Chapter 18 Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard Tonight

Once they got into the car and buckled their seatbelts, Zhuang Zi turned to Zheng Ruzhi and Shen Jianbo, who were standing at the door, and said, “I wish you and Uncle a pleasant trip.”

“We will,” Zheng Ruzhi replied, her face beaming with satisfaction. “If you find anything uncomfortable at his place or need anything, just tell Si Hang, and he’ll arrange it for you, okay?”

Si Hang silently started the car, acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Zheng Ruzhi looked displeased at her son and called out, “Si Hang?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

Si Hang frowned. “She’s not a child. Do you really need to keep reminding her?”

Zheng Ruzhi gave him a mild glare. “I’m just worried that Zhuang Zi might feel uneasy about causing trouble and won’t say anything. You’re busy with work and tend to overlook small matters, so I have to remind you.”

Zheng Ruzhi was so considerate of her, making Zhuang Zi feel she couldn’t ignore it, so she quickly added, “Since I’m already imposing, I’ll definitely speak up if I need anything.”

Zheng Ruzhi smiled contentedly. “That’s good.”

Finally, the car left the villa and drove out of the neighborhood.

Zheng Ruzhi watched the car drive away, rubbing her hands together in excitement.

Shen Jianbo, knowing her well, chuckled, “Are you satisfied now?”

“Absolutely,” Zheng Ruzhi smiled at her husband. “I’m telling you, these two just need a little push. You know our son’s temperament. He’s always been pursued, and now it’s unlikely he’ll suddenly show enthusiasm for a girl. So, as his mother, I have to give him a little nudge.”

Shen Jianbo laughed, having a different opinion. “You’re always worrying unnecessarily. Si Hang is very decisive. If he really likes her, he’ll go after her with confidence.”

Zheng Ruzhi, still smiling, turned to go inside the house.

No matter what her husband or son thought, her biggest wish in life now was to see her eldest son get married.

…

Meanwhile, in the car, the atmosphere was silent.

Si Hang focused on the road, while Zhuang Zi quietly admired the night scenery outside the window, neither of them speaking.

Zhuang Zi felt somewhat awkward. Zheng Ruzhi’s enthusiasm left her no room to refuse, but being in such an uncomfortable situation with the man beside her, she wondered how they would get along in the coming days.

On the other hand, Si Hang didn’t mind.

As for why he didn’t refuse his mother’s suggestion and agreed to take a woman home for the first time, he couldn’t quite explain.

Perhaps he agreed with his mother’s view that someone who understood gratitude couldn’t have bad character. This made him feel a bit sympathetic towards her. Since he knew she was in trouble, bringing her home for a couple of days was a small favor.

As the traffic light turned red, he slowed the car to a stop.

Outside, cars flowed by like a river, while inside, it remained quiet.

Leaning lazily against the seat, he placed one hand on the steering wheel, waiting idly. Bored, he stared at the traffic light for a while, then casually glanced at the person beside him.

Her thick brown hair fell over her slender shoulders. Strands of hair tucked behind her ear revealed her fair and delicate cheek. She wore a stylish beige wool coat, paired with black skinny leather pants and short boots. Her posture was relaxed and natural, not showing any signs of discomfort.

The streetlights outside cast a glow on her eyes, making them sparkle like reflections on a clear lake.

Following her gaze, he looked out the window. It was just a busy street, nothing particularly interesting.

The wind picked up outside, causing the treetops to sway gently.

A couple walked by, the girl holding a cup of milk tea and shivering slightly. The boy took her left hand, rubbed it in his palm, and then tucked it into his own coat pocket.

Zhuang Zi watched them, a smile unconsciously forming on her lips. Turning her head, she accidentally met his gaze.

Startled, she quickly wiped the smile off her face and looked away.

Si Hang frowned, looked at her for a moment longer, then withdrew his gaze, feeling a bit irritated.

The light turned green, and the car moved through the intersection with the traffic.

As the scenery outside quickly receded, they each returned to their own thoughts, neither speaking nor interacting.

After a while, Si Hang suddenly spoke, “Do you have any conflicts with your family?”

Zhuang Zi continued looking out the window, taking a few seconds to realize he was asking her, then turned her head.

After a moment’s pause, she said, “I didn’t grow up with them.”

“Hmm?”

“You asked if I had any conflicts with my family. I didn’t live with them.”

“Not living together?” Si Hang raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Yes.” Zhuang Zi said plainly, “I never had a good relationship with them, but there were no major conflicts either.”

“How bad was it?”

Zhuang Zi hesitated, not answering immediately.

Si Hang, noticing her hesitation, explained, “A couple of days ago, Xie Kui visited Ruihong Group to talk to your family. Zhuang Jiao seemed quite agitated when he mentioned you. I’m asking to see if it could help with the investigation.”

“Our conflicts are all family matters,” Zhuang Zi replied, then quickly added, “But I don’t think he’s the culprit.”

“Why?”

Zhuang Zi laughed lightly, “Do you think a man who’s afraid of ghosts could have such meticulous plans?”

Si Hang remained silent.

Zhuang Zi believed her fearfulness stemmed from childhood, being scared by Zhuang Jiao.

She didn’t know about others, but as for Zhuang Jiao…

Her sister had said that Zhuang Jiao was brought back to the Zhuang family by Zhuang Hong when he was three, as he was an illegitimate child. Since his legitimacy was in question, his household registration could only be under his mother’s name.

At that time, Zhuang Jiao was the only son in the Zhuang family, and Zhuang Hong treated him like a precious gem.

So later, when his mother passed away, and Zhuang Jiao refused to stay at home because he was afraid of ghosts, Zhuang Hong indulged him. To meet his demands, he bought a new house and moved.

The following year, in that new house, Zhuang Hong, who had just lost his wife, married Zhuang Jiao’s biological mother and had another son, Zhuang Ming.

After marriage, that woman disliked her husband’s daughters from his previous marriage. To accommodate the woman who gave him two sons, Zhuang Hong sent Zhuang Yao and Zhuang Zi to live with their grandmother. Except for regular financial support, he rarely visited them.

So, when Zhuang Zi thought of the Zhuang family, she felt inexplicably irritated.

“He’s not only cowardly but also not very smart. He couldn’t have come up with such a detailed plan,” Zhuang Zi said.

Zhuang Jiao had once flaunted his power outside and acted superior at the company because the Zhuang family had given him the status of a wealthy second-generation. But underneath the facade, he was a coward. If he had some brains and courage, Ruihong Group wouldn’t have been taken over after Zhuang Hong went to prison.

Si Hang responded indifferently, “That’s just your assumption without evidence.”

“Assumptions based on data and facts.”

“Psychology?”

“Yes.” Zhuang Zi looked at him. “Didn’t you say the culprit is highly intelligent with strong anti-detection skills?”

“Criminal psychology can assist in solving cases, but evidence is key.”

“Okay.”

Although Si Hang didn’t agree with her perspective, Zhuang Zi felt her inference was correct. Even if someone could mask their personality and change their mindset, it would take time. A spoiled personality like Zhuang Jiao’s wouldn’t change significantly in a short period.

The car slowed down again, stopping at a crosswalk to let pedestrians pass. Zhuang Zi thought they might be close and looked up, seeing a large supermarket nearby.

“Um…” She saw the car about to move forward again and quickly said, “I want to buy some things from the supermarket.”

Aunt Qin wouldn’t be back until Monday, and since he was busy and wouldn’t be home during the day, she needed to figure out her meals for the next couple of days.

…

For the first time, Si Hang accompanied a woman to the supermarket, and similarly, it was Zhuang Zi’s first time shopping with a man.

Both of them saw it as a duty, without overthinking it. Besides, one was focused on choosing items while the other followed with hands in his pockets, bored, keeping a meter distance between them, and neither spoke to the other. Occasionally, strangers passed between them without assuming they were together. This allowed the girls’ eyes to openly look at him.

The supermarket was bustling with people.

After nearly half an hour, Zhuang Zi pushed the shopping cart, picking up some kitchen essentials, along with plenty of vegetables and fruits.

Before leaving, Zhuang Zi realized she couldn’t go out alone and didn’t know when she’d be able to visit the supermarket again. She felt awkward asking this busy man to accompany her out, so she wanted to pick up some personal items.

She turned to him and said, “I need to grab something from over there. You don’t need to come with me.”

Si Hang’s brow furrowed, feeling slightly offended by her remark. After a pause, he couldn’t hold back and replied with a faint sneer, “You don’t have to feel reluctant. If it weren’t for my duty, I wouldn’t be here leisurely accompanying you to the supermarket.”

“…….” Zhuang Zi looked at him, slightly embarrassed. She composed herself for a few seconds, calming herself down to avoid caring about his misunderstanding. She simply compromised, “Thank you, Captain Si. Then please accompany me over there.”

Three minutes later.

When they reached the personal care section, Si Hang watched as she pushed the cart into the aisle with sanitary pads, his steps halting and his expression turning a bit stiff.

???

“……………”

…..

Zhuang Zi grabbed what she needed, glanced at him indifferently, and then silently walked to the checkout.

While she stood in line, Si Hang squeezed through the crowd ahead of her, ensuring she stayed within his sight, and stood in a less crowded area to wait.

The line moved slowly forward, and Zhuang Zi placed the items from her cart onto the cashier’s counter one by one. The total came to over six hundred yuan.

She took out her phone to pay with WeChat. Just as she unlocked her screen, a hand reached out from the side.

Si Hang handed the cashier a bank card.

“I’ll pay,” Zhuang Zi instinctively pushed his arm away.

She had planned to pay for everything herself, so she felt it inappropriate to let him cover the bill now.

Si Hang glanced at her, said nothing, and handed the card to the cashier again, saying, “Swipe the card.”

“Really, it’s not necessary.” She quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand back.

The cashier gave them a kind smile, not saying anything, but both of them understood the expression on her face.

Zhuang Zi, afraid he might insist again, held onto his hand until she successfully paid with her phone’s QR code. Only then did she let go of his arm, noticing the warmth of his skin lingering in her palm.

Si Hang looked at her. Despite her petite frame and delicate hands, she had quite a grip, like an iron clamp around his wrist.

He put his card back in his pocket, picked up the bags, and walked ahead, with Zhuang Zi hurrying to catch up.

……

Back in the car, Zhuang Zi fastened her seatbelt and glanced at his wrist.

He was holding the steering wheel, and under the clean, white cuff of his shirt, a red mark on his elbow was still visible.

She hesitated to ask if his wrist was okay when his phone suddenly rang.

Zhuang Zi looked around, not seeing his phone.

Si Hang, unable to answer while driving and thinking it might be an important work call, glanced at her, “It’s in my jacket.”

Zhuang Zi immediately bent over to the back seat and grabbed his black jacket.

She felt through the pockets but found only a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, no phone. She then checked the inner pocket, finding the phone and wallet together.

Taking out the phone, she saw he wasn’t using a Bluetooth earpiece, so she put it on speaker and pointed to the phone mount on the dashboard, “Should I put it here?”

He nodded, then directly asked Xie Kui on the other end, “What’s up?”

“Hey?” Xie Kui didn’t answer immediately, instead asking curiously, “Are you at home?”

“Yeah,” Si Hang, a no-nonsense person, asked again, “Why?”

“Who was talking just now?”

“It was Zhuang Zi.”

The line went silent for two seconds.

Then Xie Kui laughed ambiguously, “Things are progressing quickly! Are you two living together already?”

“……”

Zhuang Zi pretended not to hear, staring straight ahead, lightly biting her lip.

Si Hang glanced at her quickly. She sat there, still holding his jacket, her ears turning red.

Though he felt calm, he had to interrupt Xie Kui, “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing urgent. We can discuss it at the station tomorrow morning.” Xie Kui apologized, laughed, and added suggestively, “I won’t disturb you two anymore. Have a pleasant evening.”

“…….” Buddy, I’m not using a Bluetooth earpiece.

“But remember, boss, there’s a major case tomorrow.” Xie Kui added cheekily before hanging up, “Don’t overexert yourself tonight.”

“……………………”

The world seemed to stand still.