Chapter 64: Trouble’s Brewing
Leaving? Xiang Wan’s good mood immediately fell by a notch.
She could not control her heart from feeling slightly upset.
Of course, she would not tell Bai Muchuan what she was feeling, and even her laughter did not change.
“Okay, bon voyage! Visit Jin City again when you’re free!”
She sounded light-hearted and cheerful.
In front of him, she no longer showed hesitation, unease, and gratuitous ambiguity.
Those emotions felt so distant.
“There’s another thing,” said Bai Muchuan suddenly, “that fountain case, you shouldn’t get involved.”
Eh? Why did he say that?
Xiang Wan was stunned for a while and laughed again.
“Detective Bai, you think too highly of me. I’m just an ordinary novelist, there’s no way for me to get involved even if I wanted to!”
“But you wrote about the case.” Bai Muchuan sounded cold.
His tone sounded somber than before, as if he was reprimanding her as well as concerned about her.
“There’re so many types of plots and so many cases to write about. Why must you write about the trending news?”
“…”
Write about the trending news?
These words somehow hurt Xiang Wan a little.
Maybe the heart of a hopeless author was too sensitive, and she felt that Bai Muchuan was hinting at her riding on the waves of trending news.
“Hur! Didn’t you already know that? I want to be famous, I want my book to be popular, and I want to earn money. Isn’t riding on the waves the simplest and fastest way out?”
“Xiang Wan!” Bai Muchuan inhaled a breath and urged, “Be good.”
“…”
On what basis?
On what basis?
On what basis?!
The little wild monster in Xiang Wan’s heart that had been put under house arrest for the past few days was free again.
She really felt like scolding him “jerk” through the phone.
But the next moment, she gave up. He was an irrelevant person, so there was no need to scold him, right?
She changed her tone to being indifferent and made perfunctory hums.
“Okay, I’ll consider. Detective Bai, thank you for your reminder! That’s it, I need to write my story now, bye.”
After saying goodbye, she did not hang up the phone.
Xiang Wan was a courteous person. She was waiting for the other party to say goodbye.
However, there was only silence.
Bai Muchuan did not hang up the phone, but there wasn’t any sound.
Xiang Wan frowned and got impatient. She was prepared to hang up when he suddenly grunted.
“Why didn’t you hang up?”
“You haven’t said goodbye to me!”
Xiang Wan’s words made Bai Muchuan broke into a jaunty laugh.
“You can’t bear to hang up, right?”
“Who says so!” Xiang Wan was able to joke with him through the phone. “Don’t tease me anymore, I really need to get busy.”
“Xiang Wan,” he called her name, “I’m at the airport now.”
“And?” What did he mean?
“The plane is taking off in 10 minutes time.”
“So?” Xiang Wan really didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
Bai Muchuan laughed. He did not give a reply but asked another question instead, “Tell me, do you miss me?”
“…”
Xiang Wan took a deep breath.
“Bai, Mu, Chuan.”
She gnashed her teeth and squeezed out the words.
“I’m a pure and unblemished single, middle-aged young woman after all. Can you respect my love? You don’t go around flirting anytime and anywhere you like. Do you know this is a sin?”
“You miss me, right?” he asked obstinately.
“I don’t!” snorted Xiang Wan, refusing to be influenced by him.
“… Am I handsome then?”
D*rn, this man is crazy, right?
Xiang Wan sneered, “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not handsome, and you can’t even cook. There’s nothing great about you! I need to hang up now, bye!”
“h.e.l.lo…?”
Xiang Wan hang up the phone.
…
On the flight to the capital.
Bai Muchuan lowered his head and looked at the mirror inside the toilet cubicle.
Inside the mirror, his hair was wet and dripping with water. The water followed the contour of his face down the cheek, and some of the water droplets flowed to the eyelashes and arrived at the eye. Coupled with his tired eyes, he seemed a little bit miserable and wretched.
Knock! Knock!
Someone was knocking on the door of the cubicle.
From the other end of the door, the sweet voice of the stewardess was heard.
“Sir, are you feeling better? We need you to hurry back to your seat. The plane’s taking off very soon, thank you!”
Bai Muchuan squinted for a few seconds and opened his eyes slowly. He opened the door and smiled at the stewardess.
“My apologies.”
The stewardess felt sympathy when she saw such a good-looking man having such a pale look.
“Sir, are you… alright? Do you need help?”
“I don’t need help.” Bai Muchuan laughed indifferently, the apathy in his eyes halted the stewardess who wanted to help him.
“Okay, this way please.”
The stewardess stepped aside awkwardly when Bai Muchuan suddenly turned around to smile at her.
“Do you think I’m handsome?”
“…” The stewardess took at least three seconds to come back to her senses.
Being a stewardess meant that she was exposed to people from all walks of life. Most stewardesses were single and some would even secretly observe travelers that caught their eye, hoping that they could meet their prince charming and develop a relationship… Hence, there were plenty of in-flight romance.
The stewardess’s heart was pounding furiously, and she found it increasingly difficult to keep up with her polite smile.
A romantic encounter? Courtship?
He’s definitely not the regular guy. He flies first-cla.s.s, looks melancholic, apathetic, and knows how to flirt…
The intentions that she daren’t think of, instantly slipped into her brain.
The stewardess pursed her red hot lips, nodded, and blushed a little. “You’re very good-looking.”
“Really?!” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Alright, I understand now. Thank you.”
Bai Muchuan had been waiting patiently for an answer.
Now that he had gotten an answer from her, he put on a cold face and walked away.
The stewardess was left confounded, standing there in a daze.
So, he just wanted an answer for that? she thought.
…
The next day, the official list of cast of “The Grey List” was out.
Ye Lun was really the actor selected to play as the villain.
This news also indirectly proved that Ye Lun did not take drugs.
The young female fans were very excited about the news as if they were celebrating their own birthday.
They started to attack the netizens who had accused Ye Lun. They even claimed that the pictures of Ye Lun taken at “The Palace” where he was being hauled into the police car was being photoshopped.
The war between the fans and netizens ensued. Xiang Wan continued being a spectator and waited for the day to go to the capital.
She seemed to understand the true meaning of life—which was being a spectator.
Once a show had finished, one would continue watching the next show.
Xiang Wan continued to live her quiet life.
At this time, something happened to Huang He.
Fang Yuanyuan came back crestfallen one day and poured out her troubles to Xiang Wan with a bitter face.
“Some people are just too unreasonable! Is being a police officer easy? Is it wrong of the police to catch drug offenders? Why did these people pin the fault to the police whenever something bad happens? The police are also human!”
Xiang Wan was busy writing her plot. When Fang Yuanyuan came back, she didn’t really bother, but after hearing what she was complaining, she could not give a smile anymore.
She closed her laptop and turned around to see a sullen Fang Yuanyuan pouting miserably.
“Yuanyuan, what happened?”
It was rare of Xiang Wan to actually call her like that, but Fang Yuanyuan did not have the energy to feel elated about it.
“It’s that dead washed-up female celebrity! Huang He’s being made as the scapegoat for her death.”
“What is it?”
As to the ident.i.ty of the washed-up celebrity, it was still undisclosed.
They only gave a last name that n.o.body could guess…
This was simply irrational.
Xiang Wan furrowed her eyebrows. She filled Fang Yuanyuan’s mug with water and gave it to her.
“What does it have to do with your Huanghuang? Don’t rush, tell me slowly.”
She was really the elder cousin. Although Xiang Wan seemed soft most of the time, whenever something happened, she could rea.s.sure Fang Yuanyuan.
“Sis,” Fang Yuanyuan was almost in tears. “Huang He might be suspended.”
“So serious? What happened exactly?”
“It’s that night. You know, the night at ‘The Palace’…” Fang Yuanyuan snuffed and said indignantly, “He was already off work and not on duty. He was only supporting the Narcotics Squad, so what’s the problem if he had drunk some wine? And that woman, she must have been hallucinating that she forgot she’s at the fifth floor and jumped to her death. How could they blame her death on the police?”
“Who blamed the police?”
Xiang Wan took a breath and tried to straighten out her logical reasoning.
“The woman took drugs by herself, shouldn’t she bear her own responsibility?”
“Yes, but the key lies with the autopsy results. Yes, it’s that Cheng Zheng’s conclusion. The results stated that she did not take any drugs.”
Cheng Zheng? Xiang Wan felt confused for a moment.
Seeing how Fang Yuanyuan’s tears swelled up, she handed a tissue over. “What happened next?”
Fang Yuanyuan had gotten more information from Huang He and knew more about the case than Xiang Wan. As she was agitated, she blurted out what she knew.
“The woman’s family members insisted that the police barged into the room and must have used a threatening tone that the woman got nervous, lost her footing, and fell off the balcony…”
“Hah! They think they can point fingers at the police?” Xiang Wan felt injustice for Huang He.
“They have some background, and now they’re not letting it go… You can wait and see. When this matter spreads to the internet, it’s going to incur a backlash, and everyone’s going to denounce violent law enforcement, then the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit will be made to carry the blame…”
Her words made sense.
The internet was filled with internet trolls and keyboard warriors.
They hide behind their keyboards and use their words to kill.
“Don’t worry, the police are not stupid. They won’t take their words for it.”
Wooo! “You know very well that the police will have to deal with it if things get out of hand. My Huanghuang is just an ordinary police officer who has worked many years as a detective. It’s not easy for him to work his way up to become the interim Captain. It’s only been a few days and he’s gotten in trouble. Why is he so unlucky?…”
As Fang Yuanyuan said this, she seemed to have thought of something as she suddenly looked at Xiang Wan with worried, teary eyes and pouting lips.
“… Sis, do you think I could have brought him misfortune?”
“…”
“I remember there’s a novel that says some women are born with a tough life and would bring misfortune to whoever the guy that’s with her…”
D*rn!
Xiang Wan facepalmed. “Fang Yuanyuan, can I say that I don’t know you at all?”
Fang Yuanyuan felt aggrieved and was crying, “Then what can I do? His Commissioner w.a.n.g can’t even protect him. Who else would be able to help him?”
Every industry had their own set of problems!
If she was not friends with Huang He, Xiang Wan was unsure if she would stand by Huang He’s side after looking at the news which was deliberately written to incite negative public opinions.
“So what’s the situation like now?” She asked.
Fang Yuanyuan shook her head, seemingly uncertain of the current situation.
“Huanghuang called to inform me that the matter is at a current stalemate. Commissioner w.a.n.g wanted to protect him as everyone knew what happened, but the other party used a lot of connections and demanded the police to give them an explanation. They even threatened to post this to the internet to denounce how violent law enforcement could scare someone to death…”
Xiang Wan knew that these people were capable of doing this.
Everyone wanted to work on their own interests and had troubles of their own.
“You don’t have to worry, since things haven’t come to the worst, we’ll find a way out.”
For the sake of consoling Fang Yuanyuan, Xiang Wan brought up her experience with the 720 case.
“Just look at what kind of trouble I’ve gotten myself in the 720 case. I was so nervous. But ultimately, I’m still fine, right? So be rest a.s.sured, maybe it’s just a false alarm.”
“Back then, you have Detective Bai,” Fang Yuanyuan’s tears flowed down her cheeks. “My Huanghuang says that if Detective Bai didn’t leave Jin City, maybe things might not have ended up like this…”
“Yuanyuan, don’t scare yourself, it won’t be so serious…”
“I understand Huanghuang. If this is not serious, he won’t tell me all of these…”
Thinking back on the voice and tone of Huang He during the phone call, big droplets of tears rushed out of Fang Yuanyuan’s originally teary eyes. She could not stop sobbing.
“He was as though telling me his last words, he said that… he said he would be unable to take care of me in future… He even said if things really turn out badly, he wanted me to find someone else… The moment he takes the blame, he might not be able to become a police officer anymore. He’s worried that if he ends up becoming a construction worker, he might be unable to support me… Wanwan, how did things become like this…”
When grievances were kept inside the heart long enough, the moment one confided in someone about it, it would be hard to control their emotions.
Fang Yuanyuan said a lot of things, including the first meeting between her and Huang He.
It was at the City Hospital, where he stood guard outside to block her from going into the office with Xiang Wan.
After the door was closed, she stayed outside to argue with him. Besides saying “sorry” and “my apologies”, he did not know what else to say to her.
…
“Wanwan, he’s a good detective. Why did things turn out this way?”
“…”
“Wanwan, out of the men I know, Huanghuang’s the one who treats me the best…”
“…”
“I want him in my life. I’ve considered my future with him. I’m serious and I want to marry him…”
“…”
“Wanwan, I was even going to bring him back to meet my parents…”
“…”
“It’s all my fault. If I’m not worried about our youngest aunt not liking him, I would have brought him back earlier, and I won’t be so troubled now…”
“…”
“Wanwan, I feel that he’s going to break up with me… I don’t want to lose him. I really don’t want to… I’ve never loved someone so much…”
“…”
Fang Yuanyuan kept rambling on, she did not give Xiang Wan the opportunity to interrupt her.
On the other hand, Xiang Wan was patting on her back lightly and gave her tissue paper from time to time. She was thinking about any possible solution for the situation.
After Fang Yuanyuan said her piece, she offered a not-so-good suggestion.
“Why don’t we go ask our youngest aunt for help? She knows a lot of people and there might be a way out of this?”
Fang Yuanyuan was startled for a moment and she stopped sobbing. She snuffed her nose and furrowed her brows. After contemplating for a moment, she shook her head.
“Youngest aunt won’t lend a hand. I feel that she won’t like Huang He even if I brought him back earlier… Moreover, now that he’s in trouble… You know how youngest aunt is like, she’ll definitely avoid as far as she can.”
Xiang Wan remained silent as she pondered over the words.
Youngest aunt had always took care of their families because of sisterly ties.
In actual fact, since youngest aunt now enjoyed a higher social status and got more well-informed, she was not as in favor of them getting in a relationship with people from ordinary backgrounds.
Xiang Wan knew that the reason why youngest aunt was so enthusiastic about introducing Cheng Zheng to her was not only for her own good, but also the fact that Cheng Zheng had a good family background.
Similarly, youngest aunt would certainly intervene in Fang Yuanyuan’s love life as well.
She hoped that the two of them would marry someone who had status and could improve their social status as a result.
Sigh! “If you don’t try, how would you know?” Xiang Wan gritted her teeth. “I’ll look for her and tell her that it’s my friend.”
“Sis, are you stupid? Friend? It’s worse if it’s a friend, she won’t even bother and give you a lecture instead!”
“…”
Xiang Wan pursed her lips.
Fang Yuanyuan then mulled over for a while and could not think of anything else either. She made up her mind and gritted her teeth.
“… Let’s give it a shot. For the sake of my Huanghuang.”
…
Fang Yuanyuan was absolutely true toward Huang He.
She did not even took a sip of water and paid a visit together with Xiang Wan to youngest aunt’s house with her eyes looking red.
When they arrived there, youngest aunt and youngest uncle was not back home yet. Their cousin, Xing Feifei, was also nowhere to be seen. There were only their toddler cousin, another nanny as well as Xiang Wan’s mom, Tan Yunchun.
“Wanwan, Yuanyuan, why are both of you here?” Tan Yunchun was bewildered to see Xiang Wan.
A mother knows her daughter best.
Usually, when she wanted her daughter to come over, she would act as if there was fire on her b.u.t.t, and would leave in the fastest time possible.
Therefore, coming over to her youngest aunt’s place by her own initiative was rare.
Xiang Wan replied her mom with a “hm”, sat on the sofa, and started playing with Tiantian, her toddler cousin. “We need youngest aunt’s help.”
The word “help” made Xiang Wan’s mom nervous. “La.s.s, what happened? Tell mom quickly.”
Xiang Wan pursed her lips, unable to say anything.
“I’m the one who needs help,” Fang Yuanyuan sniffed her nose. “It’s my boyfriend. He’s in trouble. I wanted to ask youngest aunt for help.”
In front of Tan Yunchun, Fang Yuanyuan’s second aunt, she was not as anxious.
Her second aunt’s temperament was as stubborn and obstinate as her daughter, Xiang Wan.
However, the mention of the word “boyfriend” left Tan Yunchun startled.
“Boyfriend? Since when did you get a boyfriend?”
“Aiya, don’t ask me about it first. When youngest aunt comes back, she’ll question me another round. I’m too lazy to repeat again…”
Fang Yuanyuan rubbed her nose and murmured to herself but was still loud enough.
At this moment, there was some sounds coming from the entrance.
Their youngest aunt, Tan Yuechun, youngest uncle, Xing Yuanhang, as well as their cousin, Xing Feifei, entered the living room.
Xing Feifei made an unhappy face when she saw her two other elder cousins. She did not even greet them but went ahead to ask for some cold green bean soup from the nanny and went upstairs.
Cough! Their youngest uncle cleared his throat softly, pushed his gla.s.ses, and felt that he might not be suitable to partic.i.p.ate in their matters and also went upstairs.
Only their youngest aunt stayed behind and asked with a calm composure, “Boyfriend? What happened?”
Their youngest aunt had heard those words.
The inevitable could not be avoided.
Xiang Wan saw that Fang Yuanyuan hang her head very low. She was unable to open up in front of youngest aunt. Xiang Wan was worried that she might say the wrong thing and offend youngest aunt, so she quickly replied on her behalf.
“Youngest aunt, this matter is like this…”
“I’m not asking you!” Youngest aunt then looked at Fang Yuanyuan unhappily. “It’s about your boyfriend, you say it.”
Fang Yuanyuan’s eyes flashed. She plucked up enough courage and told them about Huang He.
“Youngest aunt, please help him. He’s really a very very nice person!”
“If he’s really a great guy, why would he encounter such things?” Youngest aunt snorted and sat down. “Whenever I wanted you both to come over, you both are always avoiding me. When has my words ever reached your ears?”
Xiang Wan kept quiet.
Fang Yuanyuan did not say a word.
Xiang Wan’s mom, Tan Yunchun, helped to alleviate the situation.
“They’re still young, and it’s inevitable they’re not able to distinguish good and bad. Yuanyuan has been very obedient…”
“You and elder sister spoilt them too much that they don’t listen to me.” Youngest aunt, Tan Yuechun, was used to being domineering. Although she was a few years younger than her two sisters, the difference in status and educational level gave her absolute say in the family. In addition, the financial help rendered to her sisters had indirectly elevated her status in the family, and could not tolerate reb.u.t.tals.
“I’ve already warned you to not get into a relationship recklessly. There are all kinds of men in the modern society. Once a girl chooses to trust in the wrong guy, the error of a moment becomes the regret of a lifetime! Why can’t you understand this?”
Silence.
n.o.body spoke a word.
Only youngest aunt’s voice resounded in the living room.
“Even if you find him a good man, you need to bring him back and let me see him. I’ll help a.s.sess him and offer you suggestions, what else will I do to you, right?”
Xiang Wan was not unfamiliar to such dressing-down.
Since young, Fang Yuanyuan and herself had a fair share of it.
However, she knew that her youngest aunt was not entirely selfish to think this way.
The thinking of the elders in their family were different from them. They had been there, done that. They had went through a lot of obstacles and seen a lot of unjust, cruelty, and indifference. They just wanted their future generation to bypa.s.s all these bad detours…
But a child has to grow up—no one else could take that away from them.
Xiang Wan was not in favor of such a parenting style.
If it was her, she would try to fight for herself, even though she would get berated.
But Fang Yuanyuan was unable to withstand the pressure and burst into tears.
Tan Yunchun patted Yuanyuan’s back and blinked at her youngest sister. “She’s already having it tough. Don’t say anymore.”
Both of them were Fang Yuanyuan’s aunt after all, not her mom. They shouldn’t criticize her too much.
Youngest aunt snorted and pondered for a while. Then, she warned Fang Yuanyuan, but her tone was much gentler than before.
“Listen to me, draw your boundary and don’t contact him anymore. You understand? This matter is not as simple as it seems…”
At this moment, she suddenly turned around to stare at Xiang Wan. “And you! Don’t go messing around and get involved in the wrong things. Can’t you find a proper job and get yourself a dependable boyfriend? You’re writing all those weird, absurd stuff everyday that your brain’s also affected! Besides wasting your youth and your life, what else is there?”
Xiang Wan furrowed her eyebrows. “It’s my dream.”
“Your dream! Hah!” Youngest aunt laughed. “Is your dream able to feed you and your mother?”
These words were like a soft knife that pierced through Xiang Wan’s heart.
She looked at her youngest aunt seriously and sincerely, “I’ll achieve that.”
Perhaps noticing she might have been a little overboard and made everyone felt somewhat awkward, youngest aunt turned her attention and anger back to Fang Yuanyuan.
“I’ve always thought that you are the most obedient. You’re understanding and sensible, yet you dared to do this!”
Fang Yuanyuan could only cry.
Xiang Wan stayed quiet, but her heart felt dreary and ironic.
What Fang Yuanyuan did was simply getting herself a boyfriend, but youngest aunt made it seem as if she had committed arson or a murder.
Youngest aunt might have reprimanded Yuanyuan out of goodwill or with her best interests at heart, but to ruthlessly intervene in her love affairs, was that really good?
Xiang Wan felt very strongly about her thoughts, yet she was unable to say anything to refute her youngest aunt.
Some of the ways of getting along with each other had evolved over time and became a part of their family rules.
It was usually more painful to be hurt by the unconscious act from a loved family member.
…