Chapter 1497: And with the Forensic Doctor, Sprinkle Some Sugar 10

At night, Jin Chen stubbornly squeezed out time to keep his dinner appointment as planned during the day.

Wu Lin wanted to make excuses but had no chance; as soon as it was quitting time, Jin Chen bluntly pulled him out of the office in front of all the Major Crimes Unit members.

They got off work after the evening rush hour had ended, under a dim, gloomy last ray of sunset, and the street shed the day's restless heat.

The atmosphere inside the car was much quieter and more harmonious than during the day.

Wu Lin even felt a bit drowsy.

By the time they reached the destination, Wu Lin, startled awake from sleep, sat dazed in the passenger seat for a good while.

He was never someone who lacked vigilance.

How could he fall asleep so unprepared in someone else's car?

Facing Wu Lin's furtive glance, Jin Chen felt especially innocent, saying, "What are you looking at? There's no sleeping pills in my car."

Wu Lin: "I wasn't doubting you."

Jin Chen, however, laughed for no reason; as he looked at Wu Lin's eyes under the streetlight shining through the car window, they actually seemed to show a hint of ambiguous indulgence.

"So you trust me that much, little bro? After all, our team captain would never harm you!"

Wu Lin: "……"

Wu Lin opened the door and got out of the car.

Jin Chen, acting like a big spender, casually handed the car keys to the attendant at the restaurant entrance and, with Wu Lin, was escorted by several servers to the private room.

The restaurant's interior decor and the pianist playing in the central area both proved one thing: this restaurant is pricey.

Wu Lin glanced at Jin Chen with faint doubt; as the question surfaced in his mind, he heard Jin Chen explain, "It's not from the budget."

Just as they sat down, Jin Chen signaled the server to hand the electronic menu to Wu Lin, then continued his sentence.

"These past few days, following me on missions, you haven't eaten well—consider this compensation for you."

Jin Chen attributed too much meaning to this meal.

Wu Lin, however, was not polite either; facing Jin Chen, he ordered the most expensive steak and soup, then, with a hint of boldness, asked, "Is that okay?"

As if night had fallen, his demeanor became more relaxed and composed than his usual daytime aloofness, and the vicious soul beneath his skin eagerly surfaced.

Jin Chen naturally welcomed Wu Lin's change.

Like a small wild beast that only shows its claws to those it knows.

"Sure, eat whatever you want." Jin Chen nodded, helped him cut the pre‑dessert into bite‑size pieces, and gently pushed it forward.

Still indulgent, it gave Wu Lin the illusion that no matter what he asked, this man before him would never refuse.

Wu Lin tapped lightly on the menu, then suddenly glanced at the dessert cut into just‑right bite‑sized pieces, and a subtle ripple rose in his heart.

This sense of unfamiliarity rising from his heart made Wu Lin eager to test something.

After the server left with the electronic menu, while tasting the pre‑dessert, Wu Lin asked him, "I saw your webpage at the police station today—aren't you curious about my reaction?"

He even went out of his way to help conceal it.

Since the day he entered the X City Criminal Police Brigade, Wu Lin has found himself unable to accurately observe and understand this man.

"Curious, of course," Jin Chen answered bluntly, "so you're going to tell me?"

How could he not be curious!

Jin Chen put a little extra force into the knife cutting the toast.

His wife has too many secrets; pressed by the Blackening Value, he dares not ask, dares not ask.

"It's better for Captain Jin not to know too much."

Wu Lin rarely curled his lips; the faint smile he produced was malicious, hiding danger.

"Then what do you ask?" Captain Jin retorted impatiently, helplessly saying, "To be frank, stirring up others' curiosity and then saying nothing is highly immoral."

Probably because his handsome face showed an overly vivid expression, Wu Lin's smile deepened, actually revealing a hint of genuine feeling.

People have said all sorts of things about him before; 'immoral' probably ranks only at the very bottom among them.

Having long been immersed in such environments, Wu Lin had already cultivated an immunity to all poisons, and could even match certain accusations with a corresponding mindset.

"Captain Jin hasn't heard, have you? I was transferred to X City only after being rejected twice by two municipal bureaus."

When Wu Lin asked this question, his near‑dark gaze locked onto Jin Chen's brows and eyes, wanting to know what answer the renowned Captain Jin would give.

After all, if this got out, he might become a stain on the X City Criminal Police Brigade.

Jin Chen's heart rang with alarm bells.

His wife's sudden test! He must perform well.

He absolutely must not let the Blackening Value rise even a bit!

"I've heard of it." Jin Chen's surface remained unmoved; he continued lazily cutting the toast edge, as if toying with some artwork.

After a few breaths, he set down his knife and fork, sincerely meeting Wu Lin's eyes, "This shows……"

Wu Lin's hands, resting folded on the table, slightly clenched, and he actually felt a subtle tension arise.

"It shows we are fated," Jin Chen said very seriously, "destined to meet from a thousand miles away."

Wu Lin: "……"

The tension dissipated; besides speechlessness, he actually felt a bit of cheer.

It was as if he personally handed over a handle to the other party, receiving not comfort nor double‑dealing, but an unexpected response—a piece of candy.

"Alright, let's eat," Jin Chen laughed, "can we save the probing for later?"

Wu Lin lowered his gaze, holding that bite of dessert, the corners of his mouth turning up, and said nothing more.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +10, total 20!】

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -5, total 90!】

Congratulations!

But a Blackening Value of 90 is still quite high.

It's not easy to coax one's wife; Jin Chen sighed.

After a fairly pleasant dinner, Jin Chen sent Wu Lin home.

——

As he unfastened his seat belt and prepared to get out of the car, Wu Lin heard a voice from beside him.

"Wu Lin."

Jin Chen helped him undo the buckle, touching Wu Lin's trouser pocket, and said, "If you want to understand me, you can come ask me in person."

"There's no need to copy my police station data from Wei Yan's computer; much of it is confidential."

Having said that, he then pinched Wu Lin's cheek and said, "Good night."

Wu Lin stared at him fixedly; in the gloom their eyes crossed, and when he finally looked away he didn't mind the captain's overly familiar move—if it had been anyone else, that hand would probably be gone.

"Good night." Wu Lin replied softly, but did not hand over the USB drive in his pocket to Jin Chen until after he closed the car door and left.

【Zero Egg, delete the record of Wu Lin's copied data.】

【Sure thing~】

Jin Chen wasn't in a hurry to go back either; after getting out of the car he lit a cigarette, lazily leaning against the window to organize his thoughts.

【Have all the website registered accounts been checked?】

Ling Gun Gun's confidence just moments ago plummeted.

【I've checked all the depressed patients among the registered accounts; the list is in your email. Strangely, I can't track down that administrator with the red ghost head no matter what.】

Its tone grew exaggerated: 【I can't even track them myself—this shows the other side either has a system or special powers! Maybe it could trigger the Soul Search mechanism!】

That way, if we catch the culprit, wouldn't we also get to see the Host's past foolishness again!