DSMIS CH69

Chapter 69

Captain Jiang’s physique needed no introduction. Shedding his police uniform, pairing sharp, tailored trousers with a simple linen shirt was enough to make him look like a high-fashion runway model. A natural clothes hanger, he drew plenty of turned heads across the mirror-polished floors of the shopping mall.

Armed with the “special funding” granted by his mother, Shen Xing walked with a swagger in his step, leading Captain Jiang in and out of store after store. The shopping bags in his hands multiplied, and he found himself thoroughly addicted to this game of “Dressing up Captain Jiang.” Every single time the man stepped out of the fitting room, Shen Xing’s eyes lit up. He wouldn’t even let Jiang Lin change back—each time, Jiang Lin entered in the previous outfit and walked out wearing the new one.

Stepping out of another shop, Shen Xing leaned close to Captain Jiang’s ear:

“No wonder everyone loves making money. Being a sugar daddy feels amazing.”

Looking down at the third new outfit he was wearing today, Jiang Lin replied:

“Mm. Being a kept pretty boy doesn’t feel half bad either.”

Amused by his self-designation, Shen Xing raised a hand and casually grazed the back of his fingers along Captain Jiang’s jawline. The gesture was unpracticed, yet radiated pure roguish charm:

“Captain Jiang certainly has the physical assets to cash in on his looks. Come on, this sugar daddy is buying you coffee.”

“After you, sugar daddy.”

The mall’s upscale profile guaranteed that its cafes offered first-rate ambiance and taste. Dropping the mountain of shopping bags, Shen Xing sank into the plush sofa behind him, stretching his long legs out:

“How is shopping more exhausting than performing surgery?! How’s your leg holding up?”

He hadn’t felt it while walking, but the moment he sat down, his shins and lower back began to ache in unison. How on earth did his mother manage to shop an entire day away?

“It’s fine. If you’re tired, we can skip the rest of the shopping this afternoon.”

“No way! We rarely get time off to enjoy ourselves together. Let’s do something stationary this afternoon. Catch a movie? Are there any good movies out lately?”

Captain Jiang shook his head blankly. Keeping up with theatrical movie releases was well outside his regular radar of daily intelligence.

Clutching their coffees, the two leaned close, browsing cinema apps together to see what was screening. Shen Xing couldn’t help but remark:

“I think the last time I went to a cinema was back when I first started working.”

“For me… probably five or six years ago. Took my mom.”

They finished their sentences and locked eyes, both sharing a quiet flash of mutual commiseration over their workaholic lives.

Half an hour later, they left the cafe and rode the escalator up to the top-floor cinema. Even with the film industry having slowed in recent years, the upcoming Spring Festival coupled with the start of winter break meant the cinema was fairly bustling. Most were young couples, along with parents bringing their kids to see animated films.

Shen Xing and Jiang Lin huddled in front of the self-service ticket kiosk, clumsily retrieving their tickets. Jiang Lin glanced around at the other moviegoers, who were holding either milk tea or tubs of popcorn.

Turning to see Captain Jiang looking over toward the concession counter, Shen Xing found the sight unexpectedly charming. He bumped Jiang Lin’s shoulder with his:

“Want to hold hands on the way over?”

Jiang Lin’s ear flushed slightly. He reached out, hooked a finger around Shen Xing’s hand for a brief second, let go, and quickened his pace toward the beverage stall. Trailing right behind him, Shen Xing teased right in his ear:

“Such thin skin. I’m holding it anyway.”

With that, he reached out and firmly grasped Captain Jiang’s hand. But barely two steps after their fingers intertwined, Captain Jiang stopped dead in his tracks.

“What’s wrong? Holding hands makes you forget how to walk?”

He looked up and saw Jiang Lin staring straight ahead. Shen Xing followed his gaze. Within two seconds, he froze as well, nailed to the floor as if struck by lightning, reflexively yanking his hand free:

“Why… why is your mom here?!”

Across from them, the elegantly dressed woman froze as well. Within a span of ten seconds, she checked her watch, smoothed down her coat, rummaged through her handbag, and fought down the urge to turn and flee. Finally, she put on a poised, graceful smile and walked over. The scene of meeting Mother Jiang at Jiang Lin’s apartment instantly flashed through Shen Xing’s mind. His scalp prickled with sheer embarrassment. This was literally the one and only time he had held Jiang Lin’s hand in public! He swore on his life—this was the only time!

He didn’t dare imagine what kind of image he currently projected in Mother Jiang’s eyes. Was he some licentious, predatory doctor who preyed on good looks?

Despite the raging mental storm, Director Shen didn’t miss a beat in greeting her politely:

“Hello, Auntie.”

“Mom, didn’t you say you were heading to Aunt’s place today?”

Mother Jiang spotted the two movie tickets pinched between her son’s fingers and felt as if the sun had risen in the west. To think she would actually live to see her son at a movie theater!

“Yes, I arranged to catch a film with your aunt. You two… did you just finish watching one?”

“No, we’re heading over to buy milk tea.”

Mother Jiang took a second to connect the words “buy milk tea” with her stoic detective son, immediately deciding that being in a relationship was wonderful. Her son finally resembled a normal young man!

“Ah, hurry on then! Buy Xiao Shen the large cup. My… my movie is about to start, I’ll head inside first!”

With that, Mother Jiang clutched her handbag and hurried into the screening hall with rapid steps.

Leaving Shen Xing standing there with a deadpan expression:

“Captain Jiang, is my reputation in front of your mother completely beyond salvation?”

Jiang Lin smiled, holding out his hand:

“Want to hold hands?”

“Get lost.”

Once inside the theater, Shen Xing was terrified of bumping into Mother Jiang again, his eyes constantly scanning the rows ahead and behind them. Suppressing a laugh, Jiang Lin remarked:

“Director Shen, you look just like a criminal scoping out a crime scene.”

Shen Xing: “Do I look that shady? Why didn’t you ask your mom which movie she was watching? If we bump into her again later…”

“Relax. Neither my mom nor my aunt has any interest in action movies. It won’t be this one.”

Just as they took their seats, Jiang Lin’s phone buzzed with a message from his mother:

Did I startle Xiao Shen? Are you two out shopping today? I saw you carrying quite a few shopping bags earlier.

We’re fine. He bought me new clothes for the New Year today.

Sitting in the adjacent screening hall, Mother Jiang’s eyes widened upon reading this. The brands on those bags earlier were high-end and far from cheap. She tried her best to picture the look on her son’s face when typing those words:

How could you let him buy you new clothes? Don’t tell me all you paid for today was a movie ticket and a large milk tea?!

Jiang Lin: “…”

His phone buzzed again with a bank transfer notification, followed by another message from Mother Jiang:

Son, stinginess is the ultimate taboo in romance. Take after your father! When your dad was courting me, he would’ve starved on wild herbs before being tightfisted with me!

Jiang Lin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Seeing Jiang Lin’s phone screen constantly glowing, Shen Xing lightly nudged his shoulder:

“Who are you chatting with?”

Jiang Lin thrust the chat screen right before his eyes:

“You don’t need to worry about my mom thinking you’re a little pervert anymore. Because right now, she thinks I’m a stingy cheapskate.”

Shen Xing: “…”

The film was an action blockbuster with a fairly generic plot, but for two men who hadn’t stepped foot in a cinema in ages, it was entertaining enough.

Munching on popcorn and sipping his milk tea, Shen Xing took advantage of the dark theater, leaning close to the man beside him:

“Does this count as a date?”

Listening to his quiet, conspiratorial whisper, Jiang Lin smiled:

“It counts.”

Watching the high-octane explosions on screen, Shen Xing felt a twinge of regret:

“If I’d known, I would have picked that romance film. This movie has zero romantic atmosphere for a kiss.”

Old habits die hard; knowing Mother Jiang wasn’t around, Director Shen’s roguish tendencies flared right up again.

Yet before he could pop the next kernel of popcorn into his mouth, a hand clasped the back of his neck, and Jiang Lin tilted his head, kissing him straight on the lips.

Shen Xing instinctively leaned into the kiss. Not wanting things to spiral out of control in a crowded theater, Jiang Lin pulled back after a brief moment:

“You can kiss during an action movie just fine.”

By the time they returned home that evening, they had reaped a bountiful harvest, the back seat packed to the brim with shopping bags.

On New Year’s Eve, even though he knew Jiang Lin would have to change into his uniform the moment he arrived at the precinct, Shen Xing still spent the early morning picking out a stylish civilian outfit for him before seeing him out the door.

“I’m having lunch at my mom’s place and bringing Heibao and Qianjin over with me. Tonight, I’ll bring dinner to your precinct.”

Jiang Lin ruffled the back of his hair, leaning down to gently touch his forehead against Shen Xing’s:

“Alright.”

After finishing the main New Year’s Eve lunch, Mother Shen shot a couple of glances in his direction. After Shen Xing played two games of Chinese chess with his grandfather, Mother Shen looked over again:

“It’s already past three in the afternoon.”

Shen Xing looked up, met with his mother’s ‘Why on earth are you still loitering here?’ expression. Fiddling with a chess piece, he asked:

“Should I head out then?”

Mother Shen glared at him:

“What else? Isn’t your partner on duty right now? Are you planning to spend New Year’s Eve lounging around here?”

Shen Xing made a sound of realization and got ready to leave. Mother Shen chimed in again:

“You’re going empty-handed?”

“His mother brought him lunch. I was planning to bring him dinner and fresh dumplings tonight.”

The moment he said that, Mother Shen turned and vanished into the kitchen, emerging moments later carrying a large tote bag:

“I specially set aside some of the main courses inside. There’s also a chilled container of freshly wrapped dumplings, and a small electric hot pot at the bottom. Boil the dumplings fresh at his precinct tonight so you two can eat them hot.”

Shen Xing smiled as he took the bag:

“I thank you on his behalf.”

Mother Shen shot him a sideways glance:

“He puts up with you disappearing at the drop of a hat for emergency calls and rarely being home. Since he’s with you, you need to learn to be considerate.”

Since he’s with me?

Shen Xing vaguely felt something was slightly off about his mother’s wording. Before he could piece it together, his mother slapped two hefty red envelopes into his hands.

“One for each of you. Go on.”

Clutching two thick red envelopes and carrying the large tote bag, Shen Xing walked out the door. The two furballs followed behind him, wagging their tails. He tapped Qianjin on the nose:

“You two stay home. Daddy is going to deliver dinner to Jiang-daddy. Be good, okay?”

Inside, Shen Xing’s grandfather held up an open can of pet food, calling for Qianjin. Qianjin looked at the food, then back at Shen Xing, and promptly wagged his tail and trotted straight to Grandfather.

Heibao looked at Shen Xing for a beat before turning around to follow Qianjin inside.

Leaving the apartment complex, light flurries had begun to drift from the sky. By the time he reached the municipal public security bureau, the delicate flurries had turned into sweeping snowflakes. Shen Xing called Jiang Lin from the bureau gates, and the guard cleared his vehicle to enter.

Parking the car and stepping out, he looked up and saw a man standing outside the main entrance in a crisp, tailored police dress uniform, waiting for him. Swirling snowflakes drifted past the national emblem mounted on the facade, dusting Captain Jiang’s broad shoulders.

For a moment, Shen Xing was completely mesmerized. Only when that tall figure descended the steps toward him did Shen Xing snap back to reality and stride forward to meet him.

Unlike back in Fulan County where their workplaces were across the street, Shen Xing was swamped with his own hospital duties. In the nearly five months since returning to Tianjin, Shen Xing had barely visited Jiang Lin at the municipal bureau.

Carrying the large bag, he walked through the main doors, following Captain Jiang up to his office. Pushing the door open, Jiang Lin said with a smile:

“Director Shen, please.”

Like an inquisitive cat, Shen Xing poked his head in to take a look. Captain Jiang’s office aligned with every image he had ever had of a high-ranking departmental leadership office.

On the expansive mahogany desk stood the national flag and the Party flag. The executive chair behind it looked imposing, reminding Shen Xing of his high school principal’s office—though clearly, Captain Jiang’s office was far more austere and commanding.

Amused by his expression, Jiang Lin asked:

“What are you looking at?”

Shen Xing turned and let out a playful huff:

“The top chief really is on another level. Compared to your office, mine looks like a total dump.”

“Then Director Shen should work hard and get promoted to department head soon.”

“Our head director is retiring soon, and the two senior deputy directors are practically tearing each other apart for the post. I’m not jumping into that brawl. Can I sit in your executive chair?”

The look in Director Shen’s eyes was something Captain Jiang could never refuse. Laughing, he led him over and pressed him into the plush leather chair.

Just as Shen Xing sat down, an unexpected knock sounded at the door. He shot straight up like a coiled spring—and slammed his head hard right into Captain Jiang’s chin.