“They still haven’t found Qiu Bi?”
“No.” Xia Zhile felt terrible thinking about the cat he had personally decided to adopt and bring home.
“People always say dogs are loyal, but cats love their owners just as much. They just get playful and wander off, but they always come home. I saw a story once—this cat was missing for a month, and just when the owner gave up, the little guy found his way back.” An Nian showed Xia Zhile a post on his phone. “Don’t worry, I put up a lost cat notice, and my friends are all sharing it.”
Xia Zhile was deeply moved.
Even An Nian cared more about Qiu Bi than Lin Hening did. The thought made Xia Zhile’s chest feel tight.
After breakfast, An Nian asked again, “Zhile-ge, are you sure I shouldn’t talk to Mr. Lin?”
Xia Zhile looked horrified. “No, absolutely not.”
An Nian was a mild-mannered scholar, gentle and reserved, whereas Lin Hening was aggressive, sharp-tongued, and lived off his wits. Expecting anyone to win against him in an argument was laughable.
Many defense lawyers had been so utterly crushed by him in court that they quit the profession entirely. Ruthless criminals sentenced to life imprisonment had threatened him with “I’ll destroy your whole family.”
Ten An Nians wouldn’t stand a chance against half a Lin Hening!
“But I just want you two to make up,” An Nian said, his eyes turning red.
Xia Zhile’s heart softened again—especially when An Nian whispered, “I’m not afraid of Mr. Lin misunderstanding me. I just don’t want him to take it out on you.”
Xia Zhile’s expression turned cold.
His relationship with An Nian was pure—closer than brothers, yet still respectful. So why the hell was Lin Hening acting so paranoid?
No wonder they kept fighting. Lin Hening wasn’t as considerate or gentle as before. He was just being unreasonable and picking fights.
Xia Zhile felt both wronged and furious. He turned his head—and was caught completely off guard.
Standing by the road outside, staring in through the window, was a man blatantly eavesdropping.
Gu Fei?!
Xia Zhile was shocked, his hands trembled, and he finally won the battle against the super glue, letting go of An Nian.
An Nian asked what was wrong, but Xia Zhile, utterly flustered, didn’t respond. He got up and walked out of the fast-food restaurant, stopping seven steps away from Gu Fei, locking eyes with him.
Xia Zhile was furious. “Are you following me?!”
Gu Fei: “?”
Xia Zhile: “Did you come on your own, or did Lin Hening send you? What did you see? What did you hear? I’m warning you, don’t spread rumors! Hand over your phone! Did you secretly take pictures of me? That’s an invasion of my privacy! Secretly photographing someone is illegal!”
Gu Fei: “……”
Xia Zhile was fuming. “What are you looking at? I know you can fight, but if you dare lay a finger on me, just try it! Give me your phone and delete all the photos and videos!”
Expressionless, Gu Fei said, “I was just passing by. You’re overthinking.”
Xia Zhile: “Only an idiot would believe that!”
Gu Fei turned and walked away, but after two steps, he stopped and looked back at Xia Zhile, who was red-faced with anger. “Secretly taking photos isn’t called ‘illegal,’ it’s called ‘unlawful.’ Next time, don’t go around telling people your boyfriend is a prosecutor—it’s embarrassing.”
When someone’s luck is bad, even best friends can end up arguing.
Lin Hening had just sent back a case file on a dismemberment murder because of insufficient evidence, listing a summary of missing evidence and instructing the police to conduct a supplementary investigation. Unfortunately, the case had been handled by the criminal investigation team, meaning it was up to Jian Xiaoxi and his brothers to investigate again.
Jian Xiaoxi believed the evidence was solid and argued with Lin Hening over the phone. After listening to Jian Xiaoxi’s long-winded reasoning, Lin Hening simply responded with two questions: Would a defense lawyer overlook these loopholes? Would a judge be swayed by emotional arguments?
Jian Xiaoxi wasn’t the type to be unreasonable, but this case was horrific. The higher-ups were pressuring them, and the victim’s family was pitiful. He and his team had pulled all-nighters for over ten days to gather evidence, only for the prosecution to reject it within days.
Lin Hening hung up.
A colleague—a mother of two—had overheard the whole exchange. As she handed Lin Hening a yogurt drink, she advised, “It’s normal to have disputes at work. No need to act like you’re cutting ties over this. You young folks are too hotheaded.”
Both Lin Hening and Jian Xiaoxi had fiery tempers, and with both of them in a bad mood, it was bound to be an explosive clash.
Lin Hening downed the yogurt to restore his blood sugar, making him feel slightly better. After reviewing case files for another two hours, he left work on time.
His car was in the shop, so he planned to take a taxi home. But rush hour made it nearly impossible to get one, so he opted for the subway instead.
While walking to the station, Lin Hening had the nagging feeling that someone was following him.
To be honest, he’d had this feeling for the past two days. The only reason he remained calm was his extensive experience in the field. He’d been shadowed by suspects’ family members before and even targeted by gang members avenging their sentenced bosses. Until he could confirm whether the stalker was friend or foe, he chose to stay quiet—after all, he’d encountered situations where someone “suspiciously tailing him” had actually just been a hesitant informant trying to provide a tip.
While waiting for the subway, he mentally reviewed recent cases. The most likely person tailing him was a family member of the dismemberment case victim.
Lin Hening scanned his surroundings but didn’t see the elderly man with gray hair and a sallow face.
Instead, he noticed a woman next to him touching up her makeup. In the reflection of her compact mirror, he caught sight of someone stealing glances at him—a man in a black padded jacket, wearing a hat and a mask. The figure disappeared in an instant, but Lin Hening could tell it was a man.
His heart sank.
Pretending not to notice, he kept his gaze steady and slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping his phone tightly.
The subway arrived. The waiting crowd surged forward, pushing Lin Hening a few steps closer to the platform’s edge.
Crap!
In a split second, his mind replayed a classic murder scene from movies—someone shoving him onto the tracks!
The deafening roar of the train approached, warning sirens blared, and the signal lights flashed blindingly bright. The crowd jostled shoulder to shoulder, leaving no room to even lift an arm.
Suddenly, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“Hey!!”
Lin Hening’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He spun around sharply—
Jian Xiaoxi was standing there, grinning mischievously. “Scared you, didn’t I? Surprised?”
At the same time, the subway thundered into the station, the gust of wind from its arrival sending the hem of Lin Hening’s coat flapping.
Lin Hening: “……”
Surprise my ass!
For a moment, he genuinely thought his soul had left his body. He wanted nothing more than to slap Jian Xiaoxi across the face.
Lin Hening stepped onto the subway first.
Jian Xiaoxi, still in high spirits, followed. “What’s wrong, Hening? Still mad?”
Lin Hening ignored him, needing a moment to collect himself.
Jian Xiaoxi crossed his arms. “If anyone should be mad, it’s me. Do you know how much effort it took to gather all that witness testimony and physical evidence? Lao Sun broke three ribs arresting the suspect. And in less than 48 hours, you threw all our hard work out the window. Wouldn’t you be pissed?”
“…Fine, I admit I was impulsive. My tone was harsh, and my attitude sucked. Cut me some slack.”
“We’ve been friends for over a decade. If you hold a grudge, I’ll cry right here!”
Jian Xiaoxi rambled on but got no response. When he finally looked closely, he noticed Lin Hening’s face was deathly pale, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Jian Xiaoxi was stunned for a second—then burst into laughter. “No way, I actually scared you? Your guts are smaller than a sesame seed.”
Lin Hening glared at him.
Easy for you to say. You’re fearless—you’ve got the nerve of Thanos himself.
Jian Xiaoxi held back a laugh. “Come on, I was just messing with you to blow off some steam. Who knew you’d actually freak out? Alright, alright, let me smooth your fur—don’t be scared, okay?”
Lin Hening swatted away his hand.
As the subway started moving, Lin Hening glanced out the window.
“What’s up with you? You look out of it,” Jian Xiaoxi followed his gaze. “What are you looking for?”
Lin Hening: “Did you see a man in a black padded jacket and a mask…”
“Which one?” Captain Jian, known for his sharp judgment, suddenly had a moment of realization. “Ah, you’re afraid of being followed and retaliated against, aren’t you? By the family of the victim from that dismemberment case you dismissed.”
Lin Hening thought, Damn, he hit the nail on the head. To prevent Jian Xiaoxi from gloating, Lin Hening stiffened his neck and refused to admit it.
Jian Xiaoxi didn’t expose him but instead sighed, “Our job is pretty high-risk, huh? Just last year, in the neighboring city, a prosecutor got stabbed to death. Even though you’re skilled in both brains and brawn, a hidden attack is harder to defend against than a direct one. Why not get a bodyguard?”
Lin Hening shot him a look. “Are you joking?”
But Jian Xiaoxi was dead serious. “I get it, having a bodyguard following you around might hurt your image, but what if your bodyguard was also your boyfriend? That’d be killing two birds with one stone.”
“Xia Zhile?” Lin Hening felt like Jian Xiaoxi was low-key insulting Dr. Xia.
Jian Xiaoxi shrugged. “Too bad. That little puppy is way too weak. He’s fine as a cuddle buddy at home, but in real danger? Useless. Unlike that guy—what’s his name again? The owner of Apricot Blossom Restaurant? Now that is a man—big build, abs of steel, like Bruce Willis!”
Comparing a little puppy to a Tibetan Mastiff? That’s just bullying the dog.
When the subway arrived at their stop, Lin Hening and Jian Xiaoxi got off.
Jian Xiaoxi wanted to walk Lin Hening home, but he refused. As he entered his apartment complex, he caught sight of Jian Xiaoxi tailing him in a car’s side mirror. Lin Hening couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling a warmth in his heart.
His cat was gone, but all its things remained untouched.
After taking a shower, Lin Hening’s phone buzzed.
At first, he thought he was hallucinating from soaking in the bath too long.
It was An Nian requesting to add him as a friend?!!
