Love in Lockdown

“Catch the thief…!” This piercing scream was loud enough to reach the ears of a nearby police officer. As the scream of a woman cut through the night sky of Tokyo, Japan, Xiaomi, with her keen ears, immediately threw away the half-eaten ice cream and began the chase. Identifying the source of the scream, Xiaomi agilely vaulted over the road barriers, darting swiftly through the traffic. The sound of screeching brakes and Japanese drivers’ curses filled the air, but Xiaomi, weaving through the cars, seemed oblivious—after all, she didn’t understand Japanese! She reached the opposite sidewalk, pointing ahead and shouting, “Police, stop!” Finally, she could shout this with authority! She looked thrilled, as if she were enjoying the chase. Finally, before graduating from police school, she could catch a thief. This time, she was determined to succeed and rid herself of the nickname “Can’t Catch” for good. However, in her excitement, she forgot she was in a foreign country. The thief, not understanding her Chinese, paid no attention to her shout. Her voice drowned in the bustling crowd, and the thief didn’t hear a thing. Feeling anxious, Xiaomi remembered she was in Japan with friends and didn’t speak Japanese. Regardless, she had to catch up. She excelled in sports since childhood. Reaching a small drink shop, Xiaomi stopped, a sly smile appearing on her lips. She grabbed a bottle and threw it at the thief; she missed, but undeterred, she threw another, just missing again. The third hit the thief's leg, making him fall to his knees. “YES! Got the target!” Xiaomi happily ran over, pinning the thief down and restraining his hands from behind. The thief, in pain, immediately let go of the wallet. By now, a crowd had gathered, whispering among themselves. A woman pushed through the crowd. “Is the thief caught? My wallet…” “Ma’am, is this your wallet?” The woman’s high-pitched scream had clearly marked her as the victim. The woman, momentarily stunned, looked at Xiaomi and asked, “Are you Chinese?” Xiaomi nodded, “Here’s your wallet. Check if anything is missing.” The woman hurriedly opened her black leather wallet, checked, and sighed with relief, “Nothing’s missing. Thank you so much!” Seeing the woman’s expensive attire, Xiaomi couldn’t help but gasp. From head to toe, she wore designer brands, her earrings and rings were the latest limited editions. The wealthy woman was like a moving treasure chest, practically inviting theft. Turning back, Xiaomi took out her handcuffs, ready to cuff the thief when he suddenly bit her hand. “Ouch!” In pain, Xiaomi let go, losing her balance and falling to the ground. The thief, seizing the opportunity, burst through the crowd, running several meters before turning back to mock her, wagging his backside like Shin-chan. Xiaomi’s face turned black with rage. Could that thief have just escaped from a mental hospital? Biting people like a mad dog, how infuriating! She initially considered letting him go but felt her anger rise as he mocked her. Her face turned red with rage, her eyes shooting daggers. With a whoosh, she chased after him, leaving a gust of wind behind. “I swear I’ll catch you!” she shouted, drawing curious glances from passersby. The thief, looking back, was frightened, quickening his pace; Xiaomi was right behind him. Scared, the thief darted into a hotel. A sly smile played on Xiaomi’s lips as she eyed the luxurious hotel before chasing him inside. Reaching the men’s restroom, Xiaomi stopped, hands on her knees, panting heavily, “So… tired… cough, cough…” Despite her physical training at the police academy, chasing after someone like this felt as exhausting as climbing several mountains. Seeing the men's restroom didn’t amuse her; she remembered how, in elementary school, she often chased boys. When they couldn’t beat her, they’d always use an effective tactic—run into the boys' restroom. Other girls, too shy, wouldn’t dare enter, but she never hesitated, always storming into the restroom to give the boys a thorough beating before triumphantly walking out. The boys feared her, the girls admired her, and she strutted around like a victorious hero. “The men's restroom? No problem, you’re doomed today, hehe…” With a devilish grin, Xiaomi walked in. Those using the restroom and those about to enter were startled and awkwardly left. She scrutinized each person exiting, wary of the thief slipping away unnoticed. Scanning the restroom, a man standing with his back to her aroused suspicion. She decided to wait and see who would have the patience. It had been three minutes since she burst in, and the man was still there. No normal person would take this long! Fixing her gaze on him, she realized she had no weapon other than handcuffs. Glancing around, she opened a nearby cabinet and found a toilet plunger. Just then, a deep, steady male voice speaking perfect Chinese approached. An idea struck Xiaomi. She called out to a man in a suit who had just entered, “Hey, you!” The man, with a cold expression, raised an eyebrow, seemingly understanding the situation. His straight, sword-like eyebrows exuded authority and determination, his deep, piercing eyes seemed to see through everything, his prominent nose and well-defined facial features, standing tall at 188 cm. Her police training wasn’t for nothing; gauging people was second nature to her. She immediately identified the man facing away as the thief. “Why the ugly face? I don’t owe you five million. I just looked at you, didn’t take advantage,” Xiaomi muttered. Taiwanese? “Do you know your behavior is disturbing others?” His deep, magnetic voice was as cold as his gaze. Seeing the crowd outside the restroom, he thought something had happened. Inside, he saw her, a police officer? Ignoring his remark, Xiaomi asked, “You speak Japanese, right?” She looked at him confidently. So that’s it! “You don’t speak Japanese?” he retorted. Bullseye! “I… I’m a police officer, and I need your help. Tell him in Japanese…” She pointed her chin at the man facing away, “Tell him to raise his hands and surrender.” Unfazed, Fu Donghan took out his phone, made a brief call in Japanese, then hung up and coldly stared at the suspect. The man, sensing something, shivered slightly. Xiaomi grew impatient. At this critical moment, he was still making calls! Why help if he didn’t want to? Just as she was about to explode, the suspect suddenly turned around, followed by a gasp. Xiaomi shut her eyes in fright. Oh no, that… that man had actually pulled down his pants. He must have escaped from a mental hospital! She turned her head, afraid to look at the thief, and saw Fu Donghan standing there, seemingly amused by the situation. Anger surged within her, and she impulsively struck the thief. The plunger firmly attached to the thief’s face. She quickly pulled out her handcuffs, but the thief, undeterred, attempted to escape. Before she could react, a black figure flashed before her eyes, pinning the thief to the ground, who now wailed in pain. Feeling grateful, Xiaomi looked up to see who had helped her, only to realize it was the same man who had been watching the scene unfold. “Ha! Got you!” Xiaomi gave the thief a few triumphant pats on the head. But then, she felt her right hand, which was holding the handcuffs, being lifted by a strong force, causing her wrist to ache. “Are you a rookie?” Fu Donghan said, lifting his left hand. Xiaomi looked closer and realized she had cuffed the wrong person. Her face turned crimson. Wait, she thought, just because she made a mistake didn’t mean she was a rookie! This man had a sharp tongue. “Can you unlock these handcuffs?” he asked, clearly impatient. Xiaomi snapped back to reality. She searched her pockets. Nothing! She turned out every pocket but found no key. Then she remembered the key was in her bag. But then she recalled she had thrown her bag to her friend during the chase. She thought about using her phone but realized it was also in her bag. To make matters worse, she couldn’t remember her friend’s phone number. Blowing her bangs out of her face, she sighed deeply, then smiled sweetly, “Sorry, the key isn’t with me.” “The key is with my friend. We’ll have to wait for her to come back.” “Phone,” Fu Donghan said, his tone still cold. Xiaomi shook her head helplessly. “Definitely a rookie,” he muttered, pulling her along without waiting for her response. “Hey, can’t you be a bit gentler? I didn’t do it on purpose…” Fu Donghan ignored her, leading her straight to the elevator. “I’m on the eighth floor, you pressed the wrong button,” she reminded him. He didn’t respond, pressing the button for the fifty-fifth floor instead. He stared straight ahead, expressionless. The elevator filled with an awkward silence as it ascended. Xiaomi watched the numbers climb, feeling increasingly nervous. Anything above the thirty-third floor was luxurious, and now they were heading to the top floor. It was clear he was some rich heir or a nouveau riche. Through the elevator doors, their reflections appeared. Xiaomi felt a pang of self-consciousness, realizing she didn’t even reach his shoulder. He was a giant, and she a mere dwarf—188 cm versus 160 cm was a glaring difference. She noticed him staring at her reflection with a sharp gaze, a strange smile playing on his lips. “I’ve heard that if you stare at your reflection in an elevator, you might see a shadow that doesn’t belong to you…” Fu Donghan smiled wickedly at her reflection. For some reason, seeing her nervous face made him want to scare her. Xiaomi quickly looked away, her heart pounding. She feared darkness and ghosts the most, but why was her heart racing for another reason as well? There seemed to be another emotion at play.