Xu Changxia hadn’t expected Jiang Yao to return so soon and wasn’t mentally prepared.
But…
She mustered her courage and turned to look at him.
Just then, Jiang Yao behind her lowered his head to gaze at her. Their breaths mingled, so close that she could kiss him if she just tilted her head upward.
She closed her eyes, steeled herself, grabbed a corner of his clothes, stood on tiptoe, and quickly pecked his cheek.
“It’s a bit cold…” Her cheeks immediately flushed, turning rosy as she whispered to him.
Xu Changxia’s voice was soft and gentle, making Jiang Yao sigh silently.
He reached out and wrapped an arm around her slender waist, lifting her onto the table in front of him.
“Jiang Yao?” Just then, a knock came from outside the door.
“I heard you were back—there’s something urgent I need to discuss with you! The door isn’t locked, is it? I’m coming in!”
Xu Changxia, nestled in Jiang Yao’s arms, stiffened and quickly jumped off the table. She wasn’t wearing any clothes!
She glanced around, about to run to the bathroom, when Jiang Yao suddenly reached out, grabbed her, lifted her with one arm, and tossed her onto the bed.
The bathroom was cold, and with the warmth from her bath fading, she might catch a chill.
Just as he pulled the blanket over her, the person outside turned the doorknob and entered.
“What took you so long to get back?” the newcomer said briskly. “A task came down from above, asking us to work together tonight…”
Halfway through his sentence, he noticed someone lying on the bed behind Jiang Yao.
Caught in the dormitory, Xu Changxia felt too embarrassed. She quietly turned her back and buried her head under the blanket.
“Who’s taking a nap here? Old Li?” the visitor craned his neck to look.
Jiang Yao immediately raised an eyebrow at him in warning.
The visitor suddenly realized who was on the bed.
“Let’s talk outside!” Jiang Yao said, his brow furrowed tightly.
As Jiang Yao stepped out, he glanced back at the bed. Xu Changxia was buried under the blanket like a quail, not a single strand of hair visible.
Jiang Yao’s frown deepened.
When the other person had entered earlier, she had been afraid of being seen and tried to run to the bathroom.
It was the same at the hospital—hiding from people. She was so cautious, as if afraid others would know she was his fiancée.
Xu Changxia waited until the room fell silent before pulling the blanket aside, jumping off the bed, and locking the door from the inside.
She waited for nearly an hour, washing and tidying up all her clothes, before a knock finally came at the door.
“Is that Brother Yao?” she asked.
“It’s me, Miss Xu. The young master asked me to buy you a few things. I’ve left them outside the door.” It was the voice of the Jiang family driver.
Xu Changxia looked toward the door. When the footsteps outside faded away, she got up and opened it.
Outside lay a handbag.
She picked it up and opened it, then froze in surprise.
He had actually sent someone to the mall to buy her a new set of clothes.
Inside the bag was a dark green wool sweater set and a black wool coat.
The sweater was thick and well-structured, and the coat was clearly made of Australian wool. This new outfit was undoubtedly expensive—a decent Australian wool coat alone would cost at least several hundred yuan on the market these days.
Xu Changxia glanced outside again. The hallway was empty, not a soul in sight.
She carried the clothes inside, changed into the new outfit, and then continued sitting patiently on the chair, waiting for Jiang Yao.
“Knock, knock!” As evening approached, there was another knock at the door.
Xu Changxia’s heart leaped with joy, and she immediately jumped off the chair to answer it.
Standing outside was Deputy Lu.
Xu Changxia froze for a moment.
“Miss Xu, everything at your home has been sorted out. The officer sent me to take you back!” Deputy Lu gave Xu Changxia a relieved smile. He was young, with a baby face, and his smile was oddly endearing.
“Zhou Yun has been detained for fifteen days for now. Your mother and your eldest uncle have already returned home! You can ask them for the details when you get back!”
For Xu Changxia, having Zhou Yun detained was already good news. Whether she would face further sentencing would depend on the investigation.
Xu Changxia felt reassured and sincerely thanked him, “Alright, thank you for your hard work today, Deputy Lu.”
“It’s my duty!” Deputy Lu scratched his head sheepishly.
Xu Changxia looked at him and tentatively asked, “And… what about Brother Yao?”
Deputy Lu replied, “The officer still has some urgent matters to attend to.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.” Xu Changxia thought Jiang Yao would return once he finished his tasks, and a sense of disappointment crept into her heart. She turned back to gather her things and walked out.
As she reached the doorway, she glanced back at Jiang Yao’s dormitory. Today had been a great opportunity to deepen their relationship, but another day had been wasted.
However, compared to matters of national importance, family affairs were naturally insignificant.
She followed Deputy Lu into the car and remained silent for a while.
She was pondering how Jiang Yao had left in a hurry that afternoon, and she hadn’t had a proper chance to say goodbye. She didn’t know how long his official duties would take or when they would meet again.
In her previous life, their first meeting after the engagement banquet had been the next day. So, everything that happened today was unexpected, as if things were no longer following the original course.
The car had already reached the main road near the Xu residence. Deputy Lu cautiously glanced at her through the rearview mirror and broke the silence in the car, “My officer has never cared so much about any girl before!”
Hearing this, Xu Changxia thought for a moment and looked up at him, “Deputy Lu, how long have you been following Brother Yao?”
In her previous life, Xu Changxia had barely spoken to Deputy Lu—perhaps only a handful of times.
“Over three years now. I became a driver-soldier when I was eighteen and have been following the officer ever since!” Deputy Lu replied earnestly.
“The officer specifically instructed me to handle everything properly before taking you back to the Xu family. He was worried about you!”
“Really?” Xu Changxia mused aloud.
She thought carefully—not only about the police station matter, but every action Jiang Yao took today had considered her perspective.
Reflecting further, Jiang Yao’s attitude toward her had visibly improved compared to yesterday.
Whether it was out of a sense of responsibility or a slight fondness for her, any progress was a good thing!
“You can stop here. No need to go any further!” Xu Changxia said as they reached the street in front of her home.
The events at the Xu family today were already enough to keep the neighbors gossiping for a while. She didn’t want to draw any more attention.
The car stopped at the intersection. Xu Changxia picked up her belongings and asked Deputy Lu, “I’ve troubled you today. Would you like to come to my place for dinner?”
“No, no!” Deputy Lu was overwhelmed by the unexpected offer and waved his hands repeatedly in refusal.
He wouldn’t dare! If Jiang Yao found out, he’d skin him alive!
Xu Changxia smiled without saying anything more, picked up her things, and headed toward the narrow alley leading to the Xu family home.
After walking for less than two minutes, she caught a glimpse of a familiar off-road vehicle parked not far away out of the corner of her eye.
She paused, thinking she must have mistaken it for another car.
After taking a few more steps forward, she clearly saw the license plate number—it was indeed the same vehicle Jiang Yao had driven that morning!
She immediately quickened her pace and approached the car. The front of the vehicle was facing the alley, and Jiang Yao was standing at the entrance of the Xu family home, talking to Xu Cheng.
“Brother Yao!” she called out to Jiang Yao from a distance, then jogged up to him in surprise and asked, “Didn’t you have something to do?!”