The woman behind him was someone Chen Xiao couldn't possibly be more familiar with.
Her name is Lin Xi, and she is currently a policewoman at the Phoenix Street Police Station.
She works very hard and is excellent, once becoming the face of the Phoenix Street Police Station.
Later on, due to her outstanding work, she was transferred to the Criminal Police Unit at the Hongshan Branch.
Further along, she is likely to have become a leader at the Hongshan Branch; otherwise, why would people call her Director Lin?
As of now, Lin Xi is Chen Xiao's wife.
In their previous lives, Chen Xiao and Luo Dali were caught red-handed by the police in the room, leaving Chen Xiao unable to defend himself, resulting in an irreparable rift with Lin Xi.
From then on, they walked the path of strangers.
Chen Xiao always thought that after they parted, Lin Xi would surely quickly find a better partner.
Meanwhile, he lived as he always did, becoming known as a street wanderer on Phoenix Street.
It wasn't until over a decade later when Chen Xiao was gravely ill that he saw Lin Xi again after being apart for so long.
Lin Xi told him that all these years she had been waiting for him to turn back.
But he never took that step!
Chen Xiao knew that his constant self-doubt led him to feel inferior when facing Lin Xi. He believed he was not worthy of someone as outstanding as Lin Xi, so he gave up on himself, further exacerbating the already tense marital relationship.
But now, he has been reborn!
He has returned to the turning point that changed his life and his relationship with Lin Xi!
This time, when Chen Xiao met Lin Xi's gaze, he rushed forward without any hesitation.
After tightly embracing Lin Xi, Chen Xiao repeatedly said, "Wife, I can finally hold you so openly again!"
Lin Xi found Chen Xiao's actions astonishingly inexplicable, with the anger originally filling her eyes dissipating quite a bit.
Luo Dali saw this and secretly gave a thumbs up, muttering to himself, "Brother Chen, you're the man! Even in a situation like this, you can still be all lovey-dovey with your wife!"
Chen Xiao ignored Luo Dali and unknowingly tightened his embrace, soon causing Lin Xi to struggle for breath.
Pushing Chen Xiao away, Lin Xi's pretty face quickly hardened with a chilly demeanor.
"Tell me, why are you here? Didn't I ask you to pick up my mom?"
Lin Xi's words pulled Chen Xiao back to reality.
Yes, even though he had been reborn, the situation wasn't as terrifying as in his previous life.
Yet, right now it was still like mud falling on trousers!
Subconsciously glancing down the corridor, by now several men and women wrapped in bath towels were already crouching with their heads covered.
Chen Xiao was momentarily speechless, and the disappointment in Lin Xi's eyes was all too clear, an indescribable disappointment.
It was Luo Dali's sense of loyalty that prompted him to quickly take responsibility: "Sister-in-law, Brother Chen followed me up here to hold me back, and we really didn't do anything!"
Luo Dali's explanation was weak, even the director of the police station, Old Li, beside Lin Xi, looked at Chen Xiao with a face of deep disappointment.
"Chen Xiao, you really let people down! Xiaoxi is not only your wife but a people's police officer. How can you, as her family, come to a place like this?"
The other police officers also stared coldly at Chen Xiao, and a female officer's words were even more cutting: "How can you keep holding Xiaoxi back? Don't you know the branch has been observing Xiaoxi? She's very likely to be promoted!"
Listening to the words of Lin Xi's colleagues, Chen Xiao abruptly lifted his head.
He seemed to remember something?
That's right, promotion!
In his previous life, it was because of this anti-prostitution operation at the Phoenix Street Police Station that Lin Xi earned the branch's recognition and was brought into the Criminal Police Unit!
However, simply an anti-prostitution task could not have spotlighted Lin Xi instantly; the real reason was that among the apprehended illegal workers during this operation, Lin Xi was the only one who detected someone among them carrying a major murder charge!
No one present was aware of that suspect, except for Chen Xiao!
But if Chen Xiao were to reveal it directly, it would not only diminish Lin Xi's presence in that major murder case but also potentially trigger a series of uncertain chain reactions.
Chen Xiao was fully aware that Lin Xi would not be upset because he pointed it out, but would be very happy for his change.
But in those brief seconds, Chen Xiao had already thought of the most comprehensive method.
Looking at the police officers from the Phoenix Street Police Station, whose eyes were filled with disappointment, he earnestly said, "I came here to help Lin Xi, to help her solve the case and catch those criminals who broke the law!"
With these words, not only were the officers from the Phoenix Street Police Station stunned, but even Luo Dali was taken aback.
He quickly leaned in and whispered, "Brother, I don't mean to underestimate you, but shouldn't we make up something a bit more believable even when we're bluffing? Forget catching criminals, we're lucky if we're not caught as criminals ourselves!"
Sure enough, some officers couldn't help but burst into laughter upon reacting.
Director Li: "Chen Xiao, correct your attitude and take responsibility for your words and actions, as well as for Xiaoxi!"
Female Officer: "Haha, you? Catching criminals? What else do you do besides hanging out with a bunch of riffraff and getting drunk every day!"
Even Lin Xi's face looked increasingly disappointed. She bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Chen Xiao, was what Dali said true or false? Were you here to stop him, or did you bring him up to the third floor?"
At this moment, Lin Xi still held a slight bit of hope in her heart.
She wanted to know if Chen Xiao would betray her, and whether going to the third floor was merely to stop Luo Dali.
But would Chen Xiao admit to it?
If he did, that would imply Lin Xi had possibly leaked the police station's operations.
Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental that Chen Xiao happened to be on the third floor to pull Luo Dali back?
If any officer were found to have leaked operations, they would face consequences!
Just as Luo Dali was about to take responsibility again, Chen Xiao cut in, "Honey… did you forget what you said?"
Old Li's eyebrows instantly furrowed: "What does that mean? Xiaoxi, did you inform Chen Xiao about our operation today?"
In fact, Lin Xi definitely hadn't leaked anything, or Chen Xiao from the previous life wouldn't have been caught red-handed.
Before Lin Xi could explain, Chen Xiao looked at Old Li, "Director Li, don't rush. I didn't say Xiaoxi revealed your operation. I was referring to a call Xiaoxi received before yesterday, which I happened to overhear, and it was about a murder case."
Old Li was somewhat impatient: "So according to you, the reason you appeared at this illegal activity site, which we just raided, was because you were here to investigate the case and catch criminals?"
"Exactly!"
"But what authority do you have to investigate cases?" Old Li's voice suddenly turned sharp.
Chen Xiao, neither flustered nor annoyed, continued to gaze at Lin Xi with a smile; "I don't have the authority to investigate cases, but as a police officer's spouse, I certainly have an obligation to be more concerned about certain special cases than ordinary citizens. As for what I'm investigating, let's just say your Phoenix Street Police Station doesn't have the authority either."
Luo Dali once again was stunned, thinking: "Brother Chen, I know you're putting on a brave front, but aren't you afraid of taking it too far?"
Old Li was also amused by anger: "Alright, then let me hear what case you are investigating!"
Chen Xiao looked steadily at Lin Xi and asked, "Honey, during the call, if I heard correctly, you were talking about the red pants murder case, right?"
After speaking, Chen Xiao did not forget to add, "Let me clarify, this was a fortuitous coincidence that I overheard, and not something Xiaoxi told me!"
Lin Xi paused for a moment but eventually said, "It's the red pants serial murder case!"
Chen Xiao nodded, but that female officer couldn't help saying, "Chen Xiao, are you out of excuses? The red pants serial case is a major case investigated by the branch's task force, what does it have to do with you?"
Hearing this, Chen Xiao felt a bit disgusted.
He knew that nine out of ten of Lin Xi's colleagues looked down on him.
After all, with Lin Xi being valued by the division, her future prospects were undoubtedly bright.
In contrast, he still didn't have a proper job and only knew how to loaf around with a bunch of riffraff.
But those are personal matters between him and Lin Xi, a word or two is nothing, but being constantly belittled and mocked was indeed something Chen Xiao found hard to endure.
Chen Xiao glanced at that female colleague, then finally spoke to Lin Xi: "Honey, in that phone call, you guys mentioned that the suspect in the red pants serial murder case had a very special trait, right?"
Lin Xi nodded: "Yes, during the call, the senior from the division mentioned that a witness saw the suspect wearing red thermal pants during the crime. And I happened to be in the bathroom washing my face, so the phone was on speaker."
Chen Xiao smiled at Lin Xi, then stood a bit straighter and said:
"Alright, now I want to ask your colleagues, in what kind of situation can one most easily find a man who likes to wear red thermal pants? Surely you can't just pull down someone's pants to check their color every time you see one, can you?"
With those words, Director Old Li frowned and fell silent, and Lin Xi also thought a little, while Luo Dali slapped his thigh and exclaimed:
"Oh my gosh, Brother Chen… so this is why you often took me to the bathhouse!"