Netherworld Investigator

NEW NOVEL: First and foremost, I'm delighted to announce that our long-time veteran translator littleshanks has finally launched his new novel, Rise!  Rise is a novel about the esports scene in Shanghai, the competitive gaming capital of China. It follows the story of Lin Feng, a boy who has just moved to the city for his last year of high school. He's a passionate gamer and dreams of being the best professional League of Legends player in the world. The twist? He almost achieved his dream, but failed at the...

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After listening to the recording three times, I was finally sure I hadn’t misunderstood a single word he said. "Mike Zhou is Yi Xi’s pseudonym!” I exclaimed. “No wonder! The guy’s so rich but there’s almost no sign of his existence."

"Song-ge, you’re wrong,” said  Xiao Zhou. “Yi Xi is his stage name and Mike Zhou is probably his real name."

"Don't you think it's strange?” asked Xiaotao. “How can an artist have two agents?"

"There might be more than two,” remarked Xiao Zhou. “Just like how there’s an entire brokerage team behind Yi Xi. It’s exactly this bunch of people who have involved you two.”

At the time, I never imagined that this name would be the biggest mystery of the case!

"Thanks,” nodded Xiaotao. “You’ve saved us a lot of time."

"If only we can get Yi Xi's dental model,” I pondered. “All our doubts will be resolved. But how are we going to get that?"

Xiao Zhou told us to wait as he looked up gossip news on his cell phone and found an article on a charity dinner. It turned out that Yi Xi was going to attend the dinner tomorrow night according to his schedule.

Yi Xi would have to eat at the dinner party so I was almost certain we could obtain his dental model. This was an extreme measure forced by our ruthless opponents and we didn’t have to hold back.

"Xiao Zhou, how do you know his schedule? Are you a fan?" I asked.

Xiao Zhou falteringly admitted that it was actually his girlfriend. 

"I didn’t know you had a girlfriend!" teased Xiaotao.

"I hope my question isn’t offensive,” I said. “And I mean absolutely no discrimination. Is Yi Xi gay?”

“There are rumors that he is, but his company has continuously denied it. His fans are divided into two camps and both sides are incompatible,” explained Xiao Zhou. “One side is sure Yi Xi is gay and promises to support him regardless of his sexual orientation while the other camp insists that Yi Xi isn’t gay. In fact, I think sexual orientation is a personal matter. What’s there to argue about?"

"Sounds really complicated,” I sighed. “Then what happened when he announced his love affair?"

"In my humble opinion, he’s trying to cling onto that female celebrity because she supposedly has a deep background and her family monopolizes half of the film and television industry,” he deduced. “As a fan, I might be beaten for saying this. But as you all know, Yi Xi's acting skills are nowhere near good and he relies heavily on his appearance. But even appearance fades when one ages so he must plan for his future. I’m pretty sure that's why he wants to find a backer."

I looked at Xiao Zhou, surprised. "With such thorough analysis, are you a real fan or a fake one?" I laughed.

"A passer-by who’s joined in on the fun,” he chuckled.

We bid Xiao Zhou goodbye and left the station, after which Xiaotao immediately called the precinct and sent several officers to follow Yi Xi. If he went to the charity party, we would take action.

When we got to Xiaotao's place, she rushed into the living room and removed her bra, throwing it onto the couch unflinchingly. Then she turned to me and laughed, "I completely forgot you were here! Sorry, I’m just used to it."

Looking at those perky breasts faintly discernible under her shirt, my cheeks turned crimson and I quickly looked away.

Xiaotao stretched her arms and muttered, "Sigh, after running around all day, my shoulders are sore."

"Sit down,” I said. “I’ll give you a massage.” 

So I sat on the couch, Xiaotao leaning against my body as I kneaded her shoulders. My technique must have been good because Xiaotao soon let out a comfortable moan. The lights in the room were turned off and the friction against my body produced a shameful response in my lower regions. I subconsciously moved my legs away, lest I give away anything.

Xiaotao closed her eyes and said, "It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten off work right on the dot. Why don’t we do a little something?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, voice laced with nervousness.

She turned around, looked squarely at me with those seductive eyes and hooked my chin with her index finger. "You know what I mean..."

The air in the room was thick with desire, titillating my senses. I faltered, "R-right now?"

"Of course! Isn't it the perfect time to make sweet and sour spareribs?” she smiled. “Hurry up then. I’ve all the ingredients. If we keep them any longer, they’ll go bad."

Then, she jumped off the couch sprightly, though I felt as if I had just been on a roller coaster ride filled with ups and downs. Xiaotao went straight into her bedroom. 

"Is that your kitchen?" I joked.

She poked out her head and gave a half-surpressed laugh. “You idiot, I've got to change first!"

Cooking together was fun albeit rather challenging for two complete beginners. The process of making sweet and sour spareribs seemed to take forever but we managed eventually. We were satisfied so long it was decent enough to fill our tummies.

After dinner, we sat on the couch watching TV, though my attention was focused elsewhere. Xiaotao had changed into a thin silk spaghetti strap nightgown, large areas of her smooth, creamy skin a feast for the eyes and her faint womanly fragrance a constant temptation.

"It would be nice to get off work on time every day, have a meal and watch some TV,” she said, sounding a little tired. “I’d like that sort of life."

"It’s not like you actually like getting off work on time,” I said. “Who else can you blame but yourself?"

"Song Yang, you’re the only one who knows me after all!” she articulated. “By the way, what are your plans after graduation?"

"I’ll look around and check which massage parlor lacks a masseuse," I quipped.

"Seriously, if you don't want to look for a job, I'll take care of you!” she said, playfully pounding my chest with her fist. “I don't have any special requirements. I just need you to clean, cook and warm my bed."

"Dali mentioned that he wants to start a business with me,” I replied. “I’d like to give it a go and see if we can make something out of it."

"I didn’t know you were so ambitious,” she laughed.

Throughout our conversation, Xiaotao inched closer and closer towards me until I could feel her breath against my skin. A pair of limpid eyes stared at me, her ardent gaze heating up my body and sending my heart pounding like the thundering hooves of a thousand wild stallions. But this time, I plucked up the courage and caressed her shoulders, feeling the silky touch under my palms as I slowly leaned in...

However, a sudden phone call tore through the amorous atmosphere. Xiaotao grabbed her phone from the coffee table and leaned against my chest to answer the call. From my position, I could clearly see her deep cleavage and the top of her plump breasts. We kept this posture until the end of the call.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Xiao Zhou was mistaken about the date,” Xiaotao urgently replied. “The charity dinner is tonight! We’ve got to move now!"

I couldn’t hide a look of disappointment. "Aren’t we unlucky," complained Xiaotao.

The flames of desire raging in my chest weren’t so easily doused. Just as Xiaotao was about to stand up, I pulled her into my embrace and lightly skimmed my lips over hers. Having never kissed before, it wasn't much of a kiss, but rather a touch on the lips.

When we separated, our faces were flushed, burning hot, but Xiaotao's eyes seemed to contain infinite tenderness in their depths. She leaned in and suddenly urged, "We can’t! We’re already late! Let's get going!"

She ran back to her room to change, and when she came out, she had already switched back to her usual valiant self. Her change was so quick the kiss seemed like a dream. When we went downstairs, my footsteps were light as if I were floating.

After getting into the car, Xiaotao immediately made a phone call. During the conversation, she suddenly reached out, her fingers flitting across my waist. 

"What are you doing?" I puzzled.

"An XL suit should be okay,” she spoke into the phone. “We'll come and get it right away."

Then, she hung up and explained, "We definitely can't attend the dinner with our current attire. I’ve asked an evening wear boutique to prepare two ready-made outfits for us. My father is a regular client so the boss is very accommodating."

"What a great idea!"

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