Chapter 58: Trouble Arrives

Looking at Mrs. Qian’s gentle smile, Xiao Qian forced out a smile of his own. “How could I possibly?”

“You know my temperament. Once I’ve decided to do something, I’ll do it to the utmost. I would never be careless about it.”

“That’s good.” Mrs. Qian gazed at the proper-looking film set, removed her sunglasses, and a trace of nostalgia flickered in her eyes. “After the shoot, I’ll treat these children to a meal.”

Xiao Qian glanced at Mo Fei, who was still filming, and nodded helplessly. “Alright.”

The mention of a meal brought about a cheer among the group.

Mo Fei’s eyes were practically green with hunger. The instant Xiao Qian shouted “Cut!”, he dashed out without the slightest bit of small talk, still in costume as he leapt into the car, ready to head off and eat.

Mrs. Qian appeared difficult to approach, yet the restaurant she chose was modest, tucked away in a remote corner, almost impossible to find for most people.

“The owner of this private kitchen runs a kennel at home and is renowned for his dog meat dishes,” Mrs. Qian ordered with practiced ease, inviting everyone to take their seats.

Mo Fei’s attention, however, was drawn to the large yellow dog tethered in the courtyard.

The dog looked like a mongrel, with two black spots above its eyes resembling eyebrows, and a tuft of long fur on its chest, giving it a regal and intelligent appearance.

Upon seeing guests arrive, the dog didn’t bark. It merely sat in the courtyard, tongue lolling, panting, and drooling onto the ground.

“That dog is beautiful.” The girl from the oil painting department was fond of animals and watched it for a while. “Its coat is so shiny. The owner must be very fond of it.”

Mo Fei crouched before the dog, observing it not with fondness for animals, but with suspicion.

He was the sort to talk about clues when he had them, and rely on intuition when he didn’t.

His intuition now told him something was off about the dog.

It carried a foul odor—not the usual dog smell—and the way it looked at him made him deeply uncomfortable.

Even his arrogant cat at home, whose head was perpetually tilted skyward, had never made him feel this way.

Now Mo Fei had completely lost his appetite.

If his intuition told him not to eat, there was a serious problem here.

Mo Fei stood up, swayed a little, and held his head, looking miserable.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Xingyu hurried over to steady him, concern in his voice. “Is your body still not recovered? Or are you just exhausted?”

Mo Fei’s face was pale as death, his breath barely there. “I feel a bit unwell—like I’m seeing little people dancing—”

He reached out and grasped at the air as he spoke.

This immediately put the rest of the crew on edge.

“I’ll take you to the hospital,” Ji Xingyu said, glancing at Xiao Qian. “He was hospitalized for food poisoning just two nights ago; maybe it’s relapsed.”

“Don’t explain, just go!” Xiao Qian waved her hand urgently.

“Take your time eating, Auntie, I’ll leave first.” After greeting Mrs. Qian, Ji Xingyu propped Mo Fei up out of the courtyard, stuffed him into the car, and slammed the accelerator straight towards the hospital.

Mo Fei barely had time to speak before he felt a tremendous force pinning him to the seat.

He hadn’t felt such a powerful thrust except when riding a roller coaster.

Ji Xingyu shifted gears and floored the accelerator with practiced ease, spinning the steering wheel as if they were in a race car.

Mo Fei clutched the door handle, huddled in the passenger seat, shouting in terror, “Slow down, slow down!”

Ji Xingyu found a moment to glance at him amidst the chaos, realizing this speed wasn’t ideal for a patient, and gradually eased off the accelerator.

As the force subsided, Mo Fei finally breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m fine, no need to go to the hospital.”

“You’re fine?” Ji Xingyu frowned in confusion. “Then what was all that acting about? Is there something wrong?”

Recalling Mo Fei’s earlier performance in front of the traffic police, Ji Xingyu’s expression turned grave. “Are there human traffickers here?”

Mo Fei shakily pulled out his phone, shaking his head. “Probably not. Traffickers are being cracked down everywhere lately; they wouldn’t be so bold.”

“I just think there’s something wrong with that dog.”

“The dog?” Ji Xingyu slowed the car further, probing. “Was it stolen? Or does it have rabies?”

“I don’t know, but anything that makes me instinctively abandon a meal must be more than just that.” Mo Fei solemnly tapped his phone to report to Officer Xu.

“I’m convinced that dog has committed a crime.”

Ji Xingyu wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this statement and asked, “So are we heading to the police station to file a report?”

“Report what, that a dog might have committed a crime?” Mo Fei shook his head. “The officers would think I haven’t had enough toxic mushrooms yet.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“Let’s just find somewhere to eat first.” Mo Fei looked pale. “I’m truly starving.”

Ji Xingyu could do nothing with him, so he treated the master to a meal and, fearing he might collapse from mushroom poisoning, personally delivered him to his doorstep.

But upon arriving home, both were stunned.

The originally liver-colored security door was splattered with red paint and doused in sewage. Upon closer inspection, the keyhole was stuffed tightly with all sorts of debris.

The door was ruined.

The scene clearly indicated deliberate revenge. Ji Xingyu retreated, holding his nose. “Who have you offended?”

Mo Fei was even more bewildered. “I’ve always acted uprightly—who could I possibly offend?”

After saying this, he realized something wasn’t right and began counting on his fingers. “Recently, there were traffickers; further back, I caught those thieves, voyeurs, robbers, and poisoners.”

“Damn, do I really have that many enemies?” Mo Fei cursed. “People’s moral boundaries are way too low these days.”

“Maybe we should call the police first,” Ji Xingyu suggested, worried it might be traffickers seeking revenge.

Those were people who didn’t value human life.

‘No need to call the police.’

A dark figure emerged from the shadows.

Mo Fei checked it over, and seeing it hadn’t been splashed with paint or filth, picked it up. “Brother, do you know something?”

A slit pupil, elliptical in shape, gave it an air of intelligence: ‘An old woman did this. I saw her while scouting the area; she lives nearby.’

“An elderly neighbor?” Mo Fei recalled those he’d crossed paths with and did find one.

The old woman who once stole a helmet—her son was later arrested. Now she’d come for revenge?

Mo Fei couldn’t understand. “Her execution is lacking. Why not confront me face-to-face that night? Why resort to these underhanded tricks?”

Pouring sewage at someone’s door—how disgusting.

Ji Xingyu was no longer surprised to see Mo Fei talking to the cat. After witnessing the cat return with a map to rescue someone, he was convinced Mo Fei could truly communicate with it.

Seeing Mo Fei seemed to have a lead, he asked, “Do you know who did it?”

“A bored person.” Mo Fei pondered, deciding he needed to find an opportunity to resolve this thoroughly.

The old woman was now over seventy and couldn’t be detained anymore. If she kept pulling these stunts every so often, it would never end.