Chapter 005: Ling Yujiao Seeks Help

Chapter 005: Ling Yujiao’s Plea for Help

At dawn, Chu Fei clearly heard the sound of running water in the bathroom, followed by the door opening and footsteps leaving. Soon after, the low, throaty roar of the Audi R8’s engine came from downstairs, fading into the distance.

Rolling over, Chu Fei drifted back into a deep and restful sleep.

When seven o’clock arrived, he woke right on time. He glanced at the bed beside him, now cold, but still carrying the intoxicating scent unique to Qi Hong, a fragrance that lingered in his senses. Reaching out absentmindedly, his eyes widened in surprise as he pulled a piece of black, lacy underwear from beneath the covers.

Did Qi Hong really leave last night without wearing anything underneath?

Chu Fei looked at the door, then at the small piece of lingerie, feeling a sudden heat rise from his core. He didn’t believe Qi Hong had simply forgotten or couldn’t find it. She had definitely left it on purpose.

What a temptress.

Chu Fei sighed inwardly, scenes from the previous night replaying in his mind—their passionate moments together. She was truly a captivating woman, providing him with utter release. But he absolutely did not believe Qi Hong had come to him out of love. It was either loneliness or gratitude. With her shrewdness, it wasn’t hard to guess she knew he had saved her last night.

Whatever her reasons, Chu Fei refused to overthink it or harbor any illusions.

This woman was trouble. He had no desire to get further entangled.

He shoved the small garment under his pillow, got out of bed, and headed to the bathroom to wash up, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the small building nearby. Before long, a slender figure slipped out of the stairwell and hurried away. Chu Fei quickened his own routine—after all, it was Monday, a regular workday.

Two minutes later, fully dressed, Chu Fei left his room, only to be startled as soon as he stepped out of the stairwell.

A policewoman in a blue uniform was waiting outside, watching him like a hawk. By her side was a police motorcycle. She was none other than the rookie officer who had interrogated him so aggressively the night before. Now, though her figure was still strikingly seductive, she radiated a sharp, commanding presence—a veritable beauty of the police force.

At the sight of her, Chu Fei couldn’t help recalling the images that had kept him awake last night. His gaze instinctively flickered to her chest, only to find, with some confusion, that it seemed notably smaller than it had been last night. Was he seeing things?

“What are you looking at?”

Ling Yujiao’s eyes flashed with anger at Chu Fei’s lingering gaze, nearly losing her temper.

“Nothing, um, good morning, Officer.” Chu Fei quickly looked away, approaching with a smile. He knew she was here for him, though her intentions remained unclear.

Ling Yujiao’s face darkened, but she held herself in check. “Chu Fei, I came here specifically to find you.”

“Really?” Chu Fei feigned innocence. “Officer, don’t tell me you fell for me at first sight last night? That won’t do. I already have a girlfriend. Strictly speaking, I’m engaged.”

Ling Yujiao nearly choked with indignation. She thought, “With your attitude, I’d fall for you? Dream on.” Still, she had to admit this guy was tall, handsome, and carried a certain intriguing aura.

What am I thinking?

Ling Yujiao quickly collected herself and snorted coldly, “Don’t get slick with me. I’m here for official business. If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll—” Her hand moved to the pistol at her waist, as if ready to draw.

Chu Fei broke into a cold sweat. The memory of her drawing her gun so readily last night made him both pained and speechless. How had this girl ever become a police officer, threatening people at the drop of a hat? What happened to upholding the dignity of the law?

What he didn’t know was that Ling Yujiao was equally frustrated. She had originally trained with the SWAT team, but after accidentally injuring a civilian during a mission, she was punished—expelled from SWAT and temporarily reassigned to the city’s criminal investigation division. Her SWAT commander had told her that earning a commendation would get her reinstated. So now, her sole focus was to make a big arrest, earn a major credit, and return to SWAT.

She was so desperate for merit that she hadn’t hesitated to sacrifice her image, dressing up like a fallen woman and willingly going undercover in a bar. She’d thought she could finally make a name for herself, but things had gone awry—she failed to make any progress, was scolded by her superiors, strictly forbidden from acting independently, and was even removed from the operation.

The biggest case in the station now was the ongoing operation against Cai Jiu, and she was barred from participating—her chance for glory stolen. Tossing and turning all night, Ling Yujiao’s unwillingness only grew. In the end, she set her sights on Chu Fei. She’d already confirmed his identity with Captain Zhang the night before—he was a law-abiding citizen working for a small company, with no connection to Cai Jiu. Still, her instincts told her he wasn’t ordinary, and his relationship with Qi Hong was anything but distant. Perhaps by following this thread, she could find a breakthrough. If the police wouldn’t let her in on the action, she’d work alone. As long as she could bring Cai Jiu down, she’d earn her way back to SWAT.

This, then, was her real purpose. Ling Yujiao was not just bold—she was reckless enough to dream of taking down the kingpin herself.

Of course, she didn’t tell Chu Fei everything. She only outlined her intentions briefly.

Chu Fei was dumbfounded, wondering if he’d heard her right.

“Well? Didn’t you say you were a good citizen? Here’s your chance to prove it. Don’t miss the opportunity.” Ling Yujiao glared at him with a self-important air, as if she were a savior come to rescue him.

Chu Fei’s mouth twitched several times before he managed to compose himself. He cut straight to the point: “If I’m not mistaken, you want me to be your informant, don’t you?”

Ling Yujiao’s expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “You could think of it that way.”

“No way.” Chu Fei shook his head without hesitation. This rookie officer was courting death—she could do so alone, but he had no intention of joining her in suicide.

“That won’t do. If you refuse, I’ll keep an eye on you every day. I don’t believe you’ll never slip up.” Ling Yujiao threatened through gritted teeth.

Chu Fei was speechless. He’d never seen a police officer threaten someone so openly. It was truly eye-opening.

Judging by her fierce demeanor, Chu Fei figured she must be desperate for a big case. If he refused, she might actually start tailing him every day, and then his freedom would be gone. Rolling his eyes, he relented, “Fine, I’ll help you. But what’s in it for me?” He said this not only to shake off the troublesome rookie, but also because of his impulsive actions last night. If Cai Jiu, with his possessive, psychopathic tendencies, found out he had slept with Qi Hong, he’d never let Chu Fei off. Maybe cooperating with this rookie would offer some protection.

Admittedly, Chu Fei was shameless—only now considering Cai Jiu’s warning after having his fun.

Ling Yujiao seemed to have anticipated his demand. Her face eased, even breaking into a smile. “Of course there’s a reward. If you help me bring down Cai Jiu, I’ll see to it that you receive a ‘Model Citizen’ banner from the police.”

“Ridiculous. I meant something tangible.” Chu Fei looked at her as if she were an idiot. What was he supposed to do with a banner—eat it?

Ling Yujiao was instantly frustrated. This guy was even more troublesome than she’d expected. If she had any other options, she’d have beaten him senseless and walked away. But without alternatives, she bit her lip and asked, “What kind of reward do you want?”

“Money, obviously. You police get paid to do your job. Why should I help you for free?” Chu Fei was blunt.

“Fine. If you help me catch that scum Cai Jiu, I’ll pay you a hundred thousand,” Ling Yujiao said through clenched teeth, making a hefty offer.

“Hold it.” Chu Fei stopped her immediately. “Catching Cai Jiu is your job, not mine. I’m not capable of that. At most, I’ll provide you with some leads.”

“You want a reward just for providing information?” Ling Yujiao stared at him in disbelief.

“Forget it, then.” Chu Fei turned to leave.

“Stop right there.”

Ling Yujiao quickly moved to block his path, her face darkening further as she ground out, “Fine. As long as the information is useful, you’ll get your reward.”

“That’s more like it. You see it in gangster movies all the time—police don’t make people work for free, right? Look, I’m not extorting you—two grand per piece of information. That’s a fair price.” Chu Fei’s face lit up with a wide smile. He suddenly found her gritted teeth rather cute.

If Ling Yujiao knew what he was thinking, she’d probably explode.

“Two thousand? Why don’t you just rob me?” Ling Yujiao was half-crazed. This bastard really dared to ask for anything.

“Take it or leave it. I’m not keen on this anyway—it’s dangerous work.” Chu Fei turned to go again.

Ling Yujiao blocked him once more, hesitated for a long while, then finally said, “Two thousand is too much. Five hundred, tops.” She was out of options—the so-called bonus would come out of her own pocket; it wasn’t reimbursable. If she had any other choice, she wouldn’t have agreed.

“No deal. Minimum one thousand per lead. Any less and I’m out.” Chu Fei shook his head firmly. Not waiting for her to respond, he added, “You know what Cai Jiu’s line of work is. I’d be risking my life to help you. If he finds out, I’m dead. I have people who depend on me—if something happens, who’ll take care of my family? You?”

Ling Yujiao had wanted to bargain, but one thousand was a lot for her. As a trainee officer, her salary plus bonus wasn’t even four thousand yuan. Outsiders thought police lived well, but in fact, pay was mediocre. Now that she’d been removed from the operation team, her bonus was gone—her base salary barely over a thousand. She’d saved a little, but it was earmarked for more important things.

Still, hearing Chu Fei’s reasoning, she couldn’t argue. He was right; Cai Jiu was a cold-blooded killer. This really was dangerous. So she nodded. “Fine. One thousand per lead.”

As soon as she agreed, Chu Fei extended his hand.

“What now?” Ling Yujiao was confused.

“The money,” Chu Fei said, blinking.

“Now?” She was taken aback.

“Of course. You think I can get information without spending money? Or do you expect me to pay out of pocket for you?” Chu Fei feigned irritation.

“Oh!” Ling Yujiao was a bit dazed, but he made sense. She took out her wallet, emptied all the cash—about three thousand yuan—and handed it to Chu Fei. “This is all I have on me. I’ll make up the rest later.”

“Fine, you’re too pretty to be a con artist. I’ll trust you this once.” Chu Fei stuffed the cash into his pocket and walked off.

Ling Yujiao snapped out of her stupor and hurried after him. “Where are you going?”

“Work, obviously. You’re making me late. Are you paying my salary?” Chu Fei replied, annoyed, quickening his pace.

“But what about our agreement…” Ling Yujiao hesitated.

“Don’t worry. If I get any news, you’ll be the first to know…” Chu Fei had already rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Ling Yujiao let out a long breath, relieved to have settled the matter. But the more she thought about it, the more something felt off. When exactly would he have news to report? Remembering the smug look on Chu Fei’s face as he pocketed her money, she suddenly felt she’d been swindled.

“Hmph, you can run but you can’t hide. If you dare cheat me, I’ll tear your house down—” Ling Yujiao’s eyes flashed with menace as she glared at the small building from which Chu Fei had emerged.