Chen Ziming looked up at her. She had applied more makeup than usual, and it was already smudging around her eyes. She wore a sleeveless off-the-shoulder top and rather short shorts. As she sat down, her fair, long legs were completely exposed before him.
A flicker of displeasure crossed his face. He then stood up and took her to the female officers' lounge. He found a female colleague who gave her makeup remover and facial cleanser to wash her face. He also provided a new toothbrush and toiletries, and later found her a set of loose casual clothes to change into.
With her face bare, Su Yue looked much gentler and more serene. Chen Ziming led her along, and she initially thought they were going to find a place to sleep. To her surprise, he only took her to an empty mediation room.
"How can I sleep here?" she asked, feeling a little wronged.
"This is the condition of the station. If you feel wronged, perhaps you should think about how to avoid ending up here," he replied emotionlessly.
"Officer Chen, I've explained, but you don't believe me. What can I do?"
Su Yue's head throbbed. She slumped onto the desk, finding it hard and unyielding. She wanted to lie down on a chair, but her back ached. In any case, she didn't believe this was a place where one could sleep.
"Whether I believe you or not isn't my decision; that will be determined after the interrogation is complete."
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already one in the morning. Officer Xu had just sent someone to fetch him, asking for his help in interrogating those who had actually committed offenses. Thus, he didn't have time to waste with her.
"I still have work to do. You wait here."
"How long do I have to wait? Can you give me a definite answer?" Su Yue felt tears welling up. She felt utterly wronged. Not only had she stumbled into that private room by chance, but she had also accidentally encountered this man who made her break her principles. Now, with no one to turn to, she felt helpless. Grabbing his arm, she asked.
"At least until after six in the morning." After saying this, he ignored her and left.
Su Yue sat back in the chair, her eyelids heavy. In the end, she couldn't resist and fell asleep with her head on the desk.
In the morning, she was woken up by a female officer named Lin Xiaoman. Lin Xiaoman was very kind and friendly. She asked Su Yue why she was sleeping there. Upon learning that Chen Ziming had arranged it, she seemed a bit surprised. She then informed Su Yue that the group from last night had been interrogated and she was cleared to leave.
As Su Yue walked out the door, she encountered Wang Mengmeng. The moment Wang Mengmeng saw her, she approached to apologize. Su Yue couldn't be bothered, only feeling a headache and a chill.
"Do you have a fever?" Wang Mengmeng noticed something was wrong and touched Su Yue's forehead, feeling it was hot.
"Don't touch me." Su Yue moved away from her. "Wang Mengmeng, I used to think you were a very outstanding girl. But the fact that you associate with these people, and dragged me along knowing what they were doing, makes me not want any further contact with you. You should go, I'll leave later."
Wang Mengmeng did have some vague idea of what they were up to; Lin Xiaoman had told her. Su Yue harbored a bad feeling, but she didn't want to dwell on whether it was true or not. She just wanted to cut ties with Wang Mengmeng.
The other girl pouted, and tears streamed down her face. She didn't have any malicious intentions. She hadn't known beforehand that her friends would go to such extremes. She had purely invited Su Yue out for a good time. However, her current actions only made things worse. So, she decided to say nothing more, bid Su Yue farewell, and hailed a taxi to leave.
Su Yue stood at the entrance of the police station, watching her depart. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions, and her body felt unwell. She thought of Chen Ziming, and a pang of bitterness surged through her. He hadn't shown his face again since arranging for her to stay in the mediation room last night.
Having slept on the desk all night, her back felt like it was about to break. A cascade of negative emotions emerged, and Su Yue's vision darkened slightly. She quickly crouched down, one hand supporting her forehead, and closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass.
"Su Yue."
Beside her, Chen Ziming's voice sounded.