17: Chapter 17, Intelligence Part 3 (End)

March 29, 2025, Saturday, light rain, 7 ~ 17°C.

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

When Qiao Yichen returned to the rented apartment, it was already getting dark.

The motion-sensor lights in the hallway flickered on one by one, only to quickly extinguish again.

Just as he was about to take out his keys, the door was opened from the inside.

Min Min stood at the doorway.

She hadn't turned on the living room main light, leaving only the small nightlight in the entryway, casting a soft outline around her entire figure with the light coming from behind her.

Her hair was casually tied up in a low ponytail, a few stray wisps framing her cheeks.

She wore almost no makeup, her bare face so clear one could see the texture of her skin.

She was wearing a loose, off-white hoodie and simple lounge pants, with a pair of fuzzy slippers on her feet—this appearance was a world away from the delicately made-up, meticulously dressed little internet celebrity she usually was during her livestreams.

"You're back," she said.

Her tone was natural, as if she had just happened to be stepping out.

Qiao Yichen nodded. "You're back too."

The words slipped out, and only then did he realize that since the last intelligence incident, it seemed he hadn't seen her around here for quite some time.

Min Min stepped aside to let him in but showed no intention of leaving herself.

She gently closed the door and leaned against the shoe cabinet, hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie.

"Let me treat you to a meal," she began, her voice much lower than usual. "Just at the entrance of the complex, as a thank you."

Qiao Yichen didn't stop changing his shoes, only looking slightly puzzled. "Thank me for what?"

"Many things," Min Min replied. "Thank you for not arguing with me that day, and thank you for... giving me an out."

Qiao Yichen straightened up and looked at her.

Under the light, her eyes were very clear, appearing much more genuine than when she was livestreaming.

"Okay."

...

The two of them went to a restaurant called 'Old Chen's Home Cooking' at the entrance of the complex.

The shop wasn't large, with only seven or eight tables.

At this hour, there were only two other tables occupied.

The owner was leaning behind the counter watching TV with the volume turned very low.

Min Min chose a spot by the window.

She didn't look at the menu and directly ordered Braised Pork Ribs, Stir-fried Water Spinach, and Tomato and Egg Soup.

While waiting for the food, Qiao Yichen spoke first: "Have you been doing okay recently?"

Min Min held her water glass, tracing circles lightly on the rim with her fingertips.

"It's alright, I guess." She paused for a few seconds, then continued, "A while ago... I actually wasn't living here."

"Mm, I know."

"It wasn't because of you," she immediately added. "But I really couldn't stay here anymore."

She spoke softly, not trying to elicit sympathy from anyone, just slowly recounting what had happened.

"After that day, I first stayed at my best friend's place for a few days," Min Min continued. "And then I went to report it to the police."

Qiao Yichen nodded.

"The police came too, collected evidence, and conducted interviews," she said in a flat tone. "The property management also helped review the surveillance footage—they actually had suspicions for a while, but they lacked evidence."

She took a sip of water.

"During the few days I moved out, that person came again."

"Was he caught on camera this time?"

"He was caught," Min Min said. "Very clearly, and it was his full face."

When she reached this point, the corners of her mouth lifted into a slight, humorless curve: "Do you know? He was wearing the uniform of a property maintenance worker, just like you said."

"But he wasn't from our complex; he was from the new development next door," she explained. "He used maintenance as an excuse and snuck in several times."

"Was the person caught later?"

"Yes, he was caught," she nodded. "When the police found his residence, he was eating instant noodles."

The dishes arrived.

The two picked up their chopsticks and ate a few bites.

"I only found out later," Min Min picked up a piece of pork rib, "that he had actually done this several times in several other complexes nearby as well."

She looked up at Qiao Yichen: "I wasn't the first one."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Qiao Yichen felt a weight in his heart, thinking how such a person could exist.

"So that's why you haven't been back to live here for so long," he said.

"Mm," Min Min nodded. "When something like this happens, maybe you need some time to recover."

She lowered her head and ate a few bites of rice, chewing very slowly.

After a while, she spoke again:

"Actually... at first, I really suspected you."

Qiao Yichen looked up at her.

"I know."

Min Min was momentarily stunned.

"Your behavior was very obvious back then," Qiao Yichen's tone was calm. "And from your perspective, it was reasonable. First, my schedule was irregular, and second, I had mistakenly accepted your package before. From any angle, I was indeed the most suspicious person."

His frankness made Min Min feel a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice low but sincere.

"No need," Qiao Yichen shook his head. "If I were you, I would have suspected it too."

Min Min looked at him, her gaze somewhat complex.

She looked up: "And what you said that day, I thought about it a lot afterward. You were very calm, not rushing to defend yourself. But you pointed me in the right direction—check the surveillance, find evidence, instead of just arguing with me."

"I just felt that was the most efficient way," Qiao Yichen replied.

"But many people don't even have that much composure," Min Min smiled. "Especially when they are being wrongly accused."

She ate a few more bites of food.

"Actually, I invited you to dinner not just to apologize and thank you."

Qiao Yichen waited for her to continue.

She paused: "I'm moving out."

The air went quiet for a few seconds.

Qiao Yichen watched her; Min Min's gaze remained fixed on the rim of her water glass, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the glass wall.

After hearing this, he expressed understanding. "Indeed, as a girl living alone, you need to be more careful about safety."

Min Min looked up at him, a sense of relief washing over her eyes from being understood.

"However," Qiao Yichen continued, "moving is physical work. You must have quite a few things, right?"

"Not too much... mainly clothes and equipment," Min Min replied. "I've already scheduled a moving truck for tomorrow."

"What time will you arrive?" Qiao Yichen asked naturally.

"Ten in the morning," she answered.

Qiao Yichen nodded: "Then I'll help you out tomorrow. For the large boxes, two people are always more convenient than one."

Min Min was startled, seemingly not expecting him to offerinitiative (proactively). She opened her mouth, but finally just said softly: "...Will it be too much trouble for you?"

"It's not trouble," Qiao Yichen's tone suggested it was a matter of course. "It’s hard for a girl to lift some heavy things. I don't have anything else to do, consider it... seeing off a roommate."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his water glass and took a sip.

Min Min looked at him, and her eyes suddenly felt a bit warm.

She averted her gaze, tightly gripping the body of the glass with her fingers.

When she turned back, a faint but genuine smile appeared on her face.

"I don't think I have you as a contact yet. Let's add each other."

Qiao Yichen smiled faintly. "Okay."

The two ate for a while longer until their bowls were nearly empty.

Min Min glanced at her phone: "It's getting late, shall we head back?"

"Okay."

As they walked out of the restaurant, the evening breeze already carried the coolness of spring.

...

When they reached downstairs, the motion-sensor lights in the hallway still turned on and off one by one.

He opened the door and entered the apartment.

Min Min stood at the door of her room, her hand on the doorknob, not going in immediately.

"Well... see you tomorrow?" she turned her head, her tone carrying a hint of confirmation.

"See you tomorrow," Qiao Yichen nodded. "Ten o'clock, I'll be here on time."

"Mm," Min Min looked at him, smiling. Her smile appeared gentle in the dim light of the entryway. "Good night."

"Good night."

The door closed softly.

Qiao Yichen returned to his room, took out his phone, and tapped open the system interface.

Three pieces of intelligence were suspended quietly.

The first one was already marked as complete, the second one had its status updated a few days ago, and the third one—

["Intelligence Three"] Your co-tenant, the platform internet celebrity 'Min Min' (Li Min), discovered that several high-value undergarments were missing without explanation.

Due to your recent abnormal schedule and having mistakenly accepted her packages, you have been unilaterally listed as the primary suspect.

She is currently secretly gathering 'evidence' and plans to report to the police tomorrow morning for processing.

Those characters began to change, as if gently erased by an invisible rubber, fading and dissipating line by line, finally vanishing completely from the screen.

Immediately following this, a new system notification appeared:

["Intelligence Three Verification Complete. Potential conflict resolved; relationship enters a stable state."]

The text remained for three seconds, then slowly faded away.

Qiao Yichen put down his phone.

...

Ten o'clock the next morning, the moving company arrived punctually.

Qiao Yichen helped carry the several boxes packed in the corner of the living room to the truck, moving efficiently without saying much.

Min Min stood by the truck, taking one last look at the building, then turned and waved at him.

"I'm leaving, Brother Qiao. Contact me if you need anything."

"Have a smooth move."

The truck pulled out of the complex and merged into the flow of traffic on the street.

Qiao Yichen stood there watching for a while, then turned and went back inside.