Silver Snow Line [Criminal Investigation]

I don’t know if it was because someone had a change of heart, but Xie Qingfei had a relatively easy time during the remaining days of his “sentence”. At least he was no longer subject to strict restrictions on his food and drink.

Wei Cheng has been really busy lately, and he also holds a computer in the ward. Xie Qingfei has a lot of free time, and he is so bored that he starts to prepare final exams. When both of them have something to do, they don't interfere with each other, and only the faint sound of keyboards can be heard from time to time in the room.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Qingfei closed her notebook and looked up to see Wei Cheng's focused eyes. What he wrote was full of professional terms and she was too lazy to interpret them, but this face was more convenient to appreciate. It was uncomfortable to look at him with her neck tilted, so Xie Qingfei simply changed her position and lay on her side, resting her head on her forearm to look at him attentively.

Ah, academic men just seem smart.

Then, the biological clock that he had corrected released the sleep factor on time. Xie Qingfei's eyelids became heavier and heavier, and he soon fell asleep.
She slept so deeply that she did not wake up at the usual time. When she opened her eyes again, it was already dusk. Wei Cheng had stopped working long ago, and the suitcase at his feet was neatly stacked with daily necessities for her hospitalization.

Xie Qingfei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses: "Can I be discharged from the hospital?"
Wei Cheng was amused by her expression that said "released after serving her sentence". He picked up the clothes and stepped over the box to put them on her: "Well, you can go home now."
Xie Qingfei was so happy that she thought he was taking too long to help her put on her clothes, so she quickly finished it herself and ran to the door to urge him, "Hurry up, hurry up."
"Zip it up." Wei Cheng reminded him before picking up the suitcase and following over.

When the car was halfway through the journey, it was completely dark. The lights on both sides of the road were bright. Xie Qingfei suddenly realized that something was wrong with the route.
"Why don't you turn on the navigation? My home doesn't go this way."
Wei Cheng looked calm: "But my home is from here."
"But..." Xie Qingfei took a few seconds to digest his meaning, and said slowly, "Then how many rooms do you have in your house?"
Wei Cheng: "Of course there is only one room in my house."
What? Do you think you are cute?

Wei Cheng explained: "Your house has been unoccupied for a long time and needs to be cleaned again. Come to my place for one night and I will send you back tomorrow."
Then couldn't you have asked someone to clean up earlier? Xie Qingfei was about to speak, but swallowed the words back. She glanced at him secretly in the rearview mirror, and from his seemingly calm expression, she could tell that he meant "Don't ask me again if it's easy to find an excuse to stay with you."
Although this excuse was lame, she somehow didn't expose it. She sat still for the rest of the journey and really went home with him.

Xie Qingfei really didn't know the internal structure of Wei Cheng's house, and she hadn't had time to visit it properly before. In addition, the more rude this man was, the more serious his words were. Before entering the house, she didn't expect that he was actually scaring people. In fact, Wei Cheng's house is very large. After all, it is a large flat. Even if the number of rooms was adjusted according to personal preferences during the decoration, it would not really be without guest rooms. On the contrary, it seems much more empty because he lives alone.
He didn't know if Xi Ming's house upstairs was too messy or what, but although the layout was similar, the atmosphere of life was much more lively than his.

Xie Qingfei followed him into the door, and she didn't feel that the environment in front of her was no longer cold because of the heating. She even doubted, "Do you really live here?"
"Why?" Wei Cheng understood what she meant. "Oh, normally, the life of a single young man who is unwanted by others is so monotonous."

He had to put away the suitcases and clean up the guest room. Xie Qingfei followed him and enjoyed some free time. After he finished, they enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. The atmosphere was as harmonious as if the two heads of state were talking. Although this atmosphere was a bit too polite compared to their original way of getting along, Xie Qingfei didn't know why Wei Cheng had started to treat her in such a weird manner since she was hospitalized. He was very obedient in small matters, but would not give in without principles in big matters. For example, he would not interfere with her working with injuries before, but now he would not even allow her to look at her phone for a while during lunch break. She was a little shocked and didn't even realize that she had no reason to listen to him.

"You've been acting strange these past few days," Xie Qingfei was the type to ask questions whenever he had something to say. "Is it because I blocked it for you that you feel bad? And... I know you're worried about me because you're afraid I'll get hurt, but I'm completely fine now, so you don't have to worry about me all the time."
Wei Cheng raised his eyes: "Why should I feel bad? I should be happy knowing that I am so important to you."
"What's there to be happy about?" Xie Qingfei tried his best to sound nonchalant. He pinched his earlobe unconsciously while lifting his hair. "I want to say that this is just a small matter and it doesn't mean anything."
Wei Cheng was slightly stunned, and leaned on the sofa with his elbows folded: "I don't think this is a small matter."

He was really a little frustrated by her attitude, and after a while he said, "Then how should I react? If it was someone else, wouldn't you even give me a chance to repay you?"
Xie Qingfei was left speechless by what he said. If it were someone else, she would not have followed him home so happily.
"I... I'm not threatening you to repay me. I didn't think that much."
"Oh, it's targeting me." Wei Cheng said, "You are a policeman, you are used to protecting others, and you don't ask for anything in return. And I happen to be your ex-boyfriend. After receiving such a big favor, I might be self-indulgent and think that you are interested in me, and you are afraid that I will rely on you."

Xie Qingfei suddenly realized that the two of them seemed to be talking on different channels. Wei Cheng was angry because she told him not to care too much about blocking the bomb, but she meant to comfort him, fearing that he would fall into the habit of being afraid of death. After all, she had seen how much he cared for her during this period of time. No matter how heartless she was before, she could not always make him worry and feel uncomfortable now.

"I'm already at your house, so no matter how you look at it, I'm dependent on you." Xie Qingfei said slowly, "Then should I also be self-indulgent and think that you still have feelings for me?"
"What else? Am I a casual person?"
Wei Cheng leaned towards her, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. After a long while, he added sullenly, "It's not an old relationship."
It’s not old love, nor is it unforgettable. It’s that it always exists and is always remembered.

Xie Qingfei leaned back subconsciously.

Wei Cheng looked at her helplessly and asked, "Do you have anything else to say to me?"

Xie Qingfei's eyes immediately moved away, and the light that was blocked by him in front of him turned into a shadow under her eyelashes, like a layer of black veil that made things more obvious.

"Actually, I'm quite happy that you've been taking care of me for so long. Compared to other people... I feel more comfortable with you around me."

Xie Qingfei didn't realize that she had moved to the edge of the sofa, and was about to make close contact with the ground. Wei Cheng pulled her back, and with a little more force, she was caught off guard and bumped into his chest.

"What else?" He lowered his voice.
"That's all." Xie Qingfei raised his head again after saying that, "How about you let me think about it again and add more when I think of it?"
Wei Cheng stared at her for a long while before letting go: "Okay, then you think."
Xie Qingfei wanted to escape back to his room as if he had been pardoned.
Wei Cheng didn't stop her this time. He imitated her tone and added: "Don't put off this year's things until next year."

The next morning, Wei Cheng was not there. He left a note saying that he had something to do at the hospital. The breakfast he prepared in advance was still hot. After eating, Xie Qingfei went back to the police station.
Because they were still dealing with the final work of the case, the team members were unable to rest even on weekends, but the work was indeed much easier than before.

Xie Qingfei walked into the office, looked around, and asked Lu Shaohui: "Where is Xiao Zhao?"
"He went to deliver the materials," Lu Shaohui walked halfway and then turned back. "I feel that he has been particularly diligent recently. He is willing to do any work. His temper has improved a lot. I don't know what has stimulated him. I am still a little uncomfortable with it."
Xie Qingfei paused, then smiled and said, "You are not happy even though people are diligent."
Lu Shaohui thought about it and realized that it made sense. The prickly guy had toned down, which was a good thing, so he stopped worrying about it.

Xie Qingfei sat on the chair and felt the breath of freedom again. Not long after, Xi Ming came to her with his cell phone in hand and said timidly, "Master, I want to ask you something."
"explain."
He put his phone on the table, sat with his hands under his hips, and looked a little shy for some reason. "That's right, weren't you and Director Cheng roommates in college? So you have a good relationship, right?"

"Very good." Xie Qingfei glanced at him and raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to know about her?"
"Just to get to know her briefly." Xi Ming didn't dare to look up because of her gaze, and his ears turned red. "Do you know what type of man she likes?"
Xie Qingfei was silent for a few breaths, resting his chin on the table with one hand, looked at him meaningfully for a long time, and announced the verdict: "Anyway, it's not like you."
"Ah?" Xi Ming's eyebrows fell, and he asked anxiously, "Why? What's wrong with me? Didn't she praise me for being handsome when she first met me?"
Without waiting for her to speak, he summed up his own conditions and found only one problem: "Is it really because of age? Does she not accept a relationship between an older woman and a younger man?"

During the night talk in the dormitory in college, Cheng Feng did say that he didn't like people younger than her. Men are immature enough, and no matter how cute a puppy is, it's not as sensible as an adult dog. But considering that Xi Ming was dumped in his last relationship because of his "immaturity", Xie Qingfei didn't have the heart to say it.

"Why don't you just ask her?" She decided to leave the offending matter to Cheng Feng.
"I don't dare. She's my elder sister and my boss. If I ask her if she's willing to date me, it'll sound like I'm using hidden rules to get promoted." Xi Ming sighed. "Well, can you analyze it from a woman's perspective? Does she really mind my age? I'm not much younger than her. Can I bargain?"
"You're bargaining as if you're buying groceries," Xie Qingfei couldn't help laughing, but still patiently answered his question, "Actually from my perspective, the type of men I like is different at each age. When I was 20, I liked 30-year-olds. I couldn't accept them even if they were born one day later than me. But when I was 30, I suddenly thought 20-year-olds were not bad either. So, as for relationships between older women and younger men... I shouldn't mind it. It all depends on my mood."

"But everyone has different ideas, and I can't represent her. It would be faster for you to ask her directly." Xie Qingfei said, "Why do you have to ask me to help you analyze it? I seem to know a lot about this kind of problem."
Xi Ming had a reason: "You have experience, didn't you talk to my brother about it?"
Xie Qingfei: "What kind of sister-brother relationship is there between Wei Cheng and me? We are of the same age."

“So you prefer 20-year-olds now?”

"If you say so..." Xie Qingfei suddenly paused, and asked Xi Ming as if he had seen a ghost, "Was it your brother who was talking just now?"
"Yes, I'm on the phone." Xi Ming tapped the screen of the mobile phone on the table, and the page showing the ongoing call lit up instantly, and the call lasted for an astonishing eight minutes.

"..."

Xie Qingfei tried his best to maintain his facial expression, almost gritting his teeth and asked: "Then can't you come to me after the fight?"
"I was thinking that both of you have experience, and three heads can make a great team. It will definitely be more efficient for the three of us to discuss together." Xi Ming realized now, "Oh, I forgot to tell you when I came in, right?"
He recalled the conversation between the two of them just now and suddenly covered his mouth.
Xie Qingfei wanted to expel him from the sect immediately. He felt guilty for no reason: "I have nothing to discuss with you. Go ask someone else."
On the phone, Wei Cheng seemed to laugh, and then said lazily: "I don't have any suggestions to offer. After all, your master and I are of the same age."

After he hung up, Xie Qingfei said, "Ha!" and pointed at the phone, "Was he being sarcastic just now?"
Xi Ming swallowed his saliva: "He should just be stating an objective fact."
Xie Qingfei fell back into his chair.
Xi Ming wanted to sneak away, but he mustered up the courage to ask one last question: "Master, can you tell me what Director Cheng likes to eat? I have to find a suitable occasion to ask her, right?"
Xie Qingfei picked up the folder and was about to hit him, but stopped halfway and uttered two words fiercely: "Sichuan cuisine!"
"Okay!" Xi Ming picked up the pieces of paper and returned them to her. He turned around and walked away tactfully. When he reached the door, he couldn't hold back any more and said with a playful smile, "My brother will definitely not be angry about such a small matter. After all, people of your age are very mature."
Xie Qingfei pretended to throw him away again, but Xi Ming quickly closed the door.

I don’t know if Xi Ming had turned on some mysterious button, but in the afternoon, Xie Qingfei received another call from Xu Siruo, who wanted to make an appointment with her.
She had never mentioned her hospitalization to anyone. Xu Siruo had just seen the news from Xi Ming's circle of friends and called him immediately out of worry.

"I just want to see you and make sure you're okay."

Although Xie Qingfei repeatedly stressed that he had fully recovered, the kid still refused to give in. Xie Qingfei had originally wanted to find an opportunity to talk to him about it, but he had something else to do last time and didn't have time to bring it up, so he simply accepted his invitation.

She was always good at rejecting people, and Xu Siruo didn't get any special treatment. In fact, he was mentally prepared, and although he was sad, he still accepted her rejection graciously and offered to take her home.
"I know you don't like me, but you won't stop associating with me because of this, right? Even if we don't become lovers, we can still be good friends. Should you refuse a friend who wants to send you home?"
Xie Qingfei looked at his pitiful expression and smiled helplessly: "Okay, thank you for your help."
Xu Siruo immediately perked up again: "It's not a bother at all, it's my honor!"

Xie Qingfei thought about going back to her own place to see how the cleaning was going, and then go to Wei Cheng's house to pick up the luggage later. Xu Siruo sent her to the place, and the iron gate of the courtyard was not closed, so he drove into the yard.

After getting off the car, Xie Qingfei thanked him again.
Xu Siruo smiled brightly: "No need to be so polite to me, Qingfei."
Xie Qingfei raised his eyebrows: "Why don't you change your name? It feels weird to call me like this."
Xu Siruo tilted his head and asked, "What should I call you then? We are good friends. Calling you Captain Xie is too unfamiliar. I still want to call you by your name."
The truth was that Xie Qingfei was distracted whenever he thought of what he looked like when he was a teenager, and for the time being he couldn't be so affectionate and call him by his name.
"You can call me sister."
Xu Siruo still didn't understand the art of addressing someone, so since she mentioned it, he just went along with it and immediately called out crisply, "Sister!"
It’s still strange! Xie Qingfei couldn’t accept it.
Xu Siruo looked at her expression and lowered his eyes: "Sister, do you like me calling you that?"
"……up to you."

Xie Qingfei was about to say something, but suddenly she heard her daughter meowing. The door opened at some point, and a brown shadow shot out like an arrow. Just as it was about to hit Xie Qingfei's feet, it keenly smelled the scent of a stranger, braked suddenly, and stared at Xu Siruo with a covetous look.
As soon as Xu Siruofu heard the cat's meow, he wanted to hide reflexively and now he was hiding behind Xie Qingfei.
When Wei Cheng opened the door, he saw this scene.

"Uncle, why are you here?"
Xu Siruo waved excitedly at Xie Qingfei from behind.

Xie Qingfei: "..."

Wei Cheng walked over slowly, bent down, picked up Hehe, touched its head gently, and then looked at the two of them.
"What about you?"
Xu Siruo was afraid of Hehe in his arms, and subconsciously moved closer to Xie Qingfei: "Oh, I'll see you off, sister."
Xie Qingfei suddenly didn't dare to look at Wei Cheng's expression, and said silently in his heart: Please don't call me like that, it's better to call me by my name.
Then Wei Cheng asked, "Are you exactly 20 years old this year?"

(End of this chapter)