Chapter 20 Section 20

Hiromi Wakayama looked at the tapestry on the wall. The navy blue and gray pieces join together to form a band.The belt is very long, twists and turns in the middle, crosses and winds, and finally meets the origin.That is, the straps form a loop.Although the composition is quite complicated, it looks like a simple geometric figure when viewed from a distance.Mashiba Yoshitaka thinks it is "like a DNA helix", but Hiromi likes this work very much.When Ayane held her solo exhibition in Ginza, this work was hung at the entrance.This work was the first thing people saw, so it was probably a work of confidence for Ayane.The designer was indeed Ayane, but it was her Hiromi who actually made it.In the art world, it is not so uncommon that the works of Cu Bu in the writer's solo exhibition are actually made by his disciples.Not to mention the quilting, if it is a large-scale work, it will take several months.If you don't work separately, you can't complete the number of works enough to hold a solo exhibition by just one person.Compared with Ergong, Ayane still likes to do it herself.Eighty percent of the works released in the solo exhibition at that time were by Ayane himself.Nevertheless, Ayane still chose to hang this handmade work by Hiromi at the entrance.This made Hongmei feel grateful and delighted that the master recognized her skills.

At that time, she hoped that she could work with Ayane for the rest of her life. With a "click", Ayane put the mug on the workbench.At the moment, the two of them are sitting face to face in the quilting classroom "Xinghuang Hut".Originally, the class should have started at this time, and several students should be cutting and splicing with cloth scissors, but at this moment there are only the two of them in the room.Classrooms have been closed for a long time. Ayane clasped the mug with both hands and said, "Really? Since Hiromi and you have already made up your mind, there's nothing you can do about it."

"I'm really sorry, I always make my own way." Hiromi bowed her head and apologized. "There's no need to apologize. I originally thought it might be a little more difficult in the future, so that's the only way to go." "It's all my fault and I really don't know what to say." "Forget it. I" don't want to see you apologize to me anymore. " "Ah, yes, I'm sorry..." Hiromi drooped her head, although tears almost came out of her eyes, but she still tried her best to hold back.She felt that if she cried, it would only make Ayane more sad.

This time, Hiromi took the initiative to call Ayane, saying that she had something to say to Ayane, hoping to meet up.Ayane didn't ask carefully at that time, so she asked Hiromi to meet her at the "Xinghuang Hut".Hongmei thought, she specially asked her to meet her in the classroom, maybe she had already anticipated what she wanted to tell her. After Ayane finished making the black tea, Hiromi began to explain why she came.She said that she wanted to quit her job in the classroom, which naturally meant quitting her job as Ayane's assistant. "However, Hiromi, are you okay?" Ayane asked.

Seeing Hiromi raised her head, she went on to say "I mean you from now on". "What about your living expenses? Isn't it hard to find a job? Or can your family support you?" "I haven't decided anything yet. I don't want to cause trouble to my family, but I guess it won't work if I don't trouble them. But I still have some savings, so I'll try to last as long as possible." "It's really worrying to hear this. How long can you last like this?" Ayane kept pulling the hair from her ears back.This is her habitual action when she is anxious. "However, maybe I'm just meddling in worrying about you."

"Thank you for worrying about me. I'm so sorry for you." "I said, stop saying such kind words." Ayane's serious tone made Hiromi stiffen all over, and she lowered her head deeply again.Ayane whispered "Sorry". "What I just said was a bit harsh, but Hiromi, you really don't want to treat me like this again. Although I can't work with you in the future, there is no way, but I hope you can be happy. This is my from the truth." Seeing that she was trying her best to give her heart and soul, Hiromi raised her head tremblingly.She saw Ayane smiling at her. Although the smile looked a little lonely, it didn't seem like it was faked. Hiromi called her "teacher" softly.

"Also, the person who caused us so much pain is no longer alive, is it? So let's not look back, shall we?" Hearing her soft words, Hiromi could only nod.She thought it was impossible.The love affair between her and Mashiba Yoshitaka, the grief of losing him, and the self-blame for betraying Ayane, all these emotions have been deeply engraved in her heart. "Hongmei, how many years have you been with me?" Ayane asked her loudly. "More than three years." "Really, it's been three years. If you were in junior high school or high school, you would have already graduated. Then, Hiromi, you should have graduated from me."

Hiromi didn't nod when she heard this.She thought to herself, I am not naive enough to be deceived by such sugar-coated bullets. "Hiromi, do you still have the key to this room?" "Ah, yes, I'll return it to you right now." Hiromi reached out and picked up the bag beside her. "It's okay, just take it." "But……" "Isn't there still a lot of your things in this room? It will take some time to unpack, won't it? If you have anything else you want, don't be shy, just take it. You probably You really want that tapestry, don't you?" After finishing speaking, Ayane shifted her gaze to the tapestry that Hiromi had been looking at just now.

"Is this... okay?" "Of course. Didn't you make it yourself? This tapestry was also well received at the solo exhibition. I just planned to give it to you, so I kept it unsold." Hiromi still remembers the situation at that time.Almost all of the works are priced, but this tapestry is not for sale. "How many days do you estimate it will take you to pack your luggage?" Ayane asked. "I estimate that it will be cleaned up today and tomorrow." "Really? Then give me a call when you're done packing. As for the keys... just put them in the mailbox at the door. But don't miss anything, because when you finish packing, I will I plan to find someone to clean up the house right away."

Seeing Hiromi blinking inexplicably, Ayane smiled slightly: "I can't stay in the hotel all the time, it's inconvenient first, and it's not worth it. So I plan to move here before I find a new place to live." Come live." "Aren't you going to move back home?" Ayane stopped, let out a breath, lowered her shoulders and said, "I have also considered moving back, but it still doesn't work. Those happy memories before have all become sad now. And most importantly, I am alone in that family It’s really too big to live in. Sometimes I still think, it’s lucky that he was able to live alone for so many years before.”

"Are you going to sell it?" "I don't know if anyone would be willing to buy a house where a murder occurred. I plan to discuss this matter with Mr. Inokai, maybe he can have a way." Hiromi couldn't find anything to say, but just stared at the workbench in bewilderment. mug.The black tea that Ayane poured into the cup before was probably already cold. "Then I'll go first." Ayane picked up her finished mug, stood up and said. "You just leave it. I'll wash it." "Really? Then I will trouble you." Ayane put the cup back on the workbench, stared at the cup and said, "I remember that you brought this cup here, right? You said it was a gift from a friend's wedding, yes Bar?" "Yes, they gave me a pair at the time." These two cups are usually placed on the workbench, and they often use them when discussing work. "In that case, you have to take them away too." Hiromi replied in a low voice, "Okay".In fact, she never thought of taking the mug away, but when she thought that the existence of these things might make Ayane feel unhappy, she became even more depressed. Ayane put on her satchel and walked towards the entrance, Hiromi followed. She put on her shoes, turned around and said to Hongmei: "It feels really weird. You, Hongmei, were the one who resigned and left the classroom, but now I am the one who is leaving the room." "I'll get it done as soon as possible, perhaps in a day." "Don't worry, that's not what I meant." Ayane looked directly at Hiromi and said, "Then you have to take care of yourself." "Teacher, take care too." Ayane nodded and opened the door.Walking outside the door, she smiled at Hiromi and closed the door. Hiromi slumped on the ground on the spot and sighed deeply. She was heartbroken to quit her job in the quilting classroom, and uneasy about the loss of income, but it was the only thing she could do.Now that he has confessed his relationship with Yoshitaka to Ayane, but still hopes to live like before, the idea itself is silly.Even if Ayane didn't say that she would be fired, she didn't think Ayane would forgive her. And... Hiromi put her hands on her stomach as she thought about it. Hiromi is still pregnant with a child.Hiromi was worried all the time, afraid that Ayane would ask her what her plan was, because in fact, even she herself hadn't made up her mind yet. The reason why Ayane didn't ask about the child was probably because she believed that she would have an abortion.She must have never thought that Hongmei would plan to give birth to this child. However, Hiromi was at a loss.No, if you probe into the depths of her heart, you will find that there is only one desire to have a child, and she has already noticed this.But even if the child is born, what kind of life will be waiting for the child in the future?She must not send her child to foster care in her hometown.Although both parents are still alive, their lives are not particularly well off.Moreover, the old couple are ordinary and law-abiding people. If they know that their daughter is not only a third party, but also an unmarried mother, they will definitely be confused and at a loss. It seems that it can only be destroyed.Every time Hiromi thought about this question, she would come to the same conclusion.In order to avoid this conclusion, she searched her brains to find a solution.Since Yixiao's death, she has been thinking about this problem and the solution over and over again. Just as she shook her head slightly, the phone rang.Hiromi stood up slowly, walked back to the workbench, and took out the phone from the bag on the chair.She has an impression of the number on the caller ID.She also thought about not answering, but she still pressed the call button, because the other party is a person who will not give up even if she ignores it here and now. She replied "Hi," her voice muffled, though she didn't mean to. "Hello, I'm Utsumi from the Metropolitan Police Department. Is it convenient for you to talk now?" "Speaking." "I'm really sorry, we have a few more questions to ask you. Can I make an appointment with you for a meeting?" "When?" "I think the sooner the better. Sorry." Hiromi sighed heavily, she felt that even if the other party heard it, it didn't matter. "In that case, could you please come to my side? I'm in the quilting classroom now." "Is it Daikanyama? Is Mrs. Mashiba there?" "No, she probably won't come today. I'm the only one here now." "I see. Then I'll set off to visit you." After finishing speaking, she hung up the phone. Hiromi thought to herself, it seems that even if she quit her job in the quilting classroom, nothing would solve any problems.Before the case is solved, the police probably won't let her go.She wanted to give birth to the child quietly, but in the end it was impossible. She sipped the remaining black tea in the mug.As expected, the tea had already warmed up. Hiromi's mind came up with bits and pieces of her three years working here.Unexpectedly, the patchwork technique, which was just played by herself, would advance by leaps and bounds in just three months, which surprised her herself.When Ayane asked her if she would like to stay as an assistant, she agreed on the spot.At that time, she was already tired of mechanically completing the unfulfilling work assigned by the talent center every day.Hiromi turned her head to look at the computer in the corner of the room.When she and Ayane were designing works together, the painting software in the computer also showed its skills.Sometimes time is for color matching, and it will take a whole night, but she has never felt hard.Once the design is finalized, the two will go out together to buy fabrics.The color scheme that was originally decided after repeated discussions will also be changed on the spot because the two of them are in the store at the same time to fancy the color of a certain piece of fabric.Whenever this happened, the two would look at each other and smile wryly. How fulfilling such a life is!But why have you come to this step now? Hiromi shook her head lightly.She couldn't understand why. She thinks that all the faults are her own, and the cause is that she snatched the husband of a woman who was kind to herself. Hiromi still clearly remembers the first time she and Mashiba Yoshitaka met.At that time, she was preparing to teach in this classroom, when Ayane called and said that a man was coming to see her, and asked Hiromi to ask him to wait in the classroom for a while.At that time, Ayane did not tell her about the relationship between her and this man. Soon, the man came.Hiromi let him in and made him a cup of Japanese tea.While looking around the room with great interest, he asked this and that: he has the calmness of a mature man, and also retains a juvenile disposition that cannot suppress curiosity.After talking for a while, Hiromi felt that he had a wise mind beyond ordinary people. Then Ayane appeared and introduced Hiromi to him.Hiromi was surprised to hear Ayane say that they met at a party. She didn't know that Ayane would attend such an occasion. Looking back on the past, Hongmei thinks that she already had a good impression of Yixiao at that time.Hiromi still clearly remembers the feeling of almost jealousy in her heart when Ayane introduced him as her boyfriend. If the two of them hadn't met like that back then, if he had appeared with Ayane from the very beginning, maybe his thoughts would be different.It was precisely because she didn't know the identity of the other party and got along with her in a daze for a period of time that she had a special feeling in her heart. Once a feeling of love arises in my heart, no matter how weak the feeling is, it will never disappear easily.After Ayane married him, Hiromi also began to visit Mashiba's house, and she felt that Yoshitaka was closer to her.Naturally, she sometimes has the opportunity to be alone with Yixiao. Naturally, Hiromi would not take the initiative to express her feelings to him.Because she felt that even if she confessed to him, it would only cause him trouble, not to mention that she didn't expect to have any special relationship with him.As long as he can treat her like family, she will be satisfied. But even though she tried to hide it, Yixiao still noticed her longing for him.She guessed so.His attitude towards her gradually changed.Some kind of subtle color began to mix in his gentle gaze as if looking at his sister.Aware of this, Hongmei began to germinate, which is also true. So, one night more than three months ago, when she was still working overnight in this room, Yixiao called her. "I heard Ayane say, Hiromi, you often stay up late recently. The work in the classroom seems to be quite busy." He asked her to eat a bowl of ramen together if it was convenient, and said that there was a ramen restaurant that he wanted to try for a long time.Yixiao also seemed to be working overtime until very late that day. Hiromi also happened to be hungry, so she agreed immediately.Not long after, Yixiao came to pick her up in his car.Perhaps because she was alone with Yoshitaka, the bowl of ramen didn't leave a deep impression on her.Every time he moved his chopsticks, his elbow would touch her body, and that feeling was deeply imprinted in her memory. Afterwards, Yixiao drove her home.He parked the car in front of the apartment, smiled at her and said, "Can I ask you to eat ramen or something like this now and then?" "Yes, anytime." Hiromi replied. "Thank you. With you, Hongmei, I feel that my soul will be soothed." "yes?" "My here and here are exhausted." He pointed to his chest and head in turn, and then looked at Hiromi seriously, "Thank you, I am very happy tonight." "Me too." As soon as Hongmei finished speaking, Yixiao stretched out his hand and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and she was hugged obediently in his arms.The two kissed very naturally. Afterwards, he said "good night" to her, and she said "good night" back. That night, Hongmei's heart kept pounding, which made her sleepless.But she didn't realize that she had made a big mistake, she just felt that she had a little secret that only the two of them knew. It didn't take long for Hiromi to realize that she had made an irreparable mistake.Yixiao's figure quickly swelled up in Hongmei's heart, no matter what he did, his voice and smile would linger in her mind, lingering. Even so, as long as the two don't see each other again, maybe this fever-like state won't last long.However, Yoshitaka later invited Hiromi frequently, and the number of times she stayed in the classroom for no reason to wait for his call increased. Like a broken balloon, Hongmei's heart became uncontrollable and floated high into the air.When they finally crossed the last line of defense between men and women, she felt the seriousness of the situation.But that night, Yoshitaka said to her words that had the magic power to blow away the restlessness in Hiromi's heart. He said, I am afraid that he will leave Ayane soon. "I told her that the purpose of marrying her is to have a baby. If the agreement is not conceived within a year, the relationship will be terminated. Now there are three months left, and it is estimated that she will not be able to conceive. I know this very well .” Although his words were ruthless, to Hongmei at the time, they were so reliable.Perhaps this shows that she has become quite selfish at that time.Recalling the past bit by bit, Hiromi once again realized how excessive her and his betrayal was, no matter how much Ayane held grudges, it would not be too much. perhaps-- Maybe it was Ayane who started to kill Yoshitaka.And she is so gentle to Hongmei now, in fact, it is just a disguise to cover up her murderous intentions. But she has an alibi.Judging from the fact that the police did not suspect her, perhaps the fact that she was unable to commit murder at that time could not be changed. But besides Ayane, are there other people in this world who have the motive to kill Yoshitaka?Thinking of this question, another kind of melancholy would hit Hiromi's heart.It saddened her deeply that although she wanted to have the baby, she knew nothing about the father. Kaoru Utsumi appeared in a black suit.She sat down on the chair that Ayane sat on half an hour ago, bowed her head again to Hiromi and apologized, saying that she forced her to come, and she was very sorry. "I think even if you come to me ten thousand times, the case will still be unsolved. Because I really don't know Mr. Mashiba very well." "You don't know him very well, but you still had such a relationship with him?" Hiromi pursed her lips tightly at the words of the policewoman. "I think I know a little about his temperament. But there's not much need for such a search, is there? As I said, I don't know anything about his past or his troubles at work." "When conducting a search, one must also understand the victim's temperament. But today I came to you, not to force you to answer questions that you don't understand, but to ask you a few more routine questions." "What routine question?" "The daily life of the Mashiba couple. I think you should be the most clear about this." "If you want to know these things, why don't you just ask the teacher?" Kaoru Utsumi tilted his head and smiled at her. "Because I think it is difficult for her to tell me an objective opinion." "……What do you want to ask?" "I heard that Ms. Ruoshan, you started visiting the Mashiba couple's house shortly after they got married, right? How often is the frequency?" "It's not fixed, on average, once or twice a month." "Then do you go on a fixed day of the week?" "Not necessarily. It's just that I go more often on Sundays because Zhoukou's classroom is closed." "If you go on Sunday, Mr. Mashiba Yoshitaka will be at home, right?" "yes." "So the three of you will be chatting together or something, right?" "This kind of thing has happened, but Mr. Mashiba usually stays in the study, and he seems to work at home even on rest days. And I went to their house to bother them because I have something to discuss with the teacher, chatting is not my purpose. "Hiromi's tone was full of protest, she didn't want to be misunderstood that she went to Zhenchai's house for righteousness and filial piety. "Which room do you usually discuss with Mrs. Ayane?" "In the living room." "Every time?" "Yes, what's the problem?" "Will you drink some black tea or coffee when you discuss?" "Every time she buys me a drink." "Have you ever brewed it yourself?" "Occasionally, for example, when the teacher is busy cooking and can't spare a hand." "I remember you said before that Mrs. Ayane taught you the steps of making coffee, right? So on the morning of the incident, you also made the coffee according to the same steps?" "Yes. Why did you mention coffee again? Haven't I said it many times before?" Hiromi curled her lips. But perhaps because she has long been used to showing displeasure to the person she is interrogating, the expression of the young female detective remains unmoved. "So, did you open Mashiba's refrigerator the night the Inokai couple went to his house for a house party?" "refrigerator?" "There should be bottles of mineral water in the fridge, I wonder if you saw those bottles at the time." "As for the bottle, I have seen it, because I opened the refrigerator to get water that day." "How many bottles of water were left in the refrigerator?" "I can't remember that, I just remember that there were indeed several bottles lined up." "Is it a bottle or two?" "Didn't it mean that I can't remember clearly? At that time, there was a neat row inside, there should be four or five bottles." Hiromi couldn't hold back her emotions, and shouted loudly. Kaoru nodded expressionlessly and said "I see". "You said that before the incident, Mr. Zhenchai asked you to go to his house. Has this happened several times?" "No, it was the first time that day." "Then why did Mr. Zhenchai ask you to go to Zhenchai's house that day?" "Well...it's because the teacher went back to her mother's house that day." "That is to say, there was no such opportunity before?" "I think that's one of the reasons. I guess he wanted to tell me about the teacher's promise to divorce as soon as possible." Kaoru Utsumi nodded and said, "I see." "And do you know what hobbies they both have?" "Hobby?" Hiromi frowned. "The hobbies of the Mashiba couple, such as sports, traveling, or driving." Hiromi tilted her head and thought for a while. "Mr. Mashiba usually likes to play tennis and golf, but the teacher doesn't seem to have any special hobbies, probably just patchwork and cooking." "So, how do they usually spend their days off together?" "That's not clear to me." "Just tell me roughly what you know." "It is said that the teacher usually makes quilts, and Mr. Mashiba seems to spend most of his time watching DVDs." "Then in which room of the house does Mrs. Ayane usually make quilts?" "I think it's in the living room," Hiromi replied.At the same time, she was confused and did not understand the purpose of the female criminal policeman asking these questions. "Have they both traveled together before?" "It should be that they went to Paris and London together not long after we got married. Later, I thought that I didn't travel very well. Mr. Mashiba seems to be running around because of work." "What about shopping? For example, have Ms. Wakayama and Mrs. Ayane ever gone shopping together?" "I once went shopping together for fabric for a quilting." "Are you going on Sunday too?" "No, it's usually before the classrooms open for class, so I go on weekdays. Because the amount of cloth purchased is relatively large, I usually move here directly after buying it." Kaoru Utsumi nodded and wrote a few words in the handbook. "My question is over. Thank you very much for letting you assist me in your busy schedule." "Excuse me, what's the point of what you asked just now? I really don't understand your intention." "Which question are you referring to?" "All questions. Hobbies and shopping. I don't think those things have anything to do with the case." Kaoru Utsumi showed a hesitant expression for a moment, but immediately smiled at Hiromi and said, "You don't need to know this, we police naturally have our own considerations." "Could you please tell me?" "I'm sorry, this is our rule." The female criminal police stood up quickly, bowed her head and said "Excuse me" to Hiromi, and walked quickly to the entrance.