Chapter 5

Jiang Ye did not return all night.

He came back the next evening.

He brought me a mala dry pot¹.

“It’s from your favorite place, I waited in line for half a day. You eat first, I’m going to take a shower!”

“Okay!”

Jiang Ye went to the bathroom.

I took the spare key, grabbed the package, and headed straight to the underground garage.

The car had been washed, spotless.

The passenger seat was adjusted to my usual position.

There seemed to be nothing unusual.

But these weren’t my main focus; I needed to check the dashcam.

I reviewed all the surveillance footage from yesterday to today.

Jiang Ye drove to the university in the south of the city.

He called a girl and said two words: “Come down!”

The girl hopped into the passenger seat.

Sounds of kissing, heavy breathing.

“Did you touch that old woman?”

“Shut up!”

“Did you touch her or not?”

Jiang Ye’s voice was hoarse, full of desire.

“What do you think?”

The girl was smug: “All mine!”

“Don’t beg for mercy later!”

The speed of the car showed the driver’s urgency.

Near a residential area by the school, the car stopped.

The footage showed again at ten the next morning.

Only Jiang Ye was there.

The video played quietly.

I sat stiffly in the car.

Muscles tense and aching.

I raised my hand to cut off the footage, and a phone rang inside.

It was Zhou Yiqin, Jiang Ye’s childhood friend.

“Where are you? Why aren’t you here yet?”

“On the way!”

“Tsk, being this late isn’t like you! You didn’t go to see your Peachie again, did you?”

Jiang Ye responded with a hum.

Zhou Yiqin seemed a bit speechless: “Seriously, your frequency is too high. Are you serious?”

Jiang Ye chuckled.

“What do you mean by serious? What do you mean by not serious?”

“Don’t pretend! I thought you were just fooling around, how did it turn into something long-term? Aren’t you madly in love with Su He? How did you suddenly cheat?”

This question seemed to stump Jiang Ye.

After a long pause, he spoke: “Su He is 33!”

“And then?”

“I don’t know why, but once she turned thirty, I just felt she… was a bit dirty!”

Footnote:

1. Mala Dry Pot(麻辣香锅):A popular Chinese dish known for its distinctive numbing (麻, má) and spicy (辣, là) flavor. It’s a stir-fried dish where various ingredients (like meats, vegetables, and tofu) are cooked together in a rich, aromatic, and spicy sauce, typically served in a dry pot (without broth). Diners usually choose their ingredients, which are then stir-fried to order.