“Hey! What are you spacing out for?” Chang Bin had returned at some point and suddenly spoke up beside him, curiosity in his voice.
Zeng Yongjia jolted back to his senses. But when he looked again toward where he had just been staring, the figure was already gone. He frowned, lost in thought.
Chang Bin, having waited in vain for a reply, and remembering how his colleague had been staring at the new captain without blinking earlier, gave a meaningful cough: “Don’t tell me you’ve actually got ideas about her? Love at first sight? That won’t do—you can’t treat feelings so rashly! Sure, you’ve been a lifelong bachelor…”
The rest of his words were swallowed under the sharp narrowing of the other man’s eyes.
Zeng Yongjia felt his teeth ache at that remark. The image of He Shu in her sportswear overlapped with another memory: short hair brushing her ears, a tight black vest and shorts, and those wolfish eyes that had left such a deep impression. The thought made him shiver, goosebumps rising all over. Though the woman now appeared gentler, her gaze softer, even alluring, the old impression seemed too deeply etched. No matter how he looked, he couldn’t shake the sense of a hidden ferocity in her bones.
“You came over for something?” He finally pulled himself out of his long reverie and eyed the man beside him suspiciously.
Chang Bin found his startled manner curious but didn’t press further. Instead, he spread his hands helplessly: “Even if we’ve called in professionals to help catch the cats and dogs, we’ve still got to lend a hand, brother. If we don’t hurry back to the team, it’ll be daylight soon.”
“…”
Of course, chaos broke out again—cats darting, dogs scattering. Zeng Yongjia, in the midst of it all, would occasionally, almost unconsciously, steal a glance at He Shu, who was busy conferring with Zheng Jian and Ding Qi. Each time, he quickly withdrew his gaze before she could notice, throwing himself back into the fierce chase with the strays around the greenbelt.
By the time the forensic team and technicians had finished collecting evidence, the special task force had managed to round up most of the stray animals. Dusty and disheveled, Zeng Yongjia and Chang Bin each carried a dog back to the van, temporarily requisitioned to hold the cats and dogs. There, they saw He Shu gently placing a tabby cat into a cage. Hearing their footsteps, she turned, nodded, and smiled. Chang Bin hurried forward, warmly suggesting she ride back in Ding Qi’s police car, assuring her that he and Zeng Yongjia would escort this van full of “important evidence” back to the bureau themselves.
He Shu seemed to have no objections and soon got into Ding Qi’s car. The two police vehicles drove off quickly.
After carefully confirming the handover with the staff who had assisted in the capture, Zeng Yongjia and Chang Bin climbed into the van together, ready to return to Jinghuai City Bureau.
The two sat side by side in the middle row. Behind them, cats and dogs were locked in stacked cages, letting out faint whimpers from time to time.
Chang Bin turned, his gaze settling on the man beside him. He smacked his lips and shook his head. “Something’s off. Way too off.”
Zeng Yongjia didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids. Waves of drowsiness kept washing over him—after all, dawn was breaking, and the whole night had been spent. He only yawned and muttered vaguely, “What’s off?”
“Ever since Deputy Liu led our new Captain He over here, you’ve been off—from head to toe.” Chang Bin found it strange himself. He craned his neck to check that the driver up front wasn’t paying attention, then leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Didn’t you say you didn’t know He Shu? Then why does your reaction say otherwise?”
“Hey, don’t think you can lie to me—I’ve got eyes like fire!” He cut Zeng Yongjia off before he could speak, pointing at his own round, wide‑open eyes.
Zeng Yongjia could only purse his lips and rub his cropped hair with a weary hand. “It’s not really knowing her. I just suddenly remembered I’d seen her a couple of times. Do you recall the year I first joined the force, when the city bureau pulled together a batch of new recruits for some special mission? I was on the initial list.”
“That was years ago…” Chang Bin tilted his head, his expression serious as he thought back. “I think there was something like that. Back then you were fresh out of school—a kid who hadn’t even grown all his feathers yet.”
The matter had caused quite a stir at the time. Rumor had it that the mission those recruits were sent on was no ordinary assignment. Anyone who came back would have a bright, smooth path ahead. Many seasoned officers at the bureau were disgruntled—why should such a golden opportunity fall into the laps of a bunch of rookies?
“I didn’t even make it past the first round—I packed my bags and went back to the task force,” Zeng Yongjia said, stretching lazily, his voice tinged with regret. “But if I remember right, Ji Chen from the Cold Case Unit and our fresh Captain He both made it into the final selection list. They were even grouped in the first round. My impression of her only comes from those few joint training sessions. So, if you’re really curious, why not go ask Ji Chen?”
At the mention of “Ji Chen,” Chang Bin’s cheek muscles twitched twice before he rolled his eyes, his attitude plain as day. Word on the street was that the task force and the Cold Case Unit were like enemies from a past life—if they met without bickering, it was only because both sides were in an unusually good mood and didn’t want to dirty their mouths.
That was, of course, an exaggeration. They were all adults, not so childish. But the grudges and tangled history between the two units—well, that was a long story, and the conflicts hadn’t formed overnight.
Their discussion ended abruptly. In that faintly awkward atmosphere, the van drove smoothly to Jinghuai City Bureau and stopped in front of the building.
After settling the stray cats and dogs, Zeng Yongjia and Chang Bin took the elevator back up to the task force’s floor. As they stepped out, still talking about the next direction of the investigation, they nearly collided head‑on with a tall figure emerging unexpectedly from the restroom.
“…”
Looking at the man’s strikingly recognizable face, Zeng Yongjia felt a twinge in his teeth. That’s what comes of talking about people behind their backs—when you meet them in person, there’s this inexplicable pang of guilt.
After a few seconds of silence, Chang Bin spoke first. “Group Leader Ji, working overtime?”
Ji Chen stood well over 1.85 meters, his short hair neatly cropped. He wore a dark blue short‑sleeved T‑shirt; his exposed arms were strong and muscular, and his skin a healthy wheat‑tan. His looks leaned toward the sunny type, so even though he was about the same age as Zeng Yongjia—both equally worn down by sleepless nights and overwork—he still looked like the younger one—a high nose bridge, deep eyes that gleamed with energy even in the dim corridor.
“Yeah, overtime.” His tone was mild enough. In truth, as long as no case was involved, everyone could maintain a veneer of friendliness when they met. “I heard quite a commotion when Ding Qi and the others came back. Word is, your case this time is pretty interesting.”
At that, Zeng Yongjia’s expression sharpened, suddenly on guard. And who could blame him? The feud between the task force and the Cold Case Unit had been forged exactly this way—cases overlapping, investigations colliding, and plenty of friction along the way.
Ji Chen only smiled faintly, as if offering the two men a dose of reassurance. “The ‘Night Runner’ case from thirteen years ago has turned up new leads. I’ll be heading back.” With that, he started forward, but suddenly seemed to recall something. He stopped, turned his head, and added, “I hear your task force has been vacant for quite a while. The new captain finally arrived?”
“Yeah.” Zeng Yongjia crossed his arms, his smile carrying a hint of meaning. Tilting his chin up toward the man who stood nearly half a head taller, he began, “Deputy Liu brought her over to us overnight. Speaking of this new captain, Group Leader Ji, you also—”
Before he could finish, Chang Bin’s gaze shifted down the corridor. He called out loudly, “Captain He?”
He Shu spotted the three of them standing at the restroom door. Her steps faltered for a moment, brows lifting slightly, but she quickly regained composure. With a friendly smile, she walked toward them.
Zeng Yongjia cut off his words, cleared his throat, and formally extended a hand to make introductions. “Here, Group Leader Ji—this is our new head, He Shu. Captain He, this is the tall, handsome, promising…” His tone turned mischievous as he piled on exaggerated, tacky compliments. “…Group Leader Ji from the City Bureau’s Cold Case Unit. But… you two should already know each other, right?”
After all, even he had some impression of He Shu, and Ji Chen had once passed the first round alongside her—surely he was more familiar with her.
Yet neither of them reacted. Zeng Yongjia exchanged a suspicious glance with Chang Bin. Their professional instincts, combined with the odd atmosphere, left them with the distinct sense that things were not as simple as they seemed.
After about ten seconds, He Shu suddenly extended her right hand, her expression tinged—strangely—with a touch of allure. “Group Leader Ji, a pleasure to meet you…”
A pleasure to meet you? Ji Chen narrowed his eyes. His expression didn’t change, but the pressure in the air around him dropped several degrees. He lowered his gaze to the slender, elegant hand held out before him. His fingers twitched twice at his side, then, without a word, he strode away.
The tips of He Shu’s fingers brushed against the warmth of his arm as he passed, making her hand waver slightly. She blinked, withdrew her hand, and turned to watch his tall figure retreating, thoughtful.
“Wait—what was that?” Chang Bin whispered, lowering his voice to the barest minimum and exchanging a look with Zeng Yongjia. “That was way too awkward.”
Zeng Yongjia sniffed, hesitated, then finally asked outright: “Captain He, do you and Group Leader Ji have some kind of grudge?” It was a reasonable suspicion—how could they not know each other? And Ji Chen wasn’t usually the type to snub someone so openly.
“Grudge?” He Shu seemed to consider carefully, then spread her hands. “Maybe he’s still holding it against me for breaking two of his ribs a few years back.”
“Hiss…” Both men sucked in a sharp breath. Chang Bin even clutched his chest instinctively—the thought alone was painful.
Zeng Yongjia, however, did not doubt her claim. Her skills had left a deep impression on him even years later. For a man to have two ribs broken by a woman—it was the kind of thing that bruised pride more than bone.
Under their admiring stares, He Shu lowered her head slightly, the smile fading as she frowned. Tsk. After all this time, still the same old story. Troublesome.