After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 22

When it was over, Jiang Xu was on the verge of collapse. He lay on the desk with his consciousness fading, allowing Shen Yucheng to wipe his body and dress him. By the time he was lifted and carried bridal-style, his mind was in a complete daze.

Shen Yucheng slid open the door to find Tongtong standing there, clutching a plush toy. “What’s wrong?”

With teary eyes, Tongtong grabbed Shen Yucheng’s trouser leg. “Mommy…” Remembering Jiang Xu’s words, he sniffled and corrected himself. “Uncle.” He looked up at Jiang Xu, who was fast asleep in Shen Yucheng’s arms. “Was Daddy crying just now?”

Shen Yucheng’s expression softened. “Daddy wasn’t crying; he’s just asleep. By the way, are you hungry?”

Tongtong shook his head. Shen Yucheng offered a rare, gentle smile. “I’m going to give Daddy a bath. Also, remember to call me ‘Mommy’ from now on. You can’t call me ‘Uncle’ anymore, okay?”

“But Daddy said you aren’t Mommy…”

“That’s because Daddy is angry with Mommy. When people are angry, what they say doesn’t count.”

Tongtong was confused, adult matters were far too complicated but he nodded obediently.

Shen Yucheng carried Jiang Xu into the bathroom and drew a bath. By then, Jiang Xu had woken up. The warm water enveloped his body, yet the internal heat had not subsided. His mind wandered, and his tall frame began to slide down the side of the tub. Shen Yucheng grabbed his arm to pull him up, but as soon as he let go, Jiang Xu slipped back into the water.

“Jiang Xu, are you still not awake?” Shen Yucheng pulled him out again.

“My head hurts.” Jiang Xu looked up. His face was wet, and damp strands of hair clung to his cheeks. His usually composed and steady face looked much less distant.

Shen Yucheng leaned down to kiss Jiang Xu’s wet face. “Why don’t you sleep here tonight?” As he spoke, he rested his forehead against Jiang Xu’s. “You’re a bit warm. Do you have a fever?”

Jiang Xu shook his head, frowning. He felt incredibly hot, but he knew it wasn’t a pathological fever. The intense encounter had left his pheromones in total disarray; he was struggling to suppress the turbulent waves crashing inside him.

If he didn’t take suppressants soon, he might not even be able to make it to work tomorrow.

“Take me back in a bit,” Jiang Xu panted softly.

“Mhm.” Shen Yucheng said nothing more, silently helping Jiang Xu clean up.

On the way back, Jiang Xu curled up in the shadows of the backseat. Tongtong sat beside him, chirping “Daddy” one moment and “Mommy” the next. The child was excited, acting as if they weren’t heading back to a cramped staff apartment but were going on a family outing.

Jiang Xu drifted between chills and heat, lacking the strength to correct the child. He let the boy chatter back and forth with Shen Yucheng.

Neon lights flickered, illuminating Shen Yucheng’s features in the driver’s seat. In his daze, Jiang Xu felt as if he had returned to years ago, lying in bed and watching Shen Yucheng’s profile as he flipped through law school materials under the nightlight.

The car arrived at the staff dormitory. Jiang Xu picked up the sleeping Tongtong, nodded his thanks to Shen Yucheng, and got out.

Shen Yucheng leaned against the car door, watching Jiang Xu disappear behind the rusted iron gate. The sensor lights in the old stairwell flickered on floor by floor, then dimmed one by one, finally stopping at the third floor. The night wind blew against him; he wrapped his trench coat tighter, withdrew his gaze, and drove away.

On the balcony of Unit 302, He Xianxing leaned against the dark railing. The red glow of the taillights gradually faded from his face. He toyed with a lighter with a look of boredom; the flame flickered, casting shifting shadows across his face.

Once home, Jiang Xu put the child to bed before heading to his own room to find his suppressants, swallowing several pills at once.

The pills felt like they were burning his insides. He clutched his stomach and forced himself back onto the bed. Sharp pain seeped into his very marrow. Jiang Xu closed his eyes, his breathing slow and heavy.

Under the influence of the medication, the restless pheromones were gradually smoothed over. Jiang Xu gripped the corner of his bedsheet tightly, the veins on the back of his hand throbbing. He remained curled in a fetal position, praying for sleep to arrive.

Early the next morning, Jiang Xu was jolted awake by the sound of an electric drill from upstairs.

His body was still heavy with fatigue. He touched his forehead; although it was still warm, it was much better than the night before. After washing up, Jiang Xu took a few more suppressants. The bottle was nearly empty, with only one pill rattling at the bottom, so he took that one as well.

When he took Tongtong to kindergarten, he ran into several movers carrying furniture. The items looked expensive and felt out of place in such an old apartment complex.

Noticing the drilling sound was coming from Unit 401 directly above him, Jiang Xu asked, “Excuse me, is this furniture for 401?”

The worker nodded. Seeing Jiang Xu about to speak, the man assumed he was complaining about the noise and quickly explained that they had permission from management. Jiang Xu smiled and shook his head, saying it was fine.

Su Wan was still refusing to provide any useful information in detention. Since Jiang Xu had no field assignments today, he logged into the bureau’s system to download files within his clearance mostly regarding the kidnapping case from five years ago.

Due to the double blow to his physical and mental health, he hadn’t followed the case after the incident. After returning to G-City, he had focused entirely on escaping the past, avoiding any related news. He knew very little about how the case had finally concluded.

Jiang Xu rested his chin on his hand as he browsed the files. With his limited clearance, most of what he could access was content already published by the media.

“Tycoon Gu Junyan has not given up the search for ‘Themis in the Rain and Mist,’ vowing to recover the masterpiece regardless of the cost.”

“The estimated market value of the missing painting has exceeded 240 million USD.”

“The General Bureau has issued a Class-A warrant for the sole remaining fugitive.”

“The 11-year-old boy who tragically lost his life in the crossfire has yet to be claimed by any relatives.”

Jiang Xu closed the windows and leaned back. In the office, his colleagues had already headed home; only the clock on the wall continued its steady rotation. He used a stiff hand to wipe the cold sweat from his brow.

From the moment he decided to return to G-City to just “get by,” Jiang Xu had planned to run forever. But as time passed, another voice would inevitably whisper in his heart: Is this really enough?

Once that thought surfaced, his mundane days became a form of torture. Shen Yucheng’s reappearance had given him a reason and an opportunity to face the past.

Step over it.

Step over it…

Like stepping over a puddle after the rain; like crossing the bay between G-City and S-City.

A wave of heat surged within him alongside his wavering thoughts. Jiang Xu reached for the teacup on his desk. The tea was stone cold, yet drinking it did nothing to quench the fire inside him.

This restlessness—Jiang Xu suddenly realized—could it be a heat cycle?

But how…

He took suppressants regularly. Aside from the night of the welcome dinner where alcohol had triggered it, he hadn’t experienced a heat cycle in years. Was it because of yesterday? As he was thinking, a shadow fell over him. He looked up to find Shen Yucheng standing beside him.

Startled, Jiang Xu immediately asked, “Did Su Wan talk?”

“No,” Shen Yucheng said, his lips pressed thin by habit.

“Then why are you…”

“…”

Jiang Xu sat up, waiting for Shen Yucheng to speak. Instead, he felt a palm against his skin.

The sudden, cool hand pressed against Jiang Xu’s forehead made him instinctively squint. Shen Yucheng’s fingertips brushed against his feverish eyelid. “You’re still warm. Did you not take medicine after going back yesterday?”

“I did.” Suppressants are medicine too, aren’t they?

“Are you clocking out?”

“I was planning to pick up Tongtong.”

“I’ll drive you. It’s on my way.” Shen Yucheng jingled a pair of car keys in his hand. Before Jiang Xu could reply, a cheerful, clear voice rang out from outside the office.

“Team Leader Shen, take me too!”

Jiang Xu turned to see He Xianxing smiling brightly. “It’s on my way too. Team Leader, be a sport and let me hitch a ride.”

Shen Yucheng glanced at He Xianxing. If looks could kill, He Xianxing would have been unconscious on the floor.

Unfortunately, it was not to be.

Shen Yucheng gave a cold snort. “Inspector He, your life must have been incredibly smooth.”

He Xianxing replied with pride, “In my twenty-six years, I have certainly faced a few crises.”

“I doubt it,” Shen Yucheng said. He was taller than He Xianxing, and when they stood face-to-face, he looked down at him with disdain. “Even if someone came at you with a knife, I imagine your thick skin would save you from any harm.”

“Team Leader Shen, you really are from the Integrity Bureau. You have none of the ‘protecting the lives and property of the people’ mission statement that we have in the security system. To talk so carelessly about ‘stabbing people’, it really breaks the hearts of us common folk.”

“Speaking of wild talk, the Inspector is the pride of the bureau.”

Just as He Xianxing was about to retort, Jiang Xu pressed his hand to his forehead. “Stop it.”

The bickering made his head throb. “You two go together. I’ll pick up Tongtong myself.”

Shen Yucheng & He Xianxing: “…”

In the end, all three of them picked up Tongtong and returned to the staff dormitory together.

Jiang Xu watched Shen Yucheng calmly pull out an access card, and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind. “Shen Yucheng, don’t tell me…”

“Exactly,” Shen Yucheng said, looking calmly at Jiang Xu. “I moved into 401. From now on, we’re neighbors too.”

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