Chapter 289: A Sweet Little Misunderstanding

Once Lin Dongxue had fallen asleep, Chen Shi finally took a shower and lay down on the sofa. Although it was a sofa, it unfolded like a bed. However, with everything on his mind, Chen Shi found it hard to sleep.

He felt an urge to confess his true identity to Lin Qiupu right away, to free himself from the weight of this secret hanging over him like the Sword of Damocles.

His phone buzzed. It was a message from Lin Dongxue: “Can’t sleep? Want me to chat with you?”

Chen Shi felt a rush of sweetness, but then thought something was off. This didn’t sound like her usual style. He replied, “You little trickster, playing this game again?” But then he deleted it.

What if it was really from Lin Dongxue?

After pondering for a while, he decided to check in person. He quietly opened her bedroom door and, in the dim light from the living room, saw Lin Dongxue sleeping with her back to him. The blanket had slipped down, revealing her smooth, porcelain shoulder.

Seeing her asleep, Chen Shi felt a surge of tenderness mixed with sorrow. The moment of saying goodbye was approaching. This budding relationship would end once his true identity was revealed. He loved Lin Dongxue and wished to spend his life with her, growing old together and reminiscing about the ups and downs of life.

Thinking about this was like a knife to his heart.

He silently closed the door and returned to the sofa.

On the bed, Lin Dongxue turned over in disbelief. He had only opened the door to look at her and then left. Her phone still showed the message she had sent: “Can’t sleep? Want me to chat with you?”

Maybe he didn’t want things to progress too quickly, she thought, feeling Chen Shi’s sincerity. She buried her face in the blanket and smiled foolishly.

The next morning, as Tao Yueyue was brushing her teeth, Chen Shi asked, “Did you sneak Lin Dongxue’s phone last night to send me a message?”

Tao Yueyue looked at him in surprise, her mouth full of foam. “I didn’t!”

“Don’t lie. Stop playing these tricks. You fooled me once before!”

Tao Yueyue made a dismissive face at him.

Chen Shi was about to scold her more when Lin Dongxue came out of the bedroom. Chen Shi went to prepare breakfast.

After Tao Yueyue left, Chen Shi reflected on the incident, feeling something was off. Could it have really been Lin Dongxue who sent the message?

He looked at Lin Dongxue, who was seriously eating her oatmeal. She looked back, equally puzzled.

“How did you sleep last night?” Chen Shi asked.

“Pretty well. I’m used to this place now.”

“What time did you fall asleep?”

“Ten thirty? No, eleven!” Lin Dongxue’s face quietly turned red.

Chen Shi remembered the message had been sent around ten thirty. From her slip of the tongue, he deduced it was from her, meaning she had been awake when he peeked into her room.

Feeling incredibly awkward, Chen Shi realized the whole house was filled with awkwardness. They stared at each other for a long time until Lin Dongxue, blushing, coughed. “Why did you open my bedroom door last night?”

“I wanted to see if you were asleep.”

“Oh.”

“What did that message mean?”

Lin Dongxue’s face turned even redder. She bit her lip for a while, eyes darting around, and stammered, “Just… to chat… I didn’t mean for you to come in… It’s getting late, we should get to work!”

At the police station, Lin Dongxue was about to get out of the car when Chen Shi called her back, intending to kiss her cheek.

Their relationship wasn’t public yet, so they had to maintain propriety in front of others. This was their last moment of intimacy before work.

Just as they were getting closer, someone knocked on the car window. It was Lin Qiupu. Lin Dongxue’s face turned crimson. “What are you doing?” Lin Qiupu asked.

Chen Shi quickly explained, “Dongxue’s seatbelt got stuck. I’m helping her.”

Lin Qiupu looked suspicious. “Move the car. You’re blocking others.”

“Right away,” Chen Shi replied with a smile.

After rolling up the window, they prepared to continue, but then another knock came. It was Xu Xiaodong. “The dessert shop across the street is having a buy-one-get-one-free sale on crepes. Go get some!”

“Thanks, but we’ve eaten,” Chen Shi said.

“What were you guys doing?” Xu Xiaodong asked.

“Dongxue’s seatbelt got stuck. I’m helping her.”

“Oh… You should get the vanilla flavor. It’s delicious…”

“Got it, thanks!” Chen Shi rolled up the window and turned to Lin Dongxue. “Ready to try again?”

“Won’t someone interrupt us again?”

“Doubt it.”

As Chen Shi leaned in to kiss her, another knock came. This time, it was Peng Sijue.

Chen Shi rolled down the window. “What is it now?”

“I think my car’s broken. Can you take a look later? And why ‘now’?”

Chen Shi sighed. “After I park. What were you doing?”

“Dongxue’s seatbelt got stuck. I’m helping her.”

As the window rolled up, Chen Shi asked, “Do you think we’ll be interrupted again?”

“Forget it. Let’s wait until tonight…”

Before she could finish, Chen Shi kissed her on the lips. Lin Dongxue’s face turned red, but she didn’t want to part from him.

Chen Shi gently tapped her forehead. “Okay, tonight then!”

During the morning case briefing, Chen Shi shared his theory. Lin Qiupu found it constructive and suggested investigating it further.

The murdered driver, Wang Changyou, was affiliated with a moving company but mainly did long-haul deliveries. Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue went to his company to ask if anyone knew Wang Sunxu.

One driver said, “I don’t know Wang Sunxu, but Wang Changyou mentioned Wang Sunlei. Are they related?”

“What did he say about Wang Sunlei?” Chen Shi asked.

“You won’t arrest me for talking, will you?”

“That depends,” Lin Dongxue started to say, but Chen Shi stopped her with a gesture. “We won’t arrest you. Go ahead.”

“Wang Changyou once told us that Wang Sunlei killed his wife. Even though the police caught Wang Sunlei, Wang Changyou couldn’t let it go. He found out that another driver’s son went to school with Wang Sunxu, Wang Sunlei’s brother. One night, he took some people to find the boy, trashed his house, and beat him badly. I swear I didn’t lay a hand on him. I asked Wang Changyou if the boy would call the police, but he said, ‘Would he dare? He’s the brother of a murderer. This is his fate.’”

Lin Dongxue was stunned. It seemed Wang Changyou’s murder was premeditated.