Tang Jie spent the entire meal chatting with Qin Yue about various pieces of gossip from S City, and even after the meal ended, she still felt there was more to discuss.
When the server came to settle the bill, Tang Jie and Qin Yue fought over who would pay, but in the end, experience prevailed, and Tang Jie admitted defeat.
As they were leaving, Tang Jie casually asked Officer Qin for his phone number, saying cheerfully, “We’ll remember this meal. When Officer Qin has time, Dr. Lu and I will treat you to a proper meal in return. You must give us the honor.”
Qin Yue shared his phone number, his face beaming as he looked at Tang Jie. “You’re too kind. I’m a simple man who just enjoys making friends. Besides, my wife might bring our child to the clinic for a dental checkup in a few days. We’ll need to trouble Dr. Tang about that what was it… ‘pit and—'”
“Dental pit and fissure sealant,” Tang Jie smiled, showing her teeth as she took out a business card for ‘Jierui Dental Hospital’ and handed it to Qin Yue. “When my sister-in-law brings my nephew, if I’m not at the clinic, just mention my name, and you’ll get our lowest internal discount.”
Qin Yue accepted the card with a warm smile.
While they were talking, Jiang Chengyi had already gotten into the police car and was sitting in the driver’s seat, starting the engine.
Lu Yan stood at a distance, looking ready to leave at any moment.
Tang Jie glanced at the two of them and gave Qin Yue a subtle look.
Qin Yue immediately understood and quickly sent Jiang Chengyi’s phone number to Tang Jie.
Everything was understood without words.
Still needing to return to the station, Qin Yue couldn’t delay any longer after sharing the number. He said goodbye to Tang Jie and Lu Yan, then opened the car door and got in.
Tang Jie turned and linked arms with Lu Yan. “You’re off tomorrow, right? I’m staying at your place tonight. I want to have a good chat with you.”
Lu Yan glanced at her. “What is there to chat about? I need to review literature tonight.”
Tang Jie wasn’t buying it. “Oh please, can you write an SCI paper in one night? Don’t give me that.”
Lu Yan’s home was in the adjacent alley, visible just around the corner ahead.
The weather was getting colder, with a penetrating wind blowing against their faces, making their noses feel cold. Their high heels clicked against the hard, cold ground, creating crisp, rhythmic sounds.
At the entrance to the alley, Lu Yan stopped, looking hesitantly toward the corner where she had encountered the girl before.
Tang Jie asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
After a moment of silence, Lu Yan said, “Do you think two people can look very similar without being related?”
Tang Jie blinked. “Well, it depends on the situation. Twins look alike, don’t they? Brothers and sisters, uncles and nephews, aunts and nieces—anyone with blood relations might look similar.”
“I mean people without blood relations.”
Tang Jie was puzzled. “In this vast world, anything’s possible. It’s not impossible, but the probability would be very low. Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
Lu Yan hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell the truth: “The night before last, when I was heading to work at the hospital, I met a girl here who looked very similar to Deng Man.”
For a moment, Tang Jie’s expression went blank before quickly turning to shock.
“How is that possible? Deng Man passed away eight years ago, and she didn’t have any siblings. Are you sure your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you?”
Lu Yan put her hands in her coat pockets, walking forward in deep thought.
That night, everything had happened so suddenly, and the alley was too dark. To be honest, she hadn’t gotten a clear look at the girl’s face.
But the girl’s posture and movements were so similar to Deng Man’s that she had felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity the moment she saw her. Not to mention those similar hairpins.
After walking a short distance, she sensed Tang Jie’s mood had dampened, so she adopted a lighter tone: “Actually, I didn’t get a clear look that night, I just thought their silhouettes were similar—”
“There are plenty of people with similar silhouettes,” Tang Jie interrupted. “Are you working too many night shifts lately? Or are you shocked by Jiang Chengyi’s return? And you’re supposed to be a doctor, always overthinking things.”
Lu Yan was successfully distracted by this comment and gave an exasperated look. “Who’s shocked?”
This was the first time Lu Yan had been willing to discuss anything related to Jiang Chengyi.
Tang Jie was momentarily stunned, the last traces of grief and fear dissipating from her heart. She quickly tightened her grip on Lu Yan’s arm and narrowed her eyes, saying, “I tell you, you and Jiang Chengyi, I’m done with both of you. If it weren’t for chatty old Qin at the dinner table tonight, I would have suffocated from your silence.”
Lu Yan pressed her lips together, refusing to engage further.
Tang Jie had expected this response. She was well acquainted with Lu Yan’s stubborn attitude, but tonight she had plenty of time. She was determined to understand Lu Yan’s true thoughts.
They reached the apartment, and Lu Yan took out her access card to open the building’s main door.
It was an old neighborhood with poor property management and environment. The alley below was constantly busy with people coming and going, leaving no peace for the residents.
Perhaps the only advantage was its convenience for commuting to work.
When they reached Lu Yan’s third-floor apartment, Tang Jie rushed in first, kicked off her shoes, and lay down on the sofa.
Just as she was about to stretch comfortably, she noticed Lu Yan hadn’t come in yet.
“What are you doing?” She got up curiously to look and saw Lu Yan bent over, staring at the wall beside the door as if carefully examining something.
She went over: “What’s wrong?”
Lu Yan turned on her phone’s flashlight and wiped her finger across the wall surface.
Tang Jie then noticed a children’s sticker next to the door lock, butterfly-shaped, with smooth, intact paper and vibrant colors, obviously recently applied.
“What’s this?”
Lu Yan shook her head and peeled off the sticker. “Probably some kid playing pranks.”
They went inside, and Lu Yan changed into slippers, went to the bedroom to find pajamas and toiletries, and handed them to Tang Jie.
Since she had bought this apartment, Tang Jie had frequently stayed over, so often that she had brought a set of her things to keep there.
Tang Jie sat on the sofa mysteriously fiddling with her phone, and as soon as Lu Yan came over, she held out her hand: “Give me your phone, I need to use it.”