Chapter 13: Her Speculation

Yan Ningxi was momentarily stunned, realizing that if she continued to act so obviously, Chen Yongzhi would surely notice. Hastily, she said, “I’m feeling a bit unsettled and have some diarrhea; maybe it’s because I’m worried about my brother. I’m going to the restroom to calm down and, at the same time, contact the hospital.”

She couldn’t just wait passively; she had to take the initiative.

Chi Xiaoxuan looked quite concerned. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, I can manage on my own,” Yan Ningxi replied and immediately stood up.

Her path to the restroom happened to pass by Chen Yongzhi’s workstation.

Feigning discomfort, she walked slowly past him.

At that moment, Chen Yongzhi was picking up his phone and sending a message on WeChat.

Chen Yongzhi: “Honey, how are you feeling today? Is the baby okay? Did you eat lunch properly?”

Chen Yongzhi’s wife: “I’m fine, and the baby is well, but you really shouldn’t have made me quit my job. Being home every day is so boring. I don’t know why, but after eating today, I feel sleepier than the past few days.”

Chen Yongzhi: “The baby is growing day by day, so feeling sleepy is normal. Rest when you’re tired; sleeping more is good for the baby. Remember not to eat ice cream, potato chips, or too much fruit, or your blood sugar will rise.”

Chen Yongzhi’s wife: “Okay, you nag me so much outside, repeating it several times every day—I’ve already memorized it.”

Chen Yongzhi: “Good that you remember. How about my mom? Did she go to play mahjong again?”

Chen Yongzhi’s wife: “Yes, it’s so hot today, but she still went all the way to a mahjong parlor a kilometer away. If it were me, I’d be too lazy to go.”

Chen Yongzhi: “Since you’re alone at home, remember to lock both the front door and your room door. Don’t open the door for anyone who knocks, and don’t order takeout. Most takeout food isn’t healthy.”

Chen Yongzhi’s wife: “I’m an adult. Why are you treating me like a child?”

...

Yan Ningxi didn’t dare linger nearby. She just glanced at his chat screen and quickly headed to the bathroom.

Sitting on the toilet, her expression grew more troubled.

Chen Yongzhi’s earlier conversation was just ordinary concern from a husband to his wife, nothing suspicious.

So where exactly had Chen Yongzhi set fire?

He was at the office, so by what means did he cause fires elsewhere?

And why would he set fires at all?

Besides the office, the only place Chen Yongzhi frequented was his home.

There hadn’t been any reports of conflicts with company leadership recently. In fact, it seemed he had been praised and was up for a promotion.

So the office could be ruled out.

From his chat with his wife, their relationship seemed good, and since she was pregnant, he likely wouldn’t harm her.

That ruled out his home as well.

Could it be somewhere he passed by every day?

Had he gotten into a dispute with someone while shopping and now held a grudge?

If that were the case, the possibilities would be endless—like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Calm down, Yan Ningxi. You must be able to figure this out.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to meditate.

Fire, crime, wife, locked doors, one kilometer, mahjong, no takeout...

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and checked the weather forecast on her phone.

Thirty-nine degrees Celsius.

Usually, the forecast said thirty-nine degrees, but after prolonged exposure to the sun, ground temperatures could easily reach over forty or even fifty degrees.

In such weather, even if Chen Yongzhi hadn’t set fires personally, many places could spontaneously combust.

Could it be...

Yan Ningxi suddenly stood up. Could Chen Yongzhi really be that cruel?

She pressed 119 to call the fire department but quickly canceled.

Not much time had passed since Chen Yongzhi sent his message. If no fire had started yet, it would be a false alarm.

Calling 119 was a much bigger deal than dialing 110.

Besides, she wasn’t sure if her suspicions were entirely correct.

She asked the system, but it gave her no hints this time.

If she reported a false alarm and a real fire broke out elsewhere, causing insufficient or delayed firefighting response and casualties, she would be responsible for the disaster.

After a few seconds of thought, Yan Ningxi suddenly sent a WeChat message to Chi Xiaoxuan.

“Xiaoxuan, I remember you mentioned a residential complex where many people from the company bought apartments. What was its name?”

She vaguely recalled that Chen Yongzhi had joined the conversation back then, saying he lived there and recommending that everyone consider buying there.

He had also mentioned that although his floor was quite high, the lighting was excellent.

On winter weekends, he could bask in the sunlight in the living room or, with the bedroom curtains open, enjoy sunshine while in bed.

Chi Xiaoxuan replied, “Ningxi, the boss just asked where you went since you weren’t at your desk. I told him you weren’t feeling well and went to the restroom. You should hurry back. Why are you suddenly asking about that complex? It’s called Xiangzhou Coast.”

Yan Ningxi: “Thanks. A relative wants to buy a house and asked me for a recommendation.”

Chi Xiaoxuan: “Oh, I see.”

Yan Ningxi: “I’ll be right back, just a few minutes. I still have diarrhea.”

Chi Xiaoxuan: “Then hurry up.”

Yan Ningxi found a place where no one was around and called Zhao Quan.

Today’s matter was even more serious than yesterday’s. She worried he might miss the message, so calling was safer.

Meanwhile, Zhao Quan was chatting with colleagues about Yan Ningxi.

Zhao Quan: “That Miss Yan really has terrible luck, facing such terrifying incidents two days in a row.”

Liu Zhen: “They say bad things never come in threes. Do you think something will happen to her today too?”

Officer A: “No way. If I ran into her again, I’d start suspecting she’s involved somehow. Probably just coincidences.”

Officer B: “Yeah, she’s no elementary school detective like Conan. But her guts are impressive—thanks to her, two people were saved in the last incidents.”

Officer C: “But don’t you think maybe these events aren’t just coincidences?”

Liu Zhen: “Not sure. So far, investigations show Yan Ningxi has no connection to those cases.”

Suddenly, Zhao Quan’s phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Zhao Quan twitched at the corner of his mouth and picked up. “You guys guessed wrong. I think her third incident has come.”

He put the call on speaker.

The other officers instantly grew serious.

Yan Ningxi’s voice came through quickly. “Officer Zhao, this is Yan Ningxi.”

Zhao Quan: “Hello, Miss Yan. What can I do for you?”

Once she confirmed the line was connected, Yan Ningxi spoke as fast as she could, “A friend was chatting with me earlier, saying she’s cooking something at home alone. She’s been unusually sleepy today and suddenly stopped replying to me.”

“I’m worried she might have fallen asleep and forgotten to turn off the stove, which could cause a fire. Could you please check it out? It’s at Xiangzhou Coast.”