After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 13

The night wind was biting, yet the winding mountain roads of Camphor Mountain were as bright as day.

A temporary cordon had already been set up at the foot of the mountain to block off the roads. People stood packed tightly on both sides of the asphalt. Most were young men and women, cheering as they crowded against the guardrails, craning their necks toward the entrance of the mountain pass.

At the center of everyone’s attention, twenty or thirty meticulously modified vehicles were lined up, waiting for staff to verify their entry. The air felt scorched by the massive roar of engines from supercars and performance vehicles.

In the queue, an unassuming old Ford Mustang slowed to a stop. A race official knocked on the window, which was coated in dark tint. The window slid down, revealing a man in the driver’s seat. His face was cast in half-light by the glowing LED strips outside, showing only a high bridge of the nose supporting a pair of thin-framed glasses.

“Hello, sir. Please step out with your companion for a security check and present your invitation,” the inspector said with a smile. When the man looked over, the inspector was momentarily surprised by how sharp and distinct his features were. This was a face that should have been memorable, yet it was entirely unfamiliar. Although the mountain race was held only once a year, most invited drivers were from G-City or its surrounding areas; it was rare to see a new face.

The man took an envelope from the storage compartment beneath the center console. After a nod to the young man in the passenger seat, both stepped out of the car.

Staff approached to search them, taking the phones from their pockets. “Apologies, mobile phones are prohibited during this night race. We need to confiscate them temporarily. You can collect them from us after the race ends.”

Beside the car, the chestnut-haired youth shrugged. As the two prepared to get back into the car, an official stopped the youth. “Sir, the other phone in your jacket pocket also needs to be handed over.”

The youth exchanged a look with the driver and cooperatively handed over the second device. The official returned the invitation, and the two climbed back inside.

Once the windows were shut, the Ford started up, trailing the vehicles ahead through the checkpoint and toward the middle of the mountain.

“A perfectly good car race, and they have to take people’s phones,” the youth muttered, twisting the drawstrings of his hoodie. It was He Xianxing, dressed in civilian clothes. “Jiang Xu, what if they don’t give them back later? That would be a huge loss for me.”

Jiang Xu gave a faint smile. “Perhaps you can try asking the finance department for a reimbursement.”

“Spare me. They haven’t even approved my parking tickets from the other day.”

He Xianxing rolled down his window and rested half his head on the frame. The rushing night wind flooded the cabin, making the small trinkets hanging from his ears jingle.

Jiang Xu glanced at the rearview mirror. “I don’t believe I’ve seen Inspector He wear those accessories before.”

“Don’t you think I look more like someone attending a car race this way?” He Xianxing lightly tugged at the necklace around his neck. “Not like you. You look like you’re heading to a meeting in a conference room.”

“My apologies. I don’t understand fashion.”

He Xianxing’s eyes curved into a smile. “Hey, do I look that bad?” He was wearing a baggy hooded jacket and jeans, with several accessories on his fingers and neck, giving him a likable, youthful energy.

“No, you look very handsome,” Jiang Xu said, not withholding the compliment.

He Xianxing’s slightly curly hair danced wildly in the wind. He looked up at the night sky, his long, curled lashes appearing to glow under the flashing streetlights. “It’s so cold, Jiang Xu.” His voice was swallowed by the dark night as the car sped along.

“Close the window.”

He Xianxing shook his head. “But feeling the cold makes you feel truly alive, doesn’t it?”

“The dead are much colder than the living.”

“Haha, true.”

The conversation came to an abrupt halt. He Xianxing watched Jiang Xu, who remained focused on the road ahead. The interior was dim, lit only by the faint red glow of the dashboard. Occasionally, the brake lights of the car in front illuminated Jiang Xu’s handsome profile, casting neon-like shadows across his glasses.

Jiang Xu drove to the starting point at the mountainside. Upon getting out, he realized many participating vehicles were already parked there. Contrary to his expectations, these weren’t all top-tier supercars; instead, most were Japanese performance cars that had been heavily modified.

“Look over there.” He Xianxing leaned close to Jiang Xu’s ear. Jiang Xu followed his gaze to a highly modified Mercedes-AMG GT parked not far away. It had a matte black body and a menacing graphic printed on the hood.

“That car sounds serious. It’s likely running at least a Stage 2 tune, and it looks like it has a full titanium Akrapovic exhaust system.” He Xianxing narrowed his eyes enthusiastically. “Hey, look at those tires; they’re almost brand new. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s. They have the best dry and wet grip on the market. If that car hits the track, few will be able to catch it.”

Jiang Xu gave He Xianxing a slow look. “We aren’t here to race.”

He Xianxing immediately masked the fiery excitement in his eyes and stuck out his tongue at Jiang Xu. “I did a bit of homework beforehand. Did I get too carried away?”

As they spoke, the car door opened. The man who stepped out was Zhou Lexuan, whom they had been tracking for days. Zhou Lexuan leaned against the door as someone scurried over to light a cigarette for him.

This was the first time Jiang Xu had seen Zhou Lexuan this close. He couldn’t help but feel the man possessed a maturity that didn’t match his age.

Zhou Lexuan smoked, his eyes scanning the surroundings. When his gaze met Jiang Xu’s, Jiang Xu gave a slight nod as a greeting. Standing in front of that AMG, Zhou Lexuan was undoubtedly the center of attention. It would have looked stranger if Jiang Xu had intentionally avoided his gaze.

“New face?” Zhou Lexuan approached and patted the Ford behind Jiang Xu. “I haven’t seen you around before. You aren’t a G-City driver?”

“Are outsiders not welcome in the mountain circuit?”

“Ha… of course not.” Zhou Lexuan stared at Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu lowered his head to light a cigarette at a measured pace, weighing his words. “We’re from S-City. We had some free time and decided to come for a bit of fun.”

“Is that so?” Zhou Lexuan said noncommittally. He looked at the car and added, “This Mustang is tuned pretty well. How much did you bore out the engine?”

“You’re joking,” Jiang Xu exhaled a plume of smoke. “It can’t compare to your AMG GT. Boring it out to 12 cylinders is the absolute limit.” Halfway through his sentence, He Xianxing’s arm reached out and wrapped intimately around his waist.

Jiang Xu kept a smile on his face, turning his head to ask gently, “What is it?”

He Xianxing pressed his entire body against Jiang Xu, his voice sounding clingy and sweet. “Honey, it’s bad enough that you ignore me when you’re at home with your wife, but do you have to keep talking to other people when we’re out having fun? I’m bored!” Having said that, he made sure to plant a loud, resounding kiss on Jiang Xu’s cheek.

The exaggerated sound caused the typing noise in the miniature earpiece inside Jiang Xu’s glasses to stop instantly.

Clearly, Zhou Lexuan was also caught off guard by He Xianxing’s words. Jiang Xu gave him an embarrassed smile, then forced himself to reach out and rub He Xianxing’s head. “Don’t cause a scene.”

“It seems I’ve interrupted you,” Zhou Lexuan said, as if suddenly understanding.

Jiang Xu gave a small nod. “Apologies. I think we’ll see you on the track later.”

As soon as Zhou Lexuan was out of earshot, Shen Yucheng’s cold, chilling warning came through the earpiece: “Please do not do things that easily attract attention.”

Jiang Xu sighed and moved away from He Xianxing. “Inspector, your ability to weave a backstory is truly extraordinary.”

He Xianxing pouted in dissatisfaction. “That was quick thinking. That kid is sharp; he was trying to sniff out our background.”

“Mhm.” Jiang Xu stubbed out the cigarette he had only taken one puff of. He knew very little about car modifications. If Zhou Lexuan had asked anything else, he would have been exposed immediately. Watching Zhou Lexuan head straight back to his car, Jiang Xu fell into deep thought.

The first group of the race was about to start. Zhou Lexuan was assigned to the third group. Jiang Xu wondered if the atmosphere after the race would finally allow Zhou Lexuan to lower his guard.

As the referee’s flag dropped, several cars roared onto the pitch-black mountain road. Jiang Xu squinted as headlights flashed past. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Zhou Lexuan walking toward an observation deck by the road with another man. The man’s silhouette looked familiar. Jiang Xu and He Xianxing exchanged a look. He Xianxing understood immediately and whispered, “It’s Ye Xihang.”

“Follow them and see.”

He Xianxing took a few steps in that direction. “Wait,” Jiang Xu called out, placing an arm around He Xianxing’s shoulder.

“Why so proactive all of a sudden?” He Xianxing asked curiously.

“Being close will arouse less suspicion,” Jiang Xu said in a voice only they could hear. He was much taller than He Xianxing; to stay close, he had to bow his head slightly while speaking.

His warm breath brushed against He Xianxing’s ear. The youth looked up at Jiang Xu, who was surreptitiously watching the figures in the distance. The night wind blew, making He Xianxing feel cold, so he snuggled closer into Jiang Xu’s embrace.

Zhou Lexuan and Ye Xihang were drinking canned beverages on the observation deck. Because of the distance, they couldn’t hear what was being said, but it was clear the two were having a dispute.

“They’re looking over,” Jiang Xu lowered his voice.

“This is a good opportunity,” He Xianxing said, clearly plotting something. “Play along with me.”

Jiang Xu didn’t quite understand what “play along” meant, but his body was soon forcefully pushed away.

He stumbled back a few steps and heard He Xianxing roar at the top of his lungs, “You clearly said you’d get the divorce at the end of the month! How many ‘end of the months’ has it been now?! How much longer are you going to keep me hanging?! If you don’t want to marry me, then don’t mess with me in the first place!”

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