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nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nWhen Tan Yunchun took the call, she kept looking at Xiang Wan. Her eyes suddenly seem to light up.

n“Okay, alright. Will do.”

nAfter hanging up the call, she gave a call to the nanny to let her come back to look after Tiantian. She seemed so energetic all of a sudden that Xiang Wan was awestruck.

n“Mom, what happened?”

nTan Yunchun was grinning from ear to ear and said that Cheng Zheng would be coming over while she scanned Xiang Wan from head to toe.

n“Your attire… Why don’t you doll yourself up when you go out? No, this can’t do, you need to look better than this…”

n“Mom!” Xiang Wan was frustrated. “If you’re not feeling well, I’ll bring you to the doctor’s. Why do you want him to bring you there?”

n“You’re so unfilial. You don’t care about me and don’t allow Little Cheng to care for me as well?” Tan Yunchun obviously treated Cheng Zheng as her prospective son-in-law inside her head. She gave Xiang Wan a glare before going back to her room to get changed. The other nanny came back when her mom came out of her room. After instructing the nanny to take care of Tiantian, she called for Xiang Wan.

n“Why are you still in a daze? Still want to accompany me to the hospital?”

n“Mom!” Xiang Wan felt her spine went stiff. “Could you please don’t put me in a difficult situation?”

n“How about you don’t put mom in a difficult situation? Hm?”

nThe moment she finished her piece, she took her bag and left the house. “I’m going and that’s it. The choice is yours now.”

nHer own mom was going to the hospital. How could she not go?

nXiang Wan gave a helpless frown as she was not given a chance to persuade or debate over the issue…

n…

nCheng Zheng’s car was parked quietly along the avenue outside the villa.

nIt was a low-profile Volkswagen Phaeton with a seemingly new feel yet it was not flamboyant at all.

nWell, Cheng Zheng was unike Bai Muchuan. He would not smoke leaning against the car in a dashing demeanor or smile at her as if every living thing in the whole world would sing because he had smiled.

nOn the contrary, Cheng Zheng was reticent and distant that he did not seem normal as he lacked emotions. The day was sunny and bright, yet Xiang Wan felt that the moment he appeared, the place seemed particularly cold.

n“You’re here, aunty?” When Cheng Zheng saw them coming, he got off the car and helped them by opening the car door.

nThat was gentlemanly of him.

nTan Yunchun thanked him and sat on the passenger seat at the back of the car whereas Xiang Wan stood unmoving, terribly awkward.

n“Captain Cheng, we really shouldn’t bother you with this…”

nShe was still trying to struggle her way out of the situation, but before she could finish saying her words, she got interrupted by a smiling Tan Yunchun.

n“Thank you so much, Little Cheng. You’re such a caring child. Wanwan, get in quickly, why are you still standing there?!”

n“Mom!” Xiang Wan’s face went red.

nSuch feeling was worse than being awkward. She felt like she was a piece of meat waiting to be sold in the market, and the one who was selling her was her very own mom.

nXiang Wan wished the ground would swallow her up while Tan Yunchun started to get agitated.

n“Cough… Cough! Cough!” She started coughing and when she spoke, she seemed to be panting a bit. “You, are you going to make me die of anger? I’m already unwell for so long…”

nFine, her mom’s ultimate move worked.

nXiang Wan pursed her lips unhappily and sat beside her mom.

n“Aunty, bear with it for a while. We’ll arrive there very soon.” Cheng Zheng showed a rare smile. “I’ve already asked my classmate who’s working in the hospital to give you a queue number. It’ll be very fast.”

n“Oh, it’s alright. I’m fine, I’m really okay. Don’t be in such a hurry, drive carefully.” Tan Yunchun was a little restrained but couldn’t hold back her curiosity and started to look around the car. Soon, she started to make faces at Xiang Wan to make her talk to Cheng Zheng.

nHowever, Xiang Wan really did not know what to talk about.

nShe was awkward, helpless, and powerless.

nShe was a living person after all, no matter how much reasons she had, she was unable to escape from the secular world.

nThe words “filial piety” was enough to crush her.

nCheng Zheng looked at her from the rearview mirror and relieved her awkward situation by talking instead. “I’m familiar with the hospital, we can do a thorough check up on aunty. It’s just a simple gesture, Teacher Xiang don’t have to take it to heart.”

nWhat a perfect explanation!

nIt didn’t make people uncomfortable.

nXiang Wan gave him a smile. “Thank you, Captain Cheng.”

nShe was totally at a loss of words.

nShe didn’t know how to continue the conversation.

n“Teacher Xiang.” After a moment of silence, Cheng Zheng started another conversation again. “My words earlier at the Forensics Lab could have gone too far. My apologies!”

nEh? Did I hear wrongly? Xiang Wan was puzzled.

nCheng Zheng was not someone who would apologize easily.

nIt was certainly rare to see him bow down like that.

nAs the saying goes, “one does not slap a smiling person”, especially when the smiling person was someone who had specially come to bring her mom to see a doctor.

n“Please don’t say that.” Xiang Wan smiled, but she felt her face was stiff. “I need to thank Captain Cheng instead, if it’s not for you, I don’t even know that my mom is sick.”

n“Don’t stand on ceremony with me. We’re friends anyway.”

nCheng Zheng spoke slowly, and his tone even had a tinge of tenderness.

nFriends? Hm. Xiang Wan turned to look outside of the window.

nSummer in August was breezy.

nTan Yunchun was prone to car sickness so the car window was open. The summer heat merged with the wind, tousling her hair while she was engaged in her own thoughts.

nNarrowing her eyes, she glanced at the London Plane trees that lined orderly by both sides of the road, searching for the glint of golden rays through the slits of leaves. At that moment, she suddenly understood the feelings of those female friends of hers who were pressured into marriage. They had no choice but to compromise with fate, marrying someone whom they could settle for the rest of their lives.

nWho hadn’t been helpless before?

nXiang Wan had been very positive that she would not be forced to such a situation.

nShe was also certain that she would be the only one who could decide her own future.

nNevertheless, on that day, as she glanced at the crowd. Looking at their numb faces, she felt like laughing at her own childish naivety.

n“I’ll also take back the words I’ve said the other day.” Cheng Zheng suddenly spoke again, “I don’t understand girls and didn’t know that such words could make people awkward.”

nWords from the other day? Which day? Xiang Wan thought.

nXiang Wan looked at the back of his head, dazed.

n“The thing that you need, I’ll try my best to give you that,” added Cheng Zheng. “I think, I can give it a try.”

nGive it a try?

nXiang Wan was dazed for another second and finally understood what he was referring to.

nIt’s love.

nHe had thought that he didn’t need it, but Xiang Wan needed it.

nDo you think that love is an item that you are able to give it whenever you wanted to? Xiang Wan retorted in her head.

nXiang Wan suddenly felt like laughing at his naivety.

n“Captain Cheng, let’s not talk about this if we’re friends…”

nHer mom was by her side. She was not willing to continue with that topic.

nCheng Zheng took a peek at her from the rearview mirror, and there was a flash of smile within his eyes.

n“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

n“…”

n“I can learn about those things that I don’t understand.”

n“…”

nXiang Wan did not reply.

nShe looked up at the sky.

nA group of chirping birds flew past, made a turn and swooped down to the forest of concrete buildings ahead.

n…

nAt the hospital.

nIt was also the place Xiang Wan hated the most.

nNot sure why, but she felt that the color of white was glaring to the eye, as if it carried an endless cycle of life, separation, death, goodbyes as well as a faint sense of sorrow…

nOn the other hand, Cheng Zheng was like a fish in the water in the hospital. Under the guidance of his enthusiastic classmate, Tan Yunchun felt as if she was being treated like a serious case—a thorough examination was carried out from head to toe although she had only contracted a cold…

nFor Tan Yunchun, she had never received such a warm and meticulous care in the hospital throughout her life. She suddenly had a desire to change her current social class which she had never thought of before. For the next hour, she felt as if she was walking on air, and she totally treated Cheng Zheng as her perfect prospective son-in-law.

n“Little Cheng! Will your family get worried about you that you’re working here alone?

n“Little Cheng! How old is your mom? Oh, which year is that? Does she have any requirements with regards to you finding a girlfriend?”

n“Little Cheng! How many people are there in your family? Does your parents get along fine?

n“Little Cheng!”

n“…”

nTan Yunchun acted just like most middle-aged women of her age. She asked all kinds of questions about Cheng Zheng’s personal life and work.

nXiang Wan, who had followed her throughout the check-ups, was being tortured from all aspects as well. She kept quiet, she had a headache and she felt nauseous from time to time.

nBut that was because she didn’t like the smell of hospitals and that she had not yet taken her lunch yet.

nShe was worn out but did not say a word. She felt that if she were to continue staying there, she might go crazy.

nWhile waiting for the health check results, she sat on a chair and surfed the internet with her mobile phone.

nShe had not yet updated “Murder The Dream Guy” for the day, and the book review and comments page were still hot from the last update.

nEveryone seemed really enthusiastic about the romantic development between Detective Fang Yelan and Rong Xiaonuan as well as the latest development of the Case of the Fountain Goddess…

nHer readers were mainly female. Most female readers were sweet and lovely. Their comments were mostly warm and friendly which made Xiang Wan smile as she read them.

nOf course, some nasty comments were bound to appear.

n“Don’t you think the author is dragging out the story to make up for word count? I can hardly see any plot development with only one daily update. Is it a sign that you’re unable to write the story, author? We pay to read your novel, we’re not reading it for free, can’t you put in more effort?”

nXiang Wan was slightly surprised.

nShe felt wronged, upset, and awful…

nThere were various emotions as she tried to draft a reply, but ultimately, she deleted it even before sending it out.

nShe had put in effort for each and every word she wrote.

nAccusing her of making up for the word count was really ironic. That was the worst and most merciless mockery for unpopular authors like her.

nNonetheless, when she decided to write such a novel, she had mentally prepared herself that this book was certainly not one that would grab eyeballs instantly.

nIt would never be as endearing as the “fast food style” of plot that had been popular on the Internet for many years. It was also not those types of novels with sizzling hot scenes on the first chapter…

n“Aunty, the results are out, it’s respiratory tract infection…”

nCheng Zheng was talking to his doctor classmate at a side while Xiang Wan stayed quiet as she lowered her head.

nActually, she had heard that. She was happy when she heard that her mom was fine and that it was a common cold.

nBut, she had forgotten to give a reaction.

n“Hey, lass! What are you thinking? Show some response.”

nTan Yunchun poked Xiang Wan using her elbow, waking her from her thoughts.

n“Hm? What?” Xiang Wan had an indifferent face without much emotion.

n“Little Cheng said to send us back and asked if you have time tonight?”

n“I don’t.” Xiang Wan instantly rejected out of reflex. “I need to write my story tonight. I haven’t update for today!”

n“Can’t you update later in the afternoon? Well, you can update later and when Little Cheng got off work, both of you can go for dinner tonight or go for a movie…”

n“Mom!” Xiang Wan rubbed her forehead and suddenly thought about Bai Muchuan and the earlier arrangement. “I have something on later.”

nAs she said that, she looked at the time in the mobile phone.

nOnly to realize that Bai Muchuan had sent her an **S about an hour ago…

n“How is it? Are you still going to ‘The Palace’? Is your mom alright?”

nHer tense face eased up a little and she typed a reply. “She has seen the doctor. Are you still at ‘The Palace’?”

n“Not anymore. There’s some new developments to the case. I’m already in office, now preparing to visit an important witness.”

nNew development? Important witness?

nXiang Wan’s heart was now entirely with the case. The moment she heard those words, her brain was as if brightly lit with zeal. She wished she had a pair of wings to fly to where Bai Muchuan was.

nHowever, before she could reply Bai Muchuan, Tan Yunchun leaned over for a peek.

nXiang Wan quickly put away her mobile phone. “Mom.”

n“Lass, what are you busy with? I really don’t understand what could be more important than going on a date with Little Cheng?”

n“…”

nFacing such a mom, Xiang Wan was totally drained of energy. She lost her ability to refute her.

nIn her mom’s opinion, a good marriage was the most important thing for a woman.

nBut Xiang Wan held different beliefs. She was not this type of woman.

nShe had dreams and plans for her career as well as her life.

n“I’m talking to you and you’re back to being in a daze again?”

nTan Yunchun was enraged seeing Xiang Wan’s mind constantly drifting off somewhere. She gave Cheng Zheng an apologetic look and secretly pulled Xiang Wan’s arms as an indication to make her behave.

nXiang Wan felt numb in her scalp. “Mom, I still have something on. I need to go now.”

nTan Yunchun grabbed her arm the moment she got up from her seat. “What important things are you busy with that you don’t even listen to your mom anymore?”

n“It’s a big matter relating to human lives!” Xiang Wan braced herself to answer her and turned to Cheng Zheng as well. “Captain Cheng knows about it too!”

nTan Yunchun seemed perplexed. She looked at her daughter then turned to Cheng Zheng.

nGrabbing this opportunity, Xiang Wan broke free from her hands.

n“Mom, I’ll come visit you again. I need to go save the universe.”

n“Eh? You little…”

nXiang Wan would get excited everytime when she met or heard news about the case. As such, she would behave differently from her usual self and her courage was also much higher than usual. Her values and viewpoints might be slightly different as well. The news of the case had stimulated her. Since Cheng Zheng wanted to be the good person, she would let him have the chance to be one by sending her mom back.

n“Captain Cheng, thank you very much!”

nCheng Zheng had been looking on coldly as a bystander. More importantly, he actually cooperated.

n“Go ahead! We’ll arrange another time then…”

n“Okay, okay, thank you!”

nXiang Wan left the hospital hastily. As she walked, she gave Bai Muchuan a call. “Hello, where are you now?”

nBai Muchuan gave an displeased grunt when he took her call. “Finished your business?” He asked.

n“Yes, I’m coming over, am I still in time?”

nBai Muchuan paused for a moment and asked, “Where are you?”

nXiang Wan took a look at the entrance of the hospital. “I’ll come find you instead.”

nBai Muchuan suddenly bellowed, “I’m asking where are you now?”

nThis fellow!

nAlways so domineering toward her!

nXiang Wan felt like shouting back at him, but as she wanted to follow him to see the “important witness”, she gritted her teeth and endured.

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