"Is there a chance she’s putting on a show, casting an Enchanting Array to dissuade us from linking it to Mai? Or maybe she’s already figured out the secrets on my phone, and she’s deliberately saying that to evade us?"

"We can’t rule out that possibility, but she genuinely seems unaware of the surveillance device on your phone."

Yu Minglang trusts his instincts.

"That’s odd, I haven’t crossed anyone besides Mai recently, so who would be spying on me—hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

Yu Minglang is scanning Qian with an accusing gaze that makes Qian uneasy.

"Have you been enticing any undesirable attention lately? Like, inadvertently making someone fall head over heels for you?"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? When have I ever attracted undesirable attention!"

"You’ve attracted plenty!"

"It’s just Mai, doesn’t he look like an idiot standing there? Was I paying attention to him?"

Yu Minglang is tempted to say, "You only know about Mai, but the ones you don’t... ha ha ha!"

The list of potential rivals is endless. Yu Minglang has driven away countless others, and the ones he’s personally dealt with have not been ordinary. This doesn’t even include those pesky kids at her school who dare to set their sights on his woman before they’ve even grown up!

But none of this matters right now.

"Hold on tight, I’m going to chase down those two troublemakers!"

The two burly guys left a few minutes ago, and Qian isn’t sure if they can catch up, but Yu Minglang seems confident as he drives, still teasing her like they’re not chasing anyone.

"Honey, what would happen if you gained thirty pounds?" Yu Minglang muses, quickly shaking his head. "No, I think even if you gained thirty pounds, men would still like you. You’d need to gain fifty pounds for me to feel secure."

"Yu Minglang, you’re being mean, cursing me to gain fifty pounds?" Qian wants to kick him if it weren’t for the fact he’s driving.

"Alright, fifty pounds is too unhealthy. You should stay as you are. I’ll figure out a way; it’s exhausting how everyone likes my wife..."

"I’m not money; how could everyone like me? You’re overthinking it." Qian never believed she had much appeal to men.

Yu Minglang is relieved that Qian is somewhat oblivious about romance, which gives him room to operate behind the scenes, swatting flies, so to speak. Ultimately, it’s her face and personality that draw people in.

Yu Minglang wisely chooses not to dwell on this topic, letting her stay in the dark.

"Shouldn’t we stop chasing them? We’re almost at Linmen Bridge, and after crossing, there are so many roads, how can we continue?"

Qian’s route home passes only one road leading to Linmen Bridge, which opens up into multiple paths; Qian feels they won’t catch up.

"I always tell you to learn more about traffic info, but you never listen. If Linmen Bridge is raised, where can they go?"

"Don’t joke; isn’t the bridge raised only at 2 PM?"

Linmen Bridge is Lishi’s most unique bridge, spanning Linhe River, which runs through Lishi. The city still retains shipping functionality, so goods moving from the east to the west side of the city traverse Linhe River. Because ships are taller than the bridge, a drawbridge function was added to this bridge constructed in the early 90s.

When a ship approaches, a segment of the bridge elevates, allowing passage before lowering for vehicle traffic.

This was considered a technical breakthrough at the time in bridge construction.

However, it slightly impacts city traffic since it raises daily from 2 to 2:30 PM, creating long jams.

Citizens have adapted to rerouting around the bridge over the years.

It’s noon now, and Qian feels puzzled by Yu Minglang’s talk of raising the bridge.

"Normally, it raises at 2, but for special events, the dispatch center can accommodate us. What if those two reach the bridge, and it suddenly raises—what then?"

"Oh!"

Qian suddenly realizes. She slaps her forehead, wondering why she hadn’t thought of it. Yu Minglang’s got a special status!

"With an international case like this, the authorities granted me significant leeway." Yu Minglang informed them immediately, predicting those two would head towards Linmen Bridge.

Aside from this road, other routes are currently blocked by traffic.

"They should soon reach Linmen Bridge, coinciding with rush hour. Can you imagine what might happen?" Yu Minglang taps the steering wheel nonchalantly.

No wonder he was teasing her, talking about trivial weight issues during a tense chase. Qian finally gets it—he’s had it all planned out!

Qian is eagerly anticipating what will unfold.

Yu Minglang’s mind is brilliant; he started calculating the best escape route as soon as he got the call, predicting an ideal bridge-raising time based on their speed.

Raise it too soon, and they’ll notice something’s off and turn around. Raise it too late, and they’ll cross without a hitch.

At just the right moment, raise the bridge as they’re almost there, causing the front cars to stop and the back ones to block every exit—no turning back.

Those two are foreigners who don’t know local traffic patterns; seeing congestion ahead without understanding will leave them trapped once they realize, surrounded by cars.

"To commit crimes here without considering traffic—they really are brainless," Yu Minglang says with full confidence.

He’s a jack of all trades! He’s a master of urban warfare, which explains Xiaoqiang’s rapid rise to his position at such a young age. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Wow, I’m feeling impressed. I think I’ve found myself a strong man," Qian is captivated by his confident expression.

"You just realized? Those who want to mess with my wife in my territory will see how capable they are. They picked on you just now—watch how we retaliate!"

"Am I about to see a scene from the movies? A row of cars stalled at Linmen Bridge, and ropes suddenly drop from the severed section, with masked figures descending?"

Qian can’t help but thrill at this vision.

"You might see that next time; not this time."

"Ah... alright."

"Handling those clowns doesn’t need an army. I can do it solo—come on, brother will show you how to catch some ghosts, hold tight~"

No need for reinforcements; Lang alone can make her feel like she’s watching an action movie. If she wants excitement, he’ll sure give it to her!