"How interesting. My life has been an open book, what leverage could I possibly have for you…" Su Minghua said, feigning composure, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.
Chen Ziming had no patience for his pretense. He stood up and spoke a name.
Su Minghua’s face instantly turned ashen.
"Don't worry, he's living well right now, and has no intention of doing anything for the moment," Chen Ziming said coldly.
Without giving him another chance to speak, he picked up his police uniform jacket from the chair and turned to leave.
Su Minghua remained rooted to the spot, watching his receding back, his heart still pounding.
He was indeed a child raised in such a family. He thought he was orchestrating things from the top, but it seemed Chen Ziming was already viewing him from a god's perspective, like a clown watching his own one-man show.
No, he couldn't swallow this insult.
But his previous plan had been too extreme.
He needed to adjust his strategy.
…
A few nights later, the Yuluo Street Police Station received a report. Chen Ziming happened to be on duty that night. He quickly gathered his belongings and headed out to the scene.
The location reported by the caller was a nightclub where a group of drunk people had started fighting. Both factions were armed with knives and were advancing aggressively.
By the time the police arrived, the scene was chaotic, with blood splattered everywhere, and some individuals had already fallen, injured.
Chen Ziming and his colleagues moved forward to intervene, but the group was too belligerent, even attempting to assault the officers.
In a moment of urgency, he dropped his baton.
"Damn it! Stupid cop!" a burly man, whom he had just handcuffed, cursed viciously and glanced at his companions.
His companions, drunk, understood and grabbed a knife, charging straight at Chen Ziming’s back—
"Ziming, be careful!!" Chen Ziming heard a fellow officer shout his name.
He immediately felt a chill from behind and was about to turn to dodge when a small figure suddenly lunged forward.
The next second, the knife glinted as it pierced a young woman’s abdomen.
Officers who rushed over quickly subdued the assailant. Chen Ziming, looking at Chi Yiran collapsing into his arms, froze for a moment.
He could never have imagined that Chi Yiran would be here.
And that she would take a knife for him.
…
At the hospital.
The nightclub disturbance resulted in one death and five injuries.
The incident had a grave impact and had been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division of the sub-bureau.
Among the detectives who arrived was one who had previously worked with Chen Ziming. He spoke with him about the situation.
"So, one of the five injured was the one who took the knife for you?" the detective asked.
"Yes," Chen Ziming replied in a muffled voice, sitting on a bench outside the emergency room, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, his hands covering his face.
The detective patted his back. "Identity confirmed? Have you contacted their family?"
"I know her identity, but I haven't contacted her family yet," he said, taking a deep breath, lowering his hands, his expression grim.
He added, "I'll wait until morning."
"Okay, then I'll be going. Contact me if anything comes up," the detective said, glancing at his watch, offering a few more words of advice, and then departed.
After an unknown period, the emergency room light turned off. Chen Ziming looked up and immediately rose to approach the doctor.
"She's out of danger, but she'll need to stay in the hospital for observation for a while," the doctor said softly, gently rubbing his slightly numb arm.
Chen Ziming breathed a long sigh of relief.
After sending Chi Yiran back to her hospital room, he noticed that the sky had just begun to lighten.
He picked up his phone, found a quiet spot, and called Chi Yiran’s mother.
Once the Chi family arrived, he helped with the procedures, found a caregiver, and settled everything before leaving.
As he got into his car, Chen Ziming sat quietly for a while. He picked up his phone and, with a slight tremor, dialed a number.
It was Friday, and Su Yue had no classes that morning. She had just woken up when she received the call.
After hearing the news from the other end, she looked surprised but said nothing. Instead, she asked him to wait, saying she would get ready and come find him.
However, she couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt after hanging up the phone.
She felt as though all of this…
Was too coincidental.