By the time Ji Ziming’s car parked outside the police station, the superintendent was already at the door, waiting for them, and this police officer hurried over at this moment. “Sir, you’re here!”
The man, dressed in a Giorgio Armani suit with matching white shirt and dark-gray checkered tie, which highlighted his tall frame, opened the car door. The coldness in his eyes had the superintendent breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Sir, you could’ve called us for matters like this and didn’t have to come over in person.” The police officer turned to wipe the sweat off his face before facing forward, just in time to see a woman alighting from the man’s car.
“This must be your wife.” He walked over to the woman’s side in hopes of recovering his wits. “Hello, ma’am; my name is Zhao Jingcheng, and I’m this precinct’s superintendent.”
“Hi, superintendent.” Pei Ge was dressed in a white, mid-length dress with a pink shawl. A pair of black stilettos complemented her attire, which matched her man’s.
“Superintendent, you know why we’re here today, right?” asked the man. He felt uncomfortable seeing the police officer approach his woman.
“I know; I know. Don’t worry, sir. The person is already in the interrogation room.” The superintendent immediately walked over when the man initiated a conversation with him. He put his hand forward and motioned to the pair. “Sir, ma’am, this way please.”
“Thank you.” The woman laughed to herself, knowing that her man was prone to bouts of jealousy. There was nothing she could do about it.
Zhao Jingcheng bowed his head almost to the ground. “Don’t worry about it; ma’am, you’re too kind.”
“Then, please bring us there. Thank you.” Ji Ziming looked at the police officer with dark eyes.
Feeling his head turning numb from all this glaring, the superintendent quickly turned and led the way.
Outside the interrogation room, Pei Ge stopped the two with her from venturing in. “I’ll go in there by myself. Don’t follow me in.”
“What if he hurts you?” Her man immediately turned nervous.
“He won’t, and even if he wants to do so, I’m no pushover,” she answered with a smile, unbothered by the possibility.
“Your injury hasn’t healed yet.” The worry was clear in the man’s eyes. He did not feel safe letting his woman go in alone. Even if the person inside was handcuffed to a chair, he was still worried that the guy would harm her.
Zhao Jingcheng, who was watching this exchange from the side, was taken aback by the man’s worry.
Was this still the same CEO who refused to talk to him earlier? Why, he’s so attentive and loving to his wife.
“Sir, we’ll be able to see everything that’s happening in the interrogation room through the one-way mirror next door. Besides, we have the person under control inside this room; he won’t be able to do anything to ma’am here. We have people in there, too.”
“There are people inside?” asked Pei Ge.
“Yes. Two of our men are keeping monitor of him.”
“Please ask them to leave, too.”
Ji Ziming could not take it when he heard her words. “No. I’m coming with you if that’s the case.”
“Superintendent, I have a few things to say to my man, so please give us a minute.” She looked apologetically to Zhao Jingcheng.
“It’s fine; it’s fine. You two go ahead.”
She pulled her man to the side. “Don’t worry. I know his soft spot, so he won’t do anything to me.”
“What soft spot? Niu Niu?”
“Yes. It’s clear how much he cherishes her daughter from the fact that he’s willing to spend his life in prison for her.”
“Are you confident in that?”
“I am, so don’t worry.”
“If anything feels off, call me.” The man finally consented despite still being worried. “Just promise me that you’ll call for me if you feel any danger.”
He could not handle the feeling of losing her again.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Relax; even if it’s not for you, I’m still a mother of three children.” Her eyes turned red when she thought of her kids.
Ji Ziming’s heart softened when he saw her expression. “Go. I’ll be watching you from the one-way mirror next door.”
“Mhm.”
When Pei Ge walked into the interrogation room, Hong Qiang, who was blankly staring at the glass on the table, became nervous and wary at the sound of the door opening.
“You two go out for now; I’ll talk to him alone.” She told the guys watching the man this.
The two exited the room after a moment’s hesitation.
She looked at the one-way mirror on the wall. Even though she could not see anything, she knew that Ji Ziming was anxiously watching her every move from there.
“You’re called Hong Qiang, right?” She asked as she pulled the chair across from him. She then saw that the water inside the glass had already turned cold—not a droplet came from it. Clearly, being in an enclosed area such as this made one nervous. Those who did not have a clear conscience would feel more rattled. This person clearly belonged to that category.
“I’ll get you another glass of water.” She got up and walked toward the water dispenser. As she set a fresh glass of water before the man, she saw the changes in his expression.
From the moment she entered, this man had not said anything. His eyes just followed her movement as she moved about. When he saw her sit down before him, he looked at his palm and spaced out again.
“Niu Niu’s your daughter; she’s doing well now.”
The man’s fingers moved without him looking up.
“Do you know how they’re doing at the hospital?”
He shifted his gaze elsewhere.
“They’re eating vegetables and porridge. Your daughter looks very lifeless. The doctor said that her surgery was a success. With sufficient nutrients, it won’t be long before she recovers and gets discharged from the hospital. Your wife, Du Chunlan, couldn’t find or get in touch with you. Other than taking care of your daughter, she’s a mess. Do you think that you’re doing the right thing for them?”
Hong Qiang raised his head as regret flashed across his eyes. When he looked at her, a hint of hope seemed to be in his eyes.
“Your daughter can’t do without a father, nor can your wife do without a husband.”
The man’s lips moved when he heard her words but remained silent.
He held the glass in his hand as moisture clung onto his lashes. The picture of him embracing his daughter flashed across his mind—it was the purest feeling and the simplest action.
Pei Ge’s next statement scared him.
“You might be unaware of this, but I was the person you got run over.”