Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The mountainous roads during dawn were misty, making it difficult to maneuver along the road.
Two police cars were cruising along the mountainous path with great speed.
“Boss, there’s another five kilometers to Old Mr. Xu’s hometown.”
“Hm, we can speed up more!” Bai Muchuan’s gaze got colder as he looked at his watch.
In an instant, he seemed to have thought of something and frowned at Huang He. “Don’t call me Boss. I’m not your superior now.”
“Haha,” Huang He cackled loudly, “no, no, no, you’re my boss forever. Although I’m the interim Captain, but without you around, I’m just not motivated at all. Boss, why don’t you come back? I like to work under you. I feel at ease to have you watching my back. I feel that with you around, I’m not afraid of any case that crops up. When you’re not around, my heart somehow feels kinda chilly…”
“Behave like a man!” remarked Bai Muchuan.
“I’m not an ambitious person,” Huang He laughed and leaned on the car seat lazily. “Especially now that I’ve found someone I really liked, I prefer stability more than anything… Our line of work may sound noble, but in reality, it’s a menial job. We work no matter rain or shine, we may eat one meal and skip the other. I’m worried that she’ll be living in constant worry and fear…”
Bai Muchuan looked at him for a long time.
There were several occasions that Huang He thought he might say something.
In the end, Bai Muchuan’s eyes seemed to flash a little and just grunted a laugh.
“Buck up! Or you’ll become a henpecked husband!”
“What about you? Boss, you…”
Huang He wanted to help Fang Yuanyuan sound out Bai Muchuan to find out how exactly he felt toward Xiang Wan. If he really did not like her, why was he in such a rush to come back from the airport?
However, Bai Muchuan suddenly leaned toward the window to look at the dark mountains and hills, then compared against the map and issued a command steadily.
“There’s another kilometer to go. Slow down and increase the distance between our cars… Try not to alert our target. Over.”
“Yes, Boss. Over.”
…
The rural house in the mountains was quiet, breezy, and isolated.
The group of detectives snuck in via the osmanthus forest.
The people inside the rural house were still asleep. There were also a few of Old Mr. Xu’s men sleeping inside the cars parked in the courtyard.
None of them were on duty; they were totally defenseless.
Bai Muchuan observed for a while before he waved his hand slowly.
“Go!”
The detective squad sent out on mission this time were the ones with the highest combat power in their unit. The young detectives were energetic and were armed with guns. Dealing with the few of Old Mr. Xu’s men were totally not an issue. Besides, the other party had no intention of resisting at all.
“Have mercy on us, detective brothers. Uh, not right, what crime did I commit?”
“… Yeah, we didn’t do anything.”
“Uh, when did the detectives arrive?”
The group of people were being held without knowing why.
Bai Muchuan searched the whole house with his men, but Xiang Wan was nowhere to be seen.
When he went inside Old Mr. Xu’s room, his face was so livid that the waft of wind he carried was so frosty that it pricked the nerves of those around.
“Where is she?”
He look at the silent Old Mr. Xu who was sitting by the bed.
Old Mr. Xu puffed a sigh. “Detective, who are you looking for?”
Bai Muchuan squinted his eyes, murderous intent was evident on his face. “Xiang, Wan.”
Old Mr. Xu pointed toward a room. “She’s sleeping inside, is she not?”
Of course not.
Bai Muchuan’s heart sank.
Did she manage to escape by herself?
Or was Old Mr. Xu lying?
Bai Muchuan frowned as he inspected carefully around the house.
“Huang He, interrogate him carefully. Tang Yuanchu, let’s split up and search!”
…
The mist in the mountains was heavy.
The dew on the grass made the shoes wet.
A ray of sunlight rose from the top of the mountain and the air was fresh.
Xiang Wan took a deep breath and began to climb an osmanthus tree to pick some osmanthus flowers.
The trees there had been around for many years. Their trunks were thick, and they had luxuriant foliage.
Xiang Wan had put on a flower apron to collect the sweet smelling flowers. She was mesmerized by the sweet-smelling flowers and the peacefulness of the countryside…
The flowers that she could reach went inside her apron.
She touched the apron pocket, then she slid down from the tree trunk.
Suddenly, someone gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“Ah!” Xiang Wan gave a scream and quickly turned to see who it was. “You—”
Bai Muchuan.
Why is he here?
Xiang Wan’s brain seemed to have malfunctioned; her logical reasoning impaired.
She stood there while looking at him in a daze.
Bai Muchuan pulled back his hand. Frost seemed to have formed between his brows. “Xiang Wan, may I ask you, what are you doing here?”
Xiang Wan was still in a daze from seeing him. “I’m picking the osmanthus flowers.”
Bai Muchuan asked again, “Why are you picking the flowers?”
“When it’s daybreak,” replied Xiang Wan who still couldn’t believe her eyes, “we’re going to bury Xu Zhaodi[Mrs Zhao] here. I have nothing to give her, so I thought of picking her mom’s favorite flower–the osmanthus, to wish for her not to marry a scum again in her next life…”
Listening to her long speech, Bai Muchuan was so angry that he laughed.
“Woman, do you know that you’ve been kidnapped?”
Xiang Wan suddenly recalled that fact in her head. She creased her nose, looking slightly embarrassed. “Is it? It doesn’t really… seem so, right?”
“Hah!”
Bai Muchuan snorted a laugh in a low tone and turned to leave.
“Eh?! Wait for me!”
Xiang Wan rubbed her nose and followed.
…
In the courtyard, Old Mr. Xu and his subordinates were all subdued by Huang He and the detectives.
Xiang Wan saw two police cars parked at the backyard and realized what had happened.
“This is not right. You–!” She faced Bai Muchuan. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“Who are you to tell me where I should be?”
Of course, Bai Muchuan would not tell her that he had spent almost 24 hours to form a rescue operation to save her.
His pride would not allow him to breathe a word of that to her.
He lowered his head and looked at her from an absolute advantage of around 20 centimeters taller than her. “Xiang Wan, if you can write a popular novel with a brain like yours, your readers must be blind!”
“!!!”
Xiang Wan rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead.
“Go ahead and criticize all you want. As if you’re able to write one yourself.”
Bai Muchuan gave a grunt without saying anything more and walked over to Huang He.
“How’s the interrogation?”
A few men lowered their heads. They were being questioned by the detectives. Old Mr. Xu was talking to Huang He softly as well.
Huang He was stunned when he saw a relaxed Xiang Wan, who was carrying a lot of osmanthus flowers with her.
“Teacher Xiang, you’re alright?”
Xiang Wan nodded her head in response that she was alright. Yet somehow, she felt there was something not quite right, but unable to tell what was wrong.
Huang He heaved a sigh of relief, then he talked to Bai Muchuan. “Old Mr. Xu said that he obtained Xiang Wan’s consent that she will help with Xu Zhaodi’s burial ceremony, and that she will pay her respects and offer her apology before her grave. Once all of these are done, he will send her back. He claimed he had no evil intentions toward her. And if the police wanted to arrest him, he hoped that we will let him finish the burial ceremony first.”
Bai Muchuan lifted his chin and glanced at Xiang Wan’s pale face that suggested she did not have a good night’s sleep.
“Is that so?”
Xiang Wan pursed her lips uneasily, thought for while, and nodded her head.
“You can say so.”
Bai Muchuan let out a laugh. “You agreed to his request just like that?”
Xiang Wan lifted her sleeves and sniffed the scent of the osmanthus. Her state of mind was totally different from yesterday.
“He’s just a lonely old man. His demands are acceptable. I treat it as doing a good deed.”
Bai Muchuan looked at her silently, when he suddenly walked towards her and patted on her head.
“Very clever. When a girl is in a dangerous situation, she should know when to give in to protect herself…”
“Hey, what are you doing?” Xiang Wan gave a tap on his hand awkwardly as his hand patted and rubbed her head.
“Don’t move!” Bai Muchuan picked an osmanthus flower that was stuck in her hair and placed it on his palm.
That flower was very small but complete. Its petals were distinct and had a faint hue of gold. The tiny flower was emitting a tranquil aroma.
“Smells nice?” He suddenly asked.
“Yes,” Xiang Wan nodded her head seriously, then she realized that there was a strange emotion deep within his eyes.
It was as if, he was not asking if the osmanthus was nice smelling or not…