After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 18

Beads of sweat formed on Zhou Lexuan’s forehead as he stole a cautious glance at Su Wan.

Su Wan gave a faint smile. “Team Leader Shen, it seems someone is constantly feeding you false intelligence.” Her gaze drifted over the faces of the three men, but when she realized their expressions remained unchanged, the smile on her lips began to falter.

“Gentlemen?” she prompted.

Jiang Xu gave a polite smile. “It seems the rapid DNA testing system is indeed not as accurate as a laboratory.”

“What do you mean by that?” Su Wan’s voice rose instinctively.

“It means we must trouble Mr. Zhou to come with us.”

Zhou Lexuan froze. Su Wan immediately shielded him behind her. Once Zhou Lexuan found his voice, he shouted, “The results are out! By what right do you want me to go back to the bureau? I haven’t broken any laws!”

Su Wan also turned to glare at Shen Yucheng. “Team Leader Shen, do you have any idea what your subordinate is saying? To detain someone without cause is, to my knowledge, illegal.”

Shen Yucheng nodded meaningfully. “Quite right. For a law enforcement officer to illegally restrict another person’s freedom without legal authorization is a criminal act.”

“Then he—”

Shen Yucheng cut her off. “Officer Jiang Xu.”

“Apologies, I was inconsiderate.” Jiang Xu pulled a small, transparent file bag from his pocket. Inside was a piece of white paper folded twice. He took the paper out and unfolded it before them. “Ms. Su, this is a Mandatory Paternity Testing Order issued by the Prosecutor’s Court. As Mr. Zhou Lexuan’s domestic guardian, please accompany us to the bureau.”

The uneven A4 paper fluttered in the wind. Su Wan’s face turned ashen. “How is this possible? On what grounds did the Prosecutor’s Court issue a mandatory order?”

Jiang Xu handed the order over. Su Wan snatched it up and stared intently at the red seal of the Prosecutor’s Court. After a long moment, her voice trembled. “There must be a problem with your procedure! I will sue you for illegal evidence collection!”

She stumbled back a few steps. Jiang Xu reached out to steady her. “Ms. Su, we have frozen an overseas account that has been making consistent transfers to a trust fund in Canada for the past five years. The beneficiary of that trust is Mr. Zhou Lexuan.”

“So what?!” Su Wan snapped, glaring at Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu remained unmoved. “Just the day before yesterday, the trust company officially replied to us, confirming that the owner of the transferring account is a distant cousin of Zhang Yongfeng. While we haven’t had enough time to verify if the cousin was the one actually sending the money, this preliminary evidence is entirely sufficient for the Prosecutor’s Court to issue a mandatory testing order.”

He looked at Shen Yucheng, who nodded for him to continue.

Jiang Xu released Su Wan’s arm. “Currently, we have confirmed your pregnancy timeline and travel records with border control and have begun investigating your prenatal records abroad. Furthermore, your domestic medical records are being retrieved simultaneously. If you do not intend to cooperate with a DNA extraction, your previous DNA data can be pulled shortly. All these investigations comply with the Criminal Procedure Law. If you have objections, Ms. Su, you may raise them through your lawyer later.”

“Of course, Mr. Zhou Lexuan has the right to refuse any test. However, according to the Civil Code, the Prosecutor’s Court can use the ‘Rule of Obstruction of Evidence’ based on existing information to directly presume the father-son relationship between Zhang Yongfeng and Mr. Zhou Lexuan.” Jiang Xu looked at the Mobile Search Unit colleagues entering the villa. “The two of you may weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.”

Su Wan gripped the document tightly. Zhou Lexuan looked at the search unit officers displaying their badges with a complex expression. Su Wan took a deep breath and patted Zhou Lexuan’s shoulder. “We can go with them. But Xiaoxuan, remember: until we have contacted our lawyer, we have the right to remain silent.”

Zhou Lexuan nodded, and the two were led away to the unmarked police cars.

Beside them, the technicians began packing up their equipment. At that moment, several search unit officers approached. The lead pathologist was stunned. “What is this…”

“We’ll need everyone to come to the bureau to provide a statement,” Shen Yucheng said slowly. “Once the laboratory results are in, we may have some professional questions for you all.”

“Provide a statement?” The old pathologist’s face fell. “We usually just submit a written report the next day. There is no rule about going back to the bureau the same night for a statement.”

“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to follow my rules for now.”

“Team Leader Shen, we were arranged by Chief Inspector Cheng Zhen to assist you. Does the Chief Inspector know about these statements?” The old pathologist tried to use Cheng Zhen’s name to pressure him.

Shen Yucheng didn’t buy it. He simply raised his hand to check the time. “You needn’t worry about that. I will explain the situation to the Chief Inspector personally afterward.”

“You!” The technicians looked at each other. They all knew there might be an issue with tonight’s results; Shen Yucheng was clearly taking an attitude of holding them accountable. Yet, looking at the formidable search unit officers before them, not a single person dared to say “no.”

The two sides stood in silent confrontation for a moment. Finally, the old pathologist, face dark with anger, picked up his equipment case and followed the search unit officers into the car without a word. The younger technicians followed suit.

Once the crowd dispersed, the villa’s living room returned to silence.

He Xianxing finally found the chance to vent his frustration. “Hey! You two are unbelievable! You had a mandatory order all along, yet you still put on this show tonight!”

Jiang Xu gave a helpless, bitter smile. “Apologies. I didn’t inform you in advance, Inspector.”

“Ha! Now you apologize? Where is the trust between team members?” He Xianxing put on his inspector’s persona, pointing an accusing finger at Jiang Xu’s nose. “Honestly, if I’d known you had that trump card, Zhou Lexuan would have had to come back with us even if he thought he was above the law. I wouldn’t have had to rack up all those traffic fines!”

“Sorry, sorry. We only got the order from the Prosecutor’s Court this afternoon,” Jiang Xu explained. “Because we couldn’t predict how fast they would cooperate, it wasn’t a ‘trump card’, it could only be used as a final ‘hole card.'”

“Oh, so the ‘important thing’ you mentioned was this,” He Xianxing raised an eyebrow. “I wondered why even Tong.”

Jiang Xu quickly shot him a warning glare, drawing a suspicious look from Shen Yucheng.

He Xianxing took the hint and immediately switched to a look of indignation. “I was going to say, you weren’t planning on using this order to catch the mole from the very start, were you?”

Jiang Xu didn’t deny it. “That was the plan.”

“Too much! Way too much!” He Xianxing crossed his arms and paced the living room. “Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw the paternity probability was zero? If it weren’t for the fact that you two were so calm, I would have raised my hand and confessed right there!”

Jiang Xu laughed. “Inspector He, you underestimate yourself.”

Shen Yucheng interrupted them. “The forensics team tonight are all technically Chief Inspector Cheng Zhen’s people.”

He Xianxing knit his brows. “Team Leader, you aren’t suspecting me too, are you?” After all, he had also been recommended by Cheng Zhen.

“If I’m being honest, I did have my suspicions.”

He Xianxing immediately jumped behind Jiang Xu. “Whoa, Jiang Xu, look at this—” He piteously rested his face on Jiang Xu’s shoulder. “The Team Leader’s face is terrifying.”

“Stop it.” Jiang Xu habitually patted He Xianxing’s face. He Xianxing, who had some shallow scratches from the mountain vines, yelped at the touch and quickly stood up straight.

Shen Yucheng gave the two a fleeting glance and continued, “However, the network of relationships behind these technicians requires further investigation. It’s too early to make a judgment.”

“Rather than that,” He Xianxing touched his face, “I’m more concerned with how we’re getting down this mountain.”

“Wait a bit; the car will be here shortly,” Jiang Xu replied.

The mountain wind rattled the crystal chandelier, creating a chiming sound. Jiang Xu looked up at the source, watching the swaying shadows. They looked like distant moonlight reflected on a dark sea drawing closer to the shore with every wave, only to recede back into the ocean, approaching and vanishing in an endless cycle.

Tonight, was perhaps only the beginning.

Beside him, He Xianxing complained that it was “so cold.” Jiang Xu snapped back to reality to find He Xianxing had naturally tucked Jiang Xu’s arm under his own for warmth. He Xianxing’s hair was soft and fluffy, curling slightly and brushing against Jiang Xu’s chin like the fur of a small animal.

“It is cold on the mountaintop at night.” Shen Yucheng gave a light cough and leaned in without expression. His fingertips tentatively hooked into Jiang Xu’s palm. His pale, cold face remained fixed on the darkness outside the villa doors.

Jiang Xu let out a long sigh, and the hand closed over his.

The darkness outside the house left Jiang Xu feeling indifferent. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was or where he was going. But at the very least, this long winter night was finally coming to a close.

Support After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff