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Chapter 25
Rumored Boyfriend
Next day.
City B, central district.
The heavily guarded prison gate slowly opened, and a black bulletproof car with a Shenhai license plate stopped in front of the guard post. Armed guards approached and knocked on the car window: “Show your identification!”
The driver’s side window slowly rolled down, revealing a person with half of their face covered by sunglasses. The exposed jawline was deep and cold, with a complexion as pale as snow. Without saying a word, they stared at the guards.
“…”
Several guards were taken aback: “Sup-Sup-Supervisor Shen!”
Shen Zhuo remained silent, and the car window rose again before driving toward the iron-gray prison building at the end of the asphalt road.
“I think this coat is nice, don’t you?” In the back seat of the car, Witch Italdo handed Chanel’s latest season catalog to Bai Sheng, asking for opinions with an air of condescension.
Bai Sheng earnestly replied, “I think burgundy complements your hair color. Also, this dress, this suit, and this entire set of jewelry… they all look good. How about we just buy everything from this season?”
The witch happily agreed, “Sure! Let’s do it!”
Shen Zhuo: “…”
After sending Kingston, who had a broken leg, to the hospital yesterday, Bai Sheng personally accompanied Witch Italdo for an afternoon of shopping. After the spree, Witch Italdo looked like a completely different person. She was now dressed in a high-end designer gown with a blinding diamond ring on her hand. In the back seat, there were sixteen bags—eight Hermes and eight Chanel bags—that Bai Sheng bought for her by closing the entire store yesterday. The lavish spending shocked the entire mall, and when she signed the bill, all the store staff were popping champagne and applauding.
For the first time in her life, the witch experienced the joy of “buying everything except this and this.” Overjoyed, she wore ten-centimeter high heels all night in the autopsy room, almost scaring the night patrol guards into illness. Early this morning, she couldn’t wait to change into the full Chanel outfit. Even on Shen Zhuo’s private jet, she took several selfies with the blue sky and white clouds. She posted a nine-picture grid on Shui Ronghua’s social media, and everyone in the supervision office gave her a thumbs-up.
“Oh no, don’t look. This aquamarine doesn’t suit you.” Bai Sheng leaned on his side while flipping through the same jewelry magazine as the witch. He kindly turned a page for her, saying, “Look at these rubies; they match your hair color. I’ll have someone make you a ruby crown, and then we can place a one-to-one replica of the Iron Throne in the autopsy room. That way, you can have a coronation ceremony every day when you come to work. How about that?”
The witch imagined the scene, and her dragon heart was delighted, “Very good, not bad at all. Humans with a taste like yours are rare these days!”
With a clap, the witch and Bai Sheng exchanged a high-five, displaying a magnificent friendship that transcended cosmic races.
“…” Shen Zhuo withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror and uttered a few words, “That’s enough.”
Witch: “Heh.”
“Darling, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you.” Bai Sheng flipped through a magazine with a grin. “While shopping yesterday, we specifically picked out a birthday present for you—a complete set of eighteen various styles of whips. The witch said some of them seem particularly suitable for your temperament. We’ll have them packed and delivered to the supervision office’s interrogation room tomorrow. You can use whichever one you like to beat the suspects. How about that?”
“…”
Shen Zhuo, holding his forehead with one hand, remained silent and stepped on the brake forcefully.
With a sharp friction sound, the car stopped in front of the prison building, and the waiting staff immediately approached to greet him.
The witch lifted her skirt, stepped into crystal high heels, and with her flaming red hair burning like flames, she proudly stepped out of the car amid the astonished gazes of onlookers.
Shen Zhuo got out of the car and walked toward the prison building. Bai Sheng hurriedly caught up, forcibly hooking his shoulder and hugging him with a smile, “Hey, Inspector, think about it from a different perspective.”
Shen Zhuo glanced at him, implying, what does he mean by different perspectives?
Bai Sheng said, “Our extraterrestrial friend came from afar. Shouldn’t we show a warm and hospitable host image? Cultivate a positive new hobby for her? Anyway, liking designer bags is much more convenient than liking human skin, right?”
Shen Zhuo replied indifferently, “I’m saving prison resources and incidentally dealing with societal waste in an environmentally friendly way…”
The witch inspected her newly done nails which Bai Sheng had brought her yesterday: “Oh, starting to care about your boyfriend’s wallet now?”
Instantly, the surroundings fell silent.
Everyone looked unanimously at Bai Sheng, their gazes filled with indescribable shock and admiration. For a moment, they didn’t know whether to marvel at his fearlessness in the face of death or reflect on the bewitching power that could cloud one’s judgment.
Bai Sheng glanced at Shen Zhuo’s expression and then explained to those around him with understanding, “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. Inspector Shen and I are friends, true friends, socialist brothers with absolute honesty!” Then he humbly bowed.
Everyone: “…”
Everyone wore the expression “we understand, we understand” on their faces, nodding in unison with forced smiles. Their gazes shifted back and forth between the two individuals, and there was a palpable awkwardness in the air, as if everyone could see through the situation but chose not to acknowledge it.
Shen Zhuo asked in a low voice, pressing his one hand against his forehead, “Does being misunderstood make you so happy?”
Bai Sheng replied in the same low voice, “What you see as a misunderstanding, I don’t necessarily view it that way. Besides, I’ve maintained a clean reputation for twenty-seven years, and now I’ve got a beauty like you involved in a rumored relationship with me. Isn’t that something I deserve?”
Shen Zhuo whispered, “This is called judging people by appearance, and you…”
“—’The secrets of the world lie in what is visible, not in the unseen. Only shallow people don’t judge based on appearances.'”
For a moment, Shen Zhuo fell into silence.
Bai Sheng smiled and said word by word, “1890, Oscar Wilde.”
For the next ten minutes, Shen Zhuo couldn’t find words to refute Wilde, so he ignored the person surnamed Bai completely.
………
The prison in charge nervously came to a halt and said, “Supervisor Shen, we have arrived.”
This was a dimly lit and shaded corridor within the prison, with the surveillance cameras on the wall having been turned off. Not far away was a small cell, where about ten prisoners were locked up. Upon hearing the sound, they turned their heads, casting hostile glares at them.
Shen Zhuo had taken the keys from the official in charge, saying, “You can leave now; there is no need to come in anymore.”
The person in charge, regretting not taking sick leave about eight hundred times by then, had almost burst into tears upon hearing this. He and his subordinates had swiftly withdrawn, silently thanking Shen Zhuo and his entire family in their hearts as they left.
In the cramped space, aside from a roomful of prisoners, only three of them remained. Bai Sheng stood with his arms crossed, not far away, while Shen Zhuo approached and, under the excited gaze of Witch Italdo, used the key to unlock the door of the cell.
“According to our contract, summoning requires sacrificing eighteen people,” Shen Zhuo said. “They are all yours.”
“What… what are you doing?” The prisoner stared at Witch Italdo, standing alert as he got up. “What do you want?!”
The witch moved her fingers, a bit displeased, and asked, “Why couldn’t this be settled in the Shenhai? Why run all the way to City B?”
“Handling inter-provincial transportation procedures is too cumbersome.” Shen Zhuo raised his chin toward the cell: “I personally went through the case files and picked out a group, mostly involved in trafficking rings, with a few cases of domestic violence leading to death and sexual assault on minors… After careful consideration, you’ll have to make do with them.”
The witch rolled her eyes, smiled charmingly, and reached out to hook Shen Zhuo’s chin: “Hey handsome, why so cooperative this time?”
Bai Sheng: “Ahem!”
Surprisingly, the witch immediately withdrew her hand, apologized to her human friend Bai Sheng with a wink, and then walked into the cell with graceful steps.
“Don’t… Don’t come over!”
“Damn it!”
The prisoners probably sensed something was amiss, and in overwhelming fear, they desperately retreated to the corner. However, it was futile. The witch’s eyes gleamed with intense joy as she effortlessly grabbed the leading trafficker, and with a swift motion, she tore his legs apart with a resounding snap!
A horrendous scream echoed, and as the prisoners attempted to flee, they were intercepted by the witch. She reached out, grabbing one as they passed by. Hot splatters of blood and flesh covered the floor, and shattered bones scattered onto the ceiling. In the midst of the prisoners’ agonizing screams, the witch extracted the heart from the one beneath her feet, twisting and turning like a worm on the bloody ground.
“Help—help!!” Someone madly screamed while running outside. Shen Zhuo stood outside the cell with his hands in his pockets, seemingly unaffected. With a slight tilt of his head, he calmly watched as the blood-soaked hand swung past his eyelashes.
Following that, the prisoner felt a heavy and chilling force pull him back, rendering him unable to take another step. Then he heard the silver bell-like laughter of the girl he had killed years ago ringing in his ears.
The next moment, he was lifted into the air, desperately waving his arms in mid-air. As he looked down, he saw his waist still connected to two legs that remained standing in place.
A flood of blood, akin to a burst dam, spread across the floor. Limbs and entrails were strewn everywhere, and the cries of agony finally disappeared completely.
The dim space became eerily silent, with only the satisfied breaths of the witch echoing in the corridor.
At that moment, a muffled buzz emanated from a cell phone. Shen Zhuo glanced down, and the screen displayed an unread message from Chen Miao:
【Senior, I’m downstairs.】
Shen Zhuo calmly dismissed the message and turned to instruct Witch Italdo, “Let’s call it a day for now. Let Doctor Shui come back.”
“Tsk, tsk.” The witch licked her blood-stained lips, leaving a fragrant taste on her teeth. She threw a rare flirtatious glance at Shen Zhuo, “Next time, remember to look for me~”
In the next moment, an eerie glow enveloped her entire body. The terrifying right side of her face smoothed out, her facial features adjusted, and her bones transformed. In an instant, she vanished from the spot, replaced by a tall, sleek, and agile female doctor.
Dr. Shui Ronghua wore a white coat, her thick, black hair neatly tied at the back of her head. She carried a silver medical kit and calmly surveyed the cell, which was filled with remains and blood.
“…” She sighed, muttering to herself, “After you had your meal, it’s my turn to clean up, huh?”
“I need to attend to something and will be back within half an hour,” Shen Zhuo gestured to Bai Sheng as he turned: “You stay here to protect Dr. Shui.”
In any situation where Shen Zhuo was present, Bai Sheng’s attention would uncontrollably focus on him. Despite appearing nonchalant and leaning against the prison door, he resembled a lazy yet majestic lion: “What requires so much time to handle?”
Shen Zhuo avoided the question, “Chen Miao has something to discuss with me.”
Bai Sheng immediately responded, “Why hide things from me? It’s really hurtful. What can’t we share between us? Here, this is my bank card, this is my credit card, and here’s my WeChat payment password…”
“Did things progress so quickly in the two days I was away?!” Shui Ronghua turned around in shock.
“Oh no, no, I’m still working on it.” Bai Sheng modestly waved his hand. “For now, I’m just the rumored boyfriend circulating among the general public.”
Shen Zhuo:”…”
Shen Zhuo turned and walked away, not glancing at the two of them again.
Outside the prison building, the black car they arrived in was still parked on the steps. A few steps away, another bulletproof off-road vehicle with a Shenhai license plate had appeared at some point.
“Senior!” Chen Miao pushed the door open and stepped out, quickly walking up. There was a hint of concern in his eyes. “Do we really not need to inform Bai-ge about our trip?”
Shen Zhuo sat in the car. “No need; he’ll definitely want to follow. Let’s go quickly and come back as soon as possible.”
“Uh, Senior, are you okay?” Chen Miao scrutinized his face with concern. “Why do you look so tired?”
Shen Zhuo replied, “Tired in the heart.”
Understanding, Chen Miao asked, “Is it because of Witch Italdo?”
“No, it’s because of the rumored boyfriend…” Shen Zhuo began, then abruptly stopped.
The air froze for three seconds, and Chen Miao’s expression turned blank.
Shen Zhuo covered his eyes with one hand and, after a while, slowly squeezed out a few words, “Drive your car.”
“…”
Chen Miao made a zipper motion over his mouth, maneuvered into the driver’s seat with a bit of awkwardness, and started the bulletproof off-road vehicle. It roared out of the prison gate.
……..
The prison was located on the outskirts of the city, and the journey to the cemetery in City B was not far. Fifteen minutes later, they stopped in front of the cemetery gates.
Chen Miao stepped on the brake, glanced at the scene outside the car window, and couldn’t help but turn around for one last attempt: “Senior, how about I accompany you inside? Even though they don’t like me much, with two people, at least if a fight breaks out, I can still—”
Shen Zhuo simply shook his head, opened the door, and stepped out, gazing ahead.
Before him stretched a long line of bluestone steps leading to the cemetery tombstones. A group of evolutionists, dressed in Central Supervision Office uniforms, cast hostile glares in his direction. A black-and-white banner hung in front of the steps.
The third-anniversary memorial of Fu Chen’s death.
Clad in black, Shen Zhuo’s slender figure cut through the sunlight, reflecting off his frosty side profile. His expression was tranquil and indifferent, even paler than the silk flowers on his chest.
“I have a clear conscience; there’s no need for company,” he said lightly.
Shen Zhuo adjusted his attire, paying no heed to the buzzing murmurs around him, and walked straight toward the tombstone ahead.
……
Why can’t one be too cruel to human traffickers and those who commit sexual assault against minors? Italdo said that she would like to know too.
Author’s note:
Oscar Wilde: I didn’t mean it that way.jpg
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For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
When shen zhuo said rumored boyfriend lmfao.
Thank you so much for translating<3
I love the interactions between Bai Sheng and the Witch Italdo, they are so funny and also sweet showing her a new interest.
Shen Zhuo patience is so strong haha
Thank you so much for translating, it’s a really gripping novel and hard to put down.