Chapter 4: Can Mulberry Leaves Really Be Trusted?

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Xing Hao stood upright and said, "There's a lounge inside. Before we apprehend the suspect, it's our duty to ensure your safety. However, the precinct is currently short-staffed, and no one can escort you home. You'll have to make do with staying in the lounge for the night."

Sang Ye took the water gratefully, a bit surprised. "You've already identified the culprit so quickly?"

Xing Hao patiently explained, "This case has troubled us for a long time. The previous leads and tonight’s clues pointed in completely different directions, which misled us. If it weren’t for the crucial tip you provided tonight, we might still be spending time on it. Just now, after the forensic examination, we obtained key evidence confirming the suspect. We’re now moving to apprehend him."

Hearing this, Sang Ye understood and smiled. "Alright, then I’ll stay in the lounge tonight. Thank you, Officer Xing."

Xing Hao nodded at her before briskly walking away.

The lounge was tidy, devoid of any other odors.

Sang Ye held the little white cat in her arms but couldn’t fall asleep.

The cat seemed to sense her mood and comforted her, "Don’t be afraid, human, I’m here!"

Sang Ye stroked its head. "Good! With the great kitty here, I’m not scared!"

Perhaps it was her grandfather’s spirit watching over her from heaven that night.

She suddenly felt a pang of longing for her grandfather.

The next morning.

As soon as Sang Ye stepped out of the lounge, she heard the news that the serial killer had been caught.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief; at least she no longer had to worry about being followed or harmed by the serial killer.

Just as she returned to the clinic, Yao Yao saw her, phone in hand, running over. "Sang Ye, are you okay? I just heard from others that the police found a body on your way back last night."

Sang Ye nodded. "Yes, the culprit has been caught."

Upon hearing this, Yao Yao’s expression soured. "See! I told you to have someone pick you up! It’s so dangerous for a girl to go home alone! What if—"

Halfway through, Yao Yao suddenly realized what Sang Ye had said and looked at her. "Wait, how do you know he’s been caught?"

She walked inside as she spoke, "Because I was the one who called the police last night."

Compared to Sang Ye’s calm demeanor, Yao Yao’s voice instantly shot up eight notes. "What?!"

She asked urgently, "You called the police? Are you hurt? What exactly happened last night?"

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Sang Ye shook her head. "No, I just stayed in the police lounge overnight."

She had just entered the clinic when several voices caught her attention.

“What’s going on today? My mouth is dry, and no one’s giving me water! If I don’t get water soon, I’m going to make a fuss!”

“This cage is too small—I want to tear the place apart!”

“The golden retriever next door is too noisy. I just want to swipe at it!”

Listening to their noisy chatter, Sang Ye couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly, her clinic felt lively.

She first poured water for the golden retriever, then added cat food for another ragdoll, placed another kitten onto the cat tower, and switched the husky who complained about the cage being too small to a larger one.

Just as she settled the little white cat, a customer arrived to buy cat food, followed by several more. By 10 o’clock, the client with a surgical appointment also showed up.

The usually quiet clinic had suddenly become busy.

After finishing the surgery, Sang Ye received a call from the police station.

“Hello, this is Xing Hao.”

Hearing it was Xing Hao, Sang Ye paused. “Officer Xing, is there something?”

His voice was filled with barely concealed relief and a smile. "The serial killer has confessed and accepted his sentence."

Sang Ye was first shocked, then delighted. “So fast?”

Xing Hao responded, “Yes. To thank you for your contribution, we’ve applied for a reward on your behalf. The process will take some time, though.”

Knowing the killer had confessed brought Sang Ye a sense of relief, but hearing about the reward surprised her. “There’s no need for a reward. This is what every citizen should do, and I didn’t do much.”

Xing Hao said, “If it weren’t for your call, we wouldn’t have caught him so quickly. Every day he remains free is another day a woman could be harmed. Both we and the public thank you.”

Perhaps not wanting to hear her refusal, Xing Hao suddenly shifted the topic. “By the way, I saw how attentive you were to that stray cat yesterday. You must be a very patient animal lover and a good vet. I happened to recommend your clinic to a friend who has a sick pet. If you don’t mind, could we connect?”

Sang Ye didn’t expect Xing Hao to bring her business and certainly couldn’t refuse. “Thank you, Officer Xing.”

Just then, she faintly heard someone calling him from the other end.

Sang Ye kindly said, “You should take care of it.”

Xing Hao hurriedly said that if a similar situation arose again, she could call him directly, then hung up.

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Just before closing time that evening, Sang Ye awaited the friend Xing Hao had mentioned earlier.

The man was tall and imposing, dressed in a black casual shirt and black trousers, which accentuated his long, straight legs.

His tucked-in shirt revealed a lean, muscular waist, heightening his masculine allure. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs—by Sang Ye’s estimate, he was at least six feet one inch tall.

As for his face, it was the kind that seemed favored by the Creator—endowed with nearly every good feature, a face no cosmetic surgeon could replicate.

His skin was an uncommon cool porcelain tone, and a small black mole at the corner of his right eye added a hint of seduction.

Yet his dark eyes showed no emotion, their indifferent gaze creating a paradox: distant yet somehow inviting to be touched.

This cold, restrained man held a pure white ragdoll cat in his arms, forming a striking contrast.

She had seen handsome men before, but never one as stunning as this.

Sang Ye stared, momentarily dazed. Though she was somewhat attracted to beauty, she rarely stared so intently—simply marveling at the divine gift of his appearance.

At that moment, a weak whimper broke her reverie.

“Ugh… my stomach hurts so much, I feel like vomiting… I swear I won’t eat junk food again.”

Pei Jun’s expression darkened under Sang Ye’s gaze, a barely perceptible flash of disdain in his eyes. They were all the same.

He shouldn’t have listened to Xing Hao and come to such a small clinic.

If Xing Hao hadn’t vouched for her, he never would have brought Yun Duo here.

Just as Pei Jun was about to turn and leave, Sang Ye stopped him.

“Officer from Criminal Investigation, right? Bring the cat here. I’ll do an ultrasound—I think it must have eaten something wrong.”

Pei Jun frowned. How could a doctor make a diagnosis without even asking about the symptoms?

Had Xing Hao been fooled? Could Sang Ye really be reliable?