Chapter 31: Crossing the Line

Chapter 31: Crossing the Line

Jian Ruochen leaned over from the driver's seat, his arm resting on the backrest, and chuckled, "Who would hide pork under a down jacket? Wouldn't that be greasy?"

Lu Qian's patience finally snapped.

He abruptly flung open the down jacket, simultaneously pointing his gun at the driver's seat, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips. "Let's see what else you have to say."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the unobstructed back seat, and his smile froze.

Nothing?

How could there be nothing?

He rummaged through the fluffy down jacket again.

Truly nothing.

Lu Qian was momentarily stunned.

Guan Yingjun was also taken aback for a second, then swiftly raised his loaded service weapon, aiming it behind him. "Boss Lu, repeatedly interrupting my business and even damaging my car door—is this how you conduct yourself?"

Lu Qian's face twitched.

He couldn't ascertain the identity of the person in the car, and for a moment, he hesitated, unable to act freely.

If it were an ordinary wealthy businessman in the car, he would have the leverage to search the vehicle.

But the other party's arrogant demeanor and the presence of a gun indicated he was clearly no ordinary person.

Lu Qian detected a kindred spirit in Guan Yingjun.

He wasn't in a position to challenge a fellow professional.

Lu Qian forced a smile. "My apologies, I lost some goods and acted in haste. In business, everyone faces difficulties. Please understand."

Jian Ruochen beamed with delight. "Young Master Lu, you weren't thinking of searching the car just now, were you?"

The acting had been rushed, and he hadn't had time to adjust his posture. In his panic, he had ended up sitting on Guan Yingjun's belt buckle, which was digging in painfully.

He hissed in discomfort, lifting himself slightly to shift his position. As his knees pressed against the driver's seat to support his weight, before he could move, he felt himself being lifted into the air.

Guan Yingjun picked him up with one hand.

Jian Ruochen moved his hand from the driver's seat back and hastily wrapped his arms around Guan Yingjun's neck.

Guan Yingjun settled him on his lap.

Lu Qian stood by the rear door, watching the scene with a dark expression.

From his angle, he could only see Jian Ruochen's shoulders and the side of the black-clad man's ear. He couldn't see below the shoulders or the lower half of their bodies.

What the two were doing could only be guessed from their visible movements.

The more he guessed, the more absurd it seemed.

Lu Qian's face turned ghastly pale. At that moment, he had a strong, clear intuition: there was no playing hard to get, no scheming to leave intentionally—Jian Ruochen simply didn't love him anymore.

He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling.

Lu Qian gripped the door handle he had kicked open, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and said word by word, "No need to search the car."

Guan Yingjun pressed Jian Ruochen's head against his chest protectively, guarding against any sudden outburst from Lu Qian, while steadily aiming his gun with his other hand. He glanced sideways and said, "If you're not searching, then get lost."

The suspicion that had just subsided in Lu Qian's heart suddenly flared up again.

From the way Jian Ruochen had moved earlier, it seemed they had already wrapped up.

Would a fellow professional who disregarded the law be in such a hurry to chase away the troublemaker after his car door was damaged and his business interrupted?

Wouldn't he settle the score to assert his authority?

Jian Ruochen struggled slightly but couldn't free himself from Guan Yingjun's grip. He had no choice but to bury his face in the other's chest and mumbled, "Young Master Lu, this matter can't just be dropped like this, can it?"

Guan Yingjun also came to his senses and sneered, "Boss Lu is under police surveillance and probably doesn't have much cash to spare. I'll let the door incident slide."

Lu Qian felt as if he were being strangled, his face turning livid.

He understood why this black-clad man wasn't settling the score to assert his authority.

It was because the man simply looked down on him.

What he had lost wasn't just a shipment—it was his dignity as a man!

Lu Qian suppressed his rage, his eyes reddening to the point of bleeding. He pulled out a stack of blank checks from his pocket, scribbled a string of numbers on one, and placed it on Jian Ruochen's rumpled down jacket. "My apologies for today. Next time, I'll host you properly."

Guan Yingjun replied, "No thanks."

He paused before adding, "Boss Lu, see yourself out."

Lu Qian closed the car door, watching the jeep tremble slightly. He could almost picture Jian Ruochen climbing from the man's lap to the passenger seat.

Why?

Jian Ruochen was already so wealthy. Why would he associate with a drug lord? And even willingly act as an undercover agent for him at the police station?

Lu Qian's breathing grew rapid.

He recalled Jian Ruochen's sweaty face and slightly dazed expression when he was led into private room 2123—a vivid, captivating charm he had never seen before.

By the time Lu Qian snapped out of it, the car carrying Jian Ruochen had already driven far away.

Guan Yingjun slammed on the accelerator, leaving Lu Qian and the bar street behind, speeding to a quiet, safe location as quickly as possible.

He parked the car and turned to look at Jian Ruochen in the passenger seat, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Where did you hide the lunchbox?"

Guan Yingjun suddenly remembered Jian Ruochen tripping while discarding the clothes. His thoughts stalled as he bent down and reached into the gap under the driver's seat.

His fingertips first touched the slide rail, then the cool surface of the lunchbox.

He pulled it out, silently placed it in an evidence bag, and carefully sealed it shut... That fall had been so hard.

Guan Yingjun stored the sealed evidence bag in the car's storage compartment, leaned back in the driver's seat, and said, "Show me your hand."

Jian Ruochen replied, "Huh?"

He extended his left hand.

Guan Yingjun said, "Not that one."

"What's wrong?" Jian Ruochen extended his right hand again, both hands held out in front as if he were a bad guy waiting to be cuffed.

Guan Yingjun grabbed both wrists with one hand, rolled up the right sleeve, and indeed saw a purplish bruise blooming across the pale skin, looking pretty nasty.

He pressed down with his index and middle fingers together.

Jian Ruochen gasped softly, "Don't press."

It hurt like hell.

Guan Yingjun released his hand, "Hard to say if anything's broken."

He recalled that Jian Ruochen had made a dull thud when he fell. "Did you fall on purpose?"

Jian Ruochen: "...No, Jeeps sit higher up, not quite like your car."

He mumbled, "I didn't see clearly."

Who would intentionally take a fall and hurt themselves like this?

At that time, Lu Qian hadn't even shown up, so there was no need to fake it.

But...

"The fall worked out though—it made me tear up a bit, and I managed to pass the lunchbox to you." Jian Ruochen replayed the earlier scene in his mind and nodded with satisfaction. "The act was really convincing."

Lu Qian probably really thinks I'm an undercover agent sent into the police force by a drug lord now.

Hah, really messed with his head, hasn't he?

Guan Yingjun paused, instinctively swallowing as his gaze flickered across Jian Ruochen's lips. The dim interior light cast a hazy glow over Jian Ruochen, making his parted lips looked especially shiny.

He abruptly averted his eyes. "I'll take you to the police clinic for an X-ray."

Jian Ruochen checked the time.

It was past midnight. Luo Binwen was still waiting for him to come home.

"Nah... It's too late. I just want to sleep."

Jian Ruochen bent and straightened his arm. "It doesn't hurt when I move. Probably not broken or fractured—just a bit swollen. It's fine."

Guan Yingjun held back.

His relationship with Jian Ruochen wasn't close; suggesting a hospital visit was already pushing it.

Jian Ruochen wasn't his subordinate, nor were they particularly intimate friends. Pushing further would be overstepping.

Guan Yingjun started the car. "Your call."

He drove to the entrance of the hilltop villa at Regal International Garden, reached for the down jacket in the back seat, and shook it out, intending for Jian Ruochen to put it on before getting out.

But the down jacket had dirty patches all over, like someone had stepped on it and picked it up again.

Jian Ruochen: "..."

How could he go home like this?

Wearing this and telling Luo Binwen, "I didn't run into any trouble today"?

Butler Luo would never buy that.

Maybe just the sweater?

"Where's my sweater?" Jian Ruochen searched around the car.

Guan Yingjun: "You don't have it there?"

They stared at each other, and Jian Ruochen's gaze gradually turned accusatory. "Pretty sure I left it with you the whole time."

Guan Yingjun averted his eyes. "...Didn't think about it when we ran."

Jian Ruochen: "..."

Guan Yingjun cleared his throat and said formally, "Once the cut from Chen Jincai comes through, I'll buy you two new ones."

"Don't worry about it." Jian Ruochen waved a hand. "There are plenty of clothes at home. Why would I need yours for? It's just a quick cold walk today."

Guan Yingjun fell silent, took all the bits and pieces from his coat pockets and put them in an empty evidence pouch, then took off his coat and handed it to Jian Ruochen. "Wear mine for now."

The entrance to the hilltop villa had a garden. Although winter in Hong Kong wasn't as cold as other places, walking 200 meters through the garden in just a messy shirt was still begging to get sick.

Jian Ruochen didn't refuse. He took it and put it on.

Guan Yingjun's coat was really big, still warm from his body heat and a faint, rich scent of black tea.

He got out of the car and waved to Guan Yingjun. "See you tomorrow, Detective Guan."

Guan Yingjun was surprised.

See you tomorrow?

Didn't Jian Ruochen say he wouldn't be going to the police station for a while?

Jian Ruochen smiled. "The taxi driver murder case definitely requires me to give witness statements and victim testimony."

Guan Yingjun realized. "How did you..."

Jian Ruochen added, "Your upper eyelids lifted slightly, your eyebrows raised a bit, then your lower lip pulled back—you made a puzzled expression. Based on the context, I could guess what you were going to ask."

He gave a final wave to Guan Yingjun, then gathered the overly long coat and hurried through the garden toward the still-lit villa.

Guan Yingjun sat in the car, hands on the steering wheel, watching Jian Ruochen's figure disappearing.

Soon, that figure disappeared into the deep green bushes, completely gone.

Guan Yingjun leaned back, resting his neck against the seat, unable to stop himself from remembering how Jian Ruochen had sat on his lap, acting all sweet and compliant.

He shook his head, forcing himself to think about how Jian Ruochen had interrogated Huo Jinze at the Sham Shui Po Police Station.

He'd nailed the tone, his moves were calculated. With just one expression, he both confused the suspect and gained the trust of the officers at Sham Shui Po Police Station.

Even his aunt hadn't questioned that Jian Ruochen seemed like a completely different person.

Everyone thought it was normal.

Guan Yingjun's mind wandered.

He also recalled how, in the back room, Jian Ruochen had sat in his arms, holding his stomach, carefully nuzzling his face against his shoulder, and whispering sweetly.

The warm breath exhaled while whispering dirty talk brushed against his ear, as if they were truly intimate.

It was necessary for the mission.

Guan Yingjun muttered to himself, "Someone this likable, why would so many people dislike him? Have you figured it out?"

He couldn't understand.

There was no face-swap or impersonation, no replacement at all.

"What exactly is your goal?" Guan Yingjun's mind raced with a jumble of images, all of Jian Ruochen's astonishing actions over the past few days.

Disarming bombs, stealing ledgers, grabbing lunchboxes, helping him raid Lu Qian's safehouse...

Guan Yingjun didn't want to get too close to Jian Ruochen. Even though he had promised not to test him further, it didn't mean he had stopped suspecting.

Jian Ruochen had his mysteries, along with that knack for charm.

Jian Ruochen was too good at winning people over. Whenever he wanted, he seemed to know exactly how to please, never letting anyone stay angry.

In all his past missions, Guan Yingjun had never gotten this ambiguous with anyone—until Jian Ruochen appeared.

How could they not get close?

Guan Yingjun lit a cigarette, taking a long pull from the filter.

He had never encountered a partner more in sync—someone who could follow his train of thought, shared his interests, and was equally willing to go to any lengths for the truth.

From the moment he brought Jian Ruochen to his side, they were already in the same boat.

Guan Yingjun glanced down at his belt, then lowered his gaze and pulled out a bottle of liquor, chugging it in one go. What used to help now only intensified his desires.

He caught a hint of grapefruit scent mixed with orange, and it reminded him of those lips around the bottle’s rim.

Guan Yingjun pursed his lips, tilting his head back as he waited. Only after the alcohol took full effect did he feel a bit better.

He thought about driving, but as soon as he pulled the handbrake, Jian Ruochen's faint voice murmured in his ear: Detective Guan, don't drink and drive.

So he had to leave the car at the entrance of the hilltop villa and walk home.

Fortunately, the hilltop villa was Villa 1, and his home was Villa 2.

Not too far away.

The next day.

Jian Ruochen had a good night's sleep and arrived at the police station early. Before he could enter the interrogation room, Guan Yingjun pulled him into the office.

Seeing the bottle of medicated oil in the other's hand, he took two quick steps back, covering his right hand with his left, his whole body screaming refusal. "I'm not putting that on!"

Guan Yingjun said, "It won’t heal as fast without it."

Chen Jincai stood at the door, his hand raised to knock but then lowering again. Finally, he leaned in, pressing his ear against the door.

He had to satisfy his curiosity first.

He and Guan Yingjun had been brothers for so many years—surely a little eavesdropping wasn't really so bad?

Inside the office, Guan Yingjun said, "Come here, sit down."

He caught himself sounding harsh and softened his tone. "After this, I'll take you to check the lunchboxes."

Chen Jincai, who had come to ask Jian Ruochen to give his statement, thought: Wow—

To keep the Little God of Wealth around, was Guan Yingjun prepared to go to any lengths?

Other teams might... really want to poach him, but did Guan Yingjun have to be this anxious?

Or was yesterday's big commotion at the bar by CIB related to these two going undercover?

Did Ji Bailou also see Jian Ruochen and take a liking to him, making Guan Yingjun panic?

To be fair, Ji Bailou was indeed handsome.

But that’s no reason to panic.

They were police officers, not perverts!

Chen Jincai carefully pondered the scene but hadn't reached a conclusion when a patrol officer rushed into the A-team area. Spotting Chen Jincai, he immediately shouted, "Sir Chen, you need to go down and see. There's a crowd of reporters outside demanding to interview the newly hired consultant, saying he..."

Chen Jincai's expression tightened. "Saying what?"

The patrol officer swallowed. "Saying that as a Hong Kong citizen, he never donates blood—selfish."

"...Huh?" Chen Jincai found the reason for the disturbance utterly absurd, clearly intentional troublemaking.

He shoved the door open.

At the same time, a pained groan uttered from behind the closed office door.

Jian Ruochen had one hand gripped by Guan Yingjun, the other clutching the edge of the desk. He turned his head away, trying not to watch the hand rubbing circles over his injury.

It hurt, so much.

He was tearing up.

He whispered, "Guan Yingjun, can't you be gentler?"