Although Fatty and I hadn't undergone any special training, we had developed agile skills in the underworld over the past year. Tailoring someone was more than enough for us.
After Jiang Yue left, she hailed a taxi. Fatty and I waited by the roadside for a moment, and then a taxi pulled up in front of us.
This taxi was the same one that had driven us before. I had anticipated that Jiang Yue might take a car, so I had contacted the driver in advance.
The driver was incredibly enthusiastic upon seeing Fatty and me. He offered us a bottle of mineral water each as we got in: "I just came from driving, and I was thirsty, so I bought a few bottles. Help yourselves."
I smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, driver. Please follow the car ahead."
"You got it!"
Half an hour later, Jiang Yue alighted at a villa complex. Fatty and I also got out and followed her.
When we reached the entrance, the security guard wouldn't let us in. After I paid him two hundred yuan and told him the woman who had just entered was my wife, and I wanted to see what she was doing here, the guard let us in.
"Master Xiang, you sure can spin a yarn!" Fatty laughed heartily. "Your wife? Oh my… How come I never noticed you were such a good talker before?"
"Can you shut up? Do you want to say she's *your* wife?"
"That woman isn't my type; I don't fancy her."
"She might not fancy you either. Stop the nonsense and hurry up."
Jiang Yue arrived at a villa entrance. After ringing the doorbell, she went inside. Fatty and I climbed into the nearby greenery, finding a spot from which we could see what was happening inside.
We saw Jiang Yue sitting on a sofa, chatting with an old man. The old man was wearing a Tang suit and appeared to be wealthy and influential.
"It seems that old man is the main player," Fatty remarked.
"Why would such a rich old man want Jiang Yue to help him investigate the stone tablet?"
"Who knows? Perhaps there's something he can't say, so he needs someone reliable to do it."
I nodded, thinking Fatty's words made some sense.
More than half an hour later, Jiang Yue emerged from the villa. Fatty asked me what we should do next.
After thinking, I followed Jiang Yue out of the villa complex. Just as she was about to hail a taxi, Fatty and I approached her.
"Hi, Miss Jiang, what a coincidence?"
Jiang Yue was taken aback when she saw Fatty and me: "What are you two doing here?"
I smiled and said, "I have a friend who lives around here. I came to visit him."
"Oh?" A hint of an unusual expression flickered in her eyes. "I also have a friend who lives inside. What's your friend's name? Perhaps they know each other."
"My friend's surname is Zhang. He likes collecting antiques and asked me to come and help him appraise some items."
"Is that so?" Her eyes darted around.
It seemed this woman was, more likely than not, suspecting that Fatty and I were tailing her.
"Miss Jiang, it's almost time for dinner. How about I treat you to a meal?"
She smiled, "Sure."
As soon as she finished speaking, a taxi stopped in front of us. The window rolled down, and the driver was the same one Fatty and I knew.
"You finally came out. I've been waiting here for ages."
Fearing the driver might let something slip, I quickly gave him a meaningful look. The driver was sharp and immediately said, "Where's the boss who was with you earlier? Does he live in here? Did you take him back?"
I nodded. "Yes, we took him back. Just ran into a friend, going to eat together. Driver, do you have any restaurant recommendations around here?"
"Yes, get in the car, I'll take you somewhere that's absolutely delicious."
Jiang Yue sat in the front passenger seat, while Fatty and I sat in the back. Ten minutes later, we arrived at a farmhouse restaurant.
After finding a seat and before we could order, Jiang Yue said, "Why were you following me?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" I played dumb. "Following you?"
"Stop pretending. I noticed the taxi we were in earlier when I was inside."
Hearing this, Fatty and I gave sheepish smiles. Fatty said, "Actually, it's not that we wanted to follow you, but mainly because this brother of mine said you look like his wife…"
I glared at Fatty, but the fellow, enjoying the moment, covered his stomach and burst into laughter.
Jiang Yue frowned slightly and stared at me. I quickly said, "Don't listen to his nonsense. I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
"The stone tablet, and those two questions from earlier. Where is the actual stone tablet located? Can I go and see it?"
"Why are you so interested in this stone tablet?"
"As I said, I'm an antique dealer…"
"Mr. Xiang, if you don't tell me the truth, then there's no point in us continuing this conversation," Jiang Yue stated frankly.
I pursed my lips, asked Fatty to order food, and then said with a smile, "Alright, we can talk while we eat, can't we?"
Jiang Yue remained silent. After Fatty finished ordering, I began, "Then I won't hide anything from you. I run an antique shop in Guangling. A friend of mine is extremely interested in stone tablets and has collected many of them. I don't know how he got a rubbing of one, but he asked me to help him find the actual object…"
I paused here. "The price the other party offered was very high, so I've been inquiring everywhere. That's how I got the photo, and subsequently found you."
"Mr. Xiang doesn't look like someone in the antique business," Jiang Yue commented.
"Genuine as can be. If you don't believe me, you can come to Guangling when you have time. I'll take you to my shop."
She smiled, evidently believing about seven or eight tenths of my story.
"I do know where the stone tablet is, but I don't mind you going."
"Why?"
"That place…" She frowned slightly. "I don't know how to put it. Anyway, I advise you not to go."
Fatty's curiosity piqued, and he interjected, "Beautiful Jiang, why don't you tell us? What's wrong with that place? Could it be haunted?"
Jiang Yue frowned and fell silent. Seeing her expression, I was taken aback. "Is it really haunted?"
"I don't know if it's haunted, but that place is indeed very strange," Jiang Yue said. "Let me tell you the truth too. I got this photo from a classmate. My real profession is a journalist. I only obtained this photo about a month ago… The person I met today was also to inquire about the stone tablet in the photo."
It seemed Fatty and I had both guessed wrong. I had thought the old man in the villa was the main player, but it turned out he was a reporter, conducting an investigation.
"Can you explain the situation in detail?" I asked.
Jiang Yue sighed. "There's no problem telling you, it's just I'm afraid you won't believe me."