Chapter Thirty-One: An Changpu’s Decision

Filled with questions, An Changpu followed Qin Ruonan back to the Major Crimes Unit office. As soon as they entered, they saw Cheng Feng, who had just returned from an external meeting, sitting at the table listening to Tian Mi and Mo Dou report on what had happened. When he saw An Changpu and Qin Ruonan come in, he waved them over and offered some praise: “Changpu, Ruonan, I just heard from Mo Dou and the others—you both did a great job! Yao Chang likely has more to hide, so taking him into custody in time was the best course of action.”

“This success was thanks not only to Tian Mi and Mo Dou’s help, but especially to Qin Ruonan for subduing Yao Chang so quickly. Otherwise, none of our subsequent actions would have been possible.”

As soon as An Changpu finished speaking, all eyes turned to him. Qin Ruonan looked surprised, while Tian Mi was full of approval—even giving An Changpu a discreet thumbs-up.

Cheng Feng didn’t add much. Having worked with An Changpu for years, he knew the man’s capabilities well enough. He stood up and said to Qin Ruonan, “Come to my office for a moment.”

Qin Ruonan nodded, a trace of confusion on her face, and followed Cheng Feng into his office.

“Do you think the boss called Qin Ruonan in to scold her?” Mo Dou said anxiously, craning his neck to look toward Cheng Feng’s office. The door was shut, and nothing could be seen. “He’s always been against acting alone!”

“Let’s hope not. Otherwise, she got injured catching the suspect, then gets criticized by her colleagues and then by her boss—that’s just too much,” Tian Mi sighed. Since she couldn’t guess or overhear what Cheng Feng and Qin Ruonan were discussing, her curiosity quickly shifted back to An Changpu. “By the way, Ruonan looked pretty grim when she came in. Did you two argue again out there?”

“Do you think I’m really that lacking in composure?” An Changpu felt that even if he talked until he was blue in the face, he still couldn’t explain himself. “I don’t even know what set her off. Things had calmed down outside, and then all of a sudden, she was upset again—who can keep up with that?”

Mo Dou shook his head. “I used to think Tian Mi and Dr. Lu were just star-crossed, but I’ve realized they’re just bickering sweethearts. But you and Qin Ruonan? Now that’s truly a clash of personalities.”

Tian Mi’s eyes suddenly sparkled at his words, and a sly smile appeared on her lips. Glancing up, she saw both men looking at her curiously and quickly waved her hands. “Nothing! Nothing!” she said, before scurrying back to her own desk.

An Changpu also sat back at his place, intending to sort out the current state of the investigation. There were still many missing links in the chain of clues, and several questions weighed heavily on his mind.

Just as he was listing his doubts, the door to Cheng Feng’s office opened. Qin Ruonan emerged, her face expressionless. An Changpu looked up at the sound and met Cheng Feng’s gaze. Cheng Feng beckoned to him, and An Changpu stood up, picking up his notebook as he went.

As he entered Cheng Feng’s office, An Changpu felt a bit uneasy. After just having spoken with Qin Ruonan, why had Cheng Feng called for him?

“Take a seat,” Cheng Feng gestured for An Changpu to sit across from him, smiling. “Though I’ve had a lot on my plate lately and haven’t been around the station every day, I’ve heard about you and Qin Ruonan. It seems your partnership hasn’t been entirely smooth. I spoke with her just now—while you both did well today, there were still some things to criticize. She was rather reckless.”

“Boss, she got a bit injured arresting Yao Chang—you didn’t come down too hard on her, did you?” An Changpu asked, feeling uneasy at Cheng Feng’s words.

Cheng Feng shook his head. “Do you think I’m that heartless? I paired you two up initially because Tian Yang and Mo Dou still had cases to wrap up, and also because I’d heard about Qin Ruonan’s working style during her time in City B. I thought your approaches would complement each other well. But it’s been days, and there’s still friction between you. I’m starting to wonder if I made a mistake. Just now, aside from warning her to be less reckless, I also asked for her thoughts. If she wants a new partner, I’ll bring Tian Yang onto your case and let Ruonan work with Tian Mi or Mo Dou.”

“Then I’ll go find Tian Yang and get him up to speed,” An Changpu nodded, already resigned to the change.

“That won’t be necessary. Qin Ruonan didn’t agree to switch partners,” Cheng Feng’s next words were unexpected. “She said the matter should be up to you—if you feel you can’t work with her, she’ll step away from the case. So I called you in to get your opinion.”

An Changpu had assumed Qin Ruonan would readily accept a new assignment. He hadn’t expected she would leave the choice to him. Caught off guard, he finally replied, “Let’s just keep things as they are. You’ve already criticized her for being impulsive; I’m sure she’ll improve. She’s certainly capable, just a bit strong-willed. But after all, she’s a woman, and if I, as a man, can’t show a little tolerance, I’d be petty indeed. Besides, women are sensitive about these things—if I asked to switch partners, it would hurt her pride.”

“Since you feel that way, I’ll leave you both on the case. Try to work things out quickly and keep personal feelings out of your work,” Cheng Feng said, seeing An Changpu had made up his mind. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “As far as I know, you two graduated the same year. Did you know each other at school? Qin Ruonan’s family situation is rather unusual.”

“I didn’t know her before, but I’ve heard a bit from old classmates.”

“She’s had a tough time. Born into a family that favored sons, with not much money, and aside from herself, there’s a younger sister and a brother. Her sister dropped out after compulsory education, and only she managed to struggle through to finish university. I imagine it wasn’t easy for her,” Cheng Feng said, a note of sympathy and admiration in his voice for the stubborn young woman. “She’s come a long way to get here—try to be more understanding in your work together.”

“No problem,” An Changpu agreed readily, glancing down sheepishly at the work notes in his hands. “When you called me in just now, I thought for sure Ruonan had asked for a new partner, and I was all set to hand over the case. I never imagined she’d refuse to change!”

Cheng Feng chuckled, offering a few parting reminders. “Take on a bit more these next few days, and make sure Ruonan gets her injury checked out.”