Chapter 293: Mu Qingwu’s Pride

“Damn it, what did I do to deserve this? Why can’t I even get a peaceful night’s sleep?”

At 5:30 in the morning, Xiao Yu opened his eyes and muttered his complaint.

“Ha!”

Mu Qingwu lifted her flawless figure from his embrace and grabbed the phone from the bedside table. The incoming number was bizarrely strange: NS1. 

What kind of number was that?

Puzzled, Mu Qingwu pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“Hm?” The voice on the other end was cold. “Who are you?”

“I…”

Momentarily stunned, Mu Qingwu was about to reply when the phone was taken from her hand.

“Don’t use that tone with my wife again, okay?” Holding the phone, Xiao Yu’s voice was calm. “Otherwise, I might not be able to help myself and I’ll want to pull your teeth out.”

“…” The person on the other end went silent.

They could tell Xiao Yu wasn’t joking.

Considering the capabilities of this little brother, he could actually do it.

“Speak. What’s this about?”

When the silence dragged on, Xiao Yu prompted the caller.

“A helicopter will reach your location in thirty minutes,” the other replied.

“What kind of case?” Xiao Yu frowned.

“You’ll be briefed when you arrive.” The caller explained, “We didn’t originally plan to involve you, but we’ve hit a dead end. Wang Dong suggested we let you give it a try, considering you’re now a State Security group leader.”

“Got it.”

Xiao Yu hung up, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Seeing Mu Qingwu watching him with an amused expression, he explained, “N stands for Nation, S stands for Security. The 1 is Group One. There are nine groups, or rather, there are ten special ops groups now.”

“Got it.” Mu Qingwu nodded in understanding.

“I have to go.”

With only half an hour, Xiao Yu buried his face into Mu Qingwu’s embrace. “I don’t want to leave.”

“Haha…” Hugging her now-childish brother, Mu Qingwu knew this side of him belonged only to her. She spoke softly, “Don’t pout. The nation’s work is more important. We’ll have plenty of time later. By then, I’m afraid you’ll think I’m clingy and annoying.”

“No way!” Like a pig rooting around, Xiao Yu nuzzled against her and pressed his face to her belly. “I’ll miss you, and I’ll miss the baby.”

“I know.”

Like a gentle mother, Mu Qingwu stroked his hair with a warm smile. “Then hurry up and catch the bad guys. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can come home to see me and the baby, right?”

“You’re right!” Xiao Yu stood up and looked at her. “I’m off.”

Mu Qingwu kissed him on the lips. “Stay safe!”

Twenty-six minutes later, an armed helicopter hovered above the villa.

A rope ladder dropped down, and Xiao Yu climbed aboard.

Gently resting her hand on her belly, Mu Qingwu watched the scene calmly. She had seen this happen several times before. It wasn’t strange anymore. In fact, her face carried an unmistakable pride.

What woman doesn’t dream of her man being a knight, a prince, or a hero riding in on the clouds?

But some women’s pride differs from others.

As Xiao Yu waved to her from the helicopter, Mu Qingwu’s pride deepened.

‘This is my husband. Why shouldn’t I be proud?’

***

Four and a half hours later.

Beijing. Ministry of State Security. Helipad.

The armed helicopter landed, and Xiao Yu stepped out, immediately spotting two people, the Group 2 Leader, Wang Dong, and Group 1 Leader, Shen Zhengyang.

When Xiao Yu saw Wang Dong, he cracked a smile.

But when his gaze fell on Shen Zhengyang, his expression turned serious, and he stared directly at him.

“Uh…” Shen Zhengyang looked awkward. “At the time, I didn’t know she was your wife. My apologies.”

For the dignified leader of Group 1, this was the first time he’d had to apologize for something like this.

But Wang Dong had already explained the rules to him: You can joke around with this little brother all you like, but never mess with his wife. And definitely don’t try to show off around her. Otherwise, you’ll get beaten. And I’m not joking.

Why had Bai Ting been assigned to protect Mu Qingwu?

Because the big boss himself had ordered it.

If anything happened to Mu Qingwu, Xiao Yu would lose it. And nobody wanted to see what a monster like him would do in that state.

It would be terrifying.

Shifting his gaze, Xiao Yu looked at Wang Dong. “What’s going on?”

“A strange case,” Wang Dong said, uncertain how to explain. “It seems to involve a spy.”

“Huh?” Xiao Yu’s expression turned odd.

His stare seemed to strike some nerve deep inside Wang Dong.

‘Damn, this is so awkward.’ Wang Dong looked a bit embarrassed. “I know what you’re thinking—that spy cases shouldn’t involve you. But the strange part is, this case is completely inexplicable. It’s… weird.”

“Weird?” Xiao Yu blinked, confused.

Hearing the word eerie from the mouth of a State Security group leader felt almost laughable.

‘If that’s how you’re describing it, I should probably get some snacks ready.’ Xiao Yu smirked. “So what’s the deal?”

Wang Dong and Shen Zhengyang led Xiao Yu to a location—specifically, the outside of an interrogation room.

Through a glass panel, Xiao Yu saw a man sitting inside the room.

The man appeared to be in his thirties, with a scholarly demeanor. He looked like an ordinary shut-in.

How did Xiao Yu deduce that?

Simple. When deprived of electricity, smartphones, or computers, most shut-ins regress into a state of confusion, like cavemen.

This man had that same dazed expression, his face tinged with fear as he sat uneasily, visibly uncomfortable with his surroundings.

It was clear. He was just an ordinary person.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Xiao Yu looked away, feeling like his intelligence was insulted, and turned to Wang Dong and Shen Zhengyang.

“Once you hear this, you might not believe it,” Wang Dong said gravely.

“Then don’t bother saying it,” Xiao Yu replied. “If I’m not going to believe it anyway, what’s the point?”

Wang Dong, “…”

‘What’s up with this little brother?’

“Let’s get to the point.”

Xiao Yu didn’t have the patience for Wang Dong’s roundabout way of talking.

“I’ll explain.” Shen Zhengyang’s expression turned equally peculiar. “Do you believe it’s possible for a novel’s storyline to come to life?”

Xiao Yu stared at Shen Zhengyang calmly, his expression seemingly saying: Your complex facial features can’t hide the simplicity of your thoughts.

‘Do you think I’d believe that?’

“It’s true.” Wang Dong raised a hand, pointing toward the man in the interrogation room. Speaking slowly and deliberately, he said, “He wrote a novel about a spy, and then… that spy appeared. The actions of this spy match the events in the novel exactly.”

Xiao Yu froze.

Wang Dong was the leader of Group 2.

Shen Zhengyang was the leader of Group 1.

Would people like them joke about something like this?

Suddenly, Xiao Yu felt a creeping sense of paranoia, as if every shadow held hidden dangers. It was the sensation of the whole world turning against him. A chilling unease welled up inside him, leaving him cold all over.