Love in Lockdown

Chapter 4：Suspicion

Fu Donghan and Xie Haofeng exchanged knowing glances and smiled.

Xie Haofeng, barely suppressing his laughter, sat beside Xiaomi, draping an arm over her shoulders and casting a suggestive look at Fu Donghan.

Xiaomi’s mouth twitched, her body rigid with fear, unable to move.

“You figured it out, huh? Are you scared of us? I know you look down on us, don’t you?” Xie Haofeng intensified his tone, feigning agitation.

She was on the verge of tears, genuinely frightened. Who would have thought these two handsome men were actually a couple?

“No, I… I don’t!” she stammered, her voice quivering with tension.

Fu Donghan struggled to keep a straight face, seeing her so terrified. But Xie Haofeng seemed to be enjoying himself, signaling Fu Donghan to stay silent as he continued his act.

“You’re lying. You do look down on us…”

“No—no! I don’t…” Her words were a jumbled mess, and she burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xie Haofeng couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer. “Han Han, now I understand why you’re interested in her… haha…”

Fu Donghan smiled, giving Xie Haofeng a stern look. “Haofeng, enough.”

Receiving Fu Donghan’s cue, Xie Haofeng toned down his laughter, patting Xiaomi’s head in an attempt to comfort her, though his smile betrayed his amusement.

“Don’t cry. We were just messing with you!” he said, still chuckling.

Xiaomi paused, looking at Xie Haofeng. His unrestrained laughter didn’t seem very comforting.

“A joke? Wah…” Though it was a joke, it had genuinely scared her, and they were still laughing about it. How could they think this was funny? She wasn’t prejudiced against gay people; she just didn’t like being scared for no reason. Didn’t they know she was easily frightened?

Her crying grew louder, and Fu Donghan and Xie Haofeng covered their ears to block the noise.

“Winter Han, what does your new flame do? Is she an opera singer?” Xie Haofeng gave Fu Donghan a meaningful look.

“You caused this mess, you fix it,” Fu Donghan said, glancing at the tearful Xiaomi.

He had seen women cry before but always ignored them. He couldn’t believe a woman’s tears could render him so helpless.

“Don’t cry. I didn’t mean it. How about I treat you to a nice meal and a movie?” he offered, desperate to stop her tears.

The two men were at a loss, not realizing that the girl sitting beside them was watching with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Apparently, it worked. Amidst her sobbing, laughter broke through, becoming clearer until Xiaomi burst out laughing.

“I can’t help it, haha…”

She looked up, laughing heartily. Fu Donghan and Xie Haofeng exchanged glances, understanding they had been played.

“Gotcha, haha…”

She had no idea she was in the lion's den, surrounded by two men who straddled both the legitimate and underworld realms, finding this all amusing.

Fu Donghan wanted to strangle this little troublemaker. He coldly said, “Looks like you didn’t learn your lesson.”

Sensing their “killing intent,” Xiaomi stopped laughing. “You really scared me just now. You two were too much.”

She had been genuinely frightened.

Xie Haofeng tousled her hair, smiling. “No more crying. It’s even. We were also laughing too much, right, Han Han?”

Xiaomi nodded vigorously. “By the way, Mr. Xie, you mentioned treating me to a nice meal and a movie. Does that still count?” She smiled, fixing her messy hair.

“Call me Haofeng, or… dear Haofeng, if you prefer,” he said, glancing slyly at Fu Donghan’s stoic face.

Heavens, being handsome doesn’t mean you have to act this way. “Haofeng is fine. I’m really hungry now!”

“Let’s go eat, then we can watch a movie afterward,” he said, taking Xiaomi by the hand to leave.

Just as they were about to head out, Fu Donghan’s cold voice interrupted, “Rookie, you seem to have forgotten we’re still handcuffed together.”

Fu Donghan raised his handcuffed wrist and gave it a shake, flashing a mischievous smile, indicating that without him, Xiaomi wasn’t going anywhere either.

Xiaomi sighed, realizing the situation, and sank back into the sofa like a deflated balloon. “I won’t go. Sorry, Haofeng.”

Xiaomi pouted, silently cursing her carelessness.

“What’s going on here? Are we in a drama?” Xie Haofeng asked, intrigued, as he examined the handcuffs with a look full of amusement.

“Just realized? It’s all thanks to this great policewoman here,” Fu Donghan said, ruffling his neatly arranged hair into a messy state again. He had intended to keep this embarrassing incident a secret, but since it was out in the open, he had no choice but to tell Xie Haofeng everything.

“Xiaomi, I didn’t expect you to be a police officer,” Xie Haofeng remarked, surprised.

He then moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, making Xiaomi feel even more embarrassed and uncomfortable. She glanced at Fu Donghan for help, but he just sipped his wine, ignoring her.

Xie Haofeng soon released her, sparing her from further awkwardness.

“So, what’s your plan? Are you going to stay handcuffed like this? How will you explain this to your mother and Anlin when they get back, especially Anlin?”

Opening the handcuffs would have been easy for either of them, just a bullet would suffice. However, Xie Haofeng respected Fu Donghan’s wishes. Both were renowned figures in both the business and underworld, with many police officers watching their every move, hoping to catch them in the act. Moreover, he didn’t want to scare her.

Just then, the phone on the sofa table rang. Xie Haofeng answered on speaker, and a woman’s voice speaking Japanese came through.

“Is your friend named Yu Tian?” Xie Haofeng asked, turning to Xiaomi, who nodded. He then briefly ended the call.

“How did you know my friend’s name? Unless…”

“She’s on her way up,” he said with a sigh of relief, soon to be free of this troublesome situation.

“I apologize for causing you trouble today,” Xiaomi said, bowing slightly to Fu Donghan.

“I’m quite enjoying being handcuffed together. I might miss it,” Fu Donghan teased, moving closer, his fingers trailing across her face, sending shivers through her body. Xiaomi blushed and pushed his hand away.

“I don’t like being handcuffed to anyone,” she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang. Xie Haofeng got up to answer it, and an unfamiliar man opening the door puzzled Yu Tian. Moreover, he was quite handsome. Known for being a bit of a flirt, Yu Tian couldn’t help but ogle him. Xie Haofeng, used to such reactions, simply smiled.

Xie Haofeng gestured courteously, “Xiaomi is inside. Please come in,” with a charming smile that made Yu Tian’s heart skip a beat.

Seeing her friend safe and sound, Yu Tian was overjoyed, intending to rush over and hug her. But upon noticing Fu Donghan, her gaze alternated between him and Xie Haofeng, completely ignoring Xiaomi.

Yu Tian excitedly rushed to Xiaomi, exclaiming, “Xiaomi…!”

“Hmm?” Xiaomi responded, feeling touched.

“Xiaomi, who are these two handsome guys?”

Uh…

Xiaomi cleared her throat, bringing her friend back to reality.

“Xiaomi, I was so worried about you! Are you okay? Did you catch the thief? And who are these guys? Are they celebrities?” Yu Tian fired off a rapid series of questions.

Xiaomi, anticipating her friend’s comfort but finding herself bombarded with questions instead, replied, “I’m fine. We caught the thief. Now, help me with this. Give me my bag.” She sighed internally, wondering how Yu Tian could still be so starstruck despite having a boyfriend.

“Xiaomi, the thief isn’t him, is it?” Yu Tian asked, looking disappointedly at Fu Donghan.

Shaking her head, Yu Tian lamented, “Such a handsome guy, it’s a shame if he’s a thief.”

“You misunderstand. The thief is at the police station. As for why I’m handcuffed to this lady, you’ll have to ask the heroic policewoman herself,” Fu Donghan said with a smile, looking at Xiaomi.

Ignoring him, Xiaomi rummaged through her bag, worried that Yu Tian might spill the beans about their situation if they said more. Knowing her friend, she would spread the story all over the school. Finally, Xiaomi found the key. “Unlocked. Let’s go, Tian,” she said, pulling her friend away from her handsome distractions.

After a few steps, she turned back to Fu Donghan and said, “I apologize for today and thank you for your help. Goodbye.”

“Your new flame is leaving. You might not see her again,” Xie Haofeng teased, nudging Fu Donghan.

Fu Donghan smiled mysteriously, looking at the door. “You forget, she’s a police officer.”

Xie Haofeng chuckled, saying nothing more. For so many years, he had never seen Fu Donghan so relaxed and at ease. Maybe that girl was the reason.

Tokyo at night was still brightly lit, charming yet serene. The day’s events with Fu Donghan had exhausted Xiaomi, and she fell into an early sleep, plagued by the same recurring nightmare that had haunted her for years.

Fire, fire everywhere. Engulfed in unbearable heat, she desperately sought safety, hoarsely calling out to her father, who lay motionless and covered in blood beside her. No matter how much she shouted, he didn’t respond. As the fire crept closer, a tall figure rushed in and carried her away… bringing her peace.

“Xiaomi, wake up. Xiaomi…”

Her friend Yu Tian, who had been sweet-talking her boyfriend over the phone, was interrupted by Xiaomi’s sleep-talking. She hurriedly ended her call to check on her friend, gently patting Xiaomi’s face.

Feeling the sting on her face, Xiaomi slowly opened her eyes and sat up. “That hurt! Why did you hit my face?”

“Were you having a nightmare again?” Yu Tian asked, wiping the sweat from Xiaomi’s forehead with a napkin.

Xiaomi nodded slightly. “Yeah. Why are you still up? Weren’t you on the phone with your boyfriend?”

Knowing Yu Tian’s nightly hour-long calls with her boyfriend, she asked.

“I was, but someone’s nightmare interrupted. I was having a nice chat and had to hang up quickly. I hope he isn’t upset…” Actually, she had just finished the call and then noticed Xiaomi’s nightmare.

Xiaomi patted Yu Tian’s shoulder, offering an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that!”

Yu Tian shook her head, diving back into her bed, smiling mischievously. “If you’re really sorry, then tell me about those two handsome guys today. You still haven’t told me how you ended up handcuffed to that cold, handsome guy. Spill the details!”

Her best friend, Yu Tian, had a particular interest in handsome men!