Chapter 12: How Close Are They? She Doesn’t Sleep Well.

“Anyone can be a little dog, because little dogs are possessive over their food.

First Ren Sanliu, then Xiang Yu.”

—

After Xiang Yu left, only Ren Sanliu and Xiao Ling remained in the corridor.

Xiao Ling’s attitude toward Ren Sanliu was visibly hostile, her gaze sharp and confrontational, but Ren Sanliu remained perfectly calm. As she thought to herself, there was no need to compete with a little girl… of course, provided Xiao Ling didn’t go too far. After all, she wasn’t one to be trifled with.

“You’re close with Xiang Yu?” Xiao Ling hadn’t really needed the bathroom; she had just wanted a chance to speak to Xiang Yu alone. Now that Xiang Yu was gone, there was no point in pretending.

“Yeah, pretty close.”

“How close?”

“She’s living here with me. What do you think?” Instead of asking a question in return, Ren Sanliu tossed the inquiry back with a statement, implying that living together spoke for itself—the details were left to Xiao Ling’s imagination.

Xiao Ling took a step toward the bedrooms. Earlier, when she had arrived, she had noticed two pillows side by side in the master bedroom, which startled her into thinking they slept together. But then she glanced at the second bedroom and saw pillows and bedding there too, along with Xiang Yu’s clothes draped over it. That confirmed Xiang Yu slept alone.

Ren Sanliu wasn’t stupid; she could easily see what Xiao Ling was getting at. So she walked toward the bedrooms as well and said with a smile—

“She doesn’t sleep well. I’m afraid she’d crush my leg.”

With that, she closed the doors to both bedrooms.

Xiao Ling sneered.

Ren Sanliu pretended not to notice and flashed her another smile before turning toward the dining table.

Watching her back, Xiao Ling muttered under her breath—

“Who’s the one who’s injured here? Afraid of crushing your leg. Hah.”

Meanwhile, Xiang Yu had just set the soup on the table when Liu Wu, who was sitting right across from her, suddenly stood up. He drained his teacup in one gulp—

“Captain Xiang, to be honest, I used to think you were just a woman. Every time you gave us orders, I felt a bit resentful inside. But this time… I’m truly impressed by you. How did you have the guts to charge right at him?”

Liu Wu’s eyes reddened as he spoke—

“I have to admit my mistake. I was scared back then. That guy had explosives strapped to him, and when I saw him reach for the detonator, my legs went weak… I don’t care if you all laugh at me, but all I could think about was my girlfriend and my mom. I kept wondering… if I’d rushed forward and something happened to me, what would they do?”

“After you got hurt… I always wanted to come visit, but I just didn’t have the face to show up. If I hadn’t been so scared, if I hadn’t hesitated for that moment, you wouldn’t have gotten injured.”

Everyone in the Criminal Police Team lived with their heads on the line. They said protecting the people and catching criminals was the duty of the police, but put simply… they were flesh and blood too. Bullets didn’t swerve just because they wore a uniform. A moment’s carelessness could mean disability at best—or death.

“Who isn’t afraid of dying? We’re not born from cracks in rocks. So what if we’re police? Police are human too. As far as I’m concerned… anyone who still dares to stay in the Criminal Police Team instead of quitting is a real hero!”

Xiang Yu’s voice wasn’t loud, and a casual smile played on her face. She seemed utterly relaxed, as if the person who had been injured and barely escaped with her life wasn’t her—even when discussing such a grave topic.

Before her words fully settled, Xiang Yu caught a glimpse of a slender figure nearby from the corner of her eye. Her brows furrowed briefly, then relaxed as she punched Liu Wu lightly on the arm—

“See? I’m perfectly fine. Let’s eat. Don’t get all sentimental on me.”

Liu Wu sat back down, though his eyes were still red.

Ren Sanliu, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, looked more solemn. She stood motionless in place until someone mentioned they were missing a pair of chopsticks. Only then did she snap out of it, compose her expression, and say, “I’ll get them.”

She brushed past Xiang Yu from behind to reach the kitchen. The scent on Xiang Yu’s body filled Ren Sanliu’s nose—the aroma of cooked dishes, a hint of oil smoke, and beneath it all, the warm, sun-dried soap fragrance that no amount of cooking smells could mask.

Ren Sanliu inhaled deeply, holding her breath as if to keep that scent lingering in her lungs a little longer.

“Captain Xiang… is she your friend? We never saw her before,” the person sitting next to Xiang Yu remarked, glancing toward the kitchen with a grin. “Can you introduce us?”

“What are you up to?”

“Nothing… I just—”

“Not a good match.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t even think about it. You two aren’t suitable.”