Muchuan and Xiang Wan - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Heart-Piercing Pain
Translator: MintCatnip Editor: Chrissy

“Gosh, that’s a gold card?”
Fang Yuanyuan walked toward Xiang Wan, who was still in a daze, and took the bank card that she was holding on her hand.
Tch! Tch! Tch! Fang Yuanyuan exclaimed as she flipped the card left and right. She examined the card under the light then returned the card to Xiang Wan with a tease.
“But, this gold card won’t fill your hunger even if you ate it. Come, come, come, let’s continue to eat hotpot.”
Xiang Wan sat down as if she was drained of energy. She kept the card inside her bag and looked as if she was holding a ticking time bomb, spacing out.
She was thinking about what case they were working on, as well as thinking about Bai Muchuan’s act of handing the bank card to her… that was so strange.
“Hey little sister, Little Bai is not someone who randomly give people bank cards. Now that he gave it to you… well, you don’t have to think too much, just keep it properly.” Quan Shaoteng obviously belonged to the kind of person who loved to stir up trouble, and was eager to sell his Little Bai away, completely oblivious that he himself was also a bachelor. He tried using all that he knew to say good things about Bai Muchuan.
Nonetheless, after listening to all this, Xiang Wan only said a word.
“Okay.”
Quan Shaoteng’s passionate speech hit an iceberg. He shrugged and changed another chatting target.
“Hey Beautiful, as a Medical Examiner in the forensics team, you’re practically fiddling with corpses in your daily work. Those cases with heaps of broken corpses; no arms, one leg missing, and flowing intestines… Are you afraid of all these?”
The one he asked was Mei Xin.
The cool and quiet girl sitting in a corner was without a word.
Obviously, Quan Shaoteng was not a person who was good at chit chatting, otherwise, he would not stay as a bachelor for so many years.
Well, they were in a hotpot restaurant, where they boil fresh meat into the hotpot soup to eat. And yet, he was talking about broken corpses with no arms and a missing leg…
Mei Xin returned a faint glance at him. “No.”
She was also another “topic” terminator.
It was impossible to chitchat.
Quan Shaoteng looked at his sister-in-law, Zhan Se, who was smiling. No choice, he had to get out of the awkward situation by himself. “This table is full of ladies. And here I thought I’m a rare commodity. Little do I expect… everyone is ignoring me. Forget it, I’ll eat the food myself.”
He picked up a piece of tenderloin meat when Mei Xin suddenly said something, “Sometimes I get scared too. I once received a disgusting case where the murderer dug out all the internal organs of the victim and cut them into thin slices, just like the one in your hand…” 2
Plop! Quan Shaoteng’s chopsticks jerked, the piece of meat fell into boiling hotpot.
He gulped, feeling slightly regretful that he should have never talked to the Medical Examiner earlier!
Being able to eat and say that at the same time without changing her face, what a strong heart she has! thought Quan Shaoteng.
I shouldn’t provoke her anymore!
As Quan Shaoteng thought about this, he picked up a duck intestine.
It was obviously the duck intestine, but when that woman shot a strange glance at it, the duck intestine seemed to turn into… human intestine!
He put down his chopsticks—he gave up.
“Not eating anymore?” asked a puzzled Zhan Se who looked at him from head to toe.
“I’m…” Quan Shaoteng smiled brightly like the peach blossom flower, “on a diet!” 3
…
The main gates of the detention center were open.
A [1]120 ambulance pulled in, the police siren filling the entire area, alarming the nearby residents to open their windows to find out what happened.
Bai Muchuan and Cheng Zheng came over together in one vehicle.
Before they arrived, Huang He had taken control of the scene with the rest of detectives.
Just not long ago, the criminal suspect of the 720 case, Wang Tongsheng, attempted suicide.
Since there were no metal or plastic items in the detention cell, Wang Tongsheng found it extremely difficult to kill himself. In the end, he chose an extremely silly way—banging his head against the wall.
Probably influenced by films and dramas, Wang Tongsheng thought that he would achieve his goal with just one bang. However, he still couldn’t achieve his goal even after banging his head against the wall several times. As a result, he got knocked out and his actions attracted the attention of the prison guards. 1
When Bai Muchuan arrived, Wang Tongsheng was still in a coma, and the doctors from 120 were still treating him.
Cheng Zheng looked at the scene, frowning with his arms folded. “I don’t think I’m needed here.” 2
Bai Muchuan replied coldly, “The title of Captain of Forensics is not for display purposes.”
“This is a typical case of suicide,” retorted Cheng Zheng, “there’s no need for forensics testing.”
Bai Muchuan sneered in a cold tone. “Not necessarily.”
Cheng Zheng turned to look at him for a few seconds before he curled up a corner of his lips slowly. “Why did I feel that I’m here solely because you don’t want me to continue eating hotpot?” 2
A faint, inscrutable smile formed on Bai Muchuan’s face. “How’s that possible? Besides lacking compassion, I’m very committed and responsible toward my work.”
Cheng Zheng: “…” 1
With a cold snort, Bai Muchuan walked past without giving him a second look and went directly toward Huang He. “How’s the situation?”
“Boss.” Huang He stood up, removed his white gloves, and looked around the blood stains in the cell. “It’s suicide for sure! That fella Wang Tongsheng is too weak-minded. It must be the interrogation earlier that pierced his heart so much and he dared not face it…”
Dared not face it.
If he’s not afraid of death, what is he afraid of?
Bai Muchuan squinted his eyes to a line.
At this moment, Cheng Zheng was slowly walking over. “This maybe a good chance to get him to talk. When a normal person is physically weak, his mental endurance will also decline significantly.”
Bai Muchuan gave him a sideways glance but did not say a word.
“Didn’t you invite a criminal psychologist for this case?” added Cheng Zheng.
Bai Muchuan replied indifferently, “Although I don’t have much compassion, I won’t coerce a hurt patient who is in a coma.”
Cheng Zheng: “…”
…
When Zhan Se received news about the case, they were about to finish their dinner at the hotpot restaurant.
She heard from Bai Muchuan about what happened at the detention center, and her eyes glowed with excitement. 1
“Okay, I’ll be right over. When Wang Tongsheng wakes up, it’s the best time to break his psychological defence.”
“Alright.”
Bai Muchuan agreed and said, “I’ll let Huang He come and pick you up.”
Hearing their conversation, Quan Shaoteng leaned over to get close to the phone and said, “What about me?”
“You have your own mission.”
Bai Muchuan disconnected the call.
Quan Shaoteng looked at the ladies who were eating hotpot and felt defeated. “Sis, did my good looks ‘deteriorate’ these days?”
“Nope,” sniggered Zhan Se, “exactly because you’re at the peak of your ‘beauty’ that Captain Bai gave you this chance to take care of the ladies. Take advantage of this good opportunity.”
She patted Quan Shaoteng’s shoulders and went downstairs.
Therefore, Young Master Quan whose “beauty” was at its peak… had no choice but to pay for the bill and helped the ladies call for cab.
Both Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan thanked him warmly for that. Mei Xin, on the other hand, rejected his offer.
“I don’t need a cab. My place is just nearby, so I’ll just walk back.”
Quan Shaoteng thought of Bai Muchuan’s “orders”. Even though he did not dare provoke this Medical Examiner “who would not blink when cutting up corpses”, he still went ahead to be a gentleman by dissuading her one more time. “It’s already night time, it’s not safe for a girl to be alone in the streets.”
Mei Xin tightened the straps of her sling bag and gave him a lukewarm glance.
“Goodbye!”
Then she turned and walked away.
Quan Shaoteng looked at Mei Xin’s backview, pondering over something. Then, as if he had suddenly realized something, he turned toward Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan while nodding his head. “Come to think of it, a person like her… maybe a murderer would scared of her too.” 1
“Hahah!” Xiang Wan laughed, “Officer Quan, you’re really humorous.”
“No, no, no, a soldier must be forthright in his speech.”
“Oh, then does Officer Quan has a girlfriend already?” Xiang Wan blinked lightly.
Quan Shaoteng was no doubt a strikingly handsome man. One look, and one could tell that he was among the elite types of people that the chances of not having a girlfriend would be slim. However, when Xiang Wan noticed that Fang Yuanyuan kept looking at him many times during their meal just now, as the elder cousin, she thought she should ask that for the sake of Fang Yuanyuan.
However, Quan Shaoteng obviously misunderstood her words.
Looking at Xiang Wan, he took a step back, laughing and waving his hands. “Teacher Xiang, don’t scare me. I’m worried that Little Bai will swallow me up!”
Huh? What does he mean?
Xiang Wan did not know what he meant, but she could feel his refusal.
She knew that she should not continue talking brazenly about such matters.
So she laughed, “Haha, I’m just joking, Officer Quan, please don’t take it to heart.”
At this time, the cab arrived. Xiang Wan had to pull Fang Yuanyuan into the cab.
When the cab left that street, Fang Yuanyuan was still continuously looking behind. Xiang Wan gritted her teeth and turned her cousin’s head over to face her.
“Don’t look anymore, he’s not suitable for you.”
Fang Yuanyuan glared at her. “What are you talking about? Fair maidens like dashing guys. What’s wrong with just looking at him?”
Xiang Wan was relieved that her cousin’s tone was cheerful and did not seem to be hurt. “That’s good, this is a lesson learnt. These type of gorgeous men that attracts women easily will say goodbye to you anytime.”
Fang Yuanyuan shot her a glance and pouted. “Then what about you and Detective Bai?”
Before she finished her sentence, Xiang Wan suddenly screamed in shock, “Uncle, turn, turn… turn left and follow that red car.”
The driver and Fang Yuanyuan did not know what was she trying to do.
The flow of traffic was broad and extensive, turn left… which car?
Fang Yuanyuan looked at Xiang Wan, perplexed. “What’s wrong?”
Xiang Wan’s eyes were wide-opened due to shock. She did not answer Fang Yuanyuan. She was calling Bai Muchuan with her trembling hands.
“I just saw Er Niu, Captain Bai, I’m really, really sure that I saw her just now… Do you believe me?”
…
[1] 120 – Hotline to call ambulance in China.