The snow-white and clever Liu Yifei timely joined the conversation when the atmosphere between Kong Xiaoli and Qi Tongwei turned awkward.
She sat up and asked softly, "Officer Qi, it seemed like you were the one who jumped down to save me, right?"
Unwilling to take credit away from Huo Ge, Qi Tongwei turned around and pointed at Huo Ge outside the door. "Huo Ge was the first one to jump down. He was the one who rescued you; I was only the second one down and just helped a little!"
"Thank you!" Liu Yifei nodded toward Qi Tongwei.
"Just doing my duty," Qi Tongwei replied with a smile, thinking to himself that Liu Yifei's temper was much better than Kong Xiaoli's.
Liu Yifei then smiled sweetly at Huo Ge. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome!" Huo Ge responded with a smile. "We're all colleagues, I'm just glad you're okay!"
"Auntie, if you have any suspects, you can report the case to me first!" Qi Tongwei prepared to take his leave.
"If I have any, I will!"
Kong Xiaoli was also considering that if someone really wanted to harm Liu Yifei, she would definitely have to report it, but she wouldn't go to Qi Tongwei—she would directly use her connections to have the county bureau investigate.
"Then we'll be leaving first, we won't disturb your rest!"
With nothing else to ask, Qi Tongwei nodded at Kong Xiaoli and Liu Yifei, and turned to leave.
"Wait, Mom!" Liu Yifei looked at Kong Xiaoli's handbag. Yesterday, she had asked Kong Xiaoli to prepare two red envelopes so she could personally thank Qi Tongwei and Huo Ge when she returned to the production crew.
"Wait a moment, you two." Although Kong Xiaoli held no fondness for Qi Tongwei and Huo Ge, they were, after all, her daughter's saviors, so she needed to show some gratitude.
"Thank you both for saving Xixi!" Kong Xiaoli took out two red envelopes and handed one to Qi Tongwei.
"No, no," Qi Tongwei hurriedly refused, as discipline did not allow him to accept red envelopes. "This is what I should do, please don't be so polite! I can't accept this!"
"Take it, just a small token of appreciation." Kong Xiaoli forcefully shoved the red envelope into Qi Tongwei's hand. "It won't violate any rules; just consider it a New Year red envelope from an elder!"
"This—" Qi Tongwei could feel that the red envelope was indeed quite thin, and it wasn't a bribe for favors, but he still felt he couldn't accept it.
"Thank you!" Kong Xiaoli handed the other red envelope to Huo Ge.
Huo Ge readily accepted it. "Thank you, Auntie!"
"Officer Qi, please!" Kong Xiaoli issued a polite dismissal. "Let me see you out!"
"Auntie, I really can't accept this red envelope!"
As Qi Tongwei passed by Kong Xiaoli, he held out the red envelope to return it.
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Kong Xiaoli didn't take the red envelope; instead, she grabbed Qi Tongwei and escorted both him and Huo Ge out of the ward.
She walked with them for a short distance before stopping and speaking with a serious expression, "Officer Qi, Xiao Huo, thank you for saving Yifei, but don't get any ideas. Yifei is still young, and you walk different paths!"
Kong Xiaoli was practically pointing at Qi Tongwei and Huo Ge's noses as she said, "You two shouldn't harbor any thoughts of pursuing Liu Yifei; you're not in her league!"
Qi Tongwei truly hadn't harbored any thoughts about Liu Yifei. "Auntie, you've misunderstood. I only came today to handle a routine case investigation."
"That's good then." Kong Xiaoli didn't expose him on the spot, thinking: You Qi Tongwei are just a petty cop from a local police station, when has a case investigation ever been your turn?
"Me too," Huo Ge immediately denied it as well. "Auntie, I just came to pass along a message. A friend of mine wants to make a movie, and if we invite Yifei to star in it, what are the conditions?"
"Your friend?" Kong Xiaoli almost laughed out loud. Looking at Huo Ge from any angle, he didn't look like someone who had a friend who was a director; this was just a pathetic excuse to get close to Liu Yifei.
"If the script is suitable and the pay is right, we can talk!"
Kong Xiaoli didn't dismiss Huo Ge entirely either; she was a veteran of the business world now and understood the principle that more friends meant more paths.
"Thank you, Auntie! I'll let my friend know. Goodbye, Auntie!" Having achieved his goal of becoming a familiar face, Huo Ge didn't waste any more words.
……
Qi Tongwei and Huo Ge walked out of the hospital, stood at the entrance, and burst into laughter as they looked at each other.
"Old Huo, if you want to make a movie yourself, just say so. Why drag in a friend?"
"I'm so young, if I said I wanted to make a movie, Auntie certainly wouldn't believe it!"
"Your motives are completely impure. Tell me, are you doing this just to pick up girls?"
"Of course not! Liu Yifei is going to be a future superstar; we have to invest in her before she blows up. Do you understand?"
"I don't understand! I only know you're up to no good, kid!"
"Don't you think Liu Yifei is too pretty—so pretty that you wouldn't even dare to have improper thoughts?"
"That's true. Seeing her makes you feel unworthy, completely killing any thoughts of pursuit! Just like you said, she's the Fairy Sister and we're mere mortals. Immortals and mortals walk different paths!"
Qi Tongwei sighed and brought up business. "Given Liu Yifei's temperament, I don't think she'd make enemies with anyone. Do you still think someone is trying to harm her?"
Huo Ge's gaze deepened. "My intuition tells me that the possibility of someone wanting to harm her is still quite high. But her target might not necessarily be the intended one!"
"Then the target certainly wouldn't be you, either," Qi Tongwei retorted. "Could it be that you offended someone, kid?"
"I'm well-liked; who would I have offended?"
"Who knows? If you stole someone's opportunity, it would be a wonder if they didn't retaliate!"
"I don't compete with people. The motive here is completely unclear. I can't figure out the motive for harming either me or Yifei."
"Never mind the motive. If someone really wants to harm you, and it didn't work this time, they'll definitely strike again. We might as well catch the person first and then ask about the motive."
"Makes sense," Huo Ge said, lacking any good ideas. "How do you want to catch them? Should I sacrifice myself as bait for you to make the arrest?"
"Catch them my foot!" Qi Tongwei said with annoyance. "What grounds do you have to report a case? Liu Yifei's side isn't reporting it either, so in the end, it'll just be written off as an accident, the production crew will pay her some compensation, and the matter will be settled."
Huo Ge knew Qi Tongwei made sense; without anyone reporting a crime, a formal investigation couldn't be opened, and naturally, police forces couldn't be mobilized to investigate.
"How about we investigate privately?"
"I don't have that kind of free time!"
"You hang around the production crew watching plays all day, what else do you have to do?"
"Changwu City is selecting transferred civil servants, and I'm planning to take the exam. I need to study and prepare!"
"Transfer selection? Would it ever be your turn? Can a policeman even switch tracks like that?"
"I'll give it a try anyway, it doesn't take much time. If it works, I'll leap out of this backwater mountain valley; if not, I'll just stay put!"
Huo Ge patted Qi Tongwei on the back. "I wish you success on the exams! Come on, you're treating me to a promotion banquet first!"
"Go on," Qi Tongwei pushed Huo Ge away. "I haven't even passed yet, what dinner?"
"Beef hotpot is fine, don't be afraid to spend money—the red envelope you got is thicker than mine!"
"Who says? Our red envelopes are definitely the same!"
"They definitely aren't. You're an official and I'm a civilian; your red envelope must have more than mine!"
"Alright, if my red envelope has more than yours, whatever the difference is, I'll take it out and treat you to dinner!"
"Deal! And if they're the same amount, I'll treat you to dinner!"
The two of them took out their red envelopes to compare. Qi Tongwei's red envelope had a thousand, while Huo Ge's only had five hundred.
"Hey, wait," Qi Tongwei put away his red envelope. "I need to return this red envelope!"
"Return what?" Huo Ge snatched the red envelope back. "With the way Auntie looks down on you, you've simply got to keep this money! Let her see that you're just a greedy mortal!"
"Don't talk about me, aren't you the same?"
"I am, which is why I accepted it with a clear conscience. If you don't want this red envelope, give it to me!"
"Hey, hand it back, I'm going to return it!"
"Don't be afraid. From now on, Yifei is my friend, which makes her your friend. It's totally normal for a friend to send a red envelope and treat you to dinner!"
"……"