Chapter 12: To Confess or to Deceive?

At 7 p.m. in New Aelidu, the nightfall spread slowly like a vast black silk, dotted with twinkling stars like brilliant gems embedded in the fabric.

“Thanks a lot for this—next time I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Ye Qingfeng and Zhu Yuan bid each other farewell at the entrance of a residential building not far from the Hare’s Den.

He had only told Zhu Yuan a general location; once there, he picked a residential building on the street and lied that he lived there.

After all, Ye Qingfeng didn’t know the local laws—could civilians even own firearms? And wasn’t the Hare’s Den, which kindly took him in, just an ordinary place?

Still, better to be cautious.

“It’s no trouble—it’s on my way. I live on the next street. I didn’t realize it was this close.”

Zhu Yuan hadn’t expected Ye Qingfeng lived so near. After chatting all the way, she felt a strong connection with him and now considered him her top choice for a friend.

“You have to work tomorrow—go home and rest early. I’ll take you out to eat this weekend.”

Ye Qingfeng hadn’t expected that his initial contact with Zhu Yuan was just to boost her favor, but after these hours together, the interaction had been pleasant and comfortable.

He believed that as long as there was no direct conflict of interest, she would become a close friend.

“Alright, I’ll message you when I’m free. See you next time~”

Zhu Yuan didn’t refuse; her cheeks flushed slightly as she smiled brightly and waved goodbye to Ye Qingfeng.

“Zhu Yuan...”

As Ye Qingfeng saw her about to turn away, his heart suddenly clenched, and he blurted out her name.

“What is it?”

Zhu Yuan halted her turn, tilting her head in confusion.

“I...” Ye Qingfeng took a deep breath, his gaze steady on her. “The family heirloom is fake... I lied to you.”

“I know.”

Zhu Yuan showed no expression, simply watching Ye Qingfeng quietly.

She had suspected the heirloom might be fake—but after spending time with him, she’d unconsciously put on a filter, choosing not to believe it...

She had just stepped out of the changing room in civilian clothes when an officer, as if waiting for her, handed her a test report.

The report stated, after inspection, it was ordinary glass.

The moment she read it, fury surged through her—she couldn’t accept such deception. She stormed toward the entrance of the Public Safety Bureau.

She needed to ask Ye Qingfeng why he had deceived her.

But as she neared the entrance and saw his silhouette standing in the cold wind, she felt a loneliness and sorrow she had never experienced before. She stared at him, dumbfounded, and her anger slowly faded with time.

After what felt like seconds or minutes, she stepped out of the Public Safety Bureau with a complex expression.

“Will you explain it to me?”

Ye Qingfeng stared at Zhu Yuan in disbelief. He had imagined countless responses—but never this one.

Why had he never met a girl like this in his past life? Was she a unique product of this world?

Seeing her gentle profile, he was momentarily dazed. Zhu Yuan made no move to hurry him, standing still.

“It’s basically...”

Ye Qingfeng didn’t embellish his past with false pity—he told her everything plainly.

But he didn’t mention his transmigration or imprisonment—too risky. What if Zhu Yuan checked old records and found no trace of him? What then?

I just lied to you again? The past is past—why cling to it? How can you enjoy the present or look forward to the future?

After hearing the story of this boy a few years younger than her, Zhu Yuan sighed, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

As a Public Safety officer, she’d met many like Ye Qingfeng—people who lost their parents during the Zero Hollow outbreak, forced to grow up strong and alone...

Her own power was too small. She wanted to help, but couldn’t.

“Would you like to come over to my place this Saturday? Well... as friends, for now.”

She stepped closer to Ye Qingfeng, raised her arm, and gently stroked the top of his head.

“I... this kind of...”

Ye Qingfeng stared at Zhu Yuan so close, his voice suddenly thick with emotion. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Zhu Yuan quickly pressed a finger to his lips. “Will you come?”

He stood still, his trembling hands clenched tightly, as if struggling to contain the storm inside him.

“Yes...”

His lips parted slightly, but no words came—only one syllable escaped.

“Mm, good boy!”

Zhu Yuan, like a teacher praising a student, patted his head twice more.

The texture’s not bad (??ω??)

“See you Saturday~”

“Mm, okay! See you Saturday.”

After parting, she turned, humming cheerfully as she walked toward home.

This reminds me—I just mentioned it earlier~

Shortly after leaving the Public Safety Bureau, they exchanged contact info. Zhu Yuan casually asked Ye Qingfeng’s age and was surprised to learn he was only nineteen.

At that moment, her phone rang. She gave Ye Qingfeng a faint, apologetic smile, glanced at the caller ID, and her expression instantly relaxed.

Zhu Yuan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she signaled him to be quiet. Seeing him nod, she finally answered.

They kept walking forward. Ye Qingfeng naturally stepped back a little—enough to ensure he couldn’t hear the call.

“Zhu Yuan, are you off work yet?”

“Mom~ I’m off now.”

“Is work been busy lately?”

“Not too busy lately...”

“Even if you’re busy, eat properly, take care of your health, don’t stay up late at night...”

Her mother kept repeating reminders without end. Zhu Yuan showed no impatience. “Alright, I know. Anything else?”

“Your dad bought a wild chicken today. I’ll make you wild chicken soup this Saturday.”

“Saturday... I’ve made plans to eat out with a friend. I’ll come home for the weekend.”

Zhu Yuan stole a glance at Ye Qingfeng beside her and lowered her voice while he wasn’t looking.

“I’ll call you later tonight. Don’t talk now.”

“No need to call again. Just remember to come home for the weekend.”

As Zhu Yuan was about to hang up, she didn’t notice a protruding stone underfoot—and slipped.

“Ah—!”

Her body instantly lost balance, tumbling forward. In that critical moment, Ye Qingfeng’s figure flashed past her, his strong shoulders catching her securely.

“Are you alright?”

Zhu Yuan snapped out of her daze—she was now in a warm, solid embrace. Looking up, she met Ye Qingfeng’s concerned gaze. Her cheeks flushed crimson, her heart racing uncontrollably.

Yet her mind went blank, as if she’d forgotten her own martial prowess, nestling softly against him.

Ye Qingfeng, fearing she’d fall, unconsciously tightened his grip, holding her slender body tightly. For a moment, time seemed to stop.

For him, the most intimate contact with a girl until now had been holding hands with a girl at the orphanage...

As he instinctively lowered his head, he happened to catch a flash of white—too intense for a young man just coming of age. He snapped his gaze away and shut his eyes.

As vision vanished, his sense of touch and smell surged to their peak.

He hadn’t expected a girl’s body to be this soft—light as clouds, delicate as petals, radiating an intoxicating fragrance.

His heart pounded wildly, as if trying to leap from his throat. His mind went utterly blank.

【Ding! Zhu Yuan’s favor increased by 15%. Current favor: 50%】

【Obtained two lottery draws】

They remained frozen in that pose for nearly ten seconds. Ye Qingfeng recovered first, stepping back two paces and hastily explaining: “Sorry—I saw you falling, so I caught you...”

Zhu Yuan came to her senses, recalling the embrace. Her still-unsettled heartbeat quickened again.

She quickly took two breaths to steady herself. “It’s fine—I should be thanking you...”

Silence fell. The blush on both their cheeks lingered. When their glances accidentally met, they both quickly looked away.

Zhu Yuan turned her head toward a shop long closed. Ye Qingfeng stared blankly at the ground. Their emotions were perfectly aligned.

So awkward... right now...

Ye Qingfeng suddenly noticed a phone on the ground beside him—the screen dark. It must have just fallen from Zhu Yuan. He almost missed it... luckily he didn't step on it.

“Your phone dropped.”

He bent down, picked it up, and handed it to Zhu Yuan, who was still staring blankly ahead.

Zhu Yuan hadn’t even noticed the phone falling. Thank goodness Ye Qingfeng saw it—if lost, she’d have to buy a new one.

It was late at night—nowhere to buy one. And if the Public Safety Bureau sent a message during that time, it’d be disastrous...

“I didn’t even notice... thanks...”

Zhu Yuan snatched the phone, sighed in relief, thanked Ye Qingfeng, and checked its condition.

“Mom...?”

The screen lit up—her face froze. An expression worse than crying appeared as she trembled and lifted the phone to her ear.

“...Zhu Yuan, you’ve grown up now. I won’t say much more. If you need money, tell me. Yesterday I found the old man’s hidden stash. Find a chance to bring him home—I want to see him with your father...”

The line fell silent for a moment, leaving Zhu Yuan sweating. She was about to explain when her mother’s voice came again.

“We just met today—it’s not certain yet...”

Zhu Yuan shyly stole a glance at Ye Qingfeng and spoke honestly.

Although she had quite a fondness for Ye Qingfeng, the future was still uncertain...

“Hey... when your mom and dad first met, we’d barely known each other, but we felt compatible, so we got married. Sure, your old man’s got plenty of annoying habits now, but back when he was young, he was kind of...”

“Point is! Good men aren’t that plentiful—grab the opportunity while you can.”

Zhu Yuan’s face, which had just cooled from the cold wind, burned red again at her mother’s words.

“Mom!! It’s not that serious yet—let’s drop it... I’m hanging up.”

Zhu Yuan hung up the call without hesitation.

Ah! This is so embarrassing... Mom really is...

Zhu Yuan took a deep breath to calm herself. Ye Qingfeng had probably guessed the gist of her conversation with her mother, and now she didn’t know how to face him.

Why does Mom always want her daughter to give herself away so easily?! I’m not that bad...

Finding a boyfriend? That’s not hard at all...

While Zhu Yuan was lost in thought, Ye Qingfeng, who had been standing in the cold wind for a long time, also calmed down.

As Zhu Yuan had guessed, he had indeed figured out the general content of her conversation with her aunt. But he hadn’t thought much of it—she was just like the kind of child parents always mention: the good one.

She was a kind, upright, bright-eyed girl, a police officer growing strong under the sun, who firmly believed in an ordinary citizen.

And I’m just an ordinary guy who’s been to prison... a common soul crawling painfully in the shadows, having deceived a police officer full of justice.

“Zhu Yuan!”

Ye Qingfeng called out to Zhu Yuan, who was staring blankly.

“Huh...?” Zhu Yuan snapped back to reality, gazing at Ye Qingfeng with a dazed, innocent expression. “What?”

“I’m almost there. You don’t need to see me any further.”

Ye Qingfeng opened his mouth slightly but couldn’t speak—the truth stuck in his throat. He was just a penniless man who had exploited Zhu Yuan’s kindness...

Why keep fantasizing about impossible things...

“That’s not okay! W-What if you run into danger on the way?”

Zhu Yuan firmly refused, stepped forward two paces, grabbed his wrist, and pointed ahead with her other hand. “It’s this way, right?”

“Ah... yeah...”

Startled by her sudden action, Ye Qingfeng answered instinctively.

“It’s getting late. Let’s go.”

Zhu Yuan led the way, pulling him forward briskly.

Ye Qingfeng hesitated inside—he knew that once she saw him to his destination and left, he would never have another chance to explain...