Chapter 63
Over the next few days, Zhuo Zhi was much calmer.
She would often go out, claiming to be looking for a job, but she didn’t get into any more trouble.
Li Qinyue, true to her word, was being taken care of. She didn’t have to cook, wash dishes, or even leave the house. All she had to do was wait to be fed.
The internet was connected, the TV was fixed, Zhuo Zhi had added many new things to the apartment, making Li Qinyue very comfortable.
Li Qinyue, seeing Zhuo Zhi working so hard, felt a little guilty. She helped with chores like sweeping the floor and taking out the trash, experiencing the unfamiliar hardship of housework.
After a week of this pampered life, Li Qinyue received a call from the police station. They had caught the thief, it was a gang, and the case had yielded significant results.
Although Zhuo Zhi had made her unhappy that day, this news was definitely good news.
Li Qinyue said to the officer on the other end, “Hold on, I’ll call Zhuo Zhi over, she’ll be happy to hear this.”
Officer Zhao chuckled, “Actually, I wanted to talk to Xiao Zhuo.”
Zhuo Zhi was called out from the kitchen. She wiped her hands and asked Li Qinyue, “Who is it?”
Li Qinyue put the call on speakerphone, “Officer Zhao.”
Zhuo Zhi immediately rushed over, grabbing Li Qinyue’s wrist and shouting into the phone, “Officer Zhao, Officer Zhao, did you catch the thief?”
Officer Zhao laughed, “With your enthusiasm, I would be embarrassed to call you if we hadn’t caught him.”
“No, no, no,” Zhuo Zhi giggled, “You really caught him?”
Officer Zhao repeated what he had told Li Qinyue earlier. Zhuo Zhi jumped up and down excitedly.
Li Qinyue’s hand was being pulled up and down. Normally, she would have shaken it off in annoyance. But Zhuo Zhi had played a crucial role in this case, and now, seeing her so happy, Li Qinyue couldn’t help but smile, letting Zhuo Zhi tug at her arm.
After jumping around for a bit, Zhuo Zhi asked Officer Zhao, “Did you find that girl’s phone?”
“We found it. It’s not easy to get rid of stolen goods these days.”
“That’s great!” Zhuo Zhi couldn’t contain her excitement, “Officer Zhao, can I go to the police station to see?”
“See what?” Officer Zhao sounded confused, “See the thief?”
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi said enthusiastically.
“He’s not at the station anymore, we can’t keep him here forever,” Officer Zhao said, “Of all things, you want to see a thief. Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you!” Zhuo Zhi quickly said, “You’re a righteous police officer, Uncle Zhao.”
Officer Zhao chuckled, “You call everyone ‘uncle’ regardless of their age.”
“Hehe, I’m just excited. That’s great then, thank you for your hard work, and thank you for calling to tell me, Uncle Zhao.”
“Are you hanging up already? I have something else to tell you,” Officer Zhao said.
“Go ahead, go ahead!” Zhuo Zhi was eager to hear it.
“Well, remember that spar you had with Xiao Li and Xiao Du the other day? I filmed you guys.” Officer Zhao chuckled awkwardly, “It somehow ended up in the station’s group chat, and everyone was impressed by your skills. You know, young people are competitive. Officer Fang from the city bureau is here today to discuss some work, and he asked if he could meet you.”
“Ah…” Zhuo Zhi was stunned, “M-Meet me?”
“Yes,” Officer Zhao quickly explained, afraid of causing a misunderstanding, “This Officer Fang, you can think of him as a martial arts fanatic. He’s been looking for a worthy opponent, and he’ll be disappointed for months if he misses this opportunity.”
Li Qinyue interjected, “Is this Officer Fang a man or a woman?”
Officer Zhao said, “We don’t have many female officers here, miss.”
“Oh,” Li Qinyue drawled, “Then I have to go too.”
Officer Zhao chuckled, “Of course, of course. So, if you’re both free, how about we have dinner together tonight?”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue agreed readily, “Let us know when you’re off work.”
“Alright,” Officer Zhao happily ended the call.
Li Qinyue hung up the phone. Zhuo Zhi looked at her, her eyes sparkling.
“What?” Li Qinyue asked playfully.
“Am I going too?” Zhuo Zhi asked cautiously.
“If you don’t go, am I supposed to fight him myself?” Li Qinyue squinted at her.
Zhuo Zhi ran over and wanted to hug her arm, but then looked at her apron and stopped, “Then won’t you be angry if I fight him?”
“Am I angry that you fight people?” Li Qinyue said, “Have you forgotten how much I enjoyed watching you fight at the boxing gym? Go ahead, I’m happy to see you spar.”
“Ah! Okay, okay, okay!” Zhuo Zhi dashed back to the kitchen, washed her hands, then dashed back, cupping Li Qinyue’s face and kissing her, “Thank you, Sister!”
“Damn…” Li Qinyue was caught off guard.
Zhuo Zhi kissed her again and ran away.
Later that afternoon, close to seven o’clock, Officer Zhao called, saying their car was waiting at the entrance of White Birch Lane.
Li Qinyue hadn’t expected the police officers to pick them up. She quickly called Zhuo Zhi, and they hurried downstairs.
A shiny police car was parked at the entrance of the old residential complex, looking very conspicuous. Everyone within sight was staring at it.
Li Qinyue held Zhuo Zhi back, telling her to slow down and walk at a normal pace.
Zhuo Zhi, her steps light, said, “Wow, Officer Zhao is so nice, Sister!”
“It would be even better if he hadn’t come in a police car,” Li Qinyue muttered.
They had just moved into White Birch Lane, and now they were getting into a police car in full view of everyone. She wondered what kind of gossip the nosy neighbors would come up with.
But the police officers were probably used to this kind of thing. Seeing them approaching, they opened the car doors and got out.
They were both in plainclothes. Officer Zhao had a friendly smile on his face, while Officer Fang, whom they hadn’t met before, had a stern expression, his eyes fixed on Zhuo Zhi, his back straight.
Li Qinyue put her arm around Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder and whispered something in her ear.
It wasn’t anything that needed to be said secretly, but this kind of intimate gesture was necessary. If this Officer Fang had any ulterior motives, she needed to nip them in the bud.
They approached the officers. Li Qinyue shook hands with Officer Zhao, exchanging pleasantries. They were both smiling, dispelling any suspicions the onlookers might have.
Officer Fang, however, was impatient. He opened the car door and said, “Please get in.”
Li Qinyue and Zhuo Zhi got in. Officer Fang sat in the front passenger seat.
When it came to familiarity with this area, no one could beat Officer Zhao. This area was under his jurisdiction. As he drove, he kept talking.
He talked about recent incidents in the neighborhood. Zhuo Zhi, intrigued, asked questions non-stop.
Li Qinyue couldn’t stop her. The two of them, with the biggest age gap in the car, were having a lively conversation, and Li Qinyue eventually gave up on trying to intervene.
They arrived at the restaurant. The four of them sat at a table, enjoying the delicious food. They didn’t order any alcohol, just toasted each other with drinks.
Officer Zhao and Zhuo Zhi continued their conversation, and Li Qinyue occasionally chimed in. Officer Fang, however, was like a piece of wood, only speaking when spoken to.
From Li Qinyue’s perspective, this dinner was a bit strange. She had agreed to this dinner because she thought it would be beneficial to be on good terms with the local police station.
After dinner, Officer Zhao seemed to like Zhuo Zhi even more. Li Qinyue had achieved her goal.
Now, after dinner, they walked out of the restaurant. It was time for Officer Fang’s purpose to be fulfilled.
As soon as they stepped out, Fang Yi looked around, finally uttering the first words he had spoken voluntarily all night, “Brother Zhao, where’s a quiet spot?”
Officer Zhao patted his shoulder, “So eager, huh? We can’t fight on the streets. If you two attract a crowd, I’ll have to mediate.”
Zhuo Zhi chuckled.
Officer Zhao said, “Let’s go to the gym we usually go to, they have a boxing ring there, it’s usually empty.”
Zhuo Zhi said, “I don’t know how to box.”
“Just fight however you want,” Officer Zhao said, pointing at Fang Yi, “He’s also self-taught.”
Now that it was decided, Fang Yi couldn’t wait to get started.
He looked like he wanted to run to the gym, it would be a good warm-up.
Li Qinyue, sensing that Zhuo Zhi would follow, quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the car.
Fang Yi sat in the front passenger seat, cracking his knuckles.
Li Qinyue leaned closer to Zhuo Zhi and whispered, “Are you confident?”
Zhuo Zhi also leaned closer and whispered back, “I don’t know.”
“Can’t you tell?” Li Qinyue asked.
Zhuo Zhi chuckled, “How can I tell?”
If she couldn’t tell, then they would just fight.
The gym wasn’t far away, they arrived in a few minutes.
The boxing ring was indeed just a casual setup, placed in the brightest spot in the gym, more for show than anything else.
The gym was quite crowded at this hour. Most people were sweating on the treadmills, a few were grunting in the weightlifting area.
The gym owner was familiar with Officer Zhao. He led them to the ring and said, “Feel free to use it.”
Officer Zhao pointed at Fang Yi and Zhuo Zhi, “You two, want to warm up?”
Zhuo Zhi bounced on her feet, “No need.”
Fang Yi immediately echoed, “No need.”
“Youth is wasted on the young. Be careful,” Officer Zhao waved his hand, “Go ahead.”
Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, who also gestured, “Go ahead.”
They stepped into the ring, attracting the attention of several people.
Zhuo Zhi looked at the boxing gloves. Fang Yi said, “No need for those.”
Zhuo Zhi smiled, “Good, I don’t like wearing them either.”
“Then…” Fang Yi said, “Let’s begin.”
“Let’s begin,” Zhuo Zhi bowed to him.
They took their stances, and the next second, they were fighting.
Officer Zhao, who had been talking to the gym owner, stopped mid-sentence, his eyes fixed on the fight.
Li Qinyue frowned. Her initial confidence had vanished, replaced by thoughts of how to comfort Zhuo Zhi if she lost.
You could tell a master just by watching them fight.
Li Qinyue didn’t understand martial arts, but anyone could tell that these two were skilled.
There was no prolonged testing, no unnecessary movements.
They countered each other’s moves, quickly gauging their opponent’s skill level, their movements becoming faster.
Li Qinyue caught a glimpse of Zhuo Zhi smiling, a genuine smile of excitement, the kind that ignited a fire in her heart.
When Zhuo Zhi kicked at Fang Yi’s chest, and he blocked it with both hands, the gym owner couldn’t help but shout, “Good!!!”
He was a muscular giant, and his voice boomed through the gym, making several people stop their workouts and gather around the ring.
Li Qinyue felt a surge of nervousness. From the looks of it, this fight wouldn’t be over soon. She shrugged, trying to calm her nerves.
There was a table nearby with paper and pens. Li Qinyue asked the gym owner, “Can I use this?”
The owner, engrossed in the fight, waved his hand, “Go ahead.”
Li Qinyue quickly tore off two pieces of paper, wrote two words on them, slapped them on the table, and shouted to the onlookers, “Place your bets!”
Her shout stunned not only the onlookers, but also the gym owner.
With police officers present, she was openly organizing gambling?
The two fighters in the ring didn’t stop, probably too focused to notice what was happening outside.
Officer Zhao pointed at Li Qinyue, chuckling, “You…”
Li Qinyue smiled at him sweetly, “I can’t fight, it’s boring, I just want to have some fun.”
Officer Zhao walked over and asked, “How do we bet?”
Li Qinyue pointed at the two pieces of paper, “Male, female. Write your name and the amount you’re betting on the paper of the person you think will win. We’ll settle the payment through mobile phones later, I know no one carries cash these days.”
“Okay,” Officer Zhao happily wrote on the paper with “Male” on it: Zhao Shangxing, 5 yuan.
“Hahahahaha…” Li Qinyue burst out laughing, “That’s too stingy, Brother Zhao!”
Officer Zhao whispered to her, “I think he’s going to lose, but I can’t not support my colleague, so I have to minimize the damage.”
Li Qinyue gave him a thumbs-up.
Seeing the officer take the lead, the gym owner immediately came over to place his bet.
But he didn’t dare to bet too much, hesitant, he wrote down twenty yuan.
Seeing the owner’s action, the crowd became excited and started writing down their names and bets.
Li Qinyue looked at the small amounts and couldn’t help but chuckle. This whole thing wouldn’t even earn her enough for a game of mahjong.
But even though the money was small, the atmosphere was lively.
Li Qinyue shouted to Zhuo Zhi, “Go, Xiao Zhuo! Our late-night snacks depend on you!”
The people around them, some knowing her name, some not, also started cheering, finally getting the attention of the two fighters.
Zhuo Zhi paused, and Fang Yi also stopped.
From this, it was clear that Fang Yi was a good person, an upright police officer, he wouldn’t take advantage of someone’s distraction.
Zhuo Zhi shouted, “What are you doing, Sister?!”
Li Qinyue smiled and shouted back, “Fight! I love you!”
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