First, then, love.

Shu Yao's experience all came from He Zheng.

Her kisses were urgent, even somewhat rough.

He Zheng froze.

But he quickly realized what was happening, grabbed the back of her head, and tried to push her away.

"Stop fooling around."

He was breathing heavily.

"You're injured, your hands are bandaged, and your face is swollen. You can't do anything reckless."

Reason is still stubbornly holding on.

He was a normal man, and when the woman he deeply loved took the initiative to embrace him, the pain of enduring it was worse than being slowly sliced ​​to death.

But he felt more sorry for her injuries.

Shu Yao not only didn't back down, but instead intensified her actions.

The silk quilt slipped off.

Black lace lingerie hugged her alluring curves, and her fair skin glowed with an alluring sheen under the warm yellow light.

Shu Yao snuggled into He Zheng's arms, her bandaged hands climbing up his neck.

She lowered her head, her forehead touching his. Their breaths were rapid and hot, mingling together.

"He Zheng, hold me tight."

These five words are like a pardon.

"Hold."

He Zheng cursed under his breath and suddenly grabbed her slender waist with his large hand.

This intimacy is unlike any other before.

There was no catalyst of passion, no prelude to flirting.

Only an intense desire to prove each other's existence.

Shu Yao desperately needed this realistic tactile sensation.

Only he could give her absolute security, only he could completely pull her back from the abyss of nightmares.

On her earlobes, neck, and collarbone.

He Zheng gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat dripping down his resolute jawline and landing on her fair collarbone.

"You're here to fucking kill me."

Shu Yao suddenly tilted her head back, her slender neck forming a delicate and graceful arc.

in the dark.

The only light coming from the wall lamp in the bedroom was faint.

The sound of wind and snow outside the window, mingled with sweat.

Shu Yao closed her eyes, the tears at the corners of her eyes being washed away by sweat.

She no longer felt afraid.

Tell her he's here, he'll always be here.

No one can take her away from him.

*

The wind stopped, and the snow stopped too.

The next day, at 10 a.m.

The winter sun pierced through the clouds and shone brightly on the large cashmere carpet, almost blindingly so.

The room was in a mess.

A black lace bra lay at the foot of the bed, with He Zheng's black T-shirt scattered nearby.

A decadent smell permeated the air.

Shu Yao was sleeping soundly.

She curled up in the thick silk quilt, like a small animal that had finally found a safe haven, with only her small face showing.

After a night of ice application and sleep, the redness and swelling on the left cheek have subsided considerably, but a faint bluish-purple tinge is still visible.

The scabs at the corner of his mouth had formed a small, dark red patch, which looked shocking against his fair skin.

Her hands were wrapped in white sterile gauze, and she was placed obediently beside the pillow.

He Zheng had already woken up.

He opened his eyes at six in the morning.

But he didn't move. He just leaned against the headboard, one arm around Shu Yao's waist, pressing her tightly against his body.

His dark eyes were fixed on her sleeping face.

I watched it for a full four hours.

In his thirty years of life, there was only gunfire and crawling through piles of dead bodies.

He never knew he would value a woman more than his own life.

Last night, when she cried out, "He Zheng, hold me tight," he felt that he had completely fallen for her, fallen willingly, leaving not even a trace of his bones behind.

He lowered his head and gently touched her smooth forehead with his thin lips, with the reverence of someone who had lost her and then found her again.

"I've given you my life."

His voice was very low, as if he were making a vow to himself.

The phone on the bedside table suddenly lit up.

The words "Old Li" flashed on the screen.

Immediately afterwards, a series of rapid vibrations broke the tranquility of the bedroom.

Shu Yao frowned almost imperceptibly, shrank her head further into the blanket, and let out a dissatisfied murmur.

He Zheng reacted quickly, grabbing his phone and pressing the answer button while simultaneously throwing off the covers and tiptoeing out of bed.

He grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants from the floor, put them on, and strode out of the master bedroom, shirtless and barefoot.

With a "click," the door slammed shut, cutting off any outside noise.

Step into the spacious and bright living room.

The God of War was sleeping on the edge of the sofa when it heard the noise. It immediately raised its huge head and wagged its tail.

The princess crouched at the top of the cat tree, staring at him.

"Shh, don't make a sound, or I'll pluck your hairs."

He Zheng lowered his voice and pointed at the cat and dog, issuing a warning.

Stepping onto the balcony in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, I opened the glass door a crack, and a blast of cold air rushed in, instantly dispelling the heat from my body.

He held the phone to his ear.

"explain."

On the other end of the phone, Lao Li's voice sounded tired from staying up all night, but he was full of energy, and the background noise from the corridor outside the interrogation room could be heard.

"Captain, the interrogation is over."

Old Li yawned widely. "This bastard is a habitual offender named Wang Qiang. He's an unemployed bum."

"He had been arrested twice before for stalking and harassing female college students. He was a psychologically twisted, perverted otaku. His phone was full of photos of his sister-in-law's performances, and he even created some kind of messy fan group. This time, he figured out his sister-in-law's rehearsal schedule and waited in the parking lot for more than half a month before making his move."

He Zheng's eyes instantly turned cold, and a violent rage surged within them.

"Stubborn to admit it?"

"Hard my ass," Old Li scoffed over the phone, his tone full of disdain.

"Your kick was too brutal. It broke three of his ribs, fractured his wrist, and dislocated his shoulder. He's still lying in the orthopedics ward of the city hospital. The doctor said he won't be able to get out of bed for at least six months."

"When our criminal investigation team went to the ward to take his statement, this kid was crying and screaming in pain, his pants were wet, and he confessed everything like beans spilling from a bamboo tube. The tools used in the crime, the rope, and the tape were all found in that beat-up Wuling Hongguang. The evidence is conclusive, and the case is airtight."

He Zheng snorted coldly, his eyes like icy blades.

"That's mild. If I hadn't been wearing that suit last night, he would be a corpse by now."

He wasn't exaggerating when he said that last night, if it weren't for the last shred of reason and discipline holding him back, he would have shot that beast on the spot.

Old Li swallowed hard on the other end of the phone, not daring to reply. He knew that the captain was truly determined to kill him.

"However, Captain," Old Li changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat hesitant, "there's something I need to report to you and ask for your instructions on."

"Put it down," He Zheng leaned against the cold glass of the balcony, knocked a cigarette out of the pack next to him, put it in his mouth, but didn't light it.

Old Li tentatively asked, "Captain, did your wife's violin get broken? I heard it costs tens of thousands to repair. Should we add a property damage item to the statement and make the suspect pay for it?"

He Zheng turned his head with his dark eyes, his gaze passing through the living room and landing on the violin case in the corner.

The box still had stains and obvious scratches from last night's snow.

This zither was Shu Yao's lifeblood. She would usually wipe it carefully for a long time before even touching it, but last night, in order to escape for her life, she smashed it heavily on the ice.

"Need not,"

"Huh? Why not make him pay? Wouldn't that be letting that bastard get away with it!" Old Li said anxiously on the other end of the phone, his voice rising eight octaves.

"Compensate? With what?"

He Zheng sneered.

"He's the kind of scoundrel who lives in the gutter. Even if he sold his bones, he couldn't scrape together enough money to repair the piano. If you force him to pay, you'll end up having to go through complicated procedures."

"If we go to court, Shu Yao will have to go to court, face the judge and lawyer, confront that pervert face to face, and recall the details of the attack last night over and over again, and cooperate with the statement taking."

He paused for a moment.

"I'm not short of money. I'll pay for the piano repair myself. My wife's mental health is more important than anything else. This matter ends here. Don't let her get involved in these disgusting people's procedures anymore."

He never wanted to see Shu Yao trembling in the passenger seat again last night. He would rather suffer a loss himself than let that scumbag appear in her sight again, not even in court.

After listening, Old Li suddenly realized what was going on and sighed.

Old Li's voice paused for a moment, then carried a hint of resentment.

"So, this son of a bitch, we'll just let him spend two years in jail and that's it?"

"Two years in prison? He's dreaming."