First, then, love.

Last month, Jilin Province.

That was the time He Zheng returned covered in blood and bore gunshot wounds.

"The situation was critical at the time, and the drug dealers just opened fire with submachine guns," Old Li's wife said, her voice trembling.

"To cover Lao Li and the others' breakout, Captain He charged ahead and took a bullet himself."

"The bullet hit my left shoulder, just an inch away from piercing the artery. If it had hit the artery, I would have died on the spot."

The monkey's wife gasped.

"My God, Captain He is incredibly lucky. Does his wife know about this?"

"Who knows? Judging from her aloof and otherworldly demeanor, Captain He probably didn't dare tell her the truth."

Old Li's wife wiped her hands dry and sighed.

"In their line of work, they only report good news and never bad news. They even write their wills and lock them in the bureau's safe. Every time Lao Li is called away by a phone call in the middle of the night, my heart hangs in the air. I can't sleep all night, afraid that the next call I receive will be from the bureau asking me to identify the body."

"Alright, alright, don't say such unlucky things during the New Year. Hurry up and touch up your makeup, let's go home."

The two women comforted each other for a moment, straightened their clothes, and walked out of the restroom in their high heels.

The restroom fell silent once more.

The only problem was that the faucet wasn't turned on tightly, and water droplets fell into the stainless steel sink, making a monotonous "drip-drip" sound.

Shu Yao stood still.

My blood felt drained from my body, and my hands and feet were ice cold.

My mind was buzzing, filled with the phrase "just an inch away from piercing the artery."

She always knew that He Zheng was a special police officer and that his job was dangerous.

But every time he came back, even with injuries, he always seemed nonchalant and indifferent.

He was brutal, he was savage, and he had abnormal physical abilities.

This gave her the illusion that he was an indestructible steel monster who could easily defuse any danger.

But until this moment.

It was only through other people's words that she truly tore away the facade of peace and saw clearly the dangerous path he walked every day.

Gunfire, drug dealers, micro-crime, suicide note.

These words, which only appear in police and gangster movies, actually happened to her husband.

Just over two weeks ago, he almost didn't make it back.

If he doesn't come back.

She didn't even know where he died, and she couldn't see him one last time.

Shu Yao's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, clenching tightly.

She was in so much pain she couldn't breathe.

Panic, lingering fear, and an indescribable heartache overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Her face was deathly pale, her eyes were red-rimmed, and even her carefully applied mauve lipstick couldn't hide the trembling of her lips.

She tossed the lipstick into her bag.

He took several deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

He turned and walked out of the restroom.

The restaurant corridor remained quiet.

Shu Yao's steps were a little unsteady as she wore ankle boots.

I had just turned a corner and was about to return to my private room.

Her steps abruptly stopped.

At the ventilation window at the end of the corridor.

He Zheng's tall figure leaned against the wall, wearing only a black long-sleeved T-shirt.

His back was straight, his legs were casually crossed, and he was playing with a silver metal windproof lighter in his hand.

"Click, click."

The sound of the lid opening and closing was particularly clear in the empty corridor.

He didn't look at his phone; his dark eyes were fixed on the direction of the restroom.

He was obviously waiting for her.

I heard footsteps.

He Zheng turned his head.

The moment his gaze fell on Shu Yao's face, he abruptly stopped playing with the lighter.

They immediately realized something was wrong.

The woman's face was too pale, like a blank sheet of paper.

Her usually bright and flamboyant peach blossom eyes drooped slightly at this moment, the light in them gone, revealing an uncontrollable panic and dejection.

Even his walking posture was somewhat weak and unsteady.

He Zheng's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

With his jawline taut, he strode over.

He took two steps and was in front of her.

Her tall figure blocked the light in the corridor, casting her entirely in her own shadow.

"What's wrong?"

He looked down at her, his voice low and menacing, carrying a sense of impending danger and tension.

"Is it a stomachache? Or is something else bothering you?"

His large hand reached directly towards her forehead.

He didn't have a fever, but his skin was ice-cold and had no temperature at all.

Shu Yao looked up at him.

Looking at his angular face and his concerned eyes.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted down and landed on his left shoulder.

Through the black T-shirt fabric, she could almost see the bullet holes that had once been bloody and mangled, and the new pink scar.

My eyes stung, and I almost burst into tears.

She bit her lower lip, forcing back her tears.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little dizzy because it was too stuffy inside."

She shook her head, her voice a little hoarse, and avoided his gaze.

He Zheng stared at her.

His dark eyes narrowed slightly.

Nonsense.

Having worked in criminal investigation for so many years, her clumsy lie couldn't escape his notice.

Can dizziness cause such a terrified expression?

The only people who came out of the restroom just now were Old Li and Monkey's wife.

Those two old women are gossipy; they must have been whispering something in the bathroom behind someone's back, and she overheard it.

He never told her about the bloody, messy things that happened in the police force, just so she wouldn't overthink it.

It seems the truth can't be hidden forever.

He Zheng didn't expose her.

He withdrew his hand and stared at her intently for two seconds.

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.

With his other hand, he pushed open a heavy fire door next to him.

"Hey! What are you doing...?"

Shu Yao exclaimed in surprise, and before she could react, he pulled her inside.

"Bang."

The heavy fire door slammed shut behind me.

The noise from the private rooms outside and the background music in the corridor were completely shut out by this door.

The stairwell was dimly lit.

Only a single green "Emergency Exit" indicator light overhead emitted a dim glow.

The air was filled with the smell of dust that had never seen sunlight for years, and the cold, damp smell of cement.

Narrow, cramped.

He Zheng turned around, his tall figure closing in, and pushed her directly against the cold metal door.

There was no way to retreat.

The man's arms braced on either side of her body, forming an absolutely confining cage.

A strong surge of male hormones, mixed with a faint beer smell, pressed down relentlessly.

"Who bullied you?"

He stared down at her.

"Did someone fucking gossip about you? Tell me."

Shu Yao's back was pressed against the cold metal door, and in front of her was a man as hot as a wall.

She looked into He Zheng's eyes, which appeared particularly fierce in the dim green light.

Suddenly, she reached out with both hands and grabbed the collar of his black T-shirt.

Pull hard.

Her fingers gripped the fabric on his left shoulder tightly.

Through the fabric, she could feel the hard muscle and the raised scar.

"He Zheng".

Her voice trembled, thick with the sound of sobbing.

"You bastard."

She tilted her head back, and tears finally welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

"You were just an inch away from piercing the artery, why didn't you tell me? Do you think dying out there is heroic?"

He Zheng froze.

The ferocity in his eyes froze instantly, shattering into panic.

Sure enough, she found out.