Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

Then again, on second thought—Captain Xia had been investigating the haunting case these past few days; maybe she'd deliberately had her boyfriend drive a big truck like this so the two of them could conduct a discreet investigation.

Corona bottles were small to begin with, and five bottles' worth was really nothing to Heng. During the fight earlier, the effects of the alcohol had worn off completely, so driving now was no problem at all.

It was Xia Xue who was a little worried. "You up for this? How about we just grab a cab back?"

"Come on. You think if I leave this truck parked by the roadside all night, I won't get a ticket tomorrow morning?" Yang Jincong said with a laugh.

"If you do, I'll help you get it revoked," Xia Xue said, entirely unconcerned.

"Forget it, I'm fine." Yang Hengye smiled. "Never thought a trip to the bar would end up helping you crack a big case."

"Exactly." The thought stirred Xia Xue to excitement too. "Yang Ce, I've realized you must be my lucky star. Last time I was with you, and out of nowhere I cracked a major smuggling case."

Xia Xue had sobered up somewhat, but her tolerance for alcohol was plainly no match for Yang Ce's; she still carried a faint tipsiness, and it made her talk with unusual exuberance. "Heh, Yang Ce, if I hung around you all the time, wouldn't the chief's chair be mine for the asking?"

Yang Ce could not help shaking his head. "The way you put it, I sound less like a lucky star and more like a jinx. You make me out to be some Detective Conan—wherever I go, a case breaks out."

"Then how about this, Yang Ce—from now on just come keep me company more often. Who knows, maybe this haunted-case business will solve itself." Normally Xia Xue would never have dared say such a thing, but the drink had made her bold, and the words no longer embarrassed her.

"I've no objection, but once you have a boyfriend, won't he be jealous?" Yang Ce teased her. For some reason, the thought of Xia Xue marrying someday left a sour ache in him—after all, the two of them had come within a hair's breadth of something happening.

It was like something that ought to have belonged to him being handed cheaply to someone else—a profound sense of loss.

"Pfft, I'm not looking for a boyfriend." Xia Xue, missing the implication in his words, waved her hand vaguely. "What do I want a boyfriend for? I can support myself, and I've got you as a permanent meal ticket besides. Worst comes to worst, if I lose my job, I'll just come eat and drink off you. But ha—cops don't lose their jobs, do they? There'll always be bad guys."

Hearing this, Yang Ce did not know whether to be pleased or to smile bitterly. What did Xia Xue take him for—a sucker, or just some fool with deep pockets?

But clearly Xia Xue was not that sort. Her constant pestering him to treat her to meals was mostly just teasing. He had no idea what her family did, but all the signs suggested it was no ordinary household.

And anyway, Xia Xue hardly seemed the type to be short of money—her salary and bonuses were both generous. How could she possibly not afford a meal?

"Yang Ce, why am I hungry again?" Xia Xue frowned and patted her belly. "Didn't we just go eat?"

"We only drank just now—when did we eat?" Puzzled, Yang Ce turned his head, and saw that Xia Xue's cheeks were faintly flushed, her gaze somewhat unfocused.

No way—the alcohol was hitting her in a second wave? He had thought Xia Xue was nearly sober, but here she was drifting off again.

Yang Ce had guessed right: Xia Xue was indeed tipsy again. Her tolerance was decent enough as a rule, but the pressure of work had made her drink with the intent of getting drunk and unwinding, so five bottles of Corona—not a strong brew to begin with—had left her a little intoxicated.

Earlier, the tension of the situation had made Xia Xue reflexively push the drunkenness aside, but now, relaxed and excited, the liquor had come surging back.

"Oh, right—we didn't eat." Xia Xue nodded, then said, "Then where shall we go eat?"

"What do you want to eat?" Yang Ce was half amused, half exasperated. Xia Xue really was impossibly adorable just now, and he could not help thinking of Huang Yan again—the two of them, he thought, would make excellent sisters.

"I want fried cakes," Xia Xue said. By now drowsiness had crept over her; hovering on the edge of sleep, as she said the words "fried cakes" she smacked her lips as though swallowing saliva.

"Fried cakes?" Yang Ce was dumbfounded. Where was he supposed to find fried cakes at this hour? He was just about to ask Xia Xue to pick something else when he turned his head and saw she had already fallen asleep.

Her eyes were half closed, her tempting little mouth opening and closing as though she were eating fried cakes in her dreams—utterly adorable.

Yang Ce shook his head, pulled the car over to the roadside, locked the doors, and turned the heater up a notch. He was rather tired himself. Going a day without food was nothing to Yang Ce.

Back during his training camps in Europe, he had gone days without food or sleep and pulled through. Yang Ce reclined Xia Xue's seat so she could sleep more comfortably. That done, he laid his own seat back and prepared to rest a while in the car.

He did not know how long he had slept when a violent knocking came at the window. Yang Ce had been awake from the instant the glass was struck; he sat up and looked warily outside, where he saw a traffic officer, and beside him a police car with its lights flashing.

Yang Ce rolled down the window and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Parking is not allowed here. Please show me your driver's license and vehicle registration," the officer said politely.

Only then did Yang Ce remember that he had seen Xia Xue fall asleep and simply pulled over to the roadside—never imagining he would actually draw a night patrol officer.

By now Xia Xue had been woken by the noise too, and sat up groggily.

To be continued

905. The Haunted Case

By now Xia Xue had been woken by the noise too, and sat up groggily. Seeing the officer outside the car, she understood at once what was going on, and fished her ID from her pocket and handed it through the window. "I'm with the criminal investigation unit. I was working a case tonight and got sleepy, so I rested here a while."

The officer glanced at the rank on Xia Xue's ID and, learning she was deputy commander of the criminal investigation unit, was momentarily taken aback. Then it struck him: these past few days, the case of the haunted traffic route had been the responsibility of Captain Xia of the municipal bureau's criminal investigation unit.

Naturally, the traffic police knew all about the recent case—they had, in fact, been the first on the scene. At meetings these past few days, the unit's leadership had stressed that any suspicious traffic accident must be reported to Captain Xia of the criminal investigation unit at once, and that they were to cooperate with her work.

So Captain Xia must be out hunting for clues in the haunted case right now. At the thought, the officer was filled with respect, and then with embarrassment: here she was working so hard, and he had interrupted her rest. He quickly saluted. "Captain Xia, I'm truly sorry to disturb your rest, but this road is a commuter route—after six o'clock the traffic picks up considerably, so—"

Xia Xue felt a little embarrassed too. After all, she had used casework as a pretext, and it had won her such respect from the officer. She said quickly, "We'll move the car right away."

"Certainly. Thank you for cooperating with our work." The officer returned her ID, apologizing repeatedly. Inwardly, his admiration for Xia Xue only grew: here was someone who really was on a case, who by rights ought to enjoy certain privileges, and yet she was so scrupulous about obeying the law.