Chapter 102

After such a thrilling day, everyone found it hard to calm their inner turmoil.

Although the process of this incident was somewhat tumultuous, fortunately, the outcome was satisfactory. Lu Siyu rested in the ambulance at the scene for half a day and finally recovered by the afternoon.

After a busy half-day, everyone finally returned to the police station.

Zhang Congyun, Huo Shaoqing, and Liu Fang, all three of them had murder cases on their hands and were directly detained for interrogation.

Song Wen assigned Fu Linjiang to take Zhu Xiao to obtain confessions. They had already understood the details of the previous case, so they seized the opportunity to directly record the confessions and have them signed.

Lu Siyu sat in his seat, drinking hot water to recuperate.

Song Wen still had concerns about the interrogation of Huo Chen and turned to Lao Jia, asking, “Have Huo Chen’s confessions been recorded?”

“He confessed to everything, including how he disposed of Chen Yanqiu’s body at the chemical plant. As for the scapegoating of the car accident, he provided an account, but the account is with a foreign bank. The funds were quickly transferred to Country Y.”

“Let the technical investigation team slowly follow up.” Song Wen knew that once it reached this stage, the situation would become complex, and it would be difficult to trace the identity of the other party. He had been curious about the person called Fish Lady that Zhao Zhao mentioned earlier.

“Oh, Captain Song, something happened just now,” Lao Jia spoke up.

“What happened?” Song Wen frowned.

“It’s not on our side, it’s over there…” Lao Jia whispered, gesturing towards the direction of the small conference room. “Just now, Commissioner Gu was called away to inquire about the situation, and then a lawyer named He came over… You know him, that lawyer who only cares about money, He. He said that our evidence against Gu Zhibai is insufficient and demanded that the City Bureau release him.”

“And then?” Song Wen asked, with a sense of foreboding.

“And then, well, only Deputy Commissioner Zhang was here, and then…” Lao Jia stopped. There was a sound of footsteps outside, someone was passing through the corridor towards the exit of the police station. It was Lawyer He leading Gu Zhibai out.

Lu Siyu also overheard their conversation. He looked up and glanced outside, whether intentionally or unintentionally. When Gu Zhibai walked past their office, his gaze turned in their direction. He was dressed in a suit, looking polite, like a guest attending a meeting.

For a moment, their eyes met, and Gu Zhibai even showed a faint smile, waving his finger in their direction.

That gesture seemed like a greeting between acquaintances.

The suspect from the police walked out of the station in a swagger, with everyone watching him leave.

Suddenly, the door of the small conference room was slammed, and Xu Changying came out with a grim face, heading straight for the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Lao Jia smirked, “You can guess the outcome, right?”

Every team inevitably has its share of pig teammates, and Deputy Commissioner Zhang was the prime example in the Nancheng Bureau.

Deputy Commissioner Zhang was essentially the right-hand man to Commissioner Gu, a bit older than him, and he didn’t have much involvement in managing the criminal aspects on a regular basis; he was quite slippery.

It’s unclear what exactly happened, whether Deputy Commissioner Zhang genuinely failed to stop it or pretended to do so, but in any case, Gu Zhibai, who they had finally managed to arrest, was released just like that.

It seems Xu Changying’s visit to Nancheng this time wasn’t auspicious; his efforts were in vain, losing both the woman and his troops.

Before Song Wen could say anything, Lu Siyu turned his head, his eyes dark with a touch of chill.

Sensing Lu Siyu’s thoughts, Song Wen comforted him by placing a hand on his shoulder and said, “The monk may run away, but the temple remains.”

His hand pressed down, feeling Lu Siyu’s shoulder a bit thin and cold.

Lowering his head, Lu Siyu remained silent for a moment. He had a bad feeling about the timing of this incident; it seemed too coincidental.

If Xu Changying had let Gu Zhibai escape this time, it would take who knows how long to catch him again.

Initially, everyone was still immersed in the excitement of solving the bombing case. Upon hearing this news, it felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads.

After Fu Linjiang finished his interrogation, seeing everyone’s low spirits, he couldn’t help but say, “Why is everyone so gloomy? Let’s celebrate solving our case and the fact that nothing major happened today. I’ll treat you all to hotpot tonight. It’s been a while since we gathered, and it’s time for some team-building.”

So, when it was time to clock out, everyone happily chose a restaurant and went there together. Indeed, the saying is true: there’s nothing a hotpot can’t solve. And if that doesn’t work, then two hotpots it is.

As they enjoyed the hotpot, everyone’s mood relaxed.

Lu Siyu was a semi-protagonist today and didn’t want to decline, so he joined them. He didn’t eat much, just sipping on a beverage made by the hotel. It was sweet and warm, and quite delicious.

He had finished two cups and wanted to have more. Song Wen leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Don’t drink anymore. This stuff is made from rice wine, and it packs a punch. You might end up with a stomachache later.”

Lu Siyu exclaimed softly, realizing he hadn’t tasted any alcohol in it at all. He quickly set down the cup upon hearing Song Wen’s words.

As the evening was winding down, Lao Jia asked Lu Siyu, “Hey, hero, why don’t you tell us the story of today?”

Lu Siyu felt a bit uneasy; he didn’t want to recall that dreadful morning. The sensation of being torn open was too painful. He lowered his head and evaded the question, saying, “I didn’t really do much. I just advised Zhang Congyun, and in the end, he decided to give up.”

Fu Linjiang thought he was being modest. “Ah, don’t be so humble.”

Zhu Xiao chimed in, “Facing it bravely is commendable enough. If it were me, I wouldn’t dare to climb up there. My legs would turn to jelly. You know, when Captain Song heard about it, his face changed instantly.”

As they discussed, they started gossiping about how heroic Song Wen was during the bomb disposal and how Lu Siyu remained calm and hidden. If they spun the story well, maybe it could be used as a model and be commended.

Lu Siyu shook his head; those things were the least of his concerns.

Song Wen shielded him with a wine glass. “Ah, let’s just drink and talk about it later.”

With that, the topic passed. After a hearty meal, everyone went their separate ways. After the hustle and bustle, everything fell into tranquility.

The restaurant wasn’t far from where they lived, so Lu Siyu and Song Wen walked back together. The sky was a bit overcast, with clouds slowly obscuring the moon, casting a hazy light over the flickering neon lights.

Summer was coming to an end, and there was a hint of autumn in the air.

Song Wen felt relieved; another case solved, and such a thrilling one at that.

Today, both he and Lu Siyu had skirted death’s door. If any link had gone wrong, they wouldn’t be feeling so relaxed now.

As they walked, Lu Siyu suddenly reached out and pulled Song Wen’s sleeve. His eyes were downcast, his ears red, and his face flushed.

Song Wen asked, “Have you had a bit too much to drink today?”

Lu Siyu shook his head. “I haven’t had much, only two cups. I’m just not used to drinking.”

Song Wen said, “Then try walking in a straight line.”

Lu Siyu, feeling a bit childish, stepped up onto the curb and walked straight ahead in a line, then turned back to Song Wen. “See, I told you I didn’t drink much.”

Song Wen sighed, his eyes showing some sympathy as he reached out to ruffle Lu Siyu’s hair. “You’re obedient when you’re drunk. You probably did have too much.”

Lu Siyu was taken aback, not sure how to retort. It was the first time he had drunk so much rice wine outside because of his stomach issues, and he was feeling a bit dizzy.

Song Wen asked, “Don’t you usually drink?”

Lu Siyu replied, “Yeah, only on important occasions or when meeting important people.”

Suddenly, Song Wen remembered the first time he visited Lu Siyu’s home, and Lu Siyu served him red wine.

So, was he considered an important person?

The two walked on in silence, side by side.

Song Wen spoke softly, “You… what you did today was too dangerous. If Zhang Congyun had flinched, you would’ve been a hero to die for it.”

Lu Siyu fell silent under his words, then whispered after a moment, “I was thinking, if it were Captain Song, what would you have done…” He paused and looked up at Song Wen, his gaze not as cold as usual. “I feel like, if it were you, you would have done everything in your power to stop him.”

Song Wen looked at him, unsure of what to say.

Rain began to fall from the sky at some point, light droplets like a drizzle.

Song Wen had brought an umbrella and opened it up, enough to shelter two people underneath.

There was about a two-foot gap between Lu Siyu and him. Seeing Lu Siyu didn’t move closer, Song Wen tilted the umbrella towards him, allowing the rain to wet his own shoulders.

After a moment of silence, Song Wen spoke, “Do you have something to say to me? If you do, just say it.”

“Captain Song… I…” Lu Siyu hesitated for a moment, realizing what Song Wen meant. Both were smart individuals, and he didn’t need to beat around the bush. “It’s about what happened earlier when Captain Xu called me over…”

“Yeah, how did you think about it?”

“…If I were to leave, I would at least wait until the report on this case is completed.” Lu Siyu spoke cautiously, feeling like he owed Song Wen something.

“If you want to go, then go.” Song Wen didn’t try to stop him this time, not showing the excitement he did in Commissioner Gu’s office last time. His voice was quite calm.

Lu Siyu paused, furrowing his brows slightly, unsure why Song Wen suddenly seemed indifferent. If Song Wen had asked him to stay, he would have felt more comfortable. But now, hearing Song Wen’s words, for some reason, this attitude made him feel a bit sad…

As raindrops pattered on the umbrella, Lu Siyu, emboldened by alcohol, asked, “Captain Song, I want to ask for your opinion.”

“What do you mean, asking for my opinion?” Song Wen held up the umbrella, pretending not to understand.

“I mean… I mean…” Lu Siyu was a bit tongue-tied for a moment, summoning up courage to speak. “If you really want me to stay, I can stay…” He left the choice to Song Wen.

Suddenly, Song Wen stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at Lu Siyu, whose eyes were as beautiful as ever, like a starry sky reflected in water. Song Wen was an excellent painter, having drawn all sorts of faces, features, and expressions, but he often felt that drawing people was just drawing skin and bones, unable to see through their hearts. Like now, standing opposite Lu Siyu, he felt there was a vast distance between them.

He couldn’t resist the urge to get closer.

Before Lu Siyu could react, Song Wen opened his arms and hugged him tightly, the umbrella tilting to the side. It was a firm embrace, and Lu Siyu suddenly found himself surrounded by Song Wen’s presence. Normally, he was extremely averse to physical contact with others. But now, being embraced by Song Wen like this, perhaps due to the alcohol, it unexpectedly made his heart race.

“Don’t go.”

Only three words, spoken calmly, but there was no room for refusal.

It turned out he cared a lot after all, and Lu Siyu felt a warm surge in his heart.

Suddenly, he thought of when he was investigating this case, staying in that small inn, immersing himself in the feelings of Chen Yanqiu. Facing life, old age, sickness, and death was a hurdle everyone had to pass through. If he were the one diagnosed with a terminal illness, living alone in a run-down inn, what kind of loneliness and despair would that be?

People, on one hand, were selfish, wanting to die in front of their loved ones, so that when they died, there would be someone accompanying them, not alone. On the other hand, they hoped to outlive everyone else, even if everyone they knew had passed away, so that they could live a long, immortal life. These were two contradictory emotions, both stemming from fear, the fear of facing death alone.

When Lu Siyu descended from Nancheng Tower, he was almost powerless, falling into Song Wen’s arms. At that time, Song Wen was frightened, but he remained calm. What surrounded him was a sense of safety, a departure from life and death, a return to the mundane world.

Lu Siyu finally understood why he hesitated over Commissioner Xu’s conditions. It seemed like he had discovered that there were more important things in life, important emotions, like the person in front of him who brought warmth, like family…

The delicate eyebrows of Lu Siyu blinked, and he said softly, “Okay, then I won’t go.”

Uttering these words, he suddenly felt relieved.

But Song Wen still held him, showing no intention of letting go.

Now, just after the evening rush hour, in the bustling street, under the drizzling autumn rain, two men embracing like this seemed a bit improper.

Lu Siyu patted Song Wen on the back, saying, “Alright, Captain Song, why are you acting like a child…”

Only then did Song Wen release him.

At this moment, Lu Siyu felt a bit dizzy from the effects of the alcohol, and his stomach didn’t feel quite right. In just a moment, the whole world seemed to be spinning, and he nearly stepped into the air.

“You said you didn’t drink much…” Song Wen looked at the redness around his eyes and handed him the umbrella. “Take it!”

Lu Siyu took the umbrella blankly, and Song Wen knelt down in front of him. After hesitating for a moment, Lu Siyu obediently lay on Song Wen’s back.

It wasn’t the first time Song Wen had carried him, and this time, Lu Siyu felt even lighter than before. Song Wen could feel Lu Siyu’s lips close to his neck, making him a bit ticklish. The person on his back seemed quite comfortable, and even the umbrella started tilting.

“I received information on my end. After this incident, the Traffic Bureau and various sub-bureaus have started reviewing cases from the past five years, checking for any errors. They are also investigating whether there are insiders leaking information.” Song Wen spoke, considering it a piece of good news.

Lu Siyu responded with a simple “Hmm.”

Song Wen looked ahead; the residential area was about two hundred meters away. He intentionally shook Lu Siyu and said, “Don’t fall asleep; be careful not to catch a cold.”

The person on his back responded with another “Hmm,” turned his head in a different direction, and stayed still…

TN:

And there we have it! Another case done~ I love this chapter! Finally seeing some progress in their relationship *clutches pearl beads* See you in the next one.