Chapter 31: This Fate Is Like a Bridge!

The van’s accomplices, seeing an unexpected obstacle emerge, swung open the doors and charged out with murderous intent. The leader, his hand wrapped in bandages, gripped a machete and slashed at Tang Ye without a word. Du Xi stepped in to cover Tang Ye, landing a sharp kick squarely in the assailant’s side. The man, having underestimated the petite young woman, suffered for his arrogance; he let out a sharp cry of pain and stumbled back several steps.

"Nice one!" Tang Ye shouted.

The slender Du Xi kicked off her high heels, her brow radiating the heroic spirit of a sharp-eyed policewoman. Taking advantage of the opening her kick created, Tang Ye lifted his old-fashioned bicycle high above his head like Li Yuanba hoisting a cauldron, and brought it crashing down onto the trafficker’s head.

*CRASH!*

The trafficker, dazed and dizzy, collapsed to the ground in a heap. Bystanders rushed forward to scoop up the little girl who had been dropped. Tang Ye immediately swung the bicycle back around. Du Xi watched in awe; she hadn't expected someone who looked so scholarly to possess such immense strength, wielding the heavy bike with the force of a whirlwind. Although the remaining accomplices were armed, they found themselves unable to break through his impenetrable defense.

"The police will be here in a minute or two; none of you are getting away!" Tang Ye bluffed, fearing they might all rush him at once.

In terms of sheer presence, it looked as if Tang Ye and Du Xi were the ones surrounding the five men! The lead trafficker, feeling his confidence waver, hissed, "Retreat! The police are coming!"

Seeing the tide turn, the rest scrambled back toward the van.

"Think you’re getting away? Not a chance!"

He couldn't stop them all, but he could certainly corner one. Tang Ye dropped the bicycle and gave chase to the trafficker who had snatched the child. As the man scrambled to climb into a pickup truck, Tang Ye lunged forward, grabbed him, and hauled him back out. Seeing the police sirens approaching in the distance, the accomplices dared not linger and sped away, leaving their comrade behind. Desperate and abandoned, the trafficker scrambled to his feet and bolted toward a nearby shantytown.

The area was a maze of haphazardly built houses, with colorful laundry dangling from poles and power lines and cables tangled overhead like a giant spiderweb. Tang Ye pursued him on his bicycle, chasing him like a hound after a rabbit. After ten minutes, the trafficker was panting like a dog, leaning against a wall and gasping for air.

"Run, why aren't you running anymore?"

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

The trafficker gripped his knife with both hands, his legs trembling violently. Tang Ye saw through his bravado, kicked down the bicycle stand, and walked toward him with calm, measured steps. The trafficker summoned the last of his courage and charged at Tang Ye with the knife.

Tang Ye loathed these traffickers. Because of them, countless families were torn apart. He delivered a kick to the man's abdomen, forcing him to his knees, clutching his stomach in agony.

"Big brother, please, spare me!"

"Spare you? So you can keep committing these heinous, immoral crimes?"

Tang Ye didn't hold back, landing a punch on the man’s jaw followed by a flying kick that struck him square in the face. The criminal’s nose began to bleed as he stumbled backward, his back slamming hard against the wall.

Tang Ye landed and turned around. The golden glow of the setting sun brushed against his right cheek, the play of light and shadow making his features look sharp and defined. Du Xi, breathless, caught up to him. Seeing him bathed in the golden light, her heart fluttered like a trapped bird, and her mind buzzed with emotion.

When the police arrived at the scene, the mother hugged her recovered daughter, tears streaming down her face. As Tang Ye stepped out of the alley, she approached him, sobbing, "Thank you so much."

The surrounding crowd looked at Tang Ye with admiration. Everyone had witnessed what transpired; faced with a murderous gang, most people would have been too afraid to intervene. Tang Ye had done what many wanted to do but dared not.

"Take the child to the hospital immediately!" Tang Ye said, having checked the girl's pulse—it was normal; she had only been sedated.

The police learned the full story from Du Xi. The captain approached and shook Tang Ye’s hand. "Thank you for your hard work. Are you injured?"

There was blood on Tang Ye's jacket—it belonged to the trafficker. He shook his head dismissively and smiled. "Give the credit to Officer Du; I just lent a hand."

Du Xi looked at Tang Ye with complicated feelings, finally realizing that the incident at the garment factory hadn't been a coincidence. She had thought his reputation was exaggerated, but seeing it with her own eyes, she knew Tang Ye was a man of true integrity.

As the crowd dispersed, her phone rang. It was her mother, complaining, "Xi, why did you reject him again? His father is your dad’s old classmate. He’s two years older than you, already a section chief, and very accomplished. You should at least try to get to know him."

Du Xi glanced at Tang Ye and whispered, "Mom, I’m busy right now. I’ll explain later!"

Du Xi turned to Tang Ye and asked softly, "Are we still going to sing?"

Tang Ye smiled. "Of course! But let’s grab something to eat before we go."

Du Xi messaged Liu Fang, "She says she’s joining us for dinner."

Tang Ye nodded. "I’ll tell Fatty to come and pick up the tab."

Du Xi clapped happily. "That’s a great idea!"

Tang Ye went home, showered, changed his clothes, and headed to the bone broth hotpot restaurant. Du Xi had changed as well, her hair tied in a ponytail, looking intently at the menu. Tang Ye strode over. Noticing him, Du Xi smiled and handed him the menu. "I’ve ordered a few things; see if you want to add anything else!"

Tang Ye scanned the menu. "Why is it all vegetables? Sun Hai isn't a herbivore."

Du Xi covered her mouth and laughed. "The point of bone broth hotpot is to gnaw on the bones and suck out the marrow."

As she spoke, Sun Hai and Liu Fang walked in. Liu Fang set down her bag, a look of excitement on her face. "Du Xi, I heard you performed a heroic deed this afternoon!"

Sun Hai looked at Liu Fang, his curiosity piqued. "What happened? What’s going on?"

Liu Fang began arranging the bowls and chopsticks, laughing. "Du Xi and Tang Ye were on a date this afternoon when they ran into child traffickers. Not only did they prevent a tragedy, but they also provided crucial clues to help solve the case. It turns out this was a gang operating across multiple provinces."

Du Xi’s face turned bright red. "You’ve misunderstood. We weren't on a date."

Sun Hai glanced at Tang Ye and muttered, "So the blind date you had at noon was with Du Xi?"

Tang Ye, thick-skinned as a city wall, worried about embarrassing Du Xi and quickly intervened. "Du Xi and I happened to be at the same café for blind dates at noon, but not with each other."

Liu Fang winked at Du Xi, her expression mischievous. "You two really are fated. You run into each other on blind dates, and then go catch traffickers together—it’s no less dramatic than the story of the White Snake and Xu Xian. You really should cherish this!"

"What do you mean 'hooked up'?" Du Xi’s eyes widened as she pinched Liu Fang’s arm, signaling her to stop.

Knowing Du Xi was thin-skinned, Liu Fang dropped the subject. After dinner, the four of them went to the KTV. Once inside, Sun Hai immediately claimed one of the microphones.

When Tang Ye sang "Embroidering the Red Flag," Du Xi held a tambourine in one hand and tapped out the rhythm with the other, looking at him with the interest of a young girl in love. Sitting right next to him, she could feel the subtle, soft touch of his arm against hers.

Tang Ye poured his heart into the song, showcasing his talent without reservation. Du Xi usually listened to pop music and was indifferent to revolutionary songs, but for some reason, she found Tang Ye’s performance particularly moving. Perhaps this was the power of first impressions—when you have a good opinion of someone, you subconsciously find reasons to admire everything they do.

In high school, many girls had liked Xiao Hui, and Tang Ye had been one of them. Du Xi had heard many of Xiao Hui’s opinions about Tang Ye—that he was too short, dressed poorly, came from a mediocre background...

Du Xi now realized how superficial those assessments had been. Most importantly, while Tang Ye might seem unconventional at times, his core was filled with righteousness. As a police officer, that quality was deeply attractive!