Chapter Nine: Mom, My Godfather Has Been Unfaithful

Chapter Nine: Mom, Dad’s Got a Wandering Eye

As soon as Qin Wan’er heard something had happened at the medicinal restaurant, she didn’t hesitate to hop on her police bike and dash over. With a professional air, she examined the scene and collected whatever evidence was left behind.

“Qingshuang, don’t worry. I promise I won’t let the thief get away,” she assured, brimming with confidence in her investigative skills.

Guoguo, after much sniffling and sobbing, finally managed to calm down.

“Wan’er, I don’t even know how to thank you,” Ruan Qingshuang said softly, holding her hand.

“This is just what I should do. It’s my duty to protect the personal safety and property of citizens.” Wan’er’s words were principled, and as she spoke, she turned to Xu Yun. “I’ll do everything I can to solve this case within a week.”

Xu Yun couldn’t help but exclaim, “A whole week? Let me give you a clue. If it wasn’t the Four Wolves Gang lashing out, then it can only be that Lü Bao—the one who keeps pestering Qingshuang to treat him like a brother-in-law. Just catch that guy and question him.”

“Who’s the police officer here, you or me?” Wan’er shot back, unwilling to be outdone. She had always been top of her class at the academy, and now at the station, nothing had changed. “I have my own methods for solving cases. I don’t need you teaching me. Your theories are just guesses, hardly worth considering.”

Seeing her so sure of herself, Xu Yun couldn’t help thinking of that high-ranking inspector who’d betrayed them on a mission. He sneered, “Methods? Then show me you can crack it in a day.”

“Are you trying to provoke me?” Wan’er glared. “Xu Yun, let’s see you solve it in a day if you’re so capable!”

“Sure, what are we betting?” Xu Yun replied immediately. “No stakes, no fun.”

“Whatever you say!” Wan’er was not about to let a former soldier challenge her authority and agreed on the spot.

Xu Yun gave her another chance to reconsider. “Sure you won’t regret it?”

“Whoever regrets it is a loser and a scoundrel!” Wan’er was as confident as ever. “If you lose, you’ll be my informant! If I need you to do anything, you can’t refuse!”

She was genuinely curious about Xu Yun—such skills wasted in a humble kitchen seemed almost tragic.

“If you lose, you’ll come here after work every day to help out! If I say scrub the dishes, you can’t just wash them!” Xu Yun raised his brows in challenge.

“Deal!” Wan’er didn’t hesitate for a second.

Ruan Qingshuang watched these two with helpless amusement. The way they bickered, it was as if they were children playing house.

“Mom, something’s not right.” Guoguo looked solemnly at her mother. “I think Dad’s definitely about to stray!”

Uh… Ruan Qingshuang decided it was best to ignore Guoguo’s comments.

With a huff, Wan’er left the restaurant, and Xu Yun got ready to go as well.

“You’re not really going to find Lü Bao, are you?” Qingshuang asked, worried. Even if Lü Bao wasn’t a threat to Xu Yun, if he was mixed up with the Four Wolves Gang, she still feared Xu Yun might get hurt.

Xu Yun shrugged. “The kitchen’s almost empty. I can’t serve braised air for dinner, can I? I’m just worried if you can’t make money, you won’t be able to pay me. I’ll go buy some groceries to tide us over tonight.”

“Dad, I want to come too!” Guoguo called, following after him.

Xu Yun wagged a finger and whispered, “Guoguo, stay here with your mom. I need to find someone to fix the window, or it’ll be drafty tonight. When the glazier comes, I’m counting on you to keep an eye out for me.”

Guoguo saw the sense in that—her mom was upset and wouldn’t be able to focus on anything. “Mission accepted!”

Only then did Xu Yun leave, found someone to replace the glass, then headed to the market to buy plenty of fresh meat and vegetables, enough to restock the fridge. He also went to the pharmacy to pick up nearly depleted supplies of angelica, cistanche, dendrobium, and the like. He even bought some smilax to cook up a free cooling soup for the guests.

Once everything was purchased, Xu Yun returned to the shop. The glass was already installed, and the workers had done a careful job, especially after being given a three-hundred yuan rush fee.

“Dad, why did you buy so much?” Guoguo’s keen eyes spotted him and hurried over.

“With business booming, it never hurts to be prepared,” Xu Yun replied, pulling out a cute hair clip. “Here, for you.”

Delighted, Guoguo’s gloom over the afternoon’s theft vanished. “Dad, you’re the best! I’ll put in a good word for you with Mom—you’ll see, I’ll help you win her over!”

Xu Yun wanted to kneel before this little imp. Fearing what she might say next, he hurried back to the kitchen to prepare for the dinner rush.

“Mom.” Guoguo, not one to take gifts without giving back, felt obliged to help since she’d accepted Xu Yun’s present. “What do you think of Dad? Shouldn’t you make it official and let him stay?”

Ruan Qingshuang looked at Xu Yun’s busy figure in the kitchen. The gratitude she felt was beyond words. He was the only man she’d ever truly respected.

Plenty of men had courted her, but she knew what they wanted: nothing more than a night in her bed. Raised in a decent family, she was determined to be a decent woman and had rejected countless offers of help without a second glance.

Xu Yun was different. From the moment he’d chased off Lü Bao for her, she’d felt he was someone who made her feel safe. He might seem carefree and unreliable, but his gaze was always clear, never clouded by ulterior motives.

She didn’t know why, but a complex and indescribable feeling welled up inside, a blush creeping silently up behind her ears.

Only then did Guoguo notice her mother wasn’t listening at all, but rather staring dreamily at Xu Yun’s silhouette, her cheeks flushed.

“Ah, when a woman falls, there’s just no helping her,” Guoguo sighed like a little adult, shaking her head as she returned to the front desk.

Soon, customers began to arrive in a steady stream. Business was still booming—maybe not quite the midday crowds, but the place was packed. Gradually, Ruan Qingshuang put the theft behind her and threw herself into work.

The night brought another three busy hours. This time, Guoguo was extra cautious, stashing the day’s earnings in the small pouch around her waist and keeping a wary eye on anyone who so much as glanced her way.

“You’ve worked hard,” Qingshuang said to Xu Yun, her gratitude beyond words. He might not have known it, but if he hadn’t gone out to buy supplies that day, she wouldn’t have had the funds to restock.

Xu Yun pulled off his apron. “I’m a bit tired, so I’ll head back now. You two should get some rest as well.”

“Dad, just stay here tonight.” Guoguo, mouth full of yogurt, piped up, “Someone smashed the window today. Mom and I will be scared.”

“Uh, well…” Xu Yun actually rather wanted to stay, but he did have things to do that night.

Qingshuang handed another yogurt to Guoguo. “Is your mouth still not full enough? Do you want me to sew it shut?”

“Then I won’t say another word.” Guoguo clamped her mouth shut and scampered upstairs with her yogurt.

Qingshuang blushed. “Xu Yun, maybe you could…”

“Well, I’ll be going then.” Xu Yun, not wanting to embarrass her, said no more and left the restaurant.

Watching his figure disappear into the night, Qingshuang couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. She’d wanted to say, “Maybe you could stay,” but Xu Yun hadn’t given her the chance to finish.

The courage she’d worked so hard to muster was once again suppressed. She really didn’t know if she’d have the nerve to speak up next time.

Xu Yun could leave with peace of mind. As long as Guoguo was at the restaurant, Qiu Yan would never stray far. If the Four Wolves Gang did try anything that night, Qiu Yan could handle them easily—even with her internal injuries, she was still the Fierce Fox Lady.

Xu Yun called Qiangzi and the others to meet him at the night market for barbecue. None of them dared refuse; they left the KTV straight for a stall called “Authentic Taste.” Xu Yun ordered five pounds of grilled lamb, plus dozens of skewers of kidneys, lamb testicles, and fish.

“Yun, business at the medicinal restaurant was booming today,” Qiangzi grinned. He’d done the marketing, after all, and had people keeping tabs.

Xu Yun nodded. “It was good, which is why I’m treating you all tonight. But did you hear anything else?”

“I did!” Qiangzi gave a thumbs up, admiration shining in his eyes. “That bald Wei from the Four Wolves Gang took over thirty men to cause trouble at your place, and you took care of it all by yourself!”

“Anything else?” Xu Yun pressed. “The glass was smashed this afternoon, and over seven thousand was stolen. Any idea who did it?”

Qiangzi and his boys exchanged glances. Qiangzi sucked in a breath. “Don’t tell me…the Four Wolves Gang struck back this quickly?”

“Wait!” The sharpest of the crew, Xiaofei, suddenly spoke up. “I saw Lü Bao hanging around the restaurant this afternoon! He’s always bullied the boss lady—maybe it was him?”

“You mean he broke the window and stole the money?” Qiangzi paused, then nodded thoughtfully. “Right, that guy owes the Four Wolves Gang gambling debts. Maybe it really was him!”

Xu Yun was now almost certain it had been Lü Bao. “Where would he usually be at this hour?”

“Definitely at the Sirius Casino!” Qiangzi and Xiaofei chorused, clearly aware of Lü Bao’s addiction.

After saying this, Qiangzi’s expression changed. “Yun, don’t tell me you’re planning to…”