“I wrote the letter at the post office at noon. Mrs. Ella told me to put it in your mail carrier bag so you would see it after you finished your deliveries,” Bai Ci explained.
“So that’s how it was.” Realization dawned on Hugo. He carefully folded the letter and placed it in his pocket.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the excitement on Hugo’s face instantly faded. His brows furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a trace of confusion and annoyance. “Wait... Lora, I think... I lost a letter.”
He reached up to scratch his head, trying hard to recall. “You put the letter in my mail carrier bag before the postmaster did his inspection, so there should have been eleven letters at that time. But I can’t remember where I could have lost that letter.”
His voice was filled with frustration and self-blame, without the slightest hint of blaming or doubting Bai Ci.
“Don’t worry too much. Maybe it just accidentally dropped somewhere. Look for it again tomorrow, and you might find it,” Bai Ci comforted him softly, seeing his distress.
She then took the opportunity to ask, “Do you remember what was written in that letter? Was it a personal letter or a promotional flyer for the grocery store? If it’s the former, we definitely need to find it. Otherwise, the recipient must be so anxious.”
Hugo closed his eyes and recalled carefully for a moment. His brow gradually smoothed, and he said with certainty, “I remember now. That letter should have been a promotional flyer for Winston’s Grocery Store. Out of the ten letters I had to deliver today, only one was a personal letter, and I already delivered it.”
“Then it’s not too bad,” Bai Ci nodded gently, though her suspicion only grew deeper.
Zhao Yu had gone through all that trouble just to take a promotional flyer for a grocery store? This clearly made no sense, unless that promotional flyer hid some unknown secret.
Or was he simply trying to get Hugo punished on purpose?
Bai Ci acted as if she had suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right. When I was at the post office at noon, I saw Mr. Zhao Yu holding a letter. There was a small blue stamp with the number ‘2’ on the envelope. I wonder if that was the one you lost.”
“Zhao Yu?” Surprise flashed across Hugo’s face, followed by complete bewilderment. “How could it be him? He’s also a mail carrier for the post office and has his own assigned area. Why would he have my letter? And why would he take it?”
He really couldn’t understand what Zhao Yu’s motive was.
“Keep an eye on him at the post office from now on, and don’t lose any more letters,” Bai Ci said, reaching out to pat Hugo’s shoulder with a warm tone. “Since it was just a promotional flyer this time, it shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Ask the postmaster tomorrow if you can get a replacement, or just let it go.”
Looking at her gentle eyes, Hugo felt a warmth in his heart. A shy smile appeared on his face again as he nodded. “Yeah. It’s so good to have you here.”
The night passed without dreams. The next morning, Hugo got up early as usual, prepared breakfast, and headed out to work at the post office.
After eating breakfast, Bai Ci changed her clothes and prepared to head out.
Her plan for today was to further investigate the situation in town. There was a high chance of some connection between the owner of Winston’s Grocery Store and the spreading plague.
Following yesterday’s route, she planned to investigate near the commercial street.
Reaching the edge of the square, Bai Ci stopped in her tracks. Her gaze fell upon the street not far away, where a scene unfolding caught her attention.
She saw the postmaster walking out of the post office, heading toward the center of town. Not far behind him, a figure was following.
The person wore an ordinary gray cloth coat and a hat pulled low, almost completely covering his face. His features and expression were hidden, and his build was obscured by the loose clothing.
He kept a distance of just a few paces behind the postmaster. At first glance, he looked like a regular pedestrian, but after watching him for a few seconds and connecting his movements, it became obvious that he was tailing the postmaster.
The postmaster seemed to sense something. He paused, slowly turned around, and swept a vigilant gaze across his surroundings.
Just then, Bai Ci caught a glimpse of the stalker’s profile. It was the young man from Winston’s Grocery Store yesterday. He looked rather tense, and the open area around him offered nowhere to hide.
After a moment’s thought, Bai Ci quickly walked over. With a warm smile on her face, she spoke to the young man, “So this shop is here. You really made me search for it. Thank you for showing me the way.”
The young man froze, clearly not expecting to run into Bai Ci here, let alone have her take the initiative to speak to him. However, he quickly adjusted his expression, acting as if it were exactly as she said—that he was merely a helpful, kind soul who wasn’t tailing anyone.
Hearing Bai Ci’s voice, the postmaster’s gaze landed on the two of them. The suspicion on his face gradually dissipated, and he turned to continue walking toward the center of town.
Only after the postmaster’s figure disappeared around the corner did the young man heave a sigh of relief. He took off his wide-brimmed hat, his eyes full of confusion. Looking at Bai Ci, his tone carried a hint of incomprehension and wariness. “Why did you help me? You don’t even know me. What if I’m a bad person? What if I was actually doing something bad? Helping me would only drag you down.”
Of course, it was because she was after information. Still, Bai Ci’s smile remained unchanged as she looked at him. “I don’t think you’re a bad person. Yesterday at the grocery store, you could have easily brushed me off or even tricked me into buying those stale goods, but you didn’t. You even took the initiative to warn me and suggested I go to other shops. Judging by that, you shouldn’t be a bad person.”
“And since you said those words just now, it proves even more that you aren’t a bad person. No bad person would say that.”
She paused, then continued with a trace of curiosity in her voice, “Still, I’m quite curious. Why are you tailing the postmaster? You’re an employee at Winston’s Grocery Store, and your boss has the post office deliver promotional flyers. Tailing the postmaster... could it have something to do with your boss?”
Hearing this, the young man’s expression shifted slightly. A flash of vigilance crossed his eyes, and his tone turned colder. “Miss, this has nothing to do with you. You’d better mind your own business. This isn’t something a pampered young lady like you should know, nor is it something you can handle. Be careful not to invite trouble.”
Bai Ci didn’t get angry. Her calm voice carried a quiet resolve. “I don’t want to pry. It’s just that my fiancé is a mail carrier at the post office. He is an honest and hardworking man, and I don’t want him getting dragged into anything dangerous. When you think about it, everything about the grocery store and those flyers is strange.”
The young man looked at Bai Ci, sizing her up as if trying to judge whether she was telling the truth. The wariness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a touch of hesitation.
He remained silent for a long while, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. In the end, he let out a soft sigh, his tone softening. “Alright, I’ll tell you. My name is Evan, and I’m actually a detective.”
Rate on N.U.
