Chapter 994 - 959: Cherish What You Have

Lu Qi said to Su Qing: "Su Qing, can you explain in detail what happened that day?"

Su Qing glanced at Xu Chunliang, who said: "We were supposed to give you a welcome dinner, how did it turn into a crime scene investigation?" He didn’t want Su Qing to be too involved in the case.

Lu Ming laughed and said: "No business talk while drinking, maybe we can talk later."

Su Qing said: "There’s really nothing I can’t say, I admit that I have hidden certain facts, mainly because I don’t want to invite too much trouble."

The atmosphere at dinner was quite tense. Fan Lidada and Lu Ming noticed that Lu Qi had ulterior motives beyond just drinking. He had just returned, and the leaders assigned such a major case to him, Lu Qi was under immense pressure.

From Su Qing’s perspective, her involvement in the matter was quite innocent. If it wasn’t for Three Two Three wanting to use the Provincial Satellite TV platform, Su Qing wouldn’t have been drawn into it at all.

The dinner didn’t last long; everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts. Some refrained from drinking, and some didn’t dare to drink freely. In the end, they didn’t even finish two catties of wine.

As Xu Chunliang was leaving, Lu Qi walked him to the door, patted his shoulder, and said: "I’m sorry, my intentions were too clear today, I shouldn’t have discussed work matters."

Xu Chunliang said: "But you still did, Lu Qi. Personally, I think this case shouldn’t be taken at face value. The problems that are emerging are what certain people want us to see."

Lu Qi understood his meaning, and quietly said: "Someone wants to use this matter against Tang Jingwei?"

Xu Chunliang said: "None of them are good people."

Lu Qi said: "Actually, we all know, although we know someone wants to use us, the case is indeed real. We can’t not investigate; our duty as police is to identify those criminals, not to deal with certain conspirators."

Xu Chunliang said: "Since you’re in charge of this case, we’ll do our best to help you. Su Qing is innocent throughout the process; I was the one who asked her to hide information, I didn’t want her to get into more trouble."

"Don’t worry about that, our police can provide her protection."

Xu Chunliang shook his head with a smile and said: "It’s not that I don’t trust your attitude, I don’t trust..." He didn’t finish, not wanting to cause Lu Qi displeasure.

Lu Qi understood what he didn’t say, frowned, but could not deny that Xu Chunliang was speaking the truth - no plan is foolproof, and police indeed cannot guarantee Su Qing’s safety 100%.

Lu Qi said: "If such things happen again in the future, make sure to report to the police immediately, though you’re capable of fighting, you’re not a police officer; when you assume you’re upholding justice, you might have already broken the law."

Xu Chunliang said: "Relying solely on you won’t uphold all justice; this world is half in sunshine and the other half shrouded in darkness. Even on the sunny side, there are corners where sunlight doesn’t reach. There are people who specialize in finding legal loopholes, exploiting them; they do things more despicable and shameless than murder and arson, yet in your eyes, they haven’t broken the law - they are law-abiding citizens."

For a moment, Lu Qi was unable to rebut.

Xu Chunliang said: "I’m leaving. I only have one request, please be considerate of Su Qing’s predicament, try not to affect her while investigating."

Lu Qi nodded, watching Xu Chunliang get into the car. Lu Ming walked up from behind, wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and said: "You seemed a bit disappointed tonight."

Lu Qi said: "Can’t help it, the bureau is pressing hard."

Lu Ming said: "Didn’t you notice? Chunliang was a bit unhappy, and your Brother Fan was also listless."

Lu Qi said: "What does it have to do with Brother Fan?"

Lu Ming said: "You’re a good cop, but you don’t understand the intricacies of the system. The matter at hand isn’t just about catching criminals; unit and individuals involved back then could all be caught in one big sweep. Your Brother Fan, at the Cultural and Tourism Bureau now, might also be affected."

Lu Qi frowned: "It’s been so many years, could the implications be that far-reaching?"

Lu Ming said: "Just wait and see, regulatory departments, cultural relic protection agencies, personnel from the incident team back then - all will be affected to varying degrees. The bureau had you return early not because you’re outstanding in handling cases, nor because the case is complex, but because it involves so many layers that no one wants to take it on."

Actually, Lu Ming didn’t finish; he himself was under immense pressure. If the matter escalates, higher-ups will definitely hold him accountable. With the proliferation of social media, his position has become increasingly difficult. He originally wanted to talk with Xu Chunliang tonight to see if he could get some help, but his brother’s unexpected move made it difficult to express his thoughts.

Lu Qi said: "According to what you say, didn’t I just take up a hot potato?"

Lu Ming said: "You’ve already taken it up, you can’t throw it away now."

Su Qing drove towards Hidden Lake Villa, worried: "Chunliang, I didn’t give a full explanation that day, will the police hold me accountable?"

Xu Chunliang shook his head: "No, I’ve spoken with Lu Qi, he will try not to trouble you in the future. Three Two Three doesn’t know when to keep quiet, he shouldn’t have involved you from the start. Now that he’s confessed, why did he mention you? He’s simply a useless teammate."

Su Qing said: "He’s scared too, probably confessed everything when nervous."

Xu Chunliang said: "There’s nothing to be scared of, even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it for you."

Su Qing said: "I don’t want you to hold it." She glanced at him gratefully, but noticed Xu Chunliang’s intense gaze was somewhat strange, and quickly realized she might have said the wrong thing.

Xu Chunliang felt a rush in his heart, instantly turning back into a manly man, his casual pants felt like a cage restraining his freedom. Nowadays, he’s quite conscious about his attire when going out, especially choosing loose pants to give himself enough space, so others won’t notice his threat.

The hand tucked in his pocket quietly suppressed the rigid stance; the Innate Realm is truly domineering.

However, he didn’t continue to tease Su Qing, "Why do I find that your job in news reporting is so risky?"

Su Qing replied, "Insisting on the truth inevitably offends some people’s interests, but it’s not that exaggerated. Our field is much better than war correspondents."

Xu Chunliang said, "After you finish the interview task in Dongzhou this time, you should focus on variety show hosting. Don’t take jobs that aren’t yours and save yourself some stress."

Su Qing said, "I am really a bit scared this time. I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days, you see, my dark circles have come out."

Xu Chunliang said, "I feel like you just keep getting prettier. Why don’t you not leave tonight and come stay at my place?"

Su Qing blushed and said, "What are you thinking?"

"What are you thinking? It’s not like you haven’t stayed over at my place before."

Su Qing said, "Your grandpa is there; what would he think if I stayed over?"

Xu Chunliang chuckled to himself. If it weren’t for grandpa, Su Qing would naturally have no objections.

"Then how about I not go home tonight and stay at your place?"

Su Qing gave him a glance, her heart pounding.

"You don’t trust me?"

Su Qing said, "Honestly, I kinda don’t."

Su Qing let him off at the entrance of the complex, drove his car back to the hotel, feeling a little lost as she left.

After parking the car, as Su Qing got out, she saw Ye Qingya, dressed casually, approaching.

Ye Qingya thought it was Xu Chunliang who had come because of the car, so she came over, only to find out it was Su Qing driving.

They greeted each other, and Su Qing told Ye Qingya that Xu Chunliang had been drinking, so she was temporarily acting as his driver tonight.

Ye Qingya suggested they take a walk by the lake, but Su Qing, having been left with a psychological shadow after being kidnapped that night, didn’t dare to wander around this late and suggested going to the lounge for a few drinks instead.

They went to the hotel’s executive lounge, ordered two drinks, and sat by the window overlooking Hidden Dragon Lake outside.

Su Qing proactively explained why she didn’t want to go out for a walk. Upon hearing that Su Qing had been kidnapped not long ago, Ye Qingya felt scared for her and was sincerely glad to hear that Xu Chunliang had rescued her in time.

Ye Qingya said, "Dongzhou, this ancient city, is said to have a city beneath the city, full of relics."

Su Qing nodded, "Absolutely, especially in the city center. You basically always find historical sites whenever construction starts..."

Before she could finish, a coworker called, telling her about a discovery. A historical quarry site was found during the tunnel construction between the museum and Hidden Dragon Mountain. They planned to go to the site for an interview tomorrow and asked Su Qing to prepare a bit.

Hanging up the phone, Su Qing shared this news with Ye Qingya.

Ye Qingya said, "Your work in news is really busy, isn’t it? You can’t even rest after hours."

Su Qing said, "News is continuously emerging, and such matters are time-sensitive. Everyone is rushing for the news and headlines; if you fall behind, you end up following trends and losing value."

Ye Qingya said, "I can tell you’re very dedicated."

Su Qing, a bit embarrassed, said, "I wouldn’t say dedicated, but since I am doing this job, I try to do it well. This time, I am here temporarily. I’ve already gone to the variety show department."

Ye Qingya observed Su Qing, who looked stunning under the lights. Even Ye Qingya, as another woman, was genuinely impressed by Su Qing’s beauty. She remembered Mei Ru Xue, whose beauty was restrained and subtle, whereas Su Qing’s beauty was natural and overt. Two different kinds of beauty—how lucky was Xu Chunliang to have two such beautiful girls like him?

Ye Qingya asked, "Have you known Chunliang for a long time?"

Su Qing was taken aback and quickly understood Ye Qingya’s implication. She nodded, "Yes, a long time. I was working at Dongzhou TV Station back then, and Chunliang helped me a lot. How did you two meet?"

Ye Qingya said, "Through Xiaoxue, back when I was still her sister-in-law."

Su Qing realized her question had touched on Ye Qingya’s personal privacy and apologized, "I’m sorry."

Ye Qingya laughed, "It’s nothing. The affairs of this world are ever-changing; no one knows what tomorrow will bring."

Su Qing deeply agreed, "Indeed, living is not easy, which is why we must cherish it more."