Chapter 4 Si Hang Fell Silent, His Dark Eyes Staring Straight at Her

The man did not hear a response from the man, Zhuang Zi saw Xie Kui at the end of the corridor, finished his call, and beckoned to her. She turned and walked straight towards him.

“Sorry, Miss Zhuang, there’s urgent material that needs immediate organization,” Xie Kui pushed open the door to a reception room. “Please wait here for a moment. Another officer will come to take your statement shortly.”

He poured her a glass of water and quickly left.

Alone in the quiet room, Zhuang Zi looked around casually. The furnishings were simple: a tightly closed small window, gray-white walls, and orange-yellow light illuminating the table and chairs in front of her.

She sat for a while, beginning to wonder if they had forgotten about her since no other officer had arrived.

Just as she hesitated to go out and ask, the door opened again, and two people walked in.

As she looked up, she met a pair of extremely dark and deep eyes.

The man walked straight over and sat down in the chair opposite her.

Zhuang Zi looked at him, only now noticing his distinct facial features.

His skin was a healthy bronze color, slightly lighter than usual. Beneath thick eyebrows were deep, shining eyes, black and bright. A straight nose and thin lips, all perfectly balanced.

In addition to his tall stature and strong build, he exuded a striking presence.

So it wasn’t without reason that the young girl had summoned the courage to strike up a conversation with him earlier.

The officer holding the documents sat down next to him and introduced himself.

Zhuang Zi politely greeted him, “Hello.”

Si Hang glanced at her, nodded, and got straight to the point: “As per protocol, I need to gather some basic personal information from you.”

His tone was calm, but his voice was unusually deep and magnetic. “Name, age, place of work.”

Zhuang Zi answered each question.

“Family members?”

Zhuang Zi hesitated for a moment and asked, “Is this also required?”

He looked at her with his clear black eyes and calmly replied, “Basic family background helps us determine the scope of our investigation into the suspect based on your circumstances.”

Zhuang Zi understood. With her life on the line, helping the police find the person who wanted to harm her was the top priority.

“My mother, Xu Hui, passed away in ’95.”

Si Hang leaned back in his chair, glanced at her, and with a faint expression and a casual gaze on a spot on the table, his voice didn’t reveal any emotion. But between his delicate eyebrows, there was a faint frown.

He continued calmly, “Father?”

Zhuang Zi suddenly looked up at him, lightly pursed her lips, and remained silent.

Si Hang naturally noticed her hesitation. “What is it?”

Zhuang Zi looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then softly replied with a name, “Zhuang Hong.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Si Hang furrowed his thick brows and stared at her with a cold and sharp gaze, seemingly trying to discern something.

The room suddenly became eerily quiet. The nearby officer looked up curiously at the two, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Zhuang Zi stared directly at him. His handsome face was clean and rugged, his jet-black eyes slightly narrowed, their gaze unpredictable.

“Zhuang Hong, former director of Ruihong Group,” he paused, lightly tapping his right index finger on the table, and asked, “Is he your father?”

Zhuang Zi met his gaze calmly and answered, “Yes.”

Si Hang fell silent, his dark eyes fixed sharply on her.

The officer vaguely sensed something and tentatively asked, “Do you know each other?”

…….

When Xie Kui returned from the prosecutor’s office, Zhuang Zi had already finished giving her statement and left.

The officer who had just accompanied Si Hang inside delivered the documents to Xie Kui as instructed by Si Hang: “Captain says he’s not suitable for handling this case anymore. You’ll be in charge from now on.”

Xie Kui was puzzled. “Why?”

“When the statement was over, the Captain told Miss Zhuang that if she had any doubts, he would suspend handling the case,” the officer shrugged. “That’s all I know.”

Xie Kui grew more suspicious. “What’s going on?”

“They seem to know each other,” the officer shook his head. “I’m not sure either. Why don’t you go ask the Captain?”

Know each other?

He glanced towards Si Hang’s office; it was empty now, the door tightly closed. Xie Kui narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then absentmindedly flipped through Zhuang Zi’s statement.

Forget it. He had to focus on handling the case at hand for now. He decided he’d find a chance to ask later.

Suddenly, his phone rang in his pocket. Checking it, it was none other than Si Hang.

“Boss?”

Without waiting for gossip, Si Hang greeted him, “The forensic report for that female corpse from the other day is out. Come over for a meeting.”

“Got it!”

That case was a major homicide since the beginning of the year, much more serious than Zhuang Zi’s case. Xie Kui reluctantly set aside the statement review and instructed Xiao Meng and another officer to investigate the scene at South Xin Residential Complex where Zhuang Zi lived. Time was of the essence.

Xiao Meng was called in at the last minute and immediately got to work. However, before he could leave, he was detained by a little girl who had been rescued the previous night.

The little girl’s name was Tang Xiaomi, six years old. Someone had reported the night before that the neighbor’s child kept crying incessantly. Upon investigation, they found her with her single mother, who suffered from depression.

It had only been two days, and they still couldn’t reach Tang Xiaomi’s father, nor did any other relatives come forward to claim her. With nowhere else to go, out of kindness and duty, the police temporarily took her in.

Xiao Meng had brought her home last night, and now the little girl had become attached to him.

After experiencing extreme fear, people often develop an inexplicable sense of security around police officers.

Looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, the little girl pleaded, “Uncle, where are you going? I’m scared.”

“This is the police station. No one will hurt you here. Can you play by yourself for a bit?” Xiao Meng sat her down on the nearby sofa, handing her an orange.

The next moment, Xiaomi slipped off the sofa and sprinted towards him, wrapping her arms tightly around his thigh.

Kindness was one thing, but responsibility came first; they couldn’t let it interfere with official duties.

“Xiaomi.” Xiao Meng crouched down, an idea forming in his mind. He gently patted her head and tilted his head, saying, “Uncle will teach you something. Can you be a good girl and cooperate?”

—

Zhuang Zi finished her statement and returned to the hospital, where the doctor informed her that she could be discharged after finishing today’s IV.

Leaving the hospital, it was 5 PM.

The sky remained dark and gloomy, with persistent drizzle and muffled thunder rumbling behind dense, dark clouds, as if someone was plaintively crying.

Standing cautiously on the steps, observing the flow of people around her, she now felt like a solitary wanderer in the wilderness, suspecting everyone around her of being potential assailants.

A chill wind surged up, wrapping her tightly in its impenetrable embrace, enveloping her in an icy world.

But now, where to go?

South Xin Apartment was definitely out of the question, and neither was Jiang Zhihao’s place.

Could she rely on relatives from the Zhuang family?

Just thinking about it made it seem impossible.

She took out her phone from her pocket, scrolled through her contacts, but couldn’t find a single close friend or reliable acquaintance to turn to.

Putting away her phone, she looked up at the sky. The rain showed no signs of stopping, and the dim, colorless city seemed like the end of the world—bleak and oppressive.

If things continued like this, she might lose her mind before the case was solved.

—

Xie Kui stayed busy outside until 9 PM before returning to the station. It was still drizzling outside.

Hurrying in with a chill, he glanced up and saw Zhuang Zi sitting alone on a bench in the lobby.

The bright white lights cast a cold glow, illuminating the empty room as if it were broad daylight. She leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling, her expression devoid of warmth.

Xie Kui paused, thinking she might have come to see him, and walked towards her. “Miss Zhuang?”

At his words, Zhuang Zi looked over, hesitated for a moment, then stood up from her seat, ran her hand through her tousled hair, and finally greeted him, “Officer Xie.”

Perplexed, Xie Kui asked, since she could have called him directly or come during the day, “Why are you still here so late?”

“It’s safer here.” She couldn’t think of a better place to go; only at the police station would criminals hesitate to harm her.

Xie Kui’s mind turned slightly before he realized, “Then why didn’t you go to a friend’s or relative’s house to stay for a couple of days?”

Looking at him, Zhuang Zi’s face remained as pale as ever, her eyes bloodshot and vacant. “I don’t have any close friends or relatives to rely on in Yisheng Province.”

Xie Kui understood. “But staying overnight at the police station isn’t a long-term solution either.”

She sighed and stated her thoughts frankly, “There’s nowhere safer than the police station.”

Xie Kui looked at her, understanding the immense pressure she must be under, both physically and mentally, in such circumstances.

He tried to comfort her slightly, “We’ll discuss your case tomorrow morning. By then, we should decide on appropriate protective measures.”

Grateful, Zhuang Zi looked at him. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Xie Kui smiled gently, “Don’t mention it. It’s our duty.”

Zhuang Zi smiled faintly. Suddenly, another thought occurred to her, and she asked him, “Has Captain Si already decided not to participate in my case?”

It was a topic best left untouched, but Xie Kui inadvertently recalled it.

He had been busy all day wrapping up the murder case from two days ago, nearly forgetting about it. He was curious about their relationship.

“Miss Zhuang seems to know Captain Si?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” Zhuang Zi replied casually, almost to herself, “He should only know my father.”

“Your father?” Xie Kui furrowed his brows in confusion, glancing at her. Then, with a thoughtful smile, he asked, “Indeed, he did say he wasn’t suitable for handling your case. But I’m curious, why would he want to avoid suspicion?”