Chapter 815 - 280: Qin Mei Reports Xu Chunyan

"Was that too fast?" Qin Mei didn’t think she was going fast.

"Yes." Jie Jingchen spat out the word through gritted teeth.

To reassure Jie Jingchen, Qin Mei admitted her mistake. "Then I’ll ride a bit slower."

Jie Jingchen wanted to give her a lecture on cycling safety, but seeing her willingness to correct her mistake, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Jie Jingsi, are you going to consider what your mother said about adopting a child?" Qin Mei changed the subject.

"No," Jie Jingchen said flatly. After a moment of thought, he added, "It’s not like we can’t have one of our own."

Sponsoring was completely different from adopting. Jie Jingchen sponsored many orphans of his fallen comrades, but he had never once entertained the thought of adopting one.

Qin Mei pouted but didn’t say anything. Since Jie Jingchen had flatly refused to consider it, was she supposed to persuade him otherwise? She didn’t want to adopt, either. Setting aside the fact that they could have their own children, even if they couldn’t, she still wouldn’t adopt a child to raise.

"Meimei, here are the car keys. Give me the bicycle keys." Jie Jingchen wanted Qin Mei to drive home while he rode her bicycle back to work at the machinery plant.

"Jie Jingsi, just how worried are you about me riding a bike?" Qin Mei looked at the car keys he offered but didn’t take them. Instead, she tilted her head up to gaze at him.

"You ride too fast. I’m worried you’ll fall." A tinge of concern colored Jie Jingchen’s eyes.

Qin Mei bit her lower lip. "Then I’ll ride slower. I’ll ride at a snail’s pace. You should be relieved then, right?"

"A snail’s pace? You might as well walk." Seeing that she wouldn’t take the keys, Jie Jingchen tried to force them into her hand. However, for every step he took forward, Qin Mei took a step back. Finally, she turned and ran away. Jie Jingchen didn’t chase after her. He watched her retreating figure, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

As Qin Mei passed by the department store, she spotted two familiar figures. She slowed her pedaling and gradually came to a stop. It wasn’t Shen Qing and that man she didn’t know, but Xu Chunyan and Jie Jingwei.

One was the ex-husband, the other the ex-wife. The two of them were strolling through the department store together. She wouldn’t believe they were innocent even if she were beaten to death.

She thought of the hospital stairwell and the lecture her father-in-law had given Jie Jingwei. Jie Jingwei and Xu Chunyan were clearly still secretly entangled. Jie Jingwei was currently a married man, yet here he was, involved in some murky affair with his ex-wife. The Jie family indulged him and intentionally protected him; everyone had a tacit understanding of the situation.

Qin Mei didn’t want to meddle, but Xu Chunyan was always pushing Lin Yaru her way just to sicken her. It was clearly Xu Chunyan who had used Jie Jingchen as bait to trick Lin Yaru into aborting the baby in her womb. After the deed was done, Xu Chunyan had even teamed up with Jie Anlin to pin the blame on her.

Qin Mei locked her bicycle, hid in the shadows, and stared intently at the entrance of the department store.

"Hey." Suddenly, a hand slapped her shoulder.

Startled, Qin Mei reacted on pure reflex. She grabbed the large hand on her shoulder and executed a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw.

"Oof." Gao Yang let out a muffled grunt. Qin Mei had flipped him flat on his back, leaving him in a completely sorry state.

Seeing that it was Gao Yang, Qin Mei’s eyes flickered. Without much guilt, she asked, "Why is it you?"

Looking thoroughly embarrassed, Gao Yang slowly scrambled to his feet. Thank goodness none of his colleagues were around, or he would have lost all face. Being thrown over the shoulder by a female comrade was way too humiliating. He twisted his waist to stretch it out. "Qin Mei, what are you doing sneaking around here?"

"Catching cheaters," Qin Mei replied with a smile.

"Catching... cheaters?" Gao Yang looked utterly incredulous. "Catching who? Jing Si? No way, Qin Mei! I know Jing Si. He would absolutely never do anything to betray you. Don’t go jumping to conclusions over nothing."

"It’s not Jie Jingchen." Qin Mei shot Gao Yang a sideways glance. Did she ever say it was Jie Jingchen? He was in such a rush to explain things for his friend—their brotherhood was truly ironclad.

"It’s not Jing Si." Gao Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Curiously, he asked, "Then who is it?"

"Jie Jingwei," Qin Mei answered.

"Jing Er?" Gao Yang sized up Qin Mei, his deep gaze carrying a hint of oddity. Was it really appropriate for her to go around catching her husband’s older brother in an affair? "Qin Mei! I’ve heard some rumors about the Jie family’s affairs. Jing Er and his wife really aren’t decent people."

"Jing Er and his wife." Qin Mei chewed over Gao Yang’s words before asking, "Are you talking about him and his ex-wife, or his current one?"

Gao Yang fell silent.

At that moment, Xu Chunyan and Jie Jingwei walked out of the department store. A malicious smile crept onto Qin Mei’s face, putting Gao Yang in a very awkward position.

Jing Er was Jing Si’s second older brother. Gao Yang wanted to just stand back and watch, but that malicious smile on Qin Mei’s face made him feel like he had nowhere to hide.

Gao Yang cleared his throat softly. "Ms. Xu is Jing Er’s ex-wife. They share a son. I heard that after Jing Er remarried, their son went to live with his ex-wife. If Ms. Xu runs into trouble, it’s only normal for her to seek Jing Er’s help."

"Is it normal? He could completely refuse," Qin Mei said, looking at Gao Yang with amusement.

Gao Yang looked full of melancholy. He wanted to say that even if you didn’t do someone a favor for their own sake, you should do it for old times’ sake, but considering the current political climate, those traditional proverbs were far too sensitive and could easily lead to misunderstandings. "No matter what, Ms. Xu is still Xiao You’s mother. If she’s in trouble, it would be too heartless of Jing Er to turn her away."

Qin Mei scoffed disdainfully. "Using their child as a cover to have an affair..."

"Shh!" Gao Yang cut her off. "Qin Mei, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t just throw accusations around like that. If you slap the label of an affair on Jing Er, he’s finished."

Seeing the two walking away, Qin Mei prepared to tail them, only to have Gao Yang block her path. She froze for a moment. Wherever she moved, Gao Yang stepped in her way. Watching the pair drift further and further away, Qin Mei grew anxious. "I’m going to report them."

Gao Yang was stunned, completely blindsided by this move. He offered a strained smile. "Report what? Report Jing Er? Qin Mei, you need to think this through. Jing Er is Jing Si’s older brother. If something happens to Jing Er, how is Jing Si supposed to explain it to their father? And how will you manage your own position within the Jie family?"

"I’m not reporting him. I’m reporting Xu Chunyan. I’m going to report her for seducing a married man." Qin Mei wore a devious grin.

Gao Yang was at a loss for words. Was there a difference? In matters of an affair, it took two to tango. If Xu Chunyan was punished, could Jing Er possibly escape unscathed?

"Qin Mei, I advise you to think twice before you act." Gao Yang raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was starting to regret ever coming over to say hello.

"When Ms. Xu was framing me, I didn’t see her thinking twice. She and I aren’t sisters-in-law anymore. Now that I’ve finally caught an opportunity, wouldn’t it be a waste of a golden chance if I didn’t settle the score?" The only reason Qin Mei hadn’t taken private revenge on Xu Chunyan was because she respected the law. Running into Gao Yang was perfect; bringing him along to catch them in the act would make the whole thing far more convincing.

Anyway, her target was Xu Chunyan, not Jie Jingwei. If her father-in-law could understand, great; if not, whatever. As long as her mother-in-law was on her side, that was enough.

Gao Yang choked back a retort. "You need evidence to report someone."

"Do you dare to come with me?" Qin Mei asked. Gao Yang remained silent. He didn’t want to go with her. Qin Mei pointed at his police uniform. "I hope you can prove yourself worthy of that uniform you wear."

Speechless, Gao Yang stepped aside to let her pass. Qin Mei held her head high and puffed out her chest, striding forward like a victor. Gao Yang wiped a hand down his face and silently stepped forward to follow her.

Whatever Gao Yang feared most had a knack for coming true. Xu Chunyan and Jie Jingwei didn’t head to the Xu family’s home, nor did they go to the housing assigned to Jie Jingwei by the machinery plant. Instead, they went to a guesthouse.

Staying at a guesthouse required a letter of introduction. Xu Chunyan had one, and so did Jie Jingwei. They each booked their own separate rooms.

"Qin Mei, maybe we really did misunderstand." Seeing that they had booked separate rooms, Gao Yang felt a sliver of relief.

"Wasting money on an extra room just to throw people off the scent. They really are rich," Qin Mei mocked.

Gao Yang stopped talking and stood frozen in place.

"What? Getting cold feet?" Qin Mei asked.

Gao Yang exhaled a heavy breath. He pulled out his police badge and led Qin Mei upstairs.

The two of them hid in the shadows. A short while later, Xu Chunyan sneaked into Jie Jingwei’s room.

Qin Mei smiled. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked smugly at Gao Yang’s grim expression. "Well? I wasn’t wrong to report her, was I?"