Love in Lockdown

Chapter 2: A False Alarm

She glared at Fu Donghan, “Yeah, the ghost is you.”

Despite her tough words, she felt a chill of fear, and cold sweat broke out on her back.

D*mn it! It’s all this “translator’s” fault!

Suddenly, with a thud, the elevator stopped, and the lights went out, plunging them into darkness.

“Ah… you just had to jinx it… oh no…” What now? She feared the dark the most!

Xiaomi burst into tears, groping for Fu Donghan’s arm and holding on tightly.

Fu Donghan was momentarily stunned, feeling a shock run through him. Why did her touch feel so familiar?

“Stop crying, it’ll be alright soon,” Fu Donghan remained calm, his tone still cold but tinged with a bit of gentleness.

Hearing this, Xiaomi felt slightly reassured and stopped crying, but she still clung tightly to Fu Donghan’s arm.

“We’re not going to die here, right?”

“Not sure, maybe we’ll die from lack of oxygen, or perhaps…” Before he could finish, she started crying again.

How did someone so easily brought to tears become a police officer? He seriously doubted her competence.

Suddenly, he felt her body trembling violently, so much that it made him tremble too.

He only meant to scare her a bit. Was she really that terrified? Maybe he had gone too far!

“Probably just a malfunction. It’ll be fixed soon… stop crying.” Despite her tears, he thought her voice sounded rather pleasant.

Ridiculous! Why would he think that… yet, it was true.

Xiaomi felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She knew it was his. Despite his stern face, his hands were surprisingly warm.

The elevator lights flickered back on, and it started ascending again.

Fu Donghan looked at Xiaomi, who still had her eyes tightly shut, her face streaked with tears. He regretted scaring her.

His sleeve was wet, no need to check to know it was her doing. Her tear ducts were quite active; his entire sleeve was soaked.

“How long do you plan to hold onto me?”

Xiaomi slowly opened her eyes, sighing with relief, her terrified expression replaced with a grateful smile.

Blushing, she quickly let go of his arm.

“There shouldn’t be any saliva on this, right?” Fu Donghan teased with a smile.

Just tears, alright!

Ding! The elevator reached the top floor, and as soon as the doors opened, Xiaomi rushed out.

“Fresh air at last!”

Fu Donghan swiped a card at a door, and it opened automatically with high-tech precision.

Wow—what a luxurious hotel! This place was incredibly lavish, with a grand crystal chandelier hanging above. Isn’t it dangerous to hang such a large fixture? Every piece of decor was undoubtedly expensive, but the interior felt more like a personal residence than a hotel room.

“How long do you plan to daydream here?” Fu Donghan tugged at the handcuffs, reminding her they were still connected.

“Why did you bring me here?”

She was amazed at the opulent decor.

“We’ll wait here for your friend to come and unlock these ‘shackles.’”

Fu Donghan emphasized the word “shackles,” raising his hand to make his point.

“Ouch!”

He had merely lifted his hand, but there was no need for her to cry out in pain!

“Rookie, are you hurt?”

Fu Donghan grabbed Xiaomi’s hand and noticed a patch of scraped skin on the back, with some dried blood around it.

Her hand had been injured for a while, but she hadn’t even realized it.

“Hey, can’t you be a bit gentler? Also, my name isn’t ‘Rookie.’ It’s Xue—Xiao—Mi.”

“Stand up.”

“What for?”

Annoyed, she looked up, meeting his deep black eyes, which seemed to hold an unyielding power. Reluctantly, she stood up, realizing her neck would cramp if she kept looking up at him.

Fu Donghan led Xiaomi to the washbasin outside the bathroom.

What is he going to do? Does he need to use the restroom now…?

“I know everyone has emergencies, but now isn’t convenient…”

Fu Donghan gave her a sidelong glance, a smirk playing on his lips, “You can just close your eyes like you did before.”

He opened the wall cabinet and took out a first aid kit.

“So, you’re just getting the medicine,” she sighed with relief.

They returned to the sofa, and Xiaomi opened the kit, taking out disinfectant and cotton swabs.

Unaccustomed to using her left hand, she fumbled with the kit, making a racket.

He didn’t offer to help, engrossed in his business magazine. Xiaomi shook her head. She might not be a stunning beauty or have a model’s height and figure, but she was still a charming, capable policewoman!

Despite that, he should at least help a little!

“You’re so stingy, can’t you help? Not cute at all,” she grumbled.

Apparently hearing her complaint, Fu Donghan put down his magazine and took the cotton swab to apply the disinfectant.

He can actually smile? But that smile made her heart skip a beat. Remembering his rough demeanor earlier, she closed her eyes, bracing for pain.

The scent of alcohol wafted around, but she didn’t feel any pain—only a comforting sensation.

Opening her eyes, she saw Fu Donghan gently blowing on her wound, skillfully applying the medicine with a soft touch. She was astonished—this cold tyrant could be so gentle.

“It doesn’t hurt at all, surprisingly!”

“Are you really a police officer?” Fu Donghan asked, looking at her intently.

She felt as if a bolt of lightning struck her, making her shiver. “Of course, I am! Don’t you believe me?” Guilty conscience!

“Rookie level, indeed.”

“I told you not to call me ‘Rookie.’ It’s rude… hmph!”

She glared and stomped her foot in frustration. If he hadn’t helped her catch the thief and treat her wound, she would have retaliated.

Fu Donghan, still applying the ointment, chuckled softly.

That smile—she had only seen it on her mother’s face when her father passed away—a smile filled with pain.

Xiaomi, moved by an impulse, gently touched his face and asked, “Why do you have that kind of smile?”

Fu Donghan was momentarily stunned but quickly reverted to his cold demeanor, “Are you flirting with me, Rookie?”

“Oh, no… I’m not…” She withdrew her hand, blushing.

Her unexpected action had surprised even herself, making her face turn red.

“Can you stop calling me Rookie?” she asked, changing the subject.

Feeling a bit defeated, she realized how useless she felt, being teased by a stranger, marking this holiday with an unforgettable memory.

“Keep calling me that if you must, but don’t break the law. If you do, I’ll be the one to arrest you.” She puffed out her chest with pride, wearing a smug expression.

Fu Donghan smiled slightly, looking her up and down, then frowned and shook his head gently.

“So, it seems we’ll be seeing each other again,” he said, lifting her chin with his finger.

“We will, since we’re destined rivals, right?” she said, swatting his hand away.

“Indeed, we will meet again... Rookie,” he said with a mysterious smile.

“I told you not to call me Rookie—so annoying!”

In both the business and underworld, Fu Donghan found it surprising that teasing this innocent stranger brought him a strange sense of joy.

When he snapped back to reality, he saw her muttering nonsense to herself.

“Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, bring the soul back…”

Xiaomi raised her fingers, closed her eyes, and chanted like a priest, mumbling an incantation.

Suppressing a laugh, Fu Donghan reached out and pinched her nose between his fingers.

Both of them froze for a moment. This action seemed oddly familiar, like a flash of lightning in their memories, but neither paid much attention.

“What are you doing?”

“You were spacing out. I called you several times, and you didn’t respond, so I was summoning your soul.”

“And let go of my nose. I can’t breathe…”

Her nose made a funny buzzing sound, which was amusing. He clenched his fists, holding back his laughter, not wanting to show that look of pity again.

“Playing tricks... just now, you were scared to death in the elevator.”

“Yeah, I was scared, so what? It’s none of your business, hmph!” She turned away from him.

After a while, she said, “I’m not like some people! They can laugh heartily, but they choose to stay sullen.” No matter how she looked at it, she felt uncomfortable.

“You know, you look more handsome when you smile,” she turned to him.

Fu Donghan leaned back on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. His long legs crossed on the glass coffee table, his face returning to its usual coldness but tinged with inexplicable sadness. From the side, his features were even more striking. Any woman would be stunned by his looks!

“Because I don’t deserve to...” he suddenly said.

“Don’t deserve to smile? Who needs qualifications to smile? You’re so strange!” She tilted her head, pondering his cryptic words.

She began to wonder if this man was a philosopher, speaking so profoundly!

“Don’t need to…?” Fu Donghan’s gaze became dazed as he looked at the ceiling, speaking as if he were powerless.

“Of course not! You’re really a strange person…”

Fu Donghan was momentarily stunned.

Xiaomi nodded, then comfortably leaned back on the sofa. She tried to imitate Fu Donghan by coolly placing her legs on the coffee table, but her legs were too short, and she failed several times.

She complained, “Why is the coffee table so far away?”

“Your legs are too short, don’t blame the table,” he mocked, glancing at her legs.

“Again, you might as well laugh properly. Why keep that pitiful look… Smile more, live longer…” she stated honestly.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, “How about I tell you a joke?”