Chapter 3 Officer, Could I Have Your Contact Information?

Zhuang Zi received a call from Xie Kui while she was on her way back to the hospital in a taxi.

“Miss Zhuang, I’ve reviewed the surveillance footage from your house, but unfortunately, the surveillance system was damaged and malfunctioning.”

Zhuang Zi’s heart sank, and her expression instantly turned grim.

“We conducted a preliminary inspection of the scene but found nothing unusual. Though there’s no concrete evidence, it’s clear that this coincidence is suspicious,” Xie Kui explained.

Anxiously, Zhuang Zi asked, “What do we do now?”

Xie Kui replied, “We haven’t found any leads yet, so we’ll base our investigation on the information you’ve provided and proceed with filing a case as soon as possible. That’s why it’s important for you to come to the station as soon as possible.”

“Alright.”

Given that she was a single woman living alone and suspected of being involved in a home invasion, Xie Kui clearly took the matter seriously. He advised, “Tomorrow, we’ll revisit your house to investigate the scene and review the neighborhood surveillance footage. For safety reasons, Miss Zhuang, it might be best for you to find another place to stay for the next few days.”

Zhuang Zi looked worried. “Even if I move, I may not necessarily be safe.”

“We’ll take appropriate protective measures if needed after tomorrow’s investigation,” Xie Kui reassured her.

Zhuang Zi pressed her lips together, trying to keep calm. “Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome.”

After hanging up, a chill ran down Zhuang Zi’s spine.

Even as she entered the hospital, her panic showed no signs of easing.

Her body felt exhausted from extreme fear, and she leaned on the corridor railing for support as she walked back to her hospital room. Upon pushing the door open, she found a young man waiting inside.

It was Pei Zheng, the young colleague who had comforted her yesterday morning.

In the morning, Jiang Zhihao had applied for her leave, and everyone in the company knew about her attempted suicide due to relationship issues.

They had all planned to visit her in the hospital after work, but upon arriving at the ward, they found her missing.

While the other colleagues had already left, Pei Zheng had stayed behind.

Seeing her enter, Pei Zheng hurried over to explain the situation to her.

Zhuang Zi forced a smile. “Thank you all. I’m fine now.”

Sympathy filled Pei Zheng’s eyes as he smiled back. “We—we were all really worried about you.”

He hesitated slightly after “we,” but Zhuang Zi pretended not to notice.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Pei Zheng sat down on the chair by the hospital bed and quietly watched her.

Zhuang Zi was naturally attractive, with delicate features and fair skin that made her look younger than her peers by a few years. Even without makeup, she exuded a serene and refined charm.

“Zhuang Zi, I know you’re a good person, and you deserve better. I hope you won’t give up easily,” Pei Zheng said.

Zhuang Zi glanced at him. His comforting words were heartwarming and optimistic, but she knew they were also self-deceptive.

She wanted to explain that she hadn’t attempted suicide because of a relationship, but after thinking it over, she remained silent, just nodding slightly.

There was no need for unnecessary explanations, and even if she did explain, no one would truly understand her feelings.

“It’s late now. I won’t disturb your rest,” Pei Zheng said. “When you’re fully recovered, how about we go out to relax this weekend?”

Zhuang Zi hesitated briefly before softly replying, “Let’s talk about it then.”

Pei Zheng smiled and stood up from the chair. “Alright, I’ll leave you to rest. Take care.”

“Mm.”

“Goodnight.”

He left.

Zhuang Zi took off her coat and lay back on the bed, staring out into the dark night, lost in thought. Soon, Pei Zheng’s words slipped from her mind.

She thought of her sister, recalling the last day before her sister’s death when she had been worried that her sister wasn’t eating properly. Zhuang Zi had personally made a large batch of frozen dumplings and delivered them to her sister’s home, instructing her not to let herself go hungry and develop stomach problems.

Her longing and pain overflowed from her heart, tears rolling down her cheeks onto the pillow.

For nearly half a year, she had even suspected that perhaps her stubborn refusal to accept the sudden death of her sister had caused her to hallucinate.

But after experiencing this recent danger, her intuition, and all the anomalies confirmed her doubts—her sister’s car accident was definitely not normal.

She might never have the ability to unearth this answer.

But there was a firm resolve in her heart, always pulling her back, not allowing her to give up.

It was the love she had shown her sister, taking care of her like a mother since they were young—the only close family she had in this world.

As long as she was alive, she couldn’t give up on finding evidence of that abnormal accident.

She wiped her eyes, got up, and took out her phone from her coat pocket, dialing Jiang Zhihao’s number.

“Do we still have any of my sister’s belongings?” she asked. “I want to take another look.”

“They’re all still at home. Whenever you want to come over is fine,” Jiang Zhihao replied.

“Mm.”

Jiang Zhihao then asked about what the police had said after their investigation.

“No leads. They just advised me to move to a different place for now.”

“Why don’t you move to Changhe Bay then, temporarily avoid the risk?” Jiang Zhihao suggested.

“No,” Zhuang Zi refused, not because living together would be inconvenient—Jiang Zhihao had a nanny and her sister’s son, Xiaorui—but because of another concern. “In case the perpetrator targets me, I can’t endanger you all.”

Jiang Zhihao sighed. “Why are you saying these things? No matter what, I can’t let you stay outside alone, scared and at risk.”

Zhuang Zi knew Jiang Zhihao meant well. He had always been a gentleman and caring person.

But she didn’t want to argue with him. Seeing a nurse coming in with a blood pressure monitor, she found an excuse to change the subject. “They’re about to measure my blood pressure. I should hang up.”

…

Early the next morning, Zhuang Zi put on her coat, greeted the nurses at the station, and headed straight to the police station.

In the Criminal Investigation Office, Xie Kui was discussing with Officer Xiao Meng who would take responsibility for bringing back a young girl rescued the previous day from domestic violence, as she had no family to claim her.

“Xiao Xie just got married recently; it’s not convenient for him to bring the girl home,” Xie Kui said, his arm around the younger officer’s shoulder, speaking earnestly. “Maybe we can contact the girl’s family today. You’re a good person; just take care of her for a few more days?”

Officer Xiao Meng wore a troubled expression, equally helpless. “Brother, I need to be considerate too. I already sacrificed a precious night last night, and I have a girlfriend too.”

The two men looked at each other in silence.

Before they could reach a conclusion, Xie Kui noticed Zhuang Zi entering and immediately straightened up, and Officer Xiao Meng quickly returned to his desk.

“Officer Xie.”

“You’re here early,” Xie Kui greeted her and led her out. “Here’s the situation: we have certain conditions for filing a case. Currently, we can’t confirm any criminal activity through surveillance, so your statement is crucial for our case assessment.”

Zhuang Zi naturally cooperated.

Halfway through, Xie Kui’s phone rang. It was an important call. He gestured for Zhuang Zi to wait a moment and went to the corridor to answer it.

Zhuang Zi stood in the corridor outside the Major Crimes Office, waiting.

Across from the Major Crimes Office were several reception rooms. At this moment, the door of one of the reception rooms diagonally opposite was open, and there were several young girls inside. They were dressed fashionably with heavy makeup. They were gathered around an office desk, recounting their experience of the day to a handsome man.

It turned out that they had encountered a pickpocket on the bus in the morning. The three of them had dared to confront the thief, but the thief had a weapon and had wounded one of the girls on her arm before escaping.

The man listened with lowered brows, occasionally jotting notes on the documents in his hand, his expression devoid of emotion.

After hearing the lively and vivid account from the three girls, he didn’t even look up as he called out, “Xiao Meng.”

“Here!” Like a gust of wind, Officer Xiao Meng rushed past Zhuang Zi and into the reception room opposite. “What are your orders, boss?”

Si Hang threw down his pen, closed his file, and handed the documents to Xiao Meng. “You’re in charge of investigating this case.”

Covering her injured arm, the girl asked in surprise, “Mr. Policeman, aren’t you going to look after us anymore?”

Si Hang maintained a professional demeanor. “Based on the size of the case, we allocate appropriate resources for handling it. Officer Meng will contact you once we have a result.”

With that, he stood up and prepared to leave.

The three young girls watched him go, disappointment evident on their faces.

Si Hang walked straight out of the reception room. The injured girl gathered her courage and followed, her voice soft and nervous, “That robber had a knife on him. I’m afraid he might come after us for calling the police. Mr. Policeman, could you please take us back?”

He politely and distantly refused, “If you have any issues, you can discuss them with Officer Meng.”

The girl felt rebuffed and sensed his cold attitude, so she reluctantly withdrew.

Xiao Meng and his colleagues were accustomed to these situations and were unfazed by Si Hang’s indifferent and unfeeling demeanor.

Everyone knew that Si Hang’s character matched his appearance—cold and unyielding. Perhaps handsome people tended to be more aloof. But after all, he was dealing with girls; shouldn’t he show a little more compassion?

So the warm-hearted Officer Xiao Meng smiled reassuringly, “Our team is quite busy, and resources at the station are limited. We hope you understand.”

The girls didn’t blame anyone and shook their heads in understanding.

Returning from the reception room to the office hall required passing through the corridor.

Zhuang Zi glanced at the man who brushed past her. Today, he was wearing a military-green mid-length coat, making him look even more tall and angular.

Seeing her standing at the doorway, he glanced over with indifferent eyes, then moved on without stopping, heading into the main office.

Meanwhile, Xiao Meng finished briefing the girls and sent them home to await further information.

After thanking him, the girls left. As they passed through the office hall, they frequently turned their heads, searching for the officer who had just assisted them. They were pleasantly surprised to see the handsome officer sitting on the sofa in the main office, talking on the phone.

The injured girl hesitated for a moment as she approached, took a deep breath to encourage herself, and turned back to walk in.

Si Hang noticed the approaching figure from the corner of his eye, glanced faintly, and continued his phone call as if he hadn’t seen her. He flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray with his fingertips.

The girl stood obediently by his side without daring to disturb him, waiting until he hung up the phone.

“Um…,” her voice was a bit hesitant and nervous, but she smiled at him with gentle eyes, “Mr. Policeman, could I have your contact information?”

The entire main office suddenly quieted down, like a movie scene paused by the remote control.

Everyone discreetly glanced over, ears pricked to catch the interaction.

Zhuang Zi unconsciously glanced into the room, seeing the man crossing his legs, leaning back casually in the sofa chair, flicking the ash off his cigarette with the back of his hand.