Chapter 276: I Must Properly Reward You!

The two stepped into the bathroom one after the other.

Once the shower was turned on, hot water quickly filled the air, and before long, the cubicle was shrouded in a hazy mist.

Tang Ye turned down the water valve and spoke out of the blue: "Cao Xueqin wrote in *Dream of the Red Chamber* that when it comes to family matters, it is either the east wind prevailing over the west wind, or the west wind prevailing over the east wind."

Du Xi tilted her head and asked with a beaming smile: "Then are you the west wind, or the east wind?"

Tang Ye gave an answer that didn't follow the usual rules: "I am a fence-sitter; whichever way the wind blows, that is the way I lean!"

Du Xi laughed until she was doubled over: "I want to be the east wind! The east wind blows, the war drums beat; heroic and spirited, victory lies ahead!"

About half an hour later, Du Xi walked out of the bathroom and happened to run into Xiao Qin.

Xiao Qin keenly noticed that Du Xi's eyes were darting around, her gaze full of suspicion: "Why are you acting like a thief?"

Du Xi felt guilty and explained: "Tang Ye was taking a shower and forgot to bring his clothes, so I was taking them to him."

Xiao Qin smiled at the corners of her mouth and teased: "I didn't expect it, you are quite good at taking care of people."

Du Xi raised her eyebrows, looking proud: "That's right, he is my husband, of course I have to take good care of him."

Xiao Qin rolled her eyes at Du Xi: "Look at you, have you no shame."

"What is there to be ashamed of? I am just influenced by what I see and hear, learning from you."

After saying this, she walked toward her own room.

Xiao Qin watched Du Xi's back, the corners of her mouth lifting involuntarily.

She is married now; her daughter has changed quite a bit, even her walking posture is different.

Her little bottom is wiggling!

After Tang Ye finished his shower, he picked up the mop, carefully mopped the floor tiles dry, wiped the water stains off the vanity, and put the toiletries back in their places, doing his best to restore the bathroom to its original state, as if nothing special had happened.

Seeing the bathroom door open and noticing Tang Ye tidying up, Xiao Qin hurried forward to stop him: "You don't need to clean up, hurry back to your room and rest!"

Tang Ye responded with a smile: "It's nothing, just a quick task."

Xiao Qin still pushed Tang Ye out of the bathroom, and when she turned to check, she found the bathroom had been cleaned until it was spotless.

Returning to the bedroom, Xiao Qin muttered to Du Chengfeng: "That child Tang is really diligent; he even cleaned the bathroom until it was spotless after his shower."

Du Chengfeng put down the book in his hand, rubbed his eyes, and said with a smile: "Didn't you think Hu Zhongping was more suitable before?"

Xiao Qin sighed softly: "If it weren't for Tang Ye, little Hu would indeed be quite good. By the way, I heard he was also promoted to Section Chief recently?"

Du Chengfeng replied: "The gold content of that Section Chief position is limited."

Xiao Qin continued: "I heard you didn't support him for the position of Director of the Suiyuan County Public Security Bureau."

Du Chengfeng's expression turned serious: "The situation in Suiyuan is intricate and complicated. Not letting him go is for his own good; if he is not careful, he will get trapped in it."

Xiao Qin said again: "When we were playing mahjong, Zhao Disheng's wife wanted me to ask you to help Hu Zhongping, but I didn't take the bait."

Du Chengfeng asked: "Has she been ignoring you lately?"

Xiao Qin nodded: "She hasn't called me to play cards for a long time."

Du Chengfeng did not hide it: "For this candidate, I recommended Wan Ming."

Xiao Qin recalled: "Is that the police officer who looks quite fierce?"

She had seen Wan Ming at home and knew he was a Deputy Director of the Tianling County Public Security Bureau and a cadre Du Chengfeng trusted quite a bit.

Du Chengfeng nodded in confirmation: "That's right. He and Tang Ye both served in Pinghu Town, and the two have a very good relationship."

Xiao Qin suddenly understood: "Then you definitely have to support him! No wonder she isn't calling me to play cards; not only did you not help, but you also blocked someone else's path."

Du Chengfeng just smiled faintly; the officialdom is like a battlefield, where are there ever permanent friends?

He cautioned Xiao Qin: "In the future, keep your guard up when you are with Mrs. Zhao."

Xiao Qin instantly grasped what Du Chengfeng meant.

On some level, her son-in-law Tang Ye and Hu Zhongping are both Section-level Cadres; while they seem to have no intersection, a competitive relationship actually exists.

Moreover, Du Chengfeng is now the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee, and like Zhao Disheng, is a Standing Committee Member of the Municipal Party Committee.

Ranked twelfth and thirteenth respectively, it is not like before when there were no conflicts of interest.

Officialdom is inherently a single-plank bridge; if you want to stand out, you have to overcome obstacles and slash through the thorns.

Not only must you run fast yourself, but you must also find ways to curb the speed of your opponent's pursuit.

A day apart feels like three autumns.

Like positive and negative electrons meeting, entangled with each other until their energy is burned out.

Fine beads of sweat hung on the tip of Du Xi's nose, just like morning dew on the tip of a leaf; her cheeks were flushed from passion, her skin glowing with a charming luster, and she seemed to radiate a unique charm.

Tang Ye lay on the bed, that sharp edge having long since vanished without a trace, his expression full of relaxation and comfort.

After resting for a while, Du Xi got up to pour a glass of water, handed it gently to Tang Ye, and then turned on the music, Richard Clayderman's piano music flowing softly.

Tang Ye was enveloped in a sense of warmth and relaxation, all his fatigue and pressure quietly drifting away at this moment.

Du Xi lay beside Tang Ye and began to talk about a recent murder case.

A middle-school female teacher had been brutally murdered, her body covered in several knife wounds, the scene shocking to the heart.

Tang Ye listened quietly, but as he listened, he suddenly laughed out loud.

Du Xi looked at Tang Ye in confusion and asked: "I am talking about a case, why are you suddenly laughing?"

Tang Ye explained with a smile: "I just think the scene is quite interesting. Listening to such romantic piano music while holding a beautiful woman in my arms, yet the two of us are discussing a horrific murder case—it feels a bit eerie when you think about it."

Du Xi feigned anger: "Fine, then I won't talk about it."

Tang Ye hurriedly coaxed: "Don't be like that, it's my fault for ruining your mood. Come on, tell me more in detail, and I will help you sort out your thoughts."

Du Xi composed herself and continued to recount the case.

She knew in her heart that Tang Ye had a sharp mind and might really be able to provide some valuable clues.

After listening to the case, Tang Ye immediately pointed out two key directions: "There are several suspicious points in this case. First, how did the conversation between the husband and wife when he left home happen to be heard by the old couple next door so coincidentally? In daily life, what is the probability that you run into your neighbors every morning?"

After a brief pause, he continued: "Also, the neighbor heard the wife say, 'I made potato stewed with beef brisket, eat it when you come back tonight.' Think carefully about the context of this statement. How could that dish be finished so early in the morning?"

Du Xi's eyes suddenly lit up, and she realized with a start, "That's right, it really doesn't make sense."

Tang Ye continued his analysis: "The forensic autopsy results show that the victim was killed around five in the morning. At that time, how could the woman still be talking? It is very obvious that the man is lying; it is highly likely that he played a pre-recorded audio through a recording device. As for the footprints and hair left at the scene, they were most likely faked by the husband."

A smile bloomed on Du Xi's face, "After you peeled back the layers and analyzed it step by step like this, the case has suddenly become clear."

"This case itself isn't considered difficult to solve; the killer's methods were too amateurish."

Du Xi leaned in with a grin: "You really are smart. I have to reward you properly!"

This time, the "ring finger" was held up!

Tang Ye began to count.

Thumb, index finger, middle finger...

"One sheep, two sheep, three sheep... is this the fourth sheep now?"