First, then, love.

Shu Yao stood in the cold wind, her arms tightly wrapped around a stainless steel insulated container, separated by barbed wire.

Looking at that man who was crawling and rolling in the mud, so decisive and efficient.

Suddenly, I felt a lump in my throat, and my heart felt like it was being squeezed hard by something.

This is his daily routine, this is his world.

Muddy, cruel, painful, without a trace of tenderness.

On his shoulders lay the peace of this city and the lives of these brothers.

He had to be iron-willed, cold-blooded, and like a tyrant, he had to train these team members to the point of exhaustion.

Only by shedding blood and sweat in ordinary times can one stop madmen like Wang Qiang in critical moments.

She remembered his clumsy attempt to warm her feet in the middle of the night, and the tall, silent shadow waiting outside the bathroom door.

This man is the one who dotes on her at home and is even jealous of the dog.

And before him stood a war god, covered in mud and decisive in battle.

They overlap perfectly.

Suddenly, she no longer felt wronged, nor did she find him rough.

She felt only heartache, an unbearable heartache.

In the quagmire, the outcome is already decided.

"Do you submit or not!" He Zheng shouted sharply, his voice so cold it was like ice crystals.

"I give up! I give up! Captain, let go! My arm's going to break!"

Old Li frantically pounded the ground and begged for mercy in the muddy water, his mouth full of black mud, suffering terribly.

He Zheng snorted coldly, released his grip, and stood up.

He wiped the mud off his face, panting heavily, his chest heaving, and mud dripping down his muscles.

He habitually looked up, ready to comment on the tactical flaws from earlier.

Then, my gaze suddenly froze.

It was frozen in time outside the barbed wire fence.

He Zheng was stunned.

My brain short-circuited for two seconds, and I thought I was hallucinating.

Immediately afterwards, his cold and stern eyes softened instantly, like ice and snow melting in the winter sun, leaving only unyielding doting and surprise in his deep black eyes.

He stood in ankle-deep mud, forgetting how dirty and pathetic he was.

His lips curled up uncontrollably into a silly grin, revealing a set of bright white teeth that looked particularly out of place on his face covered in black mud.

Then, under the dumbfounded gaze of the entire team of over thirty mud monkeys...

He raised his mud-covered arms above his head, bent his hands, and joined his fingertips together.

In full view of everyone, he made a large, comical, muddy, and out-of-place heart shape with his hands towards the woman outside the barbed wire fence.

Old Li, who had just climbed out of the mud, slipped and fell face-first into the dirt again.

Xiao Zhao rubbed his eyes, thinking he had mud and water in them and was seeing a ghost.

The training ground was deathly silent.

The entire police force was completely taken aback.

Old Li lay in the muddy water, rubbing his eyes hard, not even bothering to spit out the mud and sand in his mouth.

Xiao Zhao, standing nearby, swallowed hard and pointed shakily to the outside of the barbed wire fence. "Brother Li, is that your wife? Captain, this...this is a bit creepy, I'm getting goosebumps."

Outside the barbed wire fence.

Shu Yao looked at the man making a heart shape with his hands above his head and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, and I almost dropped the thermos in my hand.

How could this man make such a cheesy gesture look so awkward and funny, like a black bear trying too hard to be cute?

He Zheng put down his hand and strode to the edge of the barbed wire fence.

Through the barbed wire fence, he looked down at her, her face covered in mud, revealing only a pair of bright black eyes and a set of big white teeth.

"Why did you come here? It's cold outside, why not stay at home?" His voice was deep, with heavy breathing from just finishing his workout, his chest heaving violently, and his body steaming in the cold air.

Shu Yao held up the thermos in her arms and handed it over through the mesh.

"I was just passing by and brought you some food. It's pork rib and corn soup that I made myself," she said, tilting her chin up with a touch of arrogance.

He Zheng was stunned for a moment.

He wiped his muddy hands haphazardly on his training pants and took the thermos.

It was heavy, and the metal casing was still scalding hot, warming his calloused palms.

"You cooked this yourself?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with undisguised suspicion. He looked her up and down. "You didn't blow up the kitchen, did you? Did you cut your hand while chopping the vegetables?"

"Drink it or don't! If you don't want it, give it back!" Shu Yao glared at him, reached out to snatch it, and pretended to turn hostile.

"There's no reason to take back what's been given away," He Zheng said, using his long arm to shield the thermos in front of his chest. Taking advantage of his height, she couldn't reach it at all.

"I'll drink it, even poison."

He unscrewed the lid, and a rich aroma of meat mixed with the sweetness of corn wafted out instantly.

The pack of hungry wolves who had spent the afternoon training in the mud and water turned green with envy at the smell, and their stomachs rumbled in unison.

"Captain! We'll split it in half the time we meet!" Old Li shouted from behind, leading a few mud-covered monkeys to pounce forward.

"Get lost! Anyone who dares to steal from me will have their legs broken!" He Zheng was fiercely protective of his food, his cold gaze sweeping over them with murderous intent. The group of people immediately shrank back obediently.

He tilted his head back and, without even using a spoon, drank it down in large gulps from the edge of the thermos.

His Adam's apple bobbed rapidly as the scalding hot broth warmed his entire body.

"Is it good?" Shu Yao clung to the barbed wire with both hands, looking at him expectantly, her peach blossom eyes full of anticipation.

He Zheng put down the thermos and wiped the soup from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It's bland, there's not enough salt," he said bluntly.

Shu Yao's face fell. "If you think it's too bland, then don't drink it!"

"But I like it," He Zheng suddenly leaned closer to the barbed wire fence, whispering four words through the mesh, his dark eyes fixed on her with a savage, deep affection.

Shu Yao's cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly looked away. "I...I'm going back. You can continue practicing."

He turned and fled in panic.