The male protagonist is here
Yu Song drove around in circles, feeling a bit annoyed.
Zheng Yu cornered the driver, and the sound of sirens grew louder from afar.
Finally, they arrived.
Yu Song watched the two police cars approach and breathed a sigh of relief.
As she stopped the car, the driver immediately fled toward the factory.
The lead police car had already stopped, and Gu Zhiya got out with his team.
“Police! Stop! Don’t run!”
They shouted, chasing after him, but suddenly the second police car slammed on the accelerator and charged straight at the driver.
The driver was so frightened by the speed that he collapsed right onto the ground.
Even Yu Song was stunned, stepping out of the car in shock to watch.
The police car was about to hit the driver when it abruptly swerved, stopping right behind him and effectively blocking his escape route.
Gu Zhiya’s expression shifted slightly, and Liu Jingjia, who was behind him, muttered quietly, “Is this guy just showing off?”
Yu Song happened to overhear and thought to herself that this reckless bravado felt oddly familiar.
Someone had already subdued Mrs. Zhou and Zhou Xiaoheng inside the black car.
The two now curiously stared at the second police car.
Then the car door finally opened, and a tall police officer in summer uniform stepped out.
His face was righteous, brows furrowed as he looked at the driver slumped on the ground.
“Throw the gun over here! No sudden moves!”
The driver, who had been arrogant moments ago, immediately tossed the handgun at his feet.
The ease of this act made Gu Zhiya and Liu Jingjia, who had guns raised and were on high alert, look somewhat over the top — even a little cowardly.
Yu Song sized up the man and immediately knew this must be the male lead, Ji Jiang, from the original story.
He was indeed handsome and very good at playing cool under pressure, with exceptionally good luck.
Yu Song glanced back at Gu Zhiya. Under the male lead’s glow, this Officer Gu probably wouldn’t ever get a chance to shine.
Gu Zhiya noticed her look from Ji Jiang to himself, clearly comparing the two.
She finished her comparison and sighed, shaking her head in a mix of resignation and awe.
He was somewhat helpless.
This young lady had no depth—she just liked to judge people by their looks.
Probably because Ji Team Leader was handsome and drove well, she naturally favored him.
By now, Ji Jiang had already handcuffed the driver and was leading him over. Seeing Yu Song, he asked with genuine concern, “Little miss, are you alright?”
Yu Song shook her head and feigned fear, “I’m fine, Officer. Mrs. Zhou kidnapped me here, and her driver even pointed a gun at me. But Zhou Yaohui really wasn’t killed by me—they’ve got the wrong person. Can you help clear this up?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already reviewed the case file. I’ll help clear your name,” Ji Jiang said firmly, inspiring trust.
Yu Song thought back to Gu Zhiya’s harsh interrogation and glanced at him again, secretly pleased. It looked like Ji Jiang was taking over her case.
From what she knew about the male lead, he was definitely easier to work with than Officer Gu.
Gu Zhiya noticed her expression and frowned, feeling a bit displeased. What was this young lady up to, comparing him to Ji Jiang?
He wasn’t as handsome as Ji Jiang, didn’t come from a wealthy family, wasn’t as highly educated, and didn’t have as high a position, but he was diligent.
As soon as he heard Yu Song might have been kidnapped, he dropped everything and rushed over, clearly expecting no gratitude.
No, he was a police officer, and this was his duty. He didn’t need anyone’s thanks.
Gu Zhiya quickly adjusted his mood. This green-haired girl was really annoying. Just a few looks from her almost made him jealous and competitive.
Yu Song had skimmed through the book quickly.
She had only planned to check the fate of the villain with the same name, but the author had spent a lot of effort building up the male and female leads, making it hard not to remember them.
Ji Jiang was a top graduate from police academy, a Cambridge PhD, and had even studied Criminal Psychology at the University of Maryland before parachuting into the criminal investigation team.
His parents were both businesspeople: one family owned a nationwide supermarket chain, and the other ran a key local enterprise—solid second-generation wealth.
Add in a figure and appearance not unlike a celebrity, and wherever he went, he was the center of attention. His skills were outstanding, admired by his superiors and trusted by his colleagues.
Even criminals seemed to reform under his saintly aura and revealed their hearts to him.
The most famous case was when he was on a business trip out of town, and the prime suspect refused to speak until Ji Jiang returned.
In short, Ji Jiang had a halo of luck and success wherever he went.
The only setback was the tangled misunderstandings with the female lead after they met, but each misunderstanding only deepened their feelings, leading to their eventual happy union.
Yu Song thought the book was a domineering CEO romance, mostly because the male lead was so overwhelmingly authoritative in work and love, occasionally verging on oily.
She had been watching Gu Zhiya the whole time, indeed comparing the two men, but that didn’t mean she liked Ji Jiang more.
Although she thought the male lead was easier to manipulate, she hesitated because of the protagonist’s halo effect.
After all, she was a major villainess. In the story, the villain was captured together with the leads and, like all villains, gave a speech about her upbringing and descent into darkness, even crazily confessing her love for the male lead and explaining how love turned into hatred.
The thought sent a chill down Yu Song’s spine.
She was confused for a few seconds—should she keep her distance and stay safe away from the leads, or hide close to bask in their glow?
Ji Jiang greeted Gu Zhiya and then walked over to Yu Song.
“You’re Yu Song, right? I’ll call you Little Yu. My surname is Ji—you can call me Officer Ji or Team Leader Ji. From now on, I’ll be responsible for Zhou Yaohui’s case. Were you cold just now? Come on, get in the car. Let’s go to the police bureau and clear things up.”
Ji Jiang looked at Yu Song with warmth and gentlemanly charm, even making a polite gesture inviting her.
No wonder he was the male lead. His looks, voice, and expression were flawless.
Even Mrs. Zhou couldn’t help but peek out the car window at the handsome officer.
Yu Song liked looking at handsome guys too, but the book’s description always made her feel the male lead was a little oily.
But now, in this situation, she couldn’t avoid it. She had to take things as they came.
At least she had one principle:
No darkness! No breaking the law!
When they arrived at the criminal investigation team, it was still Gu Zhiya taking Yu Song’s statement.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Little Yu, are you avoiding having Team Leader Ji take your statement?”
Yu Song adjusted her posture and continued to maintain her ‘troubled teenage girl’ image: “Of course. Looks are justice! Besides, if Team Leader Ji was here, I wouldn’t need to do a statement. He knows I didn’t kill anyone!”
Gu Zhiya laughed bitterly, “The case is still under investigation. Before it’s closed, no one can say for sure who the culprit is. Team Leader Ji was just trying to comfort you, not frighten you. According to Mrs. Zhou, you stayed calm and clever the whole time.”
Yu Song raised her chin proudly, “Of course. I was a Young Pioneer as a kid. When facing criminals, you can’t compromise or retreat; you have to be smart and resourceful.”
“A Young Pioneer?” Gu Zhiya smiled knowingly. “Looks like that’s the only positive thing about you, something to be proud of.”
Yu Song snorted, “There will be many more to come.”
Seeing her relax, Gu Zhiya became serious. “Tell me, how did you notice the driver had a gun?”
“He was nervous but determined. You know, like someone ready to do something big. Plus, I noticed he wasn’t used to wearing a waist pouch, so why would he put it on while kidnapping me? I already knew Zhou Xiaoheng had a knife in his pocket. I thought maybe this deeper, more reserved driver might have a gun in his pouch. I can dodge a knife, but not bullets, so I couldn’t take the risk.”
Gu Zhiya wanted to laugh, “You’re out of breath and dyed your hair green, thinking you’re the Hulk? Don’t say you can dodge bullets—the knife isn’t exactly blind either.”
Seeing Yu Song’s indifferent look, he frowned and warned, “Yu, next time don’t be impulsive in situations like this. You know they see you as an enemy, so why agree to meet them? Didn’t I warn you this morning? Always report anything related to the case immediately.”
Yu Song shrugged, “Mrs. Zhou wanted to thank me and even offered me two hundred thousand yuan. Of course I had to go. Besides, I’m not under your command. Why report to you? I was just unlucky passing by the crime scene and happened to report it. You guys accused me of murder, and I haven’t asked for any compensation—that’s good enough.”
“Investigating a case is every citizen’s duty. We’re just doing a lawful investigation, not accusing you. Yu, why do you know so much about the driver’s personal life? And that he’s been divorced twice?”
Yu Song couldn’t tell the truth. She blinked, “I saw it online. His wife accused him of fraud, posted his photos, and said he was Zhou Yaohui’s real killer. I have a good memory—once I saw the photo, I recognized him right away.”
Yu Song’s statement seemed flawless, but her reactions under pressure made Gu Zhiya suspicious and deepened his doubts about her.
How could she remain composed during intense interrogation, quickly recognize the plainclothes officers watching her, scare off the experienced tough guy Guang Touqiang, guess the driver had a gun, provoke him to get out of the car, and skillfully maneuver while driving?
Was this the psychological resilience and quick reflexes of a sophomore university student? Her teachers and classmates described her as quiet and unremarkable, not liking to talk.
Quiet?
Gu Zhiya shook his head with a wry smile as he read Yu Song’s investigation report.
She talked nonstop and practically tried to control the interrogation, often firing back questions.
He looked up at the surveillance screen to observe this strange young woman. Just then, bored Yu Song looked up toward the camera. Gu Zhiya jumped, feeling like he’d been caught spying.
Yu Song was really bored. Although she adapted quickly to new environments, sitting at the interrogation table still felt uncomfortable.
She should be sitting across from the good side of justice.
Yu Song wanted to interrogate Mrs. Zhou, her cousin, and Zhou Xiaoheng herself.
She was even confident she could solve the case faster than the male lead.
After all, she did know a bit about the plot.
Mrs. Zhou’s cousin was Meng Dawei. Since being arrested, he hadn’t said a word—where the gun came from, who was killed, none of it.
A lawyer had already arrived, presenting a psychiatric certificate.
Ji Jiang had the certificate’s authenticity verified and showed it directly to Mrs. Zhou. “Do you know your cousin is mentally ill?”
Mrs. Zhou frowned, “That’s not mental illness. He just had a mental disorder in the past. He’s been fine for a long time. Someone must be trying to use him to fight over Old Zhou’s inheritance. Both Old Zhou’s cousins are suspects. Police comrades, please investigate carefully and stand up for me.”