Chapter 47: The Film Studio (Third Update, Seeking First Subscription)

There was hardly any need to check; the postal code revealed that the letter came from the neighboring city of Dali, and the crossed-out character was clearly an unfinished "Shadow." Putting the context together, anyone could easily guess its meaning.

Li Yiting took a photo of the letter and sent it to the detective group chat, then carefully slipped the letter back into its envelope and handed it to Qian Ya.

“This is an incredibly important letter, Xiaoya. You must keep it safe—it might come in handy later. Thank you!” he said sincerely.

Qian Ya took it with a dismissive air. “Hmph. If it weren’t for your recent sincerity, I wouldn’t bother dealing with you.”

She smiled faintly. “I’m just feeling sorry for Yiru and don’t want her to see this final letter.”

But Li Yiting was sharp. “You’re hiding this letter for some other reason, aren’t you?”

“What? No way. Believe it or not, I’ll just toss it into the brazier and burn it later!” Qian Ya hesitated for a moment, then said stubbornly.

Li Yiting quickly backed down. “No, no… okay, you win.”

“Ah, could it be you want to investigate this den of demons yourself?” he suddenly realized.

Qian Ya curled her lips, neither admitting nor denying.

Li Yiting didn’t try to stop her but spoke with concern. “Honestly, with your skills, it wouldn’t be hard for you to investigate, but you’re still just a young girl—it might not be very convenient…”

He frowned. “Besides, if it’s truly a den of demons, it’s hard to say how dangerous it really is. What if it’s crawling with monsters?”

Qian Ya chuckled softly. “What are you trying to say? You’re making my head spin!”

Li Yiting laughed quietly without answering.

Qian Ya saw through his little game and teased, “Are you trying to say you want to come with me?”

Li Yiting hesitated. “If I go with you, what about Yiru? I can’t exactly bring her along—that would be like sending a lamb into the tiger’s den.”

“The caravan here is quite safe. Let her stay here,” Qian Ya said dismissively.

Li Yiting shook his head. “She came here specifically looking for someone. I’m worried she won’t be able to stay alone. Also, we don’t know how long this trip will take. What if something happens…”

Suddenly, Qian Ya burst out laughing. “You’re imagining this den of demons way too scary. Come on, you’re the head of a department. What’s a ‘den of demons’ to Xiao Su is just an ordinary place to me.”

Li Yiting smiled wryly. “Better to be cautious. No matter how skilled you are, a completely unfamiliar place is still risky.”

“Pfft!” Qian Ya scoffed but instantly came to a realization.

“Oh, so you’re trying to get me to say something? I’m not playing your game anymore!” she snapped. “You already guessed I’ve been there, didn’t you? Hmph!”

Li Yiting laughed. “Even a fool could have guessed that.”

He then turned serious. “I really do worry about your safety—and Yiru’s. Our information network up north is a bit better. Before, you might have just gone, but now things are different. There could be danger lurking everywhere… We should plan carefully.”

He held back mentioning Xiao Su’s murder—it wasn’t the right time yet.

Seeing his earnest expression, Qian Ya was surprised. “Honestly, that ‘den of demons’ Xiao Su mentioned is actually quite famous—it’s the Feilong Tiantian Film Studio in Dali. If you want to say there’s some dirty business going on, I’d believe it. But dangerous? Not really. Overall, it’s quite legitimate.”

“Uh, how do you know the place Xiao Su mentioned is definitely the Feilong Tiantian Film Studio?” Li Yiting asked, puzzled.

Qian Ya sneered. “Every time Xiao Su bragged to Yiru, he always brought up this damn place. As far as I know, he even worked there for quite a while…”

This time Li Yiting was startled. “So you’ve been investigating Xiao Su’s whereabouts?”

“If I had, would I be asking for your help?” Qian Ya replied impatiently. “This studio is much bigger than you think. Finding someone there is like climbing to the heavens, especially since I didn’t even know the person’s name at the time…”

Li Yiting nodded; it seemed Qian Ya was telling the truth. Before coming here, he had passed through several famous tourist spots. Though he wasn’t sightseeing, he had some sense of how flourishing the local entertainment industry was.

“You’re right. Nowadays, everyone wants to become a star. Hundreds or even thousands of handsome guys and beautiful girls camp outside every film studio. Xiao Su isn’t anyone important; it’s normal no one knows him,” he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Qian Ya’s face showed a firm resolve. “If we want to find Xiao Su, we have to get inside Feilong Tiantian.”

“How do you plan to get in? Do you have connections?” Li Yiting asked with a wry smile.

Qian Ya said grimly, “No connections at all. I’m just going to apply directly.”

Li Yiting was momentarily stunned. This strategy felt familiar—he couldn’t help but recall sneaking into a coal mine years ago. He hadn’t expected to reuse the same trick now.

“I don’t mean to discourage you, and you’re decent-looking, but…” He trailed off.

Qian Ya didn’t catch his implication. “If I can’t do it, isn’t there you? And if you can’t, I’ll have Yiru go!”

Hearing her resolute tone, Li Yiting could only smile bitterly.

“Cough, I feel like I’ve somehow become your pawn,” he said casually.

Unexpectedly, Qian Ya exploded in anger. “What? If you don’t want to go, I don’t care! I’ll take Yiru and find the person myself. I warn you, don’t follow me!”

With that, she stormed up and slammed the door on her way out.

“Hey, hey…” Li Yiting was caught off guard by how quickly she turned hostile. With anyone else, he might have just chuckled and let it go, but this woman was different.

He wasn’t sure if Qian Ya was truly angry or just putting on a show.

Playing hardball? he thought.

Suddenly, Qian Ya pushed the door open again, her face dark as she walked straight to the sofa without looking at him.

“Hmph. I was so angry I forgot my coat,” she muttered.

Li Yiting sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll go with you. I’ll do whatever you say, okay?”

Without turning back, Qian Ya said, “I never said I was bringing you.”

Li Yiting raised both hands in surrender. “My lady, please take me along. I’m volunteering to follow you, to join the entertainment industry willingly, to walk the path to stardom, to shed blood and sweat for the sake of show business!”

Qian Ya finally turned to glare at him, but her face broke into a radiant smile.

The smile was so brilliant, so dazzling!

Li Yiting knew he had met his greatest adversary in life.

He sighed. “What about Yiru?”

Qian Ya said calmly, “I’ve changed my mind. Yiru has to come with us.”