SDT 76

Chapter 76 Acquitted

After the trial, Yu Xiaowen took off his prison uniform in the internal lounge and handed it to the bailiff. He gave Lawyer Xia a heartfelt thanks. “You really are an amazing lawyer. You should have invited Ms. Chen to the trial to see your professional charm. I promise she would fall for you more easily.”

“…Oh.” Lawyer Xia seemed to realize something and murmured, “You have a point.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “Yeah. You’re so outstanding, you can be more proactive. If there’s anything you want to know, you can ask me. I have a lot of experience in chasing people and confessing feelings.”

Lawyer Xia said with surprise, “Oh? Really? I can’t tell at all. You look so slow that someone would have to chase you till they can’t help climbing the roof to set it on fire.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “…Am I?”

“See? You’re even asking.”

After finishing the procedures, the two walked out of the courthouse together.

At the entrance, some staff members were leaving. Among them were a few familiar jurors. They smiled and nodded to him, and he smiled and waved back.

At that time, rainy Manjing started to drizzle again. He breathed in, the damp air felt familiar.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” Lawyer Xia said. “You didn’t bring anything, and you can’t get back alone, right? Where do you live?”

“My home.” Yu Xiaowen repeated those words. In his mind appeared that familiar and simple little room in Wax Apple Alley.

Suddenly a car stopped in front of him. Xu Jie was driving. Chen Zihan sat in the passenger seat. Xu Jie lowered the window and waved.

“You came out this fast? Finished the paperwork? We thought we’d have to wait a while.”

Seeing the two of them driving the old bureau car, greeting him so naturally, Yu Xiaowen felt stunned for a moment.

He felt freedom and reality he had long missed. It felt like he had really come back today.

Yu Xiaowen murmured, “Team Leader. Jie.”

Chen Zihan looked at the person beside him, and his gaze turned respectful. “Lawyer Xia, I’ve heard so much about you. You live up to your reputation. This is the first time in my life I’ve heard the words ‘acquitted’ sound this satisfying! Thank you for helping our Xiaowen.”

Lawyer Xia smiled. “It was a rare opportunity. I’m honored.”

Xu Jie got out of the car, full of excitement like a festival monkey. “Brother, come on, we’ll take you home. Lawyer Xia, want us to drop you off?”

“No need. I drove here.” Lawyer Xia hugged Yu Xiaowen before leaving. “Congratulations on regaining your freedom.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “Thanks! I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

After they watched Lawyer Xia leave, Yu Xiaowen walked toward the car’s back seat with Xu Jie’s warm pull. Xu Jie muttered non-stop. “Go home and rest first. On the way, stop by to bow to the Golden Buddha and buy some pomelo leaves. Tomorrow morning we’ll go burn incense for Second Master at the bureau, three-three-nine-nine. At noon we’ll have a feast to wash off bad luck. Old Wang already booked the table at Lucky Grand Restaurant.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “You’re making me busier than when I went to prison.”

Xu Jie said, “Peh, peh, peh!”

He spat three times and slapped Yu Xiaowen’s shoulder seven times hard.

“Hey! Fuck! Softer!”

Before he could open the car door, he noticed a black car across the street that looked familiar. He looked twice. The driver’s window lowered, revealing half of Lu Kongyun’s face as he looked this way.

Yu Xiaowen instinctively raised his hand, so Xu Jie and Chen Zihan looked too. “Hey, isn’t that Colonel Lu?”

The three stood there in silence for a while. Then Yu Xiaowen said, “Wait for me. I’ll go say hi.”

He took two steps forward. Behind him came the sound of car doors closing. When he turned around, Xu Jie had already gotten in. The two rolled down the window, smiling at him. “See you tomorrow, Master.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “Hey? Wait—”

The car drove away, dust trailing behind. Xu Jie stretched his hand out of the window and made a cheering gesture at him.

Yu Xiaowen stared at the disappearing car for a few seconds. His toes shifted in hesitation for a moment, then he turned and walked quickly across the road. He stood by the driver’s side, bent down with his eyes above the half-lowered window, and looked in.

“…Lu Kongyun.” Yu Xiaowen’s breathing quickened, leaving fog circles on the window again and again.

But his voice was stern. “After I was sent to the detention center, why didn’t you come see me again?”

The other seemed surprised he asked that and looked momentarily blank.

After a moment he answered, “I didn’t know what to say.”

Yu Xiaowen’s eyes lowered slightly. He pressed his lips together.

Lu Kongyun said, “Congratulations on winning the case.”

He straightened and reached for the ignition. Then he turned his head. “How are you going home?”

“…Those two said they’d take me, but they ran off.” Yu Xiaowen pointed in the direction the car had gone.

A car sped past them. So Yu Xiaowen moved around the front of the vehicle and stood on the safer side by the passenger seat. One leg stood straight. One bent up on the curb. One hand rested on his waist. One shielded him from the rain.

The car door made a clicking sound as it unlocked.

Yu Xiaowen took two quick steps forward, brushed the raindrops from his hair and arms, opened the passenger door, and sat in. Lu Kongyun glanced at him and reached for the air conditioning.

Yu Xiaowen stopped him with his hand. “Don’t adjust it anymore. I don’t get cold now. I feel really hot.”

Lu Kongyun looked at him and, for some reason, stared for a long time because of that sentence.

Yu Xiaowen said, “…What is it?”

He smoothed the damp hair beside his ear, then sniffed at himself.

He didn’t smell his own scent. He smelled something else. He sniffed harder, then turned to the back seat. There lay a bunch of pomelo leaves, tied and trimmed into a small broom.

The little broom was a bright fresh green, clean and tender in color, but as Yu Xiaowen looked at it, his eyes started to sting.

He picked up the pomelo leaf broom, held it in his arms, and looked at Lu Kongyun. “Did you make this?”

“Yeah.”

Yu Xiaowen touched the pomelo twigs and touched the leaves. He touched them lightly and carefully, as if he was touching a sleeping puppy.

“I’ll make it into a specimen after I use it.”

Lu Kongyun turned his head to look at him. “It carried away your bad luck. You have to throw it away after you use it.”

Yu Xiaowen looked regretful. Lu Kongyun said, “You can make another one later.”

He started the car.

“Lu Kongyun!”

Someone called his name.

When he turned his head, he saw Dai Lanshan and Dai Jingxi coming out of the courthouse and crossing the road toward them.

Lu Kongyun lowered the window further and said to them, “Why did you come out so late?”

“My brother ran into someone he knew and chatted for a bit,” Dai Lanshan said. “Can you give us a ride? We didn’t drive… oh.”

As he came closer, Dai Lanshan saw Yu Xiaowen in the passenger seat.

“Hao Dali… no, Yu Xiaowen, congratulations.” Dai Lanshan smiled at him, then looked at Lu Kongyun, then at Dai Jingxi. “Brother, looks like we’ll have to take a cab.”

“It’s fine. Get in.” Lu Kongyun said.

“Yeah, get in. We can chat on the way.” Yu Xiaowen said too.

Dai Jingxi still hesitated, but Dai Lanshan showed no restraint. He opened the door and got into the back seat, then pulled his brother in.

After they got in, Lu Kongyun started the car.

Yu Xiaowen turned his head first. “Thank you, President Dai, for coming. Lawyer Xia said you’ve been on a business trip recently. You must’ve come straight from the airport today, right? Thank you so much.”

Dai Jingxi answered him. “Don’t mention it. It’s what I should do.”

“I even asked for leave from the base to come,” Dai Lanshan said. “Why don’t you thank me?”

Yu Xiaowen spoke to Dai Lanshan with a completely different tone. “Did you come for me? What would I thank you for?”

After a pause, Dai Jingxi asked, “Lu Qifeng still hasn’t returned?”

Lu Kongyun answered, “No. He’s still on Azalea Island. I told him the person was dead, and there was a note from the killer as proof. He didn’t believe it. He’s checking every corpse’s DNA over there. Once he runs out of hope, he’ll come back.”

Dai Jingxi sighed. “Looks like he insists on catching Ye Yisan.”

Dai Lanshan looked at him with displeasure.

Yu Xiaowen also looked puzzled. “What kind of grudge do they have? Every time Ye Yisan hears about Lu Qifeng, he gets terrified. But how could he have any connection with S Country’s Intelligence Department?”

“My brother arrested him once,” Lu Kongyun said. “But he escaped from my brother. Lu Qifeng can’t accept that. He can accept releasing someone after confirming their innocence, but he can’t allow his prey to escape from his hand.”

“But when Ye Yisan came to me, he was already traumatized,” Dai Jingxi said. “He had no enmity with anyone and still got tormented like that. He would have died if it kept going. Of course he ran. Lu Qifeng isn’t a good person.”

Everyone agreed with that statement. The car went quiet for a moment.

Then a cold voice broke the silence. “Heh. One after another, none of you care about the fine Alphas right in front of you. Why is everyone so hung up on someone far away?”

Lu Kongyun glanced at Yu Xiaowen.

Dai Lanshan looked at Dai Jingxi.

Dai Jingxi didn’t bother responding. “Stop talking nonsense. When are you going back to the base?”

Not getting a satisfying answer, Dai Lanshan leaned against his brother’s shoulder in annoyance. “I’m not going back today.”

Yu Xiaowen seemed really worried that Ye Yisan might be caught. He stayed silent and stared out the window, looking heavy-hearted.

Lu Kongyun watched him for a moment, then looked ahead again. “Don’t worry. If Lu Qifeng really finds him again, I won’t stand by.”

“…Crazy and stupid,” Dai Lanshan muttered under his breath.

After dropping off the Dai brothers, both got out of the car. Dai Lanshan bent down at the passenger side and tapped the window.

Yu Xiaowen lowered the window and looked at him. “What’s the matter?”

“Do you remember what you told me?” Dai Lanshan laughed. “You said you’d never fish. Right?”

“…” Yu Xiaowen had also said he would never return to S Country.

Seeing his slightly guilty look, Dai Lanshan snorted again, pointed at his own eyes, then at Yu Xiaowen, and straightened up to leave.

Yu Xiaowen called out, “Dai Lanshan. I’ve liked Lu Kongyun since I was little, and I still do now. I wasn’t fishing.”

Dai Lanshan’s gaze passed him and landed on Lu Kongyun behind him. In the dim light, Lu Kongyun froze for a moment, then took a breath. His face didn’t change much, but his complexion suddenly brightened, as if he had come alive.

…That man was done for.

Dai Lanshan shrugged. “Then I wish you two happiness. Goodbye.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “Goodbye.”

The car drove away. Dai Lanshan stood there for a while. Dai Jingxi called him. “What are you thinking about?”

“I think Lu Kongyun’s pretty lucky. Someone actually said something that cheesy just to fool him.” Dai Lanshan walked to Dai Jingxi and looked at him closely. “Brother, can’t you say something nice too, even if you’re lying to me? I want to hear it.”

“…Going home?” Dai Jingxi turned halfway. “If you don’t go, I’m leaving.”

Dai Lanshan just looked at him with a stiff smile and didn’t move.

So Dai Jingxi walked a few steps ahead. After a while, he realized the other hadn’t followed and turned back. He saw that the guy had crouched on the ground, hugging his shoulders.

Dai Jingxi had to walk back and look down.

Dai Lanshan looked up at him, his eyes red. “Say one thing.”

“…” Dai Jingxi had no choice. He grabbed his arm, pulled him up, then held his hand, and compromised, “Alright. I’m tired today. Come home with me.”

Dai Lanshan looked at their hands together and dragged his feet reluctantly as he followed.