Chapter 3184 — Challenging Wei Zhao

"Lingshan, why do you keep running from me?" Tang Yuqi finally asked the question that had been festering in his heart for so long. He had always done his utmost to keep up the image he presented before Qiu Lingshan, and he had even found out what her standards for a partner were. He felt he met them all completely, and so he had never understood: why would Qiu Lingshan not accept him?

He and Qiu Lingshan were in the same line of work, so they shared plenty of common ground; both were cultivators, so they shared secrets no outsider could know; and he was even stronger than Qiu Lingshan. All of this fit her standards. So why did Qiu Lingshan turn him down again and again?

Tang Yuqi did not believe the fault lay in his not being good enough. The problem, he thought, must lie with Qiu Lingshan. And so at last he mustered his courage, determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Tang Yuqi, what are you trying to say?" Qiu Lingshan frowned. She had always known Tang Yuqi liked her, but this was the first time he had laid the matter out so openly.

"Lingshan, I want to know why you always reject me. Don't you understand how I feel? I like you!" Tang Yuqi said loudly. "I stayed here for your sake. I thought—we're in the same line of work, we're both cultivators, and I heard your standard is that a man must be stronger than you. I meet all of that. I don't understand why you've never once responded to my pursuit."

"Tang Yuqi, I'm sure you've noticed—ever since I learned how you felt, I've been avoiding this question. You ought to understand what I mean by now," Qiu Lingshan said. "Before, I held back from spelling it out for the sake of our being colleagues, hoping you'd take the hint and back off. But I never expected that the more you were rebuffed, the harder you pushed. Still, since you've spoken of it today, I may as well tell you: there can never be anything between us."

"Why? There has to be a reason, doesn't there? Lingshan, if you reject me, there has to be a reason. I think we're well matched—there's nothing improper about it!" Tang Yuqi said, unwilling to let it go.

"If you insist on a reason, then it's that I already have someone in my heart," Qiu Lingshan said, looking at Tang Yuqi with resolve. "I like him. Is that reason enough?"

"But I've never once seen him. Lingshan, are you lying to me?" Tang Yuqi did not quite believe her. "If such a man really existed, I've been at the police force long enough—there's no way I'd never have seen him even once."

"He's very busy, and he has a great many things of his own to see to. I haven't disturbed him," Qiu Lingshan said. "Tang Yuqi, there's no denying you're outstanding, but speaking from a perfectly fair standpoint, he's far more capable than you. So please, let this matter go. It's better for all of us."

"No, I don't believe it!" Tang Yuqi said, unwilling to yield. "I'm a Heaven Rank expert, a crack investigator. How could he possibly be more capable than me? Lingshan, don't lie to me—there's no such person at all, is there?"

"Sorry, but I've no need to lie to you." Qiu Lingshan shrugged. "Tang Yuqi, believe it or not, this person truly exists."

"Fine! Lingshan, since you say he's stronger than me, then I want to challenge him—the way a man settles things—and find out once and for all who's the stronger!" Tang Yuqi said. "If he's stronger than me, I'll accept it wholeheartedly. If he's not, Lingshan, I hope you'll reconsider."

"...Tang Yuqi, why must you be so stubborn?" Qiu Lingshan was somewhat at a loss. But after all, Tang Yuqi's approach was honorable enough: he would challenge Wei Zhao, and even if he won, all he asked was that Qiu Lingshan consider him. That left her truly unable to say anything harsh.

"I hope you'll give me this chance!" Tang Yuqi said resolutely.

"That I can't promise you. If you truly want to challenge him, I can find a time to speak with him, but whether he accepts, I can't guarantee," Qiu Lingshan said.

"Good. If he really is the formidable hero you say he is, then he'll surely accept my challenge. He can't be a turtle hiding in its shell!" Tang Yuqi knew how to goad a man too, and Qiu Lingshan saw right through his little scheme. She only smiled faintly and gave it no further thought.

In truth, Qiu Lingshan herself had not seen Wei Zhao for quite some time, and she missed him. She had heard that Wei Zhao had been busy lately, serving as a close bodyguard to the superstar Xu Shilan, and with the company's new product on the market as well, she had not wanted to disturb him.

Nor had she run into any case too difficult to solve. Ordinary cases Tang Yuqi could handle on his own; there was no need to call Wei Zhao in. So she had no reason to seek him out either.

Now, though, an opportunity had presented itself. Tang Yuqi wanted to challenge Wei Zhao, and Qiu Lingshan could use that challenge as an excuse to invite Wei Zhao out—to see him again! That was precisely why she had agreed to help Tang Yuqi try.

"I'll speak to him," Qiu Lingshan said.

"Good! In that case, I won't pester you any further. I'll take the case file back to read. If you want to stay in the office, go ahead. I'll be off first." Having achieved his aim, Tang Yuqi did not press further; he was quite unconstrained about it.

Qiu Lingshan was a little surprised. She nodded. "I'll stay a while longer."

"All right, see you tomorrow." Tang Yuqi said nothing more, simply took the case file and left the office.

Once Tang Yuqi had gone, Qiu Lingshan sighed and dialed Wei Zhao's number.

"Lingshan?" Wei Zhao was a little surprised when he picked up. Qiu Lingshan had not been in touch for some time. "Don't tell me there's another case you can't crack?"

"No, not that." Hearing his words, Qiu Lingshan suddenly felt a little embarrassed, as though she were utterly useless—every time she sought Wei Zhao out, it was to solve a case! So she hastily said, "It's like this... at our police station, a colleague of mine is pursuing me..."

"A colleague? Pursuing you?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. "You called just to tell me this?"

"I turned him down. I told him I already have someone in my heart, but... he wants to challenge you..." Qiu Lingshan said.

"Pff..." Wei Zhao was caught between laughter and tears. "I'm a cultivator, and a Heaven Rank expert at that. He wants to challenge me?"

"Actually... he's a cultivator too, and a Heaven Rank expert as well..." Qiu Lingshan said with a wry smile.

"What?! Your colleague is a Heaven Rank expert?" Wei Zhao's eyes went wide. "Really? Since when did the Donghai City police station become a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers?" RS