Chapter 26

Starting from that night, Chen Mazi began striving to get himself a wife.

Before dawn, he squatted on the street to keep watch. The staff dormitory compound had people coming and going, and even when new faces appeared, no one found it suspicious.

After a full day of surveillance, Chen Mazi had precisely figured out the schedules and routines of Li Jun’s two enemies.

That one named Jiang Ling went to and came back from work at the same time every day. But she commuted with her man, so if he wanted to make a move on her, he would have to kill her partner too.

Anyway, the man looked thin, weak, and scholarly—it wouldn’t be hard to kill him as well.

As for the one named Han Ruixue, she didn’t work or go out. During the day, her husband and child were out at work and school, so she was the only woman left at home. That made her a very convenient target.

But near the staff dormitory was the steel factory, and he was afraid of drawing the attention of the factory’s Security Section, so he couldn’t use a gun.

If he couldn’t use a gun, then using some easily found tool to kill would be no issue for him.

After a day of surveillance, Chen Mazi confirmed that Li Jun’s two enemies were just as she had said—both exceptionally attractive.

Once he had tasted the flavor of women, he became addicted, craving more.

Killing them after having his way with them didn’t seem like a bad idea either.

Chen Mazi looked just like an inconspicuous passerby. After Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu returned home, he shifted his attention from watching Han Ruixue’s house to observing the courtyard of their home.

It wasn’t until he saw a uniformed public security officer enter the courtyard, followed by a strong and sturdy young man, that Chen Mazi’s eyes narrowed.

He suspected that those two public security officers had been brought by Li Jun to arrest him.

Even when he saw the two young men enter the western wing room that belonged to the young couple, he still couldn’t fully shake off that suspicion.

Every time Li Jun was cooking in the kitchen, she couldn’t help but glance toward the house across the courtyard.

Especially when she heard the ringing of a bicycle bell from the yard—she craned her neck and saw two young men coming in, one of them even wearing a public security uniform.

This wasn’t the first time Xie Lang had come over to visit Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu. But the last time he had come, Li Jun had just gone through a nasty fight with Han Ruixue. Her whole family had lost face and was holed up at home recovering, so she hadn’t known that Xie Lang was a friend of Jiang Ling.

Li Jun had a guilty conscience. The moment she saw the public security officer, her first thought was that Chen Mazi had been caught and had ratted her out as well.

But when she saw that the public security weren’t there to arrest her and had gone straight to the house across from hers, she let out a breath of relief.

Li Jun couldn’t figure out what was going on with the two who had shown up.

The public security officer in uniform who came to see Jiang Ling was none other than Xie Lang, and the young man following behind him wasn’t a stranger either. It was Chen Xiangyang, the same one who had recently witnessed Factory Director Ding’s affair in front of the guesthouse.

Wearing a crisp, well-fitted uniform, the young man looked incredibly sharp. When Jiang Ling saw him, her eyes lit up unconsciously. “This uniform looks great. You look really spirited in it.”

“Huh?” Chen Xiangyang, who had seemed listless just a moment ago, suddenly perked up when he saw Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu, as if he’d discovered something remarkable. “Aren’t you the one who…?”

His face lit up with excitement, about to bring up the incident where they all watched the affair unfold.

Since Xie Lang’s mother was the director of the Personnel Section, he recognized Factory Director Ding.

She quickly interrupted Chen Xiangyang, “That’s right, a few days ago you helped us fix the bicycle.”

“Round and round, and it turns out we’re all acquaintances,” Chen Xiangyang said as he slung an arm around Xie Lang’s shoulder. “Brother, since we all know each other, how about cutting me some slack?”

Xie Lang replied firmly, “No way.”

He set the box he had been carrying on his shoulder onto the table. “Someone delivered a box of cakes to our house the day before yesterday. I heard it’s a specialty from the capital.”

It was probably a gift from a subordinate to Xie Lang’s parents, but he had turned around and given it away.

Jiang Ling said, “You really are a model son.”

“They’re getting old. The doctor said they should cut back on sweets.”

Jiang Ling asked, “Chen Xiangyang, what did you do?”

Xie Lang answered, “He got into a fight on the street, and I happened to see it.”

Chen Xiangyang waved his hand. “I wasn’t fighting someone. I was standing up for justice. That little punk was bullying a kid and extorting protection money from him. Everyone always says children are the flowers of the motherland. How could I just stand by and watch the flowers of our country get trampled?”

“The guy you were fighting ran off, so you can say whatever you want now. You could even claim he was robbing someone with a knife, and no one would be able to dispute it,” Xie Lang said sternly. “You said that punk was bullying a kid—then where’s the kid? When I passed by, all I saw was you two fighting.”

Chen Xiangyang put on an innocent look. “The kid ran off when we started fighting. Honestly, he’s got no sense of loyalty. I was fighting for his sake, and he just bolted.”

As for others, Jiang Ling couldn’t say, but if it was Chen Xiangyang, it probably wasn’t anything truly bad.

If he was misunderstood by Xie Lang, it had to be because of both his actions and, unfortunately, his looks.

He really did look like a thug. At 1.9 meters tall, with a burly build and a scar at the corner of his eye, he looked so much like a criminal that even small-time gangsters who didn’t know him would instinctively call him “boss.”

Xie Lang gave him a kick on the backside. “You little brat, still trying to play innocent.”

Jiang Ling couldn’t help but speak up in fairness. “You’ve tied him up with just a jacket. If he really wanted to run, you’d lose both a suspect and a jacket.”

Chen Xiangyang nodded with a wronged expression. “Exactly. Judging by your face, you look like a decent guy. I’m willing to go back with you and explain everything.”

He was tall and burly, with both hands tied up in a coat, looking like a large dog wearing a muzzle.

Xie Lang snorted. “Him, run? I could give him a hundred-meter head start and he still might not outrun me.”

Physical training at the public security school was tough, and Xie Lang believed he could easily handle a small-time punk.

“Officer Xie, don’t underestimate anyone.”

In the original novel, although Chen Xiangyang never underwent formal training, he was the undisputed peak of physical ability in the entire story.

That was why, when he was killed by a criminal, Chen Xiangyang became one of the most heartbreaking regrets for many readers.

Chen Xiangyang stretched his limbs. “How about we step outside and have a little match?”

Xie Lang smacked him on the head. “Are you stupid? I’m a public security officer. How could I possibly spar with a suspect? If word got out, what would happen to the reputation of public security?”

Chen Xiangyang muttered, “I think you’re just afraid of losing.”

“I’m afraid you’ll use it as a chance to run,” Xie Lang said as he raised a hand as if to strike him again, but Chen Xiangyang easily dodged. Xie Lang turned to Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu. “I’m taking him back first. If you two need anything, come find me at the substation. The assignment for my post has been finalized—it’s the substation closest to the Daily Chemical Factory. I originally came to tell you about that, but I ran into this guy on the way and almost forgot thanks to his nonsense.”

“Brother, I really am innocent.”

“I don’t care if you are or not. Come with me!”

Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu walked Xie Lang and Chen Xiangyang to the front gate. The uniform Xie Lang was wearing was too eye-catching, and quite a few neighbors were sneaking glances at them.

Xie Lang’s sharp gaze swept across the surroundings before finally landing on Chen Mazi’s face. His eyes were piercing, as if they could see straight into a person’s soul.

He asked in a low voice, “Brother Song, that guy on the side of the street wearing the gray-and-white checkered shirt—is he one of your neighbors too?”

“No.”

Xie Lang responded with a brief “Oh.”

Chen Xiangyang, unwilling to back down, took the rear seat of the bicycle before Xie Lang could even get on.

Xie Lang raised his voice and said, “If anyone bullies you in the future, come find me!”

He had deliberately worn his uniform to back up the young couple, afraid that in a new and unfamiliar place, they might be picked on.

The neighbors who had been watching the scene began chatting among themselves. Jiang Ling smiled and said, “All our neighbors have been taking good care of the two of us, so don’t worry.”

Xie Lang straddled the bicycle, with Chen Xiangyang—who was as solid as a mountain—sitting on the back.

The two of them bickered noisily as they left.

Next door, Juxiang had been standing at her doorway watching the excitement. Only after Xie Lang had left did she dare to come over. “Xiao Jiang, that young man who just came—is he your friend?”

“Yes, we grew up together, childhood friends. His family got something tasty and brought some over for the two of us.”

Juxiang responded with an “Oh.” Growing up together—just hearing that made the bond sound solid.

“That young man is really handsome,” she said, then asked, “Does he have a girlfriend?”

Although Xie Lang and the female lead hadn’t gotten together yet, he did have an official match in the original story. Jiang Ling didn’t dare to play matchmaker recklessly.

“Probably not,” she replied vaguely. “His family is pretty strict. When it comes to marriage, they likely have it arranged. I’m not too sure about the details.”

“My younger sister is a university student, already in her third year and about to graduate. I was thinking, they’re around the same age—one’s a public security officer and the other’s a teacher, they’d be a great match.”

Although Jiang Ling got along well with Juxiang, she refused to take the bait no matter how the conversation went. “If it works out, that’s great, but I have no say in his affairs.”

Once she got home, Jiang Ling finally spoke. “I get the feeling… he’s not as straightforward as he seems.” She racked her brain and finally landed on a fitting word.

Over the past while, Xie Lang’s image had been gradually reshaping in her mind.

Every time she thought his words carried some hidden meaning, his seemingly carefree behavior would smooth things over and make her second-guess herself.

Song Guanshu curved his lips into a faint smile. “He’s not as simple as he appears—you are.”

What was that supposed to mean? Was he calling her slow-witted?

In the original novel, the male lead’s image of being pure and innocent was deeply ingrained—it was the original text that had misled her.

“I’m not slow.”

“Yes, you’re not slow. You’re very smart. That’s why you think he’s a good guy, and I’m the bad one.”

“When did I ever say you were a bad guy?” Jiang Ling glared at him. “Don’t go dumping a pot of filth on my head!”

Song Guanshu didn’t respond. He simply went to wash the vegetables and start cooking.

She couldn’t let him misunderstand her—this concerned whether they could live peacefully together in the future.

She still needed him to cook, after all.

She followed closely behind him, step for step. “I think you must have misunderstood me. I’ve never said you were a bad person. I’ve always thought you were a very, very good man.” A man who could handle both the drawing room and the kitchen.

“To be honest, I don’t know about anyone else, but you’re the best man I’ve ever met…” She trailed behind Song Guanshu like a little toady, showering him with praise.

Li Jun had been worried all along that the public security had come for her. Even when the food in her pot started to burn, she didn’t notice—her entire focus was on watching the house across the courtyard.

It wasn’t until she saw the public security leave that she finally felt relieved. They weren’t there to arrest her. But what surprised her was that the young couple across the way actually had a public security officer as a friend.

Laughter rang out clearly from the opposite side, and Li Jun angrily stirred the food in her wok a couple of times.

Laugh, go ahead and laugh—let’s see how long you’ll keep laughing.

The person she hated most was Jiang Ling, the woman living across from her.

That couple both had jobs and lived a comfortable life, but they were miserly to the core. Her son Leilei was such a sweet boy, and all he did was ask for a little food. Not only did Jiang Ling refuse, she even said something nasty.

Neighbors should help each other. Her son Leilei had a fever, and Xiao Song had clearly agreed to take him to the hospital, but Jiang Ling had blocked him and refused to let him go.

That woman was just awful.

What made it even more infuriating was that someone with such questionable character could still live a good life. She could eat meat often, and her relationship with her husband seemed great.

Why was it that she herself was stuck in the mud, while Jiang Ling could live so easily and comfortably?

She had to work so, so hard. During the day, she worked at her job, and after getting home, she had to do the laundry, cook, and take care of the elderly and the kids. Yet her household was always stretched thin—eating meat required careful budgeting.

She was a good person, and her husband had divorced her.

Jiang Ling, on the other hand, was a wretched woman who didn’t do any housework at all, lazy to the bone—and yet Song Guanshu had never once said a single bad word about her.

While she was lost in thought, Liu Tong and Liu Lei, the siblings, came home from school.

“Mom, the food in the wok is burnt!”

Only then did Li Jun snap back to her senses and hurried to scoop out the food from the wok.