Chapter 211: There’s a Case I’d Like Your Help With
Chapter 211: Chapter 211: There’s a Case I’d Like Your Help With
"Leave me alone!" FriedIceCream said coldly, shutting the door.
Her stepmother stared at the closed door, her brow knitted. A dark expression settled on her face, her eyes filled with loathing. "Damn brat!" she cursed under her breath.
FriedIceCream finished packing her bags. She pulled open her door to leave, only to find a living room full of people.
The moment they saw her, all eyes in the room snapped to her, scrutinizing and sizing her up.
FriedIceCream frowned instinctively. Just as she was about to walk right out, her stepmother moved to block her path.
"Kiki," her stepmother said, her smile kind and her voice gentle. "Since you didn’t want to go out for a blind date, Mom had them come to our home to meet you. Now, go over and say hello."
With that, her stepmother grabbed FriedIceCream’s hand to pull her over, but her hand was violently flung away.
Her stepmother staggered, steadying herself against the wall. She looked at her with a wounded expression. "Kiki, what’s wrong? Did Mom do something to upset you?"
"How could you treat your mom like that?" her grandmother scolded. "Apologize now!"
It was in that moment that FriedIceCream realized just how vile her stepmother truly was.
She glanced at her grandmother, who had always favored her two younger brothers, took a deep breath, and declared loudly, "Don’t think for a second I don’t know what you’re scheming. I couldn’t care less about this dump of a house. And since you clearly look down on the money I provide, you won’t get another cent from me!"
"What did you just say?" her grandmother demanded, her face livid with rage. "What is this nonsense you’re spouting?"
Her stepmother’s expression soured, but with so many guests present, she had to maintain her public image. Fighting back tears, she said, "Kiki, are you already seeing someone? If you don’t want to go on blind dates or bring money home, you can just tell me. Mom won’t blame you. But you can’t say such hurtful things."
"Isn’t that what you told your family?" FriedIceCream sneered. "You only pretend to care about me for your reputation and for the five thousand yuan I used to bring home every month. Now that it’s down to two thousand, you’re not happy about it, are you?"
"You complain that I’m taking up a room in the house. You want me to move out to make space for your two sons. You want to marry me off. Have you forgotten saying all that yourself?"
Her stepmother’s heart leaped in shock, and a flash of panic crossed her face.
’How did this damn brat know all this?’
’When I was telling my family all this, that brat definitely wasn’t home. Don’t tell me she installed security cameras in the house when I wasn’t looking?’
FriedIceCream was in no mood to argue anymore. Dragging her suitcase and with a cat carrier on her back, she ignored the crowd’s complicated stares and walked out without a backward glance.
**
At eleven in the morning, the alarm Renee Jennings had set went off right on time.
She’d expected to feel exhausted today after the "major illness" she’d experienced at six, but to her surprise, she felt perfectly fine after getting out of bed.
Renee Jennings finally relaxed. After washing up, she checked her phone and saw that Sawyer and Faye Wyatt had messaged her at ten and ten-thirty, respectively, to ask if she was awake yet.
She replied to each of them. Just as she finished getting dressed, the doorbell rang.
Renee Jennings went to open the door. "Morning."
Sawyer and Faye Wyatt were both standing at the door.
"’Morning. Let’s head down for the buffet," Faye Wyatt said with a beaming smile.
"Okay." Renee Jennings nodded, turning to grab her phone and room key.
When they got to the restaurant, they found a table by the window and sat down.
Partway through their meal, Faye Wyatt got a phone call from Director Quincy.
After hanging up, she looked at Renee Jennings, who was eating a steak, and chuckled. "That was Quincy. She’s coming to the hotel to see us later."
"That’s fine," Renee Jennings nodded.
After finishing their meal, the three of them took the elevator to the coffee shop downstairs.
Director Quincy had already picked a booth by the window and was waiting for them.
Upon seeing Renee Jennings, she immediately rose to greet her, enthusiastically extending both hands. "Consultant Jennings," she said gratefully, "I can’t thank you enough. We never would have found the Chinese alligator so quickly without your help."
"You’re too kind, Director Quincy," Renee Jennings said with a smile, extending one hand. "Protecting endangered animals is everyone’s responsibility."
"Alright, alright, don’t be so serious, you two. Relax a little," Faye Wyatt said with a laugh. "Let’s sit down and chat."
The group sat down, and Director Quincy raised her hand to call a server to order coffee.
Once the server had left, she took an envelope from her bag and handed it to Renee Jennings, her face beaming with gratitude. "Consultant Jennings, this is for all your hard work in finding the alligator. It’s the reward money I applied for. Please, I insist you take it."
Renee Jennings’s eyes went from the envelope to Director Quincy. She chuckled. "Well, in that case, I won’t refuse. But I’ll have to ask you to do me a favor, Director Quincy, and donate this reward money to an animal protection association on my behalf."
Director Quincy was stunned for a few seconds.
Faye Wyatt’s lips curved into a smile. She had guessed all along that Renee Jennings wouldn’t accept the money.
’A young woman like her wouldn’t give a paltry sum like this a second thought.’
’It wasn’t that I looked down on the money—who would ever complain about having too much? But I hadn’t helped out for the money in the first place. Besides, the system had already given me a reward, so donating this money was the best course of action.’
"Are you sure you want to donate it?" Director Quincy asked.
Renee Jennings nodded. "Yes."
"Alright, then I’ll donate it to the Lynfell Animal Protection Association in your name." Director Quincy put the envelope back in her bag and took out her phone. "Consultant Jennings, would it be alright if I added you on WeChat? I can send you the donation receipt then."
"Of course." Renee Jennings took out her phone and they added each other on WeChat.
After a while, Renee Jennings remembered that during her livestream last night, she had said she would contact Melora Luxury Furniture today.
She switched to TikTok and saw in her DMs that Melora Luxury Furniture had sent another message just ten minutes ago.
"Streamer, didn’t you promise you’d contact me today?"
"Streamer, are you going to save my stingray or not?"
"Streamer, where are you???"
Melora Luxury Furniture had sent pages of messages. Renee Jennings’s head was starting to ache. She typed out a short reply: "You mentioned a generous reward on the stream?"
The moment she sent it, a reply came back instantly: "Streamer, you’re finally here! If you can save my fish, I’ll pay you twenty thousand yuan as a reward."
Renee Jennings: "Fine. Buy two more carp and put them in the tank with the stingray. It should get better before long."
Melora Luxury Furniture: "It’s that simple?"
Renee Jennings: "Just do as I said. And remember your promise when the stingray recovers."
With that, she closed the app and set her phone down on the table.
Faye Wyatt looked at her with a bright smile. "Renee, are you in a hurry to go back to Zenvia? If not, we could look around Lynfell for a bit."
Renee Jennings was about to answer when her phone suddenly started ringing.
She glanced at the caller ID. Her pale, slender fingers picked up the phone again and she answered the call. Two words escaped her lips: "Henry Stark."
A man’s low, gentle voice came from the receiver. "Renee, are you finished with the business at the zoo?"
Renee Jennings: "It’s done."
Henry Stark heard this and continued, "The Lynfell police have a case they’d like your help with. It’s a murder."
’A murder...’
Renee Jennings thought of last night’s new mission: Save the Suspect.
She raised an eyebrow slightly and agreed softly, "I can do that. Should I go to the police station, or...?"
Henry Stark: "No need. I’ll have them pick you and Sawyer up from the hotel."
After hanging up, Renee Jennings looked up to meet several gazes full of concern.