I raised a Vampire！

Chapter 3

"Captain, are you alright?" Zhou Dingtian's shout snapped Cheng Cheng out of his daze. Rising to his feet, he patted the dust off his pants. "I'm fine."

From the nearby bed, Chen Tiao let out a faint groan, his face full of disdain as he glanced at them.

"Unbelievable—this guy's actually better?" Zhou Dingtian approached and pinched Chen Tiao's cheek. "Doesn't look like a walking corpse anymore. Amazing! What kind of medicine did you use?"

"Indeed, quite miraculous." Cheng Cheng's gaze followed Ye Ye, who had turned away to methodically organize the papers on the table. She rolled them into a neat bundle and held them firmly. "Just keep him out of the sunlight for now. I'll come back later."

"Special Agent, please wait a moment," he called out.

The soft click of her leather shoes paused mid-step. "Is there something else, Captain Cheng?"

Approaching her, Cheng Cheng towered over her by at least eighteen centimeters. Judging by her appearance, this woman couldn't be more than twenty, yet he found it impossible to believe she was that young.

"May I take a look at your suitcase?"

"Captain Cheng, are you suspecting me?" Ye Ye's eyes twinkled with amusement at this rugged man's audacity, yet she obligingly opened her small suitcase.

"The contents are classified as state secrets, beyond the jurisdiction of Yun Police. If you doubt me, you’re welcome to report to higher authorities. I'll personally arrange for a confidentiality waiver, but you’ll need to cover the costs."

Cheng Cheng scrutinized the items inside—an entire set of syringes, a row of vials, and some pills. Everything seemed ordinary.

"Is there a hidden compartment below?" Unyielding, Cheng Cheng pressed on, while Zhou Dingtian cringed in mortification. When the captain got stubborn, there was no stopping him. Thankfully, the special agent didn't seem offended.

"You needn’t be so tense," Ye Ye said softly. "We’ll have opportunities to collaborate further."

Cheng Cheng's hands froze mid-motion.

"Looking forward to working with you, Captain." She offered him a faint smile.

Later, Lu Yitong arrived to escort Ye Ye away. Ultimately, Cheng Cheng never uncovered whether the suitcase had a hidden compartment.

"Captain, join us for dinner?" A few young officers called out as they jogged past him. Cheng Cheng waved them off without replying, and they soon disappeared down the road.

Finding a spot beneath a leafless tree, he sat down, lost in thought as he gazed at the bare branches.

What exactly caused the noise from Chen Tiao earlier? Just a simple injection seemed too much to explain it. And his so-called special identity—what did it mean? The mysterious Special Situations Task Force—what kind of organization was it?

"Ye Ye..." He murmured her name, the syllables rolling on his tongue, cloaked in intrigue and enigma. She was like a treasure chest beckoning him to pry it open.

Abruptly, he covered his face, letting out a long sigh. "Better focus on the case first."

A faucet stood nearby; he twisted it open, letting icy water cascade over his hands and face. The cold seemed not to faze him in the slightest.

Eyes closed, he pulled his shirt up to dry his face. Turning around, he lifted his gaze—

"Ah!!"

The woman he’d been pondering moments ago stood silently before him.

"You—you—you!" He stammered, pointing at her. "What are you doing here? This is the men's restroom!"

She glanced down at his exposed abdomen before quickly averting her gaze.

Only then did Cheng Cheng realize, hastily adjusting his shirt and reddening. "Do you… need something?"

Ye Ye cleared her throat lightly and turned to leave. "Captain Lu is looking for you." Her long hair swayed in a graceful arc as she walked away, her steps brisk and deliberate. Cheng Cheng stared for half a second before jogging to catch up.

She was still wrapped in that vivid red scarf, its thick folds shielding her neck. As he studied her from the corner of his eye, a peculiar detail struck him.

In cold weather, people's breath would condense into visible puffs of vapor. But hers… didn’t.

At first, he thought it was a trick of the light, but after a prolonged observation, he was sure. No breath. No warmth. As if she were carved from ice.

The strangeness of it preoccupied him, even as Captain Lu gave a briefing. Cheng Cheng's focus remained elsewhere, his eyes locked on Ye Ye. Her flowing black hair, the translucent curve of her ear, her habitual one-handed pocket stance, and the way she gathered her hair over one shoulder when seated—all of it fascinated him.

"Captain, Captain? Captain!"

"Ah!" Snapped back to reality, Cheng Cheng found Zhou Dingtian’s face uncomfortably close. "Damn it, why are you so near? Trying to scare me to death?!"

Zhou Dingtian stepped back, feigning injury. "Just letting you know—we’re about to get off the van."

Glancing around, Cheng Cheng realized he was indeed in a minivan. Zhou Dingtian and two other officers sat beside him, while Ye Ye occupied the front passenger seat.

"Captain Lu wants the special agent to familiarize herself with the case and specifically assigned you to accompany her," Zhou Dingtian teased, his gaze sly. "Be gentle with her, alright?"

The implication in his tone, coupled with the nosy looks from the other officers, made Cheng Cheng's face twitch. Did they see him as someone who bullied young women?

The officers: We don’t know...

The journey continued in silence, reaching Jin Hua Residential Area fifteen minutes later.

"Xiao Zhou, check in with the property management," Cheng Cheng instructed, slipping on shoe covers and gloves with practiced efficiency. "Everyone else, question the neighbors for details. Remind them to recall every little thing."

Ye Ye accepted the shoe covers and crouched to put them on, her gaze briefly landing on Cheng Cheng’s dusty shoes—a hallmark of a single, middle-aged man living alone.

A rugged, obstinate bachelor, she mused.

Then those worn shoes moved closer, halting directly in front of her.

Ye Ye looked up slightly, startled to find his tall figure and furrowed brow looming over her.

Behind him, workers lugged heavy furniture with little care, their sharp edges dangerously close. Cheng Cheng shifted, positioning himself as a barrier between her and the chaos.

She paused, then feigned adjusting her shoes while silently noting his protective stance. Only after the workers passed did Cheng Cheng awkwardly step aside, his demeanor stiff as if wishing he could maintain three meters’ distance from her.

How amusing.

"The crime occurred at 2 PM the day before yesterday," Cheng Cheng began as Ye Ye straightened up. "The victim was Fang Meizhen, Chen Tiao’s landlady. You probably know this already. I’ll bring you up to speed on the case details."

Ye Ye nodded and followed him to the elevator. Inside its reflective walls, their images stood side by side—Cheng Cheng with one hand in his pocket, the other holding a notebook and pen.

Ye Ye’s eyes flitted across his figure, meeting his gaze briefly in the reflection.

"Ahem." Cheng Cheng turned abruptly, faking a cough. "We're here."

"The adjacent unit, 601, was where Fang Meizhen and her husband, Qi Dabao, lived. Their daughter is employed elsewhere. According to their divorce lawyer, Qi Dabao invited him over that day to discuss divorce terms. Fang Meizhen was present too."

Cheng Cheng gestured to the hallway. "The two units, 601 and 603, are side by side. Chen Tiao and his girlfriend rented 603."

Ye Ye remained silent, her focus sharp as she examined the scene.

"After the lawyer arrived, he overheard an argument between the couple before stepping out. Qi Dabao smoked several cigarettes while grumbling. Later, when they opened the door to ventilate, they discovered Fang Meizhen’s body outside Chen Tiao’s door."

"Cause of death: asphyxiation. There were ligature marks on her neck but no significant external injuries, toxins, or alcohol in her system. At 200 pounds, it’s hard to imagine Chen Tiao, in his feeble condition, overpowering her easily."

Cheng Cheng flipped through his notes. "Still, we found compelling evidence linking him to the crime."

Ye Ye crouched by the red outline marking where the body had been found. "Such as?"

"Financial ties. Chen Tiao created an investment app called Chuangjin Tou, which drew in funds from various people. Last month, the app was shut down, and Fang Meizhen, the largest investor, lost 100,000 yuan."

"One hundred thousand yuan—a clear motive for murder. The weapon was a jump rope belonging to Chen Tiao, with his fingerprints on the handle."

"With motive, weapon, and evidence, Chen Tiao is effectively the ‘killer.’"

"No," Ye Ye said, standing to meet his eyes. "He’s innocent."