“Is this what you meant by our so-called relationship in Hong Kong?”
Lying on the guest room bed, Lu Shimiao’s mind replayed Xue Tong’s words over and over.
What exactly was her relationship with Xue Tong?
Four years had passed, and she still hadn’t found the answer to that question.
Ex-girlfriends? No, they had never formally been together.
Not exes? But they had done things only couples do.
So annoying. She didn’t want to think about all this…
Lu Shimiao rested both hands on her abdomen, her fingertips habitually tracing that scar. The taste of the other still seemed to linger on her lips.
The scar was real.
Xue Tong’s return was also real.
She rolled over, buried her head into the pillow, absorbed the unfamiliar scent of the bedding, and thought of Xue Tong’s panicked face and her voice laced with arousal.
Xue Tong’s physical reaction to her was real.
She had just forcibly kissed Xue Tong. That was also real.
Forcibly kissed…
The phrase jolted Lu Shimiao upright in bed.
She was a criminal investigation police officer who had studied the Constitution, the Criminal Procedure Law, and the People’s Police Law… She had just forcibly committed “sexual harassment” against another person’s body and even used minor “force.”
Damn it.
Lu Shimiao flipped over, spreadeagled, and flopped onto the bed, pounding the pillow with her fist.
“She clearly started it.” She grabbed her own hair and began muttering to herself.
“Even if she started it, you still can’t physically harm someone! You’re a cop! No—even if you weren’t a cop, you shouldn’t harm others.” Lu Shimiao buried her head completely under the blanket.
No matter what her relationship with Xue Tong was, she absolutely had to apologize properly tomorrow. Officer Lu, who hadn’t slept in two days, closed her eyes swiftly amid her turmoil.
On the other side.
After escaping to the second floor, Xue Tong quickly checked all the rooms, found the master bedroom, and moved in.
As soon as she had learned of the official dispatch slot, she had asked the butler to clean up this house. The wardrobe contained the clothes and personal items she had shipped ahead of time—even her sleepwear was there.
Xue Tong’s original plan was to come back first, settle things properly, and after the police exchange next week, move into the professor’s apartment. Once Lu Shimiao had sorted out her thoughts and was ready to shoulder a shared future together, she would bring her here to live.
After all, if they were going to come out to their families someday, it was bound to cause a massive uproar with Qiu Wen. She needed to give Lu Shimiao some security, at least spare the kid the worry of being kicked out and sleeping on the streets.
And now… thanks to Qiu Wen, Lu Shimiao had been kicked out ahead of schedule. But plans could never keep up with changes. All her careful thinking had been useless. Xue Tong felt a headache coming on just thinking about it.
She glanced in the mirror. The kiss marks on her neck were still vivid. Her own craving for the other still echoed in her mind. Xue Tong sighed.
Six o’clock the next morning.
Two elite police officers appeared in the first-floor living room at the same time.
Lu Shimiao wore a moisture-wicking tank top. Xue Tong wore a high-neck moisture-wicking tank top.
They met eyes but said nothing, both heading toward the yard.
Lu Shimiao’s peripheral vision caught Xue Tong’s attire. She knew perfectly well why the high neck was worn. A wave of guilt washed over her, and she took the initiative to speak.
“About last night… I’m sorry.”
“I told you before. If you didn’t do anything wrong, you don’t need to say sorry.” Xue Tong didn’t look at her. Her tone was cool as she crouched to tie her shoelaces.
“I was very rude last night. Last night, I…” Was a total pervert.
Lu Shimiao didn’t want to leave a bad impression. She stood beside her, explaining cautiously.
Xue Tong stood up, tied her headband along her hairline, and said quietly, “I started it. It’s not your fault.”
Not her fault, but she didn’t say she forgave her.
Lu Shimiao hung her head. Those images from last night surfaced again—how she had used Xue Tong’s sensitive body as a means of revenge. It had been far too humiliating… Guilt flooded her heart.
“Will you forgive me?”
“I will.” Xue Tong began stretching. “Outrun me, and I’ll forgive you.”
Lu Shimiao’s eyes lit up. Her tone turned light: “Really?”
“When have I ever lied to you?” Xue Tong glanced over and reached out to straighten Lu Shimiao’s tank top.
As her fingertips brushed against her, Officer Lu’s heart trembled. The warmth of Xue Tong’s fingers grazed her shoulder. The tingling sensation assaulted her brain.
Xue Tong smelled so good—fresh and fragrant even so early in the morning.
She thought again of last night, of the way Xue Tong had been unable to hold back her voice against the wall.
So annoying. Why was she such a pervert?
She shook her head fiercely, reminded herself she still needed forgiveness, and quickly started stretching on the spot.
A battle between two police cadets was about to erupt. Officer Lu’s competitive threshold was dialed to its peak once more.
She even worked hard to increase her stretch range and deliberately removed the water bottle strapped to her body.
“Three kilometers, or ten?” Lu Shimiao asked.
“Three. I have to go to work later.” Xue Tong pulled out her phone to map a running route.
Everything ready, they pushed open the front door.
“Three, two, one.” Xue Tong finished and sprinted off.
Lu Shimiao was faked out again. She froze for two seconds, then launched into motion.
The two raced through the streets.
She ran, she chased—neither could escape the other.
An old man walking his dog was startled by two figures flashing past on either side. He squinted into the distance.
Officer Lu stayed right behind Xue Tong, their cadence nearly identical. After the halfway mark, she began to surge.
Her endurance wasn’t great, but her explosive power was fierce.
Four years in the Criminal Police Unit weren’t for nothing. Last year, she had even apprehended a national-level track athlete. The guy hadn’t made it a thousand meters before Officer Lu had him cuffed on the spot.
Xue Tong saw the figure flash past and tried to push harder, but Lu Shimiao gave her almost no chance to overtake. She stayed ahead, matching her cadence. When Xue Tong sped up, she sped up. When Xue Tong slowed, she slowed right along with her.
Mm.
She really couldn’t catch up to Officer Lu anymore.
“Do you forgive me?” The moment the three kilometers were up, Lu Shimiao stopped and turned back.
“Aren’t you even out of breath?” Xue Tong had her hands on her hips, struggling to regulate her breathing and heart rate.
“Forgive me.” Lu Shimiao stood opposite her, handing the towel from her arm to Xue Tong.
Xue Tong took the towel and wiped her arm, frustration simmering inside her. “Let’s go again.”
Lu Shimiao: “Huh?”
Xue Tong pointed at the return route, her brows knitted, her tone defiant. “One more race, and I’ll forgive you.”
Lu Shimiao frowned. “Fine.”
…
The dog-walking old man had just crossed one traffic light when he was startled again by two figures flashing past. He stared at their retreating backs and yelled, “What the hell are you two doing?!”
Lu Shimiao waved back. “Sorry about that, but you need to leash your dog, sir!!!”
The kid’s Shanghainese was pleasant to the ear. Her Mandarin was comical.
Xue Tong wanted to laugh but didn’t want to lose pace. She could only quickly adjust and charge forward. Unfortunately, she still didn’t win in the end…
On the drive to work, Lu Shimiao was behind the wheel. Xue Tong sat in the passenger seat, watching from the side.
It was her first time seeing the kid drive in a police uniform. The visual was strange.
Although her girl’s hair was shorter, her bearing in uniform steadier, both hands on the steering wheel, grumbling a couple complaints when someone cut her off—all of it felt unfamiliar to Xue Tong.
But the moment Lu Shimiao turned to look at her, she would see that same bashfulness in her eyes that only came with affection. That look soothed her unease.
Xue Tong couldn’t bear to turn away.
The two drove all the way to the police station.
Just as they reached the parking lot, two criminal police officers from the Field Operations Team rushed over and slapped the window. “Little Lu, we need backup.”
Lu Shimiao got out immediately, pulled her duty belt from the back seat, and strapped it on. “What’s up?”
The officer behind spotted the Hong Kong Superintendent stepping out of the passenger seat. He froze for a moment, then snapped a hand salute before continuing. “The arrest warrant for that female fraud suspect just came through. We need you for the search.”
“Is your field team out of people or something?” Lu Shimiao’s face darkened. There were plenty of female officers in the unit, yet they always grabbed only her. “You can’t send someone from admin to do the search?”
“Oh, come on, we’ve been on this surveillance forever—it was a nightmare to catch her.” Team Leader Brother Zhu spoke up. “You’re our team’s lucky charm. If you’re there, nothing goes wrong.”
Officer Lu was reluctant. She still had her little shadow, Xue Tong, tailing her.
“I’ll buy you milk tea.” Lou Xiaoguang scratched the back of his head.
“Right, as if you’ve ever bought anyone else milk tea. Abusing public office for private gain, huh?” Brother Zhu rolled his eyes.
“No need.” Officer Lu made a stop gesture. “What time do we leave?”
“Wheels up in twenty,” Brother Zhu answered.
“Fine. I’m just searching—I won’t join the arrest briefing, right?” Lu Shimiao shielded Xue Tong behind her and shot meaningful looks at her two male colleagues.
She signaled desperately: Don’t let them drag me into the meeting. If Xue Tong follows and listens in, the cross-border exchange report will be the death of me.
“Ah… sure.” Brother Zhu flashed a covert thumbs-up and beat a hasty retreat.
“What’s this? Don’t want me listening in on how you handle cases?” Xue Tong clasped both hands behind her back, her credentials badge swaying to and fro, sending a wave of panic through Lu Shimiao.
