The corridor was quiet, sunlight streaming down through the glass curtain wall. Shi Nian felt beads of sweat quietly seeping from her scalp. She nervously rubbed her hands, lifting her eyes to look at the man wearing sunglasses.
"Mr. Tang, thank you and the police for your kindness. But, forgive my bluntness, I don’t think you’re the right choice."
She could accept 24-hour personal protection, but she couldn’t accept that this person was Tang Yanqing.
There was a barrier in her heart she couldn’t get past: He was still a stranger to her, but they had had such intimate contact... The thought of him moving into her and Xiang Yuan’s home, creating a world of three, made her unbearably uncomfortable.
"Then who do you think is suitable?" He looked at her over the sunglasses, showing condescension.
His voice was soft, but it carried an invisible pressure, dropping over her along with the overwhelming sunlight.
She took a deep breath, "That Mr. Jia isn’t bad."
Tang Yanqing squinted his eyes, glancing toward the other end of the corridor. Jia Tianzi was inquiring with the security guards in the hall but suddenly shuddered, drawing back his neck and looking over.
Tang Yanqing then gave a satisfied sneer, "He’s not suitable."
"Why?" Shi Nian refused to compromise.
Tang Yanqing arrogantly shifted his gaze away, "Because my family and the Xiang family are old friends, and Xiang Yuan and I have been friends since childhood. My moving into your house won’t cause any resistance from the Xiang family or your husband. Only with the full cooperation of the family can the task be executed better."
He slightly tilted his head to look at her, "So I’m the best choice. The only, best choice," he emphasized.
At least literally, Shi Nian had no way to overcome her. She had to take a deep breath, grabbed a pen from her pocket, bit off the cap, wrote a few lines on a note, and then handed it to Tang Yanqing.
Tang Yanqing took it and squinted as he read.
The paper contained these words:
Suspect 1: Yanwu Square, Father, Mr. Q; or the actual owners behind them.
Suspect 3: "Black Curtain" journalist Xiong Jie.
"You’re giving me a suspect list?" Tang Yanqing’s thin lips curled up, giving extra attention to items 2, 4, and 5, "I’m on this list as well. What are you trying to do?"
Shi Nian crossed her arms, "I am the daughter of a police officer, and being a police officer was my dream for many years, so I’m well-versed in basic reasoning methods. Plus, I’m the party involved, so I better understand which direction the suspect might come from. I want to help you close the case sooner. That way, you don’t need to protect me 24 hours, saving police resources for the taxpayers."
Tang Yanqing’s gaze fell on her crossed arms, letting out a light laugh, "Your crossed arms express resistance. You unconsciously resist me, yet you put my name on the suspect list. Don’t you think it’s preconceived?"
"No." Shi Nian felt slightly embarrassed, hurriedly lowering her arms, "The reason I included you as a suspect, you and I both know. My attire that night is something you understand as well as those at Yanwu Square, and—" Shi Nian took a deep breath, "And you’ve checked under my skirt."
She blushed and turned her head away, "And after the intimidation incident, the biggest beneficiary could be Mr. Tang—you. Profit is the motive for crime, so your suspicion is only secondary to those from Yanwu Square."
"Is that so?" He stepped forward, his tall shadow completely covering her. Bending down, he nearly whispered into her ear, "What makes you say that I’m the biggest beneficiary of this incident? Hmm?"