Mo Junyi leaned against the headboard, lost in thought.
The current situation had become clear—reality was deviating sharply from the plot of that novel.
First and foremost, he and Su Xingtong had registered their marriage. Even though it was a marriage of convenience by contract, this was something that could never have happened in the original story.
Secondly, as the “all-enveloping” protagonist of the original work, Li Jinghan had gone dozens of chapters without suffering a single setback from anyone other than that scumbag lead. Yet now, he had suddenly been “taken in” by Lu Hengyu, a hothead who hadn’t even graduated from university. Forget the original book—even the readers in the comment section probably couldn’t have cooked up a twist like that.
If anyone else were facing this situation, they likely would have given up trying to make sense of it. Since the original novel was unfinished anyway, they’d just let things be and pretend they had never read the book.
However, Mo Junyi, for one, did not allow such massive unknown variables to exist in his life. Furthermore, he had certain “thoughts” regarding the scumbag lead from the original story, a man named Qi Ying.
This man, designated by the author as the primary love interest, pushed the author’s darker tropes to the extreme. He spent years testing the boundaries of the law, a constant fixture in the “grey zones” who seemed to have a hand in every shady business imaginable.
As a criminal investigator, Mo Junyi naturally paid “extra close attention” to scum like that.
But for now, he had no way to approach the matter through Li Jinghan, so he could only wait until tomorrow to try and glean some information from Su Xingtong indirectly.
Having settled on this plan, Mo Junyi reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, pulled up the covers, and closed his eyes.
Early the next morning, Mo Junyi woke up early out of habit. It was only after he entered the kitchen that he remembered there was another person in the guest room. He hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to follow the code of hospitality and prepare an extra portion.
Consequently, when Su Xingtong woke up, he was greeted by a breakfast on the dining table that could only be described as sumptuous.
Mo Junyi was sitting on one side, nearly finished with his meal. Seeing Su Xingtong standing there in a daze, he didn’t even look up as he said, “Go wash up, then come eat.”
Su Xingtong still seemed a bit groggy. Hearing this, he let out a dry “Oh,” then turned and entered the bathroom. It was only then that he noticed a disposable toothbrush and a cup had been set out for him. He picked them up in silence and began his morning routine.
Mo Junyi’s cooking wasn’t exceptionally gourmet, but it certainly wasn’t bad. After Su Xingtong sat down and looked at the table full of high-calorie delicacies, he remained silent for a moment before picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.
Mo Junyi had no idea how difficult it was for an artist like Su Xingtong to maintain his weight, nor did he know that the last time Su Xingtong had eaten food like this was two months ago.
The big star “condescended” to pick up a piece of fried dough cake, taking a cautious bite. Immediately, his eyes lit up. “It’s delicious.”
Mo Junyi took a sip of soy milk and replied, “You flatter me.”
However, Su Xingtong was an entertainer after all. After years of strict dieting, his appetite was truly quite small.
Mo Junyi watched as he hit a wall halfway through the meal, yet the man was clearly forcing himself to finish. Mo Junyi couldn’t help but speak up: “If you can’t finish it, just leave it.”
Su Xingtong shook his head. “I can’t let it go to waste.”
He moved to keep eating, but Mo Junyi clicked his tongue in disapproval and slid the bowl away from him. “Forcing yourself to eat when you’re full is its own kind of waste. Besides, it’s bad for your health.”
Su Xingtong had never heard such an argument in his life. He stunned for a few seconds before saying, “…I suppose that makes sense.”
Mo Junyi picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and asked as if casually, “Did you get in touch with that friend of yours?”
Su Xingtong froze for a split second, but eventually nodded. “I did. He… had some trouble at home and stayed at another friend’s house last night. His phone might have been on silent, so he missed my calls.”
It went without saying who that “other friend” was. Mo Junyi glanced up at Su Xingtong. He didn’t ask if Su Xingtong knew the specific nature of the relationship between Lu Hengyu and Li Jinghan. Instead, he changed the subject: “Did you grow up living in an urban village?”
Mo Junyi was not a talkative person. Combined with the nature of his profession, his sudden influx of questions felt a bit like an interrogation. Su Xingtong looked at him with a hint of wariness.
“Just asking. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Mo Junyi added indifferently.
Thinking about how the man had let him stay the night and provided a free breakfast, Su Xingtong pursed his lips and spoke up: “Yes. There’s no harm in saying it. In a few days, I might have to trouble you to go back there with me.”
Mo Junyi drank his soy milk and nodded, dropping the subject. “Since your friend is staying at someone else’s house, what do you plan to do for the next few days?”
Hearing this, Su Xingtong looked at him with eyes as bright as stars, a half-smile playing on his lips. “Is Captain Mo hinting at something?”
Mo Junyi truly hadn’t been thinking in that direction. Hearing him say it, he realized the ambiguity in his words. However, he didn’t deny it; instead, he followed the lead. “You can take it that way if you like.”
Su Xingtong propped his chin on his hand, resting his elbow on the table with a light chuckle. “Thank you for your concern, Captain Mo, but my friend said he would arrange a place for me to stay. There’s no need for you to worry about such small matters.”
Mo Junyi didn’t push further. Even if he didn’t find out what he wanted to know today, he would find out eventually. There was no rush.
After finishing breakfast, Mo Junyi returned to his room to practice calligraphy for a while. When he came out again, he found Su Xingtong at the door changing his shoes.
He was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, yet somehow—despite there being no styling tools in Mo Junyi’s house—he had managed to make himself look quite glamorous. “Captain Mo, thank you for taking me in last night.”
The speaker might have been unintentional, but the words carried a trace of ambiguity. Mo Junyi nodded impassively. “You’re welcome.”
Seeing that Mo Junyi was as impenetrable as ever, Su Xingtong pursed his lips in boredom. He finished changing his shoes and prepared to leave, but before stepping out, he spoke again: “I’ll likely have to trouble Captain Mo to come home with me in a few days.”
Mo Junyi paused. When they had first met, they had discussed him helping Su Xingtong deal with his parents; this was simply putting that plan on the schedule. Thus, he ultimately said nothing more and simply nodded. “Fine.”
Su Xingtong left satisfied. Mo Junyi caught a glimpse of his tall, straight back and thought to himself that the man was indeed a star—he never let his poise slip, no matter where he was.
Once the guest was gone, Mo Junyi stood up, intending to prepare lunch. However, when he walked into the kitchen, he discovered that the leftover breakfast dishes had already been washed. It was obvious who had done it.
Su Xingtong looked like someone who had never done a day’s labor in his life; Mo Junyi hadn’t expected him to know how to wash dishes.
Pondering the information he had gathered today, Mo Junyi opened the refrigerator and began preparing his lunch.
For the next several days, Mo Junyi did not see Su Xingtong again.
When he went to work on Monday, Liu Hongyu came to the bureau as agreed to give her statement. Due to the victim’s gender and the sensitive nature of the case, the statement was taken by Liu Minghua and another female officer.
Mo Junyi took this time to interrogate the suspect once more. After prolonged questioning, the suspect had completely broken down. Coupled with his grim expectations of the trial’s outcome, he looked the very picture of “dead embers.”
Even so, when he saw Mo Junyi—the “culprit” who had brought him to justice—he erupted with one last surge of energy. His face contorted as he rasped, “Is Captain Mo finished with his vacation?”
Mo Junyi pulled out a chair and sat down. He didn’t answer the meaningless question, only looked at him calmly. “Liu Hongyu is in the room next door giving her statement.”
“Liu Hongyu? Who?” The man asked, then after a moment, a look of realization dawned on him. “Oh, I remember. That ugly brat who survived. Heh, even a horse can stumble. I’ve given the officer a reason to laugh at me.”
Listening to him talk about the victim as if she were a trophy, the recorder sitting next to Mo Junyi couldn’t help but frown. Mo Junyi, however, remained unfazed. “Regarding Liu Hongyu, do you have anything you wish to confess?”
The man smiled sinfully. “Even if I confess everything, what can you do to me without evidence?”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Mo Junyi tapped the table. “Besides, how can you be sure we don’t have evidence?”
The man sneered. “Months have passed. What could possibly be left? And if that yellow-haired brat had the guts to call the police, would she have waited until now?”
Mo Junyi looked at him with a strange expression. “So, you’re admitting to it?”
The man was dismissive. “I admit it, but is it useful? Hahahaha! I love watching you cops have no way to touch me. Ten years ago, I did nothing but touch a woman’s backside, and some bitch at your station beat me until I was nearly paralyzed. But what about now? Times have changed. Try laying a single finger on me now.”
The recorder, listening to the filth spewing from his mouth, found himself unable to keep writing. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “Keep your damn mouth clean!”
However, his anger only made the suspect laugh more wildly. Mo Junyi sat there watching him coldly until the man, sensing something was wrong, stopped. Only then did Mo Junyi reach out and pull the recorder back into his seat. “Laughed enough?”
The suspect instinctively felt that something was off and glared at Mo Junyi with malice. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t mean anything. I’m just here to notify you.” Mo Junyi stood up from his seat. “For months, Liu Hongyu kept the clothes she wore on the day of the incident. Every waking moment, she was thinking of how to bring you to justice. So, congratulations—you’ve gotten exactly what you deserved.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the interrogation room. As he stepped out the door, a wail of extreme grief and indignation suddenly erupted from behind him.
After countless nights of overtime, investigating innumerable leads, and facing the deceased—perhaps this moment could be considered a small piece of solace.
Mo Junyi walked to the door of the next room, waiting for the statement inside to finish. At that moment, his phone chimed with an incoming message.
He looked down at his phone and saw a message from Su Xingtong: “Officer, are you free this weekend to come home with me to meet my parents?”