The Second Unit of the Criminal Investigation Corps was located at No. 15 Beihua Street in Nanfeng City, inside a standalone three-story compound. The building had originally been a standby facility for the Provincial Department before being renovated. The Second Unit had only moved here three years ago. It was primarily responsible for handling major criminal cases and was an extremely important department.
The former captain, Li Guoquan, had already been transferred to the Economic Investigation Corps as its chief. For such a crucial position, the Provincial Department had appointed Lin Chen as the new captain. On one hand, he was young and highly capable. On the other, he was one of the key talents personally selected for development at the national level. His transfer this time had even been directly designated.
It could be said that timing, opportunity, and support had all aligned perfectly for Lin Chen.
While arranging office supplies for him, Xia Meng said, “Captain, were you upset by what I said earlier?”
Lin Chen placed the books and personal items he had brought from his previous unit onto the bookshelf. Earlier, when Xia Meng had loudly confronted him at the door, he hadn’t felt embarrassed at all, so there was even less reason for him to be angry.
“It’s nothing. I did lose my temper a bit during the meeting,” Lin Chen said, reflecting on himself as he walked over to help her organize the supplies.
Previously, Xia Meng hadn’t interacted much with Lin Chen in the Criminal Investigation Division. She knew he was a workaholic, but beyond that, she knew almost nothing about his personality.
“Captain, the situation downstairs was quite chaotic at the time, so your reaction was understandable. I was just extremely embarrassed standing there. And Su Xue was in the office just now, so I had to act a bit impatient, so she wouldn’t think we were too close. That way, I can integrate better with the new colleagues and help you more effectively as your assistant,” Xia Meng explained, blinking her bright eyes as if worried he might not believe her. A faint smile curved at the corner of her lips as she continued, “It’s almost done here. I’ll help you take the boxes out.”
She walked to Lin Chen’s desk and reached for a box of miscellaneous items. Inside, a framed photo caught her attention. She picked it up and saw a younger Lin Chen, handsome and full of spirit, standing beside a gentle-looking woman. They looked perfectly matched.
“This… I’ll put it on your desk,” Xia Meng said. She didn’t know about his divorce. The moment she took out the frame, Lin Chen’s expression stiffened, turning unsettled and shadowed.
“Take it out and throw it away. Thank you,” Lin Chen said calmly, though inside, his heart felt cold.
Xia Meng’s slender hand paused in midair for a few seconds before she understood. If it had only been a quarrel, he wouldn’t have asked her to throw it away. The only explanation was that he and his wife had divorced.
“Got it,” she said simply. She placed the frame back into the box and carried it out of the office.
Watching her leave, Lin Chen suddenly felt that this woman, who seemed so dazzling in the Criminal Investigation Division, was actually incredibly thoughtful and considerate.
After a full day of work, Lin Chen discussed task assignments with Political Commissar Liu Zhen and Xiao Qingguo. It was already 19:00 when he left the office. The workload that day wasn’t too heavy, and he was slowly settling into his new role.
After returning home and doing a simple cleanup, his phone buzzed with a message. He opened it and saw that it was from the flight attendant, Bai Mengyan.
[Captain Lin, are you free now? Could you help me with something?]
Lin Chen didn’t reply immediately. He glanced at the wall clock… it was only a little past 20:00. He had nothing to do anyway. She had taken him in the previous night. Helping her with something was the least he could do.
He replied, [Miss Bai, go ahead. What is it?]
After putting down his phone, a wave of loneliness washed over him. He found himself thinking of Chen Ya again. Was she alone at home at this moment, or out socializing with friends? Since marrying her, Lin Chen had hardly had any close female friends. Even conversations were usually limited to a few simple exchanges. Compared to Chen Ya’s constant social engagements, even when they were at home, her phone was always busy with messages. Sometimes, Lin Chen had wanted to ask… were they really all work-related?
The more he thought about it, the more confused he felt. It seemed he had cared too little in that relationship, and both of them had gradually become cautious around each other.
Just then, his phone buzzed again. Bai Mengyan replied, [Why are your messages so formal? There’s a set of keys on the cabinet by my door. Could you help me deliver them to my dad? He forgot to take them when he left.]
Reading her message, Lin Chen found it almost absurd. He had only known her for a day. She had brought a stranger into her home, and now she was asking him to enter her house and deliver keys to her father. From these actions alone, it was clear she was carefree and straightforward.
[That’s not a problem, but how do I get into your house?]
Since she was so casual about it, he figured he might as well make the trip. More importantly, he was feeling too empty inside, and doing something would at least distract him.
A minute later, Bai Mengyan replied, [My door has a keypad lock. The code is 000923. My dad lives in Jinghuai District at xxxxxx, his phone number is…]
Looking at her detailed reply, Lin Chen immediately got up to retrieve the keys. Jinghuai District was located in the southernmost part of Nanfeng City, more than 20 kilometers away from Binhai District. Since moving to Nanfeng for work, Lin Chen had left his car in Donghai City for his father to use, so he had no personal vehicle here.
When he arrived at her door, he entered the code. His phone buzzed again.
[Captain Lin, did you get the keys?]
He stepped inside, turned on the lights, and immediately spotted a single key on the table. He took a photo and sent it.
[Is this the one?]
She replied, [That’s right. Thanks for your help.]
Lin Chen shook his head helplessly, slipped the key into his pocket, and replied, [I’ll take a taxi over now. Tell your dad to wait a bit.]
Just as he was about to leave, his phone lit up again. Bai Mengyan replied quickly.
[Taxi? You don’t have a car? Open the drawer in the shoe cabinet. My car keys are inside. Just drive my car. It’s parked in spot 169 in the underground garage.]
Lin Chen didn’t refuse. At this hour, even taking the subway would require transfers. Driving would be more convenient.
He sent an “OK” emoji, opened the drawer, took the car keys, and headed out.
In the underground garage, he quickly found spot 169. Parked there was a white Audi A6L. Lin Chen found it hard to imagine that a young woman would choose such a steady and mature car. His curiosity about Bai Mengyan deepened even further.
He got into the car and started the engine. The odometer shocked him… it was a brand-new car with only 1,000 kilometers driven. A faint fragrance filled the interior, almost identical to the scent in Bai Mengyan’s home earlier that day.
He set the destination on the navigation system and said softly, “Let’s go.”
The car left the residential compound, and the roads were relatively clear. About twenty minutes later, Lin Chen arrived at Xiangshan Tiandi in Jinghuai District. As the car pulled up in front of Building 5, he saw an elderly man with glasses walking toward him with a small dog. The man carefully examined the license plate and muttered to himself, “That’s right, this is the one.”