Sitting cooperatively in the interrogation room, Qiao An was recounting her treasure-hunting experience in meticulous detail. She held the owl in her arms, letting out a dramatic cry or two every now and then, her storytelling so vivid it was as if you were right there with her.
In the next room, Mu Zimo rubbed his temples while watching clips from her livestream on his phone. The comment sections below the videos were filled with vapid remarks like, "The streamer has it so rough, hahaha."
Xie Shan peeked in from the side and couldn't help but exclaim, "It looks like the owl is directing Qiao An where to dig. Could it really be an eyewitness?"
This only made Mu Zimo's headache worse. He had a strong urge to pry open Xie Shan's head and see just how much useless junk was rattling around in there.
"Even if it is an eyewitness, are you going to interrogate it? Do you speak bird?"
Stared down by Mu Zimo's cold, merciless gaze, Xie Shan shrank back, sat down, and started spinning in his chair again, his mind continuing to wander.
"I might not understand it, but it seems like Qiao An can..."
Through the glass, Qiao An was still waving her arms and legs about, describing her tragic treasure-hunting routine. Mu Zimo narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
When Qiao An finished signing her statement and left the interrogation room, she saw Mu Zimo leaning against the wall, resting with his eyes closed.
In the interplay of light and shadow, Qiao An could see his long eyelashes, a sight that truly made her heart skip a beat.
Hearing her footsteps, Mu Zimo opened his eyes. His perpetually sharp gaze softened slightly upon seeing her, and he raised his wrist to check his watch.
"It's still early. Let me treat you to a late-night snack, and then I'll take you home."
Free food and a ride home, saving her the bus fare? Qiao An was thrilled. She nodded enthusiastically, her short legs scurrying to keep up as she followed Mu Zimo out of the police station.
At a street-side stall, Qiao An sat up straight, behaving impeccably. She even placed the owl on a small stool next to her and ordered it to sit still and not fidget.
Considering Qiao An's appetite, Mu Zimo added two more orders of fried rice before handing the menu to the server. He then turned to the wide-eyed owl and asked with a slight frown, "What are you going to do with this owl?"
It was a nationally protected animal, and keeping one privately was illegal unless Qiao An could manage to get all the necessary permits.
Eagerly rubbing her hands together in anticipation of the meal, Qiao An skillfully unwrapped a set of utensils. She thoughtfully placed them in front of Mu Zimo, completely unconcerned about the owl's fate. "I'll just toss it outside later," she mumbled nonchalantly. "It'll fly back on its own."
The callously abandoned owl furiously spread its wings. It was about to threaten Qiao An when it met her vicious glare.
"Shut up! Make another sound and I'll boil some water and pluck every last feather off your body!"
Fortunately, there weren't many customers at the late-night stall, so no one noticed the unusual situation at Qiao An's table.
But the little owl still felt deeply wronged and began to hoot softly. 'I'm a protected animal! A protected animal! Just you try and lay a hand on me!'
With a swift, precise, and ruthless motion, Qiao An clamped her hand over the owl's beak and started shaking it furiously. She didn't let go until the poor bird was completely dazed.
"Shh, do you have any idea who this is? How dare you make a scene..."
On Blue Star, order was maintained, and police officers were highly respected. An alien creature like Qiao An didn't dare reveal the slightest hint of her uniqueness, terrified of being captured and sent off for experiments.
Watching the two of them interact, Mu Zimo narrowed his eyes again. As if unconcerned, he casually tested the waters. "Qiao An, can you understand what it's saying?"
The question instantly put Qiao An on high alert. A cold sweat broke out on her back, but she maintained an unruffled expression, tilting her head and breaking into a foolish grin.
"How could I possibly do that!"
At that moment, Qiao An pushed her acting skills to their limit. Her expression was utterly serene; aside from a fleeting flicker of surprise in her eyes, she kept up a simple, foolish smile the entire time.
"Officer, you have to believe in science. I've just always loved keeping all sorts of pets since I was little, so I'm pretty familiar with their habits. I can make a good guess at what they're trying to express."
Qiao An began to ramble on about her life in the orphanage—how she had no family and desperately craved companionship, how she would rather go hungry herself just to save a little food to feed the stray cats and dogs.
"But it is true that all sorts of small animals have always liked me, ever since I was a kid..."
As she spoke of these sad memories, it became difficult for Mu Zimo to probe any further. He could only push the various hot dishes closer to her.
Seeing the dimples that formed at the corners of her mouth, he silently cursed himself.
The owl, observing with a cool detachment, began to hoot again. The sound wasn't loud and didn't attract any attention, but Qiao An heard it crystal clear.
'Heh. A woman's words are nothing but lies. *You're* popular with small animals? Please. We're the ones walking right into your trap!'
It was true. No matter the species, small animals couldn't help but be curious. Why could this human understand their language? It made them irresistibly want to investigate.
Curiosity killed the cat, and it could kill an owl, too...
Qiao An paid the owl no mind at all, simply keeping her head down and eating while occasionally making small talk with Mu Zimo.
"About these recent incidents... have you found the killer?"
Qiao An hadn't originally planned to ask, but Mu Zimo was just too generous. To stay on good terms with her long-term meal ticket, she decided to offer him another small clue.
"Until the killer is apprehended, I can't disclose any details about the investigation's progress. I'm sorry."
Qiao An wasn't angry at the rejection. She just kept eating her fragrant egg fried rice.
"While I was digging this time, I smelled that same faint stench again. I suspect it was the same guy as last time. The spot was on the complete opposite side from where I was digging before. It's obvious he was trying to throw the police off his trail by ditching all his tools and burying them. Maybe he's planning to lay low for a while."
Qiao An didn't know how to investigate a crime, but the owl had told her that the human burying things that night was very strange. It said the person was wearing red high heels that didn't fit at all.
Based on this clue, Qiao An had basically confirmed a key characteristic of the killer, but she didn't dare tell Mu Zimo directly and could only continue to provide hints.
'A stench?'
Mu Zimo nodded, making another mental note. He then stood up, paid the bill, and took out his car keys to drive Qiao An home himself.
Before they left, Qiao An asked the owner for some leftover bones from other customers, saying she was taking them home to feed a dog.
"You have another pet?"
According to the information Qiao An had provided, she was renting a room with others in an Urban Village. Pets were almost never allowed in places like that.
"No, no. The area is a bit chaotic, and there are a lot of stray dogs outside. These bones are good for them to chew on. It'll keep them from wandering around and disturbing my sleep."
Old residential complexes were known for their poor soundproofing, so Mu Zimo didn't press the issue. He drove Qiao An directly to the entrance of her alley, as the car couldn't go any further in.
After getting out of the car, Qiao An tossed the owl out without a shred of sentimentality. It flew away, spreading its wings while hooting curses at her.