Roses in Flames

As the year draws to a close, there are summary reports, case reviews, year-end meetings, and various inspections to handle one task after another.

Ye Yuntang and Xiao Lin were both extremely busy.

The two occasionally bumped into each other in the conference room, but only exchanged a quick glance.

However, the two are currently in the most intense period of their relationship, and no matter how busy they are, they will still find time to secretly go on a date.

Let's have a meal together, watch a movie, or take a walk.

Interlocking fingers, they enjoy a quiet moment that belongs only to the two of them.

That day, Ye Yuntang finally finished her work and was able to take a short break.

Xia Wan called her and asked her to accompany her on a blind date.

"Honey, I really want to go on that blind date with you, but I'm so tired lately. I just want to go back and catch up on some sleep."

Xia Wan said, "Okay, okay, you should go back and get some rest. If your blind date is nice, I'll secretly take a picture of you."

Ye Yuntang smiled, her eyes crinkling, "Okay, I hope my Wanwan finds happiness soon."

……

After dressing up carefully, Xia Wan went to a coffee shop.

She wore a black fitted coat; the high-quality fabric and clean cut perfectly accentuated her slender waist.

She wore a bright red scarf around her neck, which was both radiant and flattering to her complexion. Underneath her coat was a dress, and she wore ankle boots.

Her long, black hair was styled into a princess updo, with wisps of hair falling around her cheeks, making her look delicate, sweet, and lively.

As soon as she entered the door, she attracted the attention of many people.

The blind date was a doctor, and her relatives had repeatedly urged her to come and meet him.

"Miss Xia, my surname is He. We're both getting on in years, so I'll get straight to the point and state my conditions. I've heard you're a minor internet celebrity. If you marry me, you'll have to quit the internet. I don't like my wife showing her face in public. I'll give you 3,000 yuan a month for living expenses. You'll have to stay home and take good care of my parents. They're getting old. After we get married, you should get pregnant immediately, preferably three children."

Summer evening, "..."

Oh my god, what a weirdo I've met?

Three thousand yuan?

Did he treat her as a nanny, or as a breeding machine?

Xia Wan smiled sweetly and innocently. "Dr. He, is there anything else you require?"

Dr. He smiled, revealing two small dimples at the corners of his mouth. Looking at the pure and charming Xia Wan, his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Although Xia Wan is 28 years old this year, she has a baby face and looks like she is only in her early twenties.

It's the kind of style he likes.

But with such good qualities, he can't let her find out that he's interested in her; he has to suppress her aura.

"I heard you made some money as a minor internet celebrity, but seeing you dressed in designer brands, you must spend money lavishly. After we get married, you'll have to hand over your bank card to me for safekeeping."

Xia Wan resisted the urge to splash coffee on Dr. He's face. She said with a half-smile, "Is your urine matte?"

Dr. He, "What?"

"If you're not matte, why don't you take a look at yourself? You're a doctor, why don't you go see a neurologist and see what's in your brain? I wouldn't take a stingy and arrogant guy like you even if you were given to me for free."

After letting out a snort, Xia Wan picked up her bag and turned to leave.

But as soon as he turned around, he was slapped hard across the face.

A crisp snap.

Xia Wan was beaten so badly that she saw stars and felt dizzy.

Before she could even understand what was happening, her hair was suddenly pulled by a strong force.

"You bitch, I've finally caught you! You're that internet celebrity called 'Little Dimple,' right? You've been seducing my husband online every day, coaxing him to give you gifts and squandering all our money. Are you trying to be a mistress? Are you trying to destroy my family?"

A crowd immediately gathered around to watch.

They were all curious, watching the spectacle, and whispering among themselves.

Those gazes and accusations felt like needles pricking Xia Wan.

Dr. He stood aside and watched this scene with a cold eye, a hint of schadenfreude even creeping onto his lips.

The woman grabbing Xia Wan's hair was a middle-aged woman, slightly overweight, with a fierce expression on her face.

In contrast, Xia Wan appeared delicate and slender, utterly powerless to resist.

"I didn't seduce your husband. I always turn off the tipping function during my live streams..."

The woman completely ignored Xia Wan's explanations, grabbed her hair, and dragged her out of the restaurant. "I'm going to strip you naked today and let everyone see you, you slut!"

Xia Wan was trembling with anger, and tears of humiliation streamed down her face. She hoped that someone would stand up and help her.

But everyone assumed she was a mistress, and they all just gathered around to watch the spectacle.

Her scarf was ripped off, and just as her coat was about to be torn open, a cold voice rang out, "Stop!"

Amid the chaos, a slender and upright figure strode over.

The man was dressed in a crisp police uniform and wore a police cap. His face, visible beneath the cap's brim, was handsome and refined, with bright, dark eyes that were both aloof and piercing.

He looked sternly at the middle-aged woman grabbing the woman's hair. "What are you doing?"

Upon seeing Cheng Lei in his uniform, the middle-aged woman's arrogance immediately diminished. She cried out in utter distress, "Officer, please do something! This slut is seducing my husband online, getting him to give her money. She's swindled all our money!"

Xia Wan was in a sorry state. Her gaze swept over the man's shiny black leather shoes and his perfectly pressed uniform trousers without a single wrinkle. Her eyes slowly moved upwards.

She saw a familiar and handsome face.

It was the young policeman who had helped her a year ago.

Cheng Lei happened to lower his eyes and look at Xia Wan.

The moment their eyes met, Xia Wan felt a lump in her throat. Feeling incredibly wronged, she got up and hid behind Cheng Lei.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and her voice was choked with sobs, "I didn't... Officer Cheng, I've been framed..."

Xia Wan has fair skin, but half of her face is swollen and tears are hanging from the corners of her eyes. She looks pitiful and fragile.

Cheng Lei frowned and lowered his voice to ask, "You're Miss Xia, Yun Tang's best friend, right?"

Xia Wan paused for a moment, then nodded.

A few days ago, Tangtang mentioned to her that she originally wanted to introduce a young police officer from their police station, but the officer did not agree.

It must be him!

She gently tugged at Cheng Lei's sleeve. "I really didn't become a mistress."

Cheng Lei naturally believed it; if Sister Yuntang was such a good person, her best friend couldn't be much worse.

"Don't be afraid, leave it to me."

After Cheng Lei finished speaking, he took out his police ID and walked up to the middle-aged woman.

"Explain the whole story clearly."

The middle-aged woman was intimidated by Cheng Lei's uniform and his cold, sharp eyes. She stammered for a long time before recounting what had happened.

"Call your husband and have him come over immediately to verify this in person."

The middle-aged woman dared not disobey and took out her phone to call her husband.

Her husband arrived shortly after.

Seeing Xia Wan's swollen face, he looked surprised. "Dimples?"

Xia Wan remained silent.

Cheng Lei glanced at the man and said, "Your wife said you tipped Xiaoliwo. Bring me your account records and platform transaction history so I can take a look."

A flicker of panic crossed the man's eyes, his face paled, and he barely dared to look Cheng Lei in the eye.

Cheng Lei's voice deepened, "Tell the truth!"

The man's legs went weak, and he dared not hide anything any longer. "Officer, I did lie to my wife. I took all the money in the house and gambled it online. I usually like to watch Xiaoliwo's live streams, but she always turns off the tipping function during her live streams. I have never tipped her a single penny. My wife checked my bank card and found that the money was gone. She also found out that I like to watch Xiaoliwo's live streams, so she assumed that I had tipped Xiaoliwo all the money."

The middle-aged woman was stunned. She opened her mouth wide and couldn't speak for a long time.

The man bowed to Xia Wan and said, "I'm sorry, Little Dimple. My wife hit you and slandered you. We are willing to compensate you for whatever is owed."

Cheng Lei turned to look at Xia Wan, his tone softening slightly, "Ms. Xia, she assaulted you and defamed you, which violates the Public Security Administration Punishment Law. If you pursue the matter, she will face fines and administrative detention. You need to state your position now: whether you want to pursue her legal responsibility."

As soon as Cheng Lei finished speaking, the middle-aged woman turned pale with fright and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Miss Xia, I'm so sorry, I misunderstood you. My son still wants to join the army, I can't be detained. I publicly apologize to you and offer you financial compensation. Please forgive me this time!"

The woman's husband also apologized repeatedly.

Xia Wan glanced at the woman kneeling on the ground and finally reached an agreement with her.

The woman paid her 5,000 yuan and apologized sincerely in public.

After the farce ended, the onlookers gradually dispersed.

Cheng Lei asked Xia Wan if she needed to go to the hospital, but Xia Wan shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

Cheng Lei nodded. "Okay, I'll be going now."

I had just taken a step when my sleeve was pulled back.

Cheng Lei glanced at the slender white hand that was tugging at his sleeve, then looked up at her.

"What's wrong, Miss Xia?"

Xia Wan didn't know why she had grabbed Cheng Lei's hand. She withdrew her hand and asked softly, "Officer Cheng, what are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to take care of some things in the community when I saw a crowd gathered here, so I came over to take a look."

Xia Wan nodded, her long eyelashes drooping slightly. "You always manage to catch me at my most embarrassing moments."

Cheng Lei's expression was calm, and his tone was serious and polite. "It's alright. I'm a police officer. It's my duty to help people in need."

Summer evening, "..."

That silly goose.

"If Miss Xia has nothing else to say, I'll be leaving now."

Xia Wan looked at the police car parked in front of the restaurant. She had originally wanted to ask him to give her a ride, but she swallowed the words back down her throat.

Before Cheng Lei got into the car, she said to him, "Thanks, Officer Cheng."

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure."

Xia Wan was speechless again, "..."

This guy is absolutely a blockhead; he keeps cutting off conversations and never gives anyone a chance to continue!

After returning to the police station, Cheng Lei took care of some tasks and then went home.

He drove his car, intending to go to the supermarket to buy some groceries to cook at home.

As the car passed a barbecue stall, he saw Xia Wan.

She sat alone at the table, holding a can of beer in her hand, with several empty beer bottles on the table.

The dim lighting cast a long, thin shadow of hers, making her appear somewhat lonely and forlorn from behind.

That pretty and sweet girl seemed to have lost all her vitality.

She sat there quietly, drinking alone, looking rather pitiful.

Cheng Lei's dark eyelashes trembled slightly. He turned on his turn signal and parked the car in the parking space.

"Miss Xia, why are you drinking here alone? Do you need me to contact your family or Sister Yuntang for you?"

Xia Wan slowly raised her head, her fair face flushed with the aftertaste of alcohol, her eyes moist, like a lost deer in the forest. "Don't contact Tangtang. Your police station is so busy at the end of the year. She finally has half a day off, let her rest properly."

She shook the bottle in her hand, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips. "I'm just in a bad mood, so I'm having a drink to process my emotions."

After saying that, she winked at Cheng Lei, "Officer Cheng, would you like something to eat? It's on me."

Cheng Lei shook his head. "No need, I'll make it myself when I get back."

Xia Wan exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent, "Wow, Officer Cheng, you can cook for yourself?"

Cheng Lei hummed in agreement.

"I really want to try Officer Cheng's cooking."

Cheng Lei, "..."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xia Wan looked a little aggrieved. "Officer Cheng, am I pretty?"

"Huh?" Cheng Lei was taken aback. He looked at her fair and pretty features and nodded. "Beautiful."

Xia Wan stood up from her chair and walked towards him step by step.

As she approached Cheng Lei, she stumbled. Afraid she would fall, Cheng Lei instinctively steadied her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

After Xia Wan regained her balance, she looked up at Cheng Lei, who was considerably taller than her, and her soft voice carried a hint of undisguised disappointment, "If I'm pretty, why can't I even add you on WeChat?"

Cheng Lei froze, a rare look of helplessness appearing on his handsome face. He stammered, "I don't add people on WeChat while on duty."

Xia Wan closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again and took another step closer to him, their toes almost touching.

"Officer Cheng, could you please not be so rigid?"

Her eyes were misty with tears as she stared at him, like a pitiful fawn. "You're off work now, can I add you on WeChat?"

A hint of confusion flashed in Cheng Lei's eyes. "Why?"

Xia Wan didn't speak; she quietly watched the man in front of her change out of his uniform.

His hair was short, and he had a delicate and clean-cut appearance. He was not aggressive at all, but his handsome features were so striking that it was impossible to look away.

His eyes were exceptionally dark, like obsidian soaked in water; his eyelashes were thick and long, casting a small shadow on his eyelids when they drooped down; his nose was straight; and his slightly pursed lips had a healthy pale pink hue.

It has a nice shape and looks soft.

It should be very nice to kiss.

"Tangtang told me you don't have a girlfriend yet, right?"

Cheng Lei didn't know why she had switched from asking for his WeChat to asking for his girlfriend. He replied matter-of-factly, "Yes."

As soon as he finished speaking, she stood on tiptoe and bit his lip.