Chapter 74: Second Entry into the Peace Bureau

Qingyi completely ignored the rapid scenery outside the window, her eyes fixed tightly on the rearview mirror—Ye Qingfeng’s face wasn’t the most handsome, but it was certainly the most enduring to look at.

She was certain of it.

Moreover, as time passed, his complexion gradually grew ruddy, giving Qingyi a completely different feeling—like a sleepy little kitten?

After staring for who knew how long, Qingyi suddenly snapped awake and slammed her eyes shut.

In the darkness, Ye Qingfeng’s refined face appeared again, forcing her to open her eyes abruptly; her brows, just relaxed, furrowed slightly once more.

She didn’t understand... why was it him?

His looks?

I’m a robot, for heaven’s sake!

To a cat, it doesn’t matter whether a human is handsome or not—just feed the canned food, you two-legged creature.

She was a Criminal Investigation Jade Doll with nearly a century’s worth of memories; emotions were entirely unnecessary to her.

Anyone and everyone was merely a passing stranger in her long life...

It took Zhu Yuan over five minutes to drive from the Peace Bureau to 11th Street, but the return trip took nearly fifteen.

Ye Qingfeng, in his current state, was only in light sleep; the instant the police car stopped, he woke up, squinting as he stretched his limbs as far as he could, then let out a huge yawn.

“Awake? Get out.”

Zhu Yuan pulled the keys out with a fond smile.

“Okay~ got it...”

Ye Qingfeng, still groggy from sleep, his voice naturally softer and slightly hoarse.

Zhu Yuan stepped out first, circled around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, yanked out the dazed Ye Qingfeng, then climbed back inside, knelt on the seat, and leaned forward to casually tell Qingyi in the back:

“Qingyi, senior, please take these two to interrogation. I’ll take Qingfeng ahead to familiarize him with tomorrow’s duties.”

Without waiting for Qingyi’s reply, Zhu Yuan walked toward the Peace Bureau chatting and laughing with Ye Qingfeng.

Zhu Yuan’s mindset was simple: after long-term coexistence, she trusted Qingyi unconditionally—whether in past arrests or current missions, it was all because she trusted her.

Like two cats who played well together, one day one of them fell in love with a park’s equipment and couldn’t resist spending hours there every time they passed by.

She could spend a whole day playing there, yet the next twenty-nine days would still be spent playing with her best feline friend.

No problem in the short term—but what about over time?

There were only three possibilities.

Maintain the status quo.

Spend long hours at the park, dedicating a full day to her friend.

Or bring her best feline friend along to the park.

With Zhu Yuan and Ye Qingfeng gone, Qingyi’s fury intensified further, making life miserable for the two suspects beside her; staring at the blue electric arcs crackling in her palm, they did their best to put as much distance between them as possible.

But the rear seat of the police car was too cramped to allow much space, leaving the passenger in the middle—Passenger A—repeatedly jolted by stray currents.

Not lethal, but excruciatingly painful—his body tingled with numbness; he couldn’t run, and he couldn’t fight back.

All he could do was swallow his teeth whole and endure—just bear it!

Fortunately, it didn’t last long; the current in Qingyi’s palm slowly faded and vanished. She said, expressionless: “Get out.”

“Yes...”

Qingyi shoved open the door, stepped one foot out, then fully stood on the ground and slammed the door shut, leading the two suspects toward the Peace Bureau.

She wasn’t without emotion—she simply saw no need to know so many people; the reason, as she’d said before, was after the departure of old friends over the years...

No one would understand this feeling of hers—helplessness? Confusion? Loneliness?

Perhaps all of them...

At this moment, Ye Qingfeng followed Zhu Yuan into her office; officers who saw them walking side by side cast them strange glances.

After they passed, they gathered in hushed whispers, several officers close to Zhu Yuan even grinned and came over out of nowhere to say, “Congratulations, Zhu Yuan!”

Neither Ye Qingfeng nor Zhu Yuan were dense—they instantly understood what the officers meant: they’d mistaken the two for a couple.

Neither reacted with panic or refusal; doing so would only complicate things further. Zhu Yuan merely slowly curled her lips into a stiff smile, then tugged Ye Qingfeng’s sleeve and quickened her pace.

To her colleagues, Zhu Yuan’s swift escape with Ye Qingfeng looked like shyness; each one covered their mouth and stifled a giggle.

At last, they reached Zhu Yuan’s office door.

Zhu Yuan stepped inside first, took in the tidy office, and exhaled softly, gesturing for Ye Qingfeng to enter.

The office wasn’t large—two desks, two chairs, a cabinet piled high with files, and a potted plant on the windowsill.

“Qingfeng, sit for a bit. When Qingyi arrives, we’ll go to the Peace Bureau cafeteria for lunch, then find a place to practice this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Ye Qingfeng immediately spotted the seat near the window, walked over without hesitation, sat down, then asked curiously: “Why suddenly organize this activity? What am I supposed to do?”

“Like what happened today—recently, many female citizens have been victimized. It started because someone died in one of these incidents, and the victim’s father has some connection to the Peace Bureau’s chief.”

Zhu Yuan pulled out a chair and sat down, answering Ye Qingfeng’s question naturally—then suddenly realized she’d said something she shouldn’t have.

Ye Qingfeng’s expression, upon hearing the latter half, was priceless—was this something he was even supposed to hear?

Did I anger Zhu Yuan today? It can’t be that bad—she wouldn’t kill me, right?!

“Ahem!”

Zhu Yuan cleared her throat twice to get Ye Qingfeng’s attention, then pretended nonchalance, winking at him repeatedly.

Ye Qingfeng instantly understood her meaning and gave a slight nod.

“Then your task is to play...” Seeing his nod, Zhu Yuan continued—then stalled mid-sentence, thought hard, and finally blurted out: “A lecherous robber?”

No sooner had she spoken than her lips curled upward; seeing Ye Qingfeng’s bewildered expression, she couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

“...”

Ye Qingfeng struggled to imagine himself ever playing such a role—his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t find a single word to say.

Finally, he let out a weary sigh, picked up the teapot on the desk, poured himself a cup, lifted it to his lips, and drained it in one gulp.