“The alley has surveillance?” The delinquents were stunned.
There never was before!
The officers noticed their panicked expressions and understood immediately.
The camera had been installed after the kids was nearly robbed there last time.
Not only did these delinquents not know, but even the students from Mingli High probably hadn’t realized it.
The delinquents’ faces turned all shades of blue and white.
They didn’t hold out for long before confessing everything.
But they were still unwilling to accept it. “Sure, we started it, but we didn’t even hit him! Instead, we got beaten up. We’re the real victims here!”
The old police officer shook his head and sighed. “A bunch of legal illiterates.”
Clearly, there was still a long way to go in educating teenagers about the law…
He first sent a young officer to check the surveillance footage, then had everyone sit down. Speaking in a serious yet patient tone, he said, “Do you kids not understand anything? You’re all in high school, right? At least sixteen? That means you’ve reached the age of criminal responsibility. Do you think this is just some schoolyard brawl? If we take it seriously, this could be classified as provoking trouble!”
He saw them freeze for a moment, but they still looked unconcerned. He continued, “You’re lucky this didn’t escalate. Ten against one—how did you even think that was fair? If you had seriously injured him and he refused to settle, this would go to court. You’d have a criminal record, a stain on your records, and it might even affect your future generations.”
The group exchanged looks, clearly caught off guard. They wanted to ask more but were too proud to admit their ignorance.
Then, unexpectedly, Xie Heng raised his hand, his eyes bright with curiosity as he looked at Officer Zhang. “How would it affect future generations? Could you explain in detail?”
Officer Zhang : “…”
This kid… does this kid even have descendants to worry about?
And was he here to lecture them or host a legal education program?
Xu Jiaming lowered his gaze, feeling secondhand embarrassment. He coughed lightly and muttered, “Some reputable companies require a clean criminal record. It could also affect the ability of your descendants to join the military or take civil service exams.”
Xie Heng nodded.
That did sound serious.
A thought crossed his mind, and he frowned, deep in thought.
Officer Zhang, seeing that, decided to turn his attention elsewhere. He looked at the group of clearly adult men standing to the side and knocked on the table. His tone grew heavier. “And you guys? What’s your deal?”
One of the bodyguards glanced at Xie Heng before hesitating briefly and deciding to tell the truth.
“We were sent by Mr. Xie to protect him.”
Officer Zhang was momentarily stunned before letting out a chuckle. So, these were the bodyguards of a rich young master…
Upon hearing this, Xie Heng scowled and glared at them, grumbling impatiently, “My Dad, again? Why does he keep sending people to follow me…”
Officer Zhang glanced at him, his tone serious but with a hint of familiarity. “You’re always causing trouble. Of course, your Dad worries about you. It makes sense to have someone watch over you.”
“…”
Xie Heng rubbed his nose, feeling slightly wronged, but he didn’t argue back.
Soon, the young officer returned with the surveillance footage. After reviewing it, they confirmed that the situation matched the reports. He sighed in relief but then frowned.
For cases like this, if the injuries weren’t severe, mediation was usually the preferred approach.
But if one side refused, a medical evaluation would be necessary.
The gang of delinquents looked visibly guilty and desperate to leave. Meanwhile, the three boys—though they had fought back—had clearly done so in self-defense. If they refused to settle, things could get complicated.
Old Zhang took a sip of tea and said leisurely, “Call your parents. I’ll talk to them.”
Even the delinquents panicked at that, pleading to avoid involving their parents.
Xie Heng’s expression flickered.
He tugged at his uniform, his previously defiant posture lowering slightly as he spoke hesitantly, “Can we not call our parents? We’re not kids anymore. We can handle this ourselves. I’ve decided not to pursue charges.”
The two officers, the delinquents, the bodyguards, and even Xu Jiaming and Song Siyang all stared at him in disbelief.
If you didn’t want your parents called, why did you even report this?!
Song Siyang patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. It’s not like this is your first time getting your parents called by the police. You should be used to it by now.”
Xie Heng : “Get lost!”
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Would they call Ms. Lu?
But… his school uniform was torn and dirty from the fight.
He really didn’t want her to see him like this.
After hesitating for a long time, Xie Heng finally took out his phone and decided to call Old Xie instead.
That should be fine. His Dad was so busy that he probably wouldn’t even come.
Even if his Dad got mad, he should be used to this by now, right?
When the call came in, Xie Yizhao was already at home, in his study.
“Got into a fight?” Xie Yizhao pinched the bridge of his nose, momentarily at a loss for words.
The kid’s wounds hadn’t even fully healed, and he was already fighting again. That was so… typical of him.
Xie Heng couldn’t be bothered to explain too much. “Yeah, sort of… If you’re busy, don’t worry about it. I can handle it myself.”
“You’re just a kid. How are you going to handle it?” Xie Yizhao’s tone deepened. “Don’t cause trouble at the station. I’m coming over.”
Xie Heng paused, then let out a prideful “Oh” and didn’t say anything else.
After hanging up, Xie Yizhao shut down his computer. He glanced at the scattered documents on his desk but left them as they were. Shrugging on his coat, he stepped out of the study.
He called for a servant to prepare the car, then stood at the staircase, thinking for a moment before looking upstairs and heading up.
Back in the bedroom, Lu Xi was lounging lazily on the bed, watching a variety show on her tablet.
It was her second day of her period. The cramps had eased, but she still felt sluggish and had spent most of the day in bed.
Xie Yizhao walked over, reached down, and gently touched her cheek.
Lu Xi didn’t look at him, but there was a smile on her face as she affectionately rubbed against the back of the man’s hand. “Done with work?”
Xie Yizhao gave a soft “mm,” then, after a moment’s thought, decided to tell her about Xie Heng.
“A fight? And it even got to the police station?” Lu Xi suddenly tensed. She tossed aside her tablet and instinctively tried to get up.
That troublesome kid…
But Xie Yizhao held her down, gently guiding her to lean back against the bed.
“He sounded normal on the phone, doesn’t seem like anything serious. I’ll handle it.” His expression was relaxed, calm and unruffled, giving off an air of confidence that everything was under control. Seeing that, Lu Xi unconsciously relaxed as well.
She thought for a moment. “Alright.”
She couldn’t handle everything herself, and since Xie Heng had called his Dad, it was only right that Xie Yizhao be the one to take care of it.
Xie Yizhao stroked her hair briefly before getting up to leave. Then, as if remembering something, he turned back. “By the way, the police station’s near the school. Do you want me to bring you anything to eat?”
Lu Xi was momentarily stunned, then suddenly craved fried chicken.
She touched her stomach and smiled, squinting slightly. She told Xie Yizhao she wanted fried chicken, then added, “And, make sure you figure out what happened first. If our boy isn’t at fault, don’t let him be wronged. But if he is, tell me when you get back—I’ll scold him to death.”
Xie Yizhao chuckled lightly. “Got it.”
At that moment, Xie Heng sat on a long bench in the police station’s lobby and suddenly shivered.
Xu Jiaming and Song Siyang had already been sent back to school. They had called their families, but since their parents were all out of town, they couldn’t come.
The police had explained the situation to them before letting them go.
The whole incident tonight had actually been targeted at Xie Heng; the other two had just been caught up in it.
Xie Heng felt a little resentful.
Before leaving, Song Siyang had even cheerfully waved at him, looking downright smug.
Xu Jiaming, on the other hand, said gently, “Just be patient. I’ll lend you my notes tomorrow.”
“…Get lost, both of you!”
Both were terrible friends.
Still, it was better this way. Without them around, he actually felt less pressure.
He had already dragged them into this mess, which made him uncomfortable enough. If his Dad scolded him later, at least they wouldn’t be there to witness his humiliation.
Xie Heng’s expression darkened. He crossed his arms and looked indifferent, but there was a hint of unease and apprehension in his eyes.
It wasn’t the first time his Dad had come to pick him up from the police station.
And it had never ended well before.
Aside from the bodyguards, six other people remained. One or two of their parents had arrived, and after hearing what had happened, they were glaring at him angrily.
They didn’t say anything, but their looks alone made him uncomfortable.
As if everything was his fault.
Xie Heng couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge them. He put on his headphones and started playing a game.
Just as he was matching with teammates, he vaguely heard someone calling “Mr. Xie.”
He froze and immediately looked up.
Sure enough, his Dad had arrived.
Their eyes met briefly before Xie Yizhao started walking toward him.
Xie Heng quickly stood up, his gaze flickering, not quite daring to meet his Dad’s eyes.
Even though he hadn’t started the fight this time, he knew how busy his Dad was, yet his Dad still had to come all the way here for him.
Losing face himself was one thing, but dragging his Dad into it too…
Officer Zhang had been newly transferred and didn’t recognize Xie Yizhao, but some of the other officers did. One greeted him with a smile. “Mr. Xie, you’re here?”
Xie Yizhao simply nodded slightly.
A parent stepped forward, dragging their child along. They didn’t know who Xie Yizhao was and spoke rather rudely. “So, you’re Xie Heng’s father? Perfect. Look at what your son did to mine, how do you plan to handle this?”
Xie Heng was so annoyed he almost rolled his eyes like Lu Xi.
What the hell? Did this guy have no shame? The police had already explained the situation. What nonsense was he spewing now, just because his Dad was here?
Xie Heng suddenly felt like he hadn’t hit hard enough earlier.
He was about to retort when Xie Yizhao cleared his throat and subtly held a hand out in front of him, stopping him.
Calm and unhurried, Xie Yizhao’s face held a faint smile, his tone polite yet distant. “I know this little guy1 of mine well. He can be a bit mischievous, but he’s not someone who picks fights unprovoked.”
He paused, then turned to the police officer. “Officer, who threw the first punch this time?”
Officer Zhang shot a look of disdain at the other parent before explaining the situation again, making it clear that ‘those ten kids were the ones looking for trouble with Xie Heng.’
The parent’s expression stiffened, and they fell silent for the time being.
Xie Heng, however, was stunned.
What had his Dad just called him? L-little guy?
Ugh, so cringeworthy.
The boy took off his headphones and snuck a glance at his Dad.
He hadn’t heard clearly just now. Could he get Old Xie to say it again?
- “小家伙儿” (xiǎo jiāhuo er) is a friendly and affectionate term in Chinese that’s typically used to refer to a little person, child, or a small animal. It’s not a formal or respectful term, but rather one that conveys fondness, endearment, or sometimes a playful sense of mischief. ↩︎