“Why are you asking me that?”

Fang Yuanyuan’s eyes stared wide-open at her like small bronze bells.

“I want to infiltrate and get into the enemy’s good books, so I can understand and spoil the enemy’s plans in the fastest time possible. This is called strategy, understand?”

Pffft! Strategy?

Xiang Wan giggled at her remark and facial expression. “Are you sure you’re not possessed by Huang He or something?”

“Hur!” Fang Yuanyuan rolled her eyes. “He already possessed my body long ago, alright?”

“… You’re lewd!”

Fang Yuanyuan let out a yawn and sat on her bed. She crossed her legs and held her chin with a hand. “I’m serious! I’m also the wife of a detective after all. It’s only right that I have such tactical sense…”

“Cut it out, do you think I don’t know you well?” Xiang Wan giggled and gave an accurate conclusion that stopped Fang Yuanyuan’s empty talk. “You’re actually softhearted, although the words coming from your mouth doesn’t seem that way.”

Uh!

Fang Yuanyuan pouted her mouth in slight irritation as she peered at her.

Xiang Wan’s eyes were half-open as she smiled at her teasingly. “Just admit it?”

“Actually, it’s not that…” Fang Yuanyuan cleared her throat and scratched her head. “She’s a celebrity after all. She’s beautiful, friendly and polite… You know that one does not slap a smiling person. I’m alone whereas there are two of them. I couldn’t be fierce at all, agree?”

“I see!” Xiang Wan said indifferently, “So it’s not the snacks which were bought by Xie Wanwan that tempted you?”

“… Am I a person who’s so useless?”

Fang Yuanyuan looked at the ceiling.

“At first, when they asked me to join them, my heart was actually rejecting the idea…”

“Yup, your heart wanted to reject it but your stomach gave in,” chimed in Xiang Wan, who gave her a glance that seemed to say she understood her but in the next moment changed into a disapproving look. “So now you know how your 120 pounds of meat came about?”

“That hurts!” Fang Yuanyuan covered her face. “I’m not a person who’ll betray you… because of food!”

Xiang Wan raised her eyebrows and patted her shoulders as she understood the situation now. She was not interested to know what they talked about. “Do rest early.” She got up from the bed. “And, you actually handled the situation well. I’m relieved that you didn’t mess around with Xie Wanwan. Make sure you keep it that way!”

“Why?” Fang Yuanyuan hugged her knees and looked at her with a perplexed expression. “Will she eat people?”

Xiang Wan knocked her head with a hand. “You’re not a match against her with your level of intelligence. Go wash up and sleep.”

“Tch! As if your level of intelligence is enough.”

“Of course, no doubt about it!”

“Since your level of intelligence is enough, why did your previous novels fare so badly?”

Ouch!

That was a sore spot for Xiang Wan.

She looked at Fang Yuanyuan casually. “This is because the heavens are fair to everyone… think it over yourself.”

“…”

Fang Yuanyuan found it increasingly difficult to outtalk Xiang Wan nowadays. She plopped down to her bed, hugging her pillow and made a turn on the bed. “I feel so tired thinking about all this! You people are too complicated. I’m the one who’s most innocent and kind…”

Xiang Wan scrunched up her nose at Fang Yuanyuan as she left the room. Before she headed back to her bedroom, she went to check out how Blackie was doing.

She didn’t expect to see a shadow leaning against the wall next to the window beside Blackie’s bed.

The lights were off, and the only thing she could make out was the still-burning cigarette between the fingers.

That made Xiang Wan jump in fright. “Who’s that?”

The shadow was startled. “It’s me.”

Xiang Wan pursed her lips. “It’s already so late, you… you’re not worried that it might suffocate the cat?”

Xie Wanwan slowly turned around; her slender figure under the dim surroundings had a slight cold, mysterious feel to it.

Like a cat in the dark night.

She seemed to have blended with Blackie, who was sleeping inside his cat bed.

“I wanted to have a talk with you. Is it convenient?”

Oh?

She’s actually waiting for her?

Xiang Wan crossed her arms, stood before Xie Wanwan and looked at her seriously.

“Alright, tell me, what is it?”

Xie Wanwan snuffed out the cigarette slowly and threw it into a trash bin nearby. She revealed a smile. “Are you always so guarded towards other people?”

Xiang Wan furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re standing here in the middle of the night just to understand my character?”

Xie Wanwan shrugged her shoulders. “I’m actually interested in getting to know you.”

Xiang Wan: “… I’m not a man.”

Xie Wanwan cracked up and raised her pitch a little. “Maybe… I might be more interested in women?”

Xiang Wan replied, “My apologies then. I’m not interested in women.”

Hur! Xie Wanwan chuckled at her remark. “Haven’t I told you before? Xiang Wan, I like you as a friend.”

“Thank you!” Xiang Wan was unlike Fang Yuanyuan, who would be won over by just a few flattering, sugarcoated words and sentences. She was very clear about where Xie Wanwan stood in her heart.

They were not enemies.

But they certainly weren’t friends.

At the moment, she didn’t think that she wanted Xie Wanwan as a friend.

In the future, it would be difficult to have any thoughts of making her a friend as well.

For a person like Xie Wanwan, Xiang Wan would prefer to keep an appropriate distance.

“Why?” Xie Wanwan took a step forward. “I’ve always been nice to you but you’re always giving me tepid responses. I don’t get it. Is it because you’re a cold person by nature or you’re feeling insecure about being friends with me? Is it because you mind the fact that I liked Bai Muchuan previously? Or that you’re not confident about your relationship with him?”

“It’s not that!” Xiang Wan looked at her calmly and gave her a tactful reply. “Miss Xie, you raised a few questions and they were all about feelings… You’re actually very clear about where a person stands in your heart, and where you stand in their heart – in fact, both parties would roughly know that. Your feelings for Bai Muchuan have nothing to do with me. What I feel towards you comes simply from being his girlfriend. As for my relationship with Bai Muchuan, you need not worry about it, Miss Xie. I know you actually have a lot on your plate as well.”

Xiang Wan showed another smile and added another sentence. “If I were you, I would rather worry about my own affairs!”

“Your words are sharp and straight to the point.” Xie Wanwan nodded her head and revealed a magnanimous smile. “I like you more as time goes by. What should I do?”

“It’s a pity that I don’t feel the same as you.”

The smile on Xiang Wan’s face did not belong to those cold and distant ones that people found difficult to get close to.

But Xie Wanwan could feel the distant feeling which was revealed in Xiang Wan’s expression, it was real and authentic.

Xie Wanwan was startled for a moment before raising both hands with a laugh.

“Fine! I admit defeat. You’re really something!”

Xiang Wan smiled but said nothing.

Xie Wanwan paused for a moment and smiled. “To be frank, I’m here because I’m really worried about you.”

“Mm?” Xiang Wan raised her eyebrows with a baffled look and waited for Xie Wanwan to continue.

“Today, someone looked me up and told me a secret that is related to you and Bai Muchuan. I’m worried that this matter might affect your relationship with him… I’m very curious, how would you react when you got to know this.”

A secret that was related to her and Bai Muchuan.

Someone told her…

Xiang Wan quickly grasped the keywords.

That day, Xie Wanwan spent the bulk of her day in Serious Crime Division One.

As for the remaining time, she was at this house.

Besides coming in contact with Fang Yuanyuan, who else would she be in contact with?

In Serious Crime Division One, who would be the busybody that could say something like that?

Xiang Wan showed a smile. “It’s Cheng Xin?”

Xie Wanwan was surprised for a moment before letting out a chuckle. “You’re good! No wonder you’re a part of the team! I had thought it was purely just Little Bai taking special care of you…”

“Did she tell you that my dad is related to Little Bai’s mom’s death?” Xiang Wan interrupted her and immediately went straight to the point. “She must have told you that,” she asked with a smile, “my dad is the one who caused the death of Little Bai’s mom, right?”