"Never mind. Honestly, I can't accept such a weird hobby. I suspect you've never tasted real food, so I’ve decided not to talk to people who haven’t eaten real food," Zhu Yanyi said directly.
Niu Chuntian looked at his fried rice and turned to Luo Gang and Wang Ye, who were eating heartily nearby. "Actually, the fried rice is really good, right?"
Luo Gang and Wang Ye glanced at Niu Chuntian. Wang Ye gave a dry chuckle. "We are rough men. We think everything tastes good. It has nothing to do with gourmet food. Besides, look at us. When have we ever not enjoyed our meals?" His meaning was clear: this fried rice was just food to fill their stomachs, nothing more.
Zhu Yanyi watched them with a smile, saying nothing. As time passed, the night grew quieter. The wall clock struck eleven. A hint of an interesting smile appeared on Zhu Yanyi’s lips. It seemed the person was about to move. However, she kept her expression calm and said only to Luo Gang, "Brother Luo, do you think someone will come in the middle of the night?"
"Probably," Luo Gang said, unsure. After all, this was his first time encountering such a thing.
Wang Ye added from the side, "It’s already eleven. By convention, if they really come at night, the best time to act is between now and three in the morning. That’s when normal people start feeling tired and need rest."
Hearing this, Zhu Yanyi nodded slightly. "It seems the time is about right."
"What? What is about right?" Niu Chuntian, leaning against the wall, was stunned. She looked at Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi pointed to the clock. "Time. It’s about right. Didn’t you hear Brother Wang? If they really come to steal human skin, it should be between now and three in the morning. So I think the time is right."
"It’s still early," Niu Chuntian said. "It’s only eleven. The nightlife in Modu is just starting."
Zhu Yanyi chuckled softly. "Precisely because the nightlife is just starting, it’s convenient for committing crimes. They can hide in the crowd and disappear. This is called hiding in plain sight."
"Can 'hiding in plain sight' be understood that way?" Niu Chuntian was speechless. Zhu Yanyi’s words seemed logical, but why did they sound so awkward to her? "But even if someone comes now, they won’t appear in front of us, right? After all, we are all here watching."
Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly. "Maybe. But sometimes, really sometimes, someone just comes. They don’t care if there are other people here. As long as they achieve their goal, it’s fine."
"Impossible," Niu Chuntian said firmly.
Zhu Yanyi tilted her head, looking at Niu Chuntian. "Shall we make a bet? I bet someone will come."
"I bet no one will come." Niu Chuntian believed he wouldn’t lose based on his experience, so he said it confidently.
"I bet my sister wins," Zhu Zhibin said, yawning.
"It’s eleven. Go to sleep. After one o’clock, I’ll let Brother Luo buy you some late-night snacks," Zhu Yanyi said directly.
"Okay." Zhu Zhibin didn’t mind. He lay down on the nearby sofa as if it were his own bed.
"You… you two siblings, why can’t you be a bit more polite?" Niu Chuntian frowned. He had never seen such relaxed people. This was the forensic department. Not to mention anything else, just the fact that there were corpses nearby meant a normal person couldn’t sleep so calmly.