In the police station, several staff members working behind the scenes were being interviewed one by one, including An Ruo and Manager Yao, who also underwent questioning.
Tang Beiqiu glanced at the man who had been staring at the screen, pulled out two cigarettes, handed him one, lit it, and raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Your person?"
The man took a light drag, exhaled smoke, and replied in a low, hoarse voice, "Mm."
"Looks pretty young, but she didn’t flinch at all facing the officer’s questions. Interesting."
"Could the woman I’ve set my sights on be any less?" Shen Xiaoxing lifted a finger to flick off the ash. "Get this case cleared up quickly. Not hard, is it?"
Tang Beiqiu bit down on his cigarette, pulled out a few interview records, and handed one over for him to see. "Based on my years of investigative experience, this person is definitely suspicious."
The man took it and glanced at it. Tang Beiqiu took a deep drag, ash falling onto his leg, and he patted it off. "Someone deliberately targeted Song Weiwei. In their line of work, nothing stings more than seeing others succeed. You understand that better than I do, right?"
"Look into Pan Zhiyao."
"Figures—someone with a law background. We’re on the same page?"
"This Pan Zhiyao has backing, but even if I don’t push this, Gu Chao will destroy her. Go ahead and handle it through legal channels. If anything comes up, I’ll take the heat."
Tang Beiqiu nodded. He and Shen Xiaoxing were old acquaintances. Over the years, the cases he’d investigated had all been backed by him. Some involved high-ranking officials and powerful figures, and without someone like him behind the scenes, they’d have been tough to crack.
Shen Xiaoxing was determined to bring down Shen Yu. He didn’t even need to resort to underhanded tactics—just one of the dirty deeds the father and son had done in the shadows over the years would be enough to ruin them. But he wasn’t just after their lives; he wanted the entire Shen family to pay, to clear his wronged mother’s name! So he and Tang Beiqiu worked in tandem—Tang in uniform, following proper legal procedures, while he cleared obstacles from behind the scenes.
Tang Beiqiu personally escorted An Ruo out of the station. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss An. We’ll notify you promptly if there are any new developments in the case."
An Ruo smiled and nodded, habitually replying, "Goodbye, Officer Uncle."
Tang Beiqiu looked baffled. "Huh?"
He wasn’t *that* old, was he?
Shen Xiaoxing was older than him—was this some kind of uncle-niece romance?!
An Ruo laughed and explained, "Just a slip of the tongue. Sorry about that, Officer Tang."
Growing up, she’d been taught to call any police officer "uncle," and it had slipped out without thinking. Awkward...
Tang Beiqiu wasn’t new to being called "uncle," so he shrugged it off. "No worries. Calling me uncle works too."
...
Leaving the station, An Ruo went back to the company and headed straight to the CEO’s office to accept her punishment.
Gu Chao let out a soft sigh, rubbing his aching temples. "This case has nothing to do with you. I’ve already sent people to investigate. Someone orchestrated this deliberately, probably targeting Song Weiwei. It’s complicated, and the people involved have ties to the business world. Stay out of it, or you’ll get caught in the crossfire."
A serious accident had happened in her area of responsibility, forcing the competition to stop, and he was telling her to stand by and do nothing.
An Ruo felt even more guilty. Suddenly remembering Song Weiwei’s injuries, she asked urgently, "Um... is Miss Song okay?"
"She’s fine. She’s out of danger now."
An Ruo nodded. Gu Chao was worried she’d get dragged into this mess. After a moment’s thought, he instructed, "You’ve been working hard on the competition lately without much rest, haven’t you? Since the police are involved, the competition won’t resume anytime soon. Take two days off. I’ll call you if anything comes up."
Was she being forcibly suspended?
It was an order from above, and she couldn’t defy it, so she just nodded. "Okay."
Leaving the company, An Ruo bought some fruit and went to the hospital to visit Song Weiwei.
Unbeknownst to her, a black sports car was tailing her discreetly. The man watched as the girl boarded a bus, controlling his speed to stay close and protect her from a distance.
While waiting at a red light, he pulled out his phone and called her. After a moment of silence, her soft voice came through. "Hello?"
"When are you coming back?"
An Ruo lowered her voice. "I might be a bit late today. A friend is sick and in the hospital, so I’m visiting her."
Afraid he might get angry, she quickly added, "It won’t be too late. I promise I’ll be home before nine."
"Alright. When visiting a friend, make sure to buy some fruit. Don’t go empty-handed."
An Ruo let out a relieved smile and nodded. "I already bought some."
He asked again, "Is it Shencheng Hospital?"
"Yeah."
"I’ll have Han Chong pick you up later. It’ll be hard to get a cab if you’re out too late, and it’s getting cold. Don’t catch a chill."
A warmth spread through An Ruo’s heart, as if his big hands were rubbing it warm. "Okay."
The man hung up and continued following her bus all the way to the hospital.
...
At the hospital, Song Weiwei had already woken up, with Qiao Yu by her side, taking meticulous care of her.
When An Ruo arrived, Song Weiwei was eating. Standing at the door, she knocked. The two inside turned to look at her, and she offered a small smile. "Miss Song."
Seeing her there, Song Weiwei was a bit surprised. She exchanged a glance with Qiao Yu, who told her not to stay up too late talking, then got up and left the room for them.
Song Weiwei patted the edge of the bed. "Come sit."
"Are you feeling better?" An Ruo was more concerned about her condition. "Anywhere else that’s uncomfortable?"