Standing in front of the Zhuo residence’s gate, Jia stared at their dreamy mansion in a daze.
There are luxurious villas everywhere I go. One here and the other...
Jia looked back at Mingshen with her brows furrowed. "Did you really have to accompany here? This isn’t going to be a forensic investigation."
Mingshen glanced at her. "I was bored anyway."
Her brow twitched.
You will co along just because you are bored? Are doctors that free?
She paused and looked at him again, feeling a sense of oddity from his behavior.
Why does he look gloomy...? Or is it my imagination?
One of the guards at the main gate approached her and asked, "Yes, Mam?"
She cleared her throat. "I am Song Jia. I work in the Beijing Police Bureau. This is Zhuo Syaoran’s residence, right?"
The guard slightly looked uncomfortable at that question.
"Um..."
Jia blinked once. "Zhuo family, right? Zhuo Syaoran and his younger brother Zhuo Zihan?"
"Please wait here."
Jia was taken aback by how the guard abruptly sped away.
What was that?
She patiently waited for the guard to return and surprisingly, Mingshen was strangely keeping quiet. The guard was back two minutes later.
"Please co in, Miss. Song. Master and Madam Zhuo expect you."
She blinked twice.
"Sure..."
She wasn’t sure who the guard referred to as Master and Madam.
Is it Zhuo Syaoran and his wife?
Is he married? She wondered.
Jia and Mingshen made their way through the lush garden and stepped through the large entrance doors that led them to the grand living room.
Are people from the National People Congress so wealthy? She couldn’t help but contemplate.
Her gaze fell onto a middle-aged couple seated on the couch, awaiting her presence. Jia felt like she was standing before royalty, as if their scrutinizing gazes threatened to wilt her sense of self.
The elderly man, whom she assud to be the master of the villa, was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit with his silver-streaked hair combed back neatly. His sharp features reflected a life of calculated decisions and relentless ambition.
Beside him was his wife, draped in an elegant qipao of deep erald silk. The slight curve of her lips didn’t quite reach her eyes, which observed Jia with a clinical precision that made her shift uncomfortably.
They felt like two figures carved from stone - immovable, cold, and intimidating. They stared at Jia for a few long seconds before moving their gazes towards Mingshen. The glint in their gazes deepened grimly and uncomfortably.
Jia gave them a slight bow. "Hello. I am Song Jia and he is-"
"Dr. Yang Mingshen," the man said. "Who wouldn’t know the Yang family?"
"But you would, right?" Mingshen shot back.
An uneasy silence descended for a mont.
The woman then ca forward with their introductions. "Hello Miss. Song. I am Zhuo ihui and he is my husband, Zhuo Hanwei. Nice to et you."
"Sa here."
"I heard your request from the guard about eting Syaoran. If I may ask, what might this be about?"
She slightly tilted her head. "Did Syaoran get involved in sothing...?"
"Oh, no, no. It’s nothing like that Mrs. Zhuo. I ca to et him about an important case that I am investigating. He was present at the charity event that was organized a while back and I want to confirm sothing with him regarding my case."
"Oh."
"Yes. So...is Mr. Zhuo Syaoran at ho right now?"
Zhuo Hanwei asked with a heavy tone, "Is it important for you to et him personally?"
"It will definitely be more helpful with a personal eting rather than a call..." Jia wasn’t sure why they looked so reserved.
"What is going on here?"
A tall man stepped in with a black overcoat on top of a cream shirt with his eyes scanning Jia with a similar scrutiny as his mother had.
"Zihan, my dear."
Zhuo ihui got up from her seat and hugged her son with a warm smile on her lips. Her eyes imdiately lit up with joy.
"Going out sowhere?"
"Have so important etings lined up," he plainly said without much emotion.
"You just arrived last night from your late flight. You should be resting."
"I am fine."
He eyes Jia again and slowly said with recognition, "You are that police officer from the charity event night."
"Yes."
Zhuo Hanwei alternated his gaze between them. "Have you t each other?"
"When there was chaos about Huo Tengqi’s attack. We all were there."
"Ah," it then struck him. "So you arrested that culprit...who happened to be Dr. Yang’s employee."
Jia felt an unnerving tension seep in the air. "Yes. Though he was granted bail, a court case will be starting soon."
Zhuo ihui said with a purposeful tone, "I don’t expect the Huo family to back down from this. It’s quite shocking to see that your employee was granted bail, considering the grave nature of his offense. This just goes to say that mistakes can happen from anyone...and be forgiven too."
Jia felt a strong urge to correct her. It was true that Bai Yingtai wasn’t ideally supposed to get bail for almost putting Huo Tengqi in a coma. It was a serious cri. But it didn’t an that a trial wouldn’t be held or that he would completely go scot free without consequences. The court hadn’t pardoned Bai Yingtai yet.
Mingshen’s eyes imdiately narrowed, feeling the last remark was directed at him as Bai Yingtai was his employee.
"Intentions behind that mistake and the repercussions that it leaves behind are equally important to consider, Mrs. Zhuo. So mistakes are too severe to be undone," His quiet, icy voice lood in the room like an unspeakable threat.
Jia looked up at Mingshen whose eyes looked to be hailing a silent storm.
Zhuo Zihan asked, breaking the tense atmosphere, "Why are they here again?"
Zhuo ihui said, "They are here to et Syaoran. I was just about to say that he is not feeling well, so they won’t be able to et him."
Jia blinked. "Ah. Is he sick?"
"Yes. His health is delicate, so we avoid letting him go outside much or him eting people generally. He is resting in his room currently. I hope you understand," she said with a polite smile.
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