Chapter Twenty-Eight: Who Is Dad Really in Love With?

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Who Is Dad Really In Love With?

The entire morning’s commendation meeting left Qin Wan’er’s ears numb. As soon as it ended at noon, she seized the first chance to slip away. She had no patience now for the leaders’ speeches; all she wanted was to know how Xu Yun’s injuries were.

The medicinal cuisine restaurant was bustling as always at midday. Since Xu Yun was wounded, Ruan Qingshuang insisted he stay out of the kitchen, but he stubbornly persisted, wielding the wok with his left hand and insisting he was fine. Ruan Qingshuang was puzzled; she remembered Xu Yun’s arm had been awash with blood the night before, yet today there was no trace of the fresh wound on his shoulder—only a faint scar remained, as if new skin had already begun to form. Still uneasy, she decided to stay in the kitchen herself, lending a hand to Xu Yun.

“Wan’er, you’re here! Guoguo dreamed of you last night—she dreamed you caught the bad guys!” Guoguo, still a child, had forgotten yesterday’s fright, relegating the whole affair to a bad dream.

“Good girl, Guoguo!” Qin Wan’er bent down to kiss her on the cheek, then looked toward Qiu Yan, who was carrying dishes to the tables. It was hard to believe that the woman who had been so cold and aloof yesterday was now willingly serving as a waitress in the restaurant. “Where’s your mother?” she asked.

“Mom’s in the kitchen, helping Dad. They’re glued together cooking, but they won’t admit they’re dating,” Guoguo replied, pointing toward the back.

Qin Wan’er let out an awkward laugh, pinched Guoguo’s cheek, and headed for the kitchen.

Guoguo’s bright eyes rolled mischievously. “Love triangles are terrifying…”

Qiu Yan was long used to Guoguo’s wild talk and breezed by the front, clearing plates from a table where guests had just left.

As soon as Qin Wan’er burst into the kitchen, she blurted, “Xu Yun, are you insane? Cooking after being shot? Do you want to die, or are you just desperate for money?”

“Hey! Could you keep it down? Must you announce to the world that I was shot?” Xu Yun grumbled inwardly, but what he said was, “Then why don’t you come help me out instead of yelling? Quick, wash and slice that eel for me!”

Ruan Qingshuang looked exasperated. “Wan’er, try to talk some sense into him. He never listens to me.”

Qin Wan’er nodded, marched over, and grabbed Xu Yun’s shoulder. “Just look at your wound!” Yet she was taken aback herself. The previous night at the hospital, the blood had been flowing nonstop, and now there was only a dark scar, as if fresh skin had already grown over it.

“Are you even human? How could you heal so quickly?” Qin Wan’er’s jaw nearly dropped; she’d never seen a wound close up so fast.

Xu Yun wanted to rap her on the head with his ladle. “Watch your mouth! Would you prefer I keep bleeding just to make you happy?”

“Yes!” Qin Wan’er shot him a glare, grumbling, “Biting the hand that feeds you! It’s not like I’m dying to worry about you or anything.”

Xu Yun pointed at his injured shoulder. “Some conscience you have. All this is thanks to you, you know. A lifetime of good reputation ruined in an instant. I’ve never suffered a loss this big before. Not only are you not taking responsibility, you’re even making snide remarks?”

“Fine, I’ll take responsibility! Starting today, I’m moving in!” Qin Wan’er decided on the spot. “Qingshuang, can you spare me a room?”

“Really?” Ruan Qingshuang was stunned, her face a picture of surprise; she’d thought Qin Wan’er was joking.

Qin Wan’er nodded firmly. “Of course! Who’d joke about this? Even if I’m just a free hand around here, I’m at least entitled to a hot, delicious medicinal meal every day, right? What, am I not welcome?”

In truth, this decision was the result of a whole night’s deliberation. The doubts in her heart remained unresolved; she had to find out just who Qiu Yan really was. To dare confront Gong You, such a ruthless killer, meant Qiu Yan was no ordinary woman. Having such a dangerous person living at the restaurant made Qin Wan’er, as a police officer, deeply uneasy. Xu Yun kept insisting Qiu Yan meant no harm to Guoguo or Ruan Qingshuang, but Qin Wan’er chose to trust her instincts and keep a close watch on this dangerous figure.

And then there was Xu Yun himself. On the surface, he was a glib, aimless slacker, but in a moment of mortal danger, he’d thrown himself between her and a bullet! She was deeply moved, but even more, she was curious. How could anyone be so keenly attuned to danger? It was almost unbelievable.

Besides, even after being shot, Xu Yun could still joke and banter. Not everyone could do that! Back at the academy, she’d known a few hardened veterans who had truly seen combat; even they, faced with the events of last night, would never have managed a smile.

Xu Yun claimed he’d only been a volunteer soldier for two years, but Qin Wan’er dismissed this out of hand. How could someone with just two years’ experience have such fearless swagger? To make the kind of split-second decision Xu Yun had last night, he had to be hiding countless secrets.

Most importantly, what Qin Wan’er most wanted to know was: how did Xu Yun do it? His speed had seemed to outpace a bullet!

With all her knowledge of advanced mathematics, high-energy physics, quantum mechanics, ballistics, and precision-guided technology, she knew that a human simply couldn’t be faster than a bullet. Even the weakest police handgun fires at 350 meters per second; Gong You had been only about ten meters away—the bullet would have reached her in 0.03 seconds. Human reaction time is at best 0.1 seconds—far slower than a bullet’s speed. There was no way to explain how Xu Yun could have blocked a bullet for her.

That’s why she’d exclaimed that Xu Yun wasn’t human, and why she was so determined to move into the restaurant. She was just too curious about him. If Xu Yun could help her in the future, wouldn’t the toughest cases be a breeze?

Ruan Qingshuang was overjoyed at the news. “Welcome! Of course you’re welcome! I couldn’t ask for more—Guoguo will be thrilled!”

Guoguo, who had already overheard the decision from the kitchen, poked her head in and piped up, “Dad, are you bursting with happiness now?”

“Qin Wan’er, you’re really not treating yourself like an outsider, are you?” Xu Yun still sparred with her, but in truth, he welcomed her presence. As a police officer, she could save Ruan Qingshuang a lot of trouble.

In society, the identity of a police officer carried weight—though not in the underworld. But for matters on the surface, Qin Wan’er’s word counted for more than his or Qiu Yan’s; petty thugs wouldn’t dare cause trouble anymore.

Still, with Qin Wan’er living here, Qiu Yan would no doubt feel awkward. Xu Yun had good reason to worry—Qiu Yan now classified Qin Wan’er as a potential threat. After all, Qin Wan’er was a police officer, and Qiu Yan had once been the top assassin at the side of a notorious crime lord.

The two were destined to clash.

“Wan’er, Guoguo welcomes you!” Guoguo didn’t think there’d be any conflict; she only knew that Qin Wan’er could help teach bad guys a lesson.

With Guoguo’s endorsement, Qiu Yan said nothing.

“If you want to hang out with me, I don’t mind, but don’t drag your police friends and all their trouble here,” Xu Yun warned. If she brought the police around every day, he wouldn’t be so accommodating.

“Fine. I’ll never use police connections for anything you can handle yourself—as long as the other party isn’t a good person,” Qin Wan’er agreed readily. “But you have to promise me: if I ask you for help, you can’t refuse.”

Xu Yun shrugged, having expected her to have ulterior motives. “We’ll see.”

And so, without fanfare, Qin Wan’er successfully infiltrated the restaurant. She considered it a brilliant move: she could protect Ruan Qingshuang and Guoguo, find an opportunity to get the goods on Qiu Yan, and, most importantly, try to figure out just who Xu Yun really was.

Without delay, she threw herself into her new role, replacing Ruan Qingshuang in the kitchen. “Qingshuang, you just handle the money. Leave the kitchen to me and this guy.”

Ruan Qingshuang knew she couldn’t control any of them, so she said nothing more. At most, Xu Yun and Qin Wan’er would squabble a little—surely they wouldn’t bring the roof down.

Guoguo blinked her wide, adorable eyes and said to Ruan Qingshuang, “Mom, I think the relationships here are really complicated.”

“What sort of observation are you about to share?” Ruan Qingshuang looked at her daughter’s clever face, already guessing she was off on another tangent.

Guoguo shook her head in mock exasperation. “I don’t even know anymore who’s really in love with Dad.”

Ruan Qingshuang smiled gently, stooping to hug her daughter. She realized she truly couldn’t live without Guoguo. If one day Guoguo’s mischievous chatter was no longer in her life, how much joy would be lost?

“Mom, why are you crying?” Guoguo shouted indignantly toward the kitchen, “Dad, Mom is crying because you’re two-timing her!”

Xu Yun nearly flung his ladle across the room. What on earth was this about?

Ruan Qingshuang, torn between laughter and tears, scooped Guoguo up. “If you keep talking nonsense, Mommy won’t like you anymore!”

“Then I won’t say anything,” Guoguo said, sticking out her tongue and snuggling into her mother’s arms.

Qiu Yan’s cold gaze softened. In all her life, no one had given Guoguo such motherly tenderness before. Guoguo had always lacked such affection. Perhaps, for Guoguo’s sake, she really ought to stay here forever…

As she washed vegetables, Qin Wan’er pretended to speak casually to Xu Yun, “Thank you for what you did yesterday.”

“What for?” Xu Yun smiled faintly.

Qin Wan’er gave him a sincere smile. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“Uh, you’re not planning on marrying me as a thank you, are you?” Xu Yun looked up at her in mock alarm.

Qin Wan’er’s mouth twitched. “I’m just thanking you for saving me—don’t get any ideas!”

Xu Yun grinned, waving his ladle. “I just don’t like seeing dead bodies, that’s all…”