Sun Zhewen once again felt his own insignificance and helplessness. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, the force so great it felt like he might crush it. His knuckles were white from the strain. The car sped along the road, the scenery outside the window flashing by like the wind, but he didn't see any of it.
Finally, they arrived at their destination. Li Zhiyan reached out and took his hand. Her hands trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with complex, indecipherable emotions. She looked directly at him and said, "Don't take it to heart. Just think of me as a… a woman of the night, okay?"
Sun Zhewen shook his head like a rattle-drum, his voice low and firm, as if squeezed from the depths of his chest: "I can't."
"Then what can you do now? Let's just endure it, okay?" Li Zhiyan's voice carried a hint of pleading, her eyes slightly red, as if tears were about to spill over. She got out of the car and took her luggage, then looked down at Sun Zhewen, her gaze filled with helplessness and sadness.
Sun Zhewen nodded, his throat seeming to be blocked by a huge stone. All the words were stuck in his throat, unable to escape.
Li Zhiyan said again, "Go back."
Sun Zhewen watched her smooth back as she slowly walked away, dragging her suitcase. Her figure looked lonely and resolute in the sunset. Sun Zhewen just stared blankly, not moving for a long time. His heart was in turmoil. He didn't know whether he was feeling pity for Li Zhiyan's situation, or gratitude towards her, or if he'd unconsciously developed an inseparable affection after sleeping in the same bed every day. He wasn't sure, really wasn't sure. Finally, he slowly started the car and slowly drove away, the dust kicked up by the car seeming to tell of his inner entanglement and confusion.
Halfway back, Liu Ruyue's call came through. Sun Zhewen looked at the familiar name on the phone screen and hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Are you coming back tonight?" Liu Ruyue's voice came from the phone, laced with a hint of anticipation.
Sun Zhewen hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm on my way."
"Oh, are you coming over?" Liu Ruyue's voice noticeably perked up.
"Yes, I'll come find you later," Sun Zhewen replied.
"Okay, I'll wait for you," Liu Ruyue's voice was filled with joy.
Sun Zhewen arrived at Liu Ruyue's apartment complex and parked his car, his mood still heavy. He went upstairs and rang the doorbell. It was as if Liu Ruyue had been waiting by the door; it opened instantly, and she threw herself into his arms.
"You're finally here," Liu Ruyue held Sun Zhewen tightly, as if he would vanish if she let go.
"We see each other every day; why do you act like it's been ages?" Sun Zhewen said with a smile, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"I don't want to be separated from you for even a moment." Liu Ruyue raised her head, her eyes filled with deep affection.
"After you leave, won't we still be unable to see each other?" Sun Zhewen sighed softly.
"Yes, I really don't want to leave, but if I don't, I won't be able to see you either. Come with me." Liu Ruyue's tone carried a hint of willfulness.
"Silly girl, do you think I can just go wherever I want?" Sun Zhewen smiled helplessly.
"I don't feel good when I think about you being in Huangling and spending every day with them." Liu Ruyue pouted, her face showing displeasure.
"I…" Sun Zhewen was momentarily speechless, unsure how to comfort her.
"I know that I'm an outsider between you all, that I'm the third party, but I just want to monopolize you right now." Liu Ruyue hugged Sun Zhewen tightly, as if trying to merge herself into his body.
"Alright, let's go to sleep." Sun Zhewen patted Liu Ruyue's back.
"I want you to carry me over there," Liu Ruyue said, acting cute.
"Alright," Sun Zhewen said with a wry smile, and carried her to the bed. He was just about to go take a shower when Liu Ruyue grabbed his hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"If you don't let go, how am I supposed to shower?" Sun Zhewen said, laughing and crying at the same time.
"I don't care, you figure it out yourself," Liu Ruyue said, being willful.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became ambiguous, and a great battle was about to erupt. After a long while, both of them were lying on the bed, panting.
Liu Ruyue asked softly, "What are you considering for the future?"
Sun Zhewen was silent for a moment, not knowing whether he should tell her some things. He thought for a moment and said, "There are some things I don't want to tell you, so you don't worry, but I also feel like you should know."
"What is it? Tell me," Liu Ruyue sat up, looking at Sun Zhewen with a determined gaze.
"Here's the situation," Sun Zhewen took a deep breath and roughly recounted the events in Jiang City. "The holdout's body was discovered too early. It'll probably be closed as a traffic accident in the end."
"Jiang City's waters are so deep! I've been here for years and didn't even know," Liu Ruyue frowned, her face filled with disbelief.
"Everyone knows you're the daughter of a high-ranking official in the provincial capital. Who would dare to tell you these things?" Sun Zhewen smiled wryly.
"Well, I think you'll be going over there in the next couple of days. This case, do you want to get involved or not?" Liu Ruyue's eyes were filled with concern.
"I can't get involved. I'm just a deputy director of a police station, I'm new there, and I don't even have a police background," Sun Zhewen shook his head helplessly.
"I can help you," Liu Ruyue said firmly.
"How can you help?" Sun Zhewen looked at her in confusion.
"I have a friend in the Provincial Bureau. I can have him lead a team to Jiang City to investigate," Liu Ruyue said seriously.
"It's no use. They'll bury this. Even if he comes, he won't find anything." Sun Zhewen sighed.
"Let's try, okay?" Liu Ruyue held Sun Zhewen's hand.
"This will make things difficult for your friend." Sun Zhewen was a little worried.
"What's there to be afraid of? He's got a deep background. He's not scared." A stubborn look flashed in Liu Ruyue's eyes.
Sun Zhewen looked at Liu Ruyue, filled with both emotion and conflict. He knew that once involved in this matter, it could lead to endless trouble.
"Ruyue, this is too dangerous. I don't want you to be involved." Sun Zhewen frowned, his face etched with worry, his gaze full of concern and protectiveness for Liu Ruyue.
"But I don't want you to be in such a dangerous place either. Especially since you're already caught up in their interests." Liu Ruyue's voice was filled with urgency and anxiety. She gripped Sun Zhewen's arm tightly, as if he would fall into danger if she let go.
"You, just go to Huangling and don't worry about this, okay? I'll be fine." Sun Zhewen gently patted Liu Ruyue's hand, trying to reassure her.
...
The fully completed English PDF of this fan-fic is now available on my Patreon shop.If you want to support my work and enjoy the entire story in one go, grab the PDF and binge-read it from start to finish without any breaks.
Patreon Shop:patreon.com /InkNovels
Here are a few fan-fic titles that I've recently uploaded on my Patreon:
"Game of Thrones: Dragon Prince"
"Game of Thrones: Political Life"
"Game of Thrones: Lannister Kingdom"
"Gods' Apocalypse: What Should I Do When the Loli is a Bit Fierce?"
"My Sister And I are in The Apocalypse"
(End Chapter)