Chapter 662: A Million Times for You (24)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Fang Erlan remained seated on the carpeted floor and said, “I guarantee I won’t speak a word about this matter. I was planning to check into a motel for tonight, but I don’t dare to go out alone now. Could you please let me stay the night in your room? I promise I’ll scram immediately by daybreak.”
Another reason Fang Erlan wanted to stay in his room was that she wanted to take the chance to interact with him, as well as explain herself to him clearly. After all, they were the lead actor and actress in the upcoming drama that they were about to begin filming for. The consequences would be grave if they were to fall out because of such a minor misunderstanding and, in turn, cause her to lose the golden opportunity of playing the female lead.
“Trust you to want a mile when you’re given an inch. Out of the question. Scram, now!” he hollered.
Fang Erlan bit her lip and rushed forward to grab onto his leg. “Yan Ge, will you just let me stay here for tonight, please? I’m begging you,” she pleaded.
“No. I’m really going to call the police if you still refuse to get lost,” he warned, glowering at her while clenching his jaw in exasperation.
Fang Erlan dared not allow herself to be handed over to the police. Once the news of her getting arrested makes it onto the tabloids, how was she going to survive in the entertainment industry?
“If you call the police, I’ll tell them that you raped me.”
“You…” Yan Ge was at a momentary loss for words, consumed by anger.
Noticing that he was incapable of speech, Fang Erlan stood up while rubbing the aching spot on her head. She lowered her voice and said, “I really don’t have any evil intentions. Neither did I know that you were staying in this room. It was purely a coincidence. Rest a.s.sured, I won’t spread a word about… what happened just now,” she said, her face turning red and warm.
Noticing that he still did not seem too convinced, Fang Erlan continued, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll write you a guarantee note. I promise to compensate you with a sum of money if I dare spread a word about the matter. You shall decide the amount. You may also sue me until I go bankrupt if I were to leak any information regarding this matter. Will that do?”
He opened the drawer and took out a piece of paper and pen, which he then handed to her. “Write.”
Fang Erlan hurriedly did so and handed it to him frantically after she was done. “Take a look.”
Yan Ge gave her the side eye, a look of dismay and frustration on his face. After putting the piece of paper away, he pointed at the couch and said, “You shall sleep there tonight.”
“Alright. Don’t switch off the heater, please,” Fang Erlan requested, for she would freeze to death without a duvet if the heater was to be switched off.
Fang Erlan obediently lay down on the couch with no complaints since she knew that she had asked for it.
Being highly vigilant and paranoid, Yan Ge could not go to sleep peacefully at all with a random, suspicious female stranger in his room. It seemed like he would be staying up for the rest of the night.
Fortunately for him, the filming for the movie had already ended and he would be checking out of the hotel come tomorrow morning.
He felt as if everything that had just happened was a nightmare. Thank Heavens it was just a woman who barged in. G.o.d knows how dangerous it would’ve been if it were someone who’s trying to harm me. It’s all my fault for being careless and leaving the door open , he thought to himself.
——
An Xiaoning entered the Gu family mansion at about eight o’clock to see that there was a police car parked in the yard. She carried her purse and alighted from her car before walking toward the door on steady feet.
Having waited for her for half an hour, Pan Zhenghui hurriedly stood up upon the sight of her return and said, “Xiaoning, you’re finally back. I waited so long for you.”
An Xiaoning placed her purse onto the couch and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other. “Bureau Chief Pan, do get straight to the point.”
“Hehe, I just like how straightforward you are, Xiaoning. I know you don’t wish to resume your duties as the team leader of the Special Investigations Unit, but could I ask that you summon Yuan Mingzhu’s spirit and find out how she died?” said Pan Zhenghui.
“It’s already been a couple of days. Do you guys still not have a clue at all?”
“Yeah. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to come here to trouble you. The forensic pathologist has already carried out an autopsy, but there were no wounds or welts on her body at all, and the final conclusion was that she had drowned to death. However, we couldn’t find anything despite having carried out detailed investigations. Xiaoning, there’s a room in Mingzhu’s apartment that is reserved especially for rituals to be performed in. Could you go take a look and see if those supernatural beings have something to do with her death? We ordinary people can’t see those ent.i.ties with our naked eye.”
“If that’s the case, I shall go take a look now on your account.”
“Ah, Xiaoning, you’re the best,” Pan Zhenghui exclaimed in joy.
“Wait for me in the car while I go retrieve something from upstairs,” said An Xiaoning.
“Sure.”
An Xiaoning made her way upstairs with her purse and returned shortly after with a black plastic bag in hand.
She swiftly walked out of the door and got inside the police car. “I won’t be driving today, you guys shall ferry me back home later.”
“It’s only right for us to do so. Xiaoning, I’m really sorry about what happened before. It was all my fault. Please don’t take it to heart. Well, it’s actually because you were absent for a long time, and I didn’t know where Yuan Mingzhu’s abilities laid. I was thinking that things would be worse if there was no one to take your place at all while you were away,” Pan Zhenghui hurriedly explained.
An Xiaoning glanced at him calmly and said, “Forget it, I didn’t take it to heart anyway. You don’t have to explain any further.”
“Great, if that’s the case.”
“Do be more careful when you make decisions in the future, Bureau Chief Pan.”
“I’ve learned my lesson this time. It won’t happen again. I heard from Yuan Mingzhu in the past that she had inherited her psychic powers from her father, who inherited his from her grandfather. Both her father and grandfather are no longer around. Pardon me for my ignorance, Xiaoning, but do psychic people like you live…”
“Are you asking if we live shorter lives than ordinary people?” An Xiaoning did not mind approaching the topic at all. “How should I put it? Well, longevity varies from person to person, just like ordinary people. Don’t you realize that some ordinary people die at a young age too? There isn’t much of a difference actually. But there’s something everyone ought to know, regardless of whether they’re psychic or not.”
“What is it?”
“Life is not always a stagnant journey that remains unchanged. Ninety percent of humans will lead their lives according to Heaven’s plan, which allows genuinely capable fortune-tellers to be able to accurately predict one’s longevity, impending mishaps and calamities, as well as luck and fortune. Only a minority can have their fates rewritten, be it on purpose or unintentionally. The unintentional altering of fate occurs when one has acc.u.mulated enough merit by doing kind deeds, without them even knowing.”
Pan Zhenghui was immediately enlightened. “I see. I often stumble across fortune-tellers who sell their craft in stalls on the streets. Do they have genuine abilities or are they just a bunch of con artists?” he asked.
An Xiaoning smiled and said, “We can never be too sure about that. Some manage to make pseudo-accurate predictions simply because they got lucky while making wild guesses, in a bid to cheat a small sum of money out of others. But it all varies from person to person. If you’d like to put a supposed fortune-teller’s abilities to the test, you may try doing so with this method.”
“What method is it?” Pan Zhenghui asked out of curiosity.
“Go to the fortune-teller and tell him or her your birth characters, birth timing, and location. Then, don’t divulge any other details and tell them that you’d like to know about your health or career and marriage prospects. Pay attention and listen to what they have to say without interrupting. Many con artists resort to playing mind games. By the way, tell me what you’ve investigated and found out so far.”
“I’m not too sure about that actually. Team Leader Zhang is currently waiting for the investigation reports. I’ll get him to explain things to you once he gets hold of them.”
“Sure.”
Once they reached Yuan Mingzhu’s apartment, which was within the vicinity of the police station, An Xiaoning and Pan Zhenghui alighted from the car while Team Leader Zhang scurried toward them. Upon the sight of An Xiaoning, he greeted while smiling, “Team Leader An, I trust you have been well since you parted with us.”