Smartypants... Qu Zhi's little sister
Common...
As XX finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire space froze completely.
Or perhaps...
Upon hearing XX's words, XXX was immediately shocked and stood up, and the surrounding crowd instantly became noisy.
Etc...
However, at this time, the situation here in Uraraka Shige is completely different from the two mentioned above.
The elderly man, who appeared to be the bookstore owner, didn't think there was anything special about the "Qu Zhi" that Uraraka Shige mentioned... even
"Qu Zhi... I vaguely remember that name, but I can't quite place it."
He had no idea who Uraraka Shige was referring to as "the one Qu Zhi"!
However, this did not change the atmosphere inside the bookstore at all.
Uraraka Shige did not doubt whether the bookstore owner's claim of being "well-informed" was untrue.
Instead, as if suddenly remembering something, he roughly described the characteristics of that clever kid.
"Oh? Very clever... clever to the point of being paranoid... his suspicion of others has become an instinctive trait of an underage boy... from Tottori Prefecture... arrested for some serious matter..."
As the rather elderly bookstore owner repeated the characteristics of the Qu Zhi that Uraraka Shige described, he suddenly picked up a blank notebook from the side, and as he continued to speak, the notebook began to turn its pages as if blown by the wind.
"Splash splash~~~"
The pages turned faster and faster, the sound grew louder and louder, gradually becoming a continuous murmur that filled the entire bookstore.
"I see!"
The old man suddenly opened his eyes, and the sharp glint he revealed in that instant startled Uraraka Shige, who was completely unprepared!
"Bang!"
The bookstore owner closed the notebook and put it back in its original place. He then slowly sat back down on a futon next to him before speaking again.
"The 'Qu Zhi' you mentioned is probably not a local of Tottori City. In my memory, I can't find anyone who perfectly matches your description..."
The old man's eyelids slowly closed, his body began to tremble unsteadily again, and his voice returned to its previous shaky tone. The sharp glint in his eyes was nowhere to be seen.
Uraraka Shige couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He had been asking his way from the outskirts of Tottori City to this bookstore, but each time he thought he would find out some information, he was disappointed. Moreover, he had been asking his way until his throat was dry.
"Okay... sorry to bother you."
Uraraka Shige, 'Am I being fooled by this old man's pretense?' But outwardly, she still bowed, took two steps back, and then turned to push open the door and leave.
But at that moment, the bookstore owner suddenly spoke again.
"Oh dear... young people these days are so impatient, so lacking in composure. They don't even know that older people speak slowly and should listen to them finish speaking. Sigh..."
Especially that final sigh, it almost gives you a feeling that 'the world is going to the dogs and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be'.
Upon hearing these words Uraraka Shige's previously disheartened mood instantly brightened considerably. Although she couldn't help but think to herself, "Is this unscrupulous old man playing a trick on me?" her body still very honestly stopped at the bookstore entrance, turned around, and looked expectantly at the elderly man who appeared to be the bookstore owner.
Seeing this, the old man sighed again, sat there motionless as if thinking for a moment, and finally did not keep him in suspense any longer, but directly told him the information that Uraraka Shige might need.
"Fine, you're just a stingy little pauper, your clothes are even patched up... sigh..."
"Old man, I truly don't know anyone who perfectly fits your criteria, and there's no one in Tottori City named 'Qu Zhi'... However, in my memory from last year, I found a news report about a minor criminal named 'Qu Zhi'."
"This young criminal wasn't paranoid; he grew up in an environment where everyone hated him. While it's true he committed serious crimes, he wasn't arrested; he voluntarily surrendered himself."
"The most important thing is that he doesn't have a 'sister' at all. Instead, he has been alone since childhood, wandering the entire Tottori Prefecture as a homeless person."
As the old man finished speaking, he grunted twice, coughed up a thick phlegm, and spat it into the spittoon next to him on the second floor, making a "HE~PEI!" sound, which made Uraraka Shige's face darken.
However, the reason why Uraraka Shige's face darkened was not only because of the loud sound the old man made when he spat, but also because Qu Zhi did not have any so-called 'sister'.
It's obvious that the so-called 'younger sister' was just a fabricated reason used by Qu Zhi to trick him into coming to Tottori Prefecture.
As for the purpose of bringing him to Tottori Prefecture...
"Bang!"
At that moment, Uraraka Shige still hadn't figured out the clever kid's purpose.
Suddenly, the bookstore door was pushed open by a tall man dressed in a very disheveled manner. Behind him was a little girl who looked to be only about eight years old. She was staring at him timidly with her clear, dark eyes, her delicate little nose twitching slightly, which made her seem very lively.
"Brother Qu Zhi!... Eh? Where's Brother Qu Zhi?"
That tall guy, despite his bright and lively eyes, always reminded Uraraka Shige of Gu Yu, that 'simple-minded' fellow. After pushing open the bookstore door, he let out a loud shout and then scanned his surroundings, searching for the figure of the 'Brother Qu Zhi' he had mentioned.
This attitude of completely disregarding him made Uraraka Shige.
'That jerk... he actually ignores me just because he's tall! Does being tall make you superior?!'
It's clear he didn't realize that sometimes, being tall really does give you the freedom to do whatever you want... Yes, I mean... like changing a light bulb, picking up a ball... and things like that...
Cough...
In short, after this tall guy raised his question...
"Wait! You big oaf! The aroma is coming from this guy!"
The little girl, who looked to be only about eight years old and was being carried on the back of this tall man, suddenly pointed at Uraraka Shige rudely and said the following.