"What's going on?" Gu Junxing stood up immediately upon hearing Butler Su's words.
"We don't know the details yet. The driver saw it happen and called."
"Where were they taken? Did they say which police station?"
"It was at the nearby Jiarui Cinema. The driver said he's following in the car and should call again soon."
Sure enough, as they were speaking, the driver's call came through. Butler Su had barely answered when Gu Junxing took the phone from him.
"Where are they? ... I understand." Gu Junxing got the location and hung up, not asking anything else. The urgent matter now was to bring the two back home; nothing else mattered.
"Old Su, call Lawyer He and tell him to go to Linhu Police Station right away. Tell him I'll be waiting for him there." Gu Junxing didn't know exactly what had happened, but He Zhongyun was his friend and legal advisor. If anything came up, it would be better to have a lawyer present.
After giving instructions, Gu Junxing immediately changed into outdoor clothes and drove to the police station himself.
At the police station, since they hadn't clarified the situation yet, after questioning each person separately, the police brought them to an interview room. Fearing they might fight again, they assigned two officers to sit with them in the room.
Seeing Gu Zhijing in his school uniform, the police asked him to contact his guardian.
"This is my guardian," Gu Zhijing pointed at Nian Suian.
"That's right, officer. I'm his guardian," she confirmed.
The police officer looked them both over. They didn't look alike at all, and their ages made it hard to determine their relationship.
So he asked, "What's your relationship?"
"Mother and son."
"Hey, little brother, if you're afraid to call your real guardian, don't try to fool us like this. How could she have given birth to a son your age? Is she the Maiden of Celestial Mountain?"
Now it wasn't just the police looking at Nian Suian; the other two involved were staring at her too.
The man exclaimed, "Officer, look at them lying even in the police station! You should arrest them. Who knows, they might be fugitives!"
"Shut up! You're the fugitive, you old pervert! Get ready for jail!" If not for the police presence, Gu Zhijing would have lunged to kick the man again.
"Officers, don't you have a system to check? We're really on the same household registry. I'm his stepmother, that's why I'm young. But I guess his real father will be here soon, and then the truth will come out." The driver hadn't waited for them, so he must have realized something was wrong. Even if he hadn't seen it himself, he could ask bystanders and would surely tell Gu Junxing immediately.
"My dad! Will he scold me when he comes?" Gu Zhijing was a bit scared. In the past, his disobedience was limited to not studying well and talking back to his father. He had never been to a police station before.
"Do you think this could be hidden from him? Don't worry, you were being a Good Samaritan, not fighting on purpose. He won't scold you." Nian Suian had already decided. She knew that Gu Zhijing had acted so impulsively at first, rushing in instead of seeking help or calling the police, because he thought that girl was her. So if Gu Junxing wanted to scold someone, let it be her. She had thick skin; she wasn't afraid.
As Nian Suian was comforting Gu Zhijing, he suddenly stood up, slapping the table, and snarled at the man opposite, "Stop looking at her, or I'll gouge your eyes out." He had seen clearly that since they came in, the man had been staring inappropriately. After learning their true identities, the man's gaze at his young stepmother became even more contemptuous and lecherous.
"Officer, look at him! So violent at such a young age. Clearly a delinquent," the man complained, playing the victim to the police.
"Whether my son is well-behaved or not is not for you to say."
"Dad!" Gu Zhijing was about to continue cursing when he saw his father enter.
Nian Suian also saw Gu Junxing. She cautiously glanced at his face and could tell he was very angry. She didn't speak, lowering her head and fidgeting with her fingers.
To be honest, she didn't quite know how to face Gu Junxing. Being a good stepmother was one thing, but ending up at the police station with her "son" was another matter entirely. After all, she was an adult, and if Gu Zhijing hadn't come looking for her, he would probably be sitting safely at home right now.
Initially, the three people opposite them were two young women and a boy in a school uniform. The man wore a look of disdain, his face bearing a careless expression, quite arrogant.
Now, seeing another man arrive on the opposite side, his expression changed instantly.
Gu Junxing sat down on Gu Zhijing's right.
"Dad, today I..." Gu Zhijing wanted to explain that he hadn't meant to fight today, but that man deserved a beating.
Gu Junxing cut off his son's words, "We'll talk about it later. Your Uncle He is here too. We should know what happened soon. As for you two, we'll discuss this at home."
"Yes, Dad." Gu Zhijing was as meek as a quail now, and Nian Suian didn't speak either. She guessed that the "Uncle He" Gu Junxing mentioned must be the lawyer he had called.
Shortly after, two more police officers entered, followed by a man in a suit. The officers sat down in the middle, while the man sat next to Gu Junxing.
"That's Uncle He, Dad's lawyer," Gu Zhijing whispered to Nian Suian. The setting wasn't appropriate for a proper introduction.
Nian Suian nodded without saying anything, as the officer in the middle cleared his throat and began to recount what had happened.
They had retrieved footage from nearby shops and street cameras, and had also questioned several onlookers at the scene, so they had a pretty clear picture of the incident.
"We've investigated the situation. This young Mr. Gu and Ms. Nian were purely acting as Good Samaritans, and there were no serious consequences, so after signing some papers, you can leave with your guardian."
Since the paperwork wasn't ready yet, Gu Zhijing and the others still had to wait a while longer.
The man had wanted to make excuses about being drunk, but faced with the surveillance footage produced by the police, he had nothing to say and apologized to the girl.
The police also asked the girl if she was willing to settle the matter.
"An apology isn't enough. I won't settle," the girl insisted firmly. "I've contacted my family and a lawyer. They'll be here soon."
"Good! That's how it should be," Gu Zhijing said angrily. He thought people like that should go to jail!
"Zhijing," Gu Junxing felt a headache coming on. His son had been meek and subdued just a moment ago, and now he was fired up again. This boy was really giving him trouble.
The police had nothing to say. A cold look told them that this man had managed to offend several formidable people in one go tonight.
"Peipei!" A man in a dress shirt rushed in through the door, immediately pulling the girl next to Nian Suian into his arms.
"Brother Huaizhi! Why are you here? Where's my brother?"
"Your brother left on a business trip yesterday and didn't have time to tell you. He called me. Why didn't you tell me right away? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Shen Huaizhi asked gently.
The girl called Peipei shook her head and introduced Gu Zhijing and Nian Suian to Shen Huaizhi.
"Brother Huaizhi, they're the ones who helped me. Otherwise..."
Shen Huaizhi comforted Peipei in a low voice, then turned to thank Gu Zhijing and Nian Suian.
"Thank you both for helping Peipei. Another day... Mr. Gu? Why are you here too?"