Will Drawing the “Wife Card” Turn Me Into the Group’s Favorite? 23p2

Chapter 23: Abduction p2

The next few days were uneventful. Therapist Zheng didn’t pressure him about the treatment, and the mirror didn’t offer any more cryptic messages.

But the other two team members were clearly disheartened. They had almost found a lead, and now it was gone.

Wei Langxing reread Xie Cun’s report of the incident – the target exhibiting erratic behavior, delusional, unable to recognize people, even claiming other people’s wives as his own…

What a mess. Did Xie Cun even know how to write a report?!

If he submitted this, they would be reprimanded, especially him, as the captain.

He sighed, tossing the report aside, then checked Xu’s medical records.

Terminal lung cancer, just like Yu Liao, with less than six months to live.

But unlike Yu Liao, after contacting Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals, his condition had worsened rapidly, and he seemed to have developed a severe mental illness.

Wei Langxing felt frustrated, the situation becoming increasingly complicated.

And Yu Liao wasn’t making things any easier – Pang Jin had promised to deal with the imposter who stole his identity and became a director, but days had passed, and the higher-ups seemed to be trying to suppress the matter.

Perhaps Zheng Zhi truly had some powerful backing. Pang Jin had made several attempts, but there was no progress.

Although he tried to hide it, Tang Yu’an could see his frustration.

Xie Cun too, ever since witnessing the suicide, would occasionally stare at the sky in a melancholic pose, lost in thought.

What to do? Both protagonists seemed to be disheartened.

At the dinner table, Tang Yu’an cleared his throat: “I have good news.”

Xie Cun immediately responded playfully: “You’re going to marry me, with Captain Wei as the best man?”

Used to his antics, Tang Yu’an ignored him, saying seriously: “Tonight, our Zuo Tinghan will be back!”

Having another reliable teammate was a good thing, but neither of them seemed pleased, their expressions stiff.

Wei Langxing tried to dissuade him: “So soon? There’s no rush, we’re not short-handed.”

Xie Cun, as always, took a different approach: “Why are you so well-informed about his movements? Did he contact you secretly?”

Tang Yu’an found his words strange. What did he mean by “secretly”? Wasn’t it normal for teammates to message each other?

As if it was some illicit affair…

So, he said openly that Zuo Tinghan kept him updated daily and had expressed his excitement about returning.

The actual message had been “excited to see you,” but Tang Yu’an changed it to sound more impartial.

Xie Cun snorted, feigning enthusiasm: “Oh really? Looking forward to it… Should we throw him a welcome party, hire twenty beauties to celebrate?”

He didn’t know much about Zuo Tinghan, only some basic information he could find online.

But Tang Yu’an seemed to like him a lot, not only staying in contact but also thinking of him first when he couldn’t eat properly.

Xie Cun wanted to meet him, to see what kind of person could capture Tang Yu’an’s attention so completely.

His words were meant to be sarcastic, but Tang Yu’an didn’t realize it: “That’s not necessary. He doesn’t like formalities. Just treat him normally. Although he might seem aloof, he’s actually a very kind and helpful person.”

He was pleased by Zuo Tinghan’s willingness to help colleagues who struggled with equipment.

Wei Langxing frowned, puzzled. Was this the same Zuo Tinghan he knew?

They fell silent. Tang Yu’an, sensing their lack of enthusiasm, stopped mentioning Zuo Tinghan, the meal continuing in awkward silence.

Before they finished eating, they all received the same message: Yu Liao was missing.

Wei Langxing was furious: “Wasn’t he under surveillance? How could he disappear?”

The officer in charge apologized profusely, saying he had only gone out to take out the trash, and when he returned, Yu Liao was gone, with no signs of struggle. He must have left on his own.

He also mentioned that ever since hearing that Zheng Zhi’s position might be secure, Yu Liao had been muttering to himself, acting strangely.

“Why didn’t you report this sooner?! Forget it, no use crying over spilled milk. Check the surveillance footage, search the area!”

He didn’t want Tang Yu’an to go, as his arm hadn’t fully healed, but Tang Yu’an insisted, saying Yu Liao might be emotionally unstable, and since they were closer, he had to go.

After the assassination attempt, Yu Liao had considered Tang Yu’an a friend, constantly asking about him.

Tang Yu’an had planned to visit him with Zuo Tinghan upon his return, but it seemed he was too late.

The surveillance footage showed Yu Liao leaving the main road and turning into a side street. They split up to search.

Just then, Tang Yu’an received a call from Zuo Tinghan, who said he was almost at the building.

One more person meant one more chance of finding him. Tang Yu’an asked Zuo Tinghan to join the search.

“It’s the person you’re supposed to protect. He ran away. Go check West Street.”

Zuo Tinghan’s first mission upon returning was to protect Yu Liao; he naturally had to give it his all.

“Understood.”

Zuo Tinghan didn’t hang up. A few minutes later, he suddenly called out, “Yu’an.”

It was the first time he had called him that. Tang Yu’an felt a sudden unease: “What’s wrong? Did you find him?”

“My brakes… they’re not working.”

He sounded calm, perhaps feigning it.

“What?!” Tang Yu’an stopped, his mind racing. He remembered K’s warning about a traitor in the Bureau. Although there was no evidence, he felt this wasn’t a coincidence.

Was someone trying to harm Zuo Tinghan…?

No, he couldn’t think about that now. The priority was Zuo Tinghan’s safety.

Tang Yu’an spoke quickly, trying to keep his voice steady: “Don’t panic. Turn on your hazard lights, slowly pull the handbrake, see if there’s anything around…”

Before he could finish, a loud crash echoed from the other end.

Tang Yu’an froze.

After a few gasps, he finally found his voice: “Zuo Tinghan? Zuo Tinghan, are you alright?”

A faint “I’m fine” reached his ears. He let out a sigh of relief, his legs weakening.

That was terrifying. He almost thought the protagonist was going to die.

But the next sentence sent a chill down his spine.

“I… I think I hit someone.”

Tang Yu’an leaned against a tree trunk, feeling like everything was happening too fast, too unreal.

But he knew Zuo Tinghan must be in shock. He needed him.

“Call an ambulance…”

Whether the person could be saved or not, it was the necessary procedure.

Then, a twist occurred. Zuo Tinghan said in surprise: “He… he’s not dead! He’s standing up! I just hit him with my car!”

He watched in disbelief as the passerby, covered in blood, stood up, his dislocated joints popping back into place, like a zombie.

He had never seen such a bizarre sight, taking a step back.

Tang Yu’an realized something: “Wait, what does he look like?”

Zuo Tinghan replied honestly: “His face is… flattened. I can’t tell.”

Tang Yu’an: “…”

“What is he wearing?”

After hearing his description, his first thought was that this world was too small.

His second thought was that Zuo Tinghan’s luck was truly terrible.

“Good news is, the person you hit can’t die. Bad news is, you just ran over the person you’re supposed to protect.”

Zuo Tinghan almost dropped his phone.

He approached Yu Liao, asking if he needed help, then flinched at the resentful look he received.

Asking if someone needed help after nearly running them over was indeed a bit strange.

But the person before him truly didn’t seem to need medical attention. Within a minute, his injuries had already healed halfway, and he was even manually resetting his broken nose, like molding clay, making Zuo Tinghan gasp.

Yu Liao’s leg wasn’t fully healed, so he asked Zuo Tinghan to retrieve his phone, which had been thrown from his hand during the impact.

Zuo Tinghan obediently retrieved the phone, handing it to him.

Yu Liao dialed a number. Tang Yu’an, on the other end, stared at his phone in disbelief.

Was he seeing things?

Yu Liao was calling him?

Now?!

“One moment, I need to take this call.”

He switched lines, and Yu Liao’s voice came through: “Xiao Tang, some idiot who wasn’t looking where he was going hit me with his car. Can you come pick me up?”

Tang Yu’an, who was nearby, quickly arrived at the scene.

He looked at the dented car, Zuo Tinghan on the left, trying to hide his shock with a stoic expression, and Yu Liao on the right, looking at him reproachfully.

This scene was… difficult to describe.

When he told Yu Liao that this was the officer assigned to protect him, Yu Liao fell silent.

He finally asked sincerely: “Does the person who assigned him hate me?”

Zuo Tinghan: “…”

Tang Yu’an: “…”

Tang Yu’an struggled to explain: “This… this was an accident. His brakes failed, and he just happened to…”

Yu Liao said he had been troubled lately, wanting to be alone, so he had slipped away from his guards.

He cracked his knuckles: “And even if I was in the wrong, there’s no need to stop me like this.”

Zuo Tinghan, knowing he was at fault, didn’t reply.

Thanks to Yu Liao’s incredible regenerative abilities, he could even walk before the others arrived.

The collision seemed to have stabilized his emotions, and he admitted he had been impulsive earlier.

Tang Yu’an accompanied him home. Yu Liao firmly refused Zuo Tinghan’s offer to escort him.

Although he knew the protagonist hadn’t done it intentionally, he had still caused harm. Tang Yu’an told Zuo Tinghan to go back, not to dwell on it, and to figure out what happened to his brakes.

Yu Liao’s injuries, although initially gruesome, healed quickly. After a shower, he was almost fully recovered.

He even offered Tang Yu’an and the other two officers ice cream. After Tang Yu’an finished eating, he asked if he could stay with him for the night.

“There’s a guest room, everything you need… I’m a bit shaken up after being hit by a car.”

He sounded so pitiful that Tang Yu’an’s heart softened immediately.

He didn’t think being afraid was something to be ashamed of. He was afraid of the dark; there was nothing wrong with admitting it.

Besides, he had eaten his ice cream; he couldn’t just refuse.

As for why him… perhaps because he had saved his life, he felt safe around him.

He messaged Wei Langxing and Xie Cun, saying he wouldn’t be returning. Wei Langxing immediately wanted to join him, but he was firmly rejected.

This was Yu Liao’s home; what was he doing coming over?

Besides, there were guards outside, and the apartment was equipped with a mental energy shielding system. There was no danger of another attack.

Seeing his persistence, Tang Yu’an pretended to be angry, and Wei Langxing finally relented, telling him to come back early tomorrow.

Xie Cun’s reaction was even more amusing.

“You’re staying out all night at your age? Why would Yu Liao let you stay with him?!”

Tang Yu’an: “He’s scared, I’m staying to keep him company.”

Xie Cun: “I’m scared too. Why don’t you stay with me?”

Tang Yu’an: “He was hit by a car. If you get hit by a car, I’ll definitely stay with you.”

Xie Cun finally fell silent.

Tang Yu’an put down his phone, leaving a small light on as usual.

Yu Liao’s mattress was quite soft, like sleeping on a cloud.

The pillow was comfortable too. If only he had his teddy bear with him.

His eyelids felt heavy. He hadn’t felt this sleepy in a long time, perhaps he was truly exhausted…

————

He seemed to have a long, long dream. When Tang Yu’an woke up, his eyes were slightly puffy.

Unfamiliar furniture greeted him. He remembered sleeping at Yu Liao’s place.

But looking closer, he realized something was wrong.

This old-fashioned decor, the wooden floor… this wasn’t where he had slept last night!

He sat up abruptly, still in his pajamas, a pair of slippers placed thoughtfully by the bed.

He opened the door. The house wasn’t big, the living room and kitchen combined.

Yu Liao was humming while cooking, turning around with a smile when he heard him: “You’re awake? Come have breakfast. Do you want any sauce on your sandwich?”

Tang Yu’an was confused: “Where are we?”

Yu Liao spread some ketchup on the sandwich: “At my house, of course.”

The more normal he acted, the more uneasy Tang Yu’an felt. He rushed out the door.

He ran for a few steps, then stopped. Towering trees surrounded him, a dense forest. It must have rained recently, as the ground was damp.

Behind him was a small, isolated cabin.

Far from civilization, with no transportation, he couldn’t leave.

He returned to the cabin. Yu Liao, as if expecting his return, pulled out a chair for him, the plate already set.

“I took the liberty of adding some ketchup. I hope you like it.”

Tang Yu’an asked in a low voice: “How did you bring me here… It was the ice cream, wasn’t it? You put something in it?”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have slept so soundly.

Yu Liao didn’t deny it.

Tang Yu’an looked at him warily: “What do you want?”

Yu Liao handed him a clean knife and fork. He didn’t take them.

Yu Liao wasn’t surprised: “Don’t be angry. You’ll like it here.”

He clearly wasn’t planning on letting him leave.

Tang Yu’an didn’t want to stay here a second longer. He turned to look for the small bag he had been carrying yesterday.

He had to contact Wei Langxing and the others. Yu Liao had gone insane…

They must be worried sick about him.

Seeing him searching, Yu Liao, instead of stopping him, offered to help, opening a cabinet and retrieving the bag: “Looking for this? I put it away for you yesterday. Here.”

Tang Yu’an took the bag hesitantly, checking its contents. His phone and ID were all there.

Yu Liao was actually being this considerate?

But when he tried to call Wei Langxing, there was no signal.

His hopes were dashed, and he sat down dejectedly: “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

Knowing he couldn’t contact anyone, yet still treating him like this, he was clearly enjoying his misery.

To his surprise, Yu Liao put down his food and said seriously: “Why would you think that of me? I would never intentionally upset you.”

He pushed a plate of washed fruit towards Tang Yu’an: “I’m dying. I don’t want to spend my last days alone. You promised to stay with me, you can’t go back on your word.”