"Even though it’s been more than a decade, Zhang Yun’s husband is so handso there’s no way I could have mistaken him. It’s definitely him, especially those eyes—they’re unmistakable..."
Kong Lili sighed emotionally. When she looked up, she was t with the woman’s face, frosted over with a cold expression.
A dignified and elegant lady of noble bearing, but with an aura so intimidating that Kong Lili didn’t dare to et her gaze. She quickly lowered her head.
After a long pause, she heard the woman’s voice, cold and weighted: "Do you know the consequences of lying to ?"
The room was warm from the heating, the air nearly stifling, yet Kong Lili felt a sudden coldness squirming up her spine, sending chills through her body.
"Madam, I swear every word I said is the truth. If you don’t believe , you can ask Zhang Yun’s younger brother—he surely wouldn’t fail to recognize his own brother-in-law. And then there’s Shen Li’s daughter; there must at least be a photo of Shen Li in her possession. As soon as you ask them, you’ll know whether what I said is true."
"Get out."
As if granted a pardon, Kong Lili spun around and ran out imdiately.
Helian Yu’s gaze shifted back to the painting before her. The boy in the painting was smiling at her.
What stood out most on the boy’s face were his eyes, brimming with life.
They reminded her of a springti apricot blossom forest, with radiant sunlight piercing through the treetops, its warmth nourishing all living things.
Helian Yu picked up another portrait. The girl in this one was ethereal, almost otherworldly.
Placing the two portraits side by side revealed a startling discovery.
The people in the portraits shared identical eyes.
Outside the window, a blinding white flash of lightning split the night sky, followed by the deafening rumble of thunder.
Helian Yu collapsed onto the sofa, her brow deeply furrowed, murmuring to herself, "How could this be..."
~
The Criminal Police Battalion.
After working tirelessly for a full day and night, Xiang Chenyu slumped back in her chair, dozing off for a mont.
Once again, she dread of that boy.
But this ti, the spring apricot blossom forest had turned into a raging inferno. The boy’s silhouette was resolute as he charged into the flas without a hint of hesitation.
"No...!"
She cried out in her dream, tears streaming down her face as the rciless tongues of fire devoured the boy.
Xiang Chenyu jolted awake just as a clap of thunder bood directly into her ears.
Still reeling, she leaned forward and wiped the sweat from her forehead—her hand ca away icy with cold perspiration.
She tried to recall the dream, but many details had already faded. All she could rember was the boy’s smile as he stood amidst the flas.
"No... it couldn’t be."
She muttered quietly to herself.
Shen Li couldn’t be Yu Fuli—that had to be impossible. Just a coincidence.
But after so many years as a criminal officer, how could she not understand?
Coincidences don’t exist. Every occurrence is inevitably tied to sothing else.
All the scattered clues ultimately pointed to a single conclusion.
Xiang Chenyu grabbed the car keys on her desk and snatched up her coat before striding out of the room.
As she approached the door, she noticed a boy sitting on a bench in the hallway. His posture was upright and proper, an image almost pleasing to the eye.
"Liu Runxi?"
The boy looked up.
He rose imdiately, greeting her politely: "Officer Xiang."
Xiang Chenyu twirled the car keys in her hand, studying him up and down.
"Who are you waiting for?"
"I’m waiting for Brother Wen."
Xiang Chenyu raised an eyebrow. "You’ve picked a bad ti—he’s out of town on business."
The boy pursed his lips. "Thank you for letting know."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Hold on," Xiang Chenyu stopped him.
"It’s late. Let drive you ho."
Before he could refuse, she cut him off, "Don’t rush to say no. If sothing happens to you, Mrs. Liu won’t let off the hook."
The boy frowned slightly.
Xiang Chenyu smirked—he really was nothing like his mother.
"It’s freezing out. How about joining for a al first?"
Xiang Chenyu parked her car at the entrance of a dilapidated alley and led the way into what seed to be an urban village.
It was usually a bustling night market, but the bad weather—with lightning, thunder, and hints of an impending downpour—had forced many vendors to pack up early.
Familiar with the place, Xiang Chenyu found a particular stall and ordered deftly, "Boss, two bowls of Three Delicacies Wontons."
"Got it!"
The vendor, along with his elentary-school-aged son, was busy setting up a rain tarp. Xiang Chenyu stepped in to help.
"Thank you, young lady. All set now, have a seat. I’ll prepare the wontons right away," said the vendor.
Xiang Chenyu rapped her knuckles lightly on the table. "Young master, you’re not going to look down on street food, are you?"
"I wouldn’t." The boy sat down across from her.
Xiang Chenyu got back up, grabbed a can of beer and a can of cola from a nearby table, and put the soda in front of Liu Runxi.
"High schooler, this will have to do." She cracked open the beer can’s tab and took a long sip, exuding an air of casual confidence.
She slamd the beer can down on the table with a "clink" and tilted her head back.
"Looks like it’s going to rain." Her tone carried a hint of lancholy.
This wasn’t the kind of thing Xiang Chenyu usually said.
Liu Runxi glanced up at her.
Xiang Chenyu smiled faintly. "Young man, you’ve got sothing on your mind, don’t you?"
Liu Runxi dropped his gaze, his hands resting on his knees, nervously picking at the thin fabric.
"Today, your big sister’s in a good mood. Tell about it—I just might be able to help you out."
Liu Runxi shook his head. "You can’t help ."
Xiang Chenyu slapped the table hard enough to make the rickety little dining table tremble precariously.
"If you don’t say it, how would you know I can’t help? Co on, spill it—opportunities like this don’t co every day."
After a long hesitation, the boy murmured, "I want to beco strong."
Xiang Chenyu gave him another once-over and suddenly laughed.
Every teenage boy goes through a phase where they imagine themselves becoming invincible heroes, saving the world.
She chuckled quietly to herself. "Why didn’t you say so earlier? Nobody gets it better than your big sister here. Look at these muscles of mine."
She rolled up her sleeves, flexing her biceps for him in mock pride.
"Who would’ve guessed this big sister used to be frail—so weak she couldn’t even walk without gasping."
The boy shook his head. "What I an by ’strong’ is having the power to stand up against authority and protect the ones I want to keep safe."
Xiang Chenyu froze for a mont. In the boy’s eyes, she saw it—
An unshakable determination, as imnse as an ocean and as immovable as a mountain.
She licked her dry lips. "Well then, you’ve found the right person."
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