Chapter 21: There’s Always a Sense of Intimacy When I See Miss Shen

West Ping Road.

The First Public Security Bureau of the Imperial Capital.

“Miss Shen, thank you for your cooperation.” Su Qing escorted Shen Chujin to the entrance of the police station.

Because of the incident with Feng Jikun, they had brought Shen Chujin in to give a statement.

Now that the statement had been taken, it was only proper to send her off.

Su Qing looked at Shen Chujin and smiled cheerfully.

“I don’t know why, but I always feel an inexplicable sense of closeness when I see you, Miss Shen.”

Back when she was handling the Zhao Dan case, she had briefly caught a glimpse of Shen Chujin’s photo on a phone, and even then, she had felt that same sensation.

If she didn’t know for sure that she didn’t have a younger sister, she would have thought Shen Chujin was her parents’ youngest daughter.

The corners of Shen Chujin’s lips twitched.

There was indeed a familial bond between them—blood is thicker than water.

The original Shen Chujin was not the Shen family’s biological daughter, she had been switched at birth in the hospital.

After the real daughter of the Shen family, Shen Chuhan, returned to the family, the original Shen Chujin was gradually pushed aside.

With Shen Chuhan constantly stirring things up and secretly targeting her, the Shen parents grew more and more displeased with the original.

They even tried to marry her off—at just twenty years old and not yet graduated from university—to a man in his forties.

Simply because, when that man visited the Shen family, he had taken one look at her and was instantly attracted to her outstanding looks and temperament.

But that man wasn’t just old—he had a beer belly, had been divorced three times, and his last wife had only recently passed away.

The original Shen Chujin didn’t want to marry him.

But the Shen parents were tempted by his wealth.

Although he wasn’t from the capital, he was a powerful and influential businessman in the south.

And he had deep business ties with the Shen family.

Only if Shen Chujin married him could they get his support.

That way, the Shen family could rise with the tide, elevate their status, and perhaps even break into the highest circles of elite society in the capital.

So, they used the guise of “gratitude” to force her hand.

They said they had raised the original Shen Chujin for so many years and how difficult it had been, yet when the Shen family needed help, the original only thought of running away.

They also said that man was incredibly wealthy, and if she married him, she’d only be enjoying a life of luxury.

The original Shen Chujin was very introverted, and due to her parents’ favoritism, she had long shown signs of depression.

Under overwhelming mental pressure, she chose to end her life by overdosing on medication.

Shen Chujin’s soul entered the body the moment after the original died.

She summoned the original soul.

She asked if the girl had any last wishes, or if she wanted revenge on the Shen parents.

But the girl shook her head kindly.

She said that, after all, the Shen parents did raise her to adulthood, and it was her own inability to see a way out that led to her decision to die.

Once someone is dead, everything ends. She didn’t want to dwell on past grievances anymore.

Shen Chujin naturally respected her wishes and helped her soul pass on.

With her help, the original soul reincarnated smoothly and would live a happy life in the next one.

In order to avoid trouble and protect her own reputation, Shen Chujin listed all the approximate expenses the Shen family had spent on raising the original, then doubled the total.

She left behind a note saying, “From now on, I’ll repay your child-raising costs every month,” and then walked away from the Shen family without hesitation.

She never once considered looking for the original’s biological family.

In her previous life, she was an orphan, raised by her master while studying metaphysics and spiritual techniques.

She had no real concept of family.

Having never experienced it, she didn’t long for it either.

In their line of work, she had seen many families with living parents and siblings, constantly fighting over trivial matters—some even turning against each other and committing murder.

She disliked being surrounded by such petty and tiresome things. So even if she knew the original had real biological relatives still alive, she had no desire to reconnect.

Let everything unfold naturally.

The way things are now… is just fine.

Shen Chujin politely nodded to Su Qing. “Officer Su, goodbye.”

“It’s already so late, and you’re so pretty—it’s not safe for you to go home alone. Let me give you a ride. I’m just getting off work too, so it’s on the way.”

Su Qing smiled and pressed the remote to unlock a large black SUV parked at the entrance.

She had short hair and wore a simple tracksuit—cool and stylish.

In internet slang, she was basically the perfect image representative of a “sister husband”.

Su Qing was so enthusiastic that Shen Chujin had no way to refuse, and could only let herself be pulled into the front passenger seat.

“Hey, that barbecue place is really good. Have you been there before?”

After driving for a bit, Su Qing suddenly pointed at a shop ahead on the left.

Shen Chujin shook her head.

“Perfect, then let’s go have a late-night snack. Their grilled food is amazing.”

“…Okay.”

The two of them ordered a large spread.

Of course, it was all Su Qing’s doing.

“Here, this lamb skewer is super tasty.” Su Qing smiled and handed one over to Shen Chujin.

Shen Chujin looked at the skewer coated in spices, her delicate eyebrows lifting slightly in reaction.

In both her past and present lives, she had never eaten this kind of thing.

The original Shen Chujin was introverted, had virtually no social life, had never eaten alone outside, and had never tried anything called “barbecue.”

So Shen Chujin was quite curious about it.

She cautiously took a small bite and chewed.

Hiss—

So spicy!

She’d always preferred bland food and rarely ate anything with strong flavors.

Of course, in her past life, there were few things she could eat to begin with. As a cultivator, it was enough just to fill her stomach—she had never really craved food.

The burning sensation in her mouth made her quickly grab a dark-colored drink from the table and gulp it down.

But…

It was even spicier!

“What is this?”

Trying to maintain her composure, she pointed at the dark drink and asked.

Su Qing was gnawing on some crispy cartilage as she glanced over.

“Oh, that? It’s iced cola.”

Barbecue with iced cola—perfect combo!

Seeing Shen Chujin’s strange expression, Su Qing looked puzzled. “What? Don’t like it?”

“No, it’s just… very unique.”

The first bite was spicy, the second bite was also spicy, but it was a completely different kind of spicy.

At first, she found it hard to accept, but now that the flavor had settled, it actually seemed… kind of fragrant.

She hesitantly took another bite.

Having gone through that initial adjustment, this time she didn’t need to reach for a drink right away.

She chewed and chewed—the more she chewed, the better it tasted.

It was still spicy, but surprisingly delicious!

Shen Chujin looked like a curious schoolkid discovering a whole new world. Although her posture remained graceful, the speed at which she picked up and ate the skewers noticeably increased.

That faint touch of warmth made her, who had always felt distant and indifferent, suddenly seem more human—more grounded.

Seeing that Shen Chujin was enjoying the food, Su Qing felt deeply satisfied.

She didn’t know exactly where this sense of fulfillment came from—

But… she was just really happy.

As if feeding Shen Chujin brought her genuine joy.

“Here, there’s more—grilled fish and roasted brain are great too.”

She smiled and pushed the dishes in front of her a little closer to Shen Chujin.

“Su Qing? What are you doing here?”

Just as the two were happily eating, a bright and clear voice rang out from the side of the street.