Chapter Forty: Keep the Change—Consider It a Tip

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After handling a major case, Lan Qian was in an exceptionally good mood, but a call from her father sent her spirits plummeting. She slumped helplessly against the back of her chair, unable to put into words the emotions spreading within her.

Her thoughts drifted to Zhuo Nan. She glanced at the time—nearly nine o’clock. She wondered what he might be up to. Picking up the phone beside her, she dialed his number. As expected, Wang Liru answered, “Oh, Officer Lan! Zhuo Nan’s here, I’ll call him for you. Please hold on a moment.”

Nan had just finished showering and was sitting at the table in the living room, scribbling something—certainly not homework.

“Nannan, Officer Lan is calling for you, come answer the phone,” Wang Liru called from the doorway.

“Alright, I’m coming,” Zhuo Nan replied, putting down his pen and heading for Wang Liru’s bedroom.

Knowing Lan Qian was on the line, Wang Liru made a silly face at Zhuo Nan and whispered, “Nannan, you must seize the opportunity!”

“Mom… stop talking nonsense…” Zhuo Nan felt a little embarrassed by her teasing and grumbled softly.

“Hello, it’s me. Sister Lan, what brings you to call me so late?” Zhuo Nan said cheerfully into the phone.

Seeing Zhuo Nan chatting with Lan Qian, Wang Liru quietly left the bedroom for the living room, worried her presence might interfere. She walked to the table and picked up the paper Zhuo Nan had been writing on. The ordinary letter paper was crammed with dense writing, English words, numbers, and many symbols she couldn’t understand. She wondered what Zhuo Nan was up to with all this.

While Wang Liru puzzled over it, Zhuo Nan finished his call and came out. “Mom, I’m heading out for a bit. Lan Qian needs me for something.”

“So late? Do you really have to go?” Wang Liru’s worry was evident.

“It’s fine, she probably has something important. I’ll be back soon,” Zhuo Nan reassured her.

“Be careful… Here, take some money with you. If you two go out tonight, find a café to sit in; don’t go to those little parks. There are too many muggings at night,” Wang Liru said earnestly.

Nan could only smile wryly… What would I be doing in a park, anyway? Not exactly going to the wilds…

He realized he really had no money on him. Earlier, when they split the earnings, he’d given his share to Long Kun and now regretted it. He had to ask his mother for cash—how humiliating.

Zhuo Nan quickly gathered himself, took a floppy disk from the drawer, and decided to bring it along. He hailed a taxi to the café he and Lan Qian had arranged. There, his beautiful sister was already seated at a window, her chin resting on her hand as if deep in thought. In the dim light, her captivating eyes shimmered gently. Clearly, she had something on her mind. Zhuo Nan lingered outside for a moment, admiring her before stepping inside.

Even as he approached, Lan Qian seemed lost in her thoughts. Zhuo Nan waved his hand in front of her eyes, and only then did she return to herself. “You’re here… Have a seat. What would you like to drink? Waiter…”

Without consulting the menu, he ordered a coffee. After the waiter left, Zhuo Nan smiled, “Sister, you don’t seem very cheerful tonight. You’re not asking me out just to have me admire your beauty, are you?”

Lan Qian smiled faintly. “You’re such a tease…” She herself was puzzled—whenever she felt down, she would seek Zhuo Nan out, and seeing him always lifted her spirits. She wondered, “Could I be falling for this kid?” The thought startled her, and feeling guilty, she took a sip from her cup.

Zhuo Nan considered using his mind-reading ability to probe her thoughts, but decided it wasn’t right to do that to a friend and let it go. He smiled and asked, “Sister, are you troubled? Tell me about it.”

“I went to your school today to look for you…” Lan Qian began slowly.

“Oh… I wasn’t there at all today,” Zhuo Nan replied casually.

“You’re a student. If you’re not at school, where were you?” Lan Qian stared him down, her tone stern.

“I was out having fun…” Zhuo Nan said, unconcerned.

“Fun?” Lan Qian felt a surge of irritation. “I met your little girlfriend—she’s quite cute.”

Zhuo Nan was startled and blurted out, “Are you jealous?”

“Who would be jealous of you? Don’t flatter yourself… Now tell me, what were you doing today? Be honest,” Lan Qian quickly changed the subject, as if her feelings had been exposed.

Seeing her expression, Zhuo Nan was even more certain—she was jealous. “Am I really that charming?” he wondered.

“Nothing much, just messing around. The teachers said I’d definitely pass the exams, so I went out to relax,” he replied lightly.

Lan Qian grew more annoyed at his carefree attitude. “Let me ask you, was it you who called me at noon?”

Zhuo Nan feigned ignorance. “What call?”

“You really don’t know?” Lan Qian asked suspiciously. She didn’t trust Zhuo Nan’s evasions and needed to get to the bottom of what happened, including the events of last night.

Just then the waiter brought their coffee, and Lan Qian fell silent. When the waiter left, Zhuo Nan busied himself with his coffee.

“Zhuo Nan, what happened last night? Why was I in a taxi?” Lan Qian pressed him urgently.

Zhuo Nan finished his coffee preparation and took a slow sip. “Tastes pretty good…”

“I’m asking you a question! Answer before you drink!” Lan Qian was growing impatient. Zhuo Nan wondered if she’d flip the table if he took another sip.

Setting down his cup, Zhuo Nan fixed his gaze on Lan Qian and leaned back, asking seriously, “Is Lan Zhenghao your father?”

His demeanor, gestures, and tone were all different from usual, and Lan Qian felt unsettled. “Are you investigating me?” she asked, her expression changing.

Zhuo Nan sat up straight and shook his head. “No need to investigate. I’m just guessing… Lan Zhenghao is the secretary of the Political and Legal Committee, and you’re a police officer. He’s forty-five, and his children should be about your age.”

“What are you getting at?” Lan Qian’s reply was almost an answer in itself.

“Sister, don’t get upset… I don’t want anything from you,” Zhuo Nan said, taking a floppy disk from his pocket and sliding it across the table. “That fat guy you arrested at noon—didn’t he have a lot of floppy disks?”

“So you’re admitting you called me… What are you up to?” Lan Qian’s temper flared, her voice turning sharp.

Zhuo Nan ignored Lan Qian, who was teetering on the edge of anger, and continued, “That fat guy wanted this disk most of all… But I’d like you to give it to your father. He’ll appreciate it.”

“Zhuo Nan, the more I see, the less I understand you,” Lan Qian said coldly, no longer using a familiar tone.

“Sister, I promise I won’t harm you or your father. I can’t explain everything now, but you just need to trust me. When the time is right, I’ll tell you everything,” Zhuo Nan said, holding Lan Qian’s hand earnestly.

“Let go of me… If you don’t explain, I won’t give it to my father,” Lan Qian tried to pull her hand away, but Zhuo Nan held on tight. After a couple of attempts, she gave up and let him hold it.

Zhuo Nan released her and leaned back on the sofa again, his posture and attitude giving Lan Qian the impression of a street boss.

“Sister, if you trust me, please give it to your father. It will only do good, never harm. If you don’t trust me, destroy it now—but that would mean millions of public funds will be embezzled,” Zhuo Nan said, his words weighty. Lan Qian didn’t really grasp how much a million meant, but his tone made it clear this was important.

Zhuo Nan had no other choice. If he anonymously sent the disk, the city might not pay attention; it could end up back in Wang Zhengguo’s hands. Only giving it to Lan Qian put his mind at ease.

“Fine, I’ll trust you this once. Tomorrow, I’ll give it to my father. But you need to explain last night and what happened at noon—was it all your doing?” Lan Qian stared at Zhuo Nan, her expression saying she wouldn’t let him leave until he confessed.

As the saying goes: “Confess and you’ll get leniency; resist and you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison.”

“Sister, I really can’t explain now, but I promise I won’t harm anyone, especially not you or your father,” Zhuo Nan said, reverting to his cute, childlike demeanor. Like the slogan of a certain clothing brand: “A man needs many faces…”

Lan Qian quietly wondered which face was the real one. “Why should I trust you? Just your empty words?” she demanded, glaring at Zhuo Nan.

Knowing he couldn’t persuade Lan Qian, Zhuo Nan stopped trying. In time, she would understand.

Seeing the beauty’s intense gaze, Zhuo Nan met her eyes, admiring her under the lights. Suddenly, he stood up, reached across the table, and pressed his lips firmly to hers. Lan Qian was stunned for an instant, but quickly responded—“smack!” The sound drew the attention of everyone nearby.

“Zhuo Nan, you’ve gone too far.” She grabbed her bag and stormed out, furious.

The onlookers chuckled—just another failed love confession ending in a slap. Nothing unusual.

Zhuo Nan rubbed his aching left cheek, smiling as he settled back into the sofa, thinking about the sweetness of that brief kiss.

The waiter’s timing was perfect, always appearing after the man gets slapped or drenched, smiling professionally and asking, “Sir, is there anything I can help you with?” Or, “Sir, here’s your bill.”

“Sir, here’s your bill.” The waiter’s professional smile accompanied the handwritten check.

Zhuo Nan glanced at it. “Damn, 128? For two coffees?” He quickly realized how embarrassing it was to lose face in such an ‘upscale’ venue.

Under the waiter’s friendly yet disdainful gaze, Zhuo Nan took out 130 yuan and said, “Keep the change—consider it a tip.”