She found a seat in the corner. The owner came over with a smile. "Still the honey yuzu tea?"
Zeng Keqin frequented this shop. It had few customers and dim light, giving her a sense of safe anonymity.
"And a slice of sea-salt cheesecake."
While waiting, she opened her phone and continued studying the materials related to Fang Yu's case.
Jingle—
The wind chimes rang.
The chair across from her was pulled out.
Zeng Keqin looked up.
Jiang Shiyu wore a black fisherman's hat, its brim pulled low, covering most of his face, leaving only his sharp jawline visible. His dark gray shirt hung loosely open, a pair of earphones around his neck, as he lounged back lazily in the chair.
"The jacket?"
Zeng Keqin lifted the shopping bag and pushed it over, mumbling, "Thanks."
Jiang Shiyu didn't even look at it. He tossed it onto the chair next to him.
The owner came over, her gaze shifting between the two of them. "What would you like to drink?"
"Iced latte."
Seeing that he didn't mention the rainy day incident, Zeng Keqin cut straight to the point. "Using the accounts you provided, I found out that Qi Yu has been following Fang Yu. She sent me screenshots yesterday. He approached her for a shoot and even offered a free set of photos, but she turned him down."
She handed him her phone.
Jiang Shiyu glanced at the screenshot. "He approached her himself?"
"Yeah. Fang Yu never posted any shoot requests on any platform. Qi Yu must have found her through another channel."
"Have you checked the IP?"
"Not yet, but I've already urged her to file a police report."
When he heard 'file a report,' Jiang Shiyu's hand paused, and the pressure around him visibly dropped a few notches.
Zeng Keqin found it odd, but she had a more important question to confirm.
"Do you know Lawyer Zhuang?"
Jiang Shiyu raised an eyebrow. "Does that relate to the case?"
So he had seen her yesterday after all.
"No, just curious."
"Curious about what we talked about?"
Jiang Shiyu's lips curled into a playful smile as he leaned forward slightly. "I told him... that a scam suspect had wormed their way into his company, and he'd better keep his eyes open and not get swindled."
The fact that he said it so casually meant they hadn't been talking about that.
Zeng Keqin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your iced latte."
The owner set the coffee on the table.
A brief silence settled between them.
Zeng Keqin broke it. "I've already dried that document. It's in the inside pocket of the jacket."
Jiang Shiyu leaned back in his chair and gave a slight smirk. "You sure went through my pockets carefully."
"It wasn't intentional. I found it by accident when I was washing the jacket."
"I never said you did it on purpose."
Zeng Keqin didn't want to argue further. "Don't worry. I'll find that person within the agreed time."
Jiang Shiyu finished his latte and stood up. "Alright, I'll be waiting."
He picked up the shopping bag and turned to leave.
Zeng Keqin watched his back, took a sip of her honey tea, and a thought suddenly struck her like lightning.
She had never posted any shoot requests on any platform, and no one had approached her for one either.
So how did those photos come about?
A sense of dread seeped out from deep inside her, as if a pair of eyes were slowly closing in from the darkness, and she still didn't know which direction they were coming from.
Jingle jingle—
The wind chimes rang again.
Zeng Keqin looked up.
A QR code was thrust in front of her face.
"Scan me."
Jiang Shiyu had come back at some point, holding up his phone with one hand, his posture less relaxed than before.