Chapter 84

Chung Wai-yan was an incredibly cool girl. That's what Iris thought when she first saw her on television; when she heard that Chung Wai-yan had broken her own fingers to free herself from handcuffs and dug a hidden communicator from her throat to send a message to the police, Iris was shocked and impressed; and when she heard that she had single-handedly tracked down the robbers using only a lottery ticket, Iris was completely awestruck. She eagerly anticipated her first meeting with this courageous female detective, but when she entered the courtyard and saw Chung Wai-yan sitting alone on a public bench with her legs bent, she felt that she was seeing a completely different person—lonely and vulnerable, like a wounded wolf. Or perhaps, not even a wolf.

The Flying Tigers now had a very good impression of Zhong Wei'en, and each of them was ready to help her with anything she asked. Zhong Wei'en remained indifferent, maintaining only the politeness and courtesy expected of colleagues. Her aloof attitude caused several people to automatically keep their distance, except for Zhan Hantao, who was somewhat familiar with her, and Zhuang Zhuoyuan, who was adept at creating a lively atmosphere. Zhuang Zhuoyuan had another task, so he extended his hand to Iris and introduced her to Zhong Wei'en: "This is my wife, Zhou Yishi (Iris). She also wants to make friends with you."

Iris was genuinely afraid that Zhong Wei'en would say something like she didn't need friends, so she had prepared in advance. Before Zhong Wei'en could speak, she had already established that they were friends as a fait accompli. Zhuang Zhuoyuan was carrying a large bag, and Iris presented each item one by one: "First, a bouquet of daisies!" Taking advantage of being a girl herself, Iris squeezed past Zhuang Zhuoyuan and sat next to Zhong Wei'en, pulling her hand and handing her a small bouquet of flowers wrapped in newspaper. "Daisies may be common, but not many people can truly match them. I spotted this bouquet as soon as I entered the flower shop, and seeing you made me certain I hadn't made the wrong choice."

Zhong Wei'en was stunned for a moment, his body stiffening, unsure whether it was because he rarely received flowers from others, or because of Iris's overly friendly enthusiasm.

Iris, quite restrained, winked at her husband and then picked up the second item: "Ta-da, a silver finger cactus that's blooming." Instead of immediately handing the small potted plant to Zhong Wei'en, Iris held it up and enthusiastically explained, "Picked flowers wither, but plants will keep blooming. I thought you might be very busy, so I chose a very easy-to-care-for cactus for you. Look at the flower buds; they'll bloom again if you give them more sun. And these little bulbs—if they fall off, just leave them on the soil, and they'll grow roots and become a new 'little finger'."

Zhong Wei'en had never grown flowers before, nor did she have any interest in them. However, before she could even utter a word of refusal, Iris cut her off with a reason: "Just put it in a sunny spot, water it every few days, and you don't have to worry about it dying. It won't take up too much of your time. It's so boring being in the hospital alone. Even if you come down to sunbathe, wouldn't it be better to have it keep you company?" Without further ado, she placed the potted plant on the chair to Zhong Wei'en's left. Now, with it on either side of her, the scene looked much more lively compared to before.

Zhong Wei'en hesitated for a moment, then had no chance to refuse. Iris seized the opportunity, taking a small fish tank from Zhuang Zhuoyuan and placing it in front of Zhong Wei'en. This time, she even addressed her more intimately: "We'll take Silverfinger. These two goldfish won't make a difference. After sunbathing, feed them and watch them swim. It'll be so much fun! I originally wanted to buy clownfish, but the shopkeeper said goldfish are easier for beginners. You can keep them for now, and once they're more accustomed to them, we can go pick out clownfish together."

“Actually, you can just call me A-En.” Zhong Wei-En was still processing Iris’s enthusiasm, so he changed the way she addressed him, which was the least comfortable for him. Iris readily agreed, and her “OK” gesture was taken as tacit acceptance of the gift. She happily announced, “From now on, A-En is my friend. Everyone should take good care of her and definitely not bully her!”

This series of "forced sales" left everyone dumbfounded. The veterans from Team A felt a sense of déjà vu at the scene, until their gaze fell on Zhuang Zhuoyuan, and they instantly understood. No wonder Iris had Zhuang Zhuoyuan under her thumb in minutes when they met again at PC Bar. Thinking back to the time she went back to apply for her visa, it all boiled down to these same tactics—she had Zhuang Zhuoyuan completely under her thumb. Now, looking at their next target, they all gave Iris a thumbs-up: "If Sister-in-law says so, she'll do it!"

At this moment, Zhuang Zhuoyuan's mind was entirely focused on his wife. Even now, he couldn't understand what it was about Zhong Wei'en that attracted Iris so much. Judging from her current state, it wasn't something as simple as just making friends; it was almost excessive enthusiasm. Although he trusted Iris's judgment, the situation regarding Zhong Wei'en's year-long disappearance was still unclear, and deep down, Zhuang Zhuoyuan didn't want his wife to get so close to her so quickly.

Just then, Pan Zilong arrived at the hospital with his men. Flying Tiger's old friend exchanged a glance with Zhang Jiguang. Iris looked at Pan Zilong with suspicion and spoke up. Clearly, these three had come with ill intentions, and Iris immediately became alert: "Master, have you also come to visit Zhong Wei'en?"

The visit had already been completed after the High Court case; Pan Zilong's visit was purely official business. Before he even produced his police badge to state his purpose, Zhong Wei'en already knew what was going on. She raised her hands, appearing resigned to her fate. Pan Zilong was satisfied with her cooperation and gestured to Zhang Jiguang to handcuff Zhong Wei'en. Iris, unwilling to guess their cryptic words, frowned and stepped forward again, asking, "Inspector Pan, could we get Zhong Wei'en a lawyer?"

There was no need to keep this a secret. Pan Zilong looked at Iris and said simply, "Internal investigation."

Yes, an undercover agent who disappeared for a year without contacting the police at all—how could she not be investigated? Iris secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just because Zhong Wei'en was willing to come out and face the criminals to rescue the hostages, she believed she could get through this. Besides, Pan Zilong was Zhong Wei'en's former contact person; he would definitely lend a hand. Iris watched them leave with peace of mind, then turned and patted Zhuang Zhuoyuan's shoulder, instructing him to collect the things Zhong Wei'en had left on the chair: "A'en probably won't be going back to the hospital, honey. Pack it up. We're going home now. We can give it to her next time we meet."

After leaving the hospital, Zhuang Zhuohua and Zhan Hantao chose a different path. With their separation imminent, they cherished every date even more, especially after the proposal. Their already short time together seemed to grow even shorter. While they weren't to the point where Zhuang Zhuoyuan and Iris wanted to be together every minute, the desire to see each other more was always present.

Zhan Hantao wasn't good at sweet talk, but thankfully, he wasn't good at hiding his feelings in a relationship either. Zhuang Zhuohua held his hand, and in the caress of his fingers and the warmth of his palm, she understood the unspoken words he had. With a slight smile, she pulled herself out of her sweet reverie and told him what she had been thinking about for a long time: "Atao, last night you said that the ring represented your promise to me, and that I could still choose to slowly transition from my previous relationship to this one, and slowly plan our future. I was really touched then."

“Ah Hua…” Zhan Hantao felt inexplicably uneasy. He hadn’t expected Zhuang Zhuohua to bring up the proposal from the previous night so quickly, and her tone seemed to go beyond simply reminiscing. What did she mean by “being moved at that time”?

As expected, Chong Cheuk-wah added, "Later I thought, this isn't good; it's not fair to the two of us."

Zhan Hantao said anxiously, "Ah Hua, there's no such thing as fair or unfair. Between lovers, it's about mutual understanding, tolerance, constant change, and adaptation that can make a lasting relationship. I've never felt that we need to worry about these things."

“What if I think so?” Zhuang Zhuohua asked, leaving Zhan Hantao speechless. She continued, “Actually, I don’t want to argue with you, nor do I want to draw clear lines between us. I just want you to treat me well while I treat you well in return. You give me freedom, and I hope you will be free too.”

Zhan Hantao frowned, puzzled.

Zhuang Zhuohua touched his forehead: "I will resolve my issues with Abang within a year, and you can confirm your own feelings. If you meet someone better than me within this year, then tell me."

Zhan Hantao opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to make another promise, but in the end, he said something similar to what Zhuang Zhuohua had said: "If you still can't forget Abang after a year, then you can tell me."

What should have been a nice date turned into a farewell. They were just thinking about getting married last night, but now it's like they're breaking up. Zhuang Zhuohua sensed that the atmosphere was off, and she knew that Zhan Hantao wouldn't act like his younger brother and would always keep his mouth shut and swallow his bitterness. After thinking for a moment, she decided to start by saying, "Now that we've set the rules, you can still make some requests of me."

Zhan Hantao was in no mood for anything else. He remained silent for a long time before simply shaking his head.

Chong Cheuk-wah could only try her best: "What I mean is, you can hope that I will try harder."

What was there to strive for? To study hard? Zhan Hantao lost focus, his thoughts wandering aimlessly, each idea immediately contradicting himself. Zhuang Zhuohua was such a self-disciplined person; he didn't need to remind her of many things. His only wish was for her to be with him.

“That’s it!” Zhuang Zhuohua suddenly affirmed. Zhan Hantao snapped out of his reverie, realizing that he had unconsciously uttered his thoughts aloud. He stared blankly at Zhuang Zhuohua, then immediately understood: Zhuang Zhuohua actually hoped they could be together. So, the requirement was—

I hope you can try harder.

"What are you trying to do?" Zhuang Zhuohua pretended not to know.

Zhan Hantao smiled along with her: "I hope you can try harder and think more about our future life."

“I don’t think it will be too difficult.” Zhuang Zhuohua hugged him. Leaning against his chest, Zhuang Zhuohua felt particularly calm. Perhaps she wouldn’t even need a year to resolve all the problems. She thought that what was more difficult was perhaps Zhan Hantao’s unfinished task: “Mr. Zhan, when will you be able to catch another clownfish for me?”

Last month, while fishing together, they unexpectedly caught a clownfish. The odds of this happening were almost as high as winning the lottery. Now, the fish sits on Zhuang Zhuohua's table, and the more she looks at it, the more lonely it seems, and she's determined to catch another one to keep it company. Zhan Hantao's mood brightened considerably, and he joked, "I think that'll be a bit difficult."

For the rest of the year, he probably spent all his time fishing.