Arranged marriage, love blossoms; a fiercely devoted soldier dotes on her alone.

It's still that long and narrow alley.

It's still that incredibly popular local restaurant.

It's still the same chubby, simple-minded boss, Mr. Qin.

The dishes are still the same; nothing seems to have changed except for the number of diners who come every day specifically to try and enjoy the food…

Because Xiaxia and Keke had called Boss Qin in advance, Xiao Zhan and the others didn't have to wait for a table when they arrived. Actually, it was past the dinner rush hour, and there weren't many people in the local restaurant.

Boss Qin greeted them with a smile and said, "It's been a while since you've been here. What would you like to eat today?"

Xia Keke chuckled and teased, "Boss Qin, it sounds like you've added new dishes?"

Boss Qin grinned and said, "Boss Xia is indeed very clever. Our shop has added two new dishes today: stir-fried cured pork with fermented black beans and garlic, and stewed catfish with tofu. Would you like to try them?"

Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow and said, "These two dishes seem to be Anhui cuisine, not northern cuisine. Why did the boss add these two dishes?"

Boss Qin explained, "Boss, you're amazing! These two dishes are indeed Anhui cuisine. They were added at the request of our regular customers. There are quite a few Anhui people living around here who work in Beijing. They often come here to eat. Now that it's almost Chinese New Year, some people can't go back to their hometowns for the holidays because of work or other reasons, but they still want to eat their hometown food. So some people asked me if I could make some Anhui cuisine. I happen to like Anhui cuisine, so I added these two dishes. To be honest, these two dishes are relatively simple to make, not that complicated."

"Haha, you guys just have to make do with this."

Everyone could tell that Boss Qin was just being modest!

When Xiao Zhan was in the army, he had a comrade-in-arms from Anhui. The army had a rule that new recruits had to train in the mess hall. Since the soldiers came from all over the country, when they went to help in the mess hall, they naturally cooked their best dishes. So Xiao Zhan had eaten the most authentic Anhui cuisine.

Then Xiao Zhan said, "Boss Qin, I can tell whether your Anhui cuisine is authentic or not just by tasting it. If it doesn't taste authentic, I won't pay for it."

Boss Qin laughed and said, "Whether it's authentic or not, you'll know after you taste it. Criticism and suggestions are welcome."

Boss Qin knew, of course, that Xiao Zhan was joking.

Qin Huanhuan and Hua Ying were whispering to each other when they heard this. Qin Huanhuan looked up at Xiao Zhan and said, "Honey, why are you being so particular and serious? We'll just eat whatever they make. It's just a meal, not a food competition. Don't take it so seriously. It's not easy for the boss to run a business."

Xiao Zhan: "Honey, I didn't mean to make things difficult for the boss. We were just joking around. Do I look like the kind of person who doesn't pay for meals?"

Mr. Qin quickly smiled and said, "Young lady, you're beautiful and kind-hearted. You've misunderstood. Your husband is just joking with me!"

Seeing that the boss had said that, Qin Huanhuan stopped talking and began whispering to Hua Ying again.

Xiao Zhan: "Boss, the usual rules. There are five of us, so you can arrange six dishes and a soup."

Boss Qin: "Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

At this moment, Qin Huanhuan stood up and said, "Honey, Hua Ying and I are going to the restroom."

As is well known, residents in Beijing's hutongs use public toilets, which are usually located at both ends of the hutong.

Shen Jun stood up and said, "It's too dark, and the streetlights aren't working. I'll accompany you two to the restroom."

With Shen Jun acting as their protector, the two women were naturally happy to oblige.

So the three of them walked toward the public toilet at the entrance of the alley.

Xia Keke picked up the teapot and poured Xiao Zhan a cup of tea, then lowered her voice and said, "I just received information that the mysterious person who called Zhang Dafa was Qin Guang, the owner of a private detective agency. An investigation revealed that Qin Guang's backer is Liu Yiran, Qin Hanwen's wife. There are indications that Li Chaobing's bombing case is related to Liu Yiran."

Xiao Zhan frowned and said, "Why is it so complicated? Now there's another Qin Hanwen's wife, Liu Yiran."

Xia Keke continued in a low voice, "You probably never expected that Liu Yiran actually had an affair with Li Chaobing."

Xiao Zhan exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, is this that explosive? Could Qin Hanwen's death be related to Li Chaobing as well?"

Xia Keke shook her head and said, "No, according to the investigation, Li Chaobing used Qin Hanwen's death to blackmail Qin Hanwu and Liu Yiran. He extorted a lot of money from Qin Hanwu, and when faced with the still charming Liu Yiran, he coerced and lured her into bed."

Xiao Zhan sneered, "Li Chaobing really deserves to die. He used his position to seek personal gain, reaping both wealth and women."

Xia Keke continued, "The investigation has now revealed that Deng Zhi's death was not related to Li Chaobing's death. It was Liu Yiran and Qin Hanwu who, after learning that you were targeting Li Chaobing, were afraid that the events of twenty years ago would be exposed. So they had Qin Guang secretly plant a bomb in Li Chaobing's car to kill him and silence him."

Xiao Zhan: "Where is Qin Guang now?"

Xia Keke: "He has already been secretly detained."

At this moment, Boss Qin brought over two dishes and said, "This is stir-fried cured pork with fermented black beans and garlic, and steamed stinky tofu with dried shrimp. Young Master Xiao, would you like to try it and see if it tastes authentic?"

Xiao Zhan tasted both dishes and smacked his lips, saying, "The taste is indeed very good; it's authentic Anhui cuisine."

Boss Qin laughed and said, "To ensure the quality of the ingredients, the cured pork and stinky tofu are all air-freighted from Anhui."

Xiao Zhan and Xia Keke exchanged a glance, then pointed to the chair and said, "Boss Qin, since you're not busy right now, why don't you sit down and have a drink?"

Boss Qin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, there aren't many customers right now. That catfish stew with tofu needs to simmer for a while, so I'll have a drink with Young Master Xiao and Leader Xia."

Then she sat down, picked up a beer bottle, and filled Xiao Zhan's glass. Xia Keke waved her hand and said, "Thank you, but I don't drink alcohol. I'll just have tea."

Because she's on her period, she can't drink cold things...

"when!"

Xiao Zhan raised his glass and clinked it against Boss Qin's, saying, "Boss Qin, let's have a drink."

He then downed his beer in one gulp and looked at Boss Qin, asking, "How did you know my surname is Xiao? And that I'm Young Master Xiao?"

He then pointed at Xia Keke and asked, "How do you know she's a leader?"

Mr. Qin had just taken a sip of beer and hadn't even swallowed it yet when he heard this, his heart tightened, and the beer instantly choked him.

"Cough cough cough."

A violent cough turned Boss Qin's face bright red, and tears welled up in his eyes. At the same time, the cough masked the momentary panic in Boss Qin's expression.

However, his exaggerated performance could not hide from Xiao Zhan's piercing gaze and Xia Keke's sharp eyes.

Then, Boss Qin wiped his eyes with a tissue and said, "You've come quite a few times. I've heard others call you that, so I've started calling you that too. Am I wrong?"

Looking into Boss Qin's eyes, Qin Zhan said, "You didn't call me by the wrong name, Boss Qin. Do you know Liu Yiran?"

Xiao Zhan's move was called "straight to the heart of the enemy."

It's all about surprise...

It's about catching the opponent off guard, launching a sudden attack, and disrupting their rhythm...

A flicker of panic flashed in Boss Qin's eyes, but he still shook his head and whispered, "Who is Liu Yiran?"

"I don't know this person."

"Is she a man or a woman?"

Xia Keke whispered, "Since you asked whether it was a man or a woman, it means you already know that the other person is not a man."

"Qin Hanwen, stop acting with us."

"Don't you want to get back everything you've lost?"

"Take off!"

Boss Qin suddenly stood up and said, "I'm sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else. My name isn't Qin Hanwen, it's Qin Haipeng."