The Past Like Wind

Translator: Cinder Translations

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"Don't be afraid, you're safe now." The female police officer with a ponytail poured a cup of hot water and extended it to Jiang Cheng.

But he didn't take it. He was curled up on the sofa, trembling, his hands wrapped around his knees, his eyes filled with fear and anxiety.

Seeing this, the female officer sighed and gently placed the cup on the coffee table in front of him.

"You're safe now," she spoke softly, as if afraid to upset the young man even further. "What exactly happened? Who are they, and why are they after you?"

She paused for a moment and placed her hand on his. Feeling his body still trembling, it was easy to imagine the psychological toll the recent events had on this young man, who seemed so gentle.

After a long time of comforting from the female officer, Jiang Cheng seemed to emerge from his fear, though only slightly. His eyes remained timid, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Chen Xiaomeng and the others.

He cast a quick glance and immediately looked away, lowering his head again. His frail body shook even harder.

"If you don't tell us everything, those people might escape and avoid the punishment they deserve," the female officer spoke to Jiang Cheng in a far gentler tone than the others.

So far, Chen Xiaomeng and the others had remained silent, especially Chen Xiaomeng, whose gaze could have peeled Jiang Cheng's skin off.

The female officer suddenly froze. Slowly, she lowered her head and realized that the timid young man in front of her had placed his hand on hers.

He gently rubbed her hand.

Had it been any other time, she would have immediately retaliated against this bold and disrespectful move, but now she felt a deep, genuine joy because... this meant that the young man, who had been emotionally closed off from his recent trauma, had accepted her.

It was her presence that helped him step out of the shadows.

He was young, and he should have had a better life.

"Big sister," Jiang Cheng looked up, his voice soft and timid. But the next words made her pause. "Actually, they aren't bad people. They're all from Xia Meng's family, and Xia Meng..."

Jiang Cheng suddenly stopped, biting his lip, his eyes showing a mix of emotions—shyness, fear, and most of all, a deep sense of regret about the past he couldn't return to.

A few seconds later, the female officer seemed to realize something. She blinked and looked at Jiang Cheng, then turned her head to glance at Chen Xiaomeng, as if understanding something.

"She's... your girlfriend?" the female officer asked.

The two of them, both in terms of appearance and temperament, were a perfect match, the kind of couple that would stand out in any crowd. This added a hint of melancholy to the violent break-in that had just occurred.

Hatred born from love.

The female officer suddenly had a realization.

"You misunderstood. It's not like you think," Jiang Cheng seemed to have read her thoughts and quickly clarified. "We're not that familiar. One night, we went to a friend's party and we all got drunk..."

At this point, Jiang Cheng stopped, realizing he had said too much. His cheeks turned red, and he started to look away, avoiding her gaze.

The atmosphere, which had been somewhat noisy, suddenly fell silent.

The two officers who had been busy registering Chen Xiaomeng and the others' details and checking their belongings stopped what they were doing. They turned to look at the bashful Jiang Cheng and the pale-faced Chen Xiaomeng.

The officers, all relatively young, exchanged looks after a few seconds, their expressions revealing that they had pieced it all together.

Chen Xiaomeng's face had drained of all color, her lips quivering. If not for the middle-aged man pressing down on her shoulder, the situation might have spiraled out of control.

She began to regret not letting Uncle Gong sew Jiang Cheng's mouth shut.

Based on the information they had so far, the female officer had made a preliminary judgment.

This whole incident had arisen because of a romantic entanglement between Jiang Cheng and a girl named Xia Meng.

Under the influence of alcohol, something that shouldn't have happened occurred, and when communication failed, things escalated to this point. The girl's family had come to demand an explanation.

"Sister Wei," a young officer walked over carrying a bag. "Captain Liu called, saying we need to hurry. Someone went missing in the south district last night, and we don't have enough manpower."

"Got it," the female officer closed her notebook and looked at him. "Are all the items secured?"

"They're all here." The man patted the bag. "Liu's got some more, and he's outside registering the vehicles."

"Keep an eye on the people. We're done here."

"Okay."

"By the way," the female officer, who had just stood up, turned to Jiang Cheng. "You'll need to come with us. There are still some details we need to understand."

"Of course," Jiang Cheng stood up, looking weak, as if he might collapse into her arms. "Big sister, can I ride in the same car as you?" he blinked.

"Is something wrong?" the female officer, holding a notebook, asked in confusion.

"If you're with me, I feel really safe."

"Alright then."

On the way back, things were a bit different from what Jiang Cheng had imagined. The younger officer was driving, while the female officer with the ponytail sat in the front passenger seat.

In the back, besides Jiang Cheng, there were two dark-skinned, serious-looking male officers.

The two men flanked Jiang Cheng, making it difficult for him to move.

Despite this, he still tried to stretch his neck toward the female officer. "Big sister," he said. "I think this whole thing is just a misunderstanding. Can you not punish them too harshly?"

The female officer, closing her blue-covered notebook, glanced at him in surprise, as if thinking, "I didn't expect you to be so considerate."

"We'll get to the bottom of it," she said, exhaling.

"Kid, don't be too naive," the young officer driving turned the wheel to the left, veering into the left lane. He glanced at the rearview mirror and casually said, "If we had been a little later, you might have been hurt. And you know—"

"Ahem." The officer sitting to Jiang Cheng's left coughed awkwardly.

The driver immediately fell silent.

The atmosphere in the car changed dramatically.

"Do you drive with your mouth?" the female officer's tone became serious, completely different from her tone with Jiang Cheng. The young officer at the wheel immediately shrank his neck.

He had just joined the police force, a newbie, thus he wasn't that well acquainted.

"If you're not using it to drive, keep your mouth shut," the female officer continued.

(End of the Chapter)

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