Chapter 20: Secret Love, The Confession on a Sticky Note

Leo’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, a dark fire flickering in his eyes. "Clara Ye, if you keep flirting, believe me, I’ll—"

Clara cut him off, leaning her face closer. "You'll kiss me to death, right?"

Leo: "..."

He let out a low curse.

He reached out and pushed her bright, beautiful face away.

"Stop it. I’m driving."

Clara checked the GPS. Seeing they were twenty minutes from the bar, she said, "You take the passenger seat. I’ll drive."

"No need."

"If you don't want to be flirted with, listen to me."

Leo looked at her and finally relented. He pulled over and swapped seats with her.

Once Clara was in the driver's seat, she told him, "Catch some sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive."

Before he could respond, she added, "Don't worry, I won't pounce on you while you're sleeping."

Leo gritted his teeth. "I thought you only wanted to pounce on the 'clean-cut, refined' types?"

Clara’s red lips curled up in a wicked smile. "Those are for marriage. Your type is for bed. They don't conflict."

Leo stopped talking.

This woman had a unique talent for annoying him into silence.

Clara put on some soothing music.

Before long, Leo was asleep.

When he woke up, the car was parked in front of the bar.

Clara was looking at her phone, wearing Bluetooth earbuds, unaware he was awake.

Leo glanced at her screen.

She was watching a recorded video of Jace’s concert.

Leo rubbed his temples and sat up.

Clara caught the movement, pulled out her earbuds, and said, "You’re awake?"

Leo nodded. "How is Jace’s music?"

"To be honest, his debut songs were quite good—very delicate. I heard he wrote them himself. But I don't really like the style of his music from the last two years. It’s changed a lot."

Leo nodded. "Send me a playlist. I’ll listen when I have time."

Clara gave him an 'OK' sign.

Sunny Zhou, who had reported Kyo Lin missing two years ago, was now a floor manager at Nightfall Bar.

When Leo and Clara arrived, she was training the servers.

Learning the reason for their visit, Sunny quickly led them to her office.

"Officer, is there news about Kyo?"

Leo’s voice was somber. "We’re here to learn about Kyo Lin’s time working here and her social circle."

"Kyo was an orphan. She started working at our bar right after high school. She began as a server, but our boss discovered her talent for songwriting and her beautiful voice, so he let her perform on stage."

"Even though she didn't go to college, her songs really touched people’s hearts. She was kind-hearted. Back then, when I first started and got bullied by customers, she always stood up for me."

"Her dream was always to earn enough money to renovate the orphanage. Unfortunately—"

Leo’s pen paused. He looked up at Sunny. "Unfortunately what?"

"Unfortunately, four years ago, her voice was suddenly ruined."

Sunny gritted her teeth, a flash of resentment in her eyes. "Someone in the bar was jealous of her and drugged her water. After that, her clear, beautiful voice became raspy and broken. Even speaking was a struggle."

"We called the police, but because the surveillance was broken that day, the culprit was never found."

"Kyo quit after that. I don't know where she went. We only kept in touch occasionally on WeChat. Two years ago, I reached out to her but never got a reply. Her phone was off. I went to the orphanage, but the director said she hadn't been back in ages. I decided to file the report for her."

Leo finished his notes and continued, "During her time singing here, did she get close to anyone? Anyone special?"

Sunny thought for a moment. "She lived in the dorms and didn't hang out with many people. Usually, she just went back to write music after her shift."

She paused, seemingly remembering something. "Wait. A month before her voice was ruined, she started going out every night after her shift and didn't come back until dawn. I asked her where she went, and she just said she found a quiet place to write."

"But I noticed she was always smiling then. She looked different from her usual self, who was always just working for money. She looked... radiant. Her songs changed too. They used to be a bit melancholy, but during that time, they were so sweet they practically dripped with honey."

Sunny pulled an old phone from a drawer and turned it on.

"One night, I recorded a video of her performing a new song."

Leo took the phone and watched.

In the video, Kyo Lin held a guitar on the bar stage.

She was wearing a pale yellow dress, her long hair in a high ponytail. She was singing and dancing, her clear voice full of sweetness. The atmosphere was lively, and the audience was hyped.

As Sunny filmed, the camera panned across the customers.

Though the footage was shaky and fast, Leo noticed a familiar figure.

He rewound and zoomed in.

Clara leaned in to look. "Is that Daryl Ji in the corner?"

"More than that." Leo’s voice was dark. He pointed to a blurry figure behind Daryl. "Who does that look like to you?"

Honestly, the footage was too blurry to be certain.

However, Daryl Ji was a simple man from the mountains; he dressed plainly and knew no one in the city. Why would he be at a bar?

Unless someone brought him.

Clara looked at Leo. "You mean..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but Leo knew who she was thinking of. He nodded.

Leaving Sunny’s office, Leo spotted a "memory wall" covered in colorful sticky notes.

"What’s this?" Leo asked.

Sunny explained, "It’s a place for guests and staff to write their wishes. All the colorful notes together look romantic and full of life."

"Captain, do you think Kyo Lin might have written something here?" Clara asked. "After all, her singing in that video looked so happy."

Leo gave Clara an appreciative look. "You’re very sharp."

Being complimented out of the blue made Clara feel a bit shy.

She gave a soft huff. "I’ve always been smart."

"Smart enough for your husband to cheat."

Clara glared at him. "Your ex-fiancée did the same. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

Leo watched her expression.

She seemed okay. Mentioning her cheating ex didn't seem to make her as sad as before.

It seemed she was slowly processing what had happened.

"Can we look through these notes?" Leo asked Sunny.

"Of course."

Leo and Clara began searching through the notes.

After about thirty minutes, Clara spotted an orange-yellow sticky note with curled edges.

She moved the other notes aside and gently peeled it off.

"Captain, come look at this."

Leo walked over and looked at the note in her hand.

The handwriting was elegant and clear, carrying a hint of joy.

Meeting you was a blessing. I hope we love each other forever.

— Kyo.

As they finished work, a light drizzle began to fall.

Clara received a call from Mia.

"Clara, I saw Jace’s fans are attacking the police website. Our Jace hasn't done anything wrong, has he?"

"Mia, I can't disclose details of an active investigation."

Mia gave a small 'oh'. "Jace’s concert is starting soon, and my light sticks and banners are still at the villa. Can I go get them?"

"Not until the case is solved."

Suddenly, Clara remembered the items on Mia’s coffee table—the light sticks, the banners, the keychain—they were all orange.

"Mia, does Jace like the color orange?"

"Orange is his official fandom color!"

Ending the call, Clara immediately shared her discovery with Leo.

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