Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 28.1

Chapter 28.1

As He Yunqin pulled up to the police station, he noticed a big crowd spilling out, led by Director Bai and Yu Chongyi.

When Yu Chongyi saw He Yunqin’s car near the police station entrance, he sensed something was off. He told his team he was going to check out the other side of the street, and while they were distracted, he slipped into a quiet alley across the way.

Sure enough, He Yunqin and Yu Hongdou were waiting there.

As soon as Yu Chongyi arrived, He Yunqin rolled down the window and shared what he and Yu Hongdou had just figured out.

Hearing that, Yu Chongyi’s face brightened, and he quickly said, “I’ll gather some people to search around the Grand Theatre.”

Two hours passed, and they didn’t get any message from Yu Chongyi.

 He Yunqin got out of the car and took a while to return.

With nothing to chat about, Yu Hongdou and Wang Peter felt like time was dragging.

After resting her chin on her hands for a bit, Yu Hongdou grew impatient and opened the car door, deciding to stroll through the alley to calm her nerves.

He Yunqin was leaning on the back of the car smoking, and when he saw Yu Hongdou come out looking anxious, he stubbed out his cigarette and said, “There’s a place over there that sells sour plum soup. Are you thirsty, Miss Yu? I’ll grab you a bowl.”

Upon hearing that, Yu Hongdou glanced at the alley and spotted a little stall. She thought it was just a casual question, so she confidently said, “I’ve asked Mr He to grab food for me twice. Now it’s my turn to treat you!” With that, she strolled over and ordered three bowls of sour plum soup.

After the vendor served the food, she reached for her pocket to pay, only to find it empty. Then it hit her—she had just rushed home to shower and forgot to grab her money while hurrying downstairs to get a handkerchief for her brother. If only she had known, she wouldn’t have offered to treat. Now, she felt even more embarrassed and didn’t know what to do. All she could think was that if she managed to find cousin Yuqi, she would invite He Yunqin out with her brother when they had the chance. With that thought, she decided to go to He Yunqin without shame.

When he noticed she hadn’t paid for a while, he came over and, perhaps wanting to spare her from embarrassment, he calmly pulled out some cash to cover the bill.

Yu Hongdou felt her ears droop as she watched him help her out. Suddenly her heart started to beat fast, and she was unable to settle down.

If it were Qin Xuekai, she would have thanked him for saving her, but she felt super awkward facing He Yunqin. ‘This guy is really polite. No wonder so many women are into him.’

He Yunqin paid the bill and noticed the young woman’s earlobes were still red. He realised she was still shy, so he grabbed a bowl of sour plum soup and downed it in one go. After setting the bowl down, he smiled brightly and said, “Thanks, Miss Yu, for the sour plum soup.”

Yu Hongdou figured he probably didn’t actually like the roadside sour plum soup, and he was just being nice to make her feel better. She let out a quiet sigh of relief and took the other bowl, drinking it quietly. Then she smiled sweetly at him and said, “Sorry for bothering you these days, Mr He. If we ever get the chance, my brother and I would love to treat you to a delicious dinner.”

She tried to act all grown-up, but when she smiled, her round dimples showed, adding a touch of softness and youthfulness to her face.

He Yunqin looked at her, thinking how incredibly soft and fair her skin appeared. His hands were itching to pinch her chubby cheeks, but thankfully he managed to stay composed and just kept the thought to himself instead of acting on it. Then he thought of his sister. Even though they often talked to each other, he realised he had never really looked at his sister’s face this closely.

Noticing her genuine desire to treat him, he smiled and said, “Since Miss Yu and Mr Yu have invited me, why should I decline it? Miss Yu can choose the time and place, and I’ll be there.” After saying that, he headed towards the car.

Yu Hongdou brought a bowl of sour plum soup to Wang Peter and walked alongside him.

“Miss Yu seems really worried about Pan Yuqi’s safety. You have been up for several nights trying to crack the case. I guess you two sisters are pretty close,” He Yunqin suddenly asked.

“My family has gone through a similar tragedy before, so when we heard about my cousin going missing, we were especially anxious,” Yu Hongdou said after letting out a sigh.

Upon hearing that, He Yunqin was a bit surprised. “Has anyone in Miss Yu’s family gone missing before?”

“Yeah… She is my aunt, and she wasn’t technically missing. When we found her, she was already gone…”

This topic felt a bit too intense, and she didn’t want to continue the conversation. Just when she was about to change the subject, something caught her attention from across the street.

They both strolled over to the alley and peered out at the setting sun. They noticed a group of people returning to the police station. After a moment, Yu Chongyi stepped out of the police car and directed his colleagues to escort a man to the bureau.

Yu Hongdou stood on her toes to catch a glimpse, but she couldn’t see the man’s face. Yet, there was a nagging feeling that made her excitement hard to hold back.

Have a nice day!