Chapter 235: Not Late
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The lights in the interrogation room were dim and the air was still.
After sitting for a long period of time, Xiang Wan started to feel her back aching and felt weak.
At this point, she was extremely tired. She had woken up early in the morning to prepare breakfast before rushing to the airport to catch her flight. After being brought in for questioning after such a long flight, she was worn out.
She hung her head down as her back leaned against the chair with her shoulders slumped like a lifeless doll.
One could sleep anywhere when one was extremely exhausted.
Xiang Wan’s eyes were half-opened. She was about to fall asleep. Her consciousness starting to drift into slumber.
It was unsure how much time had passed when someone pushed open the door of the interrogation room.
A man walked in, backlit by the light behind. He was tall and had such an imposing aura he seemed to be shining in light…
Bai Muchuan.
It seemed to be Bai Muchuan.
Xiang Wan did not move. She didn’t know if she was already asleep or if she was still awake.
She gulped. She couldn’t believe what she had seen and closed her eyes slowly.
She heard a sigh above her head.
“Little Xiang Wan, am I late again?!”
Xiang Wan’s eyes opened wide upon hearing those words. She stared at the man who was right in front of her.
She didn’t expect him to show up this fast.
Xiang Wan opened her mouth but was unable to make a sound.
She was agitated as well as feeling bad.
“You’re not late. It’s all my fault. Bai Muchuan… did I mess up again?”
Both of them were looking forward to meeting after a month-long separation. They even discussed numerous times on how their meetup would be like. Never had they expect they would meet each other under such circumstances.
“No. You didn’t mess up.” Bai Muchuan held her by the head and tousled her hair. “It fits my identity, totally a surprise that’s tailor-made for me…”
“It should be a shock instead.” An embarrassed Xiang Wan lowered her head as she spoke. “I shouldn’t have been a busybody and walked right into her trap.”
While inside the interrogation room, she had chewed over the entire incident.
This was a scheme plotted against her all along.
Nevertheless, she also blamed herself for falling into the trap so easily.
Not only did she land herself into trouble, Bai Muchuan had to make a trip to Xi City as well.
“Silly girl.” Bai Muchuan chucked as he placed both hands on Xiang Wan’s shoulder and tightened his grip.
Actually, he had wanted to give her a hug, but there were two police officers looking at them from the entrance.
It was, after all, the police station. He had to restrain himself.
“Let’s get out of here first,” he added, “we’ll talk later.”
“Eh?” Xiang Wan looked up. “I can go now?”
From the police’s attitude, she could tell she seemed to have landed into some big trouble and thought she would not be able to leave the police station anytime soon.
“Of course.” Bai Muchuan let out a peal of low laughter. “Well, I’m here.”
“…”
He’s here.
I’m finally safe.
Looking at the handsome face in front of her, she could finally show the bitterness she had been keeping inside her.
She had no need to pretend to be strong.
She smiled and got up from the seat, her hand held in his palm.
Bai Muchuan held her hands tightly.
Bai Muchuan did not greet anyone while on his way out of the airport police station. He just left quietly as he came quietly…
As for Xiang Wan, she thanked the police officers while on her way out.
No matter what, when she was brought there all alone, none of them made things difficult for her.
…
The weather in Xi City during December felt a little dry.
When they left the police station, it was already three o’clock in the afternoon.
A ray of sunlight could be seen piercing through the clouds high up in the sky.
After coming out of the dark interrogation room, Xiang Wan stretched her body as she bathed under the warm sunlight.
“Aye, I felt as though I just time traveled and came back…”
Bai Muchuan laughed and handed her belongings back to her.
“Call Fang Yuanyuan to let her know you’re fine.”
Xiang Wan’s belongings were detained by the police when she was brought to the airport police station.
Bai Muchuan had retrieved them earlier for her.
Xiang Wan gave him a grateful look as she took her bag back. She actually had an illusion as though she had been resurrected from death.
“Your Excellency, I think I owe you another one.”
“Exactly! Looks like the only way for you to repay me is to make a marriage pledge!”
“Hah! Seems to be so, what should I do?”
“Then do just that. I’ll accept your pledge.”
“…”
Xiang Wan rolled her eyes at him and laughed as she took out her mobile phone from her bag.
She turned on her phone and dialed Fang Yuanyuan’s number.
Fang Yuanyuan had so much to tell Xiang Wan, but she swallowed them once she knew Xiang Wan was now safe with Bai Muchuan.
Xiang Wan probably still didn’t know about the rumors spreading in the forum…
Fang Yuanyuan thought for a moment. “You must be scared silly, right? Better find a place and eat something… Ah, do hurry and take a bath to wash away all the bad luck…”
“Alright!”
Xiang Wan knew she was worried about her, so she tried to sound as lighthearted as possible.
“I’m really alright. Going to the police station is as carefree as going back home to me. I had worked at the Criminal Investigation Unit for months after all…”
“… Look who’s boasting.” Fang Yuanyuan felt more at ease after hearing the cheerful tone in Xiang Wan’s voice. “Go eat something with Captain Bai first. It has been a while since the two of you saw each other. You both probably have lots of things to say to him. I’m still busy with work, talk later.”
“Okay. Oh, you didn’t tell my mom, right?”
“I’m not stupid.”
“But… sometimes you are…”
“Scram!”
After ending the call, Xiang Wan noticed that her tummy was rumbling.
She was really hungry.
She also thought about what Fang Yuanyuan wanted her to do…
She rolled up her sleeves, sniffed herself, and her eyebrows creased together.
All these time when she worked at the Criminal Investigation Unit, she had never felt anything wrong. Now, after being treated like a suspect for several hours in the interrogation room, she couldn’t help but feel she had been stained by the smell of the interrogation room.
She felt very uncomfortable.
And uneasy.
“Your luggage’s still at the airport.”
It was as though Bai Muchuan could see through her thoughts as he looked at her with a smile.
“Well, do you want to eat first or do you want to shop for some clothes and get a shower? I’ll let you decide.”
Pffft! Xiang Wan was cheered up instantly.
“I want to eat first.”
“…”
Bai Muchuan pinched her nose.
“You little foodie!”
“No, no, no!” Xiang Wan laughed, tilting her head and wriggling her nose as she looked at him with her clear, bright eyes. “I won’t die just because I haven’t changed my clothes, but if I don’t eat now, I’m going to die of starvation.”
“Your explanation doesn’t hide the fact that you are a foodie.”
“You’re right. I just love to eat, what to do?”
“… What else? I’ll support you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How long are you supporting me?”
“Until you’re fat.”
“…”
They took a cab and got the cab driver to bring them to a place with good food.
They were not familiar with Xi City, after all, so they let the cab driver help them out on this.
While inside the cab, both of them talked about Zhang Lu.
Bai Muchuan told her Zhang Lu went for a checkup at the hospital and was fine as she did not suffer any real harm. Hence, he paid for the medical expenses which was also the reason why he was able to get Xiang Wan out of there.
“You paid for her medical expenses?”
Xiang Wan stared at him in disbelief, her anger thrumming through her veins.
“It’s so obvious she set me up on purpose. I didn’t harm her at all…”
“I know.” Bai Muchuan patted her on the head. “Don’t worry, once we have evidence to prove that she did it with ill intent, I’ll make sure she’ll cough up 10 or 100 times the amount I paid…” A cold glint flashed past his eyes.
Framing an innocent person, causing the flight to make an emergency landing at another airport, all of these were the financial losses Zhang Lu had caused. Bai Muchuan knew even without his intervention, the airline company would definitely settle the scores with Zhang Lu.
When the time comes, the amount of compensation involved would definitely be 10 or 100 times more.
Seeing how confident Bai Muchuan was, her anger subsided a little.
“Since you’ve said so, I’ll let her be happy for a while.”
Looking at Xiang Wan’s fuming face, Bai Muchuan couldn’t resist and pulled Xiang Wan into his arms.
“Aye, you’ve suffered.”
His voice was filled with tenderness.
With the warm and tender embrace from Bai Muchuan, Xiang Wan felt greatly comforted and was appeased much.
“Forget it, since the heavens sent me a Bai Muchuan,” she smiled, “in order to be fair to other people, I have to go through more hardship.”
“…”
“If I have to choose between a life with lots of hardships with Bai Muchuan and a simpler life without Bai Muchuan, I think I should…”
Xiang Wan smiled mischievously at Bai Muchuan.
He squinted his eyes into a line, his dashing face seemed slightly strained.
Xiang Wan giggled softly and touched Bai Muchuan lightly on his forehead.
“Hmm… I’ll choose hardships!”
It felt sweet like honey.
Their every glance was filled with much affection. After all, they had been separated from each other for close to two months.
At a spot where the cab driver could not see, their hands were clasped together.
Xiang Wan rested her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed.
A while later, the cab stopped.
“After you alight, turn right. See that food street? There are lots of shops over there.”
“Okay, thank you!”
Xiang Wan said her thanks politely and got off the cab.
Bai Muchuan took a good look at her from top to bottom and let out a sigh.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer hardships.”
“…”
This fellow!
His reflex arc took too long to react, isn’t it?
…
Bai Muchuan had not yet taken his lunch before he came to Xi City.
Both of them were hungry. When they reached the street and saw a nicely furnished hotpot restaurant, they exchanged glances with each other and made their decision.
There weren’t many customers at that hour.
The two of them entered the restaurant while holding each other’s hand, there was only one table with customers in the main hall.
To be exact, it was a huge table formed by three smaller tables.
More than 10 guys sat around that huge table.
Xiang Wan took a quick glance at them. She and Bai Muchuan chose a table furthest away from the group of men.