Chapter 56 - Who Can Really Help Him? (1/2)

ZhouXiang laid on the ground for fully 20 minutes. After confirming that YanMingXiu was really in deep slumber, he gently pushed YanMingXiu’s hand away from his waist and moved his body away from YanMingXiu’s embrace.

ZhouXiang rubbed his face. His head hurt a bit. He really wanted to flop down and sleep for a long time.

Seeing that YanMingXiu is still laying on the ground, ZhouXiang pulled himself up, poured himself a glass of water and took a deep breath. Then he squatted down and dragged YanMingXiu up. He had intended to get YanMingXiu into the bedroom but looking around the apartment, the room that looked like a bedroom is a long distance away from him. He really didn’t have the strength to drag YanMingXiu that far away. So he just pulled YanMingXiu onto the sofa. It was such a short distance but he was so exhausted that his head sweated bullets.

If he didn’t drink liquor, he could still carry YanMingXiu on his back. But unfortunately after drinking, his legs are a bit feeble. It was already good that he could stabilize his footsteps. To be able to move a person that is 184 lbs. would be too strenuous.

After getting YanMingXiu on the sofa, he saw that there was blanket drying outside the balcony so he grabbed it and draped it over YanMingXiu.

ZhouXiang glanced at his watch. It was already 4am. If he didn’t go now, the sky will be bright soon.

Although he decided to take this risk during the day, his heart kept drumming. Many bad thoughts flowed through his mind, making him feel that it would be wrong for him to go, yet also wrong for him not to go. But after having few glasses of liquor in his stomach, he’s become much bolder. With time ticking by, he stood up and left without hesitation.

He took a taxi back to the neighborhood of his former home. It was just 5am; the sky was already getting brighter. The morning cleaning workers under the street lights are doing their best to clean the streets.

ZhouXiang asked the driver to park the car at the back door of the neighborhood. He remembered the surveillance camera CaiWei mentioned last time so he tried to be even more cautious. This back door is in an area that is very remote. It is the door that the cleaners often use when they pick up garbage. ZhouXiang coming in from here, basically no one will see him.

He entered his building and walked up cautiously.

The corridor is especially quiet. This is the time when people are deeply asleep so it’s relatively a safer time.

ZhouXiang was really able to get the spare key out from the fire hydrant box. It seems that they did not suspect that the “thief” had actually used the spare key. LanXiRong also put the key back. After all, if he didn’t know the location of the key himself, who would have thought of it? With the key, ZhouXiang’s heart is a lot more settled than before. It seems like god have given him an escape route.

He carefully opened the door and bolted into the condo.

The living room looked just like it did when he made his hasty escape, even the soil that he threw at LanXiRong’s face was scattered on the ground.

ZhouXiang took a deep breath and quickly walked into the bedroom. He purposely ransacked the cabinet and bedside table and then go into the study to open up all the drawers to create the illusion of it being rummaged through.

The only room he really didn’t touch is the living room. According to what he overheard that day, the three of them decided to only stay in the living room in order to preserve the crime scene. So how the living room looked, they would remember.

Fortunately, there is nothing valuable in the home. Otherwise, the average person’s first reaction upon realizing that he had been burglarized would be to check and see what is lost. Adding on, YanMingXiu and the others were able to remain calm and to the largest extent able to preserve the scene.

ZhouXiang spent less than 10 minutes from the time he entered the condo till the time he left. He also knew that he might have left a loophole. After all, he’s not a real thief or a criminal investigator. But he was able to accomplish the easiest thing he can think of to hinder the solving of the case. He believes that creating this chaos will definitely work.

After doing all this, ZhouXiang quickly left. Just halfway down the stairs, his cell phone suddenly rang, scaring him out of his wits.

ZhouXiang didn’t look and quickly hung up. The ringing sound was not too ear-piercing in the quiet corridor.

He didn’t dare to stop running till the moment he got out of the neighborhood. It wasn’t until he got to where he thought was safe that he took out his cell phone. ChenYing had called him.

ZhouXiang called back.

“ZhouXiang ah, you’re still not back yet?” ChenYing obviously had just awakened, her voiced sounded a bit unclear.

“Yeah, I just finished drinking with my colleagues. I’m coming home now. Mom, could you not sleep (because he wasn’t home)? Don’t wait for me.”

“I fell asleep. I saw that you haven’t returned when I got up to use the bathroom. I’m not worried. It’s fine as long as you’re coming back. Don’t be out so late in the future. You’ll be very tired,” ChenYing yawned.

ZhouXiang hung up. At this time, the day was already getting brighter. ZhouXiang got on the earliest bus to rush home.

After returning home, he was too lazy to wash his face. He simply fell asleep on the single bed in the living room.

When he woke up the next day, it was already at noon.

He opened his eyes and look at the clock. He first felt that he was late for work and wanted to get up quickly. But then he remembered that he had already requested the day off from CaiWei because he is was going to go get ChenYing’s exam results.

That is today.

ZhouXiang’s heart started trembling.

“ZhouXiang? Are you awake?” ChenYing softly asked on the side.

ZhouXiang sat up and flung his head, “Mom, why didn’t you wake me up.”

“Tell you to do what? You got back so late yesterday.” ChenYing gave him a towel, “Go wash your face first then come eat.”

ZhouXiang simple took a shower because his body reeked of alcohol. The smell was really bad. Although this cheap small apartment is very dilapidated, ChenYing is a woman who loves to be clean. The apartment inside is very organized and very clean. There is not an area that is dirty. ZhouXiang, standing in the apartment felt that he’s in conflict with the fresh air in the apartment.

After he cleaned himself up, ChenYing had already changed into a particularly neat and decent outfit, sitting on the sofa, quietly staring at the second-hand TV that ZhouXiang bought, even though it wasn’t turned on.

“Mom,” ZhouXiang called softly.

ChenYing turned around and smile, “Eat first. After you eat, we can go to the hospital.”