Everyone in the Major Crimes Unit was the action-oriented type, so they quickly agreed on a meeting time. It’s just that… the agreed time was only two hours later. Xia Hang pulled open the curtains. Outside, the sunlight was blindingly bright, so even through the windows, he could still feel the heat radiating in waves.
In weather like this, wouldn’t it be better to stay home with the air conditioner on, cut open a watermelon, and watch movies while eating it?
Why did they have to go out?!
Xia Hang flopped back onto the bed and opened his navigation app. The meeting location was only half an hour away from his apartment, so… he decided to take a short nap.
That “short nap” lasted nearly an hour. In the end, he was awakened by knocking on the door. Opening his eyes, he checked the time.
Still okay. He could make it.
As he headed toward the door, he wondered which clothes would be the coolest to wear outside. The night before, Su Cheng had called to say that his mother had gone to the countryside to visit relatives and brought back a basket of free-range eggs for him. He was supposed to deliver them today. So assuming it was Su Cheng, Xia Hang yanked the door open and immediately turned back toward the apartment.
“Why are you here so early?” he said. “I’m about to head out. I was just thinking of calling you and telling you not to come today. Help yourself to some water. I’m going to wash up.”
But after finishing in the bathroom, Xia Hang pushed open the door and froze.
Han Huaixiao was sitting in his living room.
“…Captain Han?”
He glanced around the apartment but didn’t see Su Cheng anywhere.
Only then did he realize the person who had knocked earlier had been Han Huaixiao.
Han Huaixiao looked at his still-damp face. “What? Disappointed to see me?” he asked. “Who did you think was at the door?”
“Not disappointed,” Xia Hang replied. “I thought it was Su Cheng. He said he’d bring me some eggs today.”
Han Huaixiao raised an eyebrow.
“What kind of eggs are important enough for him to make a special trip in this weather?”
“His mother bought some free-range eggs while visiting relatives in the countryside.”
“His mother knows about you?” Han Huaixiao paused. “You’ve been to his house?”
“No.”
“…”
Han Huaixiao’s gaze swept around the living room before stopping on several corners of the apartment, as he asked, “When did you install the alarm system?”
“Last night,” Xia Hang answered, not surprised that he’d noticed.
“What happened?” Han Huaixiao frowned.
“When I got home, I found signs that someone had come in and moved some things around,” Xia Hang tried to downplay it. “Probably a burglar.”
However, Han Huaixiao looked around the apartment. The most valuable thing in the entire place was probably the sofa he was sitting on… He would bet that Xia Hang had less than two hundred yuan in cash on him and less than a thousand yuan at home.
There were no expensive belongings to speak of.
Besides, with Xia Hang’s vigilance and fighting skills, an ordinary burglar wouldn’t concern him enough to install an alarm system overnight, so Han Huaixiao’s instincts told him Xia Hang was hiding something.
The person who entered his apartment last night definitely wasn’t a thief.
Avoiding Han Huaixiao’s hawk-like gaze, Xia Hang changed the subject, asking, “Captain Han, how did you get here?”
Han Huaixiao continued staring at him.
“Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?”
Xia Hang knew that once Han Huaixiao got serious, he wouldn’t let the matter drop. After a moment, he gave in and answered honestly, “Fine. It wasn’t a burglar.” He paused. “It was a criminal I offended during a previous job. He came and left me a note.”
At that, Han Huaixiao extended his hand, asking, “Where’s the note? Let me see it.”
Thinking about the way Sheng Jun had addressed him in the note, Xia Hang hesitated. Only after a moment did he head into the bedroom, and Han Huaixiao followed him.
When Xia Hang retrieved the crumpled paper from the trash can, he deliberately made sure Han Huaixiao saw where it came from. Holding it tightly in his hand, he said, “The trash can’s kind of dirty. How about I just read it to you?”
Han Huaixiao shot him a sideways glance and snatched the note from his hand. He unfolded the wrinkled paper, and at a glance, he understood the English written on it:
Hi, baby. Miss me? I’ve certainly missed you.
Being called “baby” as a grown man was embarrassing enough. Having Han Huaixiao see it made it even worse, but Han Huaixiao didn’t seem focused on the pet name at all. Instead, he asked: “This person is threatening you?”
“Probably.”
“What exactly was your previous job?” Han Huaixiao’s voice deepened.
“I can’t tell you yet.” Xia Hang looked at him.
“Then tell me this,” Han Huaixiao raised the note. “The people you offended, is it one person, or an organization? You can answer that much, can’t you?”
Xia Hang fell silent. After a long moment, he finally said softly, “Han Huaixiao… stop asking.”
“You’re my subordinate now.” Han Huaixiao’s tone turned firm. “I’m responsible for your safety.”
“You have to tell me.”
Unable to withstand the pressure in Han Huaixiao’s eyes, Xia Hang finally answered: “An organization.”
With that, Han Huaixiao bent down and picked up the dart from the trash can. He recalled seeing a small dent in the wardrobe when he came in, so he asked, “Was it pinned to the wardrobe with a dart?”
Xia Hang nodded, “Yeah.”
Han Huaixiao slipped both the note and the dart into his pocket and didn’t pursue the matter any further. Instead, he continued, “Are you ready? If you are, let’s go.”
“I’m ready.”
……………….
Han Huaixiao’s car was parked right outside the apartment building. After getting in, Xia Hang saw that the group chat had accumulated more than twenty new messages. Everyone had already started arriving at the meeting point and were tagging both him and Han Huaixiao, asking if they had arrived yet.
“They’re there already,” Xia Hang said.
“Tell them to get on the highway. We’ll wait for them at the entrance.”
Xia Hang relayed the message as instructed. At the same time, he couldn’t help feeling curious about why Han Huaixiao had come to pick him up. Scrolling through the earlier messages, he discovered that everyone had been arranging rides according to who lived nearby. In the end, only he was left. While everyone was discussing who should pick him up, Zhang Tianhua had spoken up: “Captain Han passes by Xia Hang’s place on the way to the meeting point. Let Captain Han pick him up.”
So it was Brother Hua’s idea.
For some reason, Xia Hang felt a faint, indescribable disappointment.
After driving out of the neighborhood and continuing for a short distance, Han Huaixiao pulled over to the side of the road, and Xia Hang immediately spotted a pharmacy outside the window. Thinking Han Huaixiao was stopping to buy motion sickness medicine for him, he reached out and grabbed his wrist.
“You don’t need to buy motion sickness medicine. I don’t get carsick anymore.”
Han Huaixiao glanced at the hand gripping his wrist.
“How’d that get cured?”
Xia Hang froze.
Han Huaixiao looked up at him and held his gaze for a long moment. In the end, he still opened the door and got out.
“I haven’t had breakfast. If you want to eat, come down.”
So Xia Hang had no other choice but to follow him into a convenience store. He bought a red bean bun and a carton of milk, while Han Huaixiao bought three rice balls and a cup of coffee. The two sat at a table inside the store, finished eating, and then returned to the car.
The drive from Lang City to the harbor would take over four hours. By the time they reached the highway entrance, the others still hadn’t arrived. Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao sat quietly in the car, neither saying a word.
After a while, Han Huaixiao suddenly spoke.
“Were you pretending, or were you actually with him?”
Xia Hang looked confused.
“What?”
Han Huaixiao prompted: “Baby.”
For a second, Xia Hang thought he’d misheard. His eyes widened as he looked at Han Huaixiao; then he noticed the twitch in Han Huaixiao’s jaw and suddenly understood.
He was asking why the person who left the note had called him “baby”.
Xia Hang had originally intended to deny everything outright, but seeing Han Huaixiao’s awkward expression, he changed his mind.
“Do you want the truthful answer or the fake one?”
Han Huaixiao shot him a warning glare, and Xia Hang rubbed his nose. Not daring to tease the tiger’s whiskers any further, he answered honestly, “Neither.”
“Then why?” Han Huaixiao frowned.
“Because he’s a lunatic. He just calls people whatever he wants.”
“Does he call everyone that?”
“No. He only calls his lovers that.”
Han Huaixiao: “…”
“He likes you?”
Xia Hang hadn’t expected him to keep digging, and a trace of amusement flashed through his eyes.
“Probably? Maybe?”
“…Possibly…?”
But Han Huaixiao didn’t miss the mischievous look. Through gritted teeth, he said: “Xia… Hang.”
“They’re here.” Xia Hang immediately pushed open the car door. “I’ll go take a look.” But the moment he stepped outside, he regretted it.
It was way too hot.
…He should’ve encouraged Ling Yue to persuade Han Huaixiao to splurge and charter a helicopter for them. Only several days later did Xia Hang learn that while no one in the Municipal Bureau knew Han Huaixiao’s exact background, everyone knew one thing:
His family was very rich.
Besides the Major Crimes Unit, several people from Forensics, Trace Evidence, and Technical Investigation had come along as well, so three vehicles pulled in one after another. The moment Ling Yue saw Xia Hang, he jumped out of the car and slung an arm over his shoulder, shouting, “It’s so hot! Huge mistake. We should’ve made Captain Han call in a helicopter!”
“…”
Xia Hang instantly lost it. The comment hit his funny bone so perfectly that he doubled over laughing, leaning against Ling Yue’s shoulder. Normally, Xia Hang was always gentle and composed, so no one had ever seen him laugh like that before. Now, everyone turned to look.
“Ling Yue, what did you say?”
“How’d you make Xia Hang laugh like that?!”
Ling Yue himself looked bewildered.
“I didn’t even say anything! I just said Captain Han should’ve gotten us a helicopter!”
Well… That only made Xia Hang want to laugh harder! He pinched his palm desperately and barely managed to compose himself, answering, “It’s nothing. I just suddenly felt like laughing.”
“Everyone’s here?” Han Huaixiao finally spoke. “Then get in the cars and let’s move.”
Xia Hang looked over and found Han Huaixiao already looking at him. For some reason, his heartbeat suddenly sped up. Acting on impulse, he lightly shoved Ling Yue, whispering, “Switch with me. I’ll ride with Brother He and chat. You take Captain Han’s car.”
Ling Yue didn’t care either way, for Han Huaixiao’s car was much more comfortable than He Zhengye’s. “Captain Han,” he immediately opened the passenger door. “Brother Hang wants to ride with Brother He and chat, so I’m switching with him.”
“Mm.” Han Huaixiao replied flatly.
For some reason, Ling Yue felt like Captain Han wasn’t particularly happy to see him getting into the car.
………………
The moment Xia Hang got into He Zhengye’s car, he regretted that as well. Besides He Zhengye, the other two passengers were from Technical Investigation, and he wasn’t familiar with either of them. Fortunately, after a bit of casual conversation, everyone went back to sleeping, no socializing required.
He Zhengye was driving. “So why’d you come to my car?” he asked. “Did your Captain Han scold you?”
“No… Didn’t get scolded.”
“But still, you switched cars,” He Zhengye grinned. “Somebody’s probably unhappy about that.”
“Who would be unhappy…?” Xia Hang blinked.
“Doesn’t Han Huaixiao like you?”
“?!”
The direct hit nearly made Xia Hang choke.
“No… I don’t think so.”
“I’ve known him for years,” He Zhengye laughed. “You think I don’t know him? I’ll bet anything on it. He definitely likes you.”
“Oh.”
“And you?” He glanced over. “Do you like him?”
The rapid-fire questions caught Xia Hang completely off guard. For a moment, he didn’t know how to answer, and He Zhengye’s smile widened.
“You don’t need to answer,” he concluded. “I already know.”
With someone to chat with, the trip passed fairly quickly. Halfway through the journey, someone needed the restroom, so all the vehicles pulled into a service area.
Xia Hang went as well.
When he came out, he saw Han Huaixiao standing with a colleague from Trace Evidence, smoking in a secluded corner away from the crowd. Ling Yue emerged from the convenience store and stuffed a bottle of water and two bags of snacks into Xia Hang’s hands, complaining, “Brother Hang, you should ride with Captain Han again later…” he shuddered dramatically. “I swear Captain Han’s in a terrible mood today. You have no idea what I just went through. I felt like I was sitting on a bed of nails.”
Hearing that, Xia Hang looked toward Han Huaixiao.
In a bad mood?
But Han Huaixiao had always been extremely sensitive to his gaze, so the moment Xia Hang looked over, Han Huaixiao looked back. Left with no choice, Xia Hang raised the bottle of water in his hand, and Han Huaixiao nodded once.
So Xia Hang turned around, went back into the convenience store, and bought two more bottles of water. When he came back out, Han Huaixiao saw him getting into his car. Feeling a little guilty, Xia Hang handed him one of the bottles, coaxing, “Water… for you.”
Fortunately, Han Huaixiao didn’t say anything. He accepted it and took a few sips.
“Want me to drive for a while?”
“Did you sleep over there?” Han Huaixiao asked.
“No. I was chatting with Brother He.”
Han Huaixiao said nothing further and made no move to switch seats. He simply started the car and followed behind He Zhengye’s vehicle. Earlier, it had mostly been He Zhengye carrying the conversation while Xia Hang listened. Now that Han Huaixiao wasn’t talking, Xia Hang didn’t know what to say either.
After several minutes of silence, he picked up a small can of preserved fruit from the snacks Ling Yue had given him and popped two pieces into his mouth. After some hesitation, he asked: “Want some?”
“No.” Han Huaixiao glanced over.
So Xia Hang continued eating while watching the scenery blur past outside the window. Before long, he fell asleep. The rustling sounds of snacking beside him eventually stopped, and Han Huaixiao glanced over.
Xia Hang had fallen asleep.
Earlier, before they got on the highway, he’d watched Xia Hang switch seats with Ling Yue and move to He Zhengye’s car. At that moment, he’d felt disappointed. Ling Yue rode in his car all the time, and he was already used to the younger man talking nonstop beside him. But this time, every time he turned his head and saw Ling Yue sitting there, something felt wrong.
Uncomfortable.
Yet when Xia Hang climbed back into the passenger seat at the service area, that discomfort vanished instantly.
Xia Hang wasn’t much of a talker, but every time Han Huaixiao caught sight of him sitting quietly beside him, he felt inexplicably at ease. A self-mocking smile tugged at Han Huaixiao’s lips.
Han Huaixiao, Han Huaixiao…
After all this time, all it takes is for Xia Hang to reappear, and you’ll still fall for him all over again.
……………………..
By the time they arrived at the harbor, the yacht crew was already waiting for them. Once everyone boarded, the yacht left port and headed toward the open sea.
The yacht had three decks. The main deck contained the master suite, a café, a tea room, a bar equipped for mixing drinks, and a dining area. The upper deck had guest rooms and a large terrace furnished with lounge chairs. The lower deck was mainly reserved for the crew and service staff.
After reaching deeper waters, some people followed He Zhengye to try deep-sea fishing, while others sat around drinking coffee and chatting.
Han Huaixiao, Wen Yu, and Kong Qinmao all had diving licenses, so the three of them went diving. Xia Hang actually wanted to dive as well, but since he didn’t have a license, he chose a fishing rod instead and joined He Zhengye. To his surprise, he did quite well.
In fact, he caught more fish than He Zhengye, the seasoned veteran.
“Not bad,” He Zhengye laughed. “Looks like you’re still under beginner’s luck protection.”
“Are we taking these fish back with us?” Xia Hang asked.
“There are chefs on board. Take them to the kitchen, and they’ll handle everything. The best part of sea fishing is catching, cooking, and eating the fish immediately.”
After Han Huaixiao and the others returned from diving, lunch was ready, so everyone moved to the dining room. Xia Hang picked up a piece of sea bass that he had personally caught. Whether it was psychological or not, it tasted better than any fish he’d ever eaten before.
Beside him, Han Huaixiao also took a bite.
“You caught this one?”
“Mm. That grouper and yellow croaker too.”
“Looks like you had a good haul.”
…………………….
After lunch, Han Huaixiao announced: “There are rooms on board. Anyone who wants to rest can go take a nap.”
“We finally got a chance to come out and have fun,” Xia Ling immediately protested. “Who wants to sleep?”
“Exactly!” Ling Yue nodded enthusiastically. “Come on, let’s get this party started!”
But Xia Hang didn’t join them. Now that he’d discovered the joy of fishing, his hands were itching to continue, so he followed He Zhengye back on the deck. After sitting for a long time, his neck grew stiff. He stretched and glanced toward the horizon.
Then suddenly froze.
“…Brother He,” he pointed into the distance. “Is that… a person floating over there?”
He Zhengye looked in the direction indicated.
“It… looks like it.”
A chill shot through Xia Hang, and his first instinct was to look for Han Huaixiao. Han Huaixiao had gone swimming earlier and had been underwater for quite a while, so without thinking, Xia Hang shouted: “Han Huaixiao!”
The moment the words left his mouth, he started toward the railing, ready to jump into the water, but He Zhengye grabbed him immediately.
“Are you crazy?!”
“What are you calling me for?” A familiar voice came from behind.
Xia Hang spun around. Han Huaixiao was standing safely by the boarding ladder, looking as though he’d just climbed back aboard. The frantic pounding in Xia Hang’s chest gradually eased as He Zhengye pointed toward the distant object.
“…Looks like there’s someone floating out there.”
Han Huaixiao instructed the captain to move closer and picked up a pair of binoculars.
“Not a living person…” After a moment, he lowered them, continuing, “Looks like a corpse.”
“Yeah,” He Zhengye took the binoculars and checked for himself. “Definitely a corpse.”
Xia Hang stood silently beside them, and Han Huaixiao glanced at him.
“You thought it was me?” He paused. “Scared you?”
“…Yeah!” Xia Hang nodded honestly.
Han Huaixiao reached out and squeezed his shoulder. As the yacht drew closer, the more daring passengers gathered along the railings to look. But once they could clearly see the corpse, even He Zhengye, a forensic pathologist who had dissected countless bodies, felt his heart skip a beat.
The corpse’s abdomen was empty. Its internal organs were gone.
Han Huaixiao looked toward He Zhengye, who, understanding the unspoken question, nodded.
“Judging by the incision, it was done by a human.”
“Holy shit,” Ling Yue started swearing. “That’s brutal! What kind of grudge could justify this?!”
The other members of the Major Crimes Unit, however, had already guessed what was going on, and now, no one spoke.
“Captain Han…” Zhang Tianhua was the first to voice it. “Could this be the work of an illegal organ trafficking ring?”
“Most likely.” Han Huaixiao’s expression darkened. “Another hour or so ahead is international waters.”
After that, nobody felt like continuing the outing. They transported the floating corpse back to port, reported the case to the local police, and began the journey back to Lang City.
On the return trip, Xia Hang rode with Han Huaixiao again.
Xia Hang drove the first half of the journey, while Han Huaixiao took over for the second half.
Just after entering the city, Han Huaixiao’s phone rang, showing Chef Yan.
“Back yet?”
“We just entered the city. What’s wrong?”
“Head directly to Guangtai Residential Complex.” Yan Zheng’s tone was grim. “Li Cheng is dead.”
“…The pimp?”
“Yeah.”
Han Huaixiao immediately hung up and turned the steering wheel, and the car changed direction toward Guangtai Residential Complex. At the same time, he called the others.
“Li Cheng is dead. Everyone report back to duty immediately.”
Ling Yue had ridden back with Kong Qinmao in Zhang Tianhua’s car. The moment he heard the news, he let out a miserable howl, complaining, “Do we need to go find a temple and pray or something?! We’ve seriously been working like dogs lately!”
“See?” Kong Qinmao sighed. “This proves it’s perfectly normal that I don’t have a girlfriend…”
“…It’s not my fault.”
“…”
“My mom keeps saying I don’t even know how to talk to women,” Ling Yue also whined. He had just hung up after another phone call from his mother urging him to find a girlfriend, so… “But then again, who wants a boyfriend who’s busy like this all the time?!”
“Exactly,” Kong Qinmao agreed. “Where would we even find time to date?”
“You just haven’t met the right person yet,” Zhang Tianhua laughed. As the only one happily married, he felt the need to comfort his coworkers. “When fate arrives, being busy won’t stop it. Just let things happen naturally.”
Not long after they had separated upon entering the city, everyone found themselves reunited once again at Guangtai Residential Complex.
Uniformed officers had already set up police tape outside the apartment building. Seeing them arrive, one officer lifted the tape and let them through, saying, “Captain Han, fourth floor.”
When they reached the fourth floor, both apartment doors stood open. A young woman who looked no older than twenty was standing outside the eastern apartment, repeatedly slamming her head against the wall while crying incoherently. A female officer and a woman in her fifties were desperately trying to restrain her, but even together they couldn’t hold her back.
“Wen Wen! Don’t do this!” The older woman pleaded desperately. “It’s Auntie Han. Look at me!”
“You’re going to hurt yourself!”
Xia Ling and Liu Yan from Forensics immediately rushed over to help. It took all four women working together to finally restrain her.
“What happened?!” Xia Ling asked.
“She has developmental problems,” the older woman explained. “She accidentally saw her mother’s body just now…”
“She got too much of a shock and can’t control her emotions.”
“Where are her other family members?” Xia Ling asked.
“Her father was taken away by the police. Usually it’s just her and her mother at home…” the woman’s voice faltered. “Now her mother…”
“We’ve already contacted her grandmother,” the female officer added.
“Xia Ling,” Han Huaixiao nodded, “take her downstairs and wait in the car. Make arrangements when the grandmother arrives.”
“Got it.”
As for Xia Hang, he pulled disposable shoe covers over his shoes and entered the apartment. It was a two-bedroom unit, and the master bedroom door stood open. Inside lay three naked bodies. The female homeowner, Ju Jiezhen. Li Cheng. And a man named Xin Rong.
Han Huaixiao turned to the officer handling the scene, asking, “Who reported it?”
“Ju Jiezhen’s husband,” the officer, Li Jin, answered. “His name is Liao Yongqing, and he’s a sailor. Every trip keeps him away for months at a time. He got off his ship this afternoon. When he came home, he found Ju Jiezhen dead.”
“And there were two strange men lying beside her.”
Han Huaixiao stepped inside. Clothes were scattered across the floor, and Ju Jiezhen and Li Cheng were lying on the bed. As for Xin Rong, he was sprawled across a reclining chair in the bedroom. On the bed were an open condom wrapper and a medication box.
Han Huaixiao picked up the box and examined it. It contained a common aphrodisiac and sexual enhancement drug, so he looked toward He Zhengye, asking, “Problem with the pills?”
“It’s too early to say for sure.” He Zhengye was conducting a preliminary examination. “But based on the symptoms, my initial assessment is death from an overdose.”
“Drugs?” Han Huaixiao frowned.
“That’s my preliminary judgment.”
With that, Han Huaixiao turned to Li Jin, asking, “Did your search uncover any narcotics or drug paraphernalia?”
“No,” Li Jin shook his head.
Well… that was strange.
…………………………
T.N:
Hello everyone! I have started a new project, called The Fake River God’s Bride!
It’s available on my website, and if you’re interested, you can check it out here! It will be updated every Wednesday, and the first 3 chapters are already live. Thank you for your support! Down below you have the synopsis, hope to see you soon!
The Fake River God’s Bride
Story tags: Ancient China, Childcare, Determined Protagonist, Disfigurement, Doting Love Interests, Weak Protagonist, Family Conflict, First Time Intercourse, Mutual Healing, Found Family, Handsome Male Lead, Mpreg, Unconditional Love
Story Synopsis:
When Jian Ru was young, a fire took both his parents and half his face. Though he survived, one of his legs was left crippled, and the scar running across his ruined features made him the subject of fear, pity, and quiet disgust for years.
Still, he endured.
Then the floods came to Changshou Village.
Fields were destroyed, homes swallowed by water, and the villagers decided the River God needed a sacrifice. But the one they chose was not Jian Ru.
It was Zhang Jiao, the village’s gentle and beautiful ger.
Jian Ru rushed forward, ready to fight for his life, but instead, he was the one tied up, gagged, and forced beneath a red bridal veil.
“Don’t blame us,” someone whispered beside his ear. “Jiao’ger is timid. He’d be afraid. You’re already crippled anyway.”
“Better to fulfill this for us.”
That night, Jian Ru fell into the river, prepared to die. But when he woke again beneath the red veil, the River God before him was not a monster at all.
The man had long black hair, startling beauty, and skin pale with illness, but after taking one look at Jian Ru’s scarred face…
…the River God was so shocked he fainted on the spot.
With no firewood in the cave and the man burning with fever, Jian Ru had no choice but to hold him through the night to keep him warm.
Only afterward did he discover…
The man was no River God.
He was Li Jintong, the frail second young master of the town physician’s family.
Jian Ru thought Li Jintong married him only to take responsibility for that night.
Instead, their days together slowly became warmer and fuller than he had ever imagined.
……………………………….
If you enjoy this novel so far, please consider giving it a good rating on Novel Updates. Much appreciated, thank you!
