While tailing the suspect, I took a moment to call Director Cheng and briefly update him on the progress. After listening, he mused, "If the evidence is solid, the judicial authorities can issue an arrest warrant for you."
I asked, "Director Cheng, can a murder by curse be legally proven?"
There was a pause. Then he replied, "It's difficult. Modern law relies on scientific evidence. But as you said, special cases require special handling. If you can prove the curse killing is real, I'll take care of the legal process from there."
He added, "I've been a cop for almost forty years and have handled hundreds of cases. Some of them defy common logic. I personally trust your judgment."
I felt a surge of excitement. "Thank you, Director Cheng. I will catch the real culprit for sure!"
"Be very careful," he warned.
"I will!" I promised, then ended the call.
A while later, Wang Dali needed to use the restroom. Huang Xiaotao teased him, calling him a lazy donkey who makes a mess. Wang Dali snapped back, "Damn it, some things you just can't control."
The area was desolate. The only restroom was inside the factory, which was off-limits. I told him to find a nearby grove to take care of business.
...
...
While Wang Dali was out of the car, Huang Xiaotao and I chatted casually without much tension. But once he left, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. It was just the two of us — a guy and a cop girl alone together — and strangely enough, I started feeling nervous!
Trying to mask my nerves, I fiddled with the radio, searching for something decent to listen to. Huang Xiaotao reached for the car's air conditioning controls, clicking the switches back and forth, producing a dull clicking sound as she stared out the window.
Man, this is awkward.
Suddenly, she stopped fiddling and beckoned with a finger. "Come here."
"Huh?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "My shoulders are killing me. I might've slept wrong last night. Help me massage them?"
"Oh, okay." I nodded.
She leaned over, resting against me, and my cheeks instantly flared with heat. I placed my hands on her shoulders and gently kneaded.
Because of her job, Huang Xiaotao usually didn't wear makeup or perfume, but she still gave off a faint, fresh scent — like newly picked jasmine flowers — a subtle but unmistakable feminine fragrance.
Blushing, I kept kneading. She complained, "Hey, did you skip breakfast? Your hands are so slippery you can't even get a good grip."
I tried to explain, "This leather jacket is too smooth."
"Fine, then I'll take it off." She reached to unzip her jacket.
"Wait!" I blurted nervously.
She looked at me, surprised, then burst out laughing. "Wow, your face is so red! You really haven't been alone with a girl before, have you?"
I awkwardly scratched my cheek. I had no romantic experience, but Huang Xiaotao hadn't had a boyfriend either — maybe it was just a personality difference.
She slipped off her jacket, revealing a plain white T-shirt underneath that perfectly outlined her curves: flawless skin, toned arms, a slender waist — a perfect S-curve that would make many models envious.
She pressed her back closer to mine, almost touching, and the jasmine scent grew stronger.
I kept massaging her shoulders. Through the thin fabric, I could feel her warmth and the firm, elastic muscles of her deltoids — probably even stronger than mine. Her workout-toned figure was neither fat nor thin — every part just right, with smooth, supple skin. Calling it a killer figure wouldn't be an exaggeration.
My face heated up all the way to my ears. I unknowingly squeezed harder. Huang Xiaotao let out a soft "Ahh, that feels good, don't stop!"
"Can you… not make noises like that?" I stammered, embarrassed.
"Aw, shy now?" She lifted her head with a teasing smile. "You stutter talking to girls — how are you ever going to get a girlfriend?"
"None of your business!" I said stiffly.
She caught my gaze. "Little rascal, you're staring at me, aren't you?"
"No! Absolutely not!" I denied fiercely.
Then she made a teasing gesture that nearly made me explode with embarrassment. With a sigh, she said, "Having a voluptuous body is a pain too. My shoulders always ache. You guys just don't get it."
"Oh."
"Song Yang, you gotta help me massage more often."
"Is that really necessary?" I hesitated. "Just buy a massager, they're not expensive."
She laughed. "I swear, you don't know how to say a single flattering thing."
Hit in the soft spot, my face burned redder as I stammered, "Okay, I'll help more often."
After a while, she said, "Alright, my shoulders don't hurt anymore. Now, let me help you."
"No thanks," I shook my head quickly.
"Turn around!" she commanded.
I obediently faced away. I heard her move behind me, kneeling on the driver's seat and pressing softly against my back. Blood rushed to my head.
She started massaging my shoulders, but strangely, I barely felt it. It was like every nerve in my body was focused on the contact at my back.
When she finished, she leaned down, her hair brushing my neck. Her warm breath whispered, "Feel better?"
"Yeah," I replied dumbly.
She sat back, put on her jacket, and stretched her shoulders. "Ah, I feel so much more awake now."
Then she glanced in the rearview mirror. "Do you think I look better with long hair?"
"Long hair's harder to manage," I stammered.
"True," she looked at me. "Why are you still so red? If Dali sees this, he'll think something's going on between us."
"…"
Suddenly, a warm breath hit my cheek. I turned sharply — Huang Xiaotao had leaned in close! I scrambled toward the door, panicked. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" she mimicked me, then laughed. "You're a guy, right? Why are you so shy?"
"No, seriously, what do you want?" My heart raced as her warm breath hovered on my face.
"Song Yang, I just realized your eyes are different from most people's," she said seriously.
I have the "洞幽之瞳" — the 'Ghost-Seer Eyes' — which look normal most of the time, but if you look closely, my pupils have three layers.
She kept pressing me against the door like some rogue teasing a good girl. My heart thumped wildly, and my breath grew shallow.
She laughed and sat back. "Alright, no more teasing. You look way too nervous. It's funny."
In the quiet car, I could clearly hear my heartbeat pounding. Wait — not just mine — it sounded like two hearts beating.
I glanced at Huang Xiaotao. She looked calm, but her fingers were nervously clicking the air conditioning buttons. Her subtle expression gave her away: she was just as nervous as I was.