I don't have ulterior motives

Chapter 13

October 31st, the day before Halloween.The third quarter in the afternoon is physical education.Physical education class in high school is a rare time for students to let themselves go, except perhaps Jin Bei who is always letting go.

After running around the playground twice, you can move freely.A group of people lined up in two teams, running loosely.Jin Bei ran at the end and saw Shu Lin'an coming out of the queue in front of him, and squatted to the side to tie his shoelaces. When he stood up, Jin Bei was running to his side.

Jin Bei moved to the right, and Shu Lin'an went straight into the queue, looking sideways at him.

Jin Bei thought he was going to say thank you, but then he heard Shu Lin'an say, "Today is my birthday."

Eh?

"Happy birthday..."

"Thank you." Shu Linan smiled slightly.

Jin Bei rubbed his nose: "I just realized that I didn't prepare any gifts..."

Shu Linan raised her eyebrows: "Didn't you treat me to a cake before?"

"That doesn't count."

"It could be a birthday cake."

"that……"

"And you did it."

Why is it so easy to satisfy...

"I want to treat you to dinner." Shu Lin'an suddenly changed the subject.

Eh?

"tonight?"

"Ah."

Jin Bei thought to himself that he wanted to go out with Wei Yi and the others, but he didn't want to refuse the other party's birthday party. Speaking of which, he probably didn't know most of the people he invited, after all, they were from two circles...

"Only you." Shu Lin'an continued.

Eh?

"Why...why?" Jin Bei was a little surprised.

Shu Lin'an turned his head: "You don't know the other friends very well, and it's not a big party. It shouldn't be interesting to go alone." He paused, and then said, "But, I want to invite you again."

"So I had to ask for it alone."

"is it okay?"

Jin Bei looked at his crescent-like eyes and nodded without thinking: "Of course."

There was still half of the last lap left, Shu Linan panted slightly, and said, "Let's go then."

"While?" Isn't it just dinner?

"It's a little far away, and, um, the scenery in that place is also very beautiful, so you can also go to play in the afternoon."

Jin Bei stared at him dumbfounded. The words Shu Lin'an and skipping class had never been connected in his mind.

"Is it okay if you don't go to class?"

"Is someone who skips class every day qualified to say that?" Shu Linan teased.

"So, it doesn't matter if I take one more verse or one less, but what you say will affect your reputation." Jin Bei raised one corner of his lips.

"Really, I want to hang out with you more than fame."

Jin Bei's breathing became chaotic for a moment, and what Shu Lin'an said solemnly seemed to light up a firework in his heart.He was still thinking about that sentence until he reached the finish line.

After the dissolution, Wei Yi came over and hooked Jin Bei's shoulder: "Let's go!" Others had already occupied the basketball court.

Jin Bei subconsciously glanced at Shu Lin'an, who was standing not far away and mouthed "Let's go" to him.

Jin Bei pushed that hand away: "I have something to do, so I won't call today."

Shu Linan tilted his head and smiled at him, turned around with his hands in his pockets and walked towards the teaching building.

"Huh? What's the matter?"

"It's nothing...you care so much?" Jin Bei also walked towards the teaching building.

"Don't tell me the content? It must be—" Wei Yi looked at him with an ambiguous tone.

"Yes." Jin Bei turned his head and smiled at him, "Are you jealous?"

"You forget your righteousness when you see sex, boss!"

Ignoring Wei Yi's yelling behind him, Jin Bei ran forward.

The place Shu Linan took him to was on the southeast edge of the city. It took about four to ten minutes by taxi, and it was almost five o'clock when we got there.From a distance, you can see a holiday farm built along the river and lake at the foot of the mountain.

There are four words Dongli Mountain Villa at the door.When I entered, I saw a large courtyard and a large three-story building. It should be a restaurant, but there was no one in it.Shu Lin'an directly led him around, and walked back to a bluestone path among bamboo forests.

"Is there no one here today?" Jin Bei looked back.

"I've reserved the venue."

Shu Lin'an led him around, crossed a stone arch bridge, and took a small path to a courtyard.There are tables and chairs in the pavilion in the courtyard, with teapots and cups on them.

"It's so complicated, I'm going to get lost." Jin Bei looked around. Behind the yard was a two-story house with double eaves, which should be the place where they lived. It goes straight to the foot of the mountain, and the pavilion is beside the lake.

"Follow me and you won't get lost." Shu Lin'an smiled at him, "I used to come here to play when I was a child. I walked across the road by the lake. It's a town at the foot of the mountain. Adults fish or do other boring things here. At that time, I asked the butler grandpa to take me to the town."

Shu Linan raised his head towards the lake: "Go for a walk?"

"Okay."

Along the lake was a row of wooden fences, and inside the fence was a grassy field about three meters away. Shu Linan walked to the grassy field, and Jin Bei followed.The setting sun is sandwiched between the mountain depressions, and the light is blowing on the water surface, and the scales and waves seem to have been sprinkled with a handful of gold dust.

The damp smell of the lake mixed with the smell of Shu Linan's body and got into Jin Bei's nose.

Light woody fragrance.Jin Bei thought of the sunken ship on the bottom of the sea.

"There is a fishing platform in front, where they used to fish when they were young. The platform extends into the water, and if you don't pay attention, you may fall." Shu Lin'an recalled.

At the fork in front, one side is the stone road leading to the town, and the other side is the platform that Shu Linan said extends into the water, with chairs and awnings on it.

"Did you ever fall when you were a child?" Jin Bei asked with interest.

"No." Shu Linan shook his head, "I just saw others fall."

When they reached the fork, Shu Linan slowed down, then turned to the left: "Let's go this way."

The road ahead is gradually widening, and the setting sun drags the shadow in front of me.The eaves of the ancient town protrude faintly in front.

The warm yellow light smears on the white walls and bluestone roads, making it quiet and peaceful.

"I'm really happy." Jin Bei said, "I was able to play in such a place when I was young."

Shu Lin'an shook his head: "But at that time, I felt very boring. There were no people of the same age with me, only the serious housekeeper grandpa who wouldn't let me do this or that."

Jin Bei scratched his temples: "Is that so..."

"I wanted to do a lot of things when I was young, but I didn't have the opportunity." Shu Lin'an looked sideways at the roadside shop, and the red lantern in front of the shop was shaking slightly.

Jin Bei looked at him: "What do you want to do? I'll accompany you."

"Ok?"

"I'll make it up for you."

Shu Lin'an was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and smiled: "I already forgot."

Jin Bei put his hands behind his head: "Then what do you want to do now? I will accompany you too."

"Now... go back to eat." Shu Linan stopped in his tracks and looked at him with a smile at the end of the setting sun. The light stretched their shadows extremely long.

When I went back, the food was already set on the table, and the table was full, not enough for two people at all.

"So rich." Jin Bei sighed.

"I don't know what you like, so I ordered the most famous one here. You can try some of them."

A celadon wine jug and wine glasses stand at the side of the table.The two sat down, but Shu Lin'an didn't touch the jug.

After six o'clock, the sky was already dark blue, so it should be just right to light the candles.Under the warm yellow light in the pavilion, Shu Linan's eyes were hidden in the shadows.

"Really...I like everything you ordered." Jin Bei remembered what Shu Lin'an had said to him a few days ago.

"Yeah." Shu Lin'an looked at him and raised his eyebrows.

Jin Bei reached out to grab the jug, but was stopped by Shu Lin'an.Jin Bei looked at him puzzled, Shu Linan's hand touched the back of his hand: "I'll do it."

He poured two glasses of amber liquid and pushed one of them in front of Jin Bei: "The green plum wine brewed here has very unique ingredients."

Jin Bei picked up the cup and saw Shu Lin'an staring at him without blinking.

"what happened?"

Shu Lin'an smiled, his eyes reflected the dark colors of the trees on both sides, under the light, the shadows in those eyes flickered, closed and opened again.He said without warning: "Are you helping the police investigate the case?"

The tone seems to be saying do you know today's homework.

Jin Bei's heart was overwhelmed, but his hands didn't tremble.He put down the cup steadily and looked into Shu Lin'an's eyes.

Shu Linan's eyes were as clear as the lake water just now, and he could clearly see a few fish swimming in it.But there were no fish swimming in it, only the waves of an empty lake.

Jin Bei was silent for a while. During this period, he said "Shu Linan knew the police knew about Shu Pingyuan and participated in Shu Pingyuan's actions", "Shu Linan didn't know the police knew about Shu Pingyuan and participated in Shu Pingyuan's actions", "Shu Linan Knowing that the police knew about Shu Pingyuan but not participating in Shu Pingyuan's actions"... and so on, the possibilities were quickly passed through, and he said nonchalantly: "It's not really a help, it's at most a pimp."

"Then you know about the latest case." As if to give him room to breathe, Shu Linan looked away, covering his eyes with long, black eyelashes.

"Which case?"

"It's related to the Xia family."

"Which one is related to the Xia family?" Jin Bei stared at him.Shu Linan's slightly raised lips are still so pretty.

Cupid's Bow.Jin Bei made a desertion for no reason.

Shu Lin'an tilted his head slightly, resting his chin on his left hand: "It's no secret, let's exchange on equal terms. Let me tell you what I know."

Peer-to-peer exchange is inherently a trap. You can't know for sure how much the other party knows, how much you say, and how much you keep.

But Jin Bei nodded.

"On the day of the first corpse dismemberment case, Xia Qiming was at my house, and Shu Pingyuan was in the study. I stayed there until eleven o'clock, when I heard him leave. Three days before the second case, Shu Pingyuan was on a business trip."

"I know all of this." Jin Bei said calmly.

"But I confirmed it for you."

"After Xia Qiming was arrested, he has never admitted anything about the corpse dismemberment case. But a week ago, he suddenly confessed to the police, describing the process of committing the crime with the people Shu Pingyuan lent him and his subordinates." Jin Bei said.

"The person who lent him..." Shu Lin'an whispered.He put down his hand, clasped his fingers, and looked at Jin Bei again: "According to the schedule, Shu Pingyuan will come back tomorrow night."

Jin Bei spoke slowly: "The deceased in the second case had an interest dispute with Shu Pingyuan."

Shu Lin'an nodded thoughtfully: "The police must think that the second case was committed by the same person."

"...that's the guesswork."

Shu Linan took a deep breath and asked, "Since you know about the charges against Shu Pingyuan, why did you accept my invitation?"

"Because you invited me." Jin Bei answered without thinking this time, as if stating a matter without hesitation at all.

The author has something to say:

Wei Yi: Don't tell me the content?definitely is--

Jin Bei: Yes. (happy laugh)

Wei Yi: I was selected by the teacher to copy homework.

Jin Bei: ...