Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Tacit Collaboration

The two quietly followed, and as they reached the doorway, the pair ahead suddenly turned around. Yuan Xiaoying immediately threw herself into Liu Jingye’s arms, pretending to be coquettish as she said, “Remember, you lost to me just now, so you have to listen to everything I say.”

“So this is your tracking disguise technique?” Liu Jingye whispered.

Yuan Xiaoying blushed slightly, snorting, “None of your business.”

The two ahead didn’t notice them, instead heading toward a rather nice sedan parked outside. The woman tossed the keys to the man and took the passenger seat herself. Observing this, Liu Jingye murmured, “Looks more like she’s keeping a pretty boy.”

“More or less, to be exact, it’s an extramarital affair,” Yuan Xiaoying said. She didn’t drive the police car but hailed a taxi, quietly tailing them.

The pair first went to a teahouse, entering a private room. Yuan Xiaoying and Liu Jingye waited outside for a while. Liu Jingye couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t tell me your special assignment is to catch adulterers.”

“That’s right!” Yuan Xiaoying replied proudly. “The leadership specially assigned this to me, it’s a recognition of my abilities. And I’m the only one who knows about it.”

“That woman isn’t your boss’s wife, is she?” Liu Jingye said, sounding uninterested.

Yuan Xiaoying was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t considered that possibility before. At first, she’d wondered why a dignified detective had to chase after an affair, but her boss merely said it was a confidential matter.

Now it seemed entirely possible. She said weakly, “The woman is the owner of that shooting club.”

That explained it. The gun Liu Jingye had held earlier was clearly real—such things are impossible without connections to relevant departments.

Liu Jingye rubbed his forehead, saying helplessly, “On behalf of the entire nation, I sincerely thank you selfless guardians of the people!”

Yuan Xiaoying blushed at his teasing. She retorted, “Maybe she’s not the boss’s wife, maybe she’s a spy or involved in organized crime?”

Liu Jingye chimed in, “Or maybe she’s the boss’s mistress or his second mistress.”

“Keep indulging your cynicism, I’m going up to monitor now. No matter what, it’s my assignment and I must see it through,” Yuan Xiaoying said seriously.

She was heading up, so Liu Jingye’s presence was unnecessary. He smiled, about to turn away, when a small hand wrapped around his arm, seemingly affectionate, but forcibly dragging him along.

The teahouse was composed entirely of elegant private rooms, designed for peace and refinement. Yuan Xiaoying circled around, soon hearing the voices of the pair, and immediately chose the room next to theirs.

Only a wooden partition separated them. She ordered a pot of tea to dismiss the waiter, then pressed her ear to the wall, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Liu Jingye calmly poured tea, sipping happily with loud slurps.

Yuan Xiaoying glared at him fiercely, hissing, “Are you drinking tea or burning your mouth? Can’t you be quieter?”

Liu Jingye shrugged, “Try this chrysanthemum tea, it’s excellent.”

“If you keep talking, I’ll let you taste my chry—” Yuan Xiaoying nearly misspoke, hurriedly shutting her mouth, turning away with a flushed face, and concentrating on eavesdropping.

Liu Jingye didn’t need to press his ear to the wall; he could hear the voices clearly. The pair were simply chatting, drifting from topic to topic, engaging in meaningless banter.

Yuan Xiaoying gradually lost patience, when suddenly the man next door said, “Guests arrived not long ago in the next room, but there’s barely any sound from them.”

Yuan Xiaoying was instantly alarmed, not expecting them to be so alert.

She quickly pulled Liu Jingye close, speaking in a sweet, coquettish tone, “Oh, you’re so annoying, nearly suffocated me.”

She gasped for breath, acting as if they’d just shared a passionate kiss, easily dispelling the suspicion from the other side. They heard the man next door say quietly, “They say this place is a dating haven—turns out it’s true.”

The beautiful woman replied, “Then why did you bring me here?”

“I only wanted to chat with you,” the man said, feigning shyness.

“You can chat anywhere, why here?” she pressed, her words both questioning and flirtatious.

The man stammered, pretending innocence.

Yuan Xiaoying realized the crucial moment had arrived. She whispered to Liu Jingye, “Let’s do something to prompt them to reveal their relationship. Once they do, my task is complete.”

“Then go ahead,” Liu Jingye replied, deadpan, though Yuan Xiaoying detected a hidden meaning.

She shot him a look, steeled herself, and suddenly collapsed into Liu Jingye’s arms, her delicate hand softly caressing him as she asked in a coy voice, “Oh, what’s this?”

Liu Jingye glanced at where her hand rested, swallowing hard, “It’s a mark of manhood.”

“Can I touch it?” Yuan Xiaoying purred. “Wow, it’s so hard, and it moves.”

Liu Jingye forced a wry smile, inwardly admiring her acting, while the room next door fell silent, except for increasingly rapid and heavy breathing.

“Enough, stop squeezing,” Liu Jingye slapped her hand away from his Adam’s apple, which she’d been pinching painfully.

The Adam’s apple: hard, movable, and an absolute male trait.

Yuan Xiaoying grinned at him, whispering in his ear, “Well done, quick reaction, good teamwork. I’ll nominate you for a Model Citizen Award when we get back.”

The two were pressed together, almost touching, Yuan Xiaoying’s warm breath tickling Liu Jingye’s ear, sending tingles down his spine and prompting another unmistakable male reaction, which Yuan Xiaoying immediately noticed.

Both froze, Liu Jingye embarrassed, Yuan Xiaoying blushing furiously. Their eyes met, breaths quickened, hearts racing.

They both recalled their recent interactions, especially the physical closeness, no less intimate than any pair of lovers. Now, pressed together, a fire burned in their hearts.

In every TV drama, when the leads gaze deeply for over thirty seconds, what follows is always unsuitable for children—and from that moment, their relationship is sealed.

Liu Jingye swallowed, noticing Yuan Xiaoying’s gleaming lips. They unconsciously drew closer.

Just then, footsteps sounded next door—the targets were getting up to leave.

Yuan Xiaoying snapped back to herself, pushing Liu Jingye away, though her hand remained soft, betraying a reluctant tenderness.

Liu Jingye hurriedly lit a cigarette to mask his embarrassment and calm his restless heart.

Listening to the pair descend the stairs, Yuan Xiaoying regained composure and gestured, “They’re probably burning with desire and heading to a hotel. This time, we’ll get the definitive evidence.”

“What do you mean, ‘also burning with desire’?” Liu Jingye asked dryly.

Yuan Xiaoying’s high heel stomped on his foot, and she marched ahead. Liu Jingye had no choice but to follow.

But this time, the pair didn’t go to a hotel. Instead, they drove into a residential complex, stopping beneath a high-rise. The woman opened the gate—clearly her house, a first-floor duplex with a private garden.

The woman went inside and didn’t come out, nor did the man follow. He simply left, with no lingering farewell.

“This is just a casual meeting between friends,” Liu Jingye said indifferently.

“Impossible, there’s something secret between them—I can see it in their eyes,” Yuan Xiaoying insisted, as if she were a relationship expert. “But we need clearer evidence to investigate further; otherwise, we’ll tip them off.”

“If you want clarity, it’s easy,” Liu Jingye said, cigarette dangling.

“How?” Yuan Xiaoying asked.

Liu Jingye smiled mysteriously, “To know if they have a close relationship, just check if the man’s phone automatically connects to the woman’s home WIFI. If they’re just friends, he’d leave at the door, wouldn’t linger, and certainly wouldn’t have the WIFI password. If he does, it means he’s a regular visitor, probably spends time online while there.”

“That’s genius! How did you think of that?” Yuan Xiaoying exclaimed, giving Liu Jingye a big hug—such gestures had become routine.

Liu Jingye’s trick worked not only for homes, but also for dorms and hotels—anywhere with WIFI.

With the man still lingering at the door, within WIFI range, Yuan Xiaoying and Liu Jingye quickly planned their approach. Yuan Xiaoying tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, sashaying over with a radiant smile, blooming like a peach blossom in the sunlight, captivating the man at once.

Yuan Xiaoying, vibrant and stunning, was a world apart from the mature beauty of earlier. The man, young himself, was only a ‘kept boy’ for now—what he truly wanted was someone of his own.

“Hi, handsome, sorry to bother you. Could I borrow your phone for a moment? I can’t find mine and need to make a call,” Yuan Xiaoying said sweetly.

The man immediately handed over his phone—such a rare chance, and he’d get her number too.

Yuan Xiaoying dialed someone, but the call went unanswered. She deliberately lingered, and sure enough, the phone automatically connected to a strong WIFI signal, almost certainly the woman’s home network.

“Thank you, handsome,” she said, returning the phone, and winked toward Liu Jingye, who was hidden nearby.

Liu Jingye sighed, discarded his cigarette, and walked over listlessly, glancing at the woman’s door plate, pretending to pass by the man as he muttered, “Ah, the wife of an official sure is impressive—she doesn’t even need to fetch her own hospital report, makes me deliver it to her doorstep. Serves you right if you catch AIDS… This must be Unit Three, Room 102!”