After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 10

“It’s been so long.” Jiang Xu took a sip of his coffee; the bitter, astringent liquid spread through his taste buds in a thousand tangled threads. He didn’t particularly like coffee, but he took another sip before setting the cup down and repeating, “It’s already in the past.”

“You know in your heart that as long as that painting remains missing, the case from five years ago will never be closed,” Shen Yucheng’s voice was soft and deliberate. “What exactly are you running from, Jiang Xu?”

Jiang Xu’s eyelids flickered as he stole a glance at He Xianxing sitting beside him.

“Ah,” He Xianxing stood up tactfully. “I’m going to use the restroom.”

Once the door to the private room closed, Jiang Xu took a deep breath and leaned his entire back against the chair. “I should be the one asking you. What exactly do you want from me?”

The slight furrow in Shen Yucheng’s brow finally shifted now that they were alone.

He bowed his head slightly. The window in the room wasn’t fully closed, and the cold wind blowing through the slats of the blinds tousled a few strands of his neat hair, letting them fall across his smooth forehead.

“Jiang Xu…” Shen Yucheng’s gaze suddenly fell upon Jiang Xu’s bare hand. His thin lips pressed tighter, a flash of disappointment crossing his eyes, but his expression returned to its usual calm when he looked back up.

He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “I hope you will help me investigate this case.”

Seeing Jiang Xu remain silent, he continued, “I have reviewed the case files many times. Five years ago, the failure to save that hostage was not your fault. There is no need for you to keep blaming yourself.”

Jiang Xu’s fingertips trembled slightly. Shen Yucheng reached out and covered the cold back of Jiang Xu’s hand with his own. “That case wasn’t a simple kidnapping. Jiang Xu, come back to my side. I need you. Both for the past and…” He hesitated for a moment. “And for the upcoming investigation. It’s been five years. You should try to step over that hurdle instead of living in this corner, just getting by.”

Jiang Xu lowered his gaze, looking at their overlapping hands.

“Have you forgotten the oath you took when you entered the Police Academy?” Shen Yucheng’s eyes wavered. “Jiang Xu, we know each other’s ways. We need each other—at least for now. Isn’t that right?”

Jiang Xu tried to pull his hand back, but Shen Yucheng’s fingers locked onto his. The cool pads of his fingers rubbed gently between Jiang Xu’s knuckles, feeling like snowflakes landing on skin. “…I understand,” Jiang Xu said, finally withdrawing his hand. “I will do my best to assist you.”

“Not ‘do your best,'” a spark of light appeared in Shen Yucheng’s gray-blue eyes. “Tomorrow, I will submit a request to the Chief Inspector to have you transferred to assist me in this investigation.”

“Once the transfer order is out, I will give it my all. But once the case is over, it’s better if we keep our contact to a minimum.”

The wind rattled the blinds, tapping rhythmically against the wooden window frame.

Shen Yucheng sat with his gaze lowered. The creases on his thin eyelids were shallow, extending toward the slightly upturned corners of his eyes. “When the case is over, if you still insist on a divorce, we will sign a formal agreement that follows all regulations.”

“Fine.” Jiang Xu stood up, bracing his hands on the table.

He Xianxing pushed the door open and walked back in. “I didn’t expect the restroom to be so crowded, haha.” His smile was bright. “Are you two finished talking?”

“We’re done. It’s about time I headed back.” Jiang Xu nodded and began to walk out. He Xianxing quickly gulped down the rest of his cold latte and shouted toward the hall, “Hey, I’m going back too. Let’s go together!”

Shen Yucheng gave He Xianxing a chilling glare.

He Xianxing acted as if he didn’t notice the displeasure, explaining helpfully, “Team Leader Shen might not know, but Jiang Xu and I are neighbors. Isn’t it a coincidence? Of all the staff apartments, we ended up in the same block. It’s fate, don’t you think?”

“Fate?” A faint, mocking sneer appeared at the corner of Shen Yucheng’s mouth. “Inspector He is exaggerating. If a senior Inspector and a grassroots officer are assigned to the same apartment block, it seems the G-City law enforcement system is indeed full of loopholes.”

On the way back, Jiang Xu leaned against the car window, watching the shifting scenery in a half-asleep daze. The flickering lights and shadows played across his sharp profile.

“Try to step over it.”

Shen Yucheng’s words echoed in his ears, but could he really move past it? Shen Yucheng, who always stood above the clouds, could say such things easily. But Jiang Xu, who woke up every day from that five-year-old nightmare, often felt like he was sinking in a quagmire.

If he couldn’t even move his fingers, how was he supposed to “step over” it?

He Xianxing gripped the steering wheel, humming an unknown tune. When he finished the song, he called out Jiang Xu’s name.

Jiang Xu looked over. The other man’s light-colored hair looked exceptionally soft under the golden glow of the setting sun.

“What did you and Team Leader Shen talk about just now?”

Jiang Xu looked away. “Didn’t you hear everything?”

“What are you talking about?” He Xianxing’s smile remained. “I was in the restroom.”

Before he could finish, a faint red electronic light flashed through the air as Jiang Xu tossed something toward him. He Xianxing caught it mid-air, a black listening device the size of a button. “What’s this?” He tilted his head, feigning ignorance.

“Shouldn’t you know exactly what it is?”

He Xianxing’s eyes crinkled, his cute canine teeth peeking through as he spoke. “Throwing things at a driver could be considered dangerous driving, you know.”

“Inspector He, a person shouldn’t be so overly curious.”

“It’s for the job. Official business.”

The next day, when Shen Yucheng went to Chief Cheng Zhen to request Jiang Xu, the Chief insisted on “adding” He Xianxing to the team as well.

Cheng Zhen wanted one of his own people to keep an ear out for information, which was a common enough move. However, Shen Yucheng paused and asked, “Chief Inspector, how long has Inspector He been with the bureau?”

“That… it’s been about six months, hasn’t it?”

“Less than half a year?” Shen Yucheng murmured to himself.

Cheng Zhen, thinking Shen Yucheng was worried about He Xianxing’s lack of seniority, quickly added, “Team Leader Shen, don’t let the half-year fool you. His performance at the academy was outstanding. He was originally a top talent destined for the S-City General Bureau; coming here was a waste of his potential. He handles tasks cleanly and efficiently. My recommendation won’t be wrong! Rest assured!”

“I see. Thank you.”

Shen Yucheng arrived at the Special Operations Meeting Room on the fifth floor, where Jiang Xu and He Xianxing were already waiting.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He handed out two stacks of documents and sat down.

“Let’s start.” The sunlight hit his pale face, revealing the faint blue veins beneath his delicate skin. “The owner of the villa is named Su Wan, aged 43. Her files are in your hands. It is worth noting that the villa was originally a protected historical landmark in G-City and was not for sale. Yet, through unknown channels, Su Wan managed to have it registered under her name.”

Shen Yucheng crossed his legs, looking indifferent as he flipped through the pages. “Su Wan’s assets were accumulated through low-cost land acquisitions, project resales, and monopolistic development rights. There are reports that she is the underground mistress of Senior Superintendent Zhang Yongfeng from S-City. However, based on our current data, they are merely members of the same wine club and have only interacted at small banquets. There is no record of private contact.”

He Xianxing flipped through the papers. “It says here she has a 19-year-old nephew named Zhou Lexuan, born and residing in Canada. He’s returning to G-City the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Shen Yucheng nodded. “Though he is listed as her nephew, a comparison of their travel records and Su Wan’s medical history gives us reason to suspect they are mother and son.”

“Are you saying he is the illegitimate son of Su Wan and Zhang Yongfeng?”

“It’s a deduction. We have no proof yet.”

“That’s easy,” He Xianxing leaned onto the table. “Team Leader, get a mandatory testing order from the Prosecutor’s Office. As soon as Zhou Lexuan enters the country the day after tomorrow, we pick him up, extract his DNA, and run it against Zhang Yongfeng.”

Shen Yucheng gave him a flat look. “To apply for a mandatory judicial testing order, we need to prove ‘reasonable suspicion.’ With only travel dates and a pregnancy timeline, the correlation is too weak. The Prosecutor’s Office won’t sign it.”

“Then, we go to his house and get something with biological traces—a straw, a towel, a hair, something.”

“What Inspector He is describing falls under Article 253 of the Criminal Law: ‘Infringement of Personal Information.’ Even if the DNA matches, the evidence would be inadmissible because it was obtained illegally.”

He Xianxing pouted and muttered, “Zhou Lexuan is a Canadian citizen, not one of our citizens.” Seeing Shen Yucheng about to speak again, he quickly continued, “Actually, it’s simple. Legally, items discarded in a public area no longer carry privacy attributes. We just track his itinerary and collect something he discards in public. Right, Jiang Xu?”

Jiang Xu, who had been quiet, nodded slightly. “However, Team Leader Shen already met Su Wan yesterday. She and Zhou Lexuan will likely be on guard. Surveillance and evidence collection won’t be easy.”

“Don’t worry, I have a Plan B.” He Xianxing said solemnly. Jiang Xu was amused by his expression and asked, “What Plan B?”

“Contact the CDC. Under the guise of ‘Routine Infectious Disease Monitoring for Overseas Returnees,’ call Zhou Lexuan in for a blood test. It’s 100% legal, and the sample quality will be top-tier!”

“That is indeed legal, but it’s prone to complaints about procedural violations. It’s also complex to operate; it requires high-level internal coordination across systems. The health system has to initiate it, not us,” Jiang Xu glanced at Shen Yucheng. “I just wonder if the Team Leader’s clearance is high enough?”

In truth, as a Team Leader sent from the General Administration of Integrity, Shen Yucheng certainly had that clearance. But Jiang Xu knew that, given his personality, Shen Yucheng was unlikely to walk that line. He was teasing him on purpose.

Shen Yucheng naturally caught the sarcasm. He stared at Jiang Xu for a long moment before finally saying, “Law enforcement must be rigorous and compliant.”

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