After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 9

The following afternoon, Jiang Xu returned to the Public Security Bureau after finishing his patrol duty.

As he reached out to push open the glass door, a well-dressed middle-aged woman placed her hand on the handle at the same time. Jiang Xu’s eyes met hers. She wore exquisite makeup that carefully concealed the fine lines at the corners of her eyes; she appeared to be in her early forties.

The woman quickly averted her gaze after making eye contact. Jiang Xu held the door open for her. She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and stepped into the lobby ahead of him.

Not far away, Xiao Zhang from the Criminal Investigation Department waved to her, and the two walked toward the stairwell together.

Jiang Xu entered his office. A colleague sitting by the door was looking down at his phone, ordering takeout. As Jiang Xu passed by, the colleague suddenly looked up, appearing shocked. “Xu-ge, did you eat chocolate?”

Jiang Xu didn’t react immediately. After a brief pause, he realized it was likely because he had slept with He Xianxing the previous night and was still carrying the other man’s pheromones. He followed his colleague’s lead. “I had a cup of hot cocoa on the way back from patrol. By the way, what was that woman at the door doing in the Criminal Investigation Department?”

This colleague was close friends with Xiao Zhang. Sure enough, he glanced at the silhouette disappearing around the corner of the stairs. “A while back, didn’t you and Inspector He catch a mugger? The bag that was stolen has been sitting in the bureau because no one came to claim it. Xiao Zhang mentioned the owner finally called yesterday saying she’d pick it up today. That must have been her.”

“That bag was a luxury brand, wasn’t it?”

“You bet. A bag like that costs over a hundred thousand; I heard there’s even a waiting list to buy one.” The colleague tossed his phone onto the desk and sighed. “To have something that expensive stolen and wait days to claim it—rich people really are outrageous.”

Jiang Xu smiled noncommittally.

A short while later, the woman came downstairs carrying the bag, led by Xiao Zhang. The two spoke in front of the lobby doors. The woman held the bag handles with both hands and bowed to Xiao Zhang, seemingly in gratitude.

As the woman turned and left, Jiang Xu hesitated for a moment before standing up to follow.

His colleague was puzzled. “Hey, Xu-ge, leaving again?”

Jiang Xu simply left a brief “Field duty” behind and hurried out of the bureau.

The moment he stepped outside, the woman flagged down a taxi. Just as Jiang Xu was considering hailing a car himself, a car horn honked behind him. He turned to see He Xianxing sitting in the driver’s seat, gesturing for him to get in.

“Where were you just now?” Jiang Xu asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

He Xianxing didn’t answer directly. He simply said, “Hang on,” and floored the accelerator. The engine of the old government car roared under the strain. Jiang Xu frowned, grabbing the overhead handle. “Careful.”

“Don’t worry. I was top of my class in tracking every year at school.” He Xianxing’s lips curled up in a relaxed smile. “Speaking of which, why are you following her?”

Jiang Xu watched the taxi slow down at a red light. “I just felt there was something off about that woman.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“That bag isn’t something an ordinary working-class person can just buy. If such an expensive item is stolen and the owner doesn’t come for it for days, it means losing a hundred thousand isn’t an urgent matter for them.” Jiang Xu recalled the woman’s demeanor. “If it were you, how would you normally carry a bag?”

“Hmm…” He Xianxing thought about it. “Normally, I’d hold it by the handles, hook it on my arm, sling it over one shoulder, or wear it crossbody.”

“Exactly. But just now, I saw that woman gripping the handles tightly with both hands from start to finish. Even though her expression looked relaxed, holding a bag like that is too stiff.”

Jiang Xu’s fingertips unconsciously rubbed the seatbelt. “By the way, when you caught the mugger, didn’t you see the owner?”

“Well, I was passing a mall on my way home from work when I saw a security guard shouting ‘Robbery,’ so I rushed in. When the backup arrived later, the bag’s owner had already left. They checked the mall surveillance, but couldn’t get a clear look at her face.”

“She lost something that valuable, someone chased the thief for her, and she wasn’t even willing to wait a few minutes.”

“That’s true,” He Xianxing added. “But I checked with Xiao Zhang just now. He said the woman’s identification was fine. These luxury goods aren’t mass-produced; each one can be traced. Xiao Zhang confirmed with the store staff that the person who bought the bag used the same card and signature as this woman.”

“A card and a signature aren’t exactly tied to a person’s identity,” Jiang Xu said, leaning against the window. “I saw her at the door. Her hands showed no signs of careful maintenance. The edges of her nails were uneven, looking like they’d been in water for a long time, which makes the nails soft and prone to wear. It doesn’t match her overly refined, high-end outfit.” He glanced at He Xianxing’s profile. “What about you? What do you think?”

“Ha, do you want the truth or a lie?” He Xianxing scratched his cheek.

Jiang Xu settled into his seat, his eyes half-closed with exhaustion.

He Xianxing glanced at him in the rearview mirror and smiled. “Actually, I spent the morning napping in the car. I couldn’t help it; I went to sleep too late last night.” Jiang Xu kept his eyes closed and frowned. He Xianxing’s tone shifted to a serious note. “I saw her hovering at the entrance for a while and thought it looked suspicious, so I planned to follow her. Then I saw you come out.”

“Either way, this whole thing is strange,” Jiang Xu murmured, feeling drowsy. “It’s better to be cautious.”

The two followed the taxi to a quiet, detached villa in the suburbs. The woman got out, and a security guard opened the gate for her.

He Xianxing parked at a nearby intersection, watching her from a distance. “Looks like we can’t get in.”

It was a seaside villa with red tiles and white walls, surrounded by lush greenery in a French style. From the outside, it occupied at least six or seven hundred square meters. Its value was astronomical.

“Do you know where this is?” Jiang Xu asked. He Xianxing shook his head.

“This area is the preferred retirement spot for G-City officials.” In other words, whoever lived here was either incredibly wealthy or high-ranking.

He Xianxing leaned over the steering wheel, his bright eyes turning toward Jiang Xu. “Have you considered another reason why the owner was so slow to claim the bag?”

Jiang Xu thought for a moment. “You mean the owner’s identity makes them want to stay out of the bureau’s sight?”

He Xianxing said meaningfully, “Using someone else’s ID to buy luxury goods and then having them pick up the lost property. If our suspicions are correct, doesn’t it prove the real owner has a very sensitive identity?”

Jiang Xu didn’t answer immediately. Just then, a black sedan drove out of the villa’s garden. He Xianxing raised an eyebrow and looked at Jiang Xu.

That car belonged to Shen Yucheng.

“Things just got complicated.” He Xianxing rolled down the window. As Shen Yucheng’s car passed them, He Xianxing waved cheerfully. “Hi! What a coincidence, Team Leader Shen.”

Shen Yucheng appeared surprised to see them. His gaze flickered over Jiang Xu in the passenger seat. He gave a slight nod, then slowly rolled up his window and drove away.

He wasn’t driving fast; he clearly intended for the two to follow.

“What now?” He Xianxing propped his chin on his hand, looking poised. “Should we follow?”

Jiang Xu pressed his throbbing forehead, regretting getting involved in something that wasn’t his business. “We’ve come this far,” he said helplessly.

He Xianxing started the engine and followed.

Shen Yucheng drove to a cafe in the city. He got out and leaned against his car door, watching as He Xianxing slowly pulled the near-obsolete bureau car into the parking lot.

“The Team Leader has excellent taste,” He Xianxing said as he got out, a naive and enthusiastic smile on his face. “I heard the hand-poured coffee here is the best in G-City. It’s so expensive; I usually can’t afford to come here.”

“Is that so?” Shen Yucheng said flatly. “Then you should have a few extra cups today.”

“If the Team Leader is treating, then I’d be honored to accept. Right, Jiang Xu?”

Jiang Xu said nothing, unable to understand why He Xianxing was suddenly so cheerful.

Shen Yucheng watched He Xianxing enter the cafe. His pale face showed little warmth in the afternoon sun. “Since when has your taste become so poor?”

Jiang Xu felt the remark was uncalled for and gave a cold laugh. “Was it ever good?”

“At least it wasn’t this bad.”

“Not necessarily.”

Stunned by the retort, Shen Yucheng’s elegant face flickered with a mix of frustration and anger. Jiang Xu gave him a fleeting glance and walked straight into the cafe’s private room.

By the time Shen Yucheng entered, he had regained his composure. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his chin slightly raised. He looked at He Xianxing and Jiang Xu and asked coldly, “How did you find that villa?”

“Official business, of course,” He Xianxing replied. “But what about you, Team Leader Shen? Why were you coming out of that villa? Surely you aren’t…”

“I was also on official business.” Shen Yucheng cut off He Xianxing’s speculation. “A retired superintendent from S-City was reported for misconduct during his tenure, and the Integrity Bureau has opened an investigation. I’m in G-City to find his underground mistress.”

“Are you saying the owner of that villa is your target?”

“Yes.” Shen Yucheng crossed his legs, his expensive suit fabric remaining perfectly smooth. “And you? What is your ‘official business’ exactly?”

He Xianxing and Jiang Xu exchanged a look. Jiang Xu then briefly explained how they caught the mugger and why they suspected the woman who claimed the bag.

Shen Yucheng listened with an indifferent expression. Just then, a server came in with the coffee. As the server passed him, Shen Yucheng frowned slightly and discreetly covered his nose and mouth with his hand.

The server left after setting down He Xianxing’s latte, but a trace of Omega pheromones still lingered in the air.

Shen Yucheng took a sip of his coffee with a look of displeasure. “Your suspicions are correct. The woman who went to claim the bag is the villa owner’s live-in housekeeper.” His thick lashes cast a dark shadow over his refined face, hiding the emotions in his gray-blue eyes.

He set the cup down gently and looked up. “Actually, Officer Jiang is also acquainted with that retired superintendent from S-City.”

Jiang Xu’s fingers tightened around his coffee cup.

Shen Yucheng tapped his elegant, pale knuckles on the table and spoke slowly. “Your former direct superior. The man in charge of the June 13th kidnapping case five years ago: Zhang Yongfeng.”

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