Chereads / Destiny's Second Breath / Chapter 8 - The Detective I

Chapter 8 - The Detective I

Xiao Mei couldn't believe that he would have the nerve to call her so early in the morning. She could barely sleep when she heard how urgent he sounded over the phone. She kept wondering what was wrong, but he remained vague. Instead, he sent her an address and asked her to meet him there.

Zhi Yuan, on the other hand, had to think of a way to get past Xiangu without alerting him that something was wrong.

That morning, he headed to work with Xiangu and didn't say much until it was lunchtime. The detective was smart enough to schedule their meeting during his lunch break. So, Yuan walked out of the office and headed downstairs after sending a message to Xiao Mei to pick him up outside his office building.

He took the elevator to the reception hall, and when the elevator made a ding sound and slid open, Xiangu stood in front of it. He didn't look surprised to see Yuan; in fact, he appeared as though he had been expecting him. Yuan, on the other hand, looked surprised.

"Going somewhere, boss?" Xiangu asked.

"Yeah... Uhmmm... I just have something to do with Xiao Mei," he replied. He was very nervous, and his sweaty palms indicated his anxiety. But he managed to keep a straight face.

"You should have sent a message; I would have gotten the car," Xiangu said, about to turn around. But Yuan stopped him.

"There is no need for that; I want to go alone," Yuan said firmly, watching Xiangu's expression. Something Yuan couldn't quite identify flashed across Xiangu's eyes. It looked like anger, but Yuan didn't want to jump to conclusions; the detective might be wrong, he thought.

"Okay, boss," Xiangu said softly and watched as Yuan walked out of the building. A large man in a black suit and sunglasses walked up to him.

"Keep an eye on them," he ordered. The man nodded and walked away.

Yuan got into the black car parked outside, and Xiao Mei took off her glasses immediately to glare at him, "What is this about?" She hissed.

"You'll find out when we get to our location."

"I thought you lost your memory. How come you're back to being annoying?"

"Is that why you lied to me about my favorite car?" He shot back, and she smiled.

"So you figured it out?" Now, they were already speeding downtown, towards their location, unaware of the car following closely behind them.

Yuan sighed deeply, "I think someone tried to kill me, Xiao Mei. The accident wasn't an accident." She was silent as she watched him, taken aback by his words.

"How are you so sure about that?" She asked.

"A detective called and told me I hired him before the accident."

"You have a lot of enemies, Zhi Yuan; it's not a surprise that someone wanted to kill you."

"This is different, the detective claims it's Xiangu."

"What?" She looked surprised. "That's impossible! He has been with you since I can remember."

"I don't know that, Xiao Mei," he was panicking, and it was evident in his voice. He must be feeling lost and confused, she thought, so for the first time since he woke up, she felt compassion for him.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are the only person I feel I can trust," he whispered and stared out through the window.

The rest of the drive was silent. She couldn't deny that she was surprised to hear that she is the only one he could trust. Not like it was much of a surprise; a man like Zhi Yuan didn't have friends. He had enough enemies to last him a lifetime.

Xiao Mei's driver pulled up in front of a cafe. She pulled out her phone to confirm the address, and after she did, she grabbed her purse, put on her sunglasses, and walked out with Zhi Yuan. She had carefully picked her outfit, and the glasses complemented her desire to keep her identity hidden.

The cafe was empty except for a couple that sat at the far side. Yuan and Xiao Mei picked a seat and waited.

"Anything for the beautiful couple," a middle-aged woman walked up to them. Her apron and wide smile indicated that she must be the owner of the place. The cafe was simple yet beautiful, the decorations were chosen with taste and a budget.

"Two cups of coffee would be okay for now," Xiao Mei said. The woman smiled and walked off. Shortly after, she returned with their drinks. To take his mind off the detective, Yuan started a conversation.

"Are you really pregnant?" He asked as he took a sip from his drink. "This is nice," he thought as he glanced down at the contents of the mug.

"Yes!" She replied blandly.

"For whom?"

"The man I want to be with."

"Why do I feel like you're only making this up to get out of the marriage?"

"I wish I was." She scoffed and eased back into the lush, leather seat.

"Was I so bad?"

"Was?" She arched an eyebrow at him, she leaned forward on the table, "You're still and would always remain bad."

"If I was so bad, then why did your father approve of the marriage?" His voice had gone higher than intended.

"Because you bought the company, you devil," she shot back, and he twisted his face in confusion.

Xiao Mei laughed sarcastically, "So, you don't remember buying the company? That's rich."

She sounded really angry and he didn't want to push her buttons further, at least not now.

"Look, I don't care about the pregnancy. Just help me figure this out."

"What's in it for me?" She asked, tapping a well-polished nail on her mug.

"I accepted a pregnancy that isn't mine to save your family's image."

"Saying it at dinner won't fix anything."

"What would you have me do then?" Yuan asked, exasperated. She leaned in closer again with a grin that didn't sit comfortably with him.

"You would publicly announce that the baby is yours, and you would stick to that until I figure out what to do." He looked at her and shrugged.

"Not a big deal to me. After all the drama blows over, and I get my memories back, we could call off the marriage." She scoffed at his words.

"I know you, Zhi Yuan; the moment you get your memories back, you would return to your oppressive nature. I just hope my plans fall through before then."

"I would never..."

"You were followed," a male voice said beside them. They had not noticed a young man with icy blue eyes and brown hair slip into the seat beside Yuan. He didn't look Chinese and was dressed casually, with a hat that allowed his hair to peek out and a nose mask to cover up most of his face.

"Who are you?" Xiao Mei asked.

"I told you to ensure you were not followed," the detective ignored Xiao Mei and faced Yuan. "And I remember asking you to come alone." He eyed Xiao Mei.

"Sorry, I needed someone I could trust," Yuan said softly.

"Follow me," the detective ordered and slipped out into the kitchen. Xiao Mei and Yuan shared a look and they followed him.