?"
What nonsense.
Jian Si grit her teeth in secret: "I’m going to cook."
～
Zhengzheng was standing in front of the bookshelf in the room, eyeing the array of books behind the glass with a drooling expression.
"If you want to read, just take it yourself." The sudden voice from behind made him immediately turn his head, seeing the tall figure standing beside the bed, he smiled and asked: "Really?"
"Hmm." Nan Zhan lowered his gaze to the little face in front of him, large eyes similar to Jian Si by seventy to eighty percent, high nose bridge, thin lips, even though wearing cheap pajamas, there was a faint but distinct aura of nobility and detachment.
Nan Zhan had lived for more than thirty years and solved countless strange cases, encountered all sorts of people, but for the first time, he felt nervous in front of a mere six-year-old.
"Can you read?"
Zhengzheng nodded, pointing to the topmost book "FBI Criminal Psychology": "Big brother, can you help me get it; I can’t reach it."
Nan Zhan walked over, easily opened the top cabinet door, and pulled out the book.
"Thank you." Zhengzheng, holding the book, was somewhat ecstatic and couldn’t wait to start flipping through it.
"Who taught you to read?" Nan Zhan stared at his black hair, realizing he had many questions to ask, but after pondering in his heart, he didn’t ask anything substantial.
"My sister." Zhengzheng looked up at him, "She didn’t go to college, but she’s very capable. Ever since I can remember, I’ve seen her constantly reading, as if she had completed her college courses on her own."
Didn’t go to college?
Nan Zhan reflected, what had she experienced during those years?
"Big brother, can I ask you when I don’t understand something?"
"Okay."
As Nan Zhan was thinking about saying something else to the little boy, Jian Si knocked lightly on the door frame from the doorway, "Mr. Nan, we’ve run out of soy sauce."
"Are you saying that I should go buy soy sauce?" Nan Zhan frowned slightly as if he had heard a funny joke.
"Don’t you want to eat?" Jian Si waved the half-peeled scallion she was holding, "Also buy a pack of chicken essence and some salt, it seems like we’re out of cooking wine too, just get some seasonings in general."
After saying that, Jian Si didn’t care about the sour look on Nan Zhan’s face and went straight back to the kitchen with her scallion.
As Zhengzheng was about to read, he lifted his little head and scanned Nan Zhan’s face, "Big brother, you’ve never bought these things before, have you?"
Nan Zhan leaned his fist against his lips, feeling quite uncomfortable and not wanting to admit it, but facing Zhengzheng’s clear gaze, knowing the kid was not easy to fool, he awkwardly said, "These are women’s tasks."
"But I often help my sister buy things," Zhengzheng put down the book in his hand, "I’ll go with you."
Jian Si was busy in the kitchen when she heard the door open; she looked out and saw the two of them leaving one after the other.
Suddenly, she lost her appetite for cooking and played idly with the greens in the pot.
The attitude of Nan Zhan puzzled her; a man who held himself in such high regard speaking with Zhengzheng in such a gentle tone, that was unheard of from him.
She wondered if he knew something? But if he did, why didn’t he mention a word?
Forget it, forget it.
Jian Si didn’t want to exhaust her thoughts on this matter; such a man was unfathomable, not someone of her intellect could compare to, and her current status was still a suspect, figuring out how to clear her name was the priority now.
～
"There’s a supermarket over here," Zhengzheng cheerfully led the way, "Big brother, you don’t know where the supermarket is, do you?"
Nan Zhan frowned: "Is there something strange with that?"
"So what do you do when you normally need to buy things?" Zhengzheng blinked his eyes.
"I have an assistant." Seeing how he intentionally slowed down, Nan Zhan couldn’t help but chuckle, "You came out with me just to show me the way, didn’t you?"
"Well, let’s not beat around the bush, actually, I wanted to discuss the case with you," Zhengzheng said in a precocious manner, hands behind his back, "About that farm well case, I was there at the time."
"Oh? Let’s hear it." Nan Zhan raised his eyebrows, interested to hear his analysis.
"I think the murderer has a certain relation to this community, otherwise, he wouldn’t have placed the bodies in locations related to this community twice."
"Do you think it’s the same person?"
"Though there’s the possibility of mimicry, it wouldn’t make sense to consistently abandon bodies at the exact same type of locations, right? This killer is very familiar with this community, and it’s possibly even one of the residents here," Zhengzheng finished speaking and looked somewhat panic-stricken at Nan Zhan, "Am I trying to teach a fish how to swim?"
"No, your analysis is quite right." The little fuzzy head was just by his hand, and without thinking, Nan Zhan raised his palm, hesitated for a moment just before touching his head, then opted to pat his shoulder instead, "Who taught you all this? Your sister isn’t capable of this."
Seeing a dead body would have frightened her to tears.
Zhengzheng thought for a moment, "No one taught me, I guess it’s innate."
Innate?
Upon hearing this, Nan Zhan patted his slim shoulder once more; indeed, like father like son.
Although letting a child deal every day with criminal behaviors, Nan Zhan felt that if there was talent it needed to be nurtured, no need to suppress his natural instincts, just as some children are naturally good at singing, some excel in dancing, and others are math prodigies, Zhengzheng just happens to be that meticulous mastermind in solving cases.
"Do you think if we keep looking, there will be a third body discovered in this community?" Zhengzheng asked earnestly.
Nan Zhan said, "And according to you, where would this body turn up?"
"Whether it’s the abandoned farm well or the walls of my house, these are all places not easily noticed; in this community, if there are still any blind spots left, they would be in..."
As Zhengzheng spoke, their gazes met, and without saying anything further, it seemed already clear.
In the supermarket, Zhengzheng was picking up the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar into the shopping basket expertly. Nan Zhan couldn’t help asking, "What about your parents?"
"My sister said they died in a car accident when I was just a baby," Zhengzheng held up a large and small packet of chicken essence comparing them, muttered to himself, "The bigger packet is more economical."
He tossed the chicken essence into the basket, "I’ve only seen their photos, I’ve always lived with my sister and an uncle."
"You have an uncle?"
"Yeah, he’s a good person and treats us nicely, but my aunt is a bit fierce; she doesn’t like me and my sister. Even though my sister does all the household chores and even lets her manage any money earned, she still despises us, tries to trip my sister up, and even secretly pinches me," Zhengzheng spoke hurriedly and then made a shushing gesture, "My sister doesn’t know about this, don’t tell her."
"Does it hurt when she pinches you?" At that moment, Nan Zhan couldn’t quite describe his emotions; the child before him spoke of their past with such indifferent and nonchalant tones, yet meticulously saving every penny, all of which caused a faint ache in the left side of his chest.