Shuangshuang, I Was Wrong!

"Shuangshuang, I was wrong. Don't go!"

The man's words were heavy with a thousand unspoken emotions. Wen Shuang was breaking up with him, and he truly couldn't bear to let her go—nor could he get used to the idea!

"I don't want to be so easily pacified anymore, Ji Shen."

Wen Shuang tried to pry his hands off her, but with her slender arms and legs, she was no match for his strength.

"It’s not just about your relationship with Ms. Jiang. Your cold indifference during this past period has hurt me deeply!"

"I wasn't intentionally giving you the silent treatment; I have truly been swamped lately."

Ji Shen spoke in a low voice about a case involving a young girl. A college freshman, who had never even been in a relationship, had been violated by a group of scum—so brutally that she might never be able to bear children.

Although he spoke only a few sentences and mentioned no names, once Wen Shuang imagined the scenario, she felt an immediate, sharp pain.

"That’s horrible! Have those damned beasts been caught yet? No, calling them beasts is an insult to animals!"

As a dancer, Wen Shuang possessed a deep sense of empathy; hearing this, she wanted to tear them apart herself.

"Three have been caught, and two remain. I received word about one of them tonight; we should be able to find them soon!"

"Ji Shen, you must bring those damned scumbags to justice!"

As a woman, Wen Shuang felt this was a pain beyond what any life should have to bear. When she lived alone, she had once been nearly assaulted, and it was only thanks to her habit of carrying pepper spray—and Ji Shen arriving just in time—that she had been spared. She remembered how terrifying that experience had been. To think of this young girl suffering at the hands of so many men…

She looked at the bloodshot eyes and exhaustion on his face. It seemed he really had been busy with the case, not off with Jiang Ning!

Wen Shuang’s attitude softened. "When you catch them, let me know. They must be punished severely. Not a single one should get away!"

"Of course," Ji Shen said firmly.

He pulled her suitcase back into the room. "Now, do you believe I haven't been doing anything to betray you?"

Wen Shuang turned her head away and gave a soft, indignant huff.

Ji Shen pulled her into a tight embrace. "The life of a police officer is just too busy; when I'm focused on work, I neglect my home. I’m exposed to so much human depravity that it’s inevitable I bring that frustration into our life sometimes. Shuangshuang, I promise I’ll try my best not to let that happen again."

Wen Shuang was silent for a long time. Ji Shen rarely shared details of his cases with her. The fact that he was willing to explain showed how much he truly wanted to make amends.

*Wen Shuang, you damn lovesick fool,* she thought, *you’re already making excuses for him!*

Eventually, she mumbled into his chest, "And you are not to reply to Ms. Jiang’s messages anymore either!"

"Fine."

"Once you have me, you can't have anyone else!"

Ji Shen chuckled. "When have I ever had anyone else, hmm?"

He carried her to the master bedroom, kissing her with an impatient urgency.

"Go take a shower first, you reek!"

"Let’s do this first, then I’ll shower right after!"

…

After a night of emotional turmoil and confession, their relationship returned to a state of harmony. In the days that followed, no matter how busy Ji Shen was, he made sure to come home for dinner. Even if he had to rush back to the case, he would at least stop by once a day.

Wen Shuang saw how exhausted he was and told him several times it wasn't necessary, but Ji Shen insisted. Eventually, she stopped trying to stop him.

However, due to his constant, sleepless labor, Ji Shen caught a fever. Wen Shuang had promised herself after they reconciled that she wouldn't be so good to him anymore—after all, pampering a man only leads to a lifetime of bad luck! But when she saw him flushed with fever and still preparing to head to work, her heart softened against her will.

She prepared a full table of food and delivered it to the police station at noon. Ji Shen was surprised; it had been a long time since Wen Shuang had been so thoughtful as to bring him lunch.

"Ordering takeout would have been the same," he said. "You didn't have to go through the trouble. Don't you have a rehearsal this afternoon? It's a hassle for you to come all the way here, and cooking is exhausting. A woman's hands should be for pampering and manicures, not for slaving over a stove."

Besides, Wen Shuang's leg had only recently fully recovered. He didn't want her running around.

Wen Shuang appreciated his concern, but she retorted, "Don't be so narcissistic, Officer Ji. How do you know I cooked this just for you? Xiao Zhang and the others haven't had lunch either, so I made it for them too!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Ji Shen raised an eyebrow. "Too bad, I've already sent them all out to work."

No sooner had he spoken than a group of detectives, led by Xiao Zhang, burst in, unable to hold back any longer!

"Captain Ji! That’s going too far! Sister-in-law said she brought it for us, and you want to hog it all for yourself?"

Wen Shuang couldn't help but laugh. The detectives, especially Xiao Zhang, were always so charming whenever they saw her, which always put her in a good mood.

Xiao Zhang mentioned how busy they had been lately. Ji Shen was the most intense of them all; in order to find the suspects, he had spent a week checking surveillance footage and traffic intersections, going four days and nights without sleep.

Wen Shuang reached out to touch Ji Shen’s forehead; it was still burning hot!

"Didn't I tell you to go to the hospital this morning?"

"I'm fine, a fever reducer will do the trick," the man said with a smile.

Xiao Zhang complained, "Sister-in-law, please keep him in check! He’s always like this. He gets sick and just tries to muscle through it instead of seeing a doctor. I’m afraid if he keeps this up, he’ll burn out his brain. You’re the one who will suffer in the end!"

Ji Shen kicked him lightly. "Get out of here, shut up!"

Wen Shuang couldn't do much with him; when it came to his own health, the man was the definition of "in one ear and out the other."

"The suspects for this case were hard to catch, and I need to interrogate them as quickly as possible to give that young girl some closure." A weary but determined smile hung on his face. "If we can't stand up for the victims, what use are we as police officers? Our job is to step up when it matters most, so that young girls don't have to be afraid of wearing floral dresses. Our duty is to ensure the world remains a place of vibrant, brilliant beauty."

As he said this, his eyes shone with an unwavering light.

Wen Shuang thought to herself that this was the version of Ji Shen she had always loved: upright, honest, and steadfast.

"I believe you can do it, Officer Ji!"

At the theater, the "Green Lotus Awards" were underway to name the best actors and actresses. The results were determined by the audience and the theater's internal voting. Recently, all the performers had been buzzing about it.

There was no doubt the Best Actor award would go to Luo Xingwei; he had played the most lead roles in the theater's major productions this year and possessed the most refined technical skills of all the men.

But as for the Best Actress award, it was a toss-up between Wen Shuang and Yao Qianqian.

Who would ultimately take the crown remained to be seen.