"So, you're the so-called fortune-teller?"
The moment Luo Yan returned, she tossed aside her gear and stormed into the office building, her fury blazing as she sought out Chen Yi, who had just claimed his reward.
Chen Yi had a distinct impression of Luo Yan. Among a roomful of men, she was the only woman—and a strikingly beautiful one at that. It was impossible not to notice her.
"No, I'm not!"
But judging by her furious expression, Chen Yi knew she wasn't here for anything good. Without any shame, he flatly denied it and turned to leave.
Luo Yan froze for a moment, wondering if she had mistaken him for someone else.
However, when her gaze fell on the canvas bag in Chen Yi's hand, a cold smile crept across her lips.
"What's that in your hand?"
In a flash, she moved to block his path.
"What does it have to do with you?" Chen Yi replied, feigning impatience.
"Looks like money to me. You take the reward and think you can just walk away?"
Realizing he couldn't deny it anymore, Chen Yi shrugged and replied bluntly, "Why stay? Are you going to provide me with free meals?"
"Who said we wouldn't?"
Before her words even settled, Luo Yan grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
Caught off guard, Chen Yi dropped the bag of money, which thudded to the ground.
If they weren't in a police station, he might have mistaken her for a bandit robbing him of both his money and dignity.
Too fierce. Too wild. How could a woman like this ever get married?
"If you want to thank me, this isn't the way to do it, is it? Look, everyone's watching. How about I treat you to a drink after work instead?" Chen Yi said with feigned shyness.
His ability to twist the truth and play the fool had reached an artful level. With just a few words, he turned the tense atmosphere into something almost flirtatious.
Leaning against the wall with Luo Yan pressing close, their proximity was so intimate that they could hear each other's breathing. It looked like the scene of a couple in the throes of passion.
But Luo Yan was unmoved. Instead, she tightened her grip, her face inches from his, and hissed through gritted teeth, "Thank you? You're lucky if I don't beat you to a pulp!"
"Hey, lady, can't you be reasonable? I helped you crack the case, and this is how you treat me? Is this the standard of police conduct?"
Seeing that playing dumb wouldn't work, Chen Yi had no choice but to resort to reason—a futile endeavor, as he soon realized.
"Yes, you helped solve the case," Luo Yan said, her voice icy, "but you also nearly got me and my team killed!"
Indeed, she had tracked down the robbers, taken them out, recovered the stolen goods, and alleviated the immense pressure on the police department.
But none of that diminished her urge to punch him.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous it was? All three suspects were armed. Because you claimed you 'calculated' their location, we let our guard down and nearly took bullets."
Even now, the memory made her heart race. A bullet had missed her head by mere centimeters. No one had expected the robbers to actually be hiding there. Luck had been on their side; otherwise, who knew how many officers would have been lost?
Passing officers saw the two of them but hurriedly walked away, pretending not to notice. It wasn't just Chen Yi, the infamous fraudster, they wanted to avoid—Luo Yan's temper alone was enough to make them steer clear.
Her fiery reputation was well-known. When Luo Yan lost her temper, even the chief had to tread carefully.
A saying circulated within the bureau: "When a woman's angry, men step aside. When Luo Yan's angry, even ghosts flee."
Realizing he couldn't count on these cowards, Chen Yi braced himself to face her wrath alone.
"Look, lady, be reasonable. Did I tell you to let your guard down? I clearly told you the criminals were there. If you didn't believe me, how is that my fault? You're just being ungrateful."
"Oh, so now it's my fault?"
Luo Yan's anger turned into incredulous laughter. She had never met anyone who could lie so shamelessly with a straight face.
"Fine, I'm ungrateful. What are you going to do about it?"
As expected, reasoning was utterly useless.
Her smile vanished, and she raised her hand to slap him.
D*mn, she's serious!
Chen Yi flinched, startled by how quickly this crazy woman resorted to violence. He instinctively grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Not bad. You've got some moves," Luo Yan remarked, unfazed. Instead, she raised her knee for a strike aimed directly at him.
Too underhanded. Too shameless.
A woman using such dirty tricks—did she have no sense of decency? No honor?
Though he cursed her inwardly, Chen Yi didn't dare hesitate. If he reacted even a second too late, he'd be in real pain.
With a sudden burst of strength, he pushed her away, narrowly dodging her vicious attack.
The two of them froze, staring at each other like statues.
Chen Yi felt deeply embarrassed.
The soft, springy sensation he had just felt told him he had touched somewhere he definitely shouldn't have.
Luo Yan, on the other hand, was furious.
That sensitive area told her she had just been violated.
Everyone in the station knew that when Luo Yan got angry, the consequences were dire. So, naturally, everyone had already made themselves scarce, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
"Pervert!"
Sure enough, Luo Yan suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
This was a death sentence. Molesting a policewoman in the station? He could kiss his good days goodbye.
Summoning courage he didn't know he had, Chen Yi lunged forward and clamped a hand over her mouth, desperate to stop her from yelling.
This woman was terrifying.
Chen Yi had always been a resourceful man, able to outwit even the most shrewd officers. Yet here he was, completely outmatched by this woman.
Not caring about the consequences, he dragged her to a corner of the hallway, keeping her mouth covered.
Chen Yi glanced around nervously. Thankfully, no one had seen them.
"You crazy woman! I was defending myself, okay?"
Luo Yan's eyes curved into crescents, clearly laughing behind his hand, her expression smug.
Chen Yi felt his head throb. What now? If he let go, she'd definitely scream. But if he didn't, someone would eventually find them, and then he'd be in even deeper trouble.
After a fierce internal struggle, he decided to negotiate with his "enemy."
"First, I didn't harass you. Second, you started it!"
Luo Yan didn't respond, mostly because her mouth was still covered. Her large eyes stared unblinkingly at him, making him feel increasingly uneasy.
"Third, I apologize, okay? I was wrong. Please, just let me go!"
Chen Yi's face burned with embarrassment. Apologizing to a woman? How unmanly.
"If you agree, blink three times."
"…"
"Hey, what does two blinks mean? I said three!"
"…"
"Can't you count? I said three blinks!"
Frustrated to the point of despair, Chen Yi felt like banging his head against the wall. But even if he died, he'd still be labeled a would-be molester.
"Fine, you win. I'll let you go. Do whatever you want!"
In the end, Chen Yi surrendered.
To his surprise, Luo Yan didn't scream after he released her.
"Could she really not count?" Chen Yi wondered, eyeing her warily. Who knew what she'd pull next?
To his shock, Luo Yan chuckled. "You've got some decent skills. You'd probably rank in the top three at our station."
"Just average," Chen Yi replied hastily, feigning humility. "I wouldn't dare show off in front of the police."
"Alright, stop playing dumb. You look foolish, but you're full of tricks. Let's make a deal," Luo Yan said.
"What kind of deal?" Chen Yi asked cautiously.
"You did us a big favor, and we should thank you…"
Chen Yi's brow twitched. A sense of foreboding washed over him.
"…but your reckless claim nearly got us killed. That's unforgivable."
"Police officers are supposed to be reasonable, aren't they? I told you where the criminals were. I never said I was lying. If you didn't believe me, how is that my fault?"
Chen Yi couldn't help but argue. These officers were too quick to judge him based on appearances.
"You've got a point. Let's call it even—no debts between us," Luo Yan said, easing his tension, only to add, "But we still need to settle the matter of you harassing me."
"Harass you? Are you insane? You attacked me first!"
"Got any proof?" Luo Yan asked slyly.
"Do you have proof I harassed you?" Chen Yi shot back.
"Of course I do. Your fingerprints are all over my hands, face, and… other places."
Chen Yi realized he had fallen into her trap from the very beginning. Furious, he demanded, "What do you want?"
"Nothing much. Women shouldn't suffer losses, that's all."
Chen Yi: "…"
Luo Yan smiled sweetly—dangerously.