After finishing his breakfast and paying the bill, Chen Yi had barely taken two steps when his phone rang.
He pulled out his phone, his hand trembling so much that he almost dropped it.
It was Luo Yan calling.
Could it be that Han Wenxue had reported him to the police?
Chen Yi cautiously answered the call and asked, "Officer Luo, what can I do for you?"
"Where are you?" Luo Yan's voice on the other end was urgent.
Chen Yi shivered again. Why did she want to know his location? Was she coming to arrest him? Was he about to score another "achievement" for her?
Would tomorrow's news headline read: Luo Yan, Captain of the Criminal Investigation Team at Quancheng Public Security Bureau, swiftly apprehends a rapist!
The more Chen Yi thought about it, the more terrified he became. He guessed that Feng Kun's phone might contain incriminating footage, but he wasn't certain. If it didn't, he'd be in big trouble. Even if there was no direct evidence of a crime, he wouldn't escape a charge of harassment.
If word got out, his reputation as "Master Chen of Fengshui Street" would be ruined. Who would still come to him for fortune-telling or feng shui consultations? How could he continue making a living?
"What do you want from me?"
Chen Yi dared not reveal his location outright. He'd rather flee in fear of guilt than risk being locked up, especially not with a group of deranged criminals.
"Why are you so slow? There's a case I need your help with. Tell me where you are, and I'll come pick you up!" Luo Yan's voice grew impatient, her tone sharp and curt.
To Chen Yi, however, her words were like celestial music. Thank goodness she wasn't after him! She had scared him so much he broke into a cold sweat.
But what if this was a trick? Luo Yan was no ordinary woman—she was capable of anything to achieve her goals. Their first encounter had seen him fall for her beauty trap, nearly landing him in her hands.
Chen Yi couldn't help but wonder if he was cursed this year. Why was every woman he encountered so difficult to deal with? They all seemed to have him completely under their control.
"Where exactly are you?"
Just as Chen Yi's thoughts spiraled further, Luo Yan's voice erupted from the phone, almost a roar.
If it's fate, it can't be avoided. Chen Yi steeled himself. Even if it meant venturing into a dragon's lair or a tiger's den, he would face it head-on.
Wasn't there a saying on TV? One must possess the spirit of drawing one's sword. Even when facing a superior enemy, one must dare to draw their sword and charge forward. In a clash between rivals, the brave will triumph!
If others could face death unflinchingly during wartime, how could he, a grown man, cower before two women?
"Are you at the police station? I'll come find you!"
"Alright, hurry up!"
Hearing Chen Yi agree, Luo Yan promptly hung up without another word.
Chen Yi stared at his phone with a wry smile. She really didn't treat him like an outsider. Was this how you ordered someone around? He wasn't even her subordinate!
Thinking back to their last encounter, where he had gained the upper hand verbally, Chen Yi felt a pang of regret.
D*mn it, why couldn't I keep my mouth shut? This must be karma!
Who knew what outrageous thing this woman might do when she saw him again?
But then, he remembered that he had saved her life, helped her solve several major cases, and even avenged her once. Surely his merits outweighed his faults.
With that thought, Chen Yi felt a bit more at ease.
What reassured him most was that Luo Yan hadn't insisted on picking him up herself. This meant she didn't see him as a suspect—there was no need to apprehend him personally or worry about him fleeing.
At last, Chen Yi's heart settled completely. He even forgot about the slap marks Han Wenxue had left on his face.
Hailing a cab, he hummed a tune as he headed straight for the city's Public Security Bureau.
Upon arrival, Chen Yi found that things were just as he had guessed—Luo Yan didn't go out of her way to make things difficult for him. She seemed to have forgotten all about the incident.
However, the burly Zhang Fei standing beside her kept grinning like a fool, leaving Chen Yi utterly perplexed. He had no idea what was so amusing.
Luo Yan led Chen Yi into a conference room. Unlike the place where he had once displayed his brilliance at the police station, this room lacked the round tables and leather chairs. Instead, it was filled with rows of ordinary seats, neatly arranged.
Inside the conference room was another man, in his twenties, dressed in jeans and a floral shirt adorned with jingling trinkets. He wore a large black earring in his left ear, had long hair, and sported a pair of oversized sunglasses. His appearance screamed street thug.
And he wasn't much to look at either—a long face, small eyes, and a bulbous nose. Chen Yi couldn't help but wonder if this guy would ever find a wife.
"This is Comrade Geng Bo, an expert sent by the provincial bureau to assist with the investigation. And this is Chen Yi, a renowned feng shui master in Quancheng who has helped us crack several major cases!" Zhang Fei introduced them.
"Hello!"
Though surprised that the provincial bureau would send someone who looked like this, Chen Yi politely extended his hand. After all, appearances could be deceiving—this guy might actually be a skilled expert.
Judging people by their looks was unwise, especially in the provincial capital of East China.
The elderly folks on the streets, dressed humbly and unassumingly, might very well have been influential figures in politics or business a decade ago.
Since the provincial bureau had sent him, Geng Bo must have some real abilities.
While Chen Yi found Geng Bo's appearance shabby, Geng Bo didn't think much of Chen Yi either, and his disdain was written all over his face. He gave Chen Yi's hand a perfunctory shake before sitting back down.
"I thought you'd be someone impressive," Geng Bo muttered as he lit a cigarette, his voice just loud enough for Chen Yi to hear.
"And what do you think makes someone impressive?" Chen Yi paused, his tone calm.
Geng Bo crossed his legs and glanced at Chen Yi with a smirk. "Definitely not someone who looks like they just got beaten up by their wife."
Beaten up by his wife?
Chen Yi suddenly understood why this guy had an attitude—it was all thanks to that lunatic Han Wenxue!
Without needing a mirror, Chen Yi knew his face must be covered in marks—scratches, slap prints, and more.
"Boss, you're too ruthless!"
Zhang Fei burst into laughter, teasing Luo Yan as he glanced at her.
Ever since Chen Yi had shouted, "Don't hurt yourself!" during their last encounter, Zhang Fei had been convinced that something was going on between the two.
He admired Luo Yan for her ability to "tame" Chen Yi and was equally impressed with Chen Yi for managing to win over someone like Luo Yan. Truly, he was a "master manipulator."
But now, it seemed the tables had turned. Instead of taming Luo Yan, Chen Yi had been thoroughly beaten by her. The marks on his face were undeniable proof.
Knowing Chen Yi's skills, Zhang Fei figured only Luo Yan could have left him in such a state.
So, from the moment Zhang Fei saw Chen Yi, he had been holding back laughter. But now that someone else had broken the ice, he couldn't contain himself any longer.
"It has nothing to do with me. Hitting someone like him would dirty my hands," Luo Yan said coldly, not even sparing Chen Yi a glance as she walked toward the conference room's computer.
Chen Yi felt utterly dejected, as if he were some kind of public enemy.
Zhang Fei, his small eyes gleaming with mischief, leaned in close to Chen Yi and whispered, "You're something else, man. Even with the boss lady, you still dare to mess around outside. Impressive!"
Chen Yi was on the verge of tears. He hadn't done anything wrong—it was all Feng Kun's doing. Why was he the one taking the blame?
Karma is real, and it spares no one.
Chen Yi couldn't help but reflect on whether his past deceitful ways had finally come back to haunt him.
"Alright, let me introduce the case. Anyone who provides useful leads will receive a reward of fifty thousand yuan."
Luo Yan's voice was icy, her gaze fixed on the empty chairs in front of her as if Chen Yi didn't exist.
Chen Yi, looking at Luo Yan's cold demeanor, felt a pang of discomfort. Not even the fifty-thousand-yuan reward could lift his spirits.
If he had truly committed such a heinous act, he would have accepted her attitude. But he hadn't done anything!
The marks on his face clearly showed he had been attacked by a woman. Only someone with both claws and fury could leave such a masterpiece. With her years of experience, Luo Yan could have deduced this at a glance.
Yet Luo Yan herself felt an inexplicable unease.
Since their last meeting, several days had passed without them crossing paths. But during that time, Chen Yi's image had lingered in her mind—his broad back, seemingly capable of shielding her from anything, replayed over and over in her thoughts.
She had wanted to call him but didn't know what to say once the call connected.
She had also thought about visiting him, but what excuse could she use? No matter how much she pondered, she couldn't find an answer.
Luo Yan, who had never feared cunning criminals, found her heart racing uncontrollably whenever she thought of Chen Yi.
When she took on this case and found herself at a dead end, a strange sense of anticipation crept into her heart.
Previously, when Zhang Fei suggested involving Chen Yi, she had refused. Her feelings were conflicted—she wanted to see Chen Yi but didn't want it to be under these circumstances.
Eventually, with various factors at play, she called him.
Knowing Chen Yi needed money to support an orphanage, she applied for a fifty-thousand-yuan reward from the bureau before calling him.
But when the call connected, she had been so nervous that she only managed to say a few words before hanging up.
Afterward, she felt ridiculous. How could a seasoned officer like her be so flustered over a mere con artist?
Yet the thought of seeing him filled her with anticipation.
For the first time in her life, she worried about her appearance.
Had staying up late given her dark circles? Was her skin still in good condition? Would her usual attire make him feel pressured?
The half-hour she spent waiting for Chen Yi felt like the longest thirty minutes of her life.
Not even the wait for her interview at the Public Security Bureau had felt this drawn out.
Finally, she saw him step out of a taxi and walk toward her.
In that instant, she wanted to run to him.
But when she got a closer look, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
His face and neck were covered in marks—fingerprints, scratches, and clear signs of someone pulling his hair.
It didn't take much to deduce that these were the handiwork of a woman.
She could even smell a faint trace of perfume and alcohol on him. Instinctively, she knew it was from a young woman who had been in close contact with him.
A young woman who had been drinking, had been intimate with Chen Yi, and had left these marks on his face.
As an outstanding police officer, deduction came as naturally to her as breathing. From the "evidence" before her, she reluctantly pieced together what had likely happened.
She wanted to ask him for the truth but didn't know how to start.
What right did she have to ask? What role did she play in his life? Was it simply because she was a police officer?
At this moment, Luo Yan felt like the little girl she once was—abandoned by her parents, lonely, helpless, and full of despair.
Why did she feel so disappointed and angry? Was she jealous?
She shook her head, rejecting the thought. Impossible.
They had only met a few times and were at best acquaintances. She told herself she was merely concerned for him, not wanting him to stray down the wrong path or risk being arrested one day by her own hands.
Yes, that must be it. They were just friends.
But she failed to realize one thing—when had she ever had a male friend?