Chapter 21: He Might Be Gay

"Brother, you... you've come back."

Seeing her kin, Sun Qing's eyes welled up with tears once more. Even though he had never contributed to the family, he was still her own brother, a bond of blood that could not be severed. It was the psychological reliance a younger sister holds for her brother.

"Dad, Dad he..."

Sun Qing could not hold it back any longer, her tears breaking like a dam. Seeing his sister’s sorrowful tears, the muscles in Sun Lang’s face twitched; he was likely gritting his teeth to suppress the surging emotions within. He walked over, wiped away the tears sliding down his sister’s cheeks, and whispered, "I know. I know."

He then turned his head to look at Han Ling.

Before he could even ask a question, Sun Qing explained, "Officer Han is a policeman. Just now... he saved me and even lent me over two thousand yuan. He was just about to leave."

"Saved?" Sun Lang frowned, catching the key point.

Sun Qing didn't want her brother to worry, so she quickly added, "It's nothing, really. A few men were harassing me, but nothing actually happened."

Upon hearing this, Sun Lang's expression turned grim, accompanied by a lingering fear. He walked toward Han Ling and reached out his hand. "Officer Han, thank you, I..."

As they moved into striking range, Han Ling countered with a swift backhand slap.

*Slap!*

The sound was incredibly sharp in the quiet night. Sun Lang staggered, his head snapping to the side.

"Brother!"

"Officer Han! Stop!"

Before his sister could finish her plea, Han Ling delivered a kick. Sun Lang finally lost his balance and collapsed to the ground.

"Brother!" Sun Qing rushed over to help him up.

Han Ling remained calm. Unjustified violence could lead to many consequences. If Sun Lang reported him, he would face disciplinary action, which would severely affect his future commendations and promotions. His predecessor might not have done such a thing, but he didn't care about that. To put it bluntly, this police uniform held little restraint for Han Ling; he could wear it, but it wouldn't matter if he took it off.

"I deserved that." Sun Lang stood steady, lifting a hand to wipe the stinging pain from his face and the corner of his mouth. He showed no sign of resentment toward Han Ling. "Dad is critically ill at home, Mom is struggling to make ends meet, and my sister had to drop out of school because of it. I deserved it; I truly deserved it."

It seemed he already knew what had happened at home, perhaps hearing it from friends in the neighborhood.

Han Ling stared at him for a moment. This attitude—did it signal a prodigal son returning to the right path? If so, he wasn't beyond saving, though the price had been his father's suicide.

"Officer Han, I will pay back the two thousand yuan as soon as I can," Sun Lang said.

Han Ling said nothing, turned around, mounted his bicycle, and rode away.

"Brother, are you okay?" Sun Qing asked with concern.

Sun Lang shook his head. "I'm fine. He was right to hit me. Dad is no longer around to hit me, so I'll just pretend... it was Dad who did it."

Sun Qing couldn't help but cry again. She could see that her brother had changed significantly since their father's passing—even if it was a bit late.

The two entered their home. Sun Lang saw the money on the table and asked curiously, "Why is there an odd amount?"

Sun Qing replied, "Officer Han withdrew two thousand, then gave me all the loose change from his wallet as well."

Hearing this, Sun Lang sighed. He knew his sister had met a good person. Recalling the harassment Sun Qing mentioned, he pressed for details. Seeing she couldn't avoid it, Sun Qing told him the truth.

After hearing the description, Sun Lang said coldly, "Where did those scoundrels come from? You call this 'nothing'? When Officer Han arrived, it was harassment, but if he hadn't arrived in time, it might have been rape!"

"Ah?!" Sun Qing, still naive, didn't fully understand, but she knew what rape meant, and her face turned pale.

"Do you remember what they looked like?" Sun Lang asked.

Sun Qing was startled and quickly tried to dissuade him. "Brother, don't go looking for them! Hitting people is against the law! You'll have to pay damages! If you end up in jail, Mom and I..."

Sun Lang shook his head. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing; I'm not that stupid. By the way, did you write an IOU?" He pointed to the money on the table.

Sun Qing replied, "No, Officer Han didn't want one. He said it's fine to pay it back in three or five years."

Sun Lang picked up the money and said, "I owe him two favors. There must be an IOU. I'll take it to him tomorrow."

Sun Qing listened to her brother. "Okay."

...

The next morning, Sun Lang arrived at the Wanglou Police Station, only to find out that Han Ling was out on duty. The officer in charge of the lobby, who belonged to the public security team, lived at the station just like Han Ling and was quite familiar with him; the two often chatted. Aside from rotating shifts, the front desk was usually manned by officers from the public security team—at least one had to be present, as it was a vital window for receiving public assistance and reports, allowing for rapid response.

"Then could you please hand this IOU to him for me? Thank you." Sun Lang handed it over.

The duty officer took it and glanced at it. "Why is the amount so specific? Are you friends?"

Sun Lang shook his head. "Strangers. Something happened at home, and Officer Han helped us selflessly. I am very grateful."

The duty officer gave an 'oh' sound. "He really is quite generous. If this were a few months ago, he wouldn't have been able to pull out two thousand yuan."

Sun Lang was slightly stunned. "Huh?"

The duty officer continued, "Han Ling is an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. He is still in his internship period. How much money do you think he has as a new hire?"

Upon learning this, Sun Lang’s mouth hung open. He stood in silence for a long time, said nothing, and left the Wanglou Police Station.

The debt of gratitude had grown even heavier. To someone who has a hundred thousand, lending two thousand is different from someone who has five thousand lending two thousand. In Sun Lang's eyes, this was different.

Could there really be such a selfless police officer? Their siblings must be incredibly lucky.

Mounting his electric scooter, Sun Lang prepared to head to the funeral parlor. After handling his father's funeral, he needed to find work; it wasn't too late to strive for a better life. His sister's education had to be completed—high school, university—he would never let her step into the workforce so early. Besides... this was his father's final wish.

Sometimes, a prodigal son's return is easy; it only takes a catalyst or a single thought.

Suddenly, the roar of an engine sounded behind him. Sun Lang instinctively looked back and saw a sapphire blue luxury car accelerate and cut across, forcing him to stop in the non-motorized vehicle lane.

"Damn it..."

Sun Lang braked quickly. Just as he was about to curse, he saw the BMW driver's side door open, and a familiar figure with long, slender legs stepped out and walked toward him.

Eh? Isn't this that great beauty from the internet cafe?

Xu Qinghe took off her sunglasses and stood in front of Sun Lang, getting straight to the point: "What were you doing at the Wanglou Police Station?"

Sun Lang swallowed nervously and replied, "I... I went to see Officer Han Ling."

Xu Qinghe raised an eyebrow. "Reason?"

Sun Lang didn't hide anything and gave a rough account of what happened last night.

"Thank you. Forget that you saw me today."

After listening, Xu Qinghe thanked him, put her sunglasses back on, and turned to leave.

Sun Lang didn't understand the situation. Was this woman really interested in Han Ling? What could she possibly see in him?

"Beauty! I'll definitely forget! I won't remember anything! Do you like Officer Han?" Sun Lang asked.

Xu Qinghe didn't answer. She got into the car, and the engine roared as the tires spun.

Before the BMW could drive too far, Sun Lang shouted, "You're a perfect match! A very good match! Officer Han is excellent! You shouldn't let him go! Go for it! He might be gay, so you'll have to work hard to straighten him out!"

He didn't know if she heard him or not.