49. Officer Jiang, You’ve Got Guts

Lin Xingzi and Jiang Yan had never truly dated. Their understanding of each other before marriage still lingered at eight years prior.

One might say it was too fast, yet it had lasted eight years.

But during those eight years, contact had been completely severed.

So, six months ago, when Lin Xingzi and Lin Sang went to the city where Jiang Yan worked, wanting to discuss divorce, it wasn’t entirely without reason. Although it probably involved her pride, it was mostly due to her lingering resentment about Jiang Yan marrying her because of her ‘pregnancy.’

Zhan Yan truly aimed for the kill. He understood Lin Xingzi: “Does that police officer want you for yourself? For your money? Or for your dad’s power?” These words were a fatal blow.

Lin Xingzi was only superficially carefree.

Jiang Yan had left his phone in the car, and the screen still showed a page searching for ‘date ideas.’ Lin Xingzi secretly peeked at it when he wasn’t around and laughed until her stomach hurt.

So he really didn’t know how to date.

“Let’s watch a movie. It’s close to Shuiyou City.”

“What kind of movie do you want to see?”

“Just that suspense film released today. It seems pretty good.”

He didn’t even know the movie’s title. He searched for it, browsed the synopsis, and then looked at Lin Xingzi. “Let’s watch something else. I’ll be going out of town in a couple of days, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. You’ll be scared sleeping alone.”

Lin Xingzi wasn’t genuinely keen on watching a movie. “Then you pick.”

Ten minutes later, Jiang Yan showed her the purchased movie tickets.

Lin Xingzi: “...”

He chose an animated film.

The cinema was on the top floor of Shuiyou City, with waiting areas for different halls. Lin Xingzi sat among a group of children, watching Jiang Yan from a distance as he queued to pick up tickets and buy popcorn. After the ‘wife’ comment in front of Zhan Yan, she now had a new understanding of him: a seemingly guileless exterior, but secretly quite cunning.

Parents with their children surrounded them. Slightly older kids came with their friends. A chubby boy of seven or eight, leading a four-year-old girl, walked up to Lin Xingzi. “Auntie, is this your little baby?”

Lin Xingzi smiled, “I don’t have a little baby.”

Chubby boy: “Then who are you taking to watch the cartoon? Did you come alone?”

Lin Xingzi felt insulted and humiliated.

“She came with me,” Jiang Yan pressed Lin Xingzi’s shoulder, making her sit, and gave her a bucket of popcorn. He looked down at the two, big and small. “Where are the adults? Are they lost?”

“I don’t know,” the chubby boy shook his head. “I found her by the restroom door.”

No sooner had he spoken than the little girl’s parents rushed over, frantically searching.

________________________________________

Places with many children were always troublesome. After the movie started, laughter occasionally erupted, making Lin Xingzi feel like even holding Jiang Yan’s hand would defile their young, innocent hearts. She pulled Jiang Yan out before the movie ended.

“I’m going to the restroom. It’s warm inside, wait for me there.”

“Okay,” Lin Xingzi wandered around. On the first floor of Shuiyou City, there was a men’s clothing store. She decided to take a look but unexpectedly encountered an annoying person.

“Miss Lin, what a coincidence,” Fang Ling greeted her with a smile, the diamond ring on her hand dazzlingly bright. “Zhan Yan is checking out inside. We’re about to go for dinner. Want to join us?”

The reason Lin Xingzi slapped Zhan Yan and broke up with him back then was because of this Fang Ling. At the time, she was completely humiliated, losing face publicly and privately. But now, she had to thank her.

“No, thanks. I had a late breakfast,” Lin Xingzi wasn’t interested in her babbling. “Excuse me.”

Fang Ling raised an eyebrow without speaking. She crossed her arms and moved aside, then stuck out her foot as Lin Xingzi passed by her.

As Jiang Yan reached the main hall, he heard a “splash—”

The railing beside the pool was broken and under repair, temporarily secured only by a rope. The water was only knee-deep for Lin Xingzi, so she wouldn’t drown, but she was drenched and utterly humiliated in front of everyone.

Zhan Yan’s heart trembled. He only remembered Lin Xingzi was afraid of water and, disregarding their years of animosity, was about to go over. However, someone beat him to it.

Jiang Yan picked Lin Xingzi out of the water, took off his coat, and wrapped her in it.

“I didn’t mean to, I really didn’t mean to,” Fang Ling hadn’t expected Lin Xingzi to fall in and cried anxiously, her voice trembling. “Zhan Yan, believe me, I just said hello to her...”

Jiang Yan carried Lin Xingzi into the fitting room of the clothing store. Water dripped all the way where he walked. Zhan Yan stared at the footprints on the floor, recalling Lin Xingzi’s pale face, and felt a surge of irritation.

The shopping mall fitting room had heating, but Lin Xingzi was still trembling, her hands tightly clutching Jiang Yan’s clothes, as if grasping onto driftwood before sinking. Jiang Yan asked her where it hurt, but she just shook her head.

Gentle kisses landed on her forehead, cheeks, and the corner of her lips. Lin Xingzi slowly calmed down listening to his low, comforting voice. Fear and dread receded like a tide. It wasn’t that Jiang Yan’s technique was particularly good, but that every time he kissed her, he was wholeheartedly focused only on that one kiss.

“Jiang Jiang, you have a cold. You can’t wear wet clothes for too long. I’ll go buy some. I’ll be back soon.”

“...Okay.”

Fang Ling waited outside to apologize to Lin Xingzi. After hearing her ‘I’m sorry,’ Lin Xingzi raised her hand and slapped her. Fang Ling was furious and tried to retaliate but was roughly pulled aside by Zhan Yan. He had always been impatient with women, especially troublesome ones.

“Xingzi, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I’ll go to the hospital myself, Zhan Yan. Control your woman. If she comes to bother me again, I won’t be polite,” Lin Xingzi turned and got into the car.

Zhan Yan wanted to follow and explain, but Jiang Yan stepped in front of him, warning him word for word, “From now on, I will be watching you, and the Zhan’s Group behind you.”

Zhan Yan stared at him, then after a moment, he gave a mocking expression. “Officer Jiang, you’ve got guts,” he lit a cigarette, his eyes showing a hint of disdain and ridicule. “I’ll be waiting.”