Chapter 16 It Was the First Time She Had Ever Smiled at Him, Like a Seductive Breeze Stirring His Calm Heart

No matter what, since the other person meant well, Zhuang Zi couldn’t be ungrateful. But after lowering her eyes and thinking for a moment, she still politely declined, “Please thank Auntie for me, but I’d rather not disturb her.”

“…….” Si Hang lightly ground his teeth.

The two stood there in silence, neither speaking.

She glanced at him, feeling the awkwardness of the silence, and wanted to leave.

He wasn’t the type to persuade people either, so after staring at her for a few seconds, he suddenly chuckled, “You’re not still bothered by what I said the other morning, are you?”

“……..” Zhuang Zi forced herself to deny, “No.”

Si Hang frowned, “So you think my mom’s hospitality isn’t good enough?”

Zhuang Zi was taken aback, not expecting him to say that.

“Of course not.” She hurriedly met his gaze, explaining gently, “It’s not that. I’m just a dangerous person right now, and I don’t want to trouble Auntie and the others.”

His expression remained unchanged, his tone businesslike, “The villa is as safe as a vault. If she was worried about trouble, she wouldn’t be inviting you so persistently.”

“…….” Zhuang Zi had nothing to say in response and remained silent.

His words implied that if she didn’t go, she would be seen as ungrateful, disregarding their good intentions.

Seeing her hesitation, he snorted and added, “If you don’t go, my mom will keep bothering me. I’m already incredibly busy and now I have to deal with you too.”

Zhuang Zi looked up at him, her expression showing a mix of shock and guilt for causing him trouble.

She pressed her lips together, about to say something.

But he was tired of the conversation and said directly, “Think it over and give me an answer before the end of the day.”

With that, he gave her a cold glance and turned to leave.

“……”

Zhuang Zi watched his back until he disappeared into the police hall. She then remembered she needed to get to work and quickly headed to the parking lot.

……

At ten in the morning.

As soon as his plane landed, Jiang Zhihai called Zhuang Zi.

Unaware of the events from two days ago, he mainly wanted to check on the progress at the police station.

Zhuang Zi had mixed feelings towards him now.

The experiences of the past few days had completely eroded her ability to fully trust anyone except the police, so she replied evasively, “They haven’t found anything yet.”

Jiang Zhihai invited her to dinner that evening, saying he had brought her a gift.

In the past, whenever he went on a business trip, he would bring gifts for his sister, Xiao Rui, and her. But things were different now; the situation had changed.

Ever since Xie Kui had talked to her, Zhuang Zi had developed a natural resistance to Jiang Zhihai. She even had an impulse to directly ask him if he had done anything to wrong her sister.

But reason prevented her from being so reckless.

Whether he was guilty or not, she thought she would never be able to face him normally again.

So she declined Jiang Zhihai’s invitation, saying she had plans for the evening.

Jiang Zhihai then asked her, “When are you coming to pick up Zhuang Yao’s things?”

Only then did Zhuang Zi remember, nearly forgetting something important.

“You just got back and need to adjust to the time difference. I’ll have Officer Xiao Zhao accompany me to pick them up after work.”

—

Just after hanging up the phone, the manager’s secretary came to find her, saying she was needed in the leader’s office.

Zhuang Zi had already guessed what it was about.

Their department head in the translation department was a middle-aged woman over forty. When she entered the office, the woman’s face initially wore a gentle smile.

Zhuang Zi was clear-minded, so she had prepared herself before coming in.

She didn’t want to make things difficult for others, so it was better to be a smart and tactful person. Likewise, she didn’t want to witness a clumsy and awkward performance before her.

Therefore, before the leader could laboriously organize her words, she took the initiative: “Manager, I actually have something to discuss with you.”

To be honest, communication between smart people often made things feel simpler and easier.

So when Zhuang Zi said this, the smile on the leader’s face naturally softened a lot: “What is it? You go ahead.”

Zhuang Zi placed an envelope on the desk: “Due to my current circumstances, I must maintain continuous contact with the police 24/7. Traveling would be inconvenient, and in the long run, it would significantly impact my work.”

As a translator, frequent business trips were unavoidable. Even if the manager didn’t mention suspending her today, in the long run, colleagues who felt unfairly treated would surely have something to say behind her back.

The manager glanced down at the resignation letter, then looked back up at her with a caring attitude: “We all sympathize with your situation and want to help, but our hands are tied. However, I don’t think you need to resign. I’ll grant you some time off. When things settle down, you can come back.”

From a professional standpoint, her skills were excellent. When other employees struggled with difficult or troublesome tasks, she could always handle them. In truth, the manager didn’t want to let her go, but faced with the current situation, the higher-ups had concerns, and she had to play the bad guy role.

Zhuang Zi understood this very well.

But right now, she really wanted to take some time off, or decisively resign.

…

When she left the company after work in the afternoon, Pei Zheng insisted on escorting her to the parking lot. Faced with so many colleagues, she couldn’t outright refuse him.

Approaching the car, Zhuang Zi took the storage box from him and said, “Thank you.”

Putting the items in the back seat, she was about to leave.

“Zhuang Zi.”

“Yes?”

“I’m planning to resign at the end of the year and start my own studio next year.”

Zhuang Zi smiled lightly, “That’s great. I wish you all the best.”

Pei Zheng also smiled and asked her again, “Would you like to join me? We could run it together, splitting the shares fifty-fifty.”

“I’m not cut out to be a boss.”

“What are you joking about? Over this period of time as colleagues, I’ve seen firsthand how capable you are.”

Zhuang Zi smiled again without speaking, opened the car door, and got in.

“Since you’ve already resigned now, think about it and give me an answer.”

Zhuang Zi fastened her seatbelt, stayed silent for several seconds, then turned to look at him after a while, “No need to think about it. I can give you an answer right now.”

…

Today, all the cars at the office were taken by colleagues on assignments, leaving none available. Xiao Zhao had no choice but to ride with Zhuang Zi.

After leaving the parking lot, Xiao Zhao relaxed in the front passenger seat and teased her, “That guy’s been giving you such obvious hints. Don’t tell me you don’t know he likes you?”

Zhuang Zi glanced at him and responded calmly, “That’s why I’m not wasting his time.”

“What kind of logic is that?” Xiao Zhao laughed. “It’s clear he genuinely likes you, and he’s quite handsome too. Why not give him a chance?”

Zhuang Zi was silent for a moment, not saying anything.

“He’s even willing to share half of his shares with you. Isn’t that sincere enough?”

Zhuang Zi thought for a moment, then smiled. “I don’t have any special charm. Why would he be so good to me?”

Xiao Zhao raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I know my shortcomings. I’m afraid he’ll regret his efforts in the future.”

Xiao Zhao was stunned but then laughed, understanding her. “You’re underestimating yourself too much.”

“I’m just being honest.”

Xiao Zhao patiently advised her, “That’s the wrong mindset. Why do you think you don’t have charm? Men won’t always be good to you? Isn’t this cutting off opportunities for people to pursue you?”

Besides, he himself thought she was great. He just assumed that with her looks, education, and career, she wouldn’t be interested in him, so he didn’t try to pursue her.

“I don’t know.”

Zhuang Zi couldn’t explain why, maybe her past experiences made her lose confidence. She once had beautiful hopes, but they ended in endless disappointment and heartbreak. She didn’t deny that good things existed, but she felt she wasn’t lucky enough to encounter them.

Xiao Zhao looked at her and laughed, “I think you just don’t like the gentle, refined type and are finding an excuse, right?”

“…” Zhuang Zi actually didn’t like discussing such topics with people and wanted to end the conversation. She absentmindedly replied, “Maybe.”

“What kind do you like then?”

“I don’t know. Just go with the flow.”

Her answer was so noncommittal.

Xiao Zhao smiled and was about to say more when his WeChat chimed.

Zhuang Zi thought he would stop, but he fiddled with his phone for a bit and suddenly, without warning, asked, “What do you think of our team leader?”

“…….”

A few words floated across Zhuang Zi’s mind: What does this have to do with anything?

“I’ve noticed that many girls like our team leader’s type. I’ve been single for 24 years and am very curious about what kind of men girls like. Why is our team leader so popular while no girls chase me?” Xiao Zhao earnestly asked her, “Miss Zhuang, can you analyze this from a woman’s perspective?”

“……”

Zhuang Zi was caught off guard by the sudden question and hesitated for a full two seconds before uncertainly answering, “Maybe because he’s handsome?”

Xiao Zhao, with a look of genuine curiosity, asked, “You also think he’s very handsome?”

Zhuang Zi treated it as casual conversation, but she wasn’t good at complimenting people, so her answer was vague, “He’s okay.”

“He’s just ‘okay’? Then does that make me ugly?”

“You’re good-looking too.” Zhuang Zi kindly reassured him for once, “But he’s more calm and steady, and women might like that manly vibe, feeling secure.”

“Oh, I see…” Xiao Zhao pretended to stroke his chin thoughtfully, then asked, “So, if you had to choose a boyfriend between someone like the team leader and someone like me, who would you choose?”

“……….”

Zhuang Zi gave him a puzzled look, suddenly finding this man very noisy and strange.

They weren’t close enough to discuss such personal matters, so why was he asking her these questions?

She was speechless for several seconds and was wondering how to end this topic when her phone rang at just the right moment.

To avoid his questions, she answered the call without even checking the caller ID or putting on her Bluetooth headset.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhao sent his last voice message to Si Hang and then put his phone away.

During their private meal discussions, everyone agreed that there was something between the two, and they made a good pair. As teammates fighting together, it was only right to help the team leader.

Soon, a gentle voice came through the speakers, “Xiao Zi?”

“Auntie.”

“I asked Si Hang, and he said he’s not working overtime tonight. You should come back with him later. I just went out and bought a lot of groceries, waiting for you both to come back and have dinner.”

The warmer Auntie Zheng was, the more guilty Zhuang Zi felt.

She was about to decline, but Auntie Zheng continued, “If you don’t come, I’ll go to the police station to pick you up myself tomorrow.”

“…….” Zhuang Zi had no choice but to say, “I’ll come myself.”

After hanging up, she sighed almost inaudibly.

Xiao Zhao asked, “Was that the team leader’s mother?”

Zhuang Zi was surprised, “You knew?”

“She’s been to our office a few times, always bringing big bags of fruit and snacks. She has a very distinct personality, making a lasting impression.”

Zhuang Zi agreed with this. It was her first time meeting someone so lively at that age.

“His parents are really nice. Since you don’t have a place to stay now, you should go when Auntie invites you.”

Zhuang Zi made no comment.

…

On the way, Zhuang Zi made a detour to Changhe Bay.

When she arrived at Jiang Zhihao’s house, he wasn’t there as he had gone to pick up Xiao Rui from school.

This was actually a good thing, as it spared them an awkward encounter.

Zhuang Zi took her things, sent him a message to inform him, and left.

By the time she returned to the police station, it was already getting dark.

Xiao Zhao had gone to the canteen for dinner, and Zhuang Zi stayed in the car to organize the items she had collected from the company, locking them in the trunk.

…

As dusk settled, the parking lot was dimly lit by streetlights, and the night was quiet.

Today, Si Hang had a personal task, so he wasn’t working late. As he walked from the criminal investigation department to the lobby, he was pondering how to convince Zhuang Zi to come home with him if she continued to decline.

But as soon as he stepped outside, he saw Zhuang Zi sitting on her suitcase by the roadside, her legs curled up and head down, playing on her phone out of boredom, waiting for him.

The moonlight was beautiful tonight, with stars like pearls adorning the dark sky. The moonlight cast a soft and hazy glow on her pale face.

Zhuang Zi had been sitting there for almost half an hour.

Watching other staff members leave one by one, she waited patiently, not wanting to go into the office to ask. She felt there was an inexplicable awkwardness in talking to him normally.

She still couldn’t figure out how their relationship had developed to this point. Although they were essentially strangers, she now felt like she owed him a favor. Even if she wasn’t willing psychologically, she didn’t have the confidence to oppose him.

Feeling frustrated for a while and bored, she went online to distract herself.

Soon, footsteps broke the silence.

She looked up.

Si Hang was approaching, hands in his pockets, descending the steps under the cool moonlight.

Zhuang Zi put away her phone and stood up from her suitcase.

Si Hang walked up to her and glanced at her, “Just one suitcase?”

“Yes.” She nodded awkwardly, turning to pick up her luggage and the gifts for his parents.

Si Hang unlocked the car and took the items from her hands. “Get in the car first.”

Zhuang Zi glanced at his back and didn’t argue.

Respectfully, she went to sit in the front passenger seat.

…

As night fell, the lights outside the window flickered. The black Toyota SUV wove through the traffic.

In the car, a lively English song played. As usual, they both remained silent, as if the first to speak would lose something.

Zhuang Zi had originally planned to drive herself, but after some thought, since she had agreed with Auntie, and they were going the same way, there was no need to make it seem unnecessarily difficult.

However, the car was too quiet. Leaning her arm on the window, she propped her chin and gazed outside, thinking over recent events, trying to find some clues related to her sister.

As for Si Hang, with this woman beside him, he couldn’t help but recall the voice messages Xiao Zhao had sent him that afternoon.

In her eyes, he was just “okay looking”?

Feeling slightly annoyed, another voice from his memory jumped out: “He’s more calm and steady; women might like his manly charm and feel secure.”

His expression softened a bit, feeling more balanced. He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel and rolled down the window a bit to smoke a cigarette.

Whether it was the night wind or the cigarette smoke, Zhuang Zi suddenly felt a tickle in her nose and sneezed.

As she turned to the center console to grab a tissue, she saw Si Hang stub out his half-smoked cigarette and roll up the window.

The next second, he spoke abruptly without looking at her, “Given the current situation, you’d better take a leave from work.”

It took her several seconds to realize he was talking to her, “I already resigned today.”

“Okay.”

After a couple of seconds, he added, “My parents’ place is very safe. The security patrols 24 hours a day, and strangers must register to enter. As long as you don’t wander off, you’ll be fine. The station is busy recently, and I’ve reassigned Xiao Zhang. If you need to go out, contact Xiao Zhao.”

His tone and attitude were like instructing a child. Zhuang Zi glanced at him briefly and meekly replied, “Okay.”

Then the car fell into long silence again until they got out and entered the house.

Seeing her bring another large bag of nutritious gifts today, Shen’s parents didn’t say much, just held her hand and sighed, “You child.”

This simple statement made Zhuang Zi feel both warm and guilty.

Zheng Ruzhi led her into the dining room, “I timed your return perfectly. The dishes are almost ready, and we can eat soon.”

The table was filled with delicious food, including vegetables, fish, meat, and seafood. There were also some dishes Zhuang Zi hadn’t had before, clearly prepared with care.

The family sat down, and Xiao Mi, seeing her, came over and sat next to her, softly calling, “Auntie.”

Perhaps because they both were taken in by the kind-hearted Shen family, they felt a special bond, a sense of shared experience.

Zhuang Zi noticed Xiao Mi had her hair in a pretty braid and wore a new coat, likely bought by the Shen family.

She poured her a glass of juice, and Xiao Mi smiled, “Thank you, Auntie.”

Aunt Qin brought the last dish of soup from the kitchen and sat down with a laugh, “Except for holidays, it’s rare to be this lively. I remember the last time Madam cooked was when Shen Qiao brought Yan’er home for the first time.”

Fearing Zhuang Zi didn’t know who they were, Aunt Qin explained, “Shen Qiao and Yan’er are the youngest son and daughter-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Shen.”

“……..”

Feigning innocence, Zhuang Zi politely smiled, “Thank you, Auntie and Aunt Qin.”

Aunt Qin laughed, “It’s our duty.”

Zheng Ruzhi looked at Aunt Qin with slight disapproval but also satisfaction, “Little Zi is our guest now, don’t compare her to my son and daughter-in-law. If Little Zi could become part of our family…”

Si Hang coughed, interrupting, “The food will get cold if we don’t eat.”

Zheng Ruzhi gave him a sideways glance and placed a crab in Zhuang Zi’s bowl, then another in Xiao Mi’s, taking care of everyone.

Shen Jianbo pretended to scold her, “You can’t stay still, can you?”

The two involved continued eating quietly as if they hadn’t heard anything.

Zheng Ruzhi shot her husband a playful look, conveying her intentions.

Shen Jianbo lightly glared at her, pointed to his bowl, signaling her to eat and keep quiet to avoid embarrassing the kids.

……

Zhuang Zi temporarily stayed at the Shen family’s house, sleeping in the same room as before.

After taking a shower, she couldn’t sleep, so she walked to the balcony to look at the night view outside.

The night was quiet and serene, with the bright moon hanging above the treetops, casting a soft, pale glow.

She stood there silently for a while, thinking about her upcoming plans.

After a while, she heard the sound of a car engine from downstairs. Looking down, she saw that Si Hang was about to leave.

Driving from here to the police station would take half an hour, even longer if there was traffic. So, unless it was important, he only came over on weekends to avoid wasting time on the road.

The car drove out of the villa’s gate, and the red taillights quickly disappeared behind the flowing rock garden.

Zhuang Zi pulled the curtains and returned to the room. She took out her sister’s belongings from her suitcase, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to go through them one by one.

Many of her sister’s things were either burned or thrown away when she passed away. The remaining items were those with sentimental value.

She took out her sister Zhuang Yao’s old mobile phone. It had been off for a long time due to disuse, so Zhuang Zi found her own charging cable and plugged it in.

There was also a white Hetian jade peony pendant in the box, smooth and beautiful. It was a birthday gift she had given her sister on her 30th birthday.

Her sister had congenital urticaria, inherited from their mother, and was severely allergic to pollen. So, she never gave her real flowers. Even after her sister passed away, she never brought real flowers to her grave.

Furthermore, the forensic report from the car accident indicated that Zhuang Yao likely had an asthma attack triggered by her allergy, which caused the accident. The surveillance footage showed that before the car flipped down the mountain, Zhuang Yao had been coughing continuously.

Zhuang Zi slowly leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling.

The soft light from the lamp highlighted her delicate face, making her skin look translucent like jade.

She stared into space, and at one moment, her brows furrowed tightly.

Why did her sister suddenly have such a severe asthma attack on the day of the accident?

Could it be that she ate something wrong or accidentally came into contact with an allergen?

At that moment, the phone vibrated as it powered on, interrupting her thoughts.

The phone number had been disconnected for months due to unpaid bills.

The phone screen didn’t have a password, so she went directly to the contact list. What she saw made her sit up abruptly.

All the records in the phone had been wiped clean, nothing remained.

She stared at the phone in shock, frowning, and instinctively suspected Jiang Zhihao.

Even though the police had ruled out his involvement, there was no evidence proving he had nothing to do with her sister’s accident, right?

Perhaps he wasn’t the one who harmed her sister, but given that he had emotionally betrayed her, who could guarantee he didn’t do something more sinister?

Besides, why would he delete her phone contacts for no reason? This clearly indicated something was wrong.

Moreover, her sister’s belongings had been in his possession. If not him, then who else?

These suspicions all pointed towards him.

Zhuang Zi thought calmly for a moment and decided not to call him directly to ask, as it might alert him.

However, without her sister’s ID card, the service center wouldn’t print the call records for her.

What should she do?

…

Si Hang was driving halfway when he received a call.

He glanced at the number, recalling that he had seen it before but had forgotten to save it.

He put on his Bluetooth headset. “What’s up?”

If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, Zhuang Zi didn’t want to trouble him.

But now she had no one else to turn to. Since she had asked for his help, she adopted a polite and requesting tone. “I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s like this. I got my sister’s phone today, but all the data has been erased. I really need to see her previous call records. Can you help me with that?”

Si Hang asked calmly, “What do you need them for?”

“It’s very important, possibly related to my sister’s accident.”

“Hasn’t the case been closed?”

“It has, but…” She hesitated for a few seconds, trying not to show that she doubted the police’s conclusion, “I’m worried that my sister might have had a conflict with someone before the accident, which led to it.”

There was silence for two seconds.

Then he said, “If it’s not a criminal case, the police don’t have the authority to check citizens’ call records. Since your sister’s car accident case is closed, even if I wanted to help, we’d need to go through some formal procedures. It’s quite troublesome.”

Zhuang Zi felt a bit disheartened and was silent for a few seconds.

He wasn’t obligated to help her, and she didn’t want to cause him trouble. After all, he had just told her that morning that he was extremely busy and still had to take care of her. She had already inconvenienced him enough and didn’t want to ask for more.

Since he said it was troublesome, she decided to give up tactfully. “If it’s inconvenient, then never mind.”

Sensing her disappointment, Si Hang cleared his throat and added, “However, I can help you apply for it, but I can’t guarantee the time.”

Zhuang Zi was taken aback, and upon realizing what he meant, she was pleasantly surprised but quickly questioned him, “Really?”

“Yes.”

Zhuang Zi had always been very self-aware, knowing that others weren’t obliged to agree to her requests. Considering his busy work schedule, she hadn’t had high hopes before calling. But since she was determined to find the truth for her sister, she had to try every possible lead. Now that he agreed, she felt deeply grateful.

So, when she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of relieved laughter. “Thank you.”

It was the first time she had laughed while talking to him, even though it was over the phone. But her clearly happy voice felt like a refreshing breeze, unexpectedly stirring ripples in his calm heart.

Listening to her soft voice, Si Hang was momentarily dazed for two seconds.

When he snapped back to reality, he replied indifferently, “Mm,” and hung up the phone.

As the car continued steadily on the road, he recalled her gentle tone when she asked for help and couldn’t help but scoff lightly. Yet, the next moment, he unconsciously smiled a bit.