Chapter 16 has a unique flavor.
They spent the whole day exploring the area around the scenic spot, and as it was getting dark, the black SUV pulled up in front of a luxury apartment building.
Shen Beidao turned his head to look at Lin Yi, who was about to get out of the passenger seat.
"Then... I'll go upstairs?" Lin Yi's voice was slightly lingering, with a slight upward inflection at the end, as if he was deliberately seducing someone.
He unbuckled his seatbelt slowly, as if the buckle was unusually complicated.
Shen Beidao grunted in agreement and watched Lin Yi dawdle as he got out of the car before he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out himself.
He pulled a bulging shopping bag out of the back seat; inside were all sorts of snacks that Lin Yi had stuffed into the imported goods supermarket earlier.
He handed over the bag, his gaze falling on Lin Yi's excessively handsome face, and advised, "Eat less snacks at night, they're not easy to digest."
Lin Yi: "I'm still growing, so I digest very quickly!"
He took a step closer, extended his index finger, and poked Chen Beidao's chest through the thin fabric of his shirt. It felt warm and firm. "You're about my age, so where do you get all these health-related fallacies? Just like your dad."
Upon hearing this, Shen Beidao was visibly taken aback. "...Do I look old?"
Lin Yi leaned closer, almost touching Shen Beidao's face, his clear eyes carefully scanning his face: "Oh dear, now that you mention it, I think I really do notice a few fine lines around your eyes?"
Shen Beidao frowned, remained silent for two seconds, and then, without changing his expression, said in a calm tone as if stating a scientific fact: "Is that so? Maybe you've been eating too many sweets lately, causing a glycation reaction, which is why a few lines have grown out."
"Pfft... Haha..." Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh, hands on his hips. "Shen Beidao, you... you can even come up with such an excuse? Are you kidding me?"
"Only kids like to eat snacks."
"Come on... You just love to eat as long as you have a mouth." Lin Yi laughed, holding his waist, tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes as he looked at Shen Beidao's somewhat indifferent gaze.
Then she leaned close to Shen Beidao's ear and whispered warmly, "I was just teasing you! You look so fair and delicate, with such firm skin. Even if you do have wrinkles, they'll... well, they'll have a unique charm."
A pleasant scent enveloped Shen Beidao, and almost instinctively he wanted to reach out and pull the smiling "cunning little rabbit" into his arms...
"Would you like to taste me?" Shen Beidao leaned closer...
"No!" Lin Yi seemed to have anticipated his movements, suddenly straightened up, and immediately stretched out his arm to block the overly ambiguous distance between the two.
Immediately, Shen Beidao saw an auntie holding a child slowly walking by and glancing curiously in their direction.
He understood Lin Yi's sudden "change of attitude".
"I'm leaving! See you next time!" Lin Yi carried the bag of snacks, entered the apartment building, and quickly disappeared around the corner of the elevator lobby, as if he would be caught by something if he lingered for even a second.
Shen Beidao stood still, not leaving immediately.
His gaze followed the disappearing figure until he was sure the glass door had not opened again.
The night breeze brushed against the wisps of hair on his forehead, bringing a touch of coolness and dispelling the lingering, captivating scent in the air.
The gentleness and indulgence on his face gradually faded, replaced by his usual calm. He took out his phone and dialed a number.
After the call was connected, the person said, "Hello, I want to report a crime. I've been scammed."
"Someone threatened me with photos, demanding I transfer one million to him... Yes, I've already transferred it to him..."
*
Lin Yi hummed a song as he returned to his spacious and bright apartment, which was also a bit too tidy and deserted because he lived alone.
He casually tossed the snack bag onto the soft carpet in the living room and went into the bathroom.
The warm water washed over my body, easing the slight flutter in my heart.
He was in a good mood and drew a big smiley face on the mirror that was covered with condensation.
He thought, when you meet someone you like, the world really does become incredibly wonderful...
He emerged from the bathroom, his hair still dripping wet. He had only casually wrapped himself in a bathrobe, revealing his delicate collarbone. He picked up his phone, which was lying on the bed, and the screen lit up to show several unread messages.
Li Rui: [Zexuan went to the United States. I saw his location on WeChat Moments a few days ago.]
Li Rui: [Isn't he studying in Suzhou? Why did he suddenly run so far away? Could he have been tricked into doing something illegal there?]
Lin Yi frowned. Zhang Zexuan, that kid, ran off to America? How come he didn't hear a thing? He clicked on Zhang Zexuan's profile picture and entered his Moments.
However, what came into view was a cold, indifferent horizontal line.
"Damn it!" Lin Yi couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Did this guy block me?"
He immediately took a screenshot of Zhang Zexuan's empty WeChat Moments and sent it to Li Rui: "Is this what his WeChat Moments looks like?"
Li Rui [This is the [photo]]
In one photo, Zhang Zexuan is grinning in Times Square, and in another, he is spreading his arms in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. Each photo is clearly taken, making him look exactly like a rich young master enjoying a vacation!
Just then, Zhang Zexuan sent him several messages, and the chat box started popping up like crazy—
Zhang Zexuan: [Yi-ge! Are you there? It's urgent!]
Zhang Zexuan: [Your dad just received a call from the police station and rushed back. He doesn't look well.]
Zhang Zexuan: [Um, don't be angry when I tell you, your dad... brought me on this business trip.]
Zhang Zexuan: [I didn't want to tell you this. I wanted to surprise you by ruining their relationship, but the situation is urgent now, so I have to tell you in advance.]
Lin Yi [?]
Zhang Zexuan: [Just now, that little bitch called your dad, and I happened to overhear it. He was crying the whole time, sobbing uncontrollably. I don't know what he said, but your dad got really worried after the call and booked the earliest flight back.]
Zhang Zexuan: [You'd better go back and stop him right away! Don't let him get emotional and actually take him abroad to register their marriage!]
Lin Yi recognized every single word in Zhang Zexuan's series of messages, but when put together, they formed a picture that he could not understand at all.
"When did Zhang Zexuan join the company? And as Xie Chun's assistant?" Lin Yi remembered that the last time he mentioned joining was just last week...
Lin Yi made a phone call to Zhang Zexuan.
But the other party hung up on him.
The screen jumps back to the chat interface.
Zhang Zexuan's new message popped up:
Your dad's sitting right next to me! Calling him now might alert him.
That's all for now, the plane's taking off soon, and there won't be any signal! We'll talk more when we get back home.
...
The all-night statement was exhausting, but Shen Beidao remained clear-headed and cooperated with the police to clarify all the details.
By noon the following day, Du Xiaoman had been apprehended and was temporarily detained at the police station.
Just as Shen Beidao was having his final conversation with the lawyer he had hired, a hurried figure entered his peripheral vision—it was Xie Chun.
The lawyer advised in a low and quick voice: "Mr. Shen, if you do not wish to meet directly with the other party's family, you can entrust me with handling all subsequent matters, including negotiations for understanding and compensation."
Meeting Xie Chun at this moment is indeed very inappropriate.
Shen Beidao nodded slightly, stood up, put on his mask, and prepared to leave.
As Shen Beidao passed the interrogation room next door, he unconsciously paused for a moment.
A clear conversation could be heard coming from under the door.
Police officer: "May I ask your relationship with Du Xiaoman?"
Xie Chun's voice was slightly out of breath from rushing: "I am an elder of his. His parents are divorced and I can't contact them for a while. They are also unwilling to come over, so I came to find out what's going on."
Police: "Okay, based on our preliminary investigation and the existing evidence, Du Xiaoman is suspected of committing the crime of extortion."
According to the law, extortion involving property valued between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan or more meets the criteria for filing a case.
The police officer paused, his tone becoming even more serious: "The amount he's demanding this time is as high as one million yuan, which exceeds the normal standard."
According to the Criminal Law, extortion amounting to 300,000 to 500,000 yuan is considered "an exceptionally large amount" and is punishable by imprisonment for ten years or more...
Perhaps noticing Xie Chun's sudden pallor, the police routinely added the possibility of further complications: "However, if the suspect actively returns the stolen goods and compensates the victim for their economic losses during subsequent legal proceedings, it can be considered an indication of remorse and repentance. The court will consider this when determining the final sentence..."
"Okay, I understand." Xie Chun reached out and took the copies of some evidence materials handed to him by the police.
Xie Chun's eyes showed a hint of panic. He didn't really understand why Du Xiaoman would resort to blackmail.
Until his gaze settled on one of the printed photos...
That wasn't Du Xiaoman, nor anyone else he thought it was...
The person in the photo is his son, Lin Yi.
A note from the author:
----------------------
As for why Lin Yi thought Professor Shen was the same age as him and never doubted it, in my impression, Professor Shen has very defined features. Because he works out all year round, his skin and mental state are in great condition. But when he doesn't wear glasses, he looks quite pretty, like he's in his early twenties. When he wears glasses, he looks more mature. His image in class is probably wearing a black trench coat, standing on a podium with the Jiangzhou University logo, talking eloquently...
Please leave a comment to support the single-player game developer! If there aren't any comments, I'll ask again next time. *kiss*
This chapter serves as a warning: if a million dollars were to fall from the sky, it could come with a potential 10-year prison sentence; be cautious about money of dubious origin…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com