Chu Ge guessed right, Mu Lingshan was indeed standing at his door for quite a while.

Moreover, this period was unbearably difficult for her. She didn't know how many times she had called Chu Ge, but unfortunately, all she got in response was the "phone off" prompt.

Every time she called, Mu Lingshan's heart sank a little more, and she increasingly understood what it meant to be fraught with anxiety.

If something really happened to Chu Ge, she could never forgive herself.

Finally, there was a "ding" from the elevator, and seeing Chu Ge walk out from it, Mu Lingshan breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly walked a few steps to scrutinize him up and down.

No missing arms, no broken legs, his clothes were neat, but his facial expression was somewhat odd.

Mu Lingshan was scrutinizing Chu Ge, and Chu Ge was also looking at Mu Lingshan. She was not in her police uniform, yet still appeared so valiant and spirited, with a bit less girlish shyness and more of an inner feminine charm.

Regarding Mu Lingshan and that ridiculous night, Chu Ge really didn't know how to face it. At this moment, being watched by her with such a tense gaze made him feel indescribably awkward, so how could his expression be as natural as before?

No matter what the situation was back then, some things had become facts, and he couldn't act as if nothing had happened.

The two of them locked eyes for a few seconds, and Chu Ge forced a slightly awkward smile, "Captain Mu, what brings you here?"

Feeling the unfamiliarity in Chu Ge's tone, Mu Lingshan couldn't help but feel a bit bitter inside.

In the past, he always liked to call her by nicknames, yet at this moment, what came out of his mouth was not "Officer Mu," not "Tiger Girl," nor "Ms. Ever-inquisitive."

Instead, it was the very formal and courteous "Captain Mu."

Even though this "Captain Mu" represented a status elevation to a height she had once greatly yearned for, Mu Lingshan was not the least bit pleased now; in fact, she was rather irritated.

Mu Lingshan snorted, "What, not happy to see me?"

Chu Ge chuckled awkwardly, scratched his head, and deliberately showed off the ring on his left ring finger, "Uh, it's not that you're unwelcome, it's just that a man and a woman alone, it seems a bit inconvenient."

Mu Lingshan certainly saw the ring on Chu Ge's hand and understood what he meant, but she was still amused and angry.

"Since it's inconvenient here, how about going out with me? Let's find a more suitable place?"

If this had been before that night, Mu Lingshan would likely have snapped back at Chu Ge with a couple of harsh words, and then walked away like a proud swan, although she felt inclined to do so now too, yet somehow the words changed at the last moment.

Chu Ge sighed inwardly, but he ended up smiling and nodding.

He wasn't sure what his relationship with Mu Lingshan was now, but some things are better left clear, especially since he planned to marry Qin Ruojing once she finished dealing with the board reshuffle.

Just upstairs, Chu Ge went back down with Mu Lingshan, gentlemanly opening the passenger door of the Maserati for her to sit in first, and then he got into the driver's seat.

"Captain Mu, where would you like to go?"

"Let's just go to... Encounter." Mu Lingshan didn't meet Chu Ge's eyes, instead, she turned to look out of the car window, seeming somewhat distracted, but the complexity of her feelings was known only to herself.

In fact, even though Mu Lingshan and Chu Ge had that ridiculous moment that night, she never intended to make anything serious with Chu Ge. However, the glint of the ring on Chu Ge's left ring finger still felt terribly glaring to her.

"Let's go, what are you thinking about?"

After waiting a few seconds without Chu Ge starting the car, Mu Lingshan turned back to look at him, using an irritated tone to cover up her inner turmoil.

Chu Ge gave a wry smile, "Let's skip the drinking, how about I take you to dinner instead?"

Mu Lingshan smirked challengingly, "What? Afraid I'll lose control after drinking and do something to you again?"

Chu Ge broke into a sweat, "Come on, you're someone who works at the municipal bureau, the esteemed vice-captain of the criminal police team, how come you still talk like a Tiger Girl?"

Hearing the long-lost "Tiger Girl," Mu Lingshan's mood instantly lifted, but she casually laughed it off on the surface.

"Stop with the nonsense, they say you can change a mountain but not your nature, right? Criminal police team, vice-captain, even if I became the chairman of the military commission, I would still be myself, Mu Lingshan."

Chu Ge scratched his head, "Are we really going? I'm honestly a bit scared."

"Do you think I specifically came all the way here just to mess with you?" Mu Lingshan rolled her eyes at Chu Ge's sour face, "Relax, I won't do anything to you. Hurry up and drive, why are you dilly-dallying like a big man?"

Having said this much, Chu Ge eventually started the car, left the parking lot, and drove toward the "Encounter" bar.

Before even leaving the neighborhood, Chu Ge suddenly realized something — those tails he had long shaken off were back again.

Although the possibility existed that they had lost track and returned to wait here like sitting ducks, when connected with Mu Lingshan's rather inexplicable promotion, her appearance here today, and the tension in her eyes when she first saw him, it all made Chu Ge feel something was off.

Chu Ge pondered whether there was any connection between these events but didn't bring it up on the way. After taking Mu Lingshan into the bar and choosing a relatively secluded spot, ordering some drinks and snacks, he noticed those tails sitting around, which further confirmed his suspicions.

Watching the movements of those tails, Chu Ge suddenly and without warning reached out toward Mu Lingshan's face.

Sure enough, the faces of those people all tightened, their eyes gleaming with sharpness, and one even stood up instantly.

Mu Lingshan didn't expect Chu Ge to make such a sudden move and was momentarily stunned, "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing, there was just a mosquito," Chu Ge casually made up an excuse, retracting his right hand that almost touched Mu Lingshan's face. The tails all calmed down, and the one who stood up sat back down.

Chu Ge took a sip of beer and smiled at Mu Lingshan, "Captain Mu, do you remember a question you asked me before?"

Seeing the smile on Chu Ge's face, Mu Lingshan inexplicably panicked, "Hm?"

"You asked me, what kind of person I am. Now, I want to ask you, what kind of person are you?"

The hand holding the beer came to a sudden halt, and a flash of panic crossed Mu Lingshan's eyes, fleeting but clearly caught by Chu Ge.

"What do you mean by what kind of person? It's not like you just met me today, what nonsense!" Mu Lingshan poured the beer into the glass, lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with Chu Ge.

"Is it really nonsense?" Chu Ge smiled faintly, took another gulp of beer, leaned toward Mu Lingshan's ear, "At table eight, table six, and table three, those are all your people, right?"

Mu Lingshan's pupils shrank, and although she was looking at the glass full of beer in front of her, she seemed oblivious to the beer spilling out of the glass.

"If I were to make any rash actions toward you now, would they pull out guns and shoot me?"

Chu Ge grabbed Mu Lingshan's right wrist, which was pouring beer, and pulled out some napkins from the dispenser to wipe the spilt beer from the table, asking nonchalantly.

After he finished wiping the table, he turned and gave Mu Lingshan a grin. At this moment, Mu Lingshan pressed her lips tightly together, her expression extremely complex.

"Captain Mu, do you know how annoying it is to be watched every day?" Chu Ge tossed the soaked napkin aside, released Mu Lingshan's wrist, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and lit a cigarette.

"Now, I think I need an explanation."

Chu Ge looked up and exhaled a breath of smoke, watching it add a layer of hazy color under the dim light before slowly dissipating, "If possible, could you have them leave for a while? I really can't get used to drinking and chatting under surveillance."

Perceiving the dissatisfaction in Chu Ge's tone, Mu Lingshan became a bit anxious and quickly explained, "Chu Ge, they're not monitoring you; they're protecting you."

Chu Ge smiled, indifferent. He believed what Mu Lingshan said and had already been sure that while those people might not have friendly intentions towards him, they bore no malice either. Still, being followed like this would unsettle anyone.

Since Mu Lingshan said so, it confirmed his suspicion that those who had been following him recently were indeed related to Mu Lingshan.

Mu Lingshan stood up and walked over to table three, said something to the man who had stood up. The man's expression changed several times, then shook his head.

Mu Lingshan's expression turned cold, she frowned and said a couple more words, and the man sighed, looking at Chu Ge deeply with hesitation, before leading those at table eight and table six out of the bar.

"Actually, I didn't mean to hide anything from you; there are some things I've only recently learned," Mu Lingshan returned to the table, drank a sip of beer, and smiled wryly.

"I didn't expect that me, a mere police officer, would have a high-ranking third grandpa. Turns out I'm somewhat an official's third generation."

Chu Ge refilled Mu Lingshan's glass, silently smoked a cigarette, adopting an attentive posture.

When Mu Lingshan finished speaking, Chu Ge suddenly understood, feeling rather speechless.

Because he really hadn't expected that, in a way, Mu Lingshan's connection with her third grandpa and her promotion to Deputy Captain of the Criminal Police Squad was actually related to him.

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