That little brat—hadn’t he already left?
Why was he still here? And worse—why had he caused such a mess?!
Even though she found the whole situation humiliating and deeply unpleasant, he was still her own son. Zhao’s mother couldn’t just stand by and watch. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.
“Mom, save me!”
The moment Zhao Yanchen saw his mother, his eyes lit up as if he had spotted a lifeline. But Zhou Yinghuai still had him by the collar, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free. He could only flail in place.
Internally, he cursed—just what the hell had this man eaten to have such monstrous strength?!
Zhao’s mother looked at her son’s utterly disgraceful appearance, and her vision nearly went black. How had she and Old Zhao ended up with such a useless child? They must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes!
“This matter is indeed my son Yanchen’s fault. I sincerely apologize on his behalf.” Zhao’s mother forced a polite smile. Her measured and courteous demeanor eased the tense atmosphere slightly.
“But since no actual harm was done, wouldn’t taking him to the Public Security Bureau be making a big fuss over nothing? How about this—I’m willing to pay two hundred yuan, and we settle this privately.”
Her tone remained gentle, but there was an unmistakable air of superiority and confidence beneath it.
Perhaps it was because she had lived a life of privilege, never encountering real difficulties, or perhaps it was because she had cleaned up after her son’s messes so many times before—either way, she remained completely composed, certain that everything would be resolved as smoothly as always.
After all, two hundred yuan was no small sum. For an ordinary person, such an offer would be too tempting to refuse.
But the outcome defied her expectations.
Zhou Yinghuai’s brows knit together slightly. His lips curled into a mocking smirk, and his voice was as cold as ice.
“Our time is precious. We don’t have time to waste listening to your nonsense. Since he doesn’t want to go voluntarily, then wait for the Public Security Bureau to come and cuff him.”
“You—”
Zhao’s mother’s expression stiffened for a brief moment, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
Then, she gradually realized—this man was a tough nut to crack.
But after a brief moment of contemplation, she thought to herself—men, when their wives are publicly harassed, will of course feel their dignity challenged. Even if they are tempted by a good offer, they wouldn’t be able to swallow their pride and accept it outright.
Rather than wasting time on him, Zhao’s mother decided to shift her focus to the other key figure in this incident.
Her gaze fell on Cheng Fangqiu, who had been hiding behind Zhou Yinghuai the whole time, looking delicate and fragile.
But the moment she got a good look at the young woman’s face, a flicker of admiration flashed through Zhao’s mother’s eyes.
Now she understood why her son had acted so foolishly in public.
A beauty like this—one in ten thousand—even a passing dog would stop for a second look.
“This young lady, our Yanchen was indeed thoughtless. To show our sincere apology, how about three hundred yuan and two tins of Snowflake Cream?”
Every girl—especially a pretty one—loved skincare products. And on top of that, she had even raised the amount. Three hundred yuan was nearly half a year’s salary for an average worker. Zhao’s mother believed that with such a generous offer, Cheng Fangqiu wouldn’t refuse.
Sure enough, the woman’s eyes brightened slightly, and a hint of hesitation flickered across her face.
Zhao’s mother felt a weight lifting from her heart. But before she could fully relax, the next moment nearly made her cough up blood in anger.
The woman in front of her first flashed her a quick, fleeting smile—then, all of a sudden, she trembled, her shoulders shaking as she started crying.
Her long eyelashes quivered like fragile cicada wings, and large teardrops rolled down her pale cheeks, gathering at the tip of her delicate chin before dripping down.
As she cried, she tugged at the sleeve of the man beside her, her fair fingers clutching the fabric, shaking it pitifully. Finally, in a hoarse, aggrieved voice, she whimpered:
“Husband, look… they’re so arrogant! They even dared to insult you!”
“They offered me three hundred yuan and two tins of Snowflake Cream, but they only gave you a measly two hundred yuan!”
“You have to teach them a proper lesson! Send him to the Public Security Bureau! Make sure he stays there for a long time—don’t let him out to harass other female comrades! The fact that society still has men like him, who can’t understand simple words and have no respect for women, is absolutely disgraceful!”
She was still crying—tears glistening, looking utterly pitiful and heart-wrenching.
But the words she spoke were like a set of poisoned arrows, shooting straight at Zhao’s mother and Zhao Yanchen.
Zhao’s mother clutched her chest, utterly stunned by Cheng Fangqiu’s shameless adding fuel to the fire. This girl actually has two faces!
Meanwhile, Zhao Yanchen’s eyelashes fluttered as he stared at Cheng Fangqiu. She cries so beautifully…
But why—why wasn’t that fragility and dependence meant for him? (TL: Let me drill that brain of yours)
“Shh, don’t cry.”
The moment Cheng Fangqiu’s tears fell, Zhou Yinghuai had already let go of Zhao Yanchen. Instead, he pulled her into his embrace, carefully dabbing her tears away with a handkerchief, his eyes filled with tenderness.
“Don’t worry. He won’t get away.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the gentle look in his eyes was replaced with a deep, icy coldness.
Just then, the wailing sound of police sirens rang from outside.
A few uniformed Public Security officers strode into the restaurant. After asking the staff about the situation, their gaze immediately locked onto the second floor.
“Please come with us.”
Zhao’s mother instinctively stepped in front of Zhao Yanchen, about to speak in his defense. But before she could, Huang Mifang—who had been silent all this time—finally spoke.
“Auntie, don’t worry.”
The moment Zhao’s mother heard that, she remembered who Huang Mifang was. The anger bubbling inside her immediately cooled. She shot a cold glare at Zhou Yinghuai and Cheng Fangqiu.
“You’ll regret this.”
“Who’ll regret it is still up for debate.” Cheng Fangqiu secretly rolled her eyes.
It was obvious that this group of people wasn’t ordinary—but so what?
She wasn’t scared in the slightest.
Because right now, she was clinging to the strongest thigh in the room.
Besides, they were in the right. As long as they refused to settle the matter privately, Zhao Yanchen was definitely going to be stuck in the Public Security Bureau drinking tea for a while.
After an intense round of staring to see whose eyes were bigger, Cheng Fangqiu quickly resumed her teary, delicate appearance and followed Zhou Yinghuai downstairs, boarding the Public Security Bureau’s police car.
This was the first time in both her lives that she had ever sat in a police car. She looked around curiously, her gaze flitting left and right, completely devoid of fear.
“You’re not scared?” Zhou Yinghuai had been brooding in silence, but when he saw her mischievously looking around, the gloominess in his expression faded slightly.
Hearing his question, Cheng Fangqiu toned down her excitement a little, then shook her head. “We didn’t do anything wrong, so what’s there to be afraid of? Besides, I trust that you’ll protect me.”
Her brows arched slightly, her eyes clear and shimmering like rippling autumn waters—so captivating that it was hard to look away.
Zhou Yinghuai gazed at her intently, feeling like no matter how long he looked, it would never be enough. The corners of his lips curled up slightly.
The car continued on quietly. It didn’t take long before they arrived at their destination.
As soon as they reached the Public Security Bureau, the two groups met again at the entrance, and the atmosphere instantly became tense. But just then, Cheng Fangqiu suddenly let out a sharp cry, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
“Hmph.” Zhao’s mother scoffed coldly. Now she regrets not settling this privately, doesn’t she?
“Zhou Yinghuai, this won’t affect your bonus, will it? And what about our furniture…” Cheng Fangqiu looked at Zhou Yinghuai with visible worry.
The others: We’re already at the Public Security Bureau, and she’s still worried about this?!
“It won’t.” Zhou Yinghuai sighed helplessly and shook his head. “We’ll be home soon.”
“Mm.” Satisfied with his reassurance, Cheng Fangqiu finally relaxed. She even had the mood to chat with the female officer handling their case. She was sweet-tongued, coaxing a slight crack into the officer’s usually stern expression.
For the written statements, each person was taken into a separate room. The case wasn’t overly complicated, but it wasn’t entirely simple either. Fortunately, with numerous witnesses present, it didn’t take long to piece together the full story.
Harassing a female comrade in public could be considered a minor or a serious offense, depending on the circumstances. The officer in charge, a man in his early thirties with the surname Chen, originally intended to handle the matter like other similar cases. However, just as he was about to make a decision, the phone rang.
It was a call from none other than the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau of Rongzhou City.
A high-ranking official whom he would rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to interact with. Officer Chen immediately straightened his back, listening respectfully while his brows furrowed deeper.
Zhao family? Which Zhao family? Don’t tell me it’s…
He swallowed nervously. His heart was still pounding from the first call when the phone rang again.
This time, after taking the call, he slumped directly into his chair.
What the hell is going on today?
Gods were fighting, and mere mortals like him were caught in the crossfire. What was he supposed to do now?
One side told him to release the person, the other side told him to keep them detained—but no matter which side he chose, he couldn’t afford to offend either.
As he struggled with this impossible dilemma, his young apprentice suddenly burst through the door in a panic. Officer Chen was just about to scold him for being so flustered when the apprentice stammered out, “S-Sir, the Bureau Chief is here!”
“The Bureau Chief? Didn’t he take leave to visit his hometown?” Just yesterday, Officer Chen had personally seen him off—how could he be back already?
“It’s not our bureau chief—it’s the city bureau chief.”
“…What?”
Officer Chen scrambled to his feet, rushing out with a forced smile plastered on his face. “Director Tian! What an unexpected honor—what brings you here?”
Director Tian merely cast him a brief glance before shifting his gaze away indifferently. “I heard that there was a case of public harassment against a female comrade today?”
At those words, Officer Chen’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t immediately tell whose side Director Tian was on, so he carefully measured his response. “Yes, Sir. The individuals involved have already given their statements.”
“Handle it impartially. No favoritism.”
Director Tian paused for a moment before adding, “Once the uninvolved parties have completed their statements, release them immediately. Don’t waste anyone’s time.”
“But, Sir, the person involved is from the Zhao family—”
“I don’t care if it’s the Zhao family, the Li family, the Wang family, or even if the Emperor himself shows up,” Director Tian said coldly. “We’ll handle the case by the book. Have you forgotten the oath you took when you joined the force? Did you throw it away like dog food?”
After being scolded by Director Tian, Officer Chen’s face turned red, then white, and he immediately understood what needed to be done. Without hesitation, he ordered his subordinates to process the case accordingly.
Seeing that Director Tian had no intention of leaving, Officer Chen, ever perceptive, quickly offered, “Director, would you like to sit in my office and have a cup of tea?”
But Director Tian merely waved his hand dismissively, his expression stern. Instead of moving, he stood still, his sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on a spot deep in the corridor.
Officer Chen didn’t dare say another word. He simply waited in silence by his superior’s side. Suddenly, Director Tian’s gaze brightened, as if he had spotted something, and the grim expression on his face instantly melted into a broad smile. Without hesitation, he strode forward.
“You two comrades must have been frightened.”
Seeing the two standing there perfectly unharmed, Director Tian finally let out a sigh of relief. Then, with a warm smile, he asked, “Would you like to have a cup of tea before you leave?”
Cheng Fangqiu glanced at the middle-aged man in front of her, who was smiling so kindly, then at the various medals and insignia on his uniform. The contrast between his demeanor and his authoritative position was so stark that she couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth.
Compared to her shock, Zhou Yinghuai remained much more composed. He extended his hand and shook Director Tian’s before politely declining his invitation.
“We have already lawfully detained Zhao Yanchen,” Officer Chen chimed in at the right moment, providing an update. “Once the official decision has been made, we will send officers to inform you at home.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but steal a few curious glances at the couple standing before him.
Who exactly are they?