First, then, love.

"Be careful, I'll be waiting for you to come home for the New Year."

These words, though seemingly light and airy, carry more weight than any thousand words.

He Zheng looked at her intently, said nothing, then suddenly lowered his head and bit her red lips hard.

He turned around, pushed open the door, and plunged into the heavy snow without hesitation.

The security door slammed shut.

The room felt empty in an instant, and Shu Yao's heart felt empty too.

She stood in the entryway, her fingers unconsciously clenching on the hem of her black velvet skirt, her palms covered in cold sweat.

I stared at the closed door for two seconds, then took a deep breath.

She forced back the tears welling up in her eyes.

I glanced at the clock on the wall; there was no time for sentimentality.

He has his battlefield, and she has hers.

He turned and went inside, grabbed his camel-colored coat and put it on, then picked up the violin case from the corner.

Go outside and down to the underground parking garage.

The Porsche struggled to move forward in the snowstorm.

The snow was falling so heavily that even with the wipers running at full speed, they could barely clear a narrow path.

The wheels crunched over the snow on the road, making a "crunching" sound.

Shu Yao gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. The car radio was on, broadcasting the evening news.

"Urgent news: Three armed criminals have entered the southern part of our city. Police have launched a full-scale operation. We urge all citizens to minimize going out on New Year's Eve and be aware of their personal safety..."

Shu Yao's heart clenched suddenly, and her fingernails dug into the leather steering wheel cover.

South of the city, an old factory area.

It was the most chaotic place, with complex terrain and abandoned buildings and underground passages everywhere.

He was there, facing a madman carrying explosives and a homemade shotgun.

My heart was racing, and my stomach was churning with acid reflux.

She gritted her teeth, slammed on the gas pedal, and the car slipped on the snow, but she held on tightly to keep it steady.

Don't panic, don't get distracted.

Starry Sky Art Center, underground parking garage.

Shu Yao, carrying her violin case and wearing ten-centimeter high heels, strode towards the staff elevator.

Backstage was in complete chaos.

The noise of people, the shrill sounds of instruments being tuned, and the urging of makeup artists all mingled together.

The air was thick with the smell of hairspray and cosmetics, making it hard to breathe.

"Shu Yao! You've finally arrived!"

Qiaoqiao rushed over in high heels, holding a walkie-talkie, sweating profusely with anxiety.

"Where's Captain He? Wasn't he supposed to be sitting in the front row today? We even reserved VIP tickets for him," Qiao Qiao looked behind her, but there was no one there.

"We have an urgent mission, a big case, everyone is on leave."

Shu Yao placed the violin case on the table and pressed the metal clasp.

With a "click," the violin case opened.

Qiao Qiao was stunned for a moment, looking at Shu Yao's calm and expressionless face.

He sighed, patted her on the shoulder, and didn't ask any more questions.

The hardships of being a police officer's wife are something others don't understand, but she sees them clearly.

"Hurry up and touch up your makeup, we only have twenty minutes left before we go on stage," Qiao Qiao changed the subject.

Shu Yao took off her coat and threw it on the chair.

The performance costume underneath was visible.

Deep V-neck, black velvet evening gown.

The neckline was very low, revealing a large expanse of fair and delicate skin.

A priceless diamond necklace rested on her collarbone, shimmering with a cold, dazzling light.

But even the most dazzling diamonds couldn't cover up the tiny red mark below her collarbone, near the edge of her neckline.

Her skirt had an extremely high slit, and as she walked, her straight, slender legs were dazzlingly white. Her hair was styled in an elegant French updo, her lips were fiery red, and the corners of her eyes were slightly upturned.

Cold and aloof, flamboyant, and beyond compare.

She took the cello out of its case, and then she took out the bow.

Amber-colored rosin powder was evenly applied to the bow hair.

Shu Yao's eyes welled up slightly, and she gently stroked the bow stick with her fingers.

"Attention all departments! The string section is ready to go on stage!" the stage manager shouted in the corridor.

Shu Yao took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, all that remained in her eyes was absolute professionalism and calmness.

The New Year's Eve concert starts at 8:00 PM.

The Grand Theater in front of the stage was packed, with thunderous applause.

On stage, the lights were dazzling, and the blinding beams shone on the red velvet curtain.

Shu Yao carried her cello and walked at the front of the group.

The moment I stepped out of the passage.

The spotlight instantly shone on her.

The entire audience of two thousand fell silent in an instant.

All eyes were focused on the woman in the black dress.

So beautiful.

She walked to the solo position in the center of the stage, sat down, spread her legs, and placed the cello steadily in the middle. The cello was covered in black velvet, with a brownish-red carbon fiber body, and her skin was so white it was almost transparent.

The strong color contrast directly impacted the visual nerves of everyone in the audience.

She lowered her head slightly, raised her right hand, and placed the bow steadily on the strings.

Use your wrist to pull.

The first note burst forth.

Full-bodied and mellow, the cello sound exploded across the dome of the grand theater.

The sound quality is impeccable, without a single off-tone.

She was playing Piazzolla's "Grand Tango".

A wild, passionate, and deadly piece of music.

Shu Yao was completely immersed in the music.

The world offstage is no longer relevant to her.

All she could see in her mind was that black figure walking against the flow of people in the snow.

They are bullets that could be fired at any moment in the darkness.

She brought out the conflict, struggle, anger, and despair in this piece to the fullest extent.

The body swayed slightly to the strong rhythm.

Beneath the deep V-neck, her full curves are faintly visible.

The fingers danced rapidly across the fretboard, vibratoing and sliding with astonishing force.

The spotlight gets very hot.

Sweat trickled down her forehead, flowed over her long, fair swan neck, over the diamonds on her collarbone, and disappeared into the abyss of black velvet.

She bit her red lips, her eyes focused and frantic.

Every pause in the notes, every bow stroke, is absolutely mesmerizing.

The audience was mesmerized and captivated.

They didn't even dare to cough, for fear of breaking the breathtaking beauty.

The music gradually builds to a climax.

The cello's notes grew increasingly urgent, like an inescapable storm, like a race against death.

And below the stage.

In the audience of two thousand people.

In the third row from the bottom, in the dark corner of the leftmost emergency exit.

There was no light, just a deathly blackness.

A man wearing a black hoodie sat in the shadows.