Chapter 377: Murder Case

He also prepared a generous holiday gift for them.

For his customers, Wang Chao released affordable and attractive gift set packaging ahead of the holiday.

This led to a sudden boom for merchandise shops. They were full of people who couldn’t find anywhere else to buy what they needed and could only come to the few shops still open for business—like Xu Huo’s—to do their shopping.

Zhang Min got busy right along with him.

Xu Huo was at home frying New Year’s snacks.

Chu Xi was frustrated.

She always felt as if her memory was playing tricks on her. She’d clearly fried ten meatballs, but in the end, there only seemed to be one or two left.

Xu Huo looked at Niuniu, who was pointing at her mouth.

“Niuniu has a huge appetite! She ate everything you fried!”

Chu Xi couldn’t help but worry about the child.

At this, however, Niuniu’s innocent face looked utterly bewildered.

All those meatballs.

‘I ate them?’

The ten-year-old girl suddenly felt the weight on her shoulders grow a little heavier.

Yep. This was what you call being made a scapegoat.

…

Before the New Year, every minute and every second feels like torture.

And when the New Year is just around the corner…

…you suddenly feel time start to fly by.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

The 22nd. 8:30 AM.

As a knock sounded on the door.

Xu Huo groggily got up, rubbed his eyes, and, still in his pajamas, pulled open the door.

The first thing he saw was a vibrant Chu Xi. She was impeccably dressed and beautifully made up with a touch of elegant, light makeup, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Xu Huo.

“It’s the New Year! It’s the New Year!”

“Okay, here’s a red envelope for you.”

Xu Huo pulled a red envelope from a drawer and handed it to Chu Xi. Her eyes immediately curved into crescents, and a faint smile appeared on her face as she accepted it with both hands.

Niuniu, who was standing to the side and feeling just as happy, watched with wide eyes.

“Say something nice.”

Xu Huo looked down at her.

The two of them stared at each other, big eyes meeting small. After a long moment, the small eyes twitched.

“Happy New Year~”

A sweet, clear voice reached his ears.

Niuniu could talk; she just didn’t like to.

Right. This was probably something Monk Du’e had taught her, telling her not to speak. That monk was always teaching things that violated monastic principles.

“Okay, one for you too.”

Satisfied, Xu Huo ruffled the two heads, one big and one small.

But Chu Xi’s next words gave him pause.

“What are we going to do?”

“Eat.”

“And after we eat?”

Chu Xi blinked, her pair of dark, limpid eyes looking at him with anticipation.

Xu Huo paused for a moment, then said hesitantly:

“Wait for lunch?”

“And after lunch?”

“Wait for dinner.”

“And after dinner?”

“Sleep.”

“But…”

Chu Xi froze. A flicker of uncertainty crossed her pretty face. She tilted her head, gazing at the thick white snow blanketing the world outside and at the children who were happily stomping around and playing in it.

“It’s the New Year today.”

“New Year, New Year,” Niuniu repeated, her head held high.

“Shouldn’t we go pay New Year’s visits?” Chu Xi asked, puzzled.

“Pay visits! Hundred years!” Niuniu chimed in again.

“Yes, normally that’s exactly what you’d do.”

Xu Huo nodded and didn’t argue.

Suddenly, he paused and posed a question that made all three of them fall into deep thought.

“Who are we going to pay a visit to?”

Xu Huo was an orphan, with no parents or relatives.

Chu Xi’s family was all dead—her parents, her older brother. Starting from her father’s generation, they had no other relatives.

Niuniu…

As for Niuniu… the less said, the better.

At that moment, the three of them just stared at one another, wide-eyed.

It was the setup for a rather sad, yet fitting, hell joke.

Between the three of them, they couldn’t even muster a single mom…

Looking at it that way, it was all rather bleak.

Though, on second thought, Chu Linhai’s family couldbe considered their elders, but they were the only ones.

But they were going there for dinner tonight, so there was no need to pay a New Year’s visit now.

So…

“So now we…”

“…it seems there’s really nothing to do.”

Xu Huo said aloud.

The two heads before him, one big and one small, instantly drooped, as if they’d been completely deflated.

The Spring Festival is a wonderful holiday.

But that’s only on the condition that you’re with your family, with your entire clan, surrounded by a lively atmosphere.

But if you’re standing alone in an empty room, listening to the clamor outside…

…that noise will only feel like a knife twisting in your heart.

But that wasn’t a huge problem.

Xu Huo wasn’t alone.

“But, I want to go out…”

Chu Xi looked especially beautiful today.

She wore a loose, fluffy sweater, her neck wrapped in a plaid scarf Xu Huo had given her a previous year. Below, she wore slim-fitting pants under a stylish women’s trench coat.

Right now, she was pursing her lips, her eyes glimmering as she gazed at him with a pleading look so pitiful it could melt anyone’s heart.

“Let’s go, let’s go~”

Xu Huo’s heart suddenly skipped half a beat.

His expression didn’t change as he glanced at the heavy snow outside the window.

“It’s too cold outside. It’s easy to catch a cold if we go out in the morning.”

“Please, I’m begging you! Let’s go out, let’s go out~”

Chu Xi’s soft voice sounded by his ear.

Xu Huo fell silent for a moment, then suddenly declared, “We’re going out! We have to go out!”

“Let me go get changed first.”

With that, the door swung shut.

To be honest, Xu Huo had principles.

It was so cold outside, never mind Niuniu, even Chu Xi would catch a cold if she went out to play.

But then again…

Rules are made by people, and people are flexible. Naturally, his principles were flexible too.

Xu Huo’s principles could change according to his environment~

Such flexible principles!

「A moment later.」

The door opened again. This time, Xu Huo was dressed head to toe in black: a slim-fitting black sweater, a wool overcoat, slim-cut trousers, and a simple pair of combat boots.

He didn’t need to try; the sweater alone was enough to perfectly accentuate his solid chest.

Chu Xi stared at Xu Huo’s broad chest and blinked, a dazed look on her face as she seemed lost in thought.