Was this the bond of blood, the undeniable tie of kinship?
Could this explain why Dou Dou, even meeting Qi Yu for the first time, was so drawn to him?
When Rong Xuelan finished giving her statement and came out of the investigation room, Dou Douhad already fallen asleep in Qi Yu's arms.
Qi Yu stood motionless, and when two people entered the area and speaking too loudly, they were immediately silenced by his sharp glare.
Rong Xuelan walked over and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Qi. Let me take him now."
Dou Dou who is snuggled in Qi Yu's embrace, had a peaceful expression, his breathing steady as he slept soundly.
Qi Yu lowered his voice. "No need. I'll drive you back. If we move him now, he might wake up."
This time, Rong Xuelan didn't argue.
She ended up sitting with Qi Yu in the car's back seat.
Qi Yu shifted Dou Dou slightly forward, exposing the empty space in front of his chest.
He looked at Rong Xuelan and said, "Could you help me buckle the seatbelt?"
Biting her lip, Rong Xuelan leaned forward, reaching for the seatbelt near the door.
At that moment, her body was so close to Qi Yu's that she almost pressed against him.
Holding her breath, she carefully avoided making any physical contact with him.
She pulled the seatbelt across his chest quickly and snapped it into the buckle.
When she finally sat back in her seat, Rong Xuelan let out a soft breath.
The atmosphere in the car felt suffocatingly heavy, as if the air itself had stopped moving.
Resting her head against the car window, Rong Xuelan fixed her eyes on the passing crowds and storefronts outside, determined to forget Qi Yu's presence beside her.
"This car hasn't been washed in ages," Qi Yu suddenly remarked.
Rong Xuelan's thoughts were scattered.
So, she absentmindedly replied, "Mm."
The police station wasn't far from the construction site, so it didn't take long to get there.
Rong Xuelan who is eager to get out quickly took Dou Dou from Qi Yu's arms.
But as she did, her hand accidentally brushed against his.
The spot where their skin touched felt faintly warm, causing Rong Xuelan's expression to tighten.
She muttered a quick "Thank you" and quickly exited the car.
"Wait," Qi Yu called after her, his tone serious. "I need to head back to the company to coordinate the next steps, so I won't go in. This afternoon, a new foreman will arrive to take over the work. As for the wages owed to everyone, they'll be sorted out and distributed by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Please explain this to the workers and help reassure them."
"Understood," Rong Xuelan nodded and headed toward the construction site.
Qi Yu shut the car door and immediately dialed a number on his phone. "Secretary Tang, investigate Rong Xuelan immediately. I want her full background as soon as possible."
When Rong Xuelan had leaned so close to him earlier, the overwhelming sense of familiarity had only been intensified.
Qi Yu trusted his intuition.
He couldn't tolerate the nagging feeling that a vital clue was buried somewhere in his memory, just out of reach.
He was convinced—he and Rong Xuelan must have crossed paths before.
...
Qi Yu fulfilled his promise quickly.
That very afternoon, a new foreman arrived to replace Li Daikun.