When Qin Ruojing's voice reached Chu Ge's ears, he was momentarily stunned, but then he turned his head away.
Watching Qin Ruojing's hurried back, as if she might fall at any moment, Chu Ge shouted, "Take it easy," but Qin Ruojing seemed not to hear as she rushed out of the kitchen without looking back.
Looking at the door that Qin Ruojing had closed, Chu Ge couldn't help but chuckle. So even Qin Ruojing has moments when she's as bashful as a little girl?
After leaving the kitchen, Qin Ruojing didn't return to her bedroom but instead dashed straight into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and turning on the faucet, splashing cold water on her face until the burning hot feeling subsided a little.
Whew... What's wrong with me? Isn't it just having him play along with me?
Even if we actually sleep in the same room tonight, nothing will happen. This way, I can avoid my sister's questioning, make the charade more convincing, and even if mom isn't entirely satisfied with Chu Ge, she can only accept it and stop pressuring me to find a boyfriend to marry. Why not benefit from such an arrangement?
Qin Ruojing raised her head, looking at her still-blushing reflection in the mirror, rationally analyzing the situation for herself.
However, even though she found so many reasonable excuses for herself, her heart was still beating much faster than usual, as if it were drumming. She could clearly hear the rapid beats, and she didn't even know what kind of mood she was in right now.
Absentmindedly, she dried the water off her face, patting her cheeks in an attempt to calm down, but due to her turbulent emotions, she didn't notice that while she was drying her face, Qin Ruoying had already opened the door and came in.
"Sis, what are you doing?"
"Ah! You little rascal, when did you come in? Want to scare me to death?"
Unprepared, Qin Ruojing was startled when she suddenly saw Qin Ruoying in the mirror and let out a yelp, her body giving a shiver.
As twin sisters, her sister's figure and appearance were identical to hers. At the first glance in the mirror, she thought she was seeing things. This kind of situation is common for the sisters, but given her current unsettled mood, she was startled by her sister.
"Come on, I called you three times, okay? You didn't respond, so I thought the bathroom was empty. Huh? Why did you react so strongly? Were you doing something sneaky just now..."
Qin Ruoying gave Qin Ruojing a strange look, explaining very matter-of-factly to her sister. As she spoke, a teasing smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh, stop it! You're still so uncouth at your age!"
Seeing Qin Ruoying's teasing smile, Qin Ruojing's barely calmed mind became flustered again. She pretended to be calm and scolded her sister before quickly leaving the bathroom.
Just as Qin Ruojing pushed open the bathroom door, the entrance door also opened, and Qin Yan walked in.
"Dad, you're back."
Qin Yan nodded, smiling for once and responding with an "Mm," then changed into his slippers and returned to his bedroom.
However, as soon as he entered, the smile on his face disappeared completely. He lit a cigarette, furrowed his thick brows, and a deep crease formed on his broad forehead.
Not long after Qin Yan got home, Qin's mother returned from playing mahjong, and at the same time, Chu Ge finished the last dish, placing four dishes and a soup on the dining table.
The atmosphere at the table was still good; Qin's mother won money at mahjong and was cheerfully talking about the great hands she got. Qin Ruoying was happily sharing stories about shopping for clothes in the afternoon, continuously praising Chu Ge for his fashion sense and taste.
However, Qin Ruojing was clearly distracted, zoning out several times and not hearing others call her name multiple times.
The most unusual was Qin Yan, who was usually unsmiling. Although he still didn't say much, his gaze was surprisingly gentle, and he even unexpectedly helped Chu Ge with a few dishes.
In Qin's mother's and the Qin sisters' view, their father seemed very satisfied with Chu Ge, which is why he was in a good mood. However, in Chu Ge's eyes, Qin Yan's mood was evidently not as good as it appeared. Beneath the seemingly happy smile was a bitterness that ordinary people couldn't detect.
After the meal, both Qin Yan and Chu Ge drank quite a bit. When Qin's mother and Qin Ruojing started cleaning up, Qin Yan handed Chu Ge a cigarette, lit one for himself, and took a deep drag.
Exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, Qin Yan patted Chu Ge on the shoulder, "Young Chu, want to take a stroll with your uncle?"
Seeing Qin Yan's slightly unsteady stance, Chu Ge quickly offered support and said, "Hey, take it easy, uncle."
Qin Yan pushed Chu Ge's hand away, "No, no need to support me, I'm fine. Still young! So many years, so many criminals couldn't bring me down, what's a little drink?"
Seeing Qin Yan insist on walking on his own, Chu Ge didn't push the issue and followed the old detective, who was slightly wobbly but stood tall and straight, out the door.
At this moment, the community was brightly lit, with many residents taking an evening walk. As they walked, every few steps someone would greet Qin Yan, and it was clear from the respectful looks they gave that he was well-regarded in this area.
Qin Yan didn't speak the entire way, just smoking one cigarette after another.
Logically, Chu Ge, as a "son-in-law," should have advised him to stop, but he didn't. He just followed in Qin Yan's footsteps, knowing that this old detective was trying to dispel his inner frustration with each cigarette.
Once they reached a relatively quiet spot, Qin Yan finally spoke the first words since leaving the house.
"Xiao Chu, how about sparring with your uncle?"
Without hesitation, Chu Ge nodded, "Alright."
Qin Yan obviously didn't expect Chu Ge to agree so readily, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face before he laughed heartily, getting into position.
"Xiao Chu, let me tell you, never underestimate your uncle, and don't go easy on me, or you'll get a nasty surprise."
Chu Ge chuckled, "Don't worry, Uncle, I wouldn't dare. I'll give it my all."
"Alright, here I come. Watch out, kid!" With that, Qin Yan stopped being polite and swung a punch at Chu Ge.
Chu Ge seriously raised his arm to block, then counterattacked, throwing a sidekick at Qin Yan's lower half. Qin Yan's eyes sharpened, his body spun, and he counterattacked Chu Ge again.
Three minutes later.
Chu Ge lay on the ground on his back, while Qin Yan stood to the side, hands on his knees, panting heavily with a deeply satisfied smile on his face, and a bit of childish pride.
Finally catching his breath, Qin Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Xiao Chu, you're sure you didn't go easy on me, right?"
Chu Ge sat up from the ground, dusted off his backside, and gave a wry smile, "Uncle, do I look like I was going easy? I just have some mediocre skills, I can't really compete with you. You've tossed me like this, don't make fun of me."
Laughing heartily twice, Qin Yan reached out to pull Chu Ge up from the ground, and then the two, one old and one young, sat on the curb, smoking and chatting.
Having drunk a bit too much, and truly liking Chu Ge's personality, this time, the old detective really opened up, pouring out all the frustrations he had bottled up inside.
Most of the time, Chu Ge just quietly listened, occasionally responding with a sentence or two, and after this long conversation with the old detective, he couldn't help but feel a deep respect.
It turned out that the man Chu Ge injured this afternoon, Liu Dawang, was the son of a Shanxi coal boss, with a large family business. This time he came to Kyoto for investment, planning to invest a lot of money—so much that even the head of the city's investment department paid great attention.
Therefore, Qin Yan's handling of this case greatly displeased his superior, who harshly criticized him and even wanted to sanction him.
After discussing this case, Qin Yan talked about his experiences fighting criminals. Though his tone was very calm, Chu Ge could completely imagine the life-threatening, perilous situations the old detective had been through.
Qin Yan didn't say these things to boast in front of Chu Ge, a junior. He simply hadn't vented in a long, long time, and beneath his police uniform, he was just a man approaching old age, with pressures and unanswered questions too.
When Qin Yan flicked away the umpteenth cigarette butt and stood up from the curb, beginning to walk home, Chu Ge watched him. Despite his hair greying, and though he stood straight, he still showed a hint of an aging back, and Chu Ge sighed softly.
No matter the greatness of a hero, there will inevitably come a day when they too will fade.
Although many things weren't spoken, Chu Ge had every reason to believe that, based on ability and experience, someone of Qin Yan's age should not still be just a detective.
But because he neither understood nor cared to navigate interpersonal relationships, daring to arrest any criminal and confront any leader, he had worked for over twenty years without promotion. Even as he was no longer young, he continued to fight crime on the front line.
Following in Qin Yan's footsteps, Chu Ge hesitated internally, uncertain whether he should help him get what he long deserved.
Although Chu Ge had never liked owing others, this time he truly considered it.
In this internal hesitance, Chu Ge returned to the Qin Family. As he pushed the door open, he saw Qin Ruojing sitting on the living room sofa, seemingly waiting for him to come back.
Sure enough, as soon as Qin Yan went to the bathroom to wash up and the living room was left with just the two of them, Qin Ruojing lowered her voice with a complex expression and said, "Tonight, you sleep in my room."