I had no idea that model kid drove a heavy-duty motorcycle. Wait, if he was broke enough to moonlight as a male escort, how could he afford a beast of a bike like this?

“Let’s go, beautiful. I’ll escort you to the police station.”

Sliding back into a wicked black leather jacket, the kid flashed me a brilliant grin as he handed over a full-face helmet. “Consider this a complimentary round-trip shuttle service just for you.”

Tan Yen was over at the reception desk wrapping up some paperwork with the hotel manager. Hearing the commotion, he turned around and caught sight of the two of us. His expression instantly turned darker than a thundercloud.

Stepping out of the hotel lobby, Tan Yen strode straight toward me, issuing an uncompromising command: “Du Yen, get in my car and wait.”

“No need to trouble yourself, Officer,” the model kid said, pulling the helmet down over his head. He tilted his chin up, cocky and full of swagger as he openly challenged Tan Yen. “I’ll take the lady myself.”

Without waiting for anyone’s approval, he scooped his hands around my waist and lifted me effortlessly onto the back seat. Swinging his long legs over the bike, he revved the engine. Before I could even catch my breath, the motorcycle blasted forward like a bullet amidst a deafening roar.

Scared out of my mind, I let out a sharp shriek, instinctively wrapping my arms tight around the kid’s firm waist. As the howling wind rushed past my ears, I caught a faint scent of tobacco laced with mint radiating from him.

The wind whistling through the helmet gap muffled his voice a little, but I still caught every word loud and clear:

“Babe, the name’s Lam Nam Thu!”

“Don’t you forget it!”

At the precinct, Tan Yen—who had driven like a man possessed to catch up with us—dragged me into his office by my collar, his face stone-cold.

That model kid, on the other hand, had been slick as grease. Before Tan Yen’s car could even pin him against the curb, he’d managed to flash his QR code, scan my WeChat, and roar off into the night.

Leaving me sitting huddled in a corner, head hung low in utter misery.

The duty officer on shift took one look at my pitiful state, then glanced at his captain’s furious scowl, immediately assuming I was a sex worker caught in a vice sweep. Scanning me from head to toe, he clicked his tongue in tragic disappointment:

“Such a pretty girl… why ruin your life like this? Young girls nowadays—just because you’ve got a pretty face, you think you can take shortcuts for fast money. You’ll only regret it once you’re behind bars!”

My blood boiled, and I was just about to go full nuclear on him when Tan Yen moved faster, smacking his colleague on the back of the head with a sharp thwack. “Stop talking out of your ass.”

“She’s mine.”

He dropped the line so casually, yet my heart gave a violent, unprompted thump. My mind involuntarily drifted back to that brutal, possessive kiss in the hotel room. Right, I hadn’t even settled the score with him yet—why on earth did he kiss me in the first place?!

“Oho, your girl, huh~”

The duty officer instantly flipped into gossip mode, eyes gleaming as he tried to strike up a conversation with me. But Tan Yen snatched the hood of my sweater, dragging me toward his desk like a sack of potatoes.

“I’m going to change out of my uniform. Sit here and don’t move.”

“Why did you even bring me here anyway? I didn’t commit a crime,” I grumbled, feeling thoroughly wronged.

If there was something to say, just say it straight. If I needed to sign a statement or follow protocol, wrap it up so I could leave! That ridiculously expensive King suite was booked until noon tomorrow; I needed to go back and sleep it off to get my money’s worth!

“Who said you didn’t commit a crime?” Tan Yen let out a cold snort, his expression stiffening slightly. “We’ll settle the score when we get home.”

Huh? Home? Before I could demand a clear answer, Tan Yen turned on his heel and disappeared into the break room to change.

The duty officer from earlier immediately leaned in, flashing a sly, suggestive grin. “Hey girl, you and Captain Tan… hehe, how far along are you two?”

Far enough that my lips were almost kissed raw. But without any official title or label, we were nothing. Thinking back, his behavior was no different from a toxic ex throwing a tantrum!

If it weren’t for this bizarre mind-reading superpower triggering my sheer curiosity, I would have punched him in the face already.

I frantically waved my hands, shaking my head violently. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. We’re just childhood friends. His girlfriend isn’t me…”

But the moment the words left my mouth, a pang of suspicion hit me, and I whispered, “He’s been dating someone for two or three years now, hasn’t he brought her around to introduce to you guys?”

I asked the question completely naturally, but it acted like a master pause button. The entire precinct suddenly fell dead silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me like I had two heads.

A second later, a young officer waved his hand dismissively, snickering with an expression that said are you pulling my leg?:

“Stop cracking jokes!”

“Captain Tan is a certified bachelor, the single most sought-after bachelor in this entire department.”

“He and I went to the police academy together and we’ve been working the same shift ever since. I swear on my life I’ve never seen a single female so much as breathe near him. Where on earth would a girlfriend of two or three years come from?”

I stood there, completely dumbfounded. Was I delusional, or had the entire police force suffered collective amnesia? Tan Yen clearly had a girlfriend!

Before I could dig any deeper, Tan Yen walked out, fully changed out of his uniform.

I had to hand it to him—the guy was an absolute visual menace, the very reason I’d lost my mind chasing after him throughout my youth. A simple gray athletic hoodie on his tall frame still looked tailored, impossibly sharp, and effortlessly attractive.

Tan Yen turned to give a casual wave goodbye to his crew, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips—wild, effortlessly cool, and undeniably charismatic. Stepping over to me, he jerked his chin toward the exit: “Let’s go. Home.”

I blinked. “Which home?”

“Mine.”

Seeing my horrified expression like I’d just seen a ghost, Tan Yen offered a calm explanation: “Auntie Lam took time off to go back to her hometown to help with her new grandkid. I’m short on a housekeeper.” He swept a cool gaze over me from head to toe. “Besides, do you actually have anywhere else to go right now?”

I glared, snapping back, “Excuse you! I’m a food blogger with over a million followers, not a maid!”

Tan Yen curled his lip in utter disdain. “Right. A homeless food blogger who can only afford to rent male escorts at hotels.”

Ugh! I, Du Yen, even if I had to wander the streets tonight, even if I froze to death in a ditch, I would never step foot into your—!

Tan Yen landed a silent, fatal blow: “If you don’t come, I’m sending that screenshot of your wild party with those five male models straight to your dad.”

The moment my father was mentioned, all my roaring courage deflated like a popped balloon. Defeated, I tucked my tail between my legs and shuffled quietly behind his back.

Right at that second, a voice echoed crisp and clear in my ears:

【 YES! 】

I flinched hard, snapping my head up to stare rigidly at his broad back, only to hear:

【 Finally tricked my wife into coming home. 】

【 Using the father-in-law card really works every single time. 】

【 Though, thinking about my future father-in-law… man, the road to bringing her home officially is gonna be brutal. Both my wife and her dad are tough nuts to crack. Gotta keep pushing. 】

If I didn’t realize something was massively wrong by this point, I’d truly be a complete and total idiot!