Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Xiang Wan already knew how busy detectives could be.

  When they were busy, not to mention they wouldn’t have time for their girlfriends, maybe they might even forget about themselves!

  The group left the Forensics Department and went to the office allocated for them.

  Those who had left started showing up after getting the notification to come back to the office.

  Besides Quan Shaoteng, Captain Zhang and his men were also called back—


  They were the “host” after all and were much more familiar with Xi City.

  Bai Muchuan had contacted the cast and film crew of “The Grey List” in Jin City. Hence, he was more familiar with the personnel of the film crew!

  With that, the detectives divided their work!

  Bai Muchuan directly went to look for Meng Chi and Yu Ning!

  Captain Zhang would then handle the rest of the matters—
……

  For these, Xiang Wan could not help them out.

  She could only wait for Bai Muchuan to return at the office.

  Hence, she became the only one who had nothing to do amidst the group of busy detectives.

  Her mobile phone was the best tool she could use to avoid awkward situations like this.

  Using her mobile phone, Xiang Wan wrote her plot outline……

  The discovery had given a new clue and a twist regarding the case.

  When she was writing the plot outline, she also sorted out the logical chain of thoughts related to the case. After that, she would do an analysis of the profile of the people involved in the case, a habit that she had gotten used to.

  It was at this time when Cheng Xin entered the office.

  She was carrying a huge stack of documents to Captain Zhang’s office.

  When she came back, she saw Xiang Wan, who was sitting in a corner……

  Her gaze got cold as she walked over to her slowly and sat down on a chair beside her.

  Xiang Wan was as though she did not know Cheng Xin was there.

  Cheng Xin seemed to feel cold due to the weather as she rubbed her hands and tried to warm her hands with her breath.

  Xiang Wan heard that but did not look up at all.

  She seemed immersed in her own world, oblivious to her surroundings.

  Of course, the main reason for her behavior was that she didn’t want to talk to Cheng Xin. She felt that she had nothing to say to her and treated her like air.

  Cheng Xin did not seem too pleased with her lack of reaction, and she cleared her throat.

  She harrumphed. “Why is Captain Bai still not back? I’ve almost run out of work to do! I wonder if I can go back to the hotel to rest…… It’s so cold sitting here.”


  She looked like she was talking to herself.

  However, Xiang Wan continued to behave like she had heard nothing.

  Finally, Cheng Xin couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Teacher Xiang……” She addressed her directly.

  “Mm?” Xiang Wan looked up. “Officer Cheng, what’s the matter?”


  Her way of addressing Cheng Xin pleased her.

  Her gaze was no longer as sharp as earlier.

  “What are you doing? Why aren’t you talking?”


  “Doing my work.” Xiang Wan smiled faintly and said nothing more.

  Generally, it was already quite obvious that she did not intend to communicate with her.

  However, unsure if Cheng Xin had caught on or she was really bored, she actually pulled her chair nearer to Xiang Wan as if they were good friends who could chit chat with each other. “There’s something I’m really curious about. I don’t know if you can talk to me about it, though.”


  “Mm?” Xiang Wan narrowed her eyes and smiled at her politely. “What is it?”


  Although Cheng Xin was smiling, her gaze felt cold. “I’m curious how you and Captain Bai got together?”


  She sure sounded like she was trying to pry and know more!

  Well, that was sure like Cheng Xin!

  Xiang Wan paused for a while and smiled. “How should I say it?”


  “Just say whatever that happened!” Cheng Xin replied, “Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m just really puzzled. It’s because Captain Bai always give the impression that…… how should I say it? He’s too eligible. So eligible that he shouldn’t choose an ordinary girl as his girlfriend.”


  Xiang Wan raised an eyebrow.

  “No,” laughed Cheng Xin. “I’m not implying that you’re ordinary…… I’m just saying that he’s too proud. Besides himself, I don’t think he’ll ever like anyone else. Regarding girls, he seemed to be impatient with them. I really have a hard time imagining that he will actually fall in love and even court a girl……”


  “Who said that he took the initiative to court me?” Xiang Wan did not hesitate to make her man look good by twisting the truth a little. “Can’t I take the initiative to go after him?”


  “What?” Cheng Xin looked as if she heard something unbelievable and her facial expression was really exaggerated. “How could you…… I’m saying that, how can girls go after guys? Do you know how embarrassing that is?”


  “.……” Was there a need to fuss over this?

  Xiang Wan just smiled and waited for her to continue the topic.

  Cheng Xin really did not disappoint her for she showed another harmless smile.

  “.…… Please don’t mind me. I’m not saying that by pursuing your man, you’re degrading yourself. I’m just a little curious…… why did Captain Bai fall for you?”


  “.……”


  Was she not worthy of being loved by him?

  Xiang Wan couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “What are you asking?”


  “How did you pursue Captain Bai? Can you tell me about it? Did he ever tell you what he liked about you?”


  What a question……

  Such bleeping talent!

  Xiang Wan did not know how to answer her.

  On Cheng Xin’s curious face, her ambition was so explicitly shown before Xiang Wan.

  She seemed so excited that she could hardly wait.

  As Xiang Wan scrutinized this woman before her, she had the urge to laugh.

  Frankly, she felt that she could easily see through Cheng Xin’s tricks!

  She could already conclude this love rival was totally not a match against her!

  Maybe Cheng Xin was so well-protected since her childhood that she did not understand how society works at all. She did not really know how to get along well with others and didn’t understand the basic emotional state of men and women……

  Yet she was thinking of being a boyfriend snatcher?

  The corners of Xiang Wan’s lips quirked upwards. “I’m curious as well. How did you get in the Police Academy and even got a Master’s Degree?”


  Cheng Xin could not maintain her false good mood for even five seconds.

  She showed a dirty look. “What do you mean?”


  Xiang Wan responded with a smile, “Whatever it is you’re thinking is what I mean.”


  “What am I thinking?” Cheng Xin retorted, “Can’t I just be curious and ask about it? Did you really think I want to snatch your boyfriend?”


  “Oh?” Xiang Wan was calm and cool. “You mean you don’t like Bai Muchuan?”


  Such straight to the point retort left Cheng Xin speechless for a moment.

  She let out a sneer after about 10 seconds later.

  “Since you’re so worried about telling me, are you feeling insecure and afraid that I’ll snatch your boyfriend away?”


  “How is that possible!?” Xiang Wan seemed surprised.

  Then she looked at Cheng Xin from head to toe while showing a mischievous smile as if she was joking.

  “You won’t be able to snatch him away!”


  “.……”


  That contemptuous tone and words were too obvious.

  Xiang Wan revealed a smile as Cheng Xin’s beautiful face instantly turned gloomy……

  “I bet you must be feeling unfair, right? In fact, you’ve been feeling like this all these while. Just two minutes ago, you’ve been scrutinizing me since you sat on the chair. You looked down on me, your gaze was full of disdain, jealousy…… and you felt unfair that I’m his girlfriend. You feel that you’re so much better than me. You come from a good family background, you’re highly educated…… you have everything a man could ever ask for. Any men in their right mind would have chosen you, and not me……”


  Cheng Xin stared at her in shock, eyes wide-opened.

  She simply stared at Xiang Wan with a look of disbelief……

  It was what Cheng Xin had been thinking……

  She was really close to the mark.

  Moreover, Xiang Wan was obviously looking at her mobile phone earlier.

  How did she know about how Cheng Xin had been looking at her?

  “So what?” Cheng Xin inhaled a small puff of breath before retorting back in a calm tone. “I believed that even if it’s not me, any other girl would have felt the same thing. Hur, do you think you’re good enough for Bai Muchuan? Don’t blame me for looking down on you. Just look at you, you’re already an adult but you don’t even hold a proper job. Your daily expenses on food and accommodation…… you must be spending Bai Muchuan’s money, right? What’s the difference between you and a kept woman? I even feel ashamed for you!”


  “Oh, thank you!” Xiang Wan appeared composed. There was even a smile on her face. “I feel very glad that Bai Muchuan chose me!”


  Cheng Xin started to look even gloomier.

  As for Xiang Wan, she clearly knew that Cheng Xin was about to drown in jealousy but she continued to add fuel to the fire.

  “He’s not someone who’s stingy to a woman. Being kept by him is more worthwhile than going to work. All the bank cards are with me, and I can use them anytime I want to. He never interfered and never even asked what I bought with all the money. He never went against my wishes either…… With such a boyfriend, why would I still need to work? I just need to keep a close eye on him, and I’ll have everything I want.”


  Xiang Wan even gave a leer as she said so.

  “Oh my, my apologies for making you hear all these. I’m just a woman without ambitions……”


  Cheng Xin felt cold inside and showed a sneer.

  “Aren’t you afraid of losing him? For someone who only depends on looks but unable to fight alongside him, how long do you think your relationship will last……”


  Oh! Was that a compliment from her that suggested Xiang Wan had good looks?

  Perhaps she was trying to tell Xiang Wan to back off? As she, Cheng Xin, was the woman who could fight alongside Bai Muchuan?

  Mm! A police officer with a Master’s Degree.

  “You think too much!” Xiang Wan chuckled. “Even if I’m not in the picture, Bai Muchuan will not like you either.”


  “What makes you think that way?” Cheng Xin got agitated when she heard this.

  For being unable to make Bai Muchuan like her, Cheng Xin had seriously done a self-reflection on it.

  She felt that the reason was only because she got to know Bai Muchuan later than Xiang Wan.

  When her family introduced her to Bai Muchuan, he already had a girlfriend.

  This was a matter of timing, not because she was not a good match for him……

  Hence, referring to what Xiang Wan had said earlier, how would she admit that?

  “If not because of you, Bai Muchuan’s girlfriend would have been me instead. Xiang Wan, it’s simply because you met him earlier. That’s just luck! It’s not a destined outcome!”


  As Xiang Wan looked at how Cheng Xin did not even try to conceal her resentment, she felt that it was too easy to read this woman.

  “Officer Cheng, one shouldn’t be overly confident of oneself.”


  “Me? Overly confident? What makes you think that way? Why do you think that even without you in the picture, he would still not like me?”


  She was the one who was assuming things!

  Xiang Wan felt that they were not on the same frequency.

  She huffed and smiled. “Do you really want to know the reason?”