A dog never changes its filthy habits

Sunlight streamed over the detention center's massive iron gate, making Chen Yuan squint.

He stood at the entrance and took a deep breath. Even the air smelled better outside!

Zhang Xiu'e stood beside him, her hair a tangled mess, her makeup completely smeared, and dark circles hanging heavily beneath her eyes.

But she looked far more spirited than yesterday, no longer timid and listless as she had been the night before.

Zhao Jianguo followed behind them, waving goodbye to Deputy Director Sun.

The three had just stepped through the iron gate when a car approached and stopped in front of them.

Liu Ming got out of the passenger seat. The rear doors opened, and two police officers escorted Wang Dahai, Sun Deming, and Li Yan out of the car.

Wang Dahai's leg was wrapped in gauze. He limped along, muttering something under his breath.

A crooked strip of white tape covered Sun Deming's nose. The corner of his mouth was swollen, and he hung his head, looking thoroughly miserable.

Li Yan had gauze wrapped around her forehead and looked utterly drained.

All three froze when they looked up and saw Chen Yuan and Zhang Xiu'e.

Zhang Xiu'e's eyes instantly reddened.

"Wang Dahai! Are you even fucking human?!"

Wang Dahai ducked his head and tried to hide behind Liu Ming.

"I worked for you for two and a half years! And you set me up? You fucking animal!"

"Do you have even a shred of conscience?!"

Wang Dahai went pale. His lips moved before he managed to squeeze out, "Xiu'e, let me explain..."

"Explain my ass!"

Zhang Xiu'e cut him off, then pointed at Sun Deming.

"And you! You filthy old pervert! How fucking old are you? Your daughter's older than me, isn't she? Does she know you do this kind of thing? Does your wife know?!"

Sun Deming kept his head down, not daring to look at her. The flesh on his face twitched as he murmured,

"Miss Zhang, it was a misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?"

Zhang Xiu'e trembled with rage.

"Misunderstanding my ass! Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Sun Deming's face alternated between white and red. His lips quivered, but he couldn't get a word out.

Li Yan stood at the very back, shoulders hunched, continually trying to hide behind the others.

Zhang Xiu'e's gaze turned even colder when she spotted her.

"Li Yan!"

Li Yan stiffened, forcing a smile uglier than a grimace.

"Xiu'e..."

"You've got the nerve to say my name?"

"We lived under the same roof for two years. I treated you like a sister, and you threw me to the wolves. Wang Dahai asked you to help him screw me over. Were you pleased with yourself?"

Tears spilled from Li Yan's eyes, her lips trembling.

"Xiu'e, I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice..."

"You didn't have a choice?"

Zhang Xiu'e sneered. "So you sold me out? Li Yan, you really are a piece of trash!"

Li Yan covered her face and crouched down, sobbing.

Sun Deming couldn't take it anymore. He turned to Liu Ming. "Officer Liu, she's verbally abusing us. Aren't you going to do something?"

Liu Ming stood beside them with his arms crossed, his face expressionless.

"Verbally abusing you?" Liu Ming scoffed. "You're getting off lightly."

Sun Deming froze. "You..."

"What about me?"

Liu Ming stepped forward and pointed at Sun Deming's nose.

"Everything you three did is right there on the surveillance footage. Sun Deming, are you even fucking human?"

Sun Deming's face went deathly pale. His lips trembled nonstop, and for a long moment he couldn't utter a word.

Liu Ming turned to Wang Dahai.

"And you! You were her manager. She worked for you for two and a half years, and you handed her over like merchandise? You don't fucking deserve to be called human!"

Wang Dahai hung his head, his legs shaking.

Then Liu Ming looked at Li Yan.

"You're even worse! That blow to your forehead? If you ask me, you got off easy."

Li Yan crouched on the ground and cried even harder.

After finishing his tirade, Liu Ming took a breath and glanced back at Zhao Jianguo. Zhao Jianguo had stood silently beside them the whole time. He gave a slight nod.

Liu Ming turned back, raising his voice. "You three are suspected of attempted rape and making false accusations. Get ready for prison."

Wang Dahai's legs buckled, and he nearly dropped to his knees. He braced himself against the car door, his face white as paper. His lips quivered as he suddenly turned to Zhang Xiu'e.

"Xiu'e! Xiu'e, put in a good word for me!"

His voice had gone shrill.

"I was wrong! I really was! I shouldn't have done it! Talk to them for me. Tell them not to arrest me! I'll pay you. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"

Zhang Xiu'e looked at him, her stomach churning.

Li Yan also scrambled up from the ground, tears covering her face, and grabbed Zhang Xiu'e's arm.

"Xiu'e, we've known each other for two years. Please put in a word for me. I don't want to go to prison! I'm begging you!"

The touch made Zhang Xiu'e sick. She yanked her arm free and stepped back.

"Don't touch me!"

Li Yan stood frozen, tears clinging to her face and her mouth hanging open. She looked hideous.

Zhao Jianguo couldn't watch any longer and stepped forward.

"That's enough. Liu Ming, take them inside."

"Yes, Director Zhao."

Zhao Jianguo looked at him, his tone growing firmer.

"Question them thoroughly. Pursue the harshest penalties!"

Liu Ming straightened. "Don't worry, Director Zhao. Leave it to me!"

He waved a hand. The two police officers stepped forward, each grabbing one man, and led Wang Dahai and Sun Deming inside.

Zhang Xiu'e let out a long breath and swayed. Chen Yuan quickly caught her.

"Sister Ezi."

"I'm fine." Zhang Xiu'e wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. "My legs are just a little weak."

Zhao Jianguo came over and looked at Zhang Xiu'e, his tone much gentler. "Ms. Zhang, are you all right?"

Zhang Xiu'e shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you, Director Zhao."

Zhao Jianguo waved it off. "It's only right. We failed to do our jobs properly yesterday and put you both through an ordeal."

He looked at Chen Yuan, then back at Zhang Xiu'e.

"Come on. I'll drive you home. A day in detention couldn't have been easy. Go home and rest. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."

Zhang Xiu'e nodded. Supporting her, Chen Yuan followed Zhao Jianguo toward the parking lot.

Zhao Jianguo's car was a black Passat, neither new nor old, but kept nice and clean.

The car pulled out and turned onto the main road.

Warm sunlight streamed through the windshield. Zhang Xiu'e leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, her breathing gradually settling.

After driving for a while, Zhao Jianguo glanced at Chen Yuan in the rearview mirror.

"Chen Yuan."

"Yes?"

"Did you save an elderly man from a car accident?"

Chen Yuan paused. Zhang Xiu'e opened her eyes too, looking at him in surprise.

"When did you save someone? Haven't you been with me the whole time these past two days in Deep City?"

Chen Yuan scratched his head.

"Yesterday... after you went back to the company, I was walking down the road and came across an overturned car. There was an elderly man trapped inside, so I pulled him out."

Zhang Xiu'e opened her mouth. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Everything happened before I had a chance." Chen Yuan gave a wry smile.

Zhao Jianguo gave him a meaningful glance in the rearview mirror, thinking to himself that the young man had really lucked out this time.

The car reached the entrance to the alley in the urban village and stopped. Zhao Jianguo parked and turned to look at them.

"Here we are. Get some proper rest. Call me if you need anything."

He took his phone out of his pocket and exchanged numbers with Chen Yuan and Zhang Xiu'e.

After saving their numbers, he put his phone away and added,

"Don't dwell on what happened these past two days. It's behind you now."

Chen Yuan nodded. "Thank you, Director Zhao."

Zhao Jianguo waved and drove away.

Chen Yuan and Zhang Xiu'e stood at the alley entrance, watching the black Passat turn out and disappear into traffic.

Zhang Xiu'e watched for a moment with narrowed eyes, then let out a long breath.

"Come on."

Her voice was still a little hoarse, but she sounded much more like herself.

"I'm going back to sleep. I didn't sleep at all last night. I'm exhausted."

Chen Yuan's heart ached for her.

"Sister Ezi."

"Hmm?"

"Are you really okay?"

Zhang Xiu'e looked at Chen Yuan and laughed.

"I'm not that fragile!"

She reached out and ruffled his hair. "Come on."

They walked into the alley.

It was narrow, with electric scooters and bicycles piled along the walls on both sides and a tangled mess of wires strung overhead.

When they reached the rental apartment, Zhang Xiu'e took out her key and unlocked the door. The moment she pushed it open, they heard a man and a woman laughing and chatting inside.

Zhang Xiu'e paused, then walked in.

Zhou Min was sitting on the living room sofa in a camisole and tiny shorts, her bare legs propped brazenly on the coffee table.

Beside her sat a blond-haired young man in his early twenties, as skinny as a beanpole. His hair was dyed a brassy yellow, and he wore a tight T-shirt, his arms covered in tattoos.

They sat close together. Two bottles of beer and a bag of sunflower seeds lay on the coffee table, with shells spat all over the floor.

Both turned their heads when the door opened.

Zhou Min paused at the sight of Zhang Xiu'e and Chen Yuan, her gaze sweeping over them.

"Oh, you're back?"

Zhou Min lowered her legs from the coffee table and tilted her head at them.

"Where did you two go last night? How come you were out all night?"

Zhang Xiu'e said nothing. She changed her shoes and walked farther inside.

Zhou Min glanced at Chen Yuan again, then suddenly smiled—a knowing smile, as though she had uncovered a secret.

"Ohhh—I get it." She drew out the words. "Did you two get a hotel room? Spend the whole night getting cozy?"

Zhang Xiu'e stopped and turned to look at Zhou Min.

Her gaze was icy, her face expressionless. Under that stare, Zhou Min froze on the spot, her smile stiffening.

"You're imagining things. I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

She turned toward her room, then stopped after two steps and glanced back at the blond-haired young man.

He was cracking sunflower seeds and spitting the shells onto the floor, leaving a pile by his feet.

"Sweep up those shells."

Zhou Min curled her lip without answering. The blond-haired young man paused too, a sunflower seed held in midair, unsure whether to keep eating.

Following behind, Chen Yuan looked at Zhou Min, then glanced at the blond-haired young man. A thought immediately sprang to mind: A dog really never changes its filthy habits.

He said nothing and followed Zhang Xiu'e into her room.

Behind them came Zhou Min's voice. "...Who does she think she is..."

The blond-haired young man chuckled and said something Chen Yuan couldn't make out, and the two dissolved into laughter again.