Silent Testimony - Chapter 42

The night wind swept through the grass, making rustling sounds. The man on Qiu Wan’s left, clutching his shoulder, stammered fearfully, “Wh-who is the person you’re looking for?”

“It must be the person we were supposed to find,” the fallen man said. He then stood up shakily, concealing his movements under his long sleeve to pull a switchblade from his pocket. He lunged forward frantically, shouting, “Brother Niu, if she catches us, we’ll go to jail! We might as well fight! Zhu Er, Chen San, Liu Da, let’s go together!”

However, before his blade could descend, Qiu Wan twisted his hand away. The switchblade clattered to the ground and was kicked two meters away.

The man screamed, “Aaaah—!”

Qiu Wan’s eyebrows were long, and her eyes were deep and clear. “If I used force, your wrist would definitely be dislocated…” Her tone was light and breezy. As the words left her lips, the driver’s fist swung toward her like a gale. Alert, she quickly moved her left foot forward, dodged the attack, and immediately spun right, turning her palm into a blade to fiercely strike the back of the driver’s neck.

“Who is she? Her skills are intense.”

“No matter how good she is, one person can’t fight four hands.” Zhu Er, who had come to assist, spotted an opening, wrapped his elbow around her neck from behind, and roared, “I don’t believe we can’t take you down!” Qiu Wan’s stern face flushed crimson. She countered by punching the man’s abdomen and chest with her free hand.

“I’m not letting go!” Zhu Er pressed his elbow down, his raw strength hitting her rear shoulder, and he reminded his stunned accomplices, “Hurry up and grab the knife!”

Qiu Wan’s left shoulder was injured, making it impossible to use her full strength for an over-the-shoulder throw. As she considered other options, Zhu Er behind her suddenly let out a muffled groan, followed by a shout, “Who threw a rock at me?”

In the darkness, Cheng Yingqiu quietly climbed out of the pit. Not wanting to be a burden or cause trouble, she was hiding behind a tree. When she saw four or five men working together to surround Qiu Wan, her anxiety mounted. In a flash of inspiration, she grabbed an egg-sized stone and threw it at Zhu Er.

Qiu Wan took advantage of his distraction, quickly dropped her shoulder and sidestepped right, seizing the opponent’s vulnerable knee and throwing him to the ground.

The man Qiu Wan had initially subdued, seeing the situation worsen, shouted, “Zhu Er, she’s a police officer from Puchen. They definitely have backup coming! Run away!”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Zhu Er scrambled to retreat next to the driver. They whispered a plan for a moment, and then he suddenly yelled, “Split up! She can only chase one of us!” As the man finished speaking, they swiftly scattered and ran in all directions.

Qiu Wan moved swiftly, stepping forward and gripping the shoulder of a man about two meters away.

Chen San trembled violently, looking at her with terrified eyes. “G-Grandma, I don’t know anything! Catching me is useless!”

Qiu Wan reached out, pulled off his mask, and stared at the man’s young face, asking in a low voice, “How old are you?”

“Twenty next month.”

“Do you know what crime you’ve committed?”

“I know it’s against the law, but I don’t know the specifics,” Chen San said, his face pale. “I was responsible for keeping watch at Yanzi Pass. If I spotted any unfamiliar cars, I would notify Brother Zhu Er.”

“Zhu Er’s contact information?”

Chen San handed her his phone. “If I don’t meet up with them, Brother Zhu Er definitely won’t answer your call.”

Qiu Wan pulled out her handcuffs from her waist and cuffed him without a word.

“Hey! I told you everything, why are you still arresting me?”

“You’re the one being arrested,” Cheng Yingqiu said, walking slowly toward them, limping as she watched the others flee in panic. She saw the surprise on Qiu Wan’s face and calmly explained, “I didn’t want to be a burden to you, so I hid.”

“Mhm.” Qiu Wan examined her, frowning as she asked, “Why are you limping?”

“I twisted my ankle when I climbed out the window and landed,” Cheng Yingqiu said, pursing her lips. Her voice was muffled, hinting at unexpressed grievances. “It didn’t hurt a moment ago, but now walking is difficult.”

While they were talking, Chen San tried to slip away but was caught by Qiu Wan, who turned her head to warn him, “Resisting arrest will result in a heavy sentence.”

Cheng Yingqiu glared at him. “Sister Qiu, they run an underground casino, loan money at exorbitant rates, and make a fortune every day.”

“Your colleague mentioned it.”

Xiao Zhou arrived with two or three police officers from the local station as backup. Lights flickered in the distance, and the sound of hurried footsteps drew nearer.

Qiu Wan raised her flashlight to signal: “Over here!”

Xiao Zhou quickened his pace, following the source of the voice.

After watching the officers escort Chen San away, Qiu Wan turned and looked at the person half a head shorter than her, calling her by name: “Cheng Yingqiu, do you understand how dangerous tonight’s action was?” Her words were critical, but her tone was unusually gentle.

Cheng Yingqiu lowered her head, not daring to look at her, and mumbled, “It’s my job.”

Qiu Wan spoke sternly: “Work should also be carried out under the premise of safety. You could have told me beforehand, and I would have called people to assist.”

Cheng Yingqiu scoffed softly: “From the police station? If they were effective, Yan Min wouldn’t have looked for the TV station.”

“Yan Min?”

“Yes, Yan Min asked us for help. His brother lost over a million yuan at the casino, and reporting it to the police yielded no response.” Cheng Yingqiu recounted the entire process of the request and the TV station’s plan. “This was an undercover investigation, requiring secrecy. How could I have possibly notified you?”

“Even an undercover investigation requires understanding the risks and hidden dangers and taking safety precautions,” Qiu Wan’s face darkened. “Or are you saying you don’t even trust me?”

Cheng Yingqiu vehemently denied it: “No! I absolutely trust you! Otherwise, why would I have Wei Yu contact you?”

“Is that so?” The cloudiness in Qiu Wan’s eyes gradually dispersed. She pulled out her phone and walked to the side to make a call.

“Hello, Xiao Qiu.”

“Chief Liu, sorry to disturb you late at night.”

“It’s alright, go ahead.”

Qiu Wan relayed every detail of what she had seen and heard in Wanyang over the past two days to Chief Liu.

“Mhm, let’s talk about this when I get back.”

“Also, Qian Gang seems to be connected to the casino.”

“How so?”

“His source of income is unclear, and the driver from his illegal taxi company was ferrying customers to the casino.” The officer who came as reinforcement recognized the man’s identity and stated that he was a driver for Qian Gang’s company.

“We’ll merge the cases for investigation. I’ll send you more people.”

“Good.” Qiu Wan waited for the other party to hang up. As she turned back, Cheng Yingqiu suddenly appeared before her, smiling brightly. “I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

“Mhm.”

Cheng Yingqiu’s smile was radiant: “Sister Qiu, after deep reflection, I know where I went wrong.”

Qiu Wan suppressed the involuntary curve of her lips. “Tell me.”

“My mistake was my lack of experience and overconfidence,” Cheng Yingqiu said softly. “But even if something went wrong, I believed you could save me!” Her praises flowed freely. “You’re so amazing, you can definitely protect me, right?”

“Enough,” Qiu Wan said, her cheeks faintly colored—she had never been complimented so openly. Embarrassed, she turned her back and said in a low voice, “Get on.”

Cheng Yingqiu froze. “Huh?”

Qiu Wan was brief: “Your foot is injured.”

Faced with such obvious consideration, Cheng Yingqiu’s breathing hitched. She looked at the woman’s back, her suddenly pounding heart thrumming in her ears. She said bashfully, “No, your shoulder is hurting too.”

“It’s fine.”

“I can walk slowly.” Cheng Yingqiu tried to move, but every step sent a stabbing pain through her.

“Xiao Qiu, it’s almost 2 a.m. I’m taking you to the hospital to have a doctor check if there’s any bone damage.”

Qiu Wan’s words left no room for argument, striking her heart one by one. As Cheng Yingqiu considered her unusual reaction, the other woman said gently, “Be obedient.”

“Be obedient” had the same magic as “be good.” As someone who adored her older sister, how could she refuse? She reached out and climbed onto Qiu Wan’s back, wrapping her arms around her neck, and whispered shyly, “Thank you.”

“No need to say thanks.”

Cheng Yingqiu used the flashlight to illuminate the path. With them pressed so close, the subtle fragrance of Qiu Wan’s hair wafted directly into her nose. She had never been in such close contact with a woman whose orientation she knew to be the same, so her back stiffened, and her mind felt increasingly foggy.

Qiu Wan noticed her silence and tried to make conversation: “Xiao Qiu, speaking of which, we’ve known each other for almost six years now, haven’t we?”

“Huh?” Why the sudden mention of the past? Cheng Yingqiu swallowed. “Yes, we have.”

“I thought you were quite outstanding and cute even back then.”

Cheng Yingqiu was uncharacteristically quiet: “Oh.”

“Liang Bing seems to be pursuing graduate studies in Yancheng? She should be doing well now.” Qiu Wan and Liang Bing had met years ago through a forum and shared mutual friends. Although Qiu Wan hadn’t actively sought updates, she sometimes heard snippets at gatherings.

“Mhm. She’s at the Communication University, and she’ll definitely stay in Yancheng after graduation.” Cheng Yingqiu subconsciously gossiped, “Have you forgiven her?”

Qiu Wan smiled slightly. “Forgiven? We broke up years ago. Why talk about forgiving? She was just immature and crossed my line, but she’s an excellent and kind kid.”

Cheng Yingqiu couldn’t help but admire her: “Wow, you are so broad-minded.”

“Girls deserve to be treated gently.”

Cheng Yingqiu blurted out: “Exactly! That’s why I like girls too!”

Qiu Wan was confused: “Hm?”

“Sister Qiu, I won’t hide it from you. I realized I prefer women back in middle school. They’re wonderful,” Cheng Yingqiu chatted freely when discussing her sexual orientation. “I love shipping couples. Have you seen Doctor X? The surgeon and the anesthetist—they’re just partners in the show, but I ship them intensely.”

“I haven’t seen it.”

Cheng Yingqiu strongly recommended it: “Watch it! You will absolutely love it!”

“Alright, noted the recommendation.”

Cheng Yingqiu’s face lit up with a smile. As she moved her right hand holding the flashlight, the white beam fell upon Qiu Wan’s side neck. She inadvertently caught sight of it, and her eyes instantly grew teary.

“Hm? Why did you suddenly stop talking?”

“Sister Qiu, what’s wrong with your neck…”

Qiu Wan’s smile didn’t fade: “My skin is quite sensitive. I bruise easily when pressure is applied.”

“Did that man strangle you?” Cheng Yingqiu reached out to touch it, her movements slow and gentle. “Does it hurt?”

As the girl’s finger slowly stroked the reddened skin, an indescribable feeling swept through Qiu Wan’s heart. She called out softly to stop her: “Xiao Qiu, it’s fine. Don’t move around…”