First, then, love.

Shu Yao did not speak.

She put down her wine glass, reached out and wrapped her arms around He Zheng's broad shoulders.

Her face was pressed against his neck.

"He Zheng," she whispered his name.

"It's getting old; that's the natural order of things. Money can buy the best medicine and the most comfortable wheelchair, but it can't buy back its time."

Shu Yao's fingers ran through his neat short hair.

"Not only it, we will also grow old."

Her voice was soft, yet firm.

"In a few decades, my once-proud face will be covered in wrinkles, and my fingers will be too stiff to play the cello. You will also be unable to run, and won't even be able to do a pull-up."

He Zheng turned his head, his dark eyes looking at her in the darkness.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

Shu Yao shook her head.

She leaned in and gently kissed the corner of his lips.

"I'm not afraid of aging. What's scary is being old and having no one by your side."

She looked at the God of War on the ground.

"The God of War dedicated its best years to the police force and made you its whole world. Now that it can no longer walk, you should take care of it in its old age, give it the best care, and accompany it as it grows old. This is the best ending for it."

"We are the same."

Shu Yao looked directly into his eyes.

"You protect me, and I'll stay by your side. Even if you become a grumpy old man in the future, I'll still be there for you, pushing your wheelchair and feeding you."

He Zheng's chest trembled violently.

Her words tore open the gloom in her eyes, letting in a ray of light.

He threw away the comb in his hand, wrapped his long arm around her, pulled her into his embrace, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Old geezer?" He chuckled softly, a sound tinged with resentment.

Even if I'm seventy, I can still lift you up with one hand and throw you on the bed.

"..."

The God of War snorted contentedly at their feet and fell into a deep sleep.

*

a few days later.

In the afternoon, dark clouds gathered, and a downpour looked imminent.

Shu Yao had just finished the band's rehearsal and was about to go to the underground parking garage to get her car.

My phone suddenly started vibrating wildly.

The name "Yin Xia" flashed on the screen.

Yin Xia is Shu Yao's junior classmate at the music academy. She plays the violin and has a gentle and introverted personality.

She got married early after graduation to a building materials business owner, and the two occasionally exchanged sheet music on WeChat.

Shu Yao pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Xiaxia?"

On the other end of the phone, I could hear suppressed sobs.

"Senior sister..."

Yin Xia's voice trembled violently, filled with deep fear.

"Help me... I have nowhere to go... He's going to kill me..."

Shu Yao's expression changed drastically.

The hand gripping the phone tightened suddenly.

"Where are you? Send me your location! Right now!"

Twenty minutes later.

The car was parked at the entrance of an alley in the old town.

Shu Yao pushed open the car door and rushed out.

They found Yin Xia huddled up under the eaves of a closed hardware store.

Yin Xia was soaked to the bone.

Her hair was plastered messily to her face.

Her once delicate face was now a pitiful sight.

Her left eye was swollen high, with a tear at the corner of her eye and blood seeping out. Her mouth was cut, and the neckline of her white dress was ripped open, revealing bruises and marks on her neck.

She was like a frightened quail, hugging her knees, staring at the alley entrance with a terrified and unfocused look in her eyes.

Upon seeing Shu Yao, Yin Xia suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Shu Yao's arm.

"Senior sister...take me away...take me away..."

Shu Yao's eyes reddened, and her anger instantly surged to the top of her head.

Without saying a word, she took off her trench coat and wrapped it around Yin Xia.

He put his arm around her shoulder, half-dragged and half-carried her into the passenger seat, and locked the car door.

With a tap of the accelerator, the car sped off.

*

go home

Shu Yao first locked the calico cat princess and the four kittens crawling all over the floor into the second bedroom.

The God of War lay on the balcony, looking at the unfamiliar woman, and let out a soft cry.

Shu Yao helped Yin Xia sit down on the sofa, took out the first-aid kit, and treated the wounds on her face.

As soon as the iodine touched the wound, Yin Xia trembled in pain.

"Wang Lei did it?" Shu Yao gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger.

Wang Lei is the husband of Yin Xia, the building materials merchant.

Yin Xia covered her face, tears streaming down her face.

"He'd been drinking... I told him to drink less, and he smashed the bowl and started banging my head against the wall..."

Yin Xia burst into tears.

"This isn't the first time. Every time he beats me, he kneels down and begs for my forgiveness... Senior sister, I can't take it anymore, I really can't take it anymore. I'm afraid to go back to my parents' house, I'm afraid he'll cause trouble."

"Did you call the police?" Shu Yao asked.

Yin Xia shook her head desperately, her eyes filled with fear: "I can't call the police. He said if I dare to call the police, he'll destroy my hands so I can never play the violin again. He also knows people at the police station..."

Shu Yao took a deep breath, trembling with anger.

Just then, the fingerprint lock emitted a crisp "beep".

The door was pushed open.

He Zheng strode in, dressed in a black combat uniform, carrying a takeout order from the private kitchen that Shu Yao loved.

As soon as he entered the living room, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.

His gaze fell on the woman trembling on the sofa.

His gaze, like an X-ray, swept over the bruises on Yin Xia's face, the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth, and the marks on her neck in half a second.

His gaze instantly shifted from the relaxed look when he entered to a sensitive "police mode".

He placed the takeout he was holding on the entryway cabinet.

He walked over and looked at Yin Xia.

"Blunt blows, scratches, defensive injuries, strangulation marks."

"Who did it?"

He turned to ask Shu Yao.

"Her husband is abusive, he won't let her call the police, he says he knows people at the police station, and he even threatened to ruin her hands," Shu Yao said angrily.

Then he briefly explained Yin Xia's situation to He Zheng.

He Zheng sneered and took out his phone from his pocket.

"Know people at the police station? That's quite a boast."