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Chapter 57: This late at night, are you inviting me upstairs to do something?

“Shi Chen, stop talking sarcastically! Your sniper showed up so late, you bear inescapable responsibility!”

Jiang Chaoyun snapped at Shi Chen without hesitation.

Shi Chen waved his hand, said nothing more, and walked away smiling.

Lu Li stared at Shi Chen’s departing figure, frowned, and asked, “This is the SWAT captain you mentioned?”

Jiang Chaoyun sighed, “Yeah, that’s him. He… mm, yes, him, no doubt. He wasn’t like this before, he was actually a hero who got covered in injuries protecting civilians; it is just that his personality has turned a bit nasty, yet he is still a good man.

“It’s just… forget it, saying more is pointless.” Jiang Chaoyun hemmed and hawed for a moment, then shook her head and said, “I apologize on his behalf, please don’t blame him.”

“Not at all.” Lu Li said nothing else, signed the form, and then pressed his fingerprint in the red ink pad.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” Jiang Chaoyun collected the two interrogation sheets and asked considerately.

Lu Li looked at the officers hurrying back and forth inside the station, shook his head, and said, “Looks like you’ll be busy all night; I’ll take her home myself, no need to trouble you.”

“I really am sorry.” Jiang Chaoyun sighed.

“We should be the ones apologizing. Officer Jiang, we’re leaving.” Lu Li stood up.

Chu Zining immediately stood as well and said, “Sister Jiang, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” Watching the two of them leave, Jiang Chaoyun nodded to herself; although he was a bit of a scumbag, he was reasonable enough, no wonder little Chu liked him. She only hoped he would not let little Chu down.

Lu Li walked out while rubbing the red ink off his hand, saying nothing. Chu Zining followed cautiously, constantly checking his expression.

As they walked outside, the tawny village dog trotted over, panting happily with its tongue out. Lu Li glanced at the tuft of red fur on the dog’s head, then at the red ink on his own hand, and fell into thought. No wonder Jiang Chaoyun had been reluctant to explain the red fur earlier…

After pondering for a few seconds, Lu Li waved the dog over; it panted and happily asked to be picked up. Lu Li casually placed his hand on the dog’s head and wiped the red ink onto its fur…

Chu Zining stared blankly, first realizing what he meant, then bursting into suppressed laughter. She gently took Lu Li’s hand, pulled out a tissue, and carefully wiped it clean. While wiping, she whispered, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. You are a hero, my… hero.”

Lu Li quietly looked at the girl’s fair, rosy face and felt that today’s adventure had truly been worth it.

After cleaning his hand, Chu Zining rose on tiptoe, reached up, gently patted Lu Li’s head, and smiled with crescent peach-blossom eyes: “Good boy, good.”

Lu Li: “…” Your own hands haven’t been cleaned yet, hey!

Lu Li’s face darkened, and just as he raised his hand to karate-chop her, Chu Zining retreated first and used the remaining tissue to wipe the mutt’s head. The dog did not appreciate it at all; it shook itself free of her hand and trotted off in annoyance.

“Don’t, don’t run.” Chu Zining wanted to chase after it, but how could she catch a four-legged dog?

“Come on, I’ll walk you home.” Lu Li strode off in annoyance; he finally understood that this girl was pure but downright silly! He took big strides and headed south with practiced ease.

Chu Zining had no choice but to give up and hurry after him; after a few steps she looked at Lu Li in confusion and asked, “H-how do you know my house is to the south?”

Lu Li froze; earlier, when he had been in Chu Zining’s body, he had ridden in Jiang Chaoyun’s car from the station to her home, so of course he knew the way. But that reason was impossible to admit.

Lu Li pondered for two seconds and then lowered his voice: “Actually, I’m a stalker; I’ve lusted after you for ages, tailed you many times, and know exactly where you live.”

Chu Zining halted and stared at Lu Li warily.

“Just kidding, dummy!” Lu Li laughed and cried at the same time.

“How would I know where you live? Hurry up and lead the way!”

Chu Zining let out a soft “Mm,” quickly caught up, her cheeks flushing; when she had seen his serious face just now, she had believed him without thinking. Now that reason returned, she realized he was joking, lowered her head, and muttered softly, “Bad guy.”

All the way, Lu Li told random jokes, Chu Zining listened quietly and occasionally replied; chatting and laughing, 30 minutes flew by.

Chu Zining looked up dazedly and discovered they were already downstairs at her building. For the first time, she felt that time could pass so quickly.

“I-I’m here.” Chu Zining stammered.

“Okay, get upstairs then.” Lu Li nodded.

“Um…” Chu Zining stared at her toes and did not move for a long while.

“What, inviting me up to do something? It’s so late, is that really okay?” Lu Li chuckled and pretended to head upstairs.

“If you insist, I could reluctantly agree.”

“N-no!” Chu Zining jumped in fright and waved her hands.

“I-I wanted to say g-goodbye!”

“Just that?” Lu Li sounded utterly disappointed, yet he kept teasing, “Opportunities like this are rare; plenty of girls covet my looks, miss this chance and it’s gone forever.”

Chu Zining’s face turned crimson.

“S-see you tomorrow!” This time she didn’t wait for Lu Li’s reply; she lowered her head and dashed upstairs, and, whether from poor lighting or haste, she let out a small “Ow” in the stairwell, as if she had stumbled.

Lu Li rubbed his forehead speechlessly and sighed, “She really is an idiot.”

He looked up for a while; only when the light in Chu Zining’s living room came on did he whisper, “See you tomorrow,” and leave.

Chu Zining leaned against the door in dejection and slid down like a deflated ball. Remembering Lu Li’s nonsense, she covered her burning cheeks with both hands and grumbled softly, “Bad guy.”

…

Police station, interrogation room.

Wang Hongtao fixed his gaze on Xu Ke in the interrogation chair, his tiger-like eyes full of intimidation.

Xu Ke, the man in the mask, shifted his eyes in terror and began to tremble all over.

Wang Hongtao coughed once and asked, “Xu Ke, who is your handler, who ordered you to deliver the goods?”

Xu Ke curled up in fear and cried out in pain, “M-mom, mom, mom…”

Wang Hongtao held his head, his expression grim. Xu Ke suffered from bipolar disorder; if his mood could not be stabilized, a proper interrogation was impossible. Moreover, Xu Ke’s handler was extremely important and deeply hidden; the only way to catch him was to pry the information from Xu Ke’s mouth.

Wang Hongtao had already obtained medication for bipolar disorder and given it to Xu Ke, but it had no effect, and Xu Ke remained delirious.

“Back at Good Flavor, how did his emotions calm down?” Wang Hongtao asked Jiang Chaoyun in confusion.

Jiang Chaoyun flipped through the interrogation record and answered, “He ate a serving of braised pork.”

“Braised pork?” Wang Hongtao laughed wryly. “How is that possible? What connection could there be?”

Yet the moment Xu Ke heard the words “braised pork,” he became agitated and kept shouting, “Braised pork! Braised pork! Braised pork!”

Jiang Chaoyun froze for a second and said, “Boss, should we order him some braised pork? Maybe it’ll work?”

Wang Hongtao hesitated for a moment. “Fine, order several portions; I’m hungry too.”

“Mm.” Soon the delivery arrived, and Wang Hongtao set a serving of braised pork before Xu Ke.

“Eat up, and cooperate once you’re done.”

Xu Ke’s eyes lit up; he grabbed the dish and wolfed it down, but after only two bites he spat it all out and even knocked over the carton on the table.

“It’s not Mom’s cooking! No! No!”

“Mom, Mom, Mom…”

“I want Mom…”

Xu Ke burst into wailing sobs, pitiful as a child.

Wang Hongtao tasted his own portion, looked at Jiang Chaoyun in puzzlement, and asked, “It tastes pretty good… why didn’t it work? Who cooked the previous serving?”

Jiang Chaoyun quickly flipped the record, then froze and said, “I-it was made by Lu Li…”

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