Su Wenbing had no idea that Gu Hai found him annoying.
With money in his pocket, he rode off on his bicycle in a flash and disappeared from sight.
Once the eyesore was gone, Gu Hai's mood immediately improved. He invited Su Yun to sit down, and they resumed their lesson.
But before long, the sound of a bicycle bell rang outside the recycling station.
A young man's voice followed:
"Is Su Yun here?"
Hearing the voice, Su Yun quickly stood up and called out,
"I'm here—come in!"
After Zhou Ziyang entered, he noticed Gu Hai was also there and looked slightly surprised.
"Gu Hai?"
Gu Hai stood up and nodded in greeting.
As usual, Su Yun used her standard excuse to brush things off:
"Comrade Gu Hai is here to sell scrap."
It was obviously a lie, but Zhou Ziyang didn't expose her. Instead, he said warmly,
"Comrade Su Yun, I came today because of the theft case at the steel factory."
Gu Hai's brows furrowed, and he asked first,
"What about that case? Have the thieves confessed? Or are their accomplices planning retaliation?"
Hearing this, Su Yun also grew tense and stared at Zhou Ziyang.
Zhou Ziyang smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. The thieves don't know that Comrade Su Yun reported them, so they won't retaliate against her. They haven't confessed yet, but the evidence is solid. It's only a matter of time before they're sentenced."
"I came today because our bureau is holding a quarterly commendation meeting tomorrow. Everyone who contributed to solving the case will receive a reward. As the informant, Comrade Su Yun will receive at least fifty yuan in cash. I came specifically to inform her to collect it."
Gu Hai asked cautiously,
"Will going to the police station to collect the reward expose her identity?"
Zhou Ziyang shook his head.
"Don't worry. There will also be a social gathering at the bureau tomorrow with many attendees. Su Yun can quietly collect her reward. Apart from me and Director Sun, no one will know."
Gu Hai was still uneasy and was about to refuse on Su Yun's behalf, but she eagerly nodded.
"Alright, I'll go!"
Gu Hai looked at her, clearly disapproving.
But Su Yun winked at him playfully.
Gu Hai's face instantly flushed red, his heart racing as all other concerns vanished.
After delivering the message, Zhou Ziyang didn't linger and left immediately.
It took Gu Hai quite a while to recover. Holding his book, he asked shyly,
"Su Yun, just now… why did you…"
"You want to ask why I agreed to go collect the reward?"
That wasn't what he meant at all.
He wanted to ask why she had winked at him—it felt intimate, easy to misinterpret.
Unaware of his thoughts, Su Yun explained,
"Actually, I want you to take me somewhere, but my next day off is still a while away. I can't wait that long. Since Officer Zhou asked me to go to the police station tomorrow, I can use it as an excuse to request leave from the neighborhood office."
So that was it.
Gu Hai suppressed his wandering thoughts and asked curiously,
"Where do you want me to take you?"
Su Yun's eyes lit up.
"To the place where you dug up the Imperial Jade Seal!"
That place was too extraordinary—containing not only a valuable ancient magnet but also a legendary jade seal passed down for thousands of years.
Su Yun had a strong feeling that this trip would bring great rewards.
—
While Su Yun was lost in anticipation, Zhou Ziyang rode back to the police station, only to find a noisy commotion at the entrance.
At the foot of the steps, a scruffy young man stood surrounded by officers, looking completely fearless as he shouted:
"Don't come any closer! I'm a law-abiding citizen—I'm not afraid of you police! Hurry up and call Su Xiu out here! She's my wife! Now that she's become a police officer, she thinks she can dump me? No way!"
This man was Su Xiu's former fiancé, He Qiang.
A few days earlier, Zhao Manfen had gone to the He family to break off the engagement. Unwilling to accept it, He Qiang, encouraged by his mother, seized the chance to come to the police station and cause trouble.
Su Xiu thought that just because she had a good job now, she could get rid of him?
Dream on!
Even if he didn't become a live-in son-in-law of the Su family, he would make sure Su Xiu didn't have an easy life!
Hearing his words, Zhou Ziyang frowned deeply.
Su Xiu was young, beautiful, and hardworking. Though she had only recently joined the police force, she was already performing her duties skillfully—proof that she was capable.
How could such a promising woman have such poor judgment in choosing a fiancé? A street loafer like him?
The man didn't even look like he had a proper ounce of muscle on him!
Just as Zhou Ziyang was puzzling over this, Su Xiu appeared.
Dressed in an olive-green uniform, she stood slightly taller than most women, with a slender waist. Though thin, her strikingly beautiful face was impossible to ignore.
Compared to when she first arrived, she now carried herself with more confidence and brightness, no longer timid or afraid to speak.
The moment she saw He Qiang, clear displeasure appeared on her face.
She first apologized to everyone present:
"I'm sorry. He is my former fiancé. We just broke off our engagement, which is why he came here to cause trouble. I'm sorry for the disturbance."
The officers, having seen all kinds of situations, waved it off casually.
After apologizing, Su Xiu walked over to He Qiang and said firmly,
"Qiangzi, we've already broken off the engagement. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Stop coming here to make trouble. This is the police station—you won't get anything out of this."
He Qiang sneered.
"So what if it's the police station? Do the police control everything—even when people eat and relieve themselves?"
"I came to see my fiancée—who dares to stop me?"
"Su Xiu, don't think becoming a police officer makes you special. Let me tell you, this engagement cannot be broken! My mother said if you don't give me your job at the police station, I'll sit right here at the entrance and never leave!"
With that, he sat down on the steps like a shameless rogue, shaking his leg as he shouted to the crowd:
"Come and see, everyone! This shameless woman slept with me and now refuses to admit it! She thinks becoming a police officer solves everything… She's already been with me—damaged goods! Who else would want her besides me?"
Su Xiu's face turned pale. She hurriedly shook her head, trying to explain:
"I didn't! You're lying! I never—"
Seeing her reaction, He Qiang became even more smug.
He doubled down on his vulgar act:
"I've slept with you! You've got two moles on your chest and a scar on your waist. You may be thin, but you've got a nice figure—feels great to touch!"
"You're lying!"
Su Xiu was on the verge of tears.
None of those things were true!
He Qiang was making it all up!
But the onlookers didn't know that. Hearing his confident claims, they began to doubt her, their gazes turning subtle and suspicious.
Su Xiu waved her hands desperately.
"I don't! I really don't! He's lying—don't believe him!"
He Qiang, pleased with himself, pressed on:
"Xiu'er, why make things difficult? I'm already your man. Just transfer your police job to me. Then you can stay home, have children, and take care of the family. Isn't that perfect?"
Tears streamed down Su Xiu's face as she clenched her teeth and spat back:
"Impossible!"
She had fought so hard to grasp this lifeline—there was no way she would hand it over to anyone else!