Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 35: Soft Harmless Rabbit

"What?" Mu Yuze asked lightly, yet for some reason there was a dangerous edge to his tone. "You have lived with him all these years and he is also the one who knows you best. Am I wrong to assume that he’s your ’dearest’ friend?" The word ’dearest’ was fully emphasized as though fearing that He Juan did not get his point.

It made He Juan helpless and amused at the same time. "Xiao Ze... by any chance, are you jealous?"

He Juan did not take his eyes off the road yet somehow, he could tell that Mu Yuze was provoked by this one word. "Hmph, why should I be jealous?"

Hear yourself. Was it not a tone filled with vinegar?!

So, the reason why Mu Yuze and Jia Molei seemed to be on each other’s throat upon their first encounter was... this?

For Mu Yuze, he could understand it more or less. He imagined if there was someone by Mu Yuze’s side, who had stayed with him for years and knew everything about him, wouldn’t he also go mad with jealousy? As for Jia Molei, He Juan still had not figured out why he was so hostile toward Mu Yuze...

For fear that he would enrage this omega whom he wanted to court, He Juan had no choice but to turn a blind eye. Still, he could not help but add, "My dearest friend, huh..." He tapped his fingertips on the wheel, contemplating. "It’s true that he is my closest friend. To be exact, I owe him my life. Have I told you it’s Jia Molei who operated on me?"

Mu Yuze hummed lightly.

"Well, if not for him, then I would not be here to talk with you now." He Juan let out a light chuckle. "Back then in the police station, did he say something to you?" He carefully chose his words.

Mu Yuze did not say anything, but that was already an indirect acquiescence by itself.

He Juan showed a helpless smile. "He has always been like that. His words are a bit too... rough and straightforward, but he doesn’t mean any harm. He is a very good person. I am sure that... if you come to know him more, you will definitely like him too."

The situation right now reminded him of an afternoon soap opera where a guy was faced with a dilemma whether to side with his wife or his mother. One side was someone who slept with him on the same bed, while the other side was someone who had raised him for years...

Even though Mu Yuze was not his wife nor Jia Molei his mother, He Juan got a very strong déjà vu for some inexplicable reason. Alas, whether it was Mu Yuze or Jia Molei, he did not want to come to a point where he had to choose between the two. Both of them were equally important to him, just in a different way. Thus, he genuinely hoped that they could get along with each other.

"Anyway!" He Juan tried to dispel the awkward atmosphere with a jovial tone. "It’s kinda wrong to use the ’dear’ on an ordinary friend. My relationship with Jia Molei might be very close but please be rest assured," he flashed a dazzling smile. "The only one in my heart is you. There will be nobody else but Xiao Ze alone."

There was no answer from the side and He Juan was getting worried. "Xiao Ze...?" He glanced sideways to find Mu Yuze staring out of the window. The earlobe that peeked out from his fluffy hair was bright red in color. He Juan almost burst out into a delightful laughter. Goodness, how could it be so fun to tease him...

He finally remembered what they were talking about before the topic derailed and brought it back. "Judging from the manner in which Jia Molei told me, it really seems like this is a recurring crime. Alas, they did not manage to find concrete evidence and the culprit is still free up to this day."

Although Mu Yuze insisted not to ask Jia Molei for information, He Juan was already resolved to find out.

Something was very strange with this case. First, his name was written on the crime scene and second, the victim was the girlfriend of a good friend of his. Could it be a mere coincidence? He Juan might not be related directly yet for some reason, he sensed an invisible thread trying to pull him in, inciting him to delve deeper and deeper into this mysterious case.

As for what he would find out in the end, nothing was certain yet.

He Juan slowed the car when they got to the perimeter of District 15.

From afar, the district looked very common and old. The floor was made of bricks which had cracked in many corners and the paint on the walls were mottled. Wild vines and moss grew freely along the cracks, filling the place with an air of vintage. The brick houses were cramped together closely such that the road they could thread on was merely narrow alleys.

The humid air had a strange smell to it, just like the rancid smell of rotten trash, burnt plastic as well as something else He Juan could not comprehend. All in all, it was the kind of place suitable for the bottom rung of society and people with insufficient economic balance.

It was Saturday afternoon, just a short while before lunch break. Yet strangely, there were no signs of activity around the houses. The chimneys were not active, indicating that nobody was in the mood to prepare lunch. The neighborhood aunties who should be out to save their laundry while gossiping with each other were not present either.

If not for one or two people who peeked at them behind the curtain, He Juan would have thought that this was a ghost district.

He Juan sensed a gaze on his head and turned to find a skinny child scurrying behind the wall from where they were peeking at him. The child was left with only skin and bones, and the cropped hair made it difficult for He Juan to ascertain their gender. Nonetheless, such cautious behavior from a child who looked no more than ten sent a wave of unease into He Juan’s heart.

"It seems like the citizens here are very wary of strangers," He Juan concluded.

Beside him, Mu Yuze merely gave a brief hum then continued forward without looking back. It was apparent that he was accustomed to acting alone and thus, disliked wasting his energy on speaking. Helpless, He Juan could only trail after him.

They wound into a few alleys before they found an obvious hint of activity. There was rowdy laughter and a rough voice crying out, "Aiyah you lost! Come, pay up! Pay up!"

It was not until the two of them got closer that He Juan realized they were playing poker. Five middle aged men gathered around a small table in an open space shielded by a towering tree, clad only in singlets, short pants and slippers.

This appearance was no different than idle uncles who spent their free afternoon playing games and the whole atmosphere was harmonious and peaceful. It gave a very powerful sense of incongruity with the wary child He Juan had seen earlier.

Mu Yuze took the lead to approach the group. As soon as the five men perceived another person’s arrival, they immediately stopped their games and stared at Mu Yuze unblinkingly.

Subtle foreboding crawled into He Juan’s heart. Those gazes of theirs... it was like they had finally seen a prey after a long time of starvation!

As a police officer, there was no way Mu Yuze did not realize it. The hand that was in the pocket ready to pull out the police badge paused. After a second contemplation, he decided against it. "Good afternoon," he said in a neutral tone. "May I ask if Mr. Deng Shi is around?"

The men glanced at each other. "Deng Shi?" A strange smile spread across their faces. "Why are you looking for him?"

Game forgotten, they stood up to surround Mu Yuze. Their skin was tanned and rough from the sun. Their bodies, albeit flabby and greasy, still retained traces of a powerful aura. Although they had already gone past the peak of youth, some habits from old days were not easy to dismiss. This was clearly the behavior of thugs who wanted to extort someone!

And standing in the middle, the fair and slender Mu Yuze was akin to a soft harmless rabbit who had delivered himself to a heap of old tigers!