Chapter 25: Jealous of Her

Shu Yan felt the silence in the car was becoming uncomfortable. To bridge the gap, she took the initiative to tell Lu Chengfeng about some of the findings from the autopsy. Lu Chengfeng chimed in with a question every now and then. Once she finished discussing the autopsy, she found herself at a loss for words.

Just as she was pondering a new topic to pass the time, her phone suddenly rang with a video call. She quickly pulled it out and felt a moment of hesitation when she saw the name of her best friend, Li Jiaojiao.

Lu Chengfeng glanced at her sideways and said, "Go ahead and answer it."

Only then did Shu Yan accept the call. Li Jiaojiao’s face appeared on the screen: "Yanyan, are you busy?"

Shu Yan lowered her voice, "Yes, I'm on a business trip, currently on the road. Is something up?"

Li Jiaojiao sensed something amiss. "Who are you on this trip with?"

Shu Yan bit her lower lip, knowing exactly what her friend was implying.

Li Jiaojiao smiled with narrowed eyes: "Is it with that new captain of yours?"

Shu Yan replied, "Do you have something to say or not? If not, I'm hanging up."

Li Jiaojiao quickly interjected, "Wait, don't hang up! I do have something. My brother's friend gave him a few crates of strawberries. He remembered you love them and wanted to drop two crates off at the station for you. He was asking when you'd be free so he could bring them over."

Shu Yan said, "I'm not sure what time I'll be back today. Please thank your brother for me, but you guys should just keep them and enjoy them yourselves. There's no need to bring them over; I actually bought some myself at the supermarket last night."

Li Jiaojiao replied, "Alright then, I'll let him know. Go ahead and get back to your work."

Shu Yan said, "Alright, talk later. Bye."

After hanging up, Shu Yan noticed that Lu Chengfeng’s mood had shifted; he seemed quite displeased. Lu Chengfeng was indeed unhappy. Hearing that another man wanted to bring strawberries to Shu Yan made him feel uneasy. Fortunately, Shu Yan had declined, which made him feel slightly better, yet he still couldn't control his jealousy. He was also curious about who this "brother" was.

However, after hanging up, Shu Yan offered no explanation. In the end, he compromised and asked tentatively, "Was that your friend who called? The one who wanted to bring you strawberries?"

Shu Yan was taken aback but answered honestly, "Yes, that’s Jiaojiao, my college classmate. She’s a forensic examiner at the municipal hospital clinic. Both her father and brother are doctors at the hospital. Back in college, whenever there was a holiday, Jiaojiao would take me home to spend it with her. Her family has always been very kind to me and would always share whatever good things they had."

Lu Chengfeng felt a bit more at ease. "That was very thoughtful of them."

"Yes, her brother treats me like a younger sister, just like Jiaojiao does," Shu Yan explained. As she finished, she couldn't help but frown slightly.

Why was she explaining so much to Lu Chengfeng? It was such a strange feeling. Thinking back to the elevator earlier, where he had suddenly kissed her, Shu Yan’s throat felt parched. She quickly unscrewed her water bottle and took a large gulp. She warned herself internally that she must maintain a distance from Lu Chengfeng from now on to ensure such a thing never happened again. If their colleagues were to ever walk in on them, it would be impossible to explain—and even impossible to justify.

After driving for about ten minutes, they passed a fruit shop, and Lu Chengfeng suddenly pulled over. "Wait in the car, I'm going to buy something." With that, he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out.

Shu Yan watched as he walked toward the shop. A few minutes later, he returned carrying a bag. "Something to snack on to pass the time. I had the shopkeeper wash them for you," he said as he climbed back in and handed her the bag.

Shu Yan opened it to find a box filled with strawberries—large, beautiful, and vibrant. She looked up at Lu Chengfeng, who had already started the car and was continuing their journey. Shu Yan opened her mouth to speak but, finding no words, closed it again.

Eventually, unable to resist the temptation, she took one and bit into it. It was incredibly sweet. As she ate, she cast surreptitious glances at Lu Chengfeng. He was staring ahead, apparently focused on driving. After a moment of internal struggle, Shu Yan picked up a strawberry and held it to his lips, though she remained silent.

Lu Chengfeng tilted his head, opened his mouth, and took the entire strawberry—accidentally brushing her fingers with his teeth. A strange sensation shot through Shu Yan’s hand, and she quickly pulled back, stuffing another strawberry into her own mouth. She felt certain that Lu Chengfeng was teasing her on purpose. It was true that you couldn't judge a book by its cover; someone who looked so cold in public was capable of such behavior in private. She decided she must never let his "schemes" succeed again.

She placed the box of strawberries to the side and said, "Help yourself if you want some. I'm tired, so I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when we get there."

Lu Chengfeng smiled and replied, "Alright, go ahead. Adjust your seat so you're more comfortable."

Shu Yan had been planning to do just that. She reached over to adjust the seat and closed her eyes to drift off. She was truly exhausted, and the electric car was quiet, with Lu Chengfeng driving smoothly. She fell asleep almost immediately.

She didn't know how long she had been asleep when, in a hazy dream, she saw Lu Chengfeng leaning in to kiss her. She didn't push him away; instead, she took the initiative, wrapping her arms around his neck and reciprocating the passionate kiss...

Just as the two were becoming one, Shu Yan suddenly heard Lu Chengfeng calling her.

"Yanyan, wake up. We're here. Yanyan..."

Shu Yan jolted awake, and upon seeing Lu Chengfeng standing right beside her, she realized with a start that it had been a dream. A wave of heat flushed her face. She sat up in a flurry, only to realize that his leather jacket had been draped over her.

Lu Chengfeng retrieved his jacket and said softly, "Don't rush. Wait in the car for a moment; I'm going inside to take a look."

"Okay," Shu Yan replied hurriedly, watching as he walked into a small courtyard.

Only then did she notice that they had stopped in front of a house—an old-fashioned, single-story bungalow. The yard was cluttered with debris. The house had been cordoned off with police tape, and several local officers were standing guard. A line of cars was parked on the road outside, including local patrol vehicles and cars from the municipal detective department.

Parked ahead of Lu Chengfeng’s car was Qin Yanbin’s vehicle. Inside, Qin Yanbin and Shi Wei were smoking. Qin Yanbin’s brow was deeply furrowed; he still couldn't bring himself to believe that Xia Linlin was dead, or that she had been murdered by Jiang Xue. Although he had been dating Xia Linlin for less than six months, his feelings for her were genuine. Having spent time in the entertainment circles of the capital, he knew how to distinguish between good and bad. Xia Linlin was as pure as a blank sheet of paper, making her impossible not to love.

Seeing Qin Yanbin’s hands trembling, Shi Wei reached over and patted him on the shoulder. Qin Yanbin jumped in surprise.

Shi Wei looked at his friend and asked, "Are you alright?"

Qin Yanbin’s voice trembled as he said, "I'm fine. I just can't accept that Linlin is gone."

"My condolences. You two just weren't meant to be," Shi Wei sighed. "That woman Jiang Xue is truly ruthless. How could she bring herself to do it? Murder isn't as simple as killing a chicken or a duck."

Qin Yanbin gritted his teeth. "I could tell long ago that she was hypocritical. I warned Linlin, but she told me I didn't understand Jiang Xue. She said Jiang Xue was pitiful, that her parents had left her behind to work elsewhere, and that she had been raised by her grandparents."

Shi Wei scoffed, "Pitiful people often have hateful traits. That saying is true. That’s why I say, one shouldn't be too kind. Linlin was just too kind."

"If she had only been a bit more guarded, she wouldn't have been killed by Jiang Xue... But it's too late for all that now. Even if we kill Jiang Xue, it won't bring Linlin back."

"However," Qin Yanbin added, "we must make Jiang Xue pay the price for her crimes."

"A life for a life," Qin Yanbin declared. "Jiang Xue must pay for Linlin’s life with her own."