After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 12

The day of Zhou Lexuan’s return to the country arrived quickly, but obtaining a DNA sample proved to be much harder than anticipated.

Aside from the day he landed, Zhou Lexuan barely stepped foot outside, staying cooped up in the villa all day. On the rare occasions he did venture out, he visited exclusive, high-security member clubs with underground entrances and private car services. The level of privacy was formidable.

“Man, is this kid a secret agent back in Canada?” He Xianxing muttered, leaning over the steering wheel and blowing a stray lock of hair off his forehead in boredom.

Jiang Xu climbed into the car and handed him a freshly bought burger and cola. “What? Is Inspector He admitting defeat?”

He Xianxing took a bite of the burger. “Ugh, no mustard.”

“Don’t be picky when there’s food provided.” Jiang Xu pulled off his hood.

He Xianxing ate like a man possessed, finishing the burger in a few bites and taking a long, noisy gulp of cola. He wiped his hands with a wet wipe and leaned back against the seat. “It’s not that I’m admitting defeat. It’s those idiots in the traffic department! Can they stop giving me tickets? It’s only been a few days, and the DMV has already sent me five payment reminders. My performance bonus for this month is almost gone.”

He blinked piteously. Jiang Xu gave a helpless laugh. “Just write up a reimbursement claim.”

“You have no idea how annoying the finance department is with those forms,” He Xianxing said, slurping his soda. “By the way, you’ve been heading back so late lately. Is Tongtong okay on her own?”

“I signed her up for an after-school program, so it’s fine for now.” Jiang Xu kept his eyes on the club entrance in the distance while taking a sip of his own drink.

He Xianxing tilted his head, his large eyes darting around playfully. “Jiang Xu…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you and Team Leader Shen… getting remarried?”

Jiang Xu was mid-swallow and nearly choked, coughing violently. He glared at the innocent-looking He Xianxing. “Who said anything about me remarrying him!”

He Xianxing shrank back, looking wounded. “But the Team Leader seems to really dislike me. Is it because I’ve been getting too close to you lately and made him unhappy?”

“Don’t mind him. He’s always had that look like he looks down on everyone.”

“I see,” He Xianxing said, appearing relieved. “I don’t care about him, but I was worried about you being stuck in the middle. After all, we did sleep together. If you two plan on making up, wouldn’t that make me the ‘other man’?”

“What other man?” Jiang Xu didn’t even know which part of He Xianxing’s sentence to correct first. “And last time was just an accident. I won’t bother you again, so don’t worry.”

“It wasn’t really a bother.”

A sly smile played on He Xianxing’s lips. “Look, you don’t want anyone to know you’re an Omega, right? If you don’t plan on making up with Team Leader Shen, solving your personal needs in the future is going to be quite a hassle. Instead of bringing strangers home, why not just come to me? I’m very helpful. Tongtong knows me and seems to like me. Plus, we’re quite compatible in bed, aren’t we?”

He stared at Jiang Xu with unblinking, amber eyes, his expression incredibly sincere.

Jiang Xu met that intense gaze. “Inspector He…”

“Yes?” He Xianxing’s eyes were sparkling.

“You talk too much.”

“Hey! You’re too hard to fool!”

“Shh, quiet,” Jiang Xu set down his cup. “Zhou Lexuan is coming out.”

He Xianxing’s expression sharpened instantly. He pulled on a baseball cap and started the car. In that short time, Zhou Lexuan had already entered a private vehicle.

“I really hope this kid gives us a chance this time,” He Xianxing grumbled. This type of fruitless, long-distance tracking had been repeating for days. Even someone as energetic as him was starting to feel the fatigue.

Jiang Xu gave a low laugh. “Repeating a massive amount of work with no results is our daily routine.”

He Xianxing stole a quick glance at Jiang Xu, who was looking down to fasten his seatbelt, before turning his eyes back to the road.

They followed Zhou Lexuan’s Mercedes for over half an hour. They expected him to drive straight back to the seaside villa as usual, but a minor incident occurred halfway there.

A Japanese performance car, obviously modified illegally, cut into Zhou Lexuan’s lane without warning. It then accelerated sharply, swerving from the right to cut off the black Mercedes.

According to traffic rules, lane changes and overtaking should only happen from the left. The Mercedes driver was clearly startled, braking hard and swerving left to avoid a collision, the tires screeching against the pavement.

Following behind, He Xianxing instinctively moved to hit the brakes as the cars ahead slowed down. Jiang Xu stopped him. “Don’t brake. Honk a few times and just keep going.”

He Xianxing understood. He leaned on the horn and steered to the right, bypassing the two cars that had illegally stopped in the middle of the road.

Jiang Xu turned his head. In the receding view, he saw Zhou Lexuan get out of the car and bump shoulders with the owner of the performance car like old friends. Jiang Xu pulled out his phone, snapped a photo of the modified car’s license plate, and sent it to Shen Yucheng.

He Xianxing glanced at the rearview mirror. “These damn rich kids. Not a single one of them follows traffic laws.”

Jiang Xu replied while typing a message to Shen Yucheng. “Regardless, we found something.”

While Jiang Xu was still typing, Shen Yucheng called. Jiang Xu answered. “Did you find something that fast?”

“I’m still pulling the files,” Shen Yucheng’s voice came over the line, accompanied by the sound of typing.

“Then why are you calling?”

“…”

“You’re on speaker,” Jiang Xu said, glancing at He Xianxing.

“Hello, Team Leader!” He Xianxing leaned in toward the phone, greeting him with a cheerful smile.

There was a silence on the other end before Shen Yucheng uttered a brief “Hello.” He quickly continued, “I found it. The owner of that GT-R R35 is named Ye Xihang.”

The name made both Jiang Xu and He Xianxing freeze.

“He is the son of Deputy Chief Inspector Ye Yilang,” Shen Yucheng said. “He is the manager of the G-City Racing Club and regularly organizes modified car shows and street races.”

“How did Zhou Lexuan get involved with Ye Xihang?” Jiang Xu asked. “Does he share the hobby?”

“It’s not clear how they met yet, but Zhou Lexuan did participate in several popular races in Canada with impressive results. I apologize; it was an oversight on my part not to include this hobby in the files I gave you.”

“The Team Leader is being too formal,” He Xianxing teased. Jiang Xu shot him a look and asked, “What would Ye Xihang want with Zhou Lexuan?”

“Ye Xihang has a mountain road race coming up in Camphor Mountain on the outskirts of the city in a few days. He might be inviting Zhou Lexuan to join. Head back to the bureau; I have things to discuss that aren’t convenient over the phone.”

After the meeting back at the bureau, Shen Yucheng asked Jiang Xu to stay behind.

Jiang Xu stood by the door waiting for him to speak, but Shen Yucheng remained silent.

“What happened?” Jiang Xu asked.

Shen Yucheng’s face was grave. “Zhang Yongfeng is dead.”

Jiang Xu was stunned. “What do you mean?”

“He had a sudden heart attack in the detention center and applied for medical parole. He passed away on the way to the hospital.”

Jiang Xu’s mind went blank for a moment. He sat down, bracing himself against a chair. “Natural causes?”

“It appears so for now.”

Jiang Xu instinctively reached into his pocket. He had worked under Zhang Yongfeng for four years and had never heard of any such medical history. Now, with Zhang retired and under investigation, he had essentially died in custody. Who could have taken the life of a former Senior Superintendent without leaving a trace?

He reached for a cigarette but only found a lollipop. Tongtong had given it to him that morning.

“I will confirm if Zhou Lexuan is participating in the mountain race over the next two days. If he is, I want you and He Xianxing to follow him.” Shen Yucheng pushed a small square box toward him. Inside was a pair of thin-framed glasses. Seeing Jiang Xu make no move, Shen Yucheng took them out and placed them on Jiang Xu’s face.

A faint electronic hum sounded in his ear. Jiang Xu looked up. Through the lenses, Shen Yucheng’s face seemed a bit distant, yet his eyes were like stars that never faded, flowing with an unforgettable blue.

“There is a wireless communication device and a GPS tracker inside. I will be on standby near Camphor Mountain. If there is danger, I will bring a team in immediately.” Shen Yucheng paused. “Protect yourself.”

“Understood.”

The conversation was over, yet Shen Yucheng’s fingertips lingered by Jiang Xu’s ear. His cold hand moved down the long, strong line of Jiang Xu’s neck. The touch was light and lingering, sending a shiver through Jiang Xu’s skin.

Jiang Xu frowned. “What are you doing?”

Shen Yucheng’s hand finally stopped at Jiang Xu’s collar. The dark blue uniform collar was pressed stiff, but the top two buttons were loose. Even with a tie, a small patch of tanned skin was exposed.

“Your buttons aren’t fastened properly.”

Shen Yucheng stood over him. He hooked a finger into the stiff fabric. In the slight tug, another button came undone.

Jiang Xu grabbed the hand applying the pressure. “Thanks, but you’re overstepping.”

The day before the race, Shen Yucheng managed to secure entry credentials.

Jiang Xu looked at the memos on his phone. He had an important task to finish tomorrow during the day, but the night race required entry by 7:00 PM. He wasn’t sure if he’d have time to pick up Tongtong.

While he was worrying, He Xianxing walked in. “What are you looking at?” He leaned over the desk partition. Jiang Xu turned off his screen and looked at that bright face. “Inspector, I might need to ask a favor.”

He Xianxing blinked. Jiang Xu stood up and leaned in to whisper, “Before the mission tomorrow, could you help me pick up Tongtong?”

“Well, I can, but what are you going to be doing?”

“I have something else I can’t walk away from. I’m afraid I won’t make it to the after-school center in time.”

“Hmm… alright then.” He Xianxing thought for a moment and puffed out his chest. “Mission accepted!”

Jiang Xu gave a grateful smile. “That’s a huge help.”

He took out a spare key and handed it to He Xianxing. Just as he was about to speak, a “knock knock” came from the door. Shen Yucheng stood there, his freezing gaze fixed on the key.

“Fifth floor. Meeting,” Shen Yucheng said curtly.

Jiang Xu could only whisper quickly to He Xianxing, “I’ll text you the address of the center.”

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