Seeing the police subdue the knife-wielding robber, the surrounding crowd gathered around, all talking at once to berate him. "You're perfectly able-bodied. Why resort to robbery? You must have a death wish, huh?"
"Exactly! And he looks so young. He could be doing anything else."
"That young lady is so brave. If she hadn't stuck her foot out to trip him, he probably would've gotten away."
Everyone started applauding Wen Ci, who blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, no, not at all. The officer is the one who's truly amazing."
After handcuffing the robber, the officer glanced at the gold bracelet on Wen Ci's wrist and offered a friendly piece of advice. "You'd be better off leaving that bracelet at home."
"Mm-hmm."
The scene of the incident wasn't far from the guest house. A military pickup truck pulled up, and the man driving it spotted the beautiful Wen Ci in the crowd at a glance.
After getting out of the truck, he walked up to Wen Ci and asked tentatively, "Are you... Sister-in-law Wen Ci?"
It was all very sudden, and he didn't have a photo of Wen Ci. He was only going by the description of his sister-in-law's appearance that Brother Huo had given him over the phone last night.
Wen Ci nodded. "Xue Li?"
"Mm-hmm." Xue Li flashed a grin, revealing a set of pearly whites. "It really is you, Sister-in-law. You're as beautiful as a flower, as lovely as jade—just like Brother Huo said you'd be."
Wen Ci was at a loss for words.
Wen Ci cringed at the unrefined compliment.
Xue Li reached out to help Wen Ci with her bags.
Wen Ci declined. "No, no, I'm fine."
The crowd hadn't dispersed yet. Noticing the blood-stained dagger on the ground, Xue Li's expression immediately hardened. "What happened here?" he asked calmly.
"It was an armed robbery. This young lady tripped the guy."
Xue Li's eyes widened. As Huo Jingyuan's most loyal subordinate, he had of course heard about Brother Huo getting engaged.
He'd heard she was a pampered young lady, a delicate flower who'd never had to lift a finger.
But hearing what the bystander just said, he was suddenly filled with a newfound respect for Wen Ci. To think his sister-in-law would dare to trip up a knife-wielding robber!
She was absolutely fearless.
Her guts were on par with Brother Huo's.
"Sister-in-law, you're not hurt, are you?"
Wen Ci shook her head. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
It was already nine o'clock by the time she finished her shopping and left the department store. The trip back to the Northwest Military District Courtyard would take six hours, and Wen Ci was eager to get there and settle in.
Wen Ci said, "The things I bought are at the entrance of the guest house. Let's load them up and head back to the Northwest Military District Courtyard quickly."
"No rush. I'll load your things into the truck first. I have to pick up another important person in a little while."
"Oh, okay." Wen Ci nodded.
'She remembered that Xue Li hadn't come just for her.'
-
Xue Li loaded everything into the back of the truck, and Wen Ci got into the passenger seat. The Sea City Railway Station wasn't far from the guest house; they arrived in just a few minutes.
Xue Li grabbed a handwritten sign from the back seat and stood at the station exit, holding it high. From the passenger seat, Wen Ci could vaguely make out the words written on it.
[Welcome Doctor Su Wanqing to the Northwest.]
Wen Ci didn't pay it much mind. After about ten minutes, Xue Li successfully met his party. He opened the back door of the truck and said with a cheerful smile, "Doctor Su, have you had breakfast yet?"
Su Wanqing replied gently, "I have."
Xue Li got back into the driver's seat. As he buckled his seatbelt, he suddenly remembered something. "Do either of you need to use the restroom?" he asked. "It's about a six-hour drive back to the Northwest Military District Courtyard, and there are no places to stop for a bathroom along the way."
Hearing this, Wen Ci raised her hand. "I need to go."
Su Wanqing chimed in, "Me too."
Xue Li said, "Alright, I'll wait for you both here."