CJLTNS Chapter 11

“Jiang Chong, I’ve officially passed probation!” Yu Xin held up a pair of mugs, each printed with the yellow logo of Kangzhou City TV station. He bounced excitedly over to Jiang Chong and handed him one of the mugs.

Jiang Chong looked into Yu Xin’s sparkling eyes—he clearly wanted praise. Raising his hand, he ruffled Yu Xin’s hair. “Wow, our little Yu is amazing!”

Yu Xin set the mugs down and threw himself into Jiang Chong’s arms, nuzzling like a puppy.

“Captain! Captain!”

Urgent knocking woke Jiang Chong from his sleep. He got up from the folding bed in his office and checked the time—it was already 7 a.m. He had watched surveillance until 5 a.m. and had only slept for two hours.

Jiang Chong quickly opened the door to see Li Fangfei standing there. “What is it?”

“Captain, Yu Xin’s family is here at the station. They’re demanding we release him.”

Jiang Chong walked out as he asked, “His parents are already gone. Is it his aunt?”

He walked so fast that Li Fangfei had to jog to keep up. “No, apparently it’s his older brother.”

Jiang Chong pressed the elevator button and headed straight to the reception room on the first floor. When he entered, he saw Tang Qijun already handling the situation. The man inside stood up when he saw Jiang Chong and asked, “Officer, on what grounds are you detaining Yu Xin?”

Jiang Chong had already investigated this man. There was no domestic registration under his name.

“And you are?” Jiang Chong’s gaze was sharp as he looked at Zhao Xun, sizing him up without giving away anything.

As Jiang Chong observed Zhao Xun, Zhao Xun was also studying Jiang Chong. He had only ever heard about Jiang Chong before—he’d never actually seen a photo of him.

Jiang Chong stood tall with a commanding posture. His forehead was full, and his brow bones were more prominent than most. His eyes were sharp and deep-set, his nose straight, and his lips pressed into a firm line. His clothes were a bit wrinkled, and stubble had appeared on his chin—clear signs that he’d stayed up all night working a case without going home.

Confident and disciplined—that was Zhao Xun’s impression of Jiang Chong.

Zhao Xun reached out his hand. “Zhao Xun, Yu Xin’s older brother.”

Jiang Chong shook his hand. “Jiang Chong, head of the criminal investigation unit in Kangzhou City.”

“Captain Jiang, I want to know—why did you arrest my brother?”

Zhao Xun was calm and composed, exuding a gentle and composed aura all over. That was the impression Jiang Chong had of him the last time he visited Yu Xin’s home. But today, Zhao Xun seemed somewhat anxious.

“It wasn’t an arrest—it’s a cooperation for questioning. We found Yu Xin’s fingerprints at the crime scene, so we summoned him for questioning.”

Beside Zhao Xun was a suitcase, still bearing a baggage claim tag, indicating he had rushed back from out of town overnight.

“It’s been 14 hours since 5 PM yesterday. Don’t you think that’s enough time to finish questioning?”

Zhao Xun’s concern for Yu Xin was beyond what would be considered normal. That made Jiang Chong feel uncomfortable—like something that belonged to him was being taken away.

Jiang Chong looked at Zhao Xun, a trace of challenge in his eyes. “Mr. Zhao, the police are authorized to summon and question a citizen for up to twenty-four hours. The time isn’t up yet, so I’m sorry—we can’t release him.”

After saying that, Jiang Chong signaled Tang Qijun with his eyes to handle the rest, then turned and left the reception room.

“Mr. Zhao, please…”

Zhao Xun shoved past Tang Qijun, stormed out of the room, and shouted after Jiang Chong, “Jiang Chong! Yu Xin can’t handle stress! If you don’t let him go, something’s going to happen to him!”

Jiang Chong paused for a moment but didn’t respond. He continued upstairs to the detention cell where Yu Xin was being held.

Jiang Chong’s footsteps were light. As soon as he stepped into the cell area, Yu Xin opened his eyes.

Yu Xin slowly sat up, his whole body aching—every joint felt rusty and stiff. His eyelids were heavy. He blinked a few times before the soreness in his eyes eased.

He looked up and saw Jiang Chong through the bars. It wasn’t his first time staying overnight at a police station, but it was his first time sleeping in a cell.

Jiang Chong stood outside, taking in Yu Xin’s pale face—his lips were completely drained of color. Yu Xin kept his eyes down, making it hard to read his expression. The dark circles under his eyes had worsened. He looked utterly worn out.

Jiang Chong had seen through the surveillance footage that Yu Xin hadn’t slept all night. He hadn’t even used the blanket Jiang Chong had sent. He just sat there silently by the bed, the entire night.

Jiang Chong had never seen Yu Xin looking so lifeless before. A heavy weight settled in his chest. What exactly had Yu Xin gone through all these years? Who was Zhao Xun, and why had he suddenly appeared by Yu Xin’s side?

Jiang Chong walked closer to the holding cell, gripping the iron bars. His voice was hoarse from staying up all night.
“Yu Xin, is there anything you want to tell me?”

Yu Xin swallowed hard and shook his head. He didn’t say a single word.

Jiang Chong walked out of the cell and reached into his pocket for a cigarette, only to realize he had smoked them all. The fatigue from the all-nighter, the frustration of knowing nothing about Yu Xin, and Zhao Xun’s presence—all of it stirred up an unbearable restlessness inside him. The cigarette box crumpled into a ball of trash in his hand.

He headed to the office and said to Ma Pingchuan, “Old Ma, release Yu Xin.”

Ma Pingchuan put down the half-eaten bun in his hand, surprised. “Captain, did you find proof that Yu Xin isn’t the killer?”

Jiang Chong shook his head. “No.”

“Then why let him go? He’s still the prime suspect.”

Jiang Chong’s mind flashed back to Yu Xin’s pale face in the holding cell and Zhao Xun’s words echoing in his ears: ‘Yu Xin can’t take any more stress.’
Though Jiang Chong really didn’t like Zhao Xun, he could tell that Zhao Xun genuinely cared for Yu Xin. Jiang Chong didn’t want Yu Xin to get hurt any further.

“Old Ma, just do as I say. Follow the proper procedures. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Ma Pingchuan didn’t fully understand why Jiang Chong was doing this, but he followed orders. He released Yu Xin under the condition that his phone remain on 24 hours a day and that he not leave Kangzhou City for the next month. If he needed to leave, he would have to apply through the police bureau.

By the time Yu Xin walked out of the police station, it was already 7:30 a.m. The sun had risen. Zhao Xun rushed to his side.

“Yu Xin, are you okay?”

A faint smile forced its way onto Yu Xin’s pale face. “I’m fine, bro. Don’t worry.”

He walked alongside Zhao Xun, but after just four or five steps, he suddenly clutched his mouth and staggered toward the nearby greenery.

His shoulders trembled slightly, a few low whimpers escaping his throat before he bent over sharply, hands gripping his knees. Vomit surged from his mouth like an unrelenting tide.

“Urgh… blegh…”

Jiang Chong, watching from the second floor, immediately grabbed a bottle of water and rushed downstairs.

The air reeked of vomit. Jiang Chong saw Zhao Xun crouching beside Yu Xin, gently patting his back. Even through his clothes, Yu Xin’s shoulder blades jutted out sharply.

Jiang Chong stepped forward and handed over the bottle of water. Zhao Xun took it without even thanking him, quickly unscrewing the cap and pressing it to Yu Xin’s lips. Yu Xin drank a few sips and slowly stopped retching.

Yu Xin leaned on Zhao Xun and stood up weakly. Jiang Chong saw the furrow in his brows, the tears in his eyes from the vomiting, the tremble in his lips, and the abnormal flush on his cheeks.

“Yu Xin, what’s going on with your body?” Jiang Chong asked, grabbing his arm.

Yu Xin shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just some stomach issues.”

Zhao Xun stepped between them, completely shielding Yu Xin behind him. “Captain Jiang, thanks for the water. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my brother home.”

Jiang Chong stood beside the greenery, watching as the two of them got into the car. Zhao Xun sat in the driver’s seat, and Yu Xin in the passenger seat, eyes closed, leaning back against the seat.

Yu Xin would never kill anyone—Jiang Chong had never doubted that. Even if he held resentment, Yu Xin would seek justice through legal means.

Justice was something Yu Xin had believed in from the moment he chose to become a journalist. Even now, as an entertainment reporter, Jiang Chong believed he hadn’t abandoned those principles.

“Eat first then take your medicine after.”

When Zhao Xun and Yu Xin got home, Zhao Xun placed the rice porridge and buns he had bought downstairs onto the coffee table.

Yu Xin went into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed his face with cold water. The icy sting against his skin gave him a jolt of clarity. Looking into the mirror, he was startled by how pale he looked after just one night. The dark circles under his eyes were even more pronounced.

He sat on the couch, holding a bowl of porridge. After vomiting earlier that morning, the warmth of the porridge in his stomach brought a wave of relief. He let out a long sigh, feeling like he’d finally come back to life.

“Ge, why did you rush back overnight? What about Scar?”

Zhao Xun handed Yu Xin a peeled boiled egg. “Duan Zhao’s people told us something had happened to you. That’s why I rushed back. Duan Zhao is still in Beijing—he’ll need another three or four days to get here.”

Yu Xin took a bite of the egg and nodded. “Ge, I’m okay. But after everything that’s happened, I’m even more certain my dad’s accident wasn’t just a simple car crash. Why else would the moment I found the driver, he ended up murdered—and my fingerprints were left at the scene?”

Zhao Xun looked at the dark circles under Yu Xin’s eyes and sighed silently. “Yu Xin, I know I can’t stop you, but this whole thing is too dangerous. No matter what, your health is the most important thing.”

Yu Xin ate the egg white and left the yolk, then finished the last mouthful of porridge in the bowl. He put the bowl down. “Ge, you must be tired from rushing back all night. Go sleep in the bedroom. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Zhao Xun glanced at the peeling ceiling in the bedroom and decided to spare himself the experience. “I’ll stay at Duan Zhao’s place. Take your medicine and get a good rest. Call me when you wake up.”

Yu Xin looked at the peeling wall but swallowed back the words that would’ve asked Zhao Xun to stay.

After seeing Zhao Xun off, Yu Xin took a shower, took two tablets from the bottle on his nightstand, pulled the curtains shut, and lay in bed with his eyes closed.