Officer Xiao Zhang had been a police officer for over half a year and had finally grown accustomed to the mundane daily tasks of catching dogs, rescuing cats, and apprehending thieves. This time, after handling a neighborhood dispute, it was already dark by the time he returned to write up the case report materials.

Just as he finished tidying up and prepared to leave work, he happened to meet his colleagues from the anti-prostitution task force returning, so he greeted them: “Deputy Team Leader Zhao, calling it a day!”

Zhao Jin nodded: “Yes, get home quickly now that work is over.”

Xiao Zhang said goodbye, but suddenly noticed two familiar faces.

He began to wonder, aren’t these the two people who reported their bicycles stolen a few days ago?

“We haven’t found your bicycle yet. That thief is a habitual offender who sells off stolen goods quickly,” Xiao Zhang explained directly. “We’re still searching, so don’t worry. But why come to the police station so late at night to ask…”

Sang Ru was momentarily stunned, recognizing him as the officer who had taken their report that day. She immediately glanced at Zhou Tingzhao, seeing that his expression wasn’t good either. The awkwardness subsided slightly, and she responded dryly: “Oh…”

The young officer who had “apprehended” them stood bewildered beside them and said: “They’re suspects we’ve brought in.”

Xiao Zhang widened his eyes in disbelief: “You were caught in an anti-prostitution raid?!”

Sang Ru gave a dry laugh: “Collateral damage.”

Zhou Tingzhao, on the other hand, looked as if ice had formed on his face and remained silent.

“Alright, let’s talk in the interrogation room,” Zhao Jin urged from ahead.

The two were led into separate rooms. Before leaving, Zhou Tingzhao gave her a deep look and mouthed: Don’t be afraid.

Sang Ru nodded in response and was hurried into the room.

“We were there for a dinner gathering. You saw us in the surveillance footage just now,” Sang Ru said.

“Yes, but only you two entered that private room during that period, and you didn’t come out for a long time. So could you explain why you two, and only you two, moved from the original gathering place to that room?” the officer asked.

Sang Ru: …

How the hell could she explain this? Was this even explainable?

Sang Ru thought for a moment, then blinked and said: “Officer, surely teenage romance isn’t illegal, is it?”

Zhao Jin: …

After several more rounds of questioning, Zhao Jin realized they had indeed arrested the wrong people, and the conversation fell into an awkwardly silent atmosphere. At this point, someone knocked on the door, and Zhao Jin immediately said: “Come in.”

It was the officer who had taken Zhou Tingzhao to the next room. He glanced at Sang Ru and placed a piece of paper in front of Zhao Jin: “Team Leader Zhao, this is the young man’s statement.”

“Good,” Zhao Jin said, taking the paper and retrieving another sheet from the recorder’s hand, saying to Sang Ru, “Please sign this statement, then go outside and wait for a while.”

Sang Ru quickly scanned the interrogation record. According to an incomplete count, she had mentioned “teenage romance” three times and “boyfriend” no less than five times. She thought to herself that it was fortunate this would be sealed in the archives and not shown to Zhou Tingzhao, so she signed it.

Sang Ru left the interrogation room and saw Zhou Tingzhao sitting on a chair in the hallway, with the same officer who had helped them report the bicycle theft sitting beside him.

Seeing her come out, Xiao Zhang nudged Zhou Tingzhao’s elbow: “She’s out.”

Zhou Tingzhao looked up, his lazy gaze instantly becoming sharp. Sang Ru glanced at him as she heard the young officer eagerly ask: “How did it go?”

“Just like that,” she replied.

The two people in front of her were sitting together, with only an empty seat next to the young officer. Sang Ru sat down there, her tone relatively relaxed.

“Little Zhou already told me everything. It’s a misunderstanding. Don’t worry, we police don’t arrest people without cause,” the officer said.

Sang Ru laughed: “And this doesn’t count as without cause?”

Xiao Zhang said sheepishly: “Well, you happened to be there, so you’re helping with the investigation…”

Sang Ru noncommittally pursed her lips, then heard the young officer continue: “I shouldn’t interfere in the affairs of young couples, but you should communicate properly, right? Why come out to have fun only to argue in private?”

Xiao Zhang had mediated too many disputes between neighbors, couples, and spouses. His professional habit couldn’t be controlled, and he rambled: “Being able to love each other during your student years is so precious, something many people wish for but can’t have. You should cherish it! Fighting damages relationships…”

“Wait,” Sang Ru interrupted him, “who said we’re a couple?”

“Huh? Little Zhou said so…”

Sang Ru raised her eyebrows. Zhou Tingzhao’s body was blocked, and she could only see the hem of his jacket.

“What else did he say?”

Xiao Zhang instinctively glanced at Zhou Tingzhao, saw that his expression was normal, and that he hadn’t even spared a glance their way, so he tentatively said: “He also said you had a small argument because he made a mistake, and then he forcibly took you into the private room, and then my colleagues arrived.”

Sang Ru drawled an “Oh,” and Xiao Zhang asked confusedly: “Isn’t that the case?”

Sang Ru: “Yes, he did make me angry.”

After hearing this, Xiao Zhang immediately nudged Zhou Tingzhao’s arm again, gritting his teeth and whispering: “Hurry up and appease her!”

Zhou Tingzhao looked over, his gaze lingering significantly on their seating arrangement. Xiao Zhang immediately understood and stood up: “Wow, it’s so hot sitting in the middle. Let me switch places with you.”

So Zhou Tingzhao successfully moved next to Sang Ru.

However, Sang Ru ignored him completely, leaning back against the wall and asking Xiao Zhang, who had moved to the other side: “Why haven’t I seen Sister Qin Xia today?”

“You mean Captain Qin? She seems to have had an appointment today. She rarely leaves exactly on time.” Xiao Zhang also leaned back for easier conversation and turned his head to ask, “You know our Captain Qin?”

“Sort of.”

…

The two chatted enthusiastically. Zhou Tingzhao bit his molars, then simply leaned back as well, blocking the line of sight between the people on his left and right. After doing so, he calmly looked at the floor in front of him as if nothing had happened.

Sang Ru was saying something when her communication signal was forcibly cut off like this. She gave a mocking laugh and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

Xiao Zhang finally remembered the purpose of switching seats and whispered to Zhou Tingzhao: “Girls need to be coaxed. Didn’t you make her angry? How can you not say anything!”

Zhou Tingzhao lazily lifted his eyelids to look at him and said, “Okay, Officer Uncle.”

Xiao Zhang suddenly felt very unsettled. How could a high school student who was younger than him seem more stable, yet still call him “uncle”?

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. He stood up, leaving with the words: “You two talk first. I’m going to make some tea.”

The door to the interrogation room in front of them remained closed, with people presumably still discussing something inside. Their supervisor was also gone, leaving only the two of them in the empty corridor.

“I’m sorry.”

Sang Ru heard Zhou Tingzhao apologize abruptly and asked: “Sorry for what?”

Zhou Tingzhao turned to look at her: “If I hadn’t taken you into that private room, we wouldn’t be here now.”

Sang Ru raised her eyebrows noncommittally: “It was only by going in that we discovered those exciting things, wasn’t it?”

Her revenge had just begun with this leisure time. After choking him with these words, seeing Zhou Tingzhao speechless, Sang Ru continued: “Besides, didn’t you say we’re a couple? What is there to be sorry about between couples?”

She was saying the opposite of what she meant. Zhou Tingzhao understood her sarcasm: “I apologize. I needed an explanation.”

There are so many explanations, why choose this one?

Sang Ru didn’t ask, but thought to herself: What a coincidence, I also used this explanation.

Zhou Tingzhao didn’t have time to follow others’ advice and continue to “appease her” before they were suddenly interrupted by footsteps from outside.

The crisp sound of high heels striking the floor tiles, made particularly chaotic by the hurried steps of their owner, was irritatingly disruptive.

The newcomer was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties or forties, dressed elegantly and a wealthy lady. Seeing only the two of them there, she asked: “Excuse me, have any prostitutes been brought in just now?”

Sang Ru and Zhou Tingzhao exchanged a glance, remaining silent.

The interrogation room door suddenly opened, and the wealthy woman immediately approached: “Officer, have the prostitutes been caught?”

Zhao Jin: “Did you file the report?”

She calmly answered: “Yes.”

Zhao Jin instinctively glanced at Sang Ru and Zhou Tingzhao. The wealthy woman turned around, her gaze fixed directly on Sang Ru, somehow making one feel uneasy.

She suddenly walked on her high heels right up to Sang Ru and bent down, speaking through gritted teeth: “So it’s you, you little slut, isn’t it?”

Zhou Tingzhao immediately stood up to shield Sang Ru, but she moved too quickly. She circumvented Zhou Tingzhao and grabbed Sang Ru’s hair, still saying venomously: “It’s you, right? Looking so proper, yet choosing to be a whore? Does it feel good to seduce other people’s husbands?”

The police behind her had also immediately come over to pull her away, but somehow this woman’s strength was inexplicably great. They couldn’t separate them, and the more force they used to pull her, the more Sang Ru’s hair was dragged.

Zhou Tingzhao heard Sang Ru’s cry of pain, and anger gathered in his eyes. For the first time in his life, he roughly gripped a woman’s wrist, using full strength to force her to let go.

He protected Sang Ru and said angrily, “Let go.”

Zhao Jin also shouted from behind: “It’s not her! You’ve got the wrong person!”

Only then did the wealthy woman lose her strength. She was dragged back several steps by the police, having lost her earlier elegant demeanor, and muttered: “Wrong person? Then where is he? Where are they?!”

“Please come with us and sit down to talk…”

The grating sound of high heels disappeared behind the interrogation room door. Zhao Jin came over to inquire: “Are you alright?”

However, neither of them paid attention to him. He awkwardly touched his nose: “This time it was our work error. We’re very sorry. You can go home now.”

Zhou Tingzhao was about the same height as him, perhaps even slightly taller than this adult. At this moment, his gaze was gloomy, conveying an extremely strong sense of pressure that suddenly made Zhao Jin not know what to say, silently waiting for his next words.

However, Zhou Tingzhao didn’t say anything. He turned and crouched in front of Sang Ru, raising his hand to gently rub her hair: “It’s okay now…”

She had been looking down, but suddenly looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with red.

Having suffered such an unwarranted disaster, Sang Ru was still a bit dazed. She had been full of anger, but seeing him like this, that anger was suddenly replaced by a sense of grievance.

Zhou Tingzhao rarely experienced the taste of heartache, but now he felt his heart breaking piece by piece in her eyes.

He embraced Sang Ru, softly comforting her: “Let me rub it better. It doesn’t hurt anymore, it doesn’t hurt anymore…”

Two chapters combined as one. Happy Lantern Festival!