First, then, love.

The dinner party officially began.

Steaming hot, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

The atmosphere was extremely lively.

The team members took turns toasting He Zheng.

He Zheng was in a good mood today, accepting all offers and drinking one cup after another.

But most of his attention was always on the people next to him.

Shu Yao is a clean person. Although the hot pot in this restaurant smells delicious, the red oil is splashing everywhere.

She ate cautiously, holding her chopsticks, wanting to pick up a piece of spicy crayfish.

But looking at the red oil on the shrimp shells, I felt it was dirty and hesitated to eat them.

He Zheng caught a glimpse of her movements out of the corner of his eye.

He put down his wine glass, grabbed two napkins, and placed them on the empty plate in front of him.

Reaching out, he scooped out several of the largest spicy crayfish, skillfully pried open their heads, pulled out the black veins, and tossed them onto the table.

Then, the peeled, tender shrimp meat was placed into a clean small bowl in front of Shu Yao.

One, two, three.

Shu Yao stared blankly at the mountain of shrimp meat piled up in the bowl.

I turned to look at him.

He Zheng didn't look at her, continuing to peel the shrimp in his hands, his tone stiff.

"Eat, and don't stare at me."

His fingers were covered in red oil, and he pulled out a tissue to wipe them off haphazardly.

He then picked up the stainless steel kettle on the table.

I tested the temperature, and it was just the right warmth.

Fill the clear glass next to Shu Yao with water.

"Eat less spicy food and drink more water, or your stomach will hurt again later."

This series of movements was fluid and natural.

It's like doing it countless times at home.

Xiao Zhao, who was holding a wine glass next to him, was completely petrified.

Its mouth can be opened wide enough to fit an egg.

He couldn't believe his eyes.

Is this man, with his hands covered in red oil, humbly peeling shrimp and pouring water for his wife, really the same living devil who kicked over the table in the interrogation room?

It's not just Xiao Zhao.

All the team members at the large round table stopped eating.

They looked at He Zheng as if he were a monster.

Old Li was sitting on the other side of He Zheng, and was looking forward to taking the opportunity to get the captain to drink a couple more glasses of wine.

"Captain, come on, let's have a toast..."

He Zheng didn't even look up.

"You're blocking the light, move aside," he said dismissively, shooing people away.

Old Li awkwardly held his wine glass and looked down.

The living Yama was holding wooden chopsticks, picking out the bones from a piece of fish on a plate, bit by bit.

Only after confirming that there were no bones left did he place the snow-white fish meat into Shu Yao's bowl.

Old Li's hand trembled, and half of the beer in his glass spilled onto his crotch.

The toothpick that the monkey was holding in its mouth fell onto the table with a "thud".

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating.

Not only the monkey, but all the rough men in the private room fell silent.

"team leader."

The monkey swallowed hard, his voice trembling, "What... what are we married guys supposed to do now?"

Several police officers' wives nearby were immediately in an uproar when they saw this.

They all turned and glared angrily at their husbands.

"Look at Captain He! A dignified battalion commander, peeling shrimp and picking bones for his wife! And look at you! You eat like Pigsy eating ginseng fruit, all you do is stuff your mouth!"

"That's right! Old Li, you just stole a piece of my fatty beef! Have you no shame?!"

Old Li's wife grabbed his ear and twisted it, making him scream in pain.

The private room erupted in laughter, bringing the atmosphere to its peak.

He Zheng ignored the team members' cries of pain.

He pulled out a few tissues, slowly wiped the red oil off his fingers, picked up his glass, clinked it with the person next to him, and tilted his head back to gulp down a large mouthful of beer.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his gaze remained cold and hard, but there was an undisguised smugness in the corners of his eyes and brows.

Shu Yao sat next to him.

Looking at the mountain of shrimp and fish meat piled up in the bowl, her face flushed slightly.

Vanity was greatly satisfied at that moment.

This man, though usually as rough as a rock, unromantic, and with a bad temper.

But in front of outsiders, they gave her plenty of face and treated her like the apple of their eye.

She picked up her chopsticks and ate in small bites.

The fresh sweetness of the seafood, combined with the numbing spiciness of the hot pot broth, exploded in my mouth, and the taste was indeed excellent.

I ate more than half a bowl, and my stomach was full.

Shu Yao put down her chopsticks, picked up the warm water beside her, took a sip, and moistened her throat.

It was too hot in the private room.

The heating was on full blast, and three large hot pots were bubbling and steaming.

The air became somewhat stuffy and suffocating, filled with the smells of cigarettes and alcohol from dozens of people.

Shu Yao felt a tightness in her chest, as if she couldn't breathe.

She leaned close to He Zheng's ear.

"I'm going to the restroom to get some fresh air."

He Zheng was tilting his head as he listened to Lao Li's work report.

Upon hearing this, he immediately turned his head.

His dark eyes swept over her slightly flushed face.

"Did you drink too much? Are you feeling dizzy?"

He didn't let her drink alcohol today, only some hot tea and water.

"Why are you dizzy if you haven't been drinking?" Shu Yao rolled her eyes at him and lowered her voice. "It's too stuffy in here. I'm going out to wash my hands."

He Zheng nodded.

"Go on, put on your coat, it's cold in the hallway."

He casually took the camel-colored coat draped over the back of the chair and put it on her shoulders.

If you don't come back in ten minutes, I'll go to the women's restroom to fish you out.

He dropped a sentence that was half-joking and half-warning.

Shu Yao ignored his nonsense, wrapped her coat tighter, pushed open the heavy wooden door of the private room, and walked out.

The moment the door closed.

The deafening noise in the private room was largely shut out.

The corridor on the second floor of the restaurant was covered with thick carpets, making no sound when you stepped on them.

The air in the corridor was much cooler than in the private room, and it carried a faint scent of air freshener.

Shu Yao took a deep breath, the stale air in her lungs was replaced by cold air, and her mind became much clearer.

She followed the signs and walked to the restroom at the end of the corridor.

The restroom was empty and quiet.

The marble countertop was spotless, and the bright mirror reflected her radiant face.

Shu Yao turned on the tap and washed her hands.

She was applying lipstick while looking in the mirror.

Outside the door, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor tiles could be heard.

Accompanied by the hushed conversation of two women.

They were the two police officers' wives who sat at the same table earlier, Old Li's wife and Monkey's wife.

Shu Yao was about to say hello.

But the moment he heard what they were saying, he swallowed his words back.

Their movements froze.

"Hey, you know what, Captain He's wife is really beautiful, like a big star, so delicate and charming," came Monkey's wife's voice.

The two walked to the sink outside and started washing their hands, not noticing Shu Yao next to the innermost stall.

"She's pretty, and she seems to have a good temper too," Old Li's wife sighed, her voice carrying the vicissitudes of someone who's been through it all.

"But being a family member of a special police officer isn't just about being pretty; you need to have a strong heart."

"That's right," Monkey's wife chimed in. "We're on tenterhooks every day. Who knows when we'll go out on a mission and never come back?"

Shu Yao stood in front of the mirror, her lipstick hovering in mid-air.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Take that major cross-provincial case in Jilin Province last month," Old Li's wife said in a low voice, sounding mysterious.

"I heard from my husband that those drug dealers are all heavily armed and are crazy lunatics who don't care about their lives."

Shu Yao's breath caught in her throat.