Chapter 213: Head in the Clouds
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The smell of autumn seemed to have changed.
There was no sunlight yet it still felt warm. There was as though a tinge of sweetness in the air.
Criminal Investigation Unit—Interrogation Room.
Tang Yuanchu was in his seat, directly facing Xie Wanwan. He seemed to be a little distracted.
He was the one doing the interrogation, but in actual fact, there was nothing much to ask. He was merely handling the case according to protocol.
Xie Wanwan could be considered a regular to the Criminal Investigation Unit. Everyone there knew about her personal details.
Xie Wanwan totally did not know that she was being photographed under her skirt by that crook. Every question was replied with “I don’t know.” In fact, Tang Yuanchu knew more than her.
She did not know that crook who took her pictures at all.
“I don’t know why he did that. However, there are too many people like him who wanted to take such pictures of me.” Xie Wanwan’s eyes were half-closed in a languid manner, giving off a feeling that she did not take this to heart. Nonetheless, Tang Yuanchu felt that when she was talking about this incident, her emotions did not feel right. She was like a beautiful b.u.t.terfly who was struggling to fly high—struggling to fly that she could show her most beautiful side to everyone. Yet, as her wings were stained by dirt, she had a hard time doing so…
He did not know why he had a thought like that.
That sure was out of nowhere! He could not control it, either.
Xie Wanwan’s beauty was enough to break his psychological defense…
When a young and naive detective meets a gorgeous and mature female celebrity, the social experience and maturity in thinking was totally not on the same page. Hence, Tang Yuanchu actually had a hard time doing the interrogation although there weren’t much to ask.
Finally, he cleared his throat. “Alright, that’s all. Thank you for your cooperation.”
So polite! Xie Wanwan took a look at Tang Yuanchu who looked manly and righteous in his police uniform.
She stayed quiet and the aura completely won Tang Yuanchu hands down.
“Currently, we haven’t found out anything to suggest that the fellow is from a criminal syndicate or it was a premeditated act. Well, this matter did not cause any damage to public property and like. So, what are you going to do next? ”
Taking obscene pictures was considered an infringement to the privacy of others. The victim could ask for compensation and an apology from the perpetrator, but generally, this case would not const.i.tute any criminal liability.
As a result, most women choose to be silent.
Firstly, if the victim decided to sue the perpetrator, it might have a bad effect on the health of the victim, be it emotionally or physically, as a lawsuit was usually a long and tedious process.
Secondly, as the impact to the society for such cases were usually very small, the punishment that the perpetrators would receive were usually light sentences. Sometimes, there were also instances of wasting so much time to get that perpetrator punished yet nothing was being achieved in the end.
Therefore, women would usually tend to drop the case altogether or choose to settle it privately with the perpetrator.
Tang Yuanchu had thought that Xie Wanwan would be like most women.
Never would he thought that after a brief pause, she would ask him in a slightly hoa.r.s.e voice. “If I sue him, what are my chances of winning the lawsuit?”
“Eh?” Tang Yuanchu was dumbfounded for a moment. “You’re preparing to…”
“I’ll take him to court no matter what.” Xie Wanwan’s body was stiff and cold like ice. “He’s a pest to the society. I shouldn’t let such people off so easily, agree?”
The interrogation room was suddenly quiet.
Frankly, such courageous girls were really rare, even more so as she was also a famous celebrity.
Tang Yuanchu could not help but respect her even more. “We support your decision. But, Miss Xie… you need to consider very carefully the pros and cons of this matter.”
The moment such news went to the media, it would go viral due to her celebrity status. Once spread to the public, a simple “obscene photo” incident would change and transform into various versions.
The bad guys were not necessarily bad guys in the eyes of the public, and the victims would not necessarily receive sympathy from everyone.
There was a possibility that she might even have to bear with a lot of online abuse from the public.
Xie Wanwan received his worried gaze. “I know what I’m doing,” she sneered.
She would not talk much before people she was unfamiliar with.
When they came out of the interrogation room, she asked for a copy of the photos from Tang Yuanchu.
“These photos won’t leak out, right?” She gave him a casual glance.
Tang Yuanchu shook his head. “Of course not, you can be rest a.s.sured on this matter.”
Xie Wanwan suddenly had a smile on her face. “So, have you looked at them? ”
Urgh! Tang Yuanchu’s cheeks started to get hot again.
Actually, this was a question that was easy to answer.
He was the detective who was in charge of this case, so how would it be possible that he had not seen the photos?
There was no doubt that he had seen them. He could have just answered that directly.
However, when faced with Xie Wanwan’s beautiful but icy pair of eyes, he felt so awkward that he was unable to say a word.
He was actually worried that his words might be brusque and sound offensive to her.
This was entirely because he knew of her emotional wounds. He couldn’t bear to hurt her; he didn’t want to hurt her; and he didn’t dare to hurt her…
Looking at his perturbed expression, Xie Wanwan’s smile got deeper. Her soft lips were like beautiful petals that had a meaningful curve. Her eyes were fixated on him. She suddenly walked up right in front of him and looked directly into his eyes. “Is it nice?” she asked softly in a low tone with a smile.
Tang Yuanchu was as though frozen on the spot. Unable to say a single word.
There were no one else there. Only the two of them.
She asked him… “Is it nice?”
And so, he thought of the “fair, beautiful scenery” he had seen earlier.
“It’s… nice.”
Tang Yuanchu’s heart was pounding erratically; he did not know what he had said.
It was a reflex. Everything seemed to be beyond his control, as though his soul had been taken away by a beautiful spirit.
“Hur!” Xie Wanwan looked at him mockingly with a pair of eyes as though smeared with poison: she had seen through him. “Fine! I’ll get going now. I’ll let my lawyer handle this case.”
“Hm…” Tang Yuanchu felt his tongue dry due to the eye contact. “You can look for me if you need help on this case.”
“I will.” Xie Wanwan wore a half-smile and took another glance at him before turning away. She had just taken two steps when she suddenly turned around, flicked her hair, and told him. “Oh yes, Detective Tang, you’re also very handsome.” That expression and action of hers was totally captivating.
“…” Tang Yuanchu looked at her as though he had seen a ghost.
Xie Wanwan left.
She left unhurriedly.
The skirt that wrapped around her hips was as though it had cast a magic spell—every wiggle seemed to mesmerize him with every step she took with her pair of fair and well-proportioned long legs. When she moved out of sight… that scene of her beautiful back view still could not leave his brain for a long time.
He stood there as if he had lost his mind.
When Xiang Wan appeared at the corridor, that was what she saw.
“… Head in the clouds again?” she remarked.
Tang Yuanchu jumped in fright. He awakened from his trance and looked at her in embarra.s.sment.
“Teacher Xiang… you, what did you say earlier?”
“…”
This fellow’s been bewitched! Xiang Wan thought.
But then again, it might be difficult for a normal man to resist Xie Wanwan’s charm?
Every movement and smile of hers was as if she could take someone’s soul away.
Not to mention Tang Yuanchu, even Xiang Wan herself also felt that Xie Wanwan was really a beauty.
“Hm!” Xiang Wan shook her head. “Should I go to the canteen to have my lunch? Or should I go after her to ask about something in detail?”
She was teasing Tang Yuanchu, but he did not get what she was trying to say.
His soul seemed to have followed after Xie Wanwan, so his brain needed time to process the question. “What do you mean by asking something in detail? Is there anything more to ask?”
Xiang Wan felt like laughing at his silly look. “You’re asking me? I’m the one who should be asking you. Forget it, I’ll go for my lunch now. Eh? Mei Xin, wait for me.”
She noticed Mei Xin from the corner of her eyes. She waved to Tang Yuanchu before leaving and walked briskly over to Mei Xin.
Tang Yuanchu was, once again, alone at the corridor.
He stood there for a long time like a fool before he scratched his head with a confused expression.
…
Bai Muchuan had left for two days.
On the first day, Xiang Wan found it hard to pa.s.s her time without him by her side.
On the second day, she realized that… the feeling of the first day was indeed how she felt on the next day—she felt a little unbearable without him around.
They were now lovers linked up by the mobile phone. They could appear on the mobile phone screen and hear each other’s voice through it. Nevertheless, they were unable to meet in person, face to face. That feeling felt like a cat was scratching her heart and lungs. For a pair of lovers who was still in the honeymoon period of their relationship, every minute felt like torture.
Xiang Wan could finally understand the ancient Chinese saying, “A day absent from you felt like three seasons”.
These two days had felt like two years for her.
Bai Muchuan was very busy with his work. Nevertheless, he would still message her twice in a day—in the morning and night.
And… that was all.
But this guy had a warm side. Every time he messaged her via WeChat, he would also send a red packet as well.
Not only that, every red packet would come with a different message.
“The red packet is here. Time for breakfast.”
“The red packet represents my heart. Wish I could be beside my Little Xiang Wan now.”
“This red packet is yours. I am also yours.”
“This is your exclusive red packet at noon. You need to eat to your fill so you’ll have energy to do your work.”
“This red packet… is going to accompany you in bed.”
“…”
She had to admit that this guy made effort to make her feel better.
He knew that Xiang Wan was not well-off and lived on a shoestring. However, he never gave her money directly.
Giving red packets to a lover was the most direct yet gentle method between a pair of lovers without hurting their self-esteem.
In the current society, there was nothing wrong for the boyfriend to give a red packet to his girlfriend. Xiang Wan could not refuse that.
Moreover, Bai Muchuan knew her personality very well and had kept the amounts of the red packets lower, definitely not as great as that 9,999 yuan the other day…
Well, the amount was not too low, either.
He would send amounts that were used for expressing love and affection amongst couples: 520[I love you], 1314[Love of a lifetime], 775[Give me a kiss], 225[Love me], and many more.
“Bai Muchuan, you know what? No woman would be able to run away from you when you do such things. Therefore, I really wonder if this is really your first love? I find it unbelievable that you don’t have experience at all.”
Oh my! Xiang Wan exclaimed inside her heart and sent him that message when she received another “confession” red packet from him.
In no time, Bai Muchuan sent a cool emoticon over.
“Maybe I’m a casanova in my previous life that I know all these even without learning from someone? Little Xiang Wan, are you head over heels in love with me now?”
“What the! You’re shameless!”
Even if they were separated by a few thousand miles away, Xiang Wan could imagine his expression—he must be having a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
Her cheeks started to blush. “It’s not head over heels but I didn’t do anything to earn all these,” she chuckled. “It’s like I’m indebted to you.”
Bai Muchuan: “So, does that mean you’ve decided to come to the Capital?”
The corners of Xiang Wan’s mouth quirked upwards. “No, I’ve decided to keep all these red packets, lest one day you might bring all these up…”
“…”
She received an ellipsis as reply.
There was no other message from Bai Muchuan.
Xiang Wan was holding her chin with a hand as she looked at her mobile phone on the table for a long time.
“I’ll be visiting my mom later in the afternoon… I’m so nervous. I really need a courage boost.”
A while later, a message notification appeared on the lock screen of her mobile phone.
It was Bai Muchuan’s reply.
“Don’t be afraid. Anytime, anywhere, I’ll be with you.”
Pfft! That’s cheesy!
Somehow, Xiang Wan was in a very good mood.