Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1140 My cousin... guessed it?

Xu Tian sat equally still, perhaps even too still.

He was slightly hunched over, a habit he had developed from years of working with his head down. His hands were placed flat on his knees, with his fingertips touching, forming a stable triangle.

With his head down, his gaze seemed to fall on the hem of his faded gray cloth long gown, where there was an inconspicuous patch with fine stitches.

His face was expressionless, showing neither fear nor anger, only an almost frozen calm that made Shen Suqiu uneasy.

Like a bottomless ancient well, if you throw a stone in, you won't hear an echo for a long time, only a deeper, unsettling silence.

Finally, unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, Shen Suqiu tentatively asked, "Cousin, when...when will they let us go?"

Xu Tian slowly raised his eyes and looked at her.

His movements were slow, his eyelids lifted at a steady pace, and his gaze calmly fell on Shen Suqiu's cheek. There was no reproach, no probing, and not even any obvious emotion in his eyes. He was just looking at her, as if she were an object that needed to be carefully examined.

"What's the rush?" Xu Tian said, his voice low and slow, each word clearly enunciated, with a soft, gentle Jiangnan accent, yet carrying a strange weight, as if he were weighing the importance of his words: "Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

"Anzhi?" Shen Suqiu looked at Xu Tian with suspicion, and tentatively continued, "How can we be safe in this place? Cousin, I'm afraid... I'm afraid they'll change their minds again and take us back..."

Xu Tian didn't reply immediately. He lowered his eyes and looked at his fingertips, as if there was something on them that attracted all his attention.

After a few breaths, he spoke again, his tone still calm and emotionless, but the topic changed abruptly: "Suqiu."

"Hmm?" Shen Suqiu responded, her heart skipping a beat for no apparent reason.

"What's the name of the Japanese man who led the team and rescued us from Kagesa?" Xu Tian said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "He seems to be of high status."

Shen Suqiu's face visibly paled in the dim light, then an unnatural blush of panic rose to her cheeks.

She avoided Xu Tian's gaze, her eyes drifting to a shadowy spot in the corner, her hands unconsciously clenching the already crumpled hem of her clothes.

"Cousin, why... are you asking this again..." Her voice lowered, clearly evasive: "What was your name... I forgot, we only exchanged a few words, and you sounded fierce, who would remember..."

"Forgot?" Xu Tian's gaze remained fixed on her face, unbiased, like two low-powered but remarkably stable searchlights, not dazzling, yet stubbornly illuminating the panic she was trying to hide: "You've always had a good memory."

You remember the birthdays of everyone from the old lady in your family to the old lady who sells gardenias and magnolias at the alley entrance.

You can even tell me the name of your cousin's son's classmate.

"You've forgotten the name of a Japanese officer who saved you in Tianjin, a man of clearly high rank?"

Xu Tian's tone remained calm, without emphasizing a single word; he simply stated the facts in a composed manner.

But it was precisely this calm that made Shen Suqiu feel an inescapable pressure.

My cousin's memory... it's too good, so good it frightens her.

"Furthermore," Xu Tian paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, or perhaps observing her reaction, "he came all the way here specifically to get us, especially you, out of the Shadow Agency. What does that mean?"

This shows that your relationship goes beyond simply "having met" and "exchanging a few words".

At least, he knows you, or at least knows you.

"A Japanese officer who knew you, was willing to come to your rescue, and even went so far as to arrest Kagesa—you've forgotten his name?"

Shen Suqiu's lips were pressed into a straight line, her chin was slightly raised, and then it drooped down weakly.

She wanted to refute him, to say "he was just passing by and spoke up for justice", to say "there are reasonable people among the Japanese", but all the words that came to her lips seemed so pale and powerless.

Her cousin's logic was impeccable, leaving her no room for evasion. She could only bury her face even lower, almost shrinking into her own shoulders, using silence to build her last fragile line of defense.

My heart was pounding in my chest, the sound echoing in my ears.

Xu Tian sighed softly as he looked at his cousin's ostrich-like posture.

He wasn't trying to force her, but the water was too murky and too deep. He needed to know where the shore was, or at least whether the stones beneath his feet were stable.

Xu Tian softened his voice, which sounded exceptionally clear and penetrating in the quiet room:

“Suqiu, you don’t need to be afraid of me.” Xu Tian’s tone carried a rare, almost gentle patience: “I am your cousin. In this world, I may harm anyone, but I will never harm you.”

If you have any difficulties, tell me. Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up.

I may not be tall, but I can still hold up the sky for you.

These words, though spoken in a plain tone, carried immense weight.

Shen Suqiu's eyelashes trembled violently, and her eyes quickly reddened.

She knew her cousin was telling the truth. From childhood to adulthood, this seemingly mild-mannered cousin, who didn't seem to have any great abilities, always silently protected her in his own way when she needed him most.

But it was precisely this unreserved trust and care that made her feel even more guilty and even more embarrassed to speak out.

She couldn't say it; it was discipline, but more importantly, it was protection.

The more he knows, the more dangerous it is for his cousin.

Section Chief Ban's identity was a top secret entrusted to her by Ye Runqing with his life; it was a glimmer of light and an unspeakable hope for her and her comrades in endless darkness.

How could she... how could she dare to say it out loud? Even if the person opposite her was her closest cousin.

“Cousin…” Shen Suqiu’s voice choked with sobs, filled with deep struggle and pleading, “Please don’t ask anymore, okay? Really… we were just lucky. Please, don’t ask anymore.” Tears finally streamed down her face, large drops falling onto the cold back of her hands.

Xu Tian did not stop because of her tears.

He knew that his momentary leniency might lead to an irreparable disaster in the future.

He needs to know the truth, even if it's just the tip of the iceberg.

He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance a little, his voice lower yet clearer, each word like a drop of water slowly seeping into rock, firm and persistent:

"Suqiu." He called her name, with a reassuring force: "I know you don't want to say it. You're afraid that if you do, it will cause trouble for that person, right?"

Shen Suqiu suddenly looked up, her eyes wide with astonishment. Her cousin... had guessed it?