"Oh, I don't care. If the amount is less, then the number of times has to make up for it. Otherwise, how long will it take before I get pregnant?" Chen Qingyan said with some dissatisfaction.
"Qingyan, I think it's better not to get pregnant right now. You're already the Party secretary, and one more step and you'll be at the county level," Sun Zhewen tried to persuade her.
"Zhewen, I know that too, but I really want to give you a child." Chen Qingyan's eyes were filled with longing.
"We're still young. We can take it slow," Sun Zhewen comforted her.
"You might still be young, but I'm not that young anymore," Chen Qingyan muttered.
"Qingyan, no matter what you're like, I'll always love you." Sun Zhewen held Chen Qingyan tightly.
"Zhewen, how about we go abroad? Let's leave this place. We'll go overseas, I'll give birth to your child there, and our family can live happily together. Okay?" Chen Qingyan suddenly said.
"You don't want revenge anymore?" Sun Zhewen asked.
"I want to see him come to a bad end, but I can't bear to leave you even more. I want a child, I want a family." Chen Qingyan leaned into Sun Zhewen's arms, her voice choking with sobs.
"Qingyan, I think that day will come very soon." Sun Zhewen gently stroked her hair.
"Mm, I'll listen to you. But no protection is allowed. If I get pregnant, that's destiny. Then we'll leave this place, okay?" Chen Qingyan raised her head and looked at Sun Zhewen.
"Mm, okay. If we have a child, we won't stay here anymore." Sun Zhewen nodded. In his heart, he was still somewhat unwilling to leave—after all, things were finally starting to improve—but if Qingyan really got pregnant, for her safety, he would take her away.
That night, Chen Qingyan was like a tireless demander, leaving Sun Zhewen struggling to keep up. For two days straight, Sun Zhewen was completely drained—not a drop left—yet Chen Qingyan was still not satisfied.
The next day, Sun Zhewen dragged his exhausted body through a full day of work. When he got home, all he wanted was to collapse onto the bed and sleep. However, Ouyang Na forced him to come over. Sun Zhewen's performance made Ouyang Na very dissatisfied. She frowned and complained, "Didn't I tell you to save it? Where did it all go? Did that bitch squeeze you dry?"
Sun Zhewen said helplessly, "Nana, I'm really too tired these past two days. Please spare me."
"I don't care. Figure something out. I still want it," Ouyang Na refused to let it go.
In the end, the two of them tossed around until after one in the morning. Only after Ouyang Na had had enough did she happily hold Sun Zhewen and fall asleep.
Because of this, what Sun Zhewen feared most was their summons. Fortunately, Chen Qingyan usually didn't call for him, and Ouyang Na had her period, allowing Sun Zhewen to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
A few days later, the county bureau and the Organization Department jointly conducted an evaluation of Sun Zhewen. In fact, this matter was basically already settled—after all, the leaders had already spoken. The municipal bureau also sent people to evaluate Director Ding. The promotions of both men were essentially a done deal.
Director Ding had originally only hoped to take one more step forward before retirement. He never expected that this step would carry him straight to the position of deputy bureau chief, filling him with joy. Thinking back on the several cases Sun Zhewen had handled, he couldn't help but sigh with deep emotion.
On Monday, personnel from the county bureau's Political Department came to announce the staffing arrangements for Chengguan Town. Li Qian was also transferred to the Chengguan Town Police Station as deputy director. In terms of investigative ability, Li Qian, who came from a criminal investigation background, was indeed formidable. Whether the people at the police station were satisfied with this arrangement or not, it was already a foregone conclusion.
The first task Sun Zhewen gave Li Qian was to integrate into the team as quickly as possible and build his own team. Anyone who didn't obey orders or had objections was to be completely removed or replaced.
That day, while Sun Zhewen was patrolling the streets, Li Zhiyan suddenly called him. Ever since their divorce, the two had never contacted each other again. Li Zhiyan's voice was very abnormal, tinged with sobs, as she said, "Zhewen, can you come over to my place?"
Sun Zhewen's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he said, "Okay, I'm coming right now."
He went straight to Li Zhiyan's home. He knew the password and entered directly, but didn't see her anywhere. He walked into the bedroom and saw Li Zhiyan lying face down on the bed. Sun Zhewen asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Li Zhiyan sobbed and cried, "He hit me."
"Who?" Sun Zhewen frowned.
"Liu Qingfeng," Li Zhiyan said through clenched teeth.
"Why would he hit you? Isn't he afraid of the people backing you?" Sun Zhewen was extremely surprised.
"That's what I thought too, but he drank last night and forced his way in. He did that to me and beat me, saying I had to compensate him for his son. Wuwuwu… and he wants me to get pregnant again." The more Li Zhiyan spoke, the more heartbroken she became.
"What? He knows?" Sun Zhewen's eyes widened.
"How could he not know? Last time, he even called Liu Qingfeng himself. I just didn't expect Liu Qingfeng would still dare to do this." Li Zhiyan's tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Let me see your injuries," Sun Zhewen said.
Li Zhiyan gently lifted the blanket. On her jade-white body, streak after streak of injuries were shockingly visible—some bruised purple, others swollen red, silently telling the pain she had suffered. Sun Zhewen's gaze fell on those marks, and his heart clenched hard. When he lightly touched one with his hand, Li Zhiyan's body couldn't help but tremble.
Sun Zhewen's eyes were filled with pain and tenderness as he softly asked, "Does it hurt?"
Li Zhiyan's eyes brimmed with tears. Through her blurred vision, she looked at Sun Zhewen, her voice trembling, "It hurts. Zhewen, hug me. I miss you."
Hearing this, Sun Zhewen slowly extended his arms and gently pulled her into his embrace. Among all the women he knew, Li Zhiyan had the fairest, most delicate skin—yet now it had been injured to this extent. His heart was filled with both pity and anger.
Li Zhiyan slightly raised her head, kissed Sun Zhewen's cheek, and said, "Zhewen, I regret it."
Sun Zhewen looked at her in confusion and asked, "Hm?"
Tears slid down Li Zhiyan's cheeks as she said in a choked voice, "Zhewen, I feel so awful."
Sun Zhewen gently patted her back, coaxing her like a child. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Everything will get better."
Li Zhiyan took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "Zhewen, Liu Qingfeng will be smuggling in a batch of goods soon. It's Liu Jing who's making contact."
Sun Zhewen frowned, thought for a moment, then said, "But the strength of a single police station isn't enough to deal with them, and I'm not even sure everyone will listen to me."
Li Zhiyan tightly grasped Sun Zhewen's hand, her gaze firm. "I'm not asking you to arrest them. I want to see if you can record their crimes."
Sun Zhewen nodded. "That should be possible."
Li Zhiyan added, "But you must find someone reliable."
Li Qian's figure instantly flashed through Sun Zhewen's mind, but he didn't know whether Li Qian had changed over the years. After weighing it for a long time, he asked, "Do you know when it will be?"
Li Zhiyan answered without hesitation, "The night after tomorrow at four o'clock. At the river dock."
With a serious expression, Sun Zhewen said, "You need to be careful. Don't let them find out you're eavesdropping."