Blank Charge

The principle issue still hadn’t been resolved.

That evening, Jin Zhou couldn’t take a bath by himself, so he had to ask Yang Shi Yu for help.

He was only wearing a pair of underwear, sitting obediently on the toilet seat, allowing Yang Shi Yu to wipe his body with warm water.

From his ears to his ankles, Yang Shi Yu wiped attentively, not leaving any corner untouched.

Although his expression was no different from washing dishes, as if Jin Zhou was just an object, Jin Zhou couldn’t help but feel dry-mouthed. Every touch of fingertips on his skin felt like a tease from Yang Shi Yu.

“Are you sure…” Jin Zhou asked persistently, “you don’t want to sit on it and do it yourself?”

Yang Shi Yu glanced at Jin Zhou with a faint expression, suddenly exerted more force on his hand, rubbing Jin Zhou’s chest until it turned crimson.

“Hey, are you doing it on purpose?” Jin Zhou quickly used his arm to block his chest.

“If you don’t want to get skinned,” Yang Shi Yu twisted the towel again, “then shut up.”

There was only one bed in the house, and regardless of whether they had reached an agreement or not, it didn’t affect them sleeping together.

Yang Shi Yu still faced the window, with his broad back turned toward Jin Zhou.

If it were any other time, Jin Zhou would have clung to him like an octopus, but due to his physical condition , he could only lie flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He felt uncomfortable if his legs weren’t pressed against something.

“Hey, Yang Shi Yu.” Jin Zhou couldn’t help but nudge Yang Shi Yu’s back with his elbow. “Don’t keep the back of your head facing me.”

Yang Shi Yu didn’t react at all, not even changing the rhythm of his breathing.

“Are you asleep?” Jin Zhou leaned over and looked, then a mischievous idea popped into his mind. “If you’re asleep…”

At that point, he loosened the belt around Yang Shi Yu’s waist, and his four fingers sneaked in: “Your chastity won’t be preserved.”

Just as his fingertips touched the firm skin, Yang Shi Yu grabbed his hand.

Yang Shi Yu turned over and glanced at Jin Zhou, asking coldly, “what are you doing?”

“Let’s chat for a while.” Jin Zhou endured the pain and moved closer to Yang Shi Yu, making their shoulders tightly pressed together. “I can’t sleep.”

Yang Shi Yu didn’t respond, as if he couldn’t be bothered to speak, but he remained in a flat position, silently agreeing to Jin Zhou’s proposal.

“Have you ever ruled on a case of illegal retaining of someone’s property?” Jin Zhou asked.

“Illegal retaining?” Yang Shi Yu didn’t expect Jin Zhou to bring up a professional topic. “No, that’s a private prosecution. It’s not encountered frequently.”

The so-called private prosecution meant that if the victim didn’t report the case, the judicial authorities would not pursue it.

On the contrary, for offenses such as traffic accidents, even if the victim has forgiven the defendant, the prosecution would still initiate legal proceedings against the defendant.

“If I file a lawsuit with the court,” Jin Zhou asked, “can I apply for a search warrant?”

This time, Yang Shi Yu didn’t answer directly. Instead, he turned his head and looked at Jin Zhou. “Has someone retained your belongings?”

“Not mine, it’s my friend’s,” Jin Zhou said. “A watch worth over four hundred thousand.”

“You need to differentiate whether it’s retaining or theft,” Yang Shi Yu said, “if it’s theft, the public security authorities will be involved.”

“It’s not theft.” Jin Zhou actually wished it was theft because then he could at least get the police involved. “My friend willingly gave the watch to someone else.”

“If you want to apply for a search warrant,” Yang Shi Yu paused, “does it mean the person denies having the watch?”

“Yes,” Jin Zhou said, “can I apply for one?”

“It’s somewhat difficult,” Yang Shi Yu said, “it depends on the existing evidence and how the  judge in charge thinks.”

Jin Zhou had an idea in his mind. He knew that the range of possibilities for that matter was significant and depended on whether the judge was willing to conduct a thorough investigation.

Suddenly, he thought of something and nudged Yang Shi Yu with his elbow, asking, “If this case happens to be assigned to you, wouldn’t it be a perfect opportunity for you to help me a little?”

“You have quite an imagination,” Yang Shi Yu said casually. “Don’t you know about the disqualification system?”

“What’s the disqualification system?” Jin Zhou knew, of course, but he pretended not to understand.

“If the judge and the parties involved, representatives, or other related individuals are close relatives or have conflicts of interest or other relationships that may affect the fairness of the case, they should voluntarily disqualify themselves,” Yang Shi Yu explained in an official manner. “If your case is assigned to me, I will withdraw from the trial voluntarily.”

A smile appeared on Jin Zhou’s face, and he asked, “We are neither close relatives nor have any conflicts of interest. So… what other relationship do we have?”

If the two of them were just strangers who didn’t care about each other, there would be no need for disqualification at all.

On the contrary, if it would result in unfairness, it precisely proved that their relationship was indeed extraordinary.

Yang Shi Yu didn’t answer, realizing that Jin Zhou was trying to trap him.

Jin Zhou’s smile widened. “Are we husband and wife, then?”

Yang Shi Yu pursed his lips and frowned. “We are teacher and student.”

“I just remembered something,” Jin Zhou continued, “our district court isn’t that big, and I’ve never encountered you before. You should have been disqualifying yourself from me a long time ago. This isn’t a husband and wife relationship; it’s clearly an old married couple.”

Yang Shi Yu looked at him sternly. “Is this your new case?”

“Yes,” Jin Zhou was still excited. “Any problem?”

“Leave me alone,” Yang Shi Yu said, turning over. “Anyway, you can’t go out.”

Jin Zhou: “…”

At first, Jin Zhou indeed couldn’t go out for a few days.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go out or that Yang Shi Yu locked him up. It was just that his physical condition didn’t allow it. His wound would ache whenever he walked.

Later, when the wound improved a bit, he began to sneak out during the day, occasionally going to the car repair shop to hang out.

He didn’t need to be chained up; it’s no wonder he went out everywhere.

Gradually, Jin Zhou became bolder. He openly put the melon seeds and soda he bought on the coffee table, and although Yang Shi Yu clearly noticed that he had gone out during the day, he didn’t say anything. So Jin Zhou basically figured out Yang Shi Yu’s bottom line: as long as he didn’t go out at night, everything would be fine.

But the problem was, the bar manager Liu Qian mentioned didn’t work during the day, and Jin Zhou couldn’t directly go to the person’s house.

Originally, he wanted to discuss with Liu Qian and maybe drop the matter, but that afternoon, Jin Zhou suddenly received a message from Yang Shi Yu.

【Yang Shi Yu: Working overtime tonight, will be home before nine o’clock.】

Jin Zhou was overjoyed. He almost replied, “You can come home at midnight too.” However, in the message, he didn’t dare to show it too much.

【Jin Zhou: Take care, my dear^_^】

After sending the message, Jin Zhou belatedly realized that this smiley face shouldn’t reveal too much, right?

Before leaving, Jin Zhou habitually tidied up and dressed up, but after rummaging through his wardrobe for a while, he suddenly felt something was off.

Where were his clothes for going to the nightclub?

Why did Yang Shiyu only pack casual wear or sportswear for him? How could he go out like that?

After reluctantly finding one of Yang Shiyu’s white shirts, Jin Zhou put it on. Due to Yang Shiyu’s slightly wider shoulders, the white shirt had a loose fit on him.

With an open neckline, it had a somewhat sexy implication, but at least it would do.

Wearing Yang Shiyu’s black jacket and baseball cap, Jin Zhou sneaked out of the old district as soon as the sun set, driving his car stealthily.

During the rush hour after work, there was some traffic on the road. When Jin Zhou arrived at the Paris Temple, it was a lively time.

The Paris Temple truly lived up to its reputation as a rich woman’s paradise. The waiters were all young men, and their looks were not bad either.

Jin Zhou had only just entered when a passing woman pinched his butt and flirtatiously said to him, “Want to come upstairs with me?”

Jin Zhou was already used to such behavior in bars and didn’t bother to respond. He found an empty booth and sat down, but immediately another woman came over with a drink and asked him, “Are you also a young master here?”

“No,” Jin Zhou focused on the drink menu in his hand. “I’m the big boss.”

Seeing that he had no intention of chatting, the woman left the booth with little enthusiasm.

Not long after, a man in a black uniform came over and sat diagonally opposite Jin Zhou. He asked him, “Are you here alone?”

Jin Zhou looked up and coincidentally, the person was Zhang Rui, the manager Liu Qian had mentioned.

Before coming, Jin Zhou had done some research. The Paris Temple did not provide same-sex services, and the reason Zhang Rui had noticed him was because there were always some colleagues who would go there to poach customers.

“Alone, but not here to play,” Jin Zhou put down the drink menu and looked straight at Zhang Rui. “I have something to discuss with you, Manager Zhang.”

“Discuss with me?” Zhang Rui raised an eyebrow. “What’s so important?”

Zhang Rui truly lived up to being the person Liu Qian had set her eyes on. He had well-defined facial features, and if he paid a little attention to his demeanor, he would be quite impressive. Unfortunately, he was wearing strong perfume that made Jin Zhou feel a bit suffocated.

“I am Ms. Liu—Liu Qian’s lawyer. I have some details to ask you about her Patek Philippe watch that you took away.”

“Again?” Zhang Rui leaned back on the sofa and lit a cigarette for himself. “Even the police couldn’t do anything. Why doesn’t she give up?”

“You took it, right?” Jin Zhou asked.

He didn’t expect Zhang Rui to admit it, but he wanted to see his reaction to determine if he had taken it or not.

“Do you have any evidence?” Zhang Rui freed one hand and poked Jin Zhou’s shoulder forcefully. “You’re supposed to be a lawyer, yet you haven’t presented any evidence.”

Jin Zhou glanced at Zhang Rui’s hand but didn’t respond.

“Or are you saying that you’re not even a lawyer, and she just found some inexperienced pretty boy to intimidate me?” Zhang Rui shook the cigarette ashes in the ashtray and said, “Do you think I’m easily scared? Even the police couldn’t do anything to me. Who do you think you are? Let me say it again, the watch is not with me. Get out of here and don’t dirty my place.”

After listening to Zhang Rui’s boring speech, Jin Zhou finally understood why Liu Qian was so convinced that he had taken her watch.

If he truly hadn’t taken it, being wrongly accused might have made him angry or feel wronged, but it wouldn’t make him act so arrogantly.

Yes, he was being arrogant.

He seemed to be saying, “Yes, I took the watch. If you can, come and catch me.”

“It seems it’s really you,” Jin Zhou became interested. “Let me remind you, don’t underestimate the situation.”

“You’re reminding me?” Zhang Rui laughed and used the walkie-talkie on his chest to call four or five burly security guards. He pointed his chin at Jin Zhou and said, “Get him out of here.”

Under normal circumstances, Jin Zhou wouldn’t be afraid at all. He could just smash a bottle, hold it against someone’s neck, and reason with them.

But he was injured, and it was inconvenient.

He wasn’t afraid of the wound tearing, but he was afraid of getting blood on his clothes. It would be difficult to explain to Yang Shiyu later.

The four or five security guards quickly pushed Jin Zhou out from the front door. As he stepped down the steps unsteadily, despite trying to stand firm, he couldn’t avoid pulling at his wound, causing him considerable pain.

He glanced at the glittering sign of the Paris Temple and took out his phone to dial a number. He said in a low voice, “Send some people over for me.”

On the side of the road, Jin Zhou smoked two cigarettes, checked the time, and realized it was not yet 8:30. He had enough time to rush back.

After a short wait, seven or eight cars arrived on the road, and more than thirty big guys got out of the cars. Tiger walked to the forefront and came to Jin Zhou, asking, “Jin Zhou, who’s causing trouble for you?”

Jin Zhou couldn’t be bothered to explain and raised his hand, pointing at the entrance of the Paris Temple. “Let’s go.”

The crowd surged toward the entrance of the Paris Temple. The security guards standing on either side of the entrance looked at each other and some went inside to call for help, while others tried to stop Jin Zhou but were pushed away by Tiger.

Thirty or forty big guys rushed into the Paris Temple, causing quite a stir. The female customers were frightened and left one after another, and even the waiters hid away.

Zhang Rui hurried over upon seeing the situation and looked slightly flustered. “What are you doing? Are you disrupting our normal business?”

“We’re not disrupting you from doing business,” Jin Zhou put his hands in his pockets and gestured to his brothers behind him with his chin. “Go find a seat and sit down. Order some drinks.”

“Causing a scene” was something Jin Zhou and his brothers were experienced in. They all chose seats in areas where there were customers.

With the place now empty of customers, the security guards didn’t dare to act rashly, and the waiters didn’t dare approach to take orders.

Tiger sat arrogantly at the bar, impatiently kicking over a high stool and shouting, “Are you all dead? Can’t you take orders?”

Causing a scene required a certain momentum. The security guards at the Paris Temple had decent looks and physiques, but they felt like fitness trainers. In front of Tiger’s muscular arms, none of them dared  make a sound.

Zhang Rui swallowed nervously and cautiously looked at Jin Zhou. “Brother, I may have offended you earlier. How about we sit down and have a calm discussion? There’s no need to make the atmosphere so tense.”

“What kind of music is this?” Jin Zhou frowned. “It’s so unpleasant.”

Zhang Rui quickly waved at the DJ and made a large “X” gesture with his arms.

The bar fell completely silent, appearing empty and desolate. Jin Zhou cleaned his ears and asked, “Who did you tell to leave earlier?”

“It was a misunderstanding. It was all a misunderstanding,” Zhang Rui said, trying to please. “You said you’re… a lawyer?”

“Don’t think that intellectuals are easy to bully,” Jin Zhou imitated the way Zhang Rui poked him earlier and forcefully poked Zhang Rui’s temple. “Listen carefully when I speak to you, damn it.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Zhang Rui lowered his head and repeatedly responded. However, he suddenly seemed to remember something and raised his head, saying to Jin Zhou, “Brother, about that watch, it really isn’t with me. Could it be that Sister Liu remembered it wrong?”

If Zhang Rui had that attitude from the beginning, Jin Zhou might have been half skeptical.

But after witnessing Zhang Rui’s arrogance, he regarded it as nonsense.

“You won’t admit it, huh?” Jin Zhou said. “You better hide it well, so I don’t catch you.”

“No, it really isn’t with me,” Zhang Rui said with difficulty.

Jin Zhou didn’t waste any more words with Zhang Rui and called out to his brothers behind him. “If you want to stay here and drink, feel free. I’ll cover the bill.”

“please, Big Brother,” Zhang Rui quickly said, “Look, we still have to do business here.”

Jin Zhou couldn’t be bothered with such matters. He wasn’t refusing to pay, and he didn’t mind his brothers drinking there.

But with the place so empty and without any beautiful women, his brothers discussed it and felt it was boring. They decided to return to their own territory.

Tiger got off the high stool and bumped into Zhang Rui, asking Jin Zhou in a low voice, “Jin Zhou, what watch is Sister Liu talking about?”

“It’s nothing,” Jin Zhou waved his hand. “I’ll handle it.”

The group of people walked out in a bustling manner. At that moment, Jin Zhou’s phone suddenly vibrated.

He casually took it out and looked at the screen, but when he saw the name displayed on it, his knees immediately went weak, and he froze in place.

 he had been exposed.

He gestured to his companions to remain quiet, and the waiters who were arranging tables and chairs also stopped in confusion.

“Hello?” In the curious eyes of everyone, Jin Zhou nervously answered the phone. “Wife?”

Yang Shiyu’s voice came from the other end of the line, carrying a chilling tone. “Come back now.”

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1“To support me and if you enjoy the chapters, please visit my Kofi page and buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/cee4409your contribution will be highly appreciated