Jianning Municipal Bureau.
"She said 'the police can't catch me' and then jumped down. I tried to stop her from committing suicide, so I jumped up and grabbed her arm. Who knew she would try to drag me into the river instead? How could I be dragged by a little girl like her? Seeing that she fell into the river, I could only follow and jump down into the water to carry out rescue…"
Several experts from the provincial department sat behind a long table, each with paper, a pen, and a tea mug in front of them. Their faces carrying different expressions were hazy in the incense smoke.
"Rescue?" Wei Yao, the person directly in charge, sat in the middle of the long table, facing Yan Xie, and said coldly: "From the time the suspect fell into the water to the arrival of the search personnel, you were out of reach for more than an hour. How long does it take for the rescue?"
In the chair in the center of the room, Yan Xie was in a rarely worn light blue shirt; his full police uniform was as crisp as new with the four-pointed star of the third-level police inspector on his shoulder, and on his belt, the steel seal of the police badge was clearly visible. In stark contrast to this, his face had not been shaved for several days. Although he was sitting upright, his expression was obviously not so respectful and serious and was even a little indifferent.
"I've said it many times, Chief Wei, it really took so long. Do you know how fast the Sanli River is? Even people who are used to swimming may not dare to go. Coupled with the complex situation of the undercurrent, the twists and turns of the river terrain, the non-cooperation of the rescued, and the water temperature being too low at night, do you really think that I would be able to swim back and forth in the river for fifty meters and then go ashore easily?"
Deputy Chief Wei slammed the tea mug: "You little—"
Provincial expert: "Cough!"
"Brat." Wei Yao gently and amiably finished his last few words, gritted his teeth, and said, "Then why didn't you report to the command center immediately when you found Bu Wei by the river bank? Why not apply for the support over the walkie-talkie first before jumping into the river?"
"I was really too late, leader!" Yan Xie said with sincerity on his face: "Bu Wei was very emotional when she was discovered, so I could only stabilize her as soon as possible. If I reported to the command center, maybe she wouldn't have even confessed the case and jumped right away. After that, I watched her jump into the river and hurriedly took off my trousers and shoes to go into the water to rescue her. I really didn't have time to go back to the car to get the walkie-talkie… In the end, it was my fault. I was too careless and panicked. I am willing to accept the education and punishment from the system."
Deputy Chief Wei said angrily: "What's the use of educating you now! It has already been said earlier that one person is not allowed to handle the case alone! You count yourself how many regulations have you violated in this case, can you still be educated?!"
Another provincial expert said, "Hey Lao Wei, don't get so worked up. The regulations are correct, but we all know that the situation in front-line case handling is actually…"
Yan Xie leaned back in his chair relaxedly and quickly and secretly made a face at Deputy Chief Wei when several provincial experts were looking down or looking elsewhere.
"You!" Deputy Chief Wei was stunned by this daring little bastard.
"I know I know," Yan Xie immediately followed suit: "I violated the discipline and the rules. I am willing to accept all inquiries and punishments."
Wei Yao took a deep breath and continued to play the role of the strict superior when suddenly the door was opened, and Chief Lu, who was carrying a large tea mug of wolfberry tea, and another gray-haired old leader walked in.
"Liu Ting is here," several experts from the provincial department stood up solemnly: "Liu Ting!"
"Hey, Liu Ting!…"
If there were still someone who was muttering in their hearts just now, they would be really convinced by now — No wonder the old man surnamed Wei from the Jianning Municipal Bureau had loud thunder but little rain[1]. They already did three inquiries in several turns, but even half a word of punishment was not mentioned. It was good to be able to be born as the only son of the richest family, who could violate any discipline and invite provincial party committee Liu Ting in person…
"You all can go back now. We brothers should go to drink together some other day." Chief Lu smiled and sent the experts out the door. Then he signaled Deputy Chief Wei to see them off with his eyes, and then closed the door.
With a click, only Yan Xie, Liu Ting, and himself were left in the small conference room.
"Let's talk." Chief Lu turned back slowly, and said, "Your father told Liu Ting that you have been writing a ten thousand character self-criticism at home for the past two days. You were very conscientious and meticulous and read and recited it many times until you remembered it. Come on, let us listen to it."
Yan Xie didn't dare to lean back in the chair lazily and got up quickly: "Liu Ting, Chief Lu, I'm really sorry. I ignored the system's discipline and regulations when I was handling the case. My improper handling at the critical moment reflected my lack of proper study of discipline in normal times…"
"Okay, okay, that's enough." Liu Ting smiled wryly and waved his hand to stop him: "Xiao Yan, you are young, but you are also a criminal policeman who has handled cases for more than ten years. How did you make such a basic mistake?"
Yan Xie smiled apologetically.
"Fortunately, this case has not been announced to the public, and Bu Wei has no family members. Otherwise, a minor participating in the kidnapping and jumping into the river in fear of punishment; without a law enforcement record, controlling public opinion on this matter would be very difficult. If we had encountered a more difficult situation like the point that the criminal suspect was an underage girl and Yan Xie was also a single male police officer who went to the scene of crime alone, that would lead to — hey, "Liu Ting turned towards Chief Lu, his finger bobbing twice in the air with heavy emphasis: "That would have caused an uproar."
Chief Lu immediately pointed at Yan Xie unceremoniously for a while — Liu Ting was not good at scolding Yan Xie directly, so he could only do it through Chief Lu, and the three formed a perfect rock-paper-scissors relationship.
"Fortunately, we have a complete chain of evidence." Chief Lu said, "Fan Wu and his accomplices explained two criminal facts: one was that he was hired by Wang Xingye to kill the victim Li Yuxin. Second, under the pursuit of the police, he was desperate, and knowing that his elder brother Fan Zhengyuan had hidden 250,000 cash paid by the employer in his house, he took the risk and came back to steal it, only to be caught by Yan Xie and the others. In addition, Bu Wei's fingerprints were extracted from the bag of cash from Fan Zhengyuan's house, and the handwriting identification was also completely matched, which confirms Fan Wu's confession that Fan Zhengyuan was hired to kill…"
"Old Lu handles everything very thoroughly" Liu Ting nodded as he listened, and praised: "Even if this file is sent to the procuratorate, they won't be able to say anything."
Chief Lu waved his hands again and again.
"But there's one thing I don't understand," Liu Ting frowned, "You said that the little girl gave 250,000 yuan to Fan Zhengyuan, who was she trying to assassinate?"
Yan Xie suddenly raised his eyes.
Sure enough, Chief Lu also nodded solemnly: "It's hard to say. Among Fan Zhengyuan's series of crimes we know well, one was that he attacked Yan Xie with a gun. Then he was strangled to death by someone, and his body was crushed over on the highway. But it would seem far-fetched to conclude that Bu Wei or Wang Xingye instructed him to assassinate Yan Xie based on this."
——Of course, it was not to assassinate Yan Xie.
Bu Wei tried to murder Jiang Ting because of her jealousy.
Yan Xie's face was full of humility and understanding unique to the younger generation, but his palms were actually sweating. Then he heard Liu Ting agree while touching his chin: "It's really far-fetched, especially when he was immediately silenced… Xiao Yan! If I hadn't believed in your father's character, everyone would thought that it was your father who killed Fan Zhengyuan, and it was quite neat hahahahahaha——
Yan Xie: "..."
Liu Ting probably also realized that this remark was not funny, so he touched his nose a little embarrassedly: "So, Lao Lu. This matter still has to start with investigating the connection between Fan Zhengyuan and Wang Xingye, and Wang Xiangye's presence as a drug dealer. We have reasons to believe that Wang Xingye had close ties with a drug-trafficking group active at the border in the early years. After going back, let's write a plan and report it to the Ministry, and try to set up a special task force to follow the clues further."
Chief Lu thought it was true and responded continuously.
The two of them continued to talk to each other back and forth. Yan Xie's eyes quickly swept over the two old leaders, one chubby and one thin, and he raised his hand with a cough: "That — I will handle the work undertaken by the special task force. I will also write a detailed plan when I go back tonight and ask the leaders to approve it. I can also…"
"You?" Liu Ting looked at him and laughed: "Do you know what level this cross-border drug trafficking organization is?"
Yan Xie rubbed his hands together.
"This is not an ordinary cross-border drug organization. The new fentanyl compounds seized in your last case have not only spread across the southwestern border of China and Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar and Vietnam, but even the United States and Mexico have reported relevant cases. Even if the special task force is set up to handle this matter, it is still a serious case which will be under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Security." Liu Ting patted Yan Xie's shoulder and said with a smile: "As for your words, you still have to give me a well-written investigation report to submit to the provincial government department. You deserve the punishment so you are going to be suspended for review — no matter what, the process has to go. Your dad said to resolutely cooperate with the system's handling, and give you a month off to go home for… a blind date."
Yan Xie was stunned: "Suspension for review for a month?"
Chief Lu smiled and gave him a gesture.
"No, our Captain Yu's health is not good, and Deputy Chief Wei is also getting old—"
"Old Wei has no opinion, and Lao Yu can postpone the time of retirement because of illness." Chief Lu said kindly, "Go home to analyze and reflect on your behavior, and see if you dare to violate the discipline next time?"
Yan Xie: "..."
"Oh, right," Chief Lu seemed to suddenly remember something: "The inspection and verification work of the contraband in the warehouse to be destroyed is halfway through. If you have nothing to do, take the time to help them move the boxes, so as not to waste a handful of energy."
"Ah, but I…"
Before Yan Xie's argument was over, Liu Ting waved his hand: "Well, It's settled then!"
Suspension for review was a new thing in Yan Xie's career as a criminal police officer. Even five years ago, when he got in trouble with the city bureau because of personal second-class merit, he never suffered such a punishment.
The reason was not him, but the shortage of people in the criminal investigation.
There was a shortage of people everywhere these days. Forensic doctors with a little bit of skill in the forensic department had to travel every three days to give lectures, and there were fewer and fewer medical students who graduate and take exams every year. Technical investigators need qualifications and diplomas, but there were only a few technical criminal police officers who could pass the test every year. In the eyes of outsiders who didn't understand the situation, the criminal investigation should be a less sought-after job, but in fact, the grassroots level police officer could be transferred to the criminal investigation department in local police stations and sub-bureaus, but they couldn't get to the city bureau. In addition, the heart of Captain Yu has been deteriorating for the past two years, and all the work inside and outside was in Yan Xie's grasp and he was the only one who could preside over the work under Deputy Chief Wei.
When people reached middle-aged, the ground was full of wobbles, and they had to support the old and take care of the younger ones. It was Yan Xie's daily work status to replace them.
"Okay," he said, "Laozi will be on a vacation then."
Yan Xie grabbed the police uniform jacket with one hand and draped it over his shoulders, rolled the left and right cuffs to his elbows, revealing the firm forearm muscles, and watch, then with the other hand, he casually pulled out his sunglasses and put them on his handsome face. Everywhere he went, it looked like there was a BGM from an American crime movie. He swept down from the steps of the city bureau gate like a tornado and slammed the car door shut.
The G65 started with a roar and merged into the evening rush hour traffic.
Click — the fingerprint door lock of the high-end apartment opened automatically.
"Don't eat western food, eat what western food? Ask a chef to come over and make two bowls of beef brisket noodles. The beef brisket should be fresh and good with moderate fat and also put a lot of coriander. The bamboo shoot pickle made by your chef last time was pretty good, also pick up four more cool and refreshing side dishes that are not too spicy…"
Yan Xie hung his coat on the hanger at the entrance, turned around while talking on the phone, and was suddenly stunned.
In the dining room, the bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged on the dining table, with a plate of fresh green stir-fried garlic lettuce, and a bowl of steaming stewed beef brisket with potatoes. The air was filled with a warm fragrance, and the sound of the cooker hood and the gurgling of boiling water was coming from the kitchen, lively and familiar as if someone was about to put noodles in a pot of boiling water.
"Young master? Hello?" the restaurant manager on the opposite side shouted on the phone, "Do you want anything else, or is it enough?"
"…No, I don't need anything." Yan Xie murmured like a sleepwalker: "Your sister-in-law is cooking today."
Yan Xie hung up the phone and went into the kitchen to take a look.
Jiang Ting was wearing a homely long-sleeved T-shirt, cotton trousers, and slippers, and was standing in front of the stove with his side facing him. He was holding a handful of dried noodles in his hand and was just about to put them into the pot.
"You're back? Wash your hands and prepare to eat." Jiang Ting said without raising his head, "We're eating tomato egg noodles tonight."
Yan Xie had lived for more than 30 years, and for the first time, he had a vague feeling of a married man coming home from work at night to eat. He pinched himself, but he didn't feel the pain, and for a few seconds he was almost certain that he was dreaming.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Ting raised his head and looked at him up and down with some surprise. Realizing that Yan Xie was wearing a police uniform today, he couldn't help but fix his eyes on him for two seconds, then smiled slightly, and lowered his head to look at the pot again.
Yan Xie asked curiously: "…What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing."
"No, you laughed just now, what are you laughing at?"
Jiang Ting scattered the noodles with chopsticks: "I told you nothing."
"You clearly look at me…"
"Take the bowls and chopsticks," Jiang Ting scolded, "don't think you can just sit there and wait for your meal without doing anything."
Yan Xie said "oh", and said angrily, "You're pretty good at ordering people around." Then he put down the bag, changed clothes and shoes, and went into the kitchen to get the bowls and chopsticks from the disinfection cabinet. Sticking behind Jiang Ting's ear, he whispered, "It's useless not to admit it, I know you're smiling because I look handsome… Hmm!"
Jiang Ting took an egg from the pot and stuffed it into his mouth: "Eat your meal."
Tomato egg noodles, first cut a cross on fresh tomatoes, boil them in water until they turned soft, put them in cold water to remove the skin, and then stir fry them in a little oil to make a thick sauce; add half-boiled egg pieces into the sauce, and when the tender egg cubes absorb the tomato sauce, add a little salt, sugar, chicken essence, then add water, seasoned it with crushed shallots and coriander, and finally drizzle a few drops of sesame oil.
Bright red tomatoes, bright yellow egg pieces, chopped green onions and coriander, and finally a bowl of noodles with bright color and delicious taste.
Yan Xie ate the meal like a strong wind scattering the last cloud[2]. Just like that he swept away a big bowl of noodles with the fat and tender beef brisket. It was so delicious that he didn't even have time to say a word, and got up to go to the kitchen to fill another bowl. When he came back, he said solemnly "It's worth it."
"What's worth it?" Jiang Ting asked as he drank the soup.
"There is a report of criticism submitted to the system and I'm suspended for one month for review." Yan Xie swung his index finger in the air and pointed to the bowl in front of him: "It's all for this."
Jiang Ting laughed and gave him a chopstick beef brisket, and asked, "Do you regret it?"
Jiang Ting has deep eye sockets, long eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. From his face, he looked a little impersonal, and many people have the impression of him as a rational and professional, but cold criminal investigation expert. So when he was wearing home clothes, sitting in the sweltering heat of the food, with his hair freshly washed and blow-dried, the huge contrast created an indescribable charm.
Yan Xie stared at Jiang Ting without blinking, and suddenly asked instead, "Have you ever gained any benefit in your life because of your beauty?"
"No, what are you thinking about all day?"
Yan Xie smiled while eating the piece of beef, and said: "Then you have it now."
Yan Xie left to live alone after getting work, and the reason why he was still alive and well, of course, his steel-like stomach accounts for most of the reasons, but the hard work of the door-to-door cook and cleaning aunt was also indispensable.
However, according to Jiang Ting's reasoning, there were only two people at home who had a light meal, using only a few small bowls, so there was no need to trouble the cleaners to come to wash them, and it would be annoying to pile them in the sink overnight. Therefore, First-level Inspector Jiang personally took the greasy dishes to the kitchen to clean them. Yan Xie took the dishcloth in a proper manner and stood beside him. As Jiang Ting finished washing one, he took it over and wiped it, then put it in the disinfection cabinet neatly.
At this time, it was already dark outside. The lights in the kitchen were on, and the two stood side by side, only hearing the sound of the TV in the living room, not knowing what variety show was being performed, and only the sound of running water in the space in front of them.
"How do you cook so deliciously?" Yan Xie whispered into Jiang Ting's ear, "Have you ever learned it before, and were you planning to cook for someone? Hmm?"
Jiang Ting ducked to the side: "I used to live alone. If I didn't learn how to cook, would I eat takeout every day?"
"Who else has eaten it besides me?"
"No, just you."
Yan Xie narrowed his eyes suspiciously: "Really? "
"Really."
"You're lying to me."
"You," Jiang Ting, after washing a large hand-painted porcelain bowl with a random four-digit value, forcibly stuffed it into Yan Xie's hand: "When someone tells a lie, you became angry, and if someone tells the truth, you suspect it's a lie…"
Yan Xie took the opportunity to grab his hand and said, "Don't move, the water has splashed on your sleeves; come, let me wipe it properly."
"Don't wipe, let go and be careful not to break the bowl…"
"Let me wipe it, it's nothing."
The water was still running, and half-washed chopsticks were scattered in the sink. Jiang Ting forcibly pulled out his hand, but Yan Xie refused to let it go. Like a hungry wolf, he halfway pulled Jiang Ting's right cuff, and out of the corner of his eye, Yan Xie suddenly caught a glimpse of the inconspicuous scar on the inside of his wrist.
If it was a wrist cut, the wounds should be parallel or crisscrossed, and there would be no such clear bite marks.
Yan Xie's brows twitched violently, but he didn't show anything on his face.
Jiang Ting didn't notice his expression. Taking advantage of the gap, Jiang Ting pulled his hand back and also took the large porcelain bowl to put it into the disinfection cabinet. His cheeks were slightly reddish, and he said coldly, "You almost broke the bowl just now!"
He turned his back to the sink and didn't see Yan Xie's deep and uncertain expression. The next second he felt that his waist was suddenly grabbed, and then Yan Xie's height of nearly 1.9 meters was forcibly attached to his back, pushing him against the glass door of the disinfection cabinet.
"You…"
"Shh," Yan Xie whispered while biting the tip of his ear, "Just let me do it for a while, hmm."
Jiang Ting suddenly exerted force, and before he had time to break free, he was firmly pressed by Yan Xie. The standing disinfection cabinet taller than a person made a creaking sound, so clear that even the sound of the TV in the living room could not cover it up. Jiang Ting's ear was red and hot, and he couldn't utter a single word. He wanted to turn around but Yan Xie grabbed his hand and twisted it behind him.
"Yan… Yan Xie!"
Jiang Ting's voice, which had always been calm and restrained, suddenly changed at the end. He wanted to break free, but his wrist was clasped even tighter. During the struggle, the dishes piled up in the cabinet slipped and fell with a clatter, the sound was clear and deafening. Jiang Ting took the opportunity to turn around in the small space, frowning angrily: "Yan Xie!"
Yan Xie: "Just give me a kiss, only one…"
Jiang Ting managed to switch sides, and before he could push Yan Xie's hand away, he was pressed against the glass door again. Their lips and tongue intervened, blending into one in the warm yellow light.
"…I said you tonight…" Jiang Ting finally made a hoarse and annoyed voice after a long while, but unfortunately, the over-emphasized annoyance failed to cover up his flushed cheeks: "…Did you take the wrong medicine?"
He squinted his eyes and stared at the corner of Jiang Ting's lips that were particularly red from the kiss. Suddenly, he said in a low voice, "My parents are coming to visit tomorrow."
Jiang Ting was slightly stunned, and an indescribable and not very good premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
The two stared at each other quietly for a moment and the atmosphere that was even more subtle and ambiguous than kissing suddenly seeped out for no reason. They had no idea what part of the variety show was shown on the TV outside, but the deliberate applause and laughter became extra abrupt and embarrassing at the moment.
"Yan Xie," Jiang Ting abruptly looked away, and said calmly, "Would you like to think about it more…"
"Hey, what are you thinking about!" Yan Xie suddenly let go of him, turned around, and laughed as he walked toward the sink: "My parents are here because the day after tomorrow is my birthday, hahaha——"
Jiang Ting was stunned, only to see Yan Xie laughing and grabbing the chopsticks and rinsing them under the faucet, his face full of teasing look.
"..." Jiang Ting reacted, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, he pointed at Yan Xie for a while with his hand.
"Don't worry, I have already told them. I just said that a friend from the police academy had just been transferred to Jianning, and the dormitory was not ready, so he was staying for a few days. They were usually busy with work, so they'd just come over for lunch and leave. It's not what you imagined." Yan Xie raised his eyebrows playfully, and deliberately looked Jiang Ting up and down: "Look at you nervously looking forward to it, tsk tsk tsk — Can't wait to see your husband's parents and get a red envelope[3]?"
Jiang Ting snorted: "I think it should be my wife's parents." Saying that he picked up the dishcloth, threw it to Yan Xie, and then went back to the bedroom.
Yan Xie watched his figure disappear into the guest bedroom door while rubbing chopsticks in his hands. The smile on his face did not disappear, but the expression in his eyes sank little by little until it was as cold as the abyss.
After a long while, he finally turned off the faucet and stood up straight, not knowing what he was thinking, his thick eyebrows tightened slightly.
Translator's Note:
(1) Much said but little done.
(2) Make a clean sweep.
(3) The author used the word 改口费, which means a gift of money given by parents to their son-in-law or daughter-in-law after the wedding. I can't think of an English equivalent so I used the word red envelope.