Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

Zhao Tiezhu and Bruce, dressed in suits, mingled among the guests. Zhao Tiezhu muttered to himself, "Goodness, with the director standing here, this wedding is more solemn and serious than a courtroom."

Bruce put a piece of medium-rare steak into his mouth.

I chewed it twice and swallowed it down my throat.

"This is a perfect score on a social behavior obedience test." He pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his voice hoarse.

"This group of people with criminal records are demonstrating optimal stress and trauma avoidance responses."

Zhao Tiezhu rolled his eyes.

He picked up a wet towel from the table and vigorously wiped his chubby hands, which were covered in red oil.

"Stop spouting nonsense you can't understand." Zhao Tiezhu gestured with his greasy chopsticks toward the VIP seats not far away.

Over there sat Master Li, the former loan shark from the south of the city.

This old man used to smack his lips while eating, and his voice was so loud it could shake the ceiling down.

Now, even picking up a fried peanut requires careful chewing, placing it gently on your front teeth. You can't even bear the sound of chopsticks tapping against a porcelain plate.

The cool air from the air conditioner blew down through the louvers on the ceiling.

The entire banquet hall was eerily quiet.

On stage, the top-notch emcee, hired at great expense, was holding a microphone.

Sweat streamed down his forehead and down his temples, soaking into the collar of his white shirt. He reached up and tugged at his taut red bow tie.

"Um... Next, please let the bride and groom exchange rings." The emcee stammered, his voice weak and shaky.

There wasn't even a single voice cheering or applauding from the audience.

Hundreds of guests simultaneously put down their chopsticks and applauded. The applause was perfectly synchronized, with a frequency so precise it sounded like morning exercises in a detention center.

Lu Jingyan's older brother was wearing a brand-new, custom-made suit. His back was ramrod straight.

He took the ring from the bridesmaid and slipped it onto his wife's finger. He grinned, revealing a row of teeth.

This is an ordinary man who married an ordinary woman.

There were no gangland feuds, no alien abductions. Even the usual vulgar wedding pranks and forced drinking from relatives back home were all gone today.

Lu Jingyan stood by the main table.

The fabric of his black suit clung to his back. The muscles in his shoulder blades slowly relaxed.

He reached out and touched the red flower pinned to his chest.

The silk petals rubbed against my fingertips, feeling slightly slippery.

"boom--"

A sharp crack suddenly rang out at the back of the quiet banquet hall.

A young waiter slipped and fell, spilling a plate of steamed grouper, soup and all, onto the red carpet.

White porcelain shattered on the ground. Steaming hot soy sauce splattered onto Old Master Li's black leather shoes.

The waiter was so frightened that his face turned pale. He squatted on the ground, trembling all over, with tears welling up in his eyes.

Li Sanye's eyelids twitched violently.

He was about to slam his fist on the table and curse as usual when he caught a glimpse of Lu Jingyan turning his head to look at him from the side of the main table.

Li Sanye swallowed the profanity that was on the tip of his tongue. He almost choked on his own breath.

He quickly pulled out a few tissues and bent down. He actually offered to help the waiter pick up the broken pieces of porcelain from the floor.

"Pick it up slowly, pick it up slowly. Don't prick your hands, young man." Old Master Li smiled broadly, his voice as gentle as a neighborhood committee auntie.

"May there be peace and safety every year, what a good omen!"

Lu Jingyan looked away.

He picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

This is what it looks like when rules are established.

It doesn't rely on antimatter guns or any supernatural pressure.

Fear can make people obey the law. Once you get used to obeying the law, it becomes second nature.

A dull thud of high heels on the carpet came from above.

Su Xiaoxiao, lifting the hem of her light pink bridesmaid dress, limped over to Lu Jingyan's side.

She plopped down in the empty chair next to the main table.

He bent down and rubbed his ankle. A large patch of skin there was rubbed raw and red from the new shoes.

"Ouch...it hurts so much. These heels are like inhuman torture devices."

She complained as she pulled her heels out of her shoes and stepped onto the soft carpet to get some air.

Lu Jingyan handed over the bottled water in his hand.

"Take them off. There's no rule that bridesmaids have to wear high heels."

Su Xiaoxiao took the water bottle and gulped down half of it.

She wiped the water stains from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"That won't do. Today is your older brother's big day, I have to make sure he's there."

She looked up and glanced around the hall.

"But I have to say... Director Lu, isn't your intimidation power a bit too terrifying?"

Su Xiaoxiao pointed to the guests who were queuing up over there, not even daring to raise their wine glasses above the groom's shoulder.

"I just went to the kitchen to urge them to hurry up with the food. The head chef, Old Wang, was trembling as he chopped the vegetables. He was afraid that the radish shreds wouldn't be cut evenly enough and that you'd arrest him for violating food safety laws."

Lu Jingyan lowered his eyelids to look at her.

"I wasn't wearing handcuffs," he said calmly, without any inflection. "They're the ones who have something to hide."

"Tch." Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes.

She placed the mineral water bottle on the table. The bottom of the bottle hit the glass turntable with a dull thud.

She stood up. As soon as her feet were back in her high heels, she swayed slightly.

Lu Jingyan reacted quickly and grabbed her forearm.

Her hands were large and firm. Through the thin fabric of the bridesmaid's dress, I could feel the warmth of her skin.

"Stand firm," he whispered.

Su Xiaoxiao did not pull her hand back.

She instinctively lowered her hand, her fingers sliding into his palm. Her five fingers forcefully squeezed between his fingers.

Their fingers were intertwined, gripping tightly.

Lu Jingyan's hand froze for a moment. The rough calluses from years of holding a gun scraped against the soft back of her hand.

He didn't loosen his grip. Instead, he tightened his hold, locking her hand firmly in his palm.

The simple iron ring on their ring fingers, crafted from the core of the Sirius engine, pressed against their knuckles.

It hurt a little, but it felt incredibly real.

The toasting process was carried out very quickly.

There were no drunkards who were completely intoxicated, nor were there any hooligans who pretended to be crazy while drunk.

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

The banquet ended. The guests walked out in neat lines, quietly and orderly.

Master Li walked to the door, turned around, and bowed deeply in Lu Jingyan's direction.

He bent extremely low, then wiped his sweat and slipped into the elevator.

The hall was empty.

The waiters pushed the food carts, clearing away the leftover food and cold dishes scattered across the table. The sour smell of the leftovers mixed with the stench of alcohol, slowly fermenting in the air.

Lu Jingyan led Su Xiaoxiao around the wine stains on the ground.

The two walked to the huge panoramic floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the banquet hall.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened.

The sun has set. One by one, the neon lights of Jinghai City illuminate, like glowing, colorful veins spreading out in the veins of this vast steel jungle.

Traffic flowed along the ring road, forming a red and white river of light.

Occasionally, faint car horn sounds could be heard, filtering through the thick double-glazed soundproof glass. The sound was muffled.

Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the glass. The cold air from the glass seeped into her skin through her dress.

She tilted her head and leaned it against Lu Jingyan's strong shoulder.

The man's suit fabric was a bit stiff. It carried a faint scent of aftershave and a hint of tobacco from when he was toasting earlier.

"What was your older brother whispering to you about just now?" she asked casually.

The sound drifted somewhat in the quiet window.

Lu Jingyan looked at the traffic below.

"He asked me to check tomorrow whether the property management fees in the new apartment complex are reasonable."

Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

His shoulders twitched, causing Lu Jingyan's arms to shake.

"Sending the police chief to investigate property management fees? Only your older brother would do that."

She laughed until she couldn't breathe.

Lu Jingyan didn't think anything was wrong.

He squeezed the soft hand in his palm with a slight pressure.

"There are laws to follow, and violations will be investigated." He replied in a rigid tone, "regardless of who is investigating."

Su Xiaoxiao stopped laughing.

She turned her head and looked at the man's angular profile.

The light from outside the window shone on his face, creating a dim, half-lit effect.

Those deep black eyes, which once saw through the higher dimensions of the starry sea and judged the rulers of the universe, now only reflect this noisy, crowded, yet vibrant city.

"Lu Jingyan," she suddenly called out his full name.

The sound was very soft.

"Mmm," he responded. He turned his gaze from the window and looked down at her.

"Let's go eat at that mala tang place downstairs tomorrow," she sniffed, "the kind without cilantro."

Lu Jingyan looked at her.

The hard jawline gradually softened.

"it is good."

He replied with a single word. Low and crisp.

It's getting windy outside.

Several civilian flights at night flashed their red navigation lights high in the night sky, like slowly moving stars.

Gone are those high-dimensional weapons capable of destroying planets. Gone are those superior gods and their privileges.

Only the vibrant life of this city, and the comforting warmth in my hand.