Since Xu Lan had enough money to live out the rest of his life comfortably, he cared about neither the commendation nor the job promotion. He was more concerned about the possibility of Baldie Chen pocketing his money.

“Heh. Director General, this isn’t up to me. Look at where seven, eight years of hard work got me? I’ve decided to take things easy and spend the rest of my life in peace,” Xu Lan cursed at him softly while smiling.

“Xu Lan!” Baldie Chen shouted after hearing what Xu Lan had to say.

“Yes!” Xu Lan remained seated on the chair, his booming voice took Lao Chen by surprise.

“Let’s put it this way. You don’t have a choice; whether you like it or not, you’ll have to attend the ceremony. Unless you don’t mind being suspended again, I would strongly advise you to comply,” Lao Chen threatened.

“Sigh, Director General Chen, don’t you think that the person who lodged a complaint against me is crazy? He complained about my allegedly complicated familial relationship and misbehavior. Aside from my distant relative whom I brought over here a few days ago, have you seen anyone looking for me at the police station?”

Xu Lan grew angry just by talking about it. He wondered which bastard thought that the case was coming to a close and lodged a complaint against him!

“I’m sure you’ve heard about the death of Master Xu, the owner of the biggest conglomerate in Whitehorse,” Xu Lan whispered into Lao Chen’s ear, as though he was unveiling a great secret.

Lao Chen shivered, even the fats on his face trembled slightly. Xu Lan sort of knew why Lao Chen had the guts to mistreat him all these years.

Xu Lan’s hands rested on the script. He refused to be a doormat any longer. He would leave if he had to.

When Xiao Feng called Xu Lan, Xu Lan was still enjoying the egg yolk pastry Bai Wu made for him at home. He sneaked home for a quick break. Before he knew it, his phone rang.

“Hello, Officer Xiao?”

“Where are you? Come over now. Lan Er pulled up some files on the person who died seven years ago. Also, ‘Sparrow’ seems to be active again!” Xiao Feng spoke with excitement in his tone.

“I’m home. I’ll be there shortly,” replied Xu Lan.

“Home? You can just stay home for the rest of the day then,” Xiao Feng spoke after a pause.

Xu Lan looked at Bai Wu who was peeling an apple for him. He replied, “Uhm, it’s fine. I’ll be there.”

Bai Wu’s hands paused. He ignored his aching heart and continued peeling the apple for Xu Lan.

Xu Lan told Bai Wu to stop peeling as he put on his shoes. He informed Bai Wu that he might be home late and that Bai Wu should have dinner without him.

Bai Wu nodded and walked Xu Lan to the door. Feeling drained, he lowered himself into a squat after Xu Lan disappeared from sight. He wondered how Xu Lan could act as though nothing happened, as he could not do the same. He tried figuring out Xu Lan’s thoughts carefully for he feared that he would accidentally push Xu Lan’s buttons.

Whenever Xu Lan was around, Bai Wu had to resist the urge to hug and kiss him. Whenever Bai Wu had dreams, his face would always be soaked in tears. He regretted his harsh words deeply.

The void grew bigger and bigger, yet Bai Wu was unsure how to tell Xu Lan about it.

After squatting for a long time, Bai Wu’s mood improved slightly. He occupied himself with dinner preparation for both of them. Even though Xu Lan said he was not coming home for dinner, he had been returning every day.