Silver Snow Line [Criminal Investigation]

The days began to get longer, and Xie Qingfei rarely got off work on time. When he went back to the apartment to pack his summer clothes, he sat in the park downstairs for a while. The temperature was not particularly hot, and the breeze at dusk was particularly refreshing on his cheeks.

It was almost noon at Wei Cheng's place. He had lunch on the street and was taking a walk in the square.
Xie Qingfei received the photo he sent, which showed half of his trouser legs and shoes, and a lone pigeon was looking up at him from less than a step away.
He said: [Like you.]

What is it that looks like me? Xie Qingfei replied with a small yellow bean.

At this moment, there was a rustling sound in the flowers. She looked sideways and saw a dusty little yellow dog emerging from the weeds. It was probably only a few months old and was stumbling. Its eyes were the cleanest. It first hid behind the haystack and watched her quietly. When it didn't smell any malice, its lively nature began to take effect. It ran to her feet with its curly short tail up and spread its belly out in a flattering manner.
Xie Qingfei: "..."

She suspected that she really missed Wei Cheng too much. The cat at home looked like him, and the dog here also looked like him.

So Wei Cheng received the photo of his good brother and her confirmation that they looked alike.

"Where did the dog come from?" Wei Cheng asked when the phone rang.
"I don't know where it came from, it must be a stray dog." Xie Qingfei rubbed its chin with the tip of his shoe and felt that it was very friendly.
Normally there wouldn't be any stray dogs in the neighborhood, but this one is young and not afraid of people, so it's more likely to have been abandoned.

Probably because it hadn't been petted for a long time, the puppy stood up, turned back to look at Xie Qingfei in disappointment, and shrank back into the bushes with unsteady steps. Its wet eyes became dull, its thin body was covered by leaves, and it curled up and didn't move, like a stone that no one cared about.
Xie Qingfei's heart was gently hit, and he took a photo and asked him: "Take a look at its mental state, is it in a bad mood?"
Wei Cheng: "...How should I know?"
Xie Qingfei sighed: "Forget it, I just think it's a bit pitiful."

Wei Cheng was about to say something when she received another call about something in the team, so she hung up in a hurry.
After understanding the cause of the incident, Xie Qingfei immediately rushed back to the bureau. The case was quite complicated, and the investigation alone took more than half a week, and then he worked non-stop for almost 48 hours, and the matter was forgotten.

After finally taking a break, Wei Cheng saw Xie Qingfei through the video at night after a long time. There was a suitcase spread out in front of her, and she was standing in front of the wardrobe, rummaging through something.
"Where to?"
She didn't look back. "Province X has a case and wants me to be a consultant. I'll probably be gone for three to five days."
Wei Cheng said, "Oh," and said, "Don't make yourself too tired."
Xie Qingfei ran to the camera in his busy schedule and saluted him: "Yes!"
Wei Cheng pretended to be surprised: "Are you really going to listen to me?"
"It's just to make you laugh." Xie Qingfei half-jokingly said, "But this kind of thing is not that tiring. They have already investigated almost everything they need to investigate. The most I can do is help out during the interrogation and just talk."

After the New Year, she was promoted to deputy director and was also in charge of the criminal investigation team. Although the changes seemed small, there were actually a lot more trivial tasks.
Wei Cheng should be distressed and would not take it lightly just because she said she was not tired. Anyway, if he made a few more requests now, she would generally not refuse. She could not help but nag him a few times, such as the need to combine work and rest at work, and not to rush into things too aggressively, thinking herself a superman.
"I'm not stupid." Xie Qingfei didn't find him annoying and responded to every word he said.

"In fact, I thought about the issue of professional burnout a long time ago. Before I confirmed that I would be reinstated, weren't you very curious about why I was unwilling to do so?" She adjusted the angle of the phone holder.
Wei Cheng was able to see her face clearly: "Is it related to me?"
"I've always said no, don't be so narcissistic." Xie Qingfei smiled and said, "I chose to be a policeman because I thought solving cases wouldn't be a difficult task for me. When people have nothing to pursue, the only thing left to support themselves is to realize their self-worth. That's what I think. It's fair to give ability in exchange for honor. Even if I get hurt, it's like a medal. I won't get angry about it, and I rarely take such things to heart."

Wei Cheng actually understood all of this. Her personality was inevitably biased due to her experiences since childhood. No one had the right to tell her how she should face life. But deep down, he did not approve of her continuing to hold on to this idea. It was like a cocoon that would one day take away all her oxygen, and he was often unsure whether he had the ability to rescue her.

"Why did you change your mind later?" he asked softly.

"Later..." Xie Qingfei looked at his face on the screen and touched his earlobe embarrassedly. "Okay, okay, okay. I admit that I was somewhat influenced by you. I began to feel that my life might not only be important to me, but also to myself. While consuming it, I should also cherish it, because someone will feel bad for it."
"But that's not what you said to me at the time," Wei Cheng lowered his eyelashes, "You said you didn't care."
"I thought I didn't care." Xie Qingfei said honestly, "Until now, I still feel that I shouldn't put operational risks in the first place. This is something that the insurance company should worry about. What I need to do is to complete the tasks that I should complete. I have received too much honor over the years, and I am a person who is easily proud, so I never think about reflecting. Therefore, when I have time to think about the value of my life, I suddenly realize that I actually have a lot, far more than I wanted to get from my original intention, which means that it is time for me to reconsider the meaning of my career."

"Then, I realized that I am kind and even a bit dedicated. Even though I was not recognized or even doubted, I never thought of giving up this path." She had a light in her eyes. "I love my career and I am proud to be a police officer. So I can't work too hard. Only when you live well can you do more. Don't you agree?"
Wei Cheng did not comment: "People live to enjoy their lives."
"This is the life I want." Xie Qingfei said.

He stared at her quietly for a long time before smiling: "What you like must be the best."
Xie Qingfei raised his eyebrows: "Are you bragging about yourself?"
Wei Cheng was stunned, and stuttered for a rare moment because of her teasing: "We were just talking about life, why are you suddenly talking about love?"
"Because love is now also a very important part of my life." Xie Qingfei said, "Didn't you listen carefully to what I said just now? When I said you have an influence on me, it doesn't mean that you will interfere with my career choice, but... because of you, I feel love and discover more about myself."

The two looked at each other across the screen. No one spoke for a long time. Wei Cheng came to his senses and suddenly started writing on the paper with a pen. Xie Qingfei asked in confusion, "What are you writing?"
"I'll write down what you just said," Wei Cheng said, "and then you can repeat it to your relatives and friends at the wedding. That way I'll be very proud."
"You're crazy." Xie Qingfei was amused by him. "Okay, I haven't packed my things yet after talking so much."
Anyway, every time she said something sticky, she would immediately feel embarrassed and always find an excuse to change the subject.

Wei Cheng looked at her busy back, propped up his chin and leaned closer to the screen: "The thin coat is in the third box on the left."
Xie Qingfei was stunned. He listened to him and went over to open it. He really found the coat he had put away last fall.
She asked, "And what about my dark T-shirt?" Jeans, wide-leg and tight, dark and light, asking the last question as if to deliberately test him.
"The second layer on the left, the fifth row, the cabinet on the upper right..." Wei Cheng guided her to find the answer one by one.
Xie Qingfei had to admit: "It's over, it seems I really can't live without you."

She moved the full suitcase aside, sat cross-legged on the ground, and was finally able to communicate with him face to face in peace.
Wei Cheng lives in his own home, so the study is not only spacious but also well-lit. He is working from home today with a pile of books and manuscripts in front of him. Suddenly, a group of pigeons flapped their wings and flew past the window. He turned his head to look over, and an earring on his earlobe caught Xie Qingfei's eye.

"Why did you wear the earrings inside out again?" This is from the same series as the ring she always wears close to her body.
"Doesn't look good?"
"It looks good, but you don't even look at who gave it to you."
"Well, when people ask me, I also say that my wife gave it to me."
Xie Qingfei sensed something behind his words and asked teasingly, "Professor Wei, is there anyone who wants to pursue you?"
Wei Cheng raised his chin: "Just kidding, my face and figure can charm thousands of girls."
"Really? You're bragging so much," Xie Qingfei looked at him exaggeratedly, "His face is great, but look at his figure."
Wei Cheng looked at her and smiled. He found something to prop up his phone. The wide-open curtains began to close automatically. The lights in the room were very bright. He moved his chair back, and his entire body above the waist appeared in the camera.

Then he reached out and lifted up his clothes.

Xie Qingfei never expected that he would actually do this. For a moment, she didn't know where to put her eyes. After wavering for a few seconds, she still looked at the screen honestly.
But he quickly pulled the clothes down again and raised an eyebrow at her: "Looks good?"
"I didn't see it clearly, please replay it."
"No, that won't do. You've already caught up with all the good things. Let's see who will get it." Wei Cheng thought about it and suddenly said, "The second compartment of the closet on the right, please put on that dress."
"What clothes?" Xie Qingfei curiously opened the closet as he asked, and found that the pleated skirt she tried on last time was hanging there. Although it was not used in the end, he did help her wash and iron it, and hung it neatly in the closet.

"You are still thinking about those professors and junior students." She said with a smile.
"Haven't you forgotten?" She was outside the picture, and Wei Cheng could only hear her voice, not knowing whether she was willing or not.
But soon he heard the sound of someone taking off clothes, and his breathing slowed down.
In less than two minutes, Xie Qingfei returned to the screen.

Wei Cheng was speechless for a moment. She changed into a skirt and took off her top, leaving only a thin sling, with the lines of her shoulders, neck and arms well-proportioned and healthy.
Wei Cheng suddenly felt that he was asking for trouble.

"Okay, Professor Wei, what else do you want to see next?" Xie Qingfei waved in front of his eyes, calling back the man's soul that was about to float back across the ocean.
Wei Cheng thought, does this mean that he can go even further? He had already started making up a story in his mind.

He was thinking about his own things. A scratching noise at the door attracted Xie Qingfei. She opened the door, and Hehe rushed in and threw himself into her arms. Xie Qingfei came to greet Wei Cheng with the cat in his arms. Wei Cheng was not interested in looking at the cat. He called it perfunctorily, and Hehe also meowed perfunctorily in return, then provocatively flicked his tail at him, turned around and buried his head and face in the waist of the shit shoveler.
Wei Cheng: “…”

Xie Qingfei knelt on the ground, and her skirt was naturally pulled up. This lecherous cat was very big, rubbing around her waist and legs. After playing with the cat for a while, the man and the cat had forgotten about the other man who was not sure whether he was a professor, a junior or a sponsor. Finally, hehe finally remembered that it was time to eat. Hehe was very punctual about eating, and left the arms of the shit shoveler without staying for a moment.

Xie Qingfei looked up when he saw it go out, and saw on the screen that Wei Cheng had stood up at some point and had been pacing around the study several times.
"I'm so mad," he said.
"What are you angry about?"
"It can hug you, but I can't," Wei Cheng became more and more dissatisfied as he thought about it, repeating fiercely, "It really pissed me off."
Xie Qingfei was overjoyed and coaxed him insincerely: "Don't be angry, next time I play with it, you won't see me, okay?"
"Do you know how to coax people?" Wei Cheng laughed.
She zoomed in and looked at me meaningfully: "Do you still want to see it?"
Wei Cheng's Adam's apple rolled, and he lost his temper all of a sudden: "I want to."
"Think about it." Xie Qingfei turned off the video. "Come on."

A week later, Xie Qingfei returned from a business trip.

The property management of the apartment called and said that they saw her playing with a dog in the park last time and asked her if she knew the dog's owner. She answered negatively. The property management said that since it was a stray dog, it would scare people if it kept wandering around, so they had to get rid of it.
Xie Qingfei asked hurriedly: "Can I adopt it?"
The property manager hesitated: "Yes, it is OK. If you are willing, come and take a look at its condition first."

When Xie Qingfei rushed over, she found out the reason why the other party hesitated on the phone. The little yellow dog was already very weak. It had only been a week since she last saw it, and it was already skin and bones. But when it saw her, it still tried to wag its tail.

"It's just a Chinese rural dog. It wouldn't be worth much even if it was saved. Are you sure you want to adopt it?"
“It has nothing to do with whether it’s worth money or not.”
Xie Qingfei squatted in front of the cage. The little yellow dog sniffed her fingers through the iron mesh, then turned over with difficulty and exposed its belly to her.
"Then I'll take it away. Do I need to go through any formalities?"
"No, you can just take it away."
Xie Qingfei first took the little yellow dog to the pet hospital, gave it a bath, an examination, injections, and deworming. It had been hungry for too long, and the eating process also needed to be gradual. She spent the whole of her rare vacation here to accompany it.

But she couldn't stay here forever, so she went back to the police station to work overtime and handle a case. Half a month later, the little yellow dog had almost recovered and the doctor said it could go home with her. It obviously still remembered her, jumping around her feet. This time, Xie Qingfei touched its belly as it wished, and it barked excitedly.
However, its happiness did not last long, because Xie Qingfei turned around and discussed the sterilization operation with the doctor. His efficiency was so high that the dog was happy one second and doubting its life the next.

Fortunately, after going through all these hardships, it successfully followed its owner back home.

With Hehe as his ancestor at home, Xie Qingfei was actually a little worried about whether it would accept a new member. The little yellow dog was only a little bigger and skinny enough to be pinched with a hand, but Hehe was a freak cat and could be knocked over with a slap.

The door opened, and Hehe came to greet the owner as usual, then walked to his own bowl and stretched out his paw to signal for some cat food. Before he could turn around today, he smelled an unusual smell, and immediately looked at the yellowish thing at Xie Qingfei's feet, and then opened his eyes wide and looked at Xie Qingfei.

"Don't look at me like that," Xie Qingfei bent down and grabbed its head, "You'll have a younger brother in the future, and as a sister you can't bully your younger brother, or I'll ask Wei Cheng to deal with you when he comes back."

The word "Wei Cheng" was still quite intimidating to Hehe. He walked up to the little yellow dog with a proud step. Because his coat looked too much like a leopard, the little yellow dog was so scared that he almost lost his balance and grabbed Xie Qingfei's trouser leg and whimpered.

Coward. Haha, if anyone can speak, this is their most sincere comment.
It immediately lost interest in the new species that appeared in its home and returned to its territory.

The little yellow dog was a man who could read people's expressions. He knew that this arrogant cat was the queen mother of the family. Although he was afraid, he still approached it carefully. Hehe had sensed its approach early in the morning, and he didn't even bother to open his eyelids. Seeing that it didn't resist, the little yellow dog took a little more initiative and curled up in the corner of its cat bed, then looked up at it again. Hehe yawned, and its tail rose up and fell down, accidentally landing on the little yellow dog's back. It was so nervous that it almost jumped up, but after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. It found that Hehe really had no intention of driving it away, and it was completely relieved.

"So hehe, you are quite generous. My worries are really unnecessary." Xie Qingfei told Wei Cheng what happened during the video call in the evening. "I will take the puppy home. Do you agree?"
"I wanted to say last time that if you really feel sorry for it, you can bring it back to raise it." Wei Cheng had no objection to this, "But doesn't it have a name yet?"
"I didn't expect what it's called. I just wanted to ask you for advice."
Wei Cheng said without hesitation: "Xiao Huang, Da Huang, Ah Huang."
Xie Qingfei: "..."
"What I said just now was just polite. I didn't really want you to give me any advice," she changed her tone.

"Tsk, you don't know what's good. These names of mine are so valuable that people will know what I'm calling them at a glance."
"Wei Cheng."
"I've already taken this name."
"...I was calling you." Xie Qingfei didn't know how his brain circuit was connected, and he almost laughed out loud, "I wanted to say that the name is too common and it will be difficult to find it if it is lost. Do you know how many dogs in this community are named Da Huang? Change to a more niche name."
Wei Cheng hesitated for a moment and said, "Dahei. Others would never think of a yellow dog named Dahei."
Xie Qingfei took a deep breath, grabbed his phone and went to the living room: "Think slowly, I'll eat first."
"What to eat?"
“Spicy hot pot.”
"Little spicy, little spicy, hot pot."
"..."

After Xie Qingfei finished eating, he didn't come up with any good ideas. Instead, the little yellow dog was full of sleep. Seeing Xie Qingfei lying on the sofa with her phone in her arms, he jumped up from the other end and curled up beside her.
Wei Cheng was originally admiring his wife's stunning beauty when an unknown creature suddenly appeared in the camera. He said in dissatisfaction, "You have only known each other for a few days and it is not afraid of you?"
"This is the character of the Chinese native dog."
Xie Qingfei turned over and teased the little yellow dog. The puppy could feel the love of its owner and became more enthusiastic to cuddle with her.

What does it mean? It's so unethical.
Through the screen, Wei Cheng anxiously began to pace around the room again.

(End of this chapter)