My Dongguan Love Story

Lin Tao was truly puzzled. She had clearly heard the woman screaming in pain, repeatedly muttering "It hurts, be gentle."

She was always calm, composed, and never impulsive. It was only because she heard such a distressing cry that she was certain someone inside was being threatened or harmed that she impulsively broke down the door to rescue them. However, she ended up being yelled at and publicly reprimanded by the two people inside.

Hearing Lin Tao's innocent question, I froze on the spot, awkwardly scratching my head. Instead of giving a direct answer, I tentatively asked, "Officer Lin, you... haven't you ever been in a relationship before?"

Looking into her innocent and clear eyes, I couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Lin Tao nodded calmly.

She had focused solely on her studies since childhood, going directly to police academy after graduation. After starting her job, she remained dedicated to her post, constantly busy, leaving her no time for romance. But she simply couldn't understand how the commotion inside the house could possibly have anything to do with dating.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes and her slightly flushed face, I could only try to explain vaguely and gently: "Uh... actually, that sound was just what couples make when they're alone together. It wasn't that I was being bullied or calling for help. Girls in love sometimes do that."

I stared into her clear, innocent eyes, feeling too embarrassed to be too blunt or explicit.

Lin Tao tilted her head slightly, looking completely bewildered, but her tone was very firm: "Then why did she say it hurt and she didn't want to?"

Seeing her completely unaware, open, and innocent expression, my cheeks burned even hotter. I coughed lightly, then lowered my voice and spoke clearly:

"Officer Lin, you've really misunderstood. The sounds coming from inside just now weren't cries for help or coercion; they were just normal private interactions between adult men and women."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tao froze instantly.

She has always been intelligent and perceptive, but her mind is pure and simple, focused solely on her work, never giving a second thought to matters of the heart. Now that I have laid it all out, a belated wave of embarrassment washes over her, and her face burns intensely.

That healthy, tanned face, tanned from years of fieldwork, suddenly flushed red from head to toe and neck.

In just a few seconds, she fully realized what had just happened inside the room. The thought of how she had kicked the door open without asking any questions, shouting in front of everyone to stop the crime and save people from the culprit, overwhelmed her with immense embarrassment, leaving her helpless and wishing she could disappear into the ground.

In the quiet hallway, only the two of us could hear our hurried and soft breathing.

Lin Tao pursed her red lips tightly, her eyes darting around in a panic. She had long lost the decisive and shrewd demeanor she usually displayed when handling cases. Her voice was barely audible, filled with embarrassment: "How... how could this happen... It seems I misunderstood and made such a big blunder."

I quickly tried to smooth things over and ease her embarrassment: "It's not your fault. Anyone who heard that kind of sound would think someone is in danger. It was just a coincidence, don't worry about it. Let's get down to business."

She nodded gently, exuding an unprecedented shyness and bashfulness, not daring to recall the embarrassing scene from just now, and continued walking upstairs.

After arriving at room 503, I skillfully used the key to open the door.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a faint musty smell wafted out, indicating that the room had been vacant for a long time. The floor and bed were clean and tidy, but the air inside was stuffy and heavy, making it feel particularly suffocating.

I quickly walked to the window, pushed it open to let in fresh air, and the stuffy, stale air dissipated, making the room instantly feel much more refreshing.

Looking out the window, most of the factory area, buildings, walls and passageways of Dingsheng No. 2 Factory are clearly visible, offering an exceptionally wide view.

Lin Tao walked over and took a look, nodding with satisfaction: "This position is indeed good; it allows for accurate observation of the factory's movements."

As we were talking, we heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, the force of each step revealing the person to be furious.

A moment later, the same receptionist stormed in, asking angrily, "Gentlemen, the guests downstairs have complained. What exactly happened?"

Lin Tao's face flushed, and she hurriedly explained, "It was just a misunderstanding."

The receptionist responded and then asked, "The room seems alright, would you like to book it?"

Lin Tao hadn't really planned to book a room, but feeling a bit apologetic, and considering the excellent view from the room overlooking the factory area, she simply agreed: "Let's book it. How much?"

"20 a night."

"Okay." Lin Tao nodded and reached into her pocket.

Seeing this, I quickly went up to her, took out 50 yuan and handed it to the receptionist: "Keep the rest as a deposit. We'll register later when we go downstairs."

The receptionist's expression softened a little after receiving the money, and she nodded: "Okay, put it on the bedside table. It'll cost two yuan each, deducted from your deposit."

Lin Tao looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a box on the bedside table containing colorful condoms. Her face immediately flushed red. She wanted to explain to the receptionist that they weren't in that kind of relationship, but then she saw the receptionist had already gone down the stairs, so she had to give up.

She had come to find Dazhuang and entered the hotel with the intention of catching a thief, and had no other motives. But after the receptionist mentioned condoms, she suddenly felt the atmosphere was a bit ambiguous.

The room wasn't big; it contained a large bed (1.8 meters wide) and two bedside tables on either side. There was practically no space left. There wasn't even room for a stool.

I sat on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window.

Lin Tao turned her head to look at my profile, and a sudden thought struck her: I'm actually quite handsome. The thought had barely formed in her mind when her cheeks flushed even more, and she inwardly scolded herself: "Lin Tao, what are you thinking? We're here to solve a case!"

She quickly shook her head, turned around, and went into the bathroom. Firstly, she wanted to wash her face to calm herself down, and secondly, the weather was incredibly hot and humid, and her face was covered in sweat.

After she entered the restroom, she reached out and pushed the door, trying to lock it, but found that the lock was broken and she couldn't lock it from the inside.

Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced furtively at the door and saw that I was still staring out the window, not making a sound. She breathed a slight sigh of relief. She wanted to remind me to stay inside and not to push the door open, but the words caught in her throat, and she couldn't bring herself to say them.

She thought to herself that it was just washing her face, and even if Dazhuang accidentally pushed the door open, it wouldn't matter, so she casually closed the door behind her.

As soon as I turned around, I stepped into a wet, slippery puddle, which felt cool to the touch. Looking down, I saw that there was quite a bit of water on the floor, which was overflowing from the sink and flowing towards the drain in the corner.

She looked at the sink and saw that the water pipe of the faucet was malfunctioning, and water was overflowing continuously.

Lin Tao shook her head helplessly. No wonder this room only cost 20 yuan a night; the facilities were really old and rudimentary.

She only muttered a couple of complaints to herself and didn't take it to heart. Her immediate priority was to keep watch until nightfall, catch the arsonist, and then leave.

Thinking of this, she carefully avoided the puddles on the ground, walked along the wall to the sink, turned on the tap, and scooped up cold water to wash her face.

But at that moment, the old water pipe finally couldn't withstand the water pressure and burst suddenly.

A spray of water shot out instantly, spraying straight at her.

"Ah~!"

The icy water instantly soaked her clothes. Caught off guard, Lin Tao gasped and instinctively stepped back. But the ground was already covered in water and was incredibly slippery. She slipped, lost her balance, and fell straight backward.

A muffled thud!

She crashed heavily onto the puddle, her clothes instantly soaked through and clinging stickily to her body. The back of her head slammed against the hard floor, and a wave of intense dizziness washed over her.

Suddenly everything went black, Lin Tao's body went limp, and she fainted, collapsing quietly into a patch of cold, stagnant water.

I was looking out the window at the factory buildings when I heard Lin Tao scream from inside the restroom. Startled, I stood up and hurried towards the restroom.

I walked to the bathroom and was about to open the door. But then I worried about seeing something I shouldn't, so I knocked on the door instead.

"Lin Tao, what's wrong?"

I called out several times, but the toilet was completely silent, with no response whatsoever.

Just as I was wondering what was going on, I saw water slowly seeping out from under the door. My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately tensed up, pressing my ear to the door to listen. All I could hear was the constant rushing of water; I couldn't hear a sound from Lin Tao at all—it was deathly silent, unsettling.

I dared not delay any longer. The more I thought about it, the more worried I became about what might happen to her. I immediately reached out and twisted the toilet door handle.

The door wasn't locked; it opened with a gentle twist. I peeked through a crack and was instantly jolted.

Lin Tao lay motionless in the puddles, her eyes closed, completely unconscious. Her clothes, soaked through with cold water, clung to her body, highlighting her shapely figure and making her stand out.