Chapter 15 Chapter Fourteen

Once home, Anna rushed upstairs.Rafe didn't stop her. Half an hour later, she lay peacefully on the bench, with Winston loyally by her side.Looking out at the choppy shore, she told herself she was overreacting. Apparently, she's been a little out of control lately. She had every right to be mad at Reeve for the scandal at the gas station.But why did she lose her temper so much?Not only did she yell at Li Peter, she almost cried in public. What happened to her? The answer was obvious, but she didn't want to face it.When she heard Reeve's footsteps, she was almost happy.Anything was better than her facing her predicament alone.

are you OK?he asked. Seeing his anxious expression, she felt some comfort. I am angry.she said. I know.He handed her a cup of iced tea.She hesitated for a moment before taking it, and he seemed relieved.Then he sat down with his hands on his knees.it's all my fault. She checked the tea in her hand, it was not ordinary black tea, but emerald green, with slices of bright green mint leaves sandwiched in the ice cubes.Why didn't you insert a small umbrella?she said. He looked at the tea in his hand, then shook his head.The umbrella will cover the mouth of the cup. As ugly as that scene at the gas station.She took a sip of the tea and it tasted wonderful.why did you do that

do what? Proposed to me in that weird way. Are you sure you want to discuss this? I want to hear your answer. He looked out the window at the sea.All right!From the first day you returned to Zhumengyuan, I already wanted to propose to you, but I knew you would not accept it.At least, not yet. what are you He ignored her question, he seemed determined no matter what the outcome, he was going to speak his mind in one breath. Over the past few days, I think we've gotten closer and made some progress. You mean, having sex? He nodded.That's part of it.But I don't want to trade in.

sexual relationship? our relationship. oh.she said in a deep voice.Why? Mainly because I think your emotions are restless and withdrawn. I?It was you who said you had no confidence in yourself. I absolutely have the right to decide how to play this game of chess, I have no idea what kind of challenge I am facing.You said you had a list of conditions for your ideal partner, but you didn't even tell me what your new conditions were like. That boring condition table. Yes, it's boring.Anna, it was the source of my anxiety. She reached out and stroked Winston's head.Yeah? It's driving me nuts.Anyway, I was really pissed off this afternoon when you publicly announced that we never discussed marriage.He paused, then said again: My emotions are out of control.

She put down the teacup slowly.are you serious? He turned to look at her.very serious. You've wanted to marry me since my first day? To be honest, I thought about it a long time ago.He looked down at his hands, and when he raised his head again, his eyes were clear.Perhaps, you have already had that idea since you were notified by Yisha's lawyer that you were still single. I don't understand.she whispered.Why do you have the idea of ​​getting married?Because you think that's the easiest way to deal with the legacy? No.Marriage is by no means an easy way to deal with anything.This, I know better than anyone.

So, why?Her voice was raised again, she had to be careful, after all, she was from the He family. Riff scrunched up his face.It's hard to explain, it just feels right.When I received the lawyer's letter, I suddenly had a feeling that the dust had settled, as if I had been looking for my direction in the fog all my life, and at that moment, the clouds suddenly cleared and the fog cleared, and I immediately found my direction. So, what exactly do you want? Nothing too special.That's you, the hotel, the restaurant.a future. She waited for him to add love to the list.But, he didn't.

I see.However, people would still say that the marriage between the He family and the Mai family is already special enough. He looked at her obsessively.I don't know what conditions have been added to your Prince Charming condition list, but I have worked hard to improve it over the past eight years.Maybe, I still don't meet the conditions when you were nineteen I was twenty that night, not nineteen. casual.In short, I have met some of the conditions, others, I will continue to work hard. Why?she asked blankly. He leans forward.You are from the He family.You must be thinking about marriage very rationally.We will consider our marital issues rationally and soberly.We know each other better than most.We have the basis of three generations of acquaintance, and we have Zhumengyuan to work together.Partnering in business is a very close working experience.

you think so? right.His tone gradually became milder.On my part, I can guarantee that this will definitely not be another typical Max marriage. She drank her tea, secretly happy in her heart.How to guarantee? I can only tell you that he spread his hands in despair.This is by no means a marriage based on sexy and romantic fantasies. Not sexy at all?she asked, biting on a straw. I'm not saying you're not sexy, you know I think you're very sexy.We fit well in bed, which is important in a marriage. It's good to be able to cooperate.she said. Yes, and very important. But all you want is a marriage of convenience.

What I want, his tone became tense.It's a marriage based on what the He family likes, and it's a marriage that meets your boring conditions. His excited tone made her unable to bear a look at him.However, he was expressionless. Yes, she uses a straw to stir the ice cubes.boring. He took a breath.All right!Boring isn't the right adjective.What I want to say is that we have the opportunity to have a wonderful marriage.Anna, you said that I could not make the same mistakes as my grandfather and my father.I haven't been 100% successful, but I've tried to avoid major mistakes.And, I have indeed achieved the goals I set eight years ago.

You did not become a criminal. Does this count as an achievement? Um. It did take me a while to find out what I wanted, but I've now moved on.I need to know if you can tweak your condition table to give me a little chance? That depends on the situation!she said cruelly.In fact, compared with the previous form, the conditions I asked for now are much shorter.In fact, I only have one request. He looked at her the way Winston looked at a seagull.His eyes were full of hope and determination, but at the same time there was a nervousness of self-defense. There was the sound of a car outside the room.Winston immediately ran over to carry out reconnaissance work, and Reeve frowned, obviously unhappy to be interrupted at this time.Then, thinking of his appointment tonight, he stood up quickly.

It should be Bai Aili.He said, following Winston to the door. Anna looked at his back and muttered in a low voice.Is it really so difficult to say a word of love? Who would have imagined that the men of the Mai family would actually base their marriage on the basis of common interests and goals? Who would have imagined that a woman from the He family would actually yearn for a passionate and romantic love? The sound of the car's engine stopped.Anna also hurriedly stood up and followed Reeve and Winston. That was the record for that night.Ellie Bai spread out a booklet in black leather on the kitchen table.Sandriver's first political party was a big event, well attended, including some from Portland. What we're looking for are cars that have left and returned between midnight and two o'clock.Rafe took the notebook closer to read it.Ellie Bai, did you stay until the end of the party that day? Until the last car leaves the parking lot.she says.As I said, the records must be complete. Anna flipped through the records.There are a lot of car numbers recorded in it, and it takes a little time to read them all. Take it easy.Ellie stood up.While you guys investigate, I'm going to take a break in the solarium.Rafe, I'll make some more coffee to go, okay? please.He picked up his pen and got to work. Thanks.Ellie went to pour the coffee herself.It's been a long time since I sat in Isha's solarium.I miss her so much, Isa always has many interesting topics to talk about. Anna was taken aback by Allie's sad tone, and she immediately looked up at her. Ellie took the mug, walked towards the kitchen door, and said: You know what?I get on well with her.When I told her about the suspicious behavior at the research center, she understood and didn't laugh like everyone else. Ellie's figure disappeared at the door, and Anna still looked at the door suspiciously. Wondering how close Ellie and Aunt Isa really are, she said softly.As far as I know, none of them are married.They've been friends for years, you think, won't they None of our business.Reeve copied some car numbers.If I read the car number and you record it, the progress will be faster. good.She picked up her pen and laid out the note paper.let's start. This job is not as simple as imagined. Ellie's notes not only record the car number, name and time, but also notes on some details.Reeve read out some notes. One of the core members? Claims to be from Portland, but has a New York Times in the back of the car also appeared in the secret meeting last tuesday, maybe a core member She is creating her own fantasy world.Anna whispered.Interesting. We're sitting here trying to solve a murder using her fantasy world notes, aren't we fresher? you're right.Anna tapped the table with her pen.If anyone knew about it, they would think we were as crazy as Ellie. It took them half an hour to finally read the record of the night that Kailin died.Anna was getting impatient, but Reeve was staring at a car number in a daze. Um.he said. She looked up immediately.how? We've just been focusing on the car numbers of Sandriver's campaign. how? Reeve slowly leaned back in his chair, looking at Ellie's notes and pondering.None of those guys had a record of leaving during that crucial two hours.Maybe we're looking in the wrong direction. Anna did not like his dark, joyful tone.Do you think the person who was going to meet Kaelin might have borrowed someone else's car? Maybe.Rafe hesitated.However, there is another possibility.As far as we understand, Kaelin was impromptu that night.Determined to get out of here the next morning, she was desperate for cash.We always thought she was selling those tapes to people from the Sandriver camp.However, we forgot that there is another market. What market? media. certainly.Anna dropped the pen.If some media bought these videos from her, why did he kill her?From the standpoint of the media, the most important thing is the safety of the source, so as to ensure that his news has a witness. Just in case, Reeve said slowly.He was going to blackmail Santrivor himself, and he wouldn't need a source. Anna took a deep breath and let it out slowly.There have been no reports of Sandriver's cross-dressing in the media.You think that one of the journalists who were at the party that night left behind those tapes and then, over the years, has been blackmailing Sandriver? Reeve moved Ellie's notebook without saying a word, so that she could see the car number he had marked. Not a reporter, he said quietly.Someone Kaelin knew well enough to contact in a hurry, someone she thought would be interested in Sandriver's story, and someone she could trust. Anna glanced at the owner's name next to the car number, and then, in surprise, she checked the notes she had made.The car left shortly after midnight and returned at 1.45am. A reporter, Reeve went on very quietly.He may know that Bai Aili has the habit of hiding in the shadows to make records. Although he knows that no one will take Bai Aili's records seriously, he still decided to steal the records of that night to be sure. Anna felt a chill rise in her heart.Do you think Kaelin is trying to sell the video to Sjedi? An hour later, Anna stopped in the sunroom to watch Mitch, Reeve, and Ellie.All three of them looked up at her too. What should we do now?she asked.Originally, we wanted to hand over the evidence to Shi Jiedi and let him follow the news, but now, he has become the number one suspect. Ellie shook her head, making a tsk-tsk sound.I should have guessed that the local media helped to cover the activities of the research center. No wonder they have been able to not be exposed for so many years. If our deduction is correct, this matter has nothing to do with the research center.Anna said patiently.It was pure blackmail and murder.It appears that what happened was that Kalyn called Sjedi that night and he went down to Hyden Bay to meet her.Perhaps, she was planning to involve him in the blackmail.Or, she was going to sell him the video.Whether it was the former or the latter, he saw a great opportunity to make a fortune. However, he thought he'd better get rid of Kaelin.Mitch said.Maybe he didn't trust her to keep her mouth shut.Or, he simply wanted to swallow it all by himself. Rafe rubbed the back of his neck.The point is, we have absolutely no proof. You have my record!Ellie reminded him. No offense Ellie, but we need something more specific to go to the police. We can still provide this information to the media, Ana reminded him.Not Eclipse Bay Magazine though, maybe some media in Portland would be interested. Maybe, maybe not.Reeve tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair.I had hoped that Shi Jiedi would follow this news because it was a scandal in this town and he should be most interested. He'd be more than interested, Mitch said.He might sue us! Anna looked out the window at the bay.Hopefully we have more information to continue the investigation, Reeve is right, we don't have any concrete evidence. Everyone fell silent. You already know who you are going to track down, Mitch broke the silence and said.You should be able to scare Stride to death with the information you have.Let him know that if he dares to misbehave, there will be a lot of things that will be brought out.That should calm him down a bit. Allie said angrily: "Why don't you just call Sandriver's people and tell them we know who's been blackmailing their boss for years? I'm not sure that Stridey blackmailed Sandriver.Reeve said calmly. This statement made everyone look at him. He rested his arms on his knees.If you think about it, there is no phenomenon that Streidi's life exceeds his income level.If he had blackmailed Sandriver, where had the money gone? Everyone fell silent again. damn it!Mitch grumbled.Why would he kill for a video and then wait eight years for nothing? Ellie's eyes lit up suddenly.Why waste it on a state legislator when there's a congressman to blackmail? Ellie, you know what?Reeve smiled emotionally.Sometimes your mind really shines. She has a point.Mitch whistled appreciatively.Everyone knew from the start that Sandriver was bound to go further into Congress.He glanced at Reeve.You know Sjedi best, do you think he plans to go long-term fishing? perhaps.Reeve mused.He always likes to stress the importance of timing and planning. Anna put her hands on her waist.If Sjedi had had those tapes for so many years, he would have grown a little anxious about the prospect of success.No wonder, when Reeve and I came back here, the townspeople started gossiping again and finally got him to do that dirty trick. The problem is, we've made a lot of guesswork, so what to do?Mitch said. Reeve looked out to sea.If possible, we will find a way to collect more data. Anna turned around alertly.What do you want to do? There's a town meeting tonight to discuss plans to renew the pier.Shi Jiedi will go to interview.This meeting may drag on very late. She understood as soon as she heard it, and rushed to him immediately.You're going to search for his place, aren't you?Rafe, you can't take this risk. What if a police car happens to pass by and sees you again?If you get caught, you'll go to jail. That would be too ironic.Reeve said.I've been careful all my life, but in the end I can't guarantee it at the end of the day. This is no joke.She turned to face Mitch.I believe you don't want him to take such a risk, he is your grandson, help me to dissuade him! Mitch scratched his chin, wolf-like excitement on his face.I certainly don't want him to risk it alone.I'd better go with him before he gets into trouble. Anna looked at the faces of the two of them in turn, and finally sighed helplessly.Damn, you guys really find time to work together! Mitch hid under the bushes and watched the big house.Shi Jiedi's home was dark and quiet under the fog.Have you thought about what to do if we touch the anti-theft system? There should be no anti-theft system.Reeve said.Not many families in Lunar Eclipse Bay would worry about the invasion of thieves. But he's Sjedi, and he's no ordinary resident.Recently, you and Anna have made him very nervous again, maybe he will install an anti-theft system.Now, I just want to know, if we ever meet, do you have a plan? Do you think I'll come unprepared? You just say, what shall we do then? Run like hell. Mitch nodded.I knew it. Do you want to quit now? never.I haven't encountered such an interesting thing in many years. Riff smiled.I knew it. They entered the house easily.Perhaps too easily.That's what Reeve thought as he pushed open the unlocked window.He stood on the window sill and listened intently. what happened?Mitch asked. nothing.Reeve jumped into the bedroom. The dead silence in the room struck him deeply.There was a desolate silence all around him, a feeling he was all too familiar with.When he was in San Diego, his place was just as bleak, and it didn't go away until he moved back to Eclipse Bay.Perhaps, a house without a woman is like that. How about now?Mitch asked in a low voice after crawling in. You look for this room.Check for a safe built into the wall.I'll see if he has a study or studio.Are you wearing gloves? certainly.However, we are not professionals after all, what if he finds out that someone has flipped through his things? Just to scare him.Reeve said.If we can't find the tape, we can only make him tense hard. He left the bedroom and quickly searched along the corridor.He found another bedroom, which looked as if no one had used it.He opened the closet, which contained only some camping gear. He continued looking for another room.It looked like Stjedy's living room, with a large TV, expensive stereo equipment, and a black leather sofa. There was a trash can next to the sofa, and Reeve glanced into it.There are some waste papers in it. Reeve took a closer look with a flashlight.The candy wrapping paper looked familiar, like the one he saw under the big tree near the He family villa.This doesn't prove that it was Jedi who was spying on Anna outside the house at night, but it does raise suspicions. River.Mitch's anxious voice came from the bedroom.You better come and see. Reeve hurried over.What's wrong?He pointed the flashlight at Mitch, who was standing perfectly fine in front of the closet.What did you find? It's not that I found anything, but that something that should be there is missing.Mitch pointed to three drawers.There is nothing here, it is empty. you sure? look by youself. Reeve walked over and pulled open the closet.There were only three shirts hanging in the closet, and a pair of worn trousers were thrown on the floor.Nothing else.There was a safe on the wall, the door of the safe was open, and it was empty. Apparently he had packed up and left.Mitch said.Maybe he guessed we were after him. How would he know? Mitch shrugged.This is a small place, maybe he saw Ellie's car parked at the gate of Zhumengyuan this afternoon.He should be able to figure out what's going on soon.He must have seen that you were one of the few people who didn't think Ellie was crazy, and maybe he also thought that Ellie was helping you re-investigate the cause of Shakelin's death.It was not difficult for him to piece together the information. No.Reeve thought about it, then said: If he'd analyzed the possibilities, he'd be prepared for what to do if someone came along and asked him some questions. At least one thing is certain, Mitch said, turning to look at the empty safe.Sjedi has taken the tape away.