"Mama take Qiao Qiao and Nana go walk walk, okay?"
The moment she heard "go walk," Qiao Qiao lit up with joy. "Okay! Okay! Qiao Qiao want go walk!"
Lan Jin clipped the leash onto Nana's collar and handed it to Huang Jinghe. Then she picked up Qiao Qiao in her arms and closed the door behind them.
But as soon as the accompanying officer caught sight of Nana, he looked genuinely shocked.
"This dog is huge. You let it stay alone with a toddler? Aren't you worried?"
During the poisonous fog period, Nana had looked like a small puppy. He had been tiny, slow-growing. But now, at ten months old, Nana had grown a lot.
Technically, Nana was a medium-sized dog, not considered fully grown until around twelve months. But ever since the insect wave began a little over two months ago, his appetite and size had exploded. Now, sitting down, he was nearly as tall as two-year-old Qiao Qiao. It was understandable why letting a dog that size be alone with a child would raise concerns.
The officer didn't know whether to think Lan Jin was too bold or just overly trusting of her dog.
Lan Jin chuckled, "Don't worry. I count on this dog to watch over my kid. Nana's really smart. He understands everything I say."
The three of them got into the patrol car and headed to the station.
Lan Jin wasn't surprised that the station had cars available. Government offices were always given basic equipment like this. Otherwise, how would they handle emergencies?
When they arrived at the station, the moment they stepped into the lobby, they saw Meng Ying sitting on the floor, crying her eyes out. The scene was designed for maximum pity—tears streaming, sobbing like she'd just lost the world.
But Lan Jin wasn't buying it.
She walked in and casually waved. "Oh, you still got the nerve to cry? Go ahead and cry. You might as well get it all out now, since who knows how long you'll be able to cry later. You gonna keep this up for an hour? A whole day?"
Judging by the expressions of everyone around, no one seemed inclined to comfort Meng Ying.
As soon as Meng Ying heard Lan Jin's voice, she froze, tears stopping instantly. She glared at Lan Jin with barely contained hatred.
Lan Jin raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you didn't get beat up enough."
She lifted her arm, as if about to strike again. Instinctively, Meng Ying shrank back. But Lan Jin wasn't that dumb. She had no intention of actually hitting her here. After Meng Ying flinched, Lan Jin calmly lowered her hand.
But Nana, who had been quietly leashed by Huang Jinghe this whole time, wasn't having it.
Seeing someone threaten his owner, Nana immediately moved to stand in front of Lan Jin, barking fiercely at Meng Ying. His voice echoed through the hall with so much force, it felt like he wouldn't be satisfied unless he tore Meng Ying apart.
Lan Jin knew what Nana was doing. He was protecting her, warning and threatening at the same time. And while Nana would never bite without her command, his imposing posture was more than enough to scare everyone nearby. Even those not involved took an instinctive step back.
Officer Shi had met Nana before. He walked over without hesitation. Nana didn't move or growl, just watched him.
Officer Shi squatted down beside the dog and carefully extended his hand. When Nana merely glanced at him without baring teeth, he gently stroked Nana's back and said, "It's alright. No one's going to hurt your owner. But no barking, okay? You're scaring people."
Nana looked toward Lan Jin. He knew Officer Shi wasn't a bad guy. Lan Jin had told him that. But whether to obey or not still depended on her.
Lan Jin nodded. "Mm. Nana, don't bark. You'll scare people."
Nana gave a soft "woof" in reply, barely louder than a whisper.
The few officers nearby who had been frightened now gathered around, clearly interested in the intelligent dog. Officer Shi spoke up, "Pets aren't allowed inside. How about you leave him with one of my colleagues? I promise we won't let anything happen to him."
The way Officer Shi looked at Nana… if he weren't a police officer, Lan Jin might have thought he was trying to steal her dog.
Still, it wasn't a big deal. He just wanted to play with Nana a bit. No need to overthink it.
"Alright," Lan Jin said. "Nana, go stay with the officers for a while. Don't wander off, and don't get lost."
Nana gave another soft bark, and Huang Jinghe handed over the leash. The dog walked away with slow steps, glancing back every few paces.
The officers didn't take him far, just over to the entrance. Lan Jin added, "Nana, don't bite anyone, okay?"
She didn't know if rabies vaccines were even available these days, but she left that part unsaid. She had warned him, and that was enough.
Nana gave a low whine, as if to acknowledge her command, and followed the officers out of the lobby.
On the way down the corridor, Ling Jiang muttered, "That dog's too smart. It really feels like he understands you."
"He does. That's why I trust him with Qiao Qiao. He listens to her too. Though, honestly, she mostly just babbles and plays with him."
After several twists and turns, they arrived at a large meeting-room-like space, where questioning would take place.
Of the group, Lan Jin was the calmest. Naturally, she was the first to be questioned. Ling Jiang and Huang Jinghe sat beside her. They weren't key figures, but since they had been present at the time, it was helpful to have them fill in any missing details.
Lan Jin started from the beginning, calmly recounting everything from start to finish. She left nothing out—how Meng Ying seduced Ren Xing, how she later discovered the situation with Meng Ying and her former father-in-law… everything.
There was no sugarcoating it. What lay between them was no small grudge. It was hatred that ran deep.
But having these scandals aired in public was too much for some people. The shame on the faces of the others made that clear.
Mother Ren, in particular, looked humiliated. She was furious that Meng Ying had let Lan Jin discover the truth. Even worse, Lan Jin didn't keep it to herself—she had actually told the police. To Mother Ren, it felt like being stripped bare and whipped in front of everyone.
All at once, Father Ren, Mother Ren, and Meng Ying turned on Lan Jin, treating her like she was the real culprit. As if everything that had happened was somehow her fault.
Lan Jin sneered. "You've got the guts to do something this disgusting, but you still care about saving face?"
Mother Ren slammed the table and shot to her feet, yelling, "Lan Jin, our family never mistreated you!"
"But you never treated me well either. Before or after the marriage, I never took a cent from your family. I don't owe you anything. And now that you're no longer my in-laws, don't speak to me like you still are."