Crescent Moon

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Seeing that Cai Yan kept quiet, Zhenxiu thought that she wasn’t planning on letting Yang Chen go. Looking sorrowful, Zhenxiu turned her head to look at Yang Chen, saying, “Uncle, it’s all my fault. I got you into this.”

Yang Chen smiled bitterly as he reached out to pinch Zhenxiu’s powdery face. “Stupid Girl, what are you talking about?”

Zhenxiu didn’t know what to do a moment ago. Now that her face just got pinched by Yang Chen, her cheeks turned pink slightly.

“Cai Yan, do me a favor. This kid here isn’t terrible deep down her heart. Although she’s done various bad things in the past, forget about them all at once. Let her go today and take care of the three troublesome fellows. Don’t let them provoke Zhenxiu anymore,” Yang Chen said.

Cai Yan said happily, “Oh, even you need my favor?”

“Don’t I? You are a police chief while I’m a small civilian. We’re not standing at the same level,” Yang Chen said.

“I can do you a favor, but you need to convince me with other reasons. I don’t think I need to do you a favor just because you’re a small civilian. There are civilians everywhere, am I required to help every single one of them?” Cai Yan asked before crossing her arms in front of her chest, making her firm bosom bounce for a bit.

Yang Chen cast a glance. “Ahem, ahem. Alright, we’re considered friends after all. We’re…”

At this situation Yang Chen had to put his pride down to make it work.

Cai Yan seemed very pleased. Nodding, she said, “Alright, you really did help me quite a lot. I understand you rather well as well. I’ll let whatever happened today pass.”

Listening to Cai Yan who promised to ignore this matter, Zhenxiu who looked despondent, as if she was stuck in layers of dark clouds, couldn’t believe what just happened.

“Zhenxiu,” Cai Yan said with a serious expression. “Xu Zhenxiu, you were still underage the first time you came here. You were involved in theft, overspeeding and a group fight. I remember all of them. These records will only do you harm at such a young age. Yang Chen helped you today, and I believe that you are determined to change your ways. I’ll only help you this once, so don’t take this matter too lightly. If you don’t perform well in the future and I see you here again, I’ll be extra strict towards you.”

Zhenxiu lightly bit her lips as tears slowly filled her big eyes up. She stood up and bowed thrice towards Cai Yan thankfully.

“Chief Cai, thank you. I will be a good person from now on. I won’t do anything illegal anymore…”

Smiling, Cai Yan patted Zhenxiu’s head. “Thank this troublesome uncle instead. You heard the conversation earlier, I’m just doing him a favor.”

After listening to Cai Yan, Zhenxiu stopped crying and looked at Yang Chen smilingly with an extraordinary warmth.

Since Cai Yan was present, everything naturally went smoothly. Yang Chen noticed that it was great having a friend who had authority. Although this friend of his constantly got him into trouble.

After everything was settled, Cai Yan also helped Zhenxiu to get her trolley stall back, making Zhenxiu feel touched once again.

During the process of getting everything done, Yang Chen got bored and asked Cai Yan regarding Zhenxiu’s past. Cai Yan briefed him through Zhenxiu’s background, which she happened to know through previous cases.

Zhenxiu’s mom was a Korean while her dad was a Chinese businessman. After they got married, her dad’s business went bankrupt due to an unexpected investment. As a result, he abandoned Zhenxiu and her mother. When Zhenxiu was young, her mother died due to uterine cancer, so she was brought up in an orphanage. As a result of getting bullied, she got forced to walk the wrong path. She repeatedly got arrested and brought into the police station, where she would get educated by the police officers, making her to slowly turn good again.

When Cai Yan talked about Zhenxiu’s past, it was unclear whether Zhenxiu was listening or not. She didn’t react while she went through the formalities with some police officers.

After the incident ended, Cai Yan sent the two out of the police station.

At this moment, Zhenxiu held Yang Chen’s hand as her face reddened in silence.

Yang Chen felt that this girl was really interesting. She changed from the original chilli pepper to an obedient little girl. She would ponder before she spoke.

“Tell me, Kiddo. What do you want to say?” Yang Chen asked.

Clenching her teeth, she pulled Yang Chen to a corner to avoid being seen by Cai Yan and the other police officers. She removed a pendant with red string from her neck. It looked like an old metal accessory. Crescent-shaped, it reflected soft light under the dim lighting.

Zhenxiu put the crescent pendant on Yang Chen’s palm. Shyness, determination and happiness filled her shiny eyes. “Uncle, this is for you,” she said.

“What is this?” Yang Chen asked before smirking. “Is this an item of love affair? Miss Zhenxiu, I’m actually married already. You’re asking me to cheat this way.”

Zhenxiu revealed her cute fangs and made a funny face. “What are you talking about? Who’s getting into a love affair with you? This is what my mom left me, it’s said to be an amulet. I’ll give it to Uncle,” she said.

Yang Chen stopped joking around. Smiling, he asked, “How can I accept something this precious?”

“Uncle is the first one who’s willing to stand out and protect me. You’re also the first person who gave me a good human treatment. In the past, I’ve always felt that this amulet granted me protection. Now, I don’t need to be afraid anymore as long as there’s Uncle,” Zhenxiu said with a serious expression.

“Stupid Girl, I can’t hang on your chest. How can I be an amulet?” Yang Chen asked as he scratched his head. He did something so insignificant, but Zhenxiu showed this much appreciation.

Human treatment? Were all her previous treatments given by non-humans?

Pouting, Zhenxiu said, “As long as I keep thinking of Uncle in my heart, Uncle will be able to protect me. Take it with you, at least make me feel that you’ll think of me too.”

As warmth started to fill Yang Chen’s heart, he received the crescent pendant. “Alright, I’ll help you take care of this. But you have to tell me a way to contact you. I don’t want this to be the last time I see you. I want to see whether you still do bad things or not.”

Zhenxiu’s eyes shone, but slowly got down again. “I don’t have a phone number… How about this? I’ll set up my stall nearby the street earlier for breakfast and supper. If Uncle is free, you may visit me there. I’ll be obedient for sure.”

“Will you still be stingy when it comes to how much I need to pay?” Yang Chen asked.

Zhenxiu snicked. She said, “If Uncle brings Sister-In-Law for me to see, I’ll give you a discount. However, do you really have a wife?”

“Can I really lie about this?” Yang Chen asked smilingly.

“Oh…” Zhenxiu’s expression didn’t reveal any feeling. “Then Uncle, if you bring Sister-In-Law over, I’ll give you a discount. Erm… 5% discount! What do you think of my generosity?!”

“Miser…” Yang Chen tapped Zhenxiu’s forehead which made her pout once again.

In his heart, Yang Chen felt really comfortable. He really liked this feeling, maybe due to the fact that Zhenxiu was similarly an orphan, and similarly had a depressing past. Yang Chen felt particularly empathetic. He really didn’t hope this to be the last time they met.

After giving out the present, Zhenxiu walked away unwillingly. She would turn her head around thrice every step she took. Yang Chen felt that Zhenxiu was still an eighteen-year-old, cute girl after all, following the melting of her ice-cold shell.

When he looked at the crescent pendant which exerted Zhenxiu’s natural body scent, he got shocked. He previously didn’t notice, but when he took a closer look, he found out that the pendant was made of platinum. Thinking that Zhenxiu’s parents were businessmen, it started making sense.

At this moment, there were only two people left at the entrance of the police station, Cai Yan and Yang Chen. She intentionally coughed twice, saying, “Uncle Yang, how do you feel, now that a little girl got hooked?”

Yang Chen carefully kept the pendant and smiled helplessly. “Cai Yan, don’t speak nonsense. Although I’m not any good, I really don’t have that kind of intention towards Zhenxiu.”

“Are you going to tell me that it’s sibling’s love?” Cai Yan asked as she squinted.

“Erm…” Yang Chen pondered. “That seems to be the case. I’d be happy if she was my sister.”

“No one’s going to believe you…” Cai Yan took a black casing out and passed it to Yang Chen. “Hey, this one’s for you.”

Looking at Cai Yan who took out a treasure like Doraemon, Yang Chen got shocked. “What is it?”

“Take a look for yourself and you’ll know,” Cai Yan mumbled. Her expression turned unnatural.

Yang Chen received the box cautiously and felt that the casing had some weight to it. Upon opening it, he suddenly felt speechless.

Within the box, on top of a light-golden gauze, there lay a delicate Rolex watch. Although it didn’t cost a fortune, he could tell that it was expensive, judging from the respectable amount of real gold and powdered diamond engraved.

Cai Yan saw that Yang Chen was looking at the watch in silence. Nervous, she asked, “Do you like it?”

Yang Chen raised his head and looked at Cai Yan weirdly. “Is this for me?” he asked.

“Do you think that I bought it for myself? It’s a men’s watch.” Cai Yan inserted her hands into the pockets of her shirt, lowered her head, and unnaturally stood on her toes. It was evident that she wasn’t calm.

Yang Chen closed the casing and let out a smile. “Thank you, but I can’t have it. This is too costly.”

“How costly can a watch be? I… I just want to thank you for saving me last time. Seeing that you never wore a watch, I thought that I could buy you one,” Cai Yan explained quickly.

Yang Chen shook his head. “You can’t simply give out watches. After you give it to me, I have to wear it. Once I wear it, there’ll be people asking who I got it from. We’re just ordinary friends. Misunderstandings would arise this way.”

Cai Yan suddenly turned pale. “Are you embarrassed? Do you feel embarrassed that I gave you a watch?”

Frowning, Yang Chen replied, “That’s not what I meant. I just felt that it’s inappropriate.”

“I knew it…” Cai Yan murmured as her eyes got wet. “You say with your mouth that we’re friends, but deep down your heart, you hate me, you feel that I’m stupid, you feel that I’m useless, you feel that I don’t match being your friend, and ultimately, I’m not qualified to give you a present, am I?”

Yang Chen smiled bitterly. Where is this going? he thought.

“Cai Yan, I really didn’t overthink it. I can’t keep this watch. This isn’t an ordinary present. I don’t mean anything else.” Yang Chen didn’t know how to explain.

“Give it to me!”

Cai Yan snatched the watch casing and stared at Yang Chen angrily, before walking away quickly.

As she walked, she scolded, “Stupid Yang Chen! Hateful Yang Chen! It’s my first time giving a man a present and you dared to reject me! I’ll arrest you every time I see you in the future! Stupid Yang Chen! Hateful Yang Chen…”

Looking at Cai Yan walk away, he sighed deeply. The corners of his lips revealed bitterness. He could accept other women, but definitely not Cai Yan. She was Lin Ruoxi’s close friend. It was difficult enough that he had something going on with Mo Qianni. If Cai Yan was added to the equation, Lin Ruoxi might be pissed to death. Furthermore, Yang Chen and Cai Yan didn’t have love in between to begin with. It was best to break it when it still could be broken...