"Hey, aren't you being a bit too ruthless?" Xiang Ri stepped back, rubbing his chest. Though Tie Xiaoniu's punch hadn't exactly injured him, it did leave him a little winded.
"I'm warning you—next time you dare touch me without permission, you'll be in for a world of pain!" Tie Wan spat out, her tone menacing.
"Come on, isn't that a bit much? I was only trying to show some friendly affection; is that so wrong?" Xiang Ri exclaimed with mock indignation.
"Who in their right mind would want to be friends with a jerk like you?" Tie Wan retorted furiously.
"Well then, I'll be off." Xiang Ri put on an expression of exaggerated disappointment.
"Wait, give me your phone number." Tie Wan, remembering her mother's call that morning, called out just as he was about to leave.
Xiang Ri turned around and looked her up and down. "You're not planning to ask me out, are you? Just so you know, if you're inviting me, I'm not paying this time." He was still bitter about her habit of never picking up the bill.
"Keep dreaming! Are you giving it to me or not?" Tie Wan's eyes narrowed in irritation.
"Fine, fine. Do I even have a choice?" Xiang Ri replied, feigning the meekness of a scolded housewife. After handing over his number and starting to head out, Tie Wan stopped him again. "Keep your phone on 24/7, ready for my call. Got it?"
A vision of Tie Wan in a police uniform, wielding a whip and shouting "Obey me!" flashed before his eyes, sending a chill down his spine. "Do I need to prepare candles and a whip or something?" he asked, half-jokingly.
"What would I want with those? Just die! I don't even understand your nonsense. All you need to remember is to keep your phone on! If I call and it doesn't go through, just imagine the consequences." Her voice was loaded with threat.
Xiang Ri sighed, realizing it had been a mistake to cross this policewoman in the first place. But as his eyes roamed over her curvaceous figure in uniform, any hint of regret vanished.
Swallowing a little, he muttered, "Is there anything else? Just say it all now, so I don't end up halfway out the door only for you to call me back."
"What are you staring at? Get lost!" Tie Wan's eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
"Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic," Xiang Ri thought, feeling it a bitter humiliation. He couldn't help fantasizing about the day he would finally tame this fiery policewoman and see if she'd still be this cocky.
As he left the police station, he ran into Miss Chu, accompanied by several lawyers who had come to bail him out. Seeing her worried expression, a surge of tenderness rose within him. If he hadn't insisted on coming to the station alone to handle matters with a certain someone, he wouldn't have caused those who cared for him so much worry.
"Xiang Kui!" Chu Chu exclaimed, freezing at first, then rushing into his arms, clinging to him as if he'd disappear the moment she let go.
"Hey, little lady." Xiang Ri hugged her back warmly.
"But how did you get out? Did they give you any trouble?" Chu Chu looked up at him, her face full of concern.
"No trouble at all. I was dealing with the bad guys, and once the police understood, they let me go. See? I'm here now, aren't I?" he reassured her gently.
"Thank goodness. You have no idea how worried I was. Even Qing Jie called Uncle Shi for help, but it turned into a huge argument, and now she's at home in tears."
"Is that so?" Xiang Ri's face darkened. If Old Man Shi had a bone to pick with him, fine, but to vent his frustrations on his own disciple? It seemed he'd have to pay the old man a visit someday.
"Qing Jie is still crying bitterly, locked alone in her room."
"Head home immediately." Though Xiang Ri knew his disciple wouldn't do anything drastic, he still felt a hint of unease.
"Alright." Chu Chu obediently nodded, then turned to the lead lawyer she'd brought along. "Lawyer Jin, sorry to have troubled you for nothing."
"It's no trouble at all, Miss Chu. You're being far too polite," Lawyer Jin responded humbly. Hearing their exchange, he had gathered that this was no ordinary case. If the police were always as impartial as they claimed, there wouldn't be such things as wrongful convictions. Likely, someone in the station had helped Xiang Ri get released.
Lawyer Jin gave Xiang Ri a knowing look. "Mr. Xiang, we meet again."
"Oh, Lawyer Jin." Xiang Ri recalled his first encounter at the police station, when Lawyer Jin had bailed him out. He'd even given Xiang Ri a business card, which he vaguely remembered tucking into a book, though he couldn't recall which one. Right now, his only thought was to hurry home and comfort his gentle disciple.
"Well, I won't hold you up any longer. Let's chat another day," Lawyer Jin said, understanding Xiang Ri's lack of interest in conversation. He took his leave with his team.
Eagerly, Xiang Ri climbed into Chu Chu's car and sped off.
…
As soon as they arrived, Xiang Ri leapt out of the car and rushed into the house, heading straight for his disciple's room. He knocked firmly on the door. "Xiao Qing." No response.
"Disciple." Another knock, still silence.
"Xiao Qing, if you don't open the door, I'll break it down." Finally, there was movement from inside. "Teacher! What is it?" Her voice was soft, but sadness unmistakably lingered in her tone.
"Open the door. Let me in."
"Teacher, I'd like to rest for a bit." Clearly, Shi Qing was in no mood to see anyone.
"Rest? Are you ignoring my words now?" Xiang Ri's tone grew firmer.
Just then, Chu Chu, who'd followed him, couldn't hold back any longer. "Xiang Kui, can't you be gentler? After all, she's a young girl."
"I would if I could, but do you think she'd open the door otherwise?"
Sure enough, the door finally opened, and Shi Qing stood there, looking aggrievedly at her troublesome teacher, her eyes still red from crying.
Xiang Ri led her to the bedroom, guiding her to sit on the bed. "Are you planning to hide in here forever?"
"No, Teacher, I just…" Shi Qing trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"Out with it. Don't hold back. Did that old man scold you again?" Xiang Ri felt his frustration rise at her pained expression.
Tears welled up in Shi Qing's eyes. "My father… he wants me to move back home."
"What? That old man's still trying to restrict your freedom? No way. I'll go talk to him myself."
"Teacher, I don't want to go back…" Shi Qing whispered, and, seeing that Chu Chu wasn't in the room, she suddenly threw herself into her teacher's arms.
"This…" Xiang Ri hadn't expected his disciple to embrace him so willingly, and he stiffened momentarily before relaxing. "Don't worry. Stay here as long as you like. I'll handle your father."
"Okay." Shi Qing nodded softly, then suddenly remembered something, pulling away and standing up. She reached under her pillow and retrieved something. "Teacher, I have something for you."
"What is it?" Xiang Ri asked, full of anticipation. His disciple had never given him a gift before.
"This." She pushed the item into his hand.
One glance at it, and Xiang Ri nearly burst a nosebleed. In his hand was a thong: two strings tied together, with only a small piece of black fabric in the middle.