Good and Evil Chapter Sixteen Lovers Reunited

Very few people knew that Xu Lang and Shu Yue were in a relationship. Aside from Shu Yue’s college roommates and one of Xu Lang’s close friends, even Shu Yue’s parents were in the dark. Not a single person in the Second Criminal Investigation Team realized Xu Lang had long since had a girlfriend.

Throughout the years they’d been together, Shu Yue was both Xu Lang’s lover and his family. She cared for him with the patience of a sister and the tenderness of a mother; she was like his shadow. After Xu Lang lost all his relatives, Shu Yue became his sole emotional anchor.

They had always loved each other deeply, rarely quarreling or coming to odds. But three months ago, an incident led to their first major argument. Shu Yue feared Xu Lang would be unable to withstand the pressure and might do something extreme, so she urged him to give up being a police officer. Xu Lang, however, had become a cop to find the murderer of his sister and mother. Asking him to quit was tantamount to giving up his quest for justice. The two of them clashed fiercely over this.

Though Xu Lang eventually resigned, intending to open a detective agency with his friend Du Ziqiao, he and Shu Yue remained distant for quite some time. More precisely, Xu Lang was avoiding her—he ignored her calls and messages, and when Shu Yue came to his door, he was always either asleep or simply wouldn’t answer. If they hadn’t run into each other at the restaurant by chance, who knows how long their cold war would have lasted.

The journey home was silent. Xu Lang chain-smoked, and Shu Yue frowned the more she watched. Several times, she wanted to tell him to stop, but in the end, she kept silent.

She parked the car at a supermarket near Xu Lang’s apartment rather than driving directly in. From the way Xu Lang was dressed, Shu Yue could tell there was nothing edible left at home; the fridge would certainly be empty.

After parking, she got out and headed into the store. Xu Lang had no intention of following—until he saw her waiting at the entrance. He stubbed out his cigarette and trailed after her inside.

Shu Yue took a shopping cart, and Xu Lang, sensing her mood, pushed it along quietly behind her. Neither spoke as they wandered the aisles.

Soon the cart was overflowing with groceries—mostly food. Given the late hour, the fresh produce section was picked over, so Shu Yue didn't select much.

At checkout, Shu Yue paid. Xu Lang, wearing only a t-shirt and baggy shorts, had nothing but his phone and a handful of change in his pockets—he couldn’t have paid for so much even if he wanted to.

As the supermarket was close by, they carried the groceries back together. On the way, Shu Yue finally broke the silence.

“I wasn’t asking you to give up investigating your sister’s case when I told you to quit the force. I just didn’t want you to go down a dangerous path. Anyway, you and Ziqiao have your agency now. Even if you’re not a cop, you can still investigate.”

Xu Lang was quiet for a long time after she finished, then finally replied, “I know you mean well. It’s just... it’s just...”

He left the thought unfinished.

Shu Yue turned to him, her eyes full of pain. She understood what weighed on Xu Lang’s heart. He knew it too—he wanted to let go, but until the murderer was caught, he simply couldn’t. It was a vicious cycle—a knot that would never unravel until the case was solved. And even as a psychiatrist, Shu Yue had no better remedy than persuading him to leave the police force for now.

They returned home in silence. After putting the groceries away, Shu Yue walked over, grabbed Xu Lang’s shirt and sniffed it, frowning. “How long has it been since you showered? You smell sour.”

Xu Lang scratched his head awkwardly. “Not that long... maybe a week or so.”

At this, Shu Yue’s frown deepened, her face full of disdain, making Xu Lang even more embarrassed. He knew Shu Yue was particular about cleanliness, almost obsessive about life’s details. If she didn’t know him so well, she probably would have blocked him long ago.

Without another word, Shu Yue shoved Xu Lang toward the bathroom, swiftly pulling off his indiscernibly-colored t-shirt and tossing it in the trash. She moved to strip his shorts as well, but Xu Lang quickly backed away, clutching them defensively. “I’ll do it myself.”

She relented, fixing him with a stern look. “Scrub yourself clean. Or else—”

She left the threat unfinished, turning and leaving the bathroom.

Once she was gone, Xu Lang hurried to shut the door. He turned on the shower, took off his shorts and underwear, and stepped under the water, starting to wash.

Just as he’d lathered himself with soap, the bathroom door opened from the outside. Xu Lang whipped around to see Shu Yue carrying a pile of bedsheets and dirty laundry. He quickly turned his back to her. “Can’t you wait until I’m done?”

Shu Yue ignored him, acting as if he weren’t there. She loaded the washing machine with clothes and linens, started it, then finally looked at Xu Lang’s soapy, bare back. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, is it?”

With that, she let down her hair, its glossy blackness cascading down, and walked over to scrub his back. Xu Lang dodged desperately.

“Get out, I can wash myself.”

“Hold still. Stop squirming.”

“Can’t you just leave?”

“No.”

“…”

For a while, the bathroom was a scene of chaos. In the end, under Xu Lang’s firm protest, Shu Yue finally relented and walked out.

About twenty minutes later, Xu Lang emerged, clean at last, in pajamas, toweling his wet hair.

While he bathed, Shu Yue had busied herself cleaning the messy apartment, putting everything back in order, changing the linens, boiling water in the kitchen, and setting out two glasses. Now she sat on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.

Seeing Xu Lang come out, she beckoned him over. He obediently sat beside her. Shu Yue stood and began to dry his hair—a perfect image of a gentle wife.

As she worked, she asked, “Did you finish the medicine I gave you?”

“Long ago.”

“How did it make you feel?”

“Didn’t notice much, just felt sleepy.”

At that, Shu Yue sighed. The medication she’d given him did contain a sedative, but surely not enough to make him sleep for three months straight. She knew Xu Lang was choosing to escape reality.

She didn’t want to dwell on the topic. “How’s the detective agency coming along? When are you opening?”

Xu Lang lay on the sofa, resting his head on Shu Yue’s lap, eyes closed in contentment. “We’ve already opened.”

“Already? When did that happen? Why didn’t I know?”

She paused, puzzled.

Xu Lang opened his eyes and looked at her refined features, grinning. “It was two months ago. But at the time, well... so I didn’t tell you.”

Shu Yue shot him a look. “So, the agency’s open, but you’re still lying around at home every day?”

Xu Lang grimaced. “It’s open, but business is slow—just the odd missing child, a lost dog, or investigating affairs. It’s boring. I’d rather sleep at home.”

Shu Yue jabbed his forehead with her finger. “You quit being a cop and now you’re lazy. If you don’t go to work and just sleep at home, where’s your money going to come from?”

Xu Lang looked at her cheekily. “I don’t have money, but you do.”

“Oh? So you expect me to keep you?”

Rather than feeling ashamed, Xu Lang nodded shamelessly, earning another eye-roll from Shu Yue.

After three months of cold war, they were finally reconciled. Shu Yue patted Xu Lang’s cheek and said, “Get up, I need to go.”

Xu Lang started to rise, but hearing this, he laid back down and looked up at her. “Aren’t you staying the night?”

Shu Yue glared at him, feigning irritation. “You like disappearing, don’t you? Since you managed for three months without starving, why should I stay?”

Xu Lang put on a pitiful smile, wheedling, “No, don’t go.”

Shu Yue, who had been trying to keep a stern face, couldn’t hold her annoyance. Whatever resentment remained melted away at his antics.

She tried to sound severe. “Get up.”

“Not unless you agree to stay. Otherwise, I’m not moving.”

Xu Lang continued to play the scoundrel. Every time Shu Yue was mad at him, he’d act this way to cheer her up. At first, she tried to ignore him, but Xu Lang was relentless and always managed to make her laugh. This time was no exception.

Finally, Shu Yue relented, looking down at him. “Get up, I want to take a shower.”

Hearing that, Xu Lang immediately sat up, then dashed to the bedroom door, declaring, “I’ll wait for you in bed.”

Shu Yue could only shake her head, bemused but saying nothing, as she got up and headed for her shower.

After graduating and moving back to S City, Shu Yue began living with Xu Lang. Her counseling office was far from Xu Lang’s place, and back then, as a police officer, he was often away. Even when he returned, it was late and she was usually asleep.

Later, so as not to disturb her rest and to make her commute easier, Xu Lang had rented her an apartment near her company. Whenever he was off duty or not working a case, he’d stay with her; Shu Yue, in turn, would come to his place, stocking his fridge with enough food to last, knowing otherwise he’d survive on instant noodles alone.

After her shower, Shu Yue turned off the living room light and went to the bedroom.

The night passed quietly. By the time Xu Lang woke the next morning, Shu Yue was already gone. He sat up in bed, lit a cigarette, and, once finished, felt much clearer. He knew he couldn’t drift aimlessly through life as he had these past three months.

He was no longer a police officer; now he owned a detective agency and needed to take it seriously. Though private investigation wasn’t as convenient as police work, he still held the title of consultant to the S City Public Security Bureau.

That title didn’t grant him much privilege in investigations, but it was better than nothing—a special concession from Lu Ye.

With this in mind, Xu Lang’s spirits lifted. Shu Yue was right—even without being a police officer, he could still investigate cases, and it might even be more convenient without the constraints of the force.

He stubbed out his cigarette, got out of bed, and shuffled around the apartment in his slippers, but Shu Yue was nowhere to be found; she must have left for work.

After washing up, he headed to the kitchen. On the dining table was a ready-made breakfast and a note:

“Breakfast is ready—remember to eat. I’ve washed your clothes and hung them on the balcony—bring them back in tonight. Clean clothes are on the bedside. There’s enough food and drinks in the fridge for a week. Try to smoke less. Now that you’ve decided what you want to do, do it well. Some things can’t be rushed—I believe you’ll find the truth and catch the culprit one day. —Yue.”

Xu Lang read the note and glanced at the breakfast she’d so thoughtfully prepared, feeling a rush of warmth.

All these years, aside from his sister and grandmother, only Shu Yue had never abandoned him, always supporting and helping from behind the scenes. He couldn’t help but be moved. Sometimes, he wondered if he should marry Shu Yue, give her a proper place in his life.

He’d brought this up before, but Shu Yue had refused. There’s no woman who doesn’t want to marry the man she loves, but Shu Yue knew that until the murderer of Xu Chan was found, Xu Lang’s heart would never be at peace. So she told him, when you catch your sister’s killer or unravel the truth behind Xu Yuan’s case, then they could marry.

Moved and guilty, Xu Lang set down the note, took a deep breath, and resolved to find his sister’s killer as soon as possible and marry Shu Yue.

Just as he sat down to breakfast, his phone rang in the bedroom. He quickly finished eating, wiped his mouth, and hurried to answer—it was Ning Yanran calling.

He picked up, and Ning Yanran’s voice came through, tinged with irritation. “Xu Lang, do you know what time it is? Everyone’s waiting on you for the meeting.”

Xu Lang rubbed his nose, embarrassed. “Is it really appropriate for me to be at your meetings? The case is almost closed anyway—does it really matter if I’m there or not?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a stern, familiar voice sounded on the line.

“Xu Lang, I’m giving you thirty minutes to report to the Second Criminal Investigation Team. You know the consequences if you’re late.”

With that, the call ended.

Xu Lang, standing in his underwear in the bedroom, stared at the phone helplessly, then tossed it onto the bed. “Old man, I’ve already quit—why won’t you let me go? Do you really see me as free labor?”

The caller was none other than Lu Ye, director of S City’s Public Security Bureau—the only one who could keep Xu Lang in check. During his years on the force, Xu Lang had solved countless cases but also made plenty of mistakes; if not for Lu Ye covering for him, he’d have been out directing traffic long ago.

Grumbling, Xu Lang nonetheless dressed in the clothes Shu Yue had set out. After all, Lu Ye was his former superior, his father’s friend, and a family elder. When Lu Ye summoned him, Xu Lang had no choice but to go.

Dressed and ready, he hurried downstairs, flagged a taxi, and headed to the bureau.

Upon arrival at the Second Criminal Investigation Team, Xu Lang found not only the full team but also Lu Ye, who stood glaring at his watch.

Seeing Xu Lang arrive, Lu Ye finally looked up. “Twenty-nine minutes, thirty seconds. Xu Lang, you really know how to cut it close—such a waste not to work in an office.”

Xu Lang, catching the tone, smiled ingratiatingly. “Uncle Lu, you’re joking. You’re the one for office work—I’m just your errand boy.”

Hearing himself called “Uncle,” Lu Ye’s face darkened further. He glared. “Call me Director Lu.”

Xu Lang nodded quickly, grinning. “Director Lu. Good morning, Director Lu.”

“Hmph.”

Lu Ye snorted and ignored him, turning to Ning Yanran to signal the meeting could begin.

Witnessing all this, Ning Yanran was utterly shocked. Clearly, Xu Lang and Lu Ye’s relationship was not merely that of superior and subordinate. And now that Xu Lang was no longer a police officer, she found herself growing ever more curious about him.