The most beautiful space

31 Return to Beijing

Such an incident happened just yesterday, and this afternoon Chu Changmao was already arrested and imprisoned. Such efficiency would be impossible without someone with great power pushing things along or even directly intervening. Su Tong couldn't even convince herself that it was just a coincidence that someone had reported it.

She turned to look at Xie Chengjing, but he neither looked at Xie Mingyuan nor Su Tong. He simply stared quietly out the window, his profile accentuated by his straight nose and hard jawline, making him appear even more aloof. He seemed born to embody cold-bloodedness. Su Tong could see him so close, yet he remained seemingly untouchable, completely unable to fathom his thoughts. Conversely, she, a commoner with few complex thoughts, was probably already completely seen through by him, perhaps like watching a lab rat struggling in its death throes.

Accompanied by a comparison of Chu Changmao's youthful photos, his work photos in a black suit, and his prison uniform during police interrogation, large red subtitles scrolled alongside, introducing Chu Changmao's official position and life story. The female anchor's voice sounded heavy: "Chu Changmao, male, born in 19xx, currently 41 years old, was the Deputy Director and Party Member of the Education Department of H Province. In the past, his public image was that of an upright and polite person. However, such an official with a good reputation seems to be hiding another side that we despise. Now, let Director Jin of the Public Security Bureau give us a detailed introduction to the case."

Su Tong took a closer look at Chu Changmao, who was being interrogated. Opposite him were two dignified middle-aged policemen. Throughout the entire process, Chu Changmao couldn't focus his gaze on the policemen at all. The dark circles under his eyes were terrifyingly deep, and his lifeless eyes were empty and blank, making him appear mentally dazed and almost sickly. Su Tong thought that someone like Chu Changmao, who had risen to a high position in the provincial education department and had ruined countless girls, shouldn't be so easily discouraged. It was really strange that he would become so depressed after being detained and interrogated.

The scene cuts to a police officer in uniform at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, who speaks with a serious expression: "We received a tip-off at 11:37 pm last night. The parent of a 15-year-old junior high school girl bravely reported the suspect, Chu, claiming that she had been assaulted by him on Monday and provided relevant evidence. We immediately set up a special task force to investigate. After initially confirming the validity of the evidence, we arrested the suspect at the hospital early this morning. The man who took the suspect to the hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the suspect intended to commit a crime against another woman last night, which was confirmed by the investigation."

The foreign reporter asked, "So, Director Jin, has Mr. Chu been basically convicted of rape?"

"Through our in-depth investigation, it appears that the suspect has committed more than one crime. Many families of women who have been assaulted are actively providing evidence to our police station. We also encourage other victims to learn from them and bravely defend their rights. According to preliminary investigations, the suspect has also engaged in bribery and soliciting sexual services. We will absolutely not tolerate such criminals. After a trial in court, the suspect will definitely be brought to justice."

Further in-depth reporting followed, revealing that Chu Changmao remained dazed and listless, as if he had suffered severe abuse, all his vitality drained away, leaving him without even the strength to defend himself. Su Tong, upon reading this, felt not relief at having resolved a disgusting hidden danger, but rather an indescribable heaviness and worry. Debts of gratitude are, after all, the most difficult thing to repay.

As the report drew to a close, the television screen flickered and switched to another channel. Xie Mingyuan smiled, took the remote control, changed the channel, and said to Su Tong with a faint smile, "Well, now that everything is over, let's not look at those annoying people's faces anymore. Second Uncle, Su Tong, although it's a bit early to ask now, what are you planning to eat this afternoon? I'll go buy it."

Su Tong glanced at her watch; it was already past 3:30. She hadn't expected her nap to last so long, and it was already time to think about lunch. However, she had spent the whole day in the hospital room and hadn't expended any energy. With her complicated feelings, she didn't feel hungry, so she said, "No need to trouble yourself. I'll be discharged this afternoon and go home. I can eat at home then. But thank you anyway, President Xie."

“You’ve already resigned, and we’re about the same age, so you can just call me by my name,” Xie Mingyuan continued with concern. “But by the time you get home, it will probably be a bit late. It’s not good for your stomach to be hungry, so you should grab something to eat first.”

Su Tong shook her head: "No need to trouble yourself. Actually, I usually eat dinner quite late in the afternoon."

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Chengjing called out, "Mingyuan."

"Second uncle, what's wrong?"

Xie Chengjing said casually, "I was planning to call you tonight, but my older brother wants you to come home."

"My dad?" Xie Mingyuan's smile was instantly replaced by surprise and bitterness. He glanced at Su Tong before regaining his composure, forcing a smile as he asked, "When did he say that?"

"It was said on the phone this morning."

Xie Mingyuan chuckled twice, but couldn't hide the desolation in his voice: "Ha, what's wrong with my dad? Why did he suddenly remember that he has a son like me?"

He didn't need anyone to answer his question, so Xie Chengjing naturally ignored him.

So Su Tong spent what could only be described as an agonizing afternoon. Xie Chengjing was like an ice sculpture, standing there like that; you could talk to him for a long time and he would only respond with a few words at most. Besides, Wang Lu, who was supposed to ease the atmosphere, wasn't there, so Su Tong had no idea what to say to Xie Chengjing. Xie Mingyuan was also somewhat distant from Su Tong, but compared to Xie Chengjing, Xie Mingyuan, who always had a smile on his face, seemed much more approachable. However, after being told that his father had called him home, even Xie Mingyuan's smiles towards Su Tong seemed forced. The already aloof Xie Chengjing and the disgruntled Xie Mingyuan, this uncle and nephew pair, took the concept of "silence is golden" to the extreme for the rest of the time. Su Tong could only sit there alone, pretending to be engrossed in watching a comedy.

The lonely "hahaha" laughter from the film's dubbing occasionally echoed in the hospital ward.

Around 5 p.m., when the doctor came for his routine rounds, Su Tong went to the changing room in the suite and struggled to change back into the loose t-shirt and cropped pants she had worn when she arrived. She then told the male doctor that she wanted to be discharged. The doctor helped Su Tong with the discharge procedures with great enthusiasm, but still asked with a wry smile and a glimmer of hope, "Ms. Su, are you really not considering staying another day?"

Su Tong smiled easily at the doctor: "Well, a dislocation is a minor problem. If I don't go home soon, my parents will start to worry."

Although her intention not to repay Xie Chengjing in any way seemed ungrateful, Su Tong felt that severing ties with someone of his status was the most important thing, so she could only thank him silently. The thought of soon being able to escape this awkward situation and go home, and knowing that she planned to find a job in the province and probably wouldn't have any further contact with Xie Chengjing, this ticking time bomb who knew some of her secrets, filled Su Tong with a sense of relief.

Xie Chengjing immediately called Wang Lu to drive over and take Su Tong to the train station. Faced with Wang Lu's friendly smile, Su Tong didn't mention taking the train herself. Before leaving the hospital, Xie Mingyuan suggested again that the four of them should eat something before Su Tong went back, so that she wouldn't get hungry on the train and it wouldn't be good for her stomach.

However, Xie Mingyuan was clearly overly concerned about Su Tong. They were both adults who had been working for a long time and often had to make do with meals when they were busy working overtime. How could they possibly get stomach problems from being hungry just because they ate two hours late?

Su Tong said she didn't need to eat anything, and Xie Mingyuan persuaded her a couple more times before she smiled and gave in. Xie Chengjing, on the other hand, was completely indifferent, just like Su Tong had hoped.

To avoid sitting in the back seat with either the uncle or nephew, Su Tong sat directly in the front passenger seat. The closer they got to the train station, the more relaxed Su Tong felt. She even sent her father a text message telling him when she would be home and asking him to make her favorite chicken and potato stew.

Xie Chengjing sat in the back seat, looking at Su Tong's half-closed eyes and drooping eyelashes as she smiled at her phone in the center mirror in the front row, his knuckles lightly tapping the leather seat surface by the car window.

However, Su Tong was completely wrong.

When Su Tong got out of the car, she couldn't hide her exhilarated mood after suppressing it for two days. Her eyes crinkled with laughter. Even Wang Lu, a wife who only loved his wife, was simply amazed by her. She stood outside the car window and said goodbye to the three of them: "Goodbye, Brother Wang. Mr. Xie... Xie Mingyuan, I'm leaving now." Finally, she bowed deeply to Xie Chengjing: "Second Young Master Xie, thank you so much for your help in the city. I'll head home now. I wish you a safe journey back to the capital."

Of the three, Wang Lu seemed the most reluctant to part with Su Tong. He leaned out of the car window and reluctantly handed her a bag of various snacks and fruits, saying earnestly, "Su Tong, the capital is so great! Come visit whenever you have time. My Tingting is in junior high now, and she and her cousin saw you online and really like you. Please remember to come visit the capital! Of course, it would be even better if you could work and settle down here. Oh, and you haven't eaten yet, so take this bag of snacks with you in the car."

He meant well, and although Su Tong was touched, she couldn't really be happy. Carrying such a bag of food would be a huge burden for her, and she didn't plan to go to the capital for at least the next two years. Nevertheless, Su Tong smiled and accepted the food. "Thank you, Brother Wang, for preparing so much food. But I probably won't be able to finish it all on the train. I'll have to eat it when I get home. As for the capital, I'll go when I have time."

Xie Mingyuan's smile had completely lost the bitterness he had felt moments before. His eyes seemed to be fixed solely on Su Tong as he instructed, "I'm just heading back to the capital for a short trip. It won't be long. Although the journey isn't far, Su Tong, please be extremely careful on the road. Call me when you get home; my number is 1xxxxxxxxxx."

Since he had already mentioned it, and he was a president she had worked with before and didn't dislike, Su Tong just wanted to get home quickly and didn't care about these details. She took out her phone, wrote it down, and added it to her contacts, readily agreeing, "Okay."

The rear window rolled down with a "whoosh," revealing Xie Chengjing, who was sitting upright with a cold expression, and said, "Su Tong."

The sound was icy cold, like metal striking metal.

"Huh?" His sudden outburst, after a long silence, startled Su Tong. She gave a faint, forced smile to cover her surprise: "Second Young Master Xie, is there something you need?"

Xie Chengjing silently mouthed the words twice, then said, "It's okay, you can go back now."

Su Tong nearly dropped the bag while holding it tightly with her left hand. Her blood seemed to run cold from head to toe. She forced a smile, found her voice, and said, "Goodbye then, I'm going back."

"Wang Lu, drive." Xie Chengjing spoke in a commanding tone. Although Wang Lu and Xie Mingyuan both wanted to say a few more words to Su Tong, Xie Mingyuan smiled and waved to Su Tong in Wang Lu's helpless gaze, and the car started instantly. The window of Xie Chengjing's car slowly rolled up, and the low-key Land Rover merged into the traffic and drove away in an instant.

Su Tong turned around nonchalantly and walked towards the entrance of the station not far away.

Although she didn't understand lip reading at all, she immediately understood the meaning of those two simple mouth shapes.

Xie Chengjing said: Invisibility.

Xie Chengjing's mere two words were enough to completely shatter Su Tong's relaxed mood about returning home.

She took a bullet train, then a taxi, and only when she arrived at her doorstep did Su Tong regain her smile. Because Su Wen's matter involved Su Erbo, she could only tell her parents about the severity of the situation. However, she absolutely could not let her parents know that Xie Chengjing thought she had special abilities.

Su Tong unlocked the door, and the aroma of chicken wafted out. Home is always a warm harbor. Su Tong placed the bag of snacks, which had been throbbing in her left hand, on the cabinet next to the shoe rack, and said in a much lighter tone, "Dad, Mom, I'm home!"