“Where are you going?” Lin Hening asked coldly. “Right now?”
Xia Zhile kept the call connected but pulled the phone away from his ear. His face had gone pale.
“An Nian is being followed by Wang Tu. He’s hiding in a public restroom alone.”
Wang Tu—An Nian’s writer ex-boyfriend.
Xia Zhile hurriedly spoke into the phone, “Go somewhere crowded! He won’t dare do anything to you in public!”
Then he turned to Lin Hening, looking both desperate and helpless.
“Don’t be stubborn. This is a life-or-death situation!”
—
Lin Hening: “…?”
He hadn’t even said a word yet—how was he already the stubborn one?
—
Xia Zhile was frantic. “Just go to the restaurant first, I’ll—”
Lin Hening cut him off. “I’m going with you.”
—
Xia Zhile hesitated.
Lin Hening glanced at him sideways, his voice ice-cold.
“Too bad you’re a cardiothoracic specialist and not a neurosurgeon.”
—
Xia Zhile: “?”
—
Lin Hening continued,
“Otherwise, you could treat An Nian’s brain.”
“In a crisis like this, instead of calling the police, he calls you?”
“Are you a superhero who can fly, tear through mountains, and blow up the Golden Gate Bridge? Or are you a national officer sworn to protect the people with your very own life?”
—
Xia Zhile was stunned.
Then, looking at Lin Hening’s uniform, realization hit.
—
His joy was instant and overwhelming.
“Baby, you’re amazing!”
—
Lin Hening crossed his arms. “Start driving, isn’t this a life-or-death situation?”
“Right, right!” Xia Zhile was genuinely moved as he floored the gas.
—
The car roared forward at over 100 mph.
In just a few minutes, they skidded to a stop in front of a hot pot restaurant.
Xia Zhile bolted out, yelling, “An Nian!”
—
“Zhile-ge, I’m here!”
In the crowded restaurant, An Nian was huddled in the corner booth, looking absolutely pitiful.
The moment he saw Xia Zhile, his eyes lit up like he’d found salvation.
He stumbled toward him, practically throwing himself into Xia Zhile’s arms.
“Zhile-ge!”
—
Lin Hening walked in.
A whimpering, delicate little thing was suddenly clinging to his boyfriend.
—
But Lin Hening’s icy gaze wasn’t on An Nian.
It was on Xia Zhile—who was holding An Nian, comforting him so gently.
—
“Are you okay? Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Where’s Wang Tu?” Xia Zhile asked.
An Nian, trembling, pointed toward the entrance.
—
Both Lin Hening and Xia Zhile turned at the same time.
Outside, Wang Tu had been lurking for a while.
Now, he stormed in.
—
His bloodshot eyes glared at them.
“Who the hell are you? Get away from An Nian!”
—
Xia Zhile fired back instantly, “You get away from him!”
—
Wang Tu’s rage exploded, his voice shaking.
“What’s your relationship with him?! An Nian is mine! He belongs to me!”
—
“You’re crazy! You’re a psycho!” Xia Zhile snapped.
“An Nian, call the police!”
—
Tears welled up in An Nian’s big, watery eyes.
“We already broke up! Stop bothering me!”
—
Wang Tu, face twisted in desperation, pleaded,
“No! Xiao Nian, I don’t want to break up! We’ve been together for five years! Five whole years!”
—
Tears streamed down An Nian’s delicate face.
“You’re a good person. I’m the one who isn’t worthy. Please… let me go.”
“Your love is suffocating me. I’m scared.”
—
Lin Hening: “….”
—
It was dinner rush hour.
The restaurant was packed.
This dramatic scene instantly became the center of attention.
Even pedestrians outside stopped to gawk through the windows.
Better than TV.
Why pay for a drama subscription when this is free?
—
Shoved to the outer edges of the crowd, Lin Hening crossed his arms.
His thoughts were deep.
—
Wang Tu’s heart-wrenching cry pierced the air.
“Xiao Nian, I love you!”
“I can’t live without you!”
—
Lin Hening: (Oh boy, here we go.)
—
An Nian flinched as Wang Tu moved toward him.
—
Xia Zhile instantly shielded him.
“Don’t touch him! Stay where you are!”
“Xiao Nian is mine!”
“Don’t come any closer, stay back!” Xia Zhile panicked, scanning the crowd for someone. Her eyes lit up. “Lin Hening! Lin Hening!”
She grabbed An Nian’s wrist and dragged her through the packed crowd, straight to Lin Hening’s side.
One on the left, one on the right—they hid behind him.
Lin Hening: “?”
Wait, weren’t you supposed to have a dramatic showdown? I was ready to watch you heroically take on your ex-boyfriend, win the girl, and bask in the applause like some kind of year-end blockbuster. What the hell is this move?
Alright, alright, yet another poor soul poisoned by over-the-top protagonist tropes. Acting all tough when provoking someone, only to chicken out at the crucial moment.
Wang Tu glared at Lin Hening, then looked at An Nian in disbelief. His face twisted with rage and heartbreak. “You insisted on breaking up with me—didn’t want me—just so you could go and find some insurance salesman?!”
Lin Hening: “??”
“An Nian is mine. An Nian is mine,” Wang Tu muttered like a madman, his eyes darting around before suddenly locking onto something. He grabbed the closest beer bottle and swung it straight at Lin Hening’s head.
To his left, Xia Zhile screamed.
To his right, the little crybaby whimpered.
Around them, the crowd gasped in shock.
And right in front of him—yup, pretty sure this guy had some kind of personality disorder.
As the bottle came flying toward him, Lin Hening instinctively reached out with his right hand, grabbing Wang Tu’s wrist to disarm him. But as luck would have it, the little crybaby was clinging tightly to his right arm, and even worse, Xia Zhile had a death grip on his left.
Lin Hening: “???”
No, seriously—why are you two restraining me like I’m the one causing problems here?!
With no other options in that split-second, Lin Hening used his foot to kick Wang Tu away.
Crisis averted—temporarily. He yanked his arms free from the two deadweights.
Wang Tu staggered back, humiliated and furious. His eyes darkened as he grabbed a chair and hurled it straight at Lin Hening.
“Damn… that hurts.”
Pain shot through Lin Hening’s left arm, sharp and unbearable. Forget fighting back—he could barely lift it.
Meanwhile, those useless teammates were still standing there panicking.
“Baby, move out of the way!”
Lin Hening doubted he could dodge in time. If that chair landed, he’d be making another trip to the hospital. He wanted to yell, How about you take your weak, helpless ‘baby’ and get as far away from me as possible?!
Just then—swift as lightning—a tan hand shot out, locking onto Wang Tu’s delicate-looking wrist.
Well, actually, it wasn’t all that delicate. But compared to the strong, powerful arm that held it, Wang Tu’s wrist suddenly seemed as frail as a baby’s. It looked like the kind of thing that could be snapped in half with just a little extra pressure—like a dry twig going crack.
Lin Hening stared at the broad-shouldered figure in front of him, taking a long moment to process what just happened.
“Gu Fei?!”
Wang Tu was frozen.
An Nian whimpered.
Xia Zhile was stunned, her gaze unwillingly drawn to the man’s muscular arm—solid, well-defined, radiating strength. It looked like it was made of steel, effortlessly keeping the struggling Wang Tu in place.
Gu Fei held Wang Tu up with one hand and turned to Lin Hening.
“You okay?”
Lin Hening blinked, still in a daze, before dumbly shaking his head.
“Not gonna lie, that was seriously cool!”
Just look at those bold, powerful muscles, the perfect contours, the flawless bone structure and physique—holy hell, that was badass!
Lin Hening, who had a particular fondness for muscles, felt his heart thumping wildly. His envy was almost palpable.
Xia Zhile caught sight of the look in Lin Hening’s eyes: “???”
Finally releasing his grip on the little crybaby, Dr. Xia yanked Lin Hening to his side, fussing over him—”Baby, are you okay?”—while shooting wary side glances at Gu Fei, keeping a close eye on him.
Meanwhile, Wang Tu howled in pain, the chair clattering to the ground as he struggled with all his might but couldn’t budge an inch. “Let go of me! Let me go!”
Gu Fei remained completely expressionless, unmoving. His towering 6’4″ frame allowed him to look down at Wang Tu, who was still hopping mad.
Honestly, it was like watching a battle-hardened soldier toy with an elementary school kid.
Lin Hening had no doubt that if Gu Fei wanted to, he could easily swing Wang Tu around like a pizza dough.
Come on, it’s not even a fair comparison—one guy’s hands were used to typing on a keyboard, while the other’s were used to swinging iron ladles. No contest.
Finally, the police arrived, sirens blaring, and took Wang Tu away for causing a public disturbance—though now he was loudly demanding a medical examination. An Nian, who hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch, was wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot water from a female officer’s hands, her eyes red and teary.
“Zhile-ge, don’t leave, I’m scared.”
“Don’t be scared, the police are here now,” Xia Zhile reassured her gently. Then, he turned to look for Lin Hening—only to realize he was gone.
Lin Hening leaned against a black Mercedes and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Gu Fei lifted a hand and pointed across the street.
Amidst a row of shops—a pharmacy, a bakery, a clothing store—there was a somewhat small but eye-catching storefront.
Apricot Blossom Restaurant.
“…Oh.” Lin Hening nodded in sudden realization.
Gu Fei’s gaze lingered on Lin Hening.
Just like the last time he saw him—when Lin Hening had been in that car accident—he was still dressed in formal wear. Of course, back then, after all the chaos, his clothes had been too dirty and wrinkled to make out much. Gu Fei had merely assumed he was an office worker—probably a well-mannered and respectable one, judging by his demeanor and speech.
Now, seeing him up close again, Gu Fei took a more serious look.
Lin Hening’s outfit was precisely tailored—form-fitting, crisp. Underneath, he wore a white long-sleeve dress shirt, paired with a distinct red tie. Over it, a deep navy-blue uniform-style suit jacket.
And pinned to the lapel on the left side—an emblem.
A badge, featuring a shield, five five-pointed stars, Tiananmen Gate, the Great Wall, and an olive branch motif. At the top, four solemn and imposing Chinese characters:
Procuratorate of China.
As Gu Fei watched, Lin Hening unpinned the badge and tucked it into his pocket.
Gu Fei finally spoke. “Prosecutor Lin, when did you get discharged from the hospital?”
Lin Hening froze for a second.
Besides having the physique of an elite special forces soldier, Gu Fei also had an incredibly rich and steady voice—deep, magnetic, and commanding, like a professional news anchor. His pronunciation was flawless, his tone full of authority.
That title—one he heard every day—sounded strangely different coming from Gu Fei.
“Beginning of the month,” Lin Hening replied.
Gu Fei nodded. “Don’t forget to send me the medical bill.”
Honestly, with everything going on lately, Lin Hening hadn’t even thought about it. But the fact that Gu Fei was bringing it up himself made him, as the one owed the money, feel rather satisfied.
Just as he was about to say something more, a voice called out from the distance—Xia Zhile, yelling his name while running over.
Behind him, An Nian trailed along.
“Hening, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Lin Hening’s right hand lightly rested on his left arm.
It was just a fractured bone—but the little crybaby had turned as pale as a ghost.
An Nian, worried, hurried after them. “Zhile-ge, are you okay?”
Xia Zhile reassured An Nian multiple times that he was fine before she finally relaxed. She turned to Lin Hening, her face full of gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Lin. If it weren’t for you, Zhile-ge and I might’ve gotten hurt. Really, thank you.”
Lin Hening felt utterly speechless.
It was late at night, and the autumn wind carried a sharp chill. The three of them—entangled in their ridiculously messy relationship—were standing by the roadside, putting on a show of civility. It was embarrassing. Probably laughable to any onlookers.
From the corner of his eye, Lin Hening glanced around. Huh—did someone just slip away?
Gu Fei had silently backed off at least ten meters without anyone noticing.
Lin Hening felt a wave of relief. He appreciated Boss Gu’s tact.
Standing beside the Mercedes, his eyes fell on the items placed on the passenger seat—
A bouquet of withered white roses. A melted anniversary cake.
Xia Zhile looked stricken with guilt. “…Hening.”
Lin Hening smirked, the expression unreadable. “Nian Nian, that sounded so sweet.”
Xia Zhile froze.
In the distance, a police officer called An Nian over to complete her statement at the station. She looked at Xia Zhile, eyes filled with silent pleading.
Xia Zhile hesitated for a second before hardening his resolve. “Go ahead. Hening and I need to talk.”
An Nian bit her pale lips, forcing a weak smile. “Yes… sorry, senior. I didn’t mean to trouble you.”
That one word—”senior.”
It made Xia Zhile’s heart tighten painfully.
Lin Hening chuckled. “Hurry up and go, or even if I serve you a black pepper sirloin, you won’t be able to tell if it’s salty or bland. Don’t waste good food.”
Xia Zhile: “Hening, I—”
“Just go.”
“Hening…”
“Get lost.”
Gu Fei stood at a distance, smoking. The cigarette was halfway burned when he saw the three figures split up—two got into a police car, while the other strode off in the opposite direction.
Taking a long drag, Gu Fei flicked the ash away and followed.
