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Jiang Beibei stayed awake all night, standing by the window waiting for Chu Yao to return.
In the morning, Chu Yao finally came home. He stood outside the door, looking exhausted but managing a smile as he gave her a hug.
Jiang Beibei asked anxiously, “Mom was called to the bureau last night and told me to wait at home. What’s going on? Is it him? The fugitive from Operation Cheetah who wasn’t caught?”
Chu Yao nodded, kissed her lightly, and whispered, “Come with me to the bureau. Second Brother said they received a package this morning…”
“What is it?” Jiang Beibei tensed up.
“A letter,” Chu Yao handed her a coat. “It was sent to the Public Security Bureau and mentions you.”
“Me?” Jiang Beibei’s hands trembled. Noticing this, Chu Yao intertwined his fingers with hers and gently reassured her, “Don’t be afraid—it doesn’t say anything bad.”
The two arrived at the Major Crimes Unit. Tang Xizhou was busy; it seemed that today they were planning to arrest the black-market gang responsible for dumping the body at the funeral home the previous night.
“Local organized crime,” Deputy Lin explained. “The car was abandoned by the roadside. Third Squad traced it back to a hideout in an alley near Bar Street—Changxiang Club.”
Tang Xizhou smirked and slapped a cardboard sheet onto the table. “Tonight, we’ll conduct a crackdown on illegal activities. All departments must cooperate quickly!”
After a brief meeting, Tang Xizhou noticed Jiang Beibei and Chu Yao arriving. Without pausing to drink water, he picked up a stack of papers and walked over.
“You’re here,” Tang Xizhou said. Like them, he hadn’t slept all night, his eyes sunken, hair disheveled like a bird’s nest, and reeking of smoke. Turning to Deputy Lin, he said, “Xiao Lin, I’m taking this letter.”
“Take it.”
Tang Xizhou handed the thick stack of handwritten pages to Jiang Beibei. “It was delivered via same-day courier, sent the day before yesterday, and arrived early this morning—timely enough. Read it—the fugitive wrote it. Don’t mention this to Grandma.”
Expecting something terrible, Jiang Beibei took the letter solemnly, frowning as she read silently.
The handwriting was neat, showing that the writer had taken care while composing the letter. After struggling through half a page, Jiang Beibei finally understood what it was about.
It was a whistleblower’s letter.
It detailed the current drug manufacturing dens in Shenzhen, long-term buyers acting as intermediaries, and frequent transaction locations and times.
Shocked, Jiang Beibei looked at Tang Xizhou. “Is this real?”
“We need to verify its authenticity. Keep reading.”
Flipping to the second page, she skimmed two lines, paused, then read carefully from the beginning.
The letter read: “I love watching TV when I’m alone, especially interview programs, not movies. I’m afraid this letter won’t reach you—it might be discovered. But I want to apologize to her. When I saw the program, I was eating noodles at a small shop on the border. On TV, there was footage of a funeral—I had never felt anything before. Back then, I was young, only knew brotherhood loyalty, didn’t read books or newspapers, and followed the bosses for quick money. During that operation, I narrowly escaped. They scared me, saying if I got caught, it’d mean life imprisonment or death, so I ran. Later, I met A-Xiang. We lived together and had a daughter. Her arrival changed me—I started caring about family, understanding its meaning… I wanted to marry A-Xiang and return to my hometown. You can’t relive your life; once you take the wrong path, you can never go back. I hate myself for being weak and useless. I wanted to buy my daughter pretty princess dresses and send her to school, but I had no money. I became a long-distance truck driver, but my vehicle was impounded, and I ended up owing money… I had no choice—I returned to trafficking drugs…”
Jiang Beibei sighed and turned the page to continue reading.
“This line of work will never disappear entirely. I found new routes—they’re overseas, but I can’t tell you specifics. What I can reveal is how many people in Shenzhen are involved and how many transaction hubs exist. Ten years ago, I lost contact with my wife and daughter. I wanted to return home, but news reports said the wanted notices were now online. If I appeared under surveillance cameras, they’d find me. I was scared. The boss made me get plastic surgery. For the past two years, I’ve been in Shenzhen—all local drug transactions pass through me before moving downstream… When I saw the program, I learned about the police officer who died during that operation—he also had a daughter. As I watched her, I thought about my own daughter. Drugs destroy countless families—I know this. My conscience has tormented me, and I hate myself for having no other skills except being a half-hearted villain.”
Many words were misspelled, some replaced with pinyin, but Jiang Beibei understood. The sacrificed officer’s daughter mentioned in the letter likely referred to her.
“I want to apologize to her. To the three officers involved in that operation—and another officer who didn’t have a family and died because of us—I am deeply sorry. After our last hideout was dismantled, the boss ordered me back. I was terrified. Moreover, I didn’t want to return. My daughter doesn’t know I’m a criminal. If I went back to the boss, I’d inevitably become one again. I don’t want to ruin another family or live like this anymore. I know they fear we’ll betray them under interrogation, so they’ll ‘handle’ me. I mailed this letter to the address shown on the program, hoping you’d receive it. I’m sorry—truly sorry.”
After finishing the letter, Jiang Beibei fell silent.
“The man dumped at the funeral home last night was him. DNA confirmed it—he’s the drug dealer who escaped during Operation Cheetah. You don’t need to feel burdened,” Tang Xizhou patted her head. “A villain is still a villain, but this one knows to say sorry—that’s all.”
Jiang Beibei handed the letter back to Tang Xizhou. Chu Yao gently hugged her shoulders and patted her.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say, but forgiveness isn’t possible.”
Tang Xizhou flicked her forehead. “Of course not! If a mere letter could make you forgive a villain, I’d question your intelligence.”
“Are you sure it’s him?”
“Yes, One Ear.” Tang Xizhou replied. “Dr. Chu reconstructed his pre-surgery appearance. We compared it with physical features, statements, and this letter—it’s definitely him.”
Jiang Beibei took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Feeling relieved, she said, “I need to tell Grandma, Mom, and Dad.”
“Not yet.” Tang Xizhou smiled. “Wait until Second Brother dismantles the drug dens and cleans everything up. Then we’ll go together!”
Chu Yao reminded, “Second Brother, stay safe.”
“I will,” Tang Xizhou assured. “I have a family too, and everyone on the team has loved ones behind them. We fight bravely for the nation and cautiously for our families.”
Jiang Beibei straightened Tang Xizhou’s collar and saluted. “Good luck, Second Brother.”
He returned the salute, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Go give your mom and Uncle Qin a salute too.”
Captain Yao and Captain Qin joined the cleanup operation. When Chu Yao brought Jiang Beibei to greet them, both shooed them away.
“What nonsense!” Mrs. Chu scolded. “You’re giving me bad omens, aren’t you?”
“Oh, Old Yao, you’re so trendy!” Mr. Qin teased. “Acting young with English slang.”
“Shut up!” Mrs. Chu snapped, then turned to her son. “You too, scram! Take Beibei home—don’t wander around the bureau.”
“Got it.”
Mrs. Chu smiled warmly at Jiang Beibei. “Beibei, don’t worry. In today’s society, getting rid of scum is easy. Go home, rest well, and let Chu Yao cook for you.”
“Yao Er!” She switched gears, addressing her son sternly. “Take out the fish from the fridge and cook it for her—it’s on the second shelf, got it?”
Chu Yao swiftly closed the door, stood in the corridor for a moment, then turned to Jiang Beibei. “Should we skip seeing Dad?”
Afraid his father would lecture him too.
Jiang Beibei nodded in understanding.
Chu Yao continued, “Let’s go home and sleep. In the afternoon, we’ll tell Grandma, then go to the supermarket to buy ingredients and drinks. I’ll cook something hearty for us—a small… celebration.”
Though he felt the word “celebration” wasn’t quite right.
How could this be called a celebration? Perhaps “closure” fit better.
Jiang Beibei kept nodding, her mind somewhat dazed.
Chu Yao noticed and gently turned her to face him, gripping her shoulders and bending down to speak. “Beibei, listen to me. This is exactly the state I feared most from you.”
Jiang Beibei raised her eyes, staring blankly at him.
“But we can’t let our guard down,” Chu Yao said firmly. “I need you to live well, and… keep an eye on Grandma’s mental state. She’s carried this burden for half her life, and now that it’s resolved, I’m worried she might lose direction like you are now.”
Jiang Beibei shook her head vigorously. “I won’t, Yao Ge—I won’t.”
“I know you won’t—I’m just worried. Beibei, remember—you still have me, your family. We’re all part of your life. For me, for us, live happily. Don’t lose your purpose.”
“Catching that fugitive wasn’t my life goal…” Jiang Beibei whispered. “It’s just that seeing this conclusion so suddenly, I don’t know how to process it emotionally. Yao Ge, my goal is to live better, to honor my parents by enjoying life fully. Every day, I’ll show them gratitude for bringing me into this world. Their love lives within me—I carry it forward as three lives in one.”
She gripped Chu Yao’s hand tightly. “I won’t make avenging the villains my goal. I’ll live honorably, be a good person, not disgrace my parents, and contribute even a little to society. That’s enough. Now, with you added to my life, Yao Ge, the fugitive was right about one thing—I have a home, and you’re part of it. So I’ll live even more meaningfully. Losing direction after catching the fugitive? Never. It won’t happen to me.”
Chu Yao embraced her, feeling both relief and pride. “Good girl.”
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