Chapter Fifty: It’s Him! It Must Be Him!

As soon as Shen Xinyi entered the interrogation room, she sat down on the chair by the desk, her expression cold and stern. “Close the door,” she commanded.

“Um, Officer Shen, can we not close the door? I’m scared…”

“Just do as you’re told. Why so much nonsense?” Shen Xinyi’s voice was icy once again.

“Alright, alright.” Xue Tian’ai feigned reluctance, shuffling to close the interrogation room door with his cuffed hands. Then he plopped down onto the interrogation chair opposite the desk.

The moment he settled into the chair, Xue Tian’ai’s thoughts grew even more animated. This type of room was entirely familiar to him; back when he was the Sky Wolf of the Wolf Pack, he’d interrogated some heinous criminals right in rooms like this.

But now, his position was reversed—he was the one being interrogated. Normally, there should be two officers in the room, but this time, only Shen Xinyi was present.

“Name!” Shen Xinyi’s face betrayed no emotion, but she asked the question she cared most about.

“Xue Tian’ai.”

“Which Tian, which Ai?” Shen Xinyi raised her brows and pressed further.

“The Tian in Xue Tian’ai, and the Ai in Xue Tian’ai!” Xue Tian’ai replied solemnly. Damn, is this really how interrogations are conducted in China nowadays?

“…” Shen Xinyi was momentarily speechless, annoyed by his reply. Wasn’t that just nonsense? “Answer properly!”

“I’m pretty sure my answer is perfectly fine!” Xue Tian’ai straightened up and retorted confidently.

“No. That’s an irrelevant answer! Give me a proper reply, or I’ll detain you for obstructing police work—believe it or not!”

“Come on! Is that necessary?” Xue Tian’ai exclaimed in surprise. Was he really about to be detained just for being cheeky?

“So answer me properly!” Shen Xinyi tapped her fingers on the desk, her voice cold.

“Tian as in ‘sky,’ Ai as in ‘mugwort.’ Surely my answer’s correct now!” Xue Tian’ai sprawled out, crossing his legs carelessly.

“No problem now. But put your leg down! This is an interrogation room, not your living room!” Shen Xinyi knocked on the desk again.

“Alright, alright, you’re the boss!” Xue Tian’ai uncrossed his leg and sat upright, hoping Shen Xinyi would hurry up with her questions and let him go.

After all, aside from Gan Bingning waiting outside, his wife Qin Mengxue had texted him earlier, reminding him to hurry home after dinner. So he might as well cooperate.

“Home address!”

“Damn, are they asking for that now?” Xue Tian’ai exclaimed in surprise. When he used to interrogate criminals, he never asked for their home address.

“Just answer when you’re told!” Shen Xinyi frowned slightly, her voice cold. “Don’t make me detain you!”

“Villa No. 3, Hongyang Villa Complex, Xuehua Street!” Xue Tian’ai replied, a bit intimidated that Shen Xinyi might actually detain him. Even if she did, he could easily get out thanks to his Wolf Pack connections, but he’d rather not use those ties.

“Do you have any criminal history?” Upon hearing that Xue Tian’ai lived in the Hongyang Villa Complex, Shen Xinyi was a little surprised. The houses there were expensive; living there was no ordinary feat.

“None at all—healthy, harmless, a model citizen with a spotless past!” Xue Tian’ai declared confidently. For fifteen years in China, he’d strictly followed the arrangements of the Xue family and the Wolf Pack. Even if some actions were unconventional, they were all sanctioned by the state.

“I don’t believe it! You can disassemble a gun barehanded, take down a gang of thugs single-handedly, and your muscles are the kind only forged through intensive training. There’s no way you’re a model citizen!” Shen Xinyi slapped the desk and stood up abruptly.

“Damn, officer, why are you so familiar with my muscle type?” Xue Tian’ai stared at her incredulously.

This woman was not simple; she could even distinguish muscle types. But how did she know? Xue Tian’ai’s mind was a mess.

Shen Xinyi was startled by his question, pausing as she recalled their first encounter—she’d felt his torso for a long while and even called him ‘husband.’ Embarrassment flushed her cheeks.

“You—how I know is none of your business! I just don’t believe you’re a model citizen!” Her voice faltered slightly.

“Come on! Why are you so unreasonable? I’m a law-abiding citizen, even courageous in the face of injustice! Tonight, I only acted to protect my female colleague from thugs—self-defense, nothing more! And now you doubt my character?”

Xue Tian’ai looked at Shen Xinyi, at a loss for words. This young policewoman’s questioning was all over the place and utterly unreasonable.

“ID number! I’m going to check you out!” Shen Xinyi, rendered speechless by his retorts, couldn’t find anything else to say. Truthfully, she’d acted on a whim tonight, out of curiosity, which was why she’d brought Xue Tian’ai in handcuffed.

“How is anyone supposed to remember such a long string of numbers?” Xue Tian’ai replied helplessly.

“Did you bring your ID?”

“Yes.”

“Hand it over!”

“Hey, come on, officer—I’m in handcuffs, how am I supposed to give it to you?” Xue Tian’ai shook his cuffed hands in resignation.

“Tell me where it is, I’ll get it myself!” Shen Xinyi insisted, determined not to rest until she had his ID number.

“In my wallet, left pocket.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xinyi left the desk and walked over to Xue Tian’ai, bending down to reach into his pocket for the ID.

“Watch it, officer—don’t grab the wrong thing!” Seeing her delicate hand approach, Xue Tian’ai’s gaze sharpened, warning her.

“Will it kill you to shut up?” The remark brought back memories of the last time she’d felt him up, and, blushing fiercely, Shen Xinyi pinched a chunk of flesh at his waist.

Damn, this woman knows that trick too! He’d already been bruised earlier by Qin Mengxue, and now Shen Xinyi was making it worse. Plus, as a cop, her grip was even stronger. Xue Tian’ai felt sure his bruise had gone from blue to purple!

With the pain forcing him to lift his head, Xue Tian’ai suddenly froze, his eyes going wide.

Damn, that’s huge!

Meanwhile, outside the police station, Gan Bingning paced anxiously like an ant on a hot pan, filled with regret. Why had she suddenly decided to go drinking? If she’d just had a peaceful dinner, none of this would have happened.

Now Xue Tian’ai was cuffed and hauled into the station, and judging by that female officer’s demeanor, she wasn’t going to let things go easily. Gan Bingning’s mind was full of worry for Xue Tian’ai.

She couldn’t even understand why she was so concerned about him. Seeing Xue Tian’ai upset made her upset; watching him face a gang alone tugged at her heart. Seeing him in handcuffs made her anxious; hearing Shen Xinyi say he’d seen her underwear made her blurt out something shameless.

It had never been like this before. Was she really falling for the man who saved her and shared intimacy with her?

Gan Bingning began to question herself deeply. Just then, a young man in police uniform stepped out of a jeep.

He wasn’t particularly tall—about 178 centimeters. He wasn’t conventionally handsome, but his face was tough and resolute, and with his police uniform, he had an air of commanding presence.

He approached Gan Bingning and asked gently, “Is the man the female officer took inside your boyfriend?”

Gan Bingning snapped out of her racing thoughts, looking at the man and frowning. She didn’t know him.

“Who are you? I don’t know you,” Gan Bingning replied coldly.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m the chief of police here, Xia Shuxiao. I was about to get off duty and saw you seemed anxious from my car, so I thought I’d see if I could help.”

Xia Shuxiao smiled politely, producing his credentials and handing them to Gan Bingning to prove his identity.

Gan Bingning checked the document and saw that he was indeed the chief of Beiyang City Police. Her icy expression softened slightly.

“So you really are the chief. Sorry for my rudeness earlier.” She handed the credentials back.

Xia Shuxiao smiled lightly, seemingly unconcerned about the earlier exchange, and repeated his question, “Is that man your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Gan Bingning’s cheeks flushed at the question. They weren’t a couple, but they’d already done everything couples do. Feeling a bit indignant, she muttered, “Not yet, anyway.”

“What’s his name?” Xia Shuxiao, unfazed by her bashful reply, asked the question he most wanted answered.

“His name is Xue Tian’ai.”

Upon hearing the name, Xia Shuxiao visibly trembled, his breathing quickening. His expression grew more and more excited, his lips curving uncontrollably, and he murmured, “He’s back. He really is back!”

Gan Bingning was taken aback by Xia Shuxiao’s reaction. Why was the chief suddenly so emotional?

“Has he just come back recently? Did he say where he was before?” Xia Shuxiao’s eyes were bright with excitement as he pressed on.

“I think so. He said he was abroad before, and today was his first day at our company,” Gan Bingning recalled what Xue Tian’ai had told her in her office that morning.

“It’s him! It has to be him! No doubt about it!” Xia Shuxiao’s voice trembled with excitement. His heart was overwhelmed with joy.