Chapter 37: A Slap

Shanghai City Police Bureau. Having finished his statement ahead of the others, Mo Ran sat alone on a bench in the corridor, waiting for news from inside.

At that moment, a clamor of hurried, disordered footsteps echoed from afar, sounding especially conspicuous in the quiet hallway outside the interrogation rooms.

Sure enough, just a second later, Mo Ran saw Su Sen and Li Lan, the couple, along with his ex-wife Su Qingcheng, hurrying toward him, all three faces clouded with worry—clearly, the police had already informed them.

“Mo Ran, why are you here?” Youthful and swift, Su Qingcheng, unlike her pampered parents, was the first to reach Mo Ran. She seemed surprised to find him there.

“Why shouldn’t I be here?” At the accusatory tone in her voice, Mo Ran instinctively frowned, feeling inexplicably irked. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Su Qingcheng, countering her question.

“Mo Ran, it must be you, you bastard—you lured my daughter away in the middle of the night!” Su Sen, having caught up, immediately launched into a tirade, pointing the finger and raising his voice before Su Qingcheng could reply.

“What do you mean, I lured your daughter away?” Mo Ran was momentarily stunned. Was this man out of his mind? If he really had done such a thing, would he still be sitting out here in the hallway?

“If not you, then who? Qingxue has always been obedient since childhood, never causing trouble. Ever since you set foot in our home, she’s become more and more rebellious. Yesterday she even dared to contradict all three of us!” Su Sen barked loudly, not caring about right or wrong, and launched into more scolding.

“Su Qingcheng, if your father’s gone senile, you’d better take him to a neurologist sooner rather than later. Don’t let him bark around here.” Mo Ran shot Su Sen a cold glare, rose from his seat, and fixed his gaze on Su Qingcheng, reprimanding her in a raised voice.

The faces of all three turned ashen at his words. Especially Su Sen—being publicly called a dog by someone he’d always looked down upon made him instantly furious. He stepped forward, raising his right hand, ready to slap this insolent wretch.

But in the next instant, Mo Ran moved first, seizing Su Sen’s wrist before he could strike, eyes wide and glinting with menace. “Su Sen, don’t force me to hit you.”

“You—you wouldn’t dare?” For the first time, Su Sen sensed the genuine threat in Mo Ran’s gaze. Yet, seeing where they were, he couldn’t believe Mo Ran would actually strike someone in a police station. He lifted his chin, wearing an air of twisted pride.

A crisp slap rang out, echoing down the long corridor. Everyone present was stunned.

Especially Su Sen—his face froze as if carved from stone, only the shock in his eyes betraying his thoughts. Even now, he could hardly believe that a man he’d dismissed as a useless parasite for three years would dare slap him in public.

“Mo Ran, what are you doing? How dare you hit my father!” At last, Su Qingcheng snapped out of her daze, stepping protectively in front of Su Sen, her face flushed with anger.

“He asked for it. I’ve never met anyone who begged for that before,” Mo Ran replied, a mocking smile playing at his lips.

“You—you—I’ll kill you!” Su Sen finally recovered from the blow, feeling the burning sting on his cheek. His pride had been shattered by that slap.

“That’s enough! This is a police station, not a place for your squabbling.” Just as tempers threatened to boil over, a police officer strode over with a file in hand, her voice sharp and commanding—the very same female officer as before.

“Officer, is the process finished? I have other business to attend to,” Mo Ran asked immediately. He had an important meeting at noon.

“It’s done. You just need to sign here.” The policewoman nodded, handing over the document. “Oh, and write your bank account number. The suspect you helped apprehend this morning was a wanted criminal—there’s a fifty-thousand yuan reward. Once the paperwork is processed, finance will transfer it directly to your account.”

Even the dullest person could understand now: it was with Mo Ran’s help that the police had caught the criminal.

Hearing this, Su Qingcheng opened her mouth as if to speak, but the words caught in her throat.

As for Su Sen, his face shifted rapidly from red to white. One part of him burned with anger at being slapped—he was, after all, the elder, was it so wrong to say a few words?—but another part felt awkward for having wrongly accused someone who had done good. In the end, his body urged him to fight back, but his reason told him he’d brought this upon himself. After a long inner struggle, he could only sigh inwardly, swallowing his indignation.

“Thank you, officer.” The mention of the fifty-thousand reward made Mo Ran’s eyes light up. What an easy windfall! He eagerly accepted the document, but a moment later scratched his head in embarrassment—he had no pen.

“What’s wrong?” The policewoman, seeing Mo Ran standing there awkwardly, was puzzled.

“Officer, do you have a pen?” Mo Ran managed a sheepish smile.

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot.” Realizing her oversight, she quickly pulled a pen from her pocket and handed it over.

Taking the pen, Mo Ran used the wall as a surface and, in a few swift strokes, signed his name and bank account number.

“Thank you, officer.” He returned the completed documents with a beaming smile he could not conceal.

“Mom, Dad, Sis!” The voice, bright with surprise, belonged to Su Qingxue, who had just finished giving her own statement and emerged from the room.

“Qingxue, are you all right?” Seeing her safe and sound, the three finally breathed a sigh of relief. But Su Qingcheng, ever observant, immediately noticed something odd—Su Qingxue was wrapped in a very old, oil-stained coat, obviously not her own.

“I’m fine,” Su Qingxue answered softly, glancing gratefully at Mo Ran. “If it hadn’t been for my brother-in-law coming in time to save me, I might have...” As she spoke, fear flickered in her eyes.

“All right, it’s over now. Qingxue, go home with your sister,” Mo Ran interjected, not wanting to dwell on the past, and looked toward Su Qingcheng.

“Brother-in-law, what about this coat?” Before Su Qingcheng could reply, Su Qingxue spoke up, and without waiting for Mo Ran’s answer, continued, “Why don’t you come home with me?”

“No need, Qingxue, you go on. I have things to do. Just return the coat to me once you’re in the car.” Mo Ran shook his head. Now that they were divorced, it was time to act like it.

“Mo Ran, do you have a moment?” Unexpectedly, Su Qingcheng spoke up.

“President Su, is there something you need?” Mo Ran didn’t answer directly, but instead looked at her with a faint, ambiguous smile.

“You saved Qingxue. I’d like to thank you with a meal,” Su Qingcheng said, pressing her lips together as if making a difficult decision.

“A meal isn’t necessary. From today on, we’re even. I owe your family nothing.” Mo Ran shook his head without hesitation.

“Mo Ran, I—” Su Qingcheng wanted to say more, but Mo Ran’s next words made her face go pale in an instant...