Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency (26)

With their boss dead, Jia Woyi's lackeys panicked, at a total loss for what to do.

After a flurry of arguments and discussions, none of them wanted to take responsibility. Left with no choice, they could only reach out to someone who seemed to be on the same level as Jia Woyi to ask for their next move.

That person was Lin Jie, the head of the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency.

Xiao Wen was utterly dumbfounded the moment he saw her. What on earth was going on?

Although he often fantasized about stumbling upon a major case one day, imagining how he would handle it to leave everyone around him jaw-dropped and full of admiration...

...now that a massive case had actually landed right in his lap, he wasn't feeling so great.

Xiao Wen had to admit he was like the proverbial Lord Ye, who loved dragons in theory but was terrified when a real one appeared.

Was there any way he could get a do-over?

The moment Lin Jie saw him, she recognized him as an investigator. After all, they had just met that afternoon.

He had suddenly shown up at the matchmaking agency to look through their records in the afternoon, and by nightfall, he was caught tailing one of her associates. When questioned, he stubbornly claimed it was a coincidence. Only an idiot would believe that.

There was no way such a perfect coincidence existed in this world.

She was absolutely certain that the Bureau of Investigation had targeted Jia Woyi, and they might even have uncovered clues about the collusion between the agency and him.

“I asked you a question. Are you mute?” Lin Jie's expression darkened further when she saw Xiao Wen's continued silence.

She gestured to one of the lackeys beside her. “Teach him a lesson. I refuse to believe his mouth is this tight.”

The lackey immediately stepped forward and raised his hand to strike Xiao Wen.

Xiao Wen instinctively closed his eyes, but a single thought dominated his mind: I can't say a word. Absolutely not.

Although he didn't know what crimes Jia Woyi and Lin Jie had committed, he could easily guess that people acting like this couldn't possibly be up to any good.

Even though Bai Ci was currently a suspect in a serial murder case, compared to these ruthless, clearly evil thugs, she was undoubtedly innocent.

If he revealed Bai Ci's existence, these people would likely go after her.

Therefore, no matter how much they beat or interrogated him, Xiao Wen gritted his teeth, kept his mouth shut, and refused to utter a single word.

Seeing Xiao Wen's unyielding stance, Lin Jie grew even more convinced that he possessed crucial clues. Otherwise, there was no way he could endure this so stubbornly.

The Bureau of Investigation had probably gathered substantial evidence against them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to target Jia Woyi so precisely.

At this thought, a surge of panic welled up in Lin Jie's chest, and an idea flashed through her mind.

She couldn't wait any longer. She had to flee immediately.

If they delayed any further and the Bureau of Investigation tracked them here, they wouldn't stand a chance of escaping.

She had absolutely no idea that the battered yet incredibly resilient young investigator in front of her actually knew nothing at all. He was merely a rookie who had blundered his way into this mess.

Lin Jie stood up. “Since you refuse to talk, don't blame me for being ruthless.”

“Keep a close eye on him. Once we pack our things, we'll take him with us. We can interrogate him on the road. I refuse to believe we can't crack him.”

By the time the glasses-wearing investigator parked his car outside Bai Ci's neighborhood, the night had grown pitch-black.

Bai Ci unbuckled her seatbelt. Just as she pushed open the car door, she spotted a familiar figure pacing back and forth near the entrance of the neighborhood, a thin jacket draped over her arm. It was Mother Bai.

Seeing Bai Ci get out of the car, Mother Bai immediately rushed over and draped the jacket over her shoulders. “Xiao Ci, you're finally back! It's so late. Are you cold?”

Bai Ci shook her head. Noticing her mother sizing up the glasses-wearing investigator, she offered a brief introduction. “Mom, this is a colleague of my friend.”

“My friend had an urgent matter to attend to and couldn't make it, so he asked him to drive me home.”

The glasses-wearing investigator knew his place and didn't say much. He simply gave Mother Bai a polite nod.

“Hello, ma'am. Miss Bai has been safely delivered. I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave now.”

Without waiting for Mother Bai's reply, he started the car and drove off, quickly vanishing into the night.

Watching the car disappear, Mother Bai's eyes lit up. She grabbed Bai Ci's arm and asked in a low voice, her tone carrying an unmistakable hint of anticipation.

“Xiao Ci, that young man looks very sharp, and he's quite polite too. Which friend's colleague is he? How old is he? Is he single?”

Having expected this question, Bai Ci gave a helpless smile. “Mom, he was just helping out by driving me home. I don't know him well, so how could I ask about his personal life?”

“Why would you be embarrassed?” The excitement on Mother Bai's face faded, replaced by deep disappointment. “I thought one of your friends was setting you up.”

All the way home, Mother Bai kept nagging, her words revolving around the same old topics of marriage and the curse, her tone filled with anxiety and helplessness.

Bai Ci simply listened in silence, occasionally offering a brief response to soothe her mother's worries.

Even after they reached home, Mother Bai didn't stop her nagging. She continued to mutter to herself while heating up some food for Bai Ci.

“Tomorrow, I'll call Cheng Yin again and ask her to keep an eye out for you. It doesn't matter if his conditions are slightly worse, as long as he's honest, treats you well, and can help you break this curse.”

Sitting at the dining table, Bai Ci felt a headache coming on. For the first time, she felt a strange sense of gratitude toward the curse.

“Mom, don't worry so much. Let nature take its course.”

“Let nature take its course? How can we do that?” Mother Bai walked over with the heated food and placed the bowl in front of Bai Ci.

“You have less than a year left. What are we going to do if you still can't find a suitable match? My heart feels like it's weighed down by a heavy stone every single day. I can't even sleep.”

What else could Bai Ci say? This was just how this instance was.

She said nothing more and simply lowered her head to eat in silence.

The next morning, when Bai Ci walked out of her bedroom...

...she saw Mother Bai sitting on the living room sofa, clutching her phone and anxiously glancing at the screen every now and then.

“Mom, what's wrong? Why are you up so early?” Bai Ci walked over and sat down beside her.

Mother Bai looked up, her face filled with worry as she handed the phone to Bai Ci. “Look, it's almost ten in the morning. Why hasn't Teacher Cheng called me yet?”

“Usually by this time, she would have already called to tell me all about the blind date she was going to introduce to you today.”

Bai Ci glanced at the screen. Indeed, there were no missed calls or messages.

She wondered if the matchmaking agency had simply run out of options for her, or if Jia Woyi's death had thrown them into chaos.

Or perhaps the Bureau of Investigation had moved quickly and already taken action against the agency?

“Maybe she's just busy today, or she hasn't found a suitable candidate yet. She'll probably call later,” Bai Ci comforted her casually.

“Busy? I suppose so...” Mother Bai reluctantly accepted the explanation.

But before she could fully relax, another worry popped into her mind.

“Xiao Ci, do you think it's possible that because you kept rejecting your blind dates, they think you're too picky and are planning to drop you as a client?”