Chapter 322: Terrifying Ancient Martial Arts

Lin Yuan's face turned red with a "swish", his ears even felt hot, and his speech came out a bit stammered.

"You... what are you trying to do?"

He shrank back, his eyes darting away, not daring to look at Yin Yirou, his voice full of panic: "I... I don't even want to talk about having a girlfriend."

Seeing his flustered state, Yin Yirou first froze, then rolled her eyes, her tone tinged with exasperated annoyance.

"What are you thinking?"

"Who said I want to be your girlfriend?" She turned her face away, fingertips lightly brushing the hem of her clothes, as if trying to hide her earlier embarrassment, "I mean, I could be your sister..."

After hearing that, Lin Yuan's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, his eyes full of speechlessness.

He fell silent for two seconds, then still shook his head, his tone matter-of-fact: "I don't need a sister either."

One sentence, directly rejecting Yin Yirou's suggestion, without any ambiguity.

The slyness on Yin Yirou's face vanished completely, replaced by a faint helplessness; she let out a soft sigh and stopped pressing the matter.

She picked up the empty white porcelain bowl on the table, stood up, and said, "Alright then, I won't disturb you."

"I've finished breakfast, I'll wash the bowl before I leave." Saying that, she carried the bowl toward the kitchen.

Lin Yuan wanted to stop her, but as he rose, he heard water running from the kitchen, so he sat back down.

Not long after, Yin Yirou came out of the kitchen wiping her hands, still holding the spoon she had just used, now clean.

"I'm leaving," she said as she reached the door, glancing back at Lin Yuan with a calm tone, "You probably didn't rest well last night either—get some good rest at home."

Lin Yuan nodded, said nothing more, watched her open the door, gently close it, and her footsteps fade away.

The room fell silent in an instant, save for the occasional birdcall from outside the window.

Lin Yuan sat back down on the sofa, and as he leaned back, a familiar gardenia fragrance began to linger around his nostrils.

It was the scent from Yin Yirou's body, still lingering on the sofa—fresh and clean, just as pleasant as when she had leaned in earlier.

He instinctively reached out and touched the spot where Yin Yirou had been sitting.

On the leather sofa, her body heat still lingered, warm and cozy, unlike the sofa's natural coolness.

His fingers lingered there, his gaze a bit vacant, his mind inexplicably recalling how she had leaned in just moments before—

Her long eyelashes, soft lips, and the bright, sparkling light in her eyes when she said she could be his sister.

The room was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat; the gardenia scent and lingering warmth seemed to have taken root in the air, refusing to dissipate.

……

Evening, City Public Security Bureau.

Mu Lingxue rubbed her throbbing temples as she walked out of the interrogation room.

The four robbers were as tight-lipped as iron plates; after a full day of questioning, they still hadn't yielded a shred of useful information.

She leaned against the hallway wall, let out a long sigh, fatigue seeping down her spine until she could barely lift her arms.

She took a deep breath; her stomach felt a little hungry.

Mu Lingxue's fingertip glided over the screen, she dialed Lin Yuan's number; amid the busy tone in the earpiece, she composed herself, trying to sound less tired.

"Hello, Lin Yuan?" she said the moment the call connected.

Lin Yuan's voice came through the earpiece, still calm: "Officer Mu, what's up?"

"Nothing else, I just wanted to ask how you're doing," Mu Lingxue said, sitting up straight, her tone sincere: "I've been reviewing a case all day, and only now did I remember—I'd like to treat you to a meal, if that's convenient for you."

After a pause, she recalled that Lin Yuan might have been injured earlier, and quickly added: "By the way, you were hurt—are you able to eat normally now?"

"It's fine, just a minor wound; it's healing, I'm all right," Lin Yuan's voice paused, then added, "No need for a meal."

Mu Lingxue, however, insisted on treating Lin Yuan to a meal.

In the end, Lin Yuan could only agree.

Worried that Lin Yuan might have trouble getting around, Mu Lingxue proactively suggested coming to his place to eat, and she would buy groceries and cook.

Lin Yuan blinked, then didn't refuse.

After hanging up, Mu Lingxue rushed to the supermarket, pushing her cart to pick out fish, greens, ribs, and deliberately bought a soft-shelled turtle, fully intending to show off her cooking skills.

When she arrived at Lin Yuan's door holding two big bags of groceries, her face still held a hint of eager anticipation.

Lin Yuan opened the door, saw the groceries in her hands, raised an eyebrow: "You bought all this?"

"I'll make extra to nourish you," Mu Lingxue said, walking into the kitchen as if she owned it, setting the vegetables on the cutting board, rolling up her sleeves, ready to get to work: "Just sit and wait; I'll handle the cooking today."

Lin Yuan didn't say more, leaning against the kitchen doorway watching her bustle about.

In the back of his mind, he recalled how capable she had been at the crime scene, and now he was curious to see what her cooking looked like.

But not long after, a loud "clang" came from the kitchen.

Lin Yuan poked his head in to see Mu Lingxue crouched on the floor, holding the kitchen knife that had fallen, while the green peppers on the cutting board had rolled all over the floor.

"It's fine, it's fine," Mu Lingxue waved her hands, picked up the knife, and began washing the ribs—only to turn the faucet too high, splashing water all over herself, instantly soaking the front of her clothes.

She fumbled to shut off the faucet, then turned to pour oil, but didn't notice the markings on the oil bottle and "glug-glug" poured too much, the oil sloshing lazily in the pan, making Lin Yuan break out in a sweat for her.

When the oil heated, she tossed the ribs into the pan with a "sizzle"; oil droplets flew out instantly, startling Mu Lingxue into jumping back a step, nearly knocking over the spice rack behind her.

The soy sauce bottle on the rack fell with a "thud", hitting the floor and spilling soy sauce everywhere, a dark puddle.

Mu Lingxue looked at the mess all over the floor—

the oily stovetop, the fallen soy sauce bottle, the uncut green peppers, her soaked clothes, and the ribs in the pan about to burn; her face flushed instantly, and she stood there, helpless.

Lin Yuan watched her helpless state, walked over, gently pulled her aside, and said, "Let me handle this."

He grabbed a rag, first wiped the soy sauce off the floor, then scooped the ribs out of the pot, washed the pot again—his movements were so practiced they were almost unreal.

Mu Lingxue stood to the side, watching Lin Yuan chop vegetables, pour oil, and stir-fry in an orderly fashion, the pan soon filling with aroma.

Comparing her own earlier frantic flailing, she scratched her head embarrassedly: "I never imagined my cooking would be this bad..."

"Let me help you..." Mu Lingxue said, lending Lin Yuan a hand.

What was supposed to be her cooking duty has now turned into Lin Yuan, the injured patient, preparing the food……

This is too embarrassing.

Lin Yuan turned his head and glanced at her, smiling lightly: "It's fine; if you want to eat again next time, I'll just make it."

Mu Lingxue looked at his profile; the sunset streamed through the kitchen window, bathing him in a warm glow, and she suddenly felt a pleasant warmth inside, her fatigue seeming to ease considerably.

Soon after, Lin Yuan brought out three dishes, the rising heat carrying the aroma straight into Mu Lingxue's nose.

The steamed fish on the plate glistened with a moist sheen, scallion and ginger threads spread atop, the broth clear; just smelling it made one's mouth water with freshness.

The stir-fried greens beside it were glossy green, looking crisp and fresh, not wilted at all.

There was also a plate of braised pork ribs, the sauce evenly coated, the oil glossy, the fragrance seeping into every bone crevice.

Mu Lingxue picked up her chopsticks, first picking up a piece of fish meat and putting it in her mouth——

The fish meat was so tender it hardly needed chewing; a light sip melted on the tip of her tongue, the delicious broth coating the meat, with no fishy smell, and even the bones had been cleaned away.

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she took another chopsticks of greens, the crisp, refreshing texture with a hint of sweetness perfectly cutting through the richness of the ribs.

"Your cooking is absolutely amazing!" Mu Lingxue exclaimed, still with food in her mouth, her voice full of shock, "It's even better than what my mother makes!"

Lin Yuan sat opposite, watching her wolf down the food, the corner of his mouth twitching as he passed over a bowl of rice: "Eat slowly, there's more."

Mu Lingxue took the bowl, scooped a large spoonful of rice, and ate it together with the ribs.

The ribs were stewed until fall-apart tender; a light bite would release the bone, the sauce rich and fragrant, even the rice picked up the aroma.

She unknowingly finished a bowl of rice, then added a second, completely forgetting her weight-loss plan.

By the time she set down her chopsticks, she was already stuffed.

Two-thirds of the three dishes had been eaten; she rubbed her stomach and sighed contentedly: "It's over, my weight-loss plan is completely ruined, but this meal was worth it!"

After finishing the meal, Mu Lingxue cleared the bowls and chopsticks.

As she walked out of the kitchen, she brewed a cup of hot tea for Lin Yuan.

She recalled how Lin Yuan had moved with ease when he caught the thugs last time, and couldn't help asking: "Lin Yuan, your skill in apprehending people last time was incredible, wasn't it?"

"Could you teach me?" she said, eyes sparkling, "If everyone in the criminal police unit could learn a couple of moves, catching criminals would be safer in the future."

Lin Yuan's hand paused mid-wipe, he lifted his head to look at her, his tone casual: "It's just some amateurish kung fu, nothing worth showing off, I can't teach anyone."

"That's not amateurish at all!" Mu Lingxue snapped, "That thug last time was huge, yet you subdued him in just a couple of moves—this is clearly genuine skill!"

Lin Yuan, however, didn't respond further, merely smiled, lifted his teacup and drank, having no intention of relenting.

Mu Lingxue knew he was unwilling to teach.

She could only let it go.

Just then, Mu Lingxue's phone suddenly rang, its sharp ringtone breaking the post-meal calm, the screen flashing 'Xiao Zhang'—her capable subordinate in the criminal police unit.

Mu Lingxue's eyes narrowed, and she hastily answered the call.

"Captain Mu! Something big has happened!" Xiao Zhang's voice burst from the earpiece, trembling with panic, "Those four thugs in the interrogation room… have escaped! It happened just a few minutes ago!"

Mu Lingxue's face turned ashen in an instant, she sprang up from the sofa, forgetting to grab her coat: "How did they escape? Was the door not locked? What about the handcuffs?"

"The iron door of the interrogation room was forced open! It's all deformed!" Xiao Zhang's voice shook violently, "But the handcuffs didn't budge! The four sets of handcuffs and shackles are still firmly clamped to the ground, the locks unopened, yet the people have vanished into thin air! The surveillance didn't capture them leaving."

Mu Lingxue hung up, snatched her coat from the sofa, and rushed toward the door, her voice full of urgency: "The thugs escaped! I have to rush back to the police station right away!"

"Wait a moment." Lin Yuan also rose at that time, handing over his own coat with a casual motion, his tone steadier than hers yet carrying an unquestionable seriousness: "I'm coming with you."

Mu Lingxue's steps halted, she turned to look at him, eyes full of surprise: "You…… don't need to trouble yourself, I can handle this on my own."

"It's not trouble." Lin Yuan shook his head, his gaze gaining a few degrees of solemnity.

"Once a master of ancient martial arts escapes, he's no ordinary fugitive,"

He lifted his hand to check the time, then took two steps toward the door: "If they intend revenge or to offend again, your investigators will be in great danger; my going might allow me to spot some clues."

Mu Lingxue didn't refuse further, she nodded, and the two hurried downstairs; the car door slammed shut with a bang, the engine roaring, the Range Rover sped off toward the police station.

On the way, Mu Lingxue's grip on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles whitened, her mind repeatedly replaying Xiao Zhang's words——

The door was broken, the handcuffs weren't opened, the people vanished—this simply defies common sense.

Lin Yuan sat in the passenger seat, saying little, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee, his gaze fixed on the street scenery flying backward outside the window.

Twenty minutes later, the car had just pulled up to the police station entrance when Xiao Zhang came running over, stumbling, his face still dusted with grime—clearly he had just been busy.

"Captain Mu!!" Xiao Zhang gasped for breath, grabbing them and sprinting toward the interrogation room, "Everything's still exactly as it was, nobody dares to touch anything, we've just been waiting for you to return and investigate!"

Mu Lingxue hurried into the interrogation room; the moment she pushed the door open, she sucked in a breath of cold air.

The exterior of the heavy iron door showed a clear dent, its edges crumpled from the impact, as if it had been smashed open by brute force, with several shards of fallen iron scattered on the floor.

In the center of the interrogation room, four pairs of handcuffs lay neatly scattered on the floor, each still in the closed position, the locks gleaming, with not a trace of having been pried open, and even faint residual scratches could be seen on them——

These were left from when the thugs were previously cuffed.

"Look at these handcuffs……" Mu Lingxue squatted down, picked up a pair and turned them over in her hands, her voice tinged with trembling:

"The locks are fine! They haven't been opened at all! How did they get out from inside?"

Lin Yuan also entered at this point, his gaze sweeping over the handcuffs on the floor.

He squatted down, his fingers lightly touching the inside of the handcuffs, then compared the inner diameter with his own wrist, and suddenly looked up, his eyes also growing a few degrees grave:

"It's the Bone Shrinking Technique."